world is separate and remote from and unconnected with the world
of human experience. The transcendent world of deen is only an
aspect of the same Reality of which the world of the senses is
another aspect. In fact, they interpenetrate each other and belong to
the same Supreme Reality. Deen teaches us that the sensible world is
an abstraction from Reality and that we should adjust ourselves to
the whole concrete Reality and not to one of its aspects. We agree
with Professor Cassirer that “religion” (deen, as we call it) is “human,
all too human.” Its function is to regulate human life in such a way
that the individual develops his personality and becomes a useful
member of society. In order to attain this objective, it gives what
may be termed permanent values, which no other source of knowledge
can provide. It exhorts man to conquer the forces of nature, since
the position it assigns to him in the universe is next to God, and to
utilise the power so acquired for the development of the whole of
humanity. It shows him the way to rise above animal level and to live
the life of Man. It is possible only if he leads his life in conformity
with permanent values. There would be no permanent values if
there were no deen, and if there were no permanent values mankind
will be no better than a herd of beasts. This is the real value and
place of deen in human life and activity which has unfortunately
escaped the notice of Professor Cassirer.
II. The SelfSo far we have been concerned with the Ultimate Reality with its
infinity of aspects. One of these aspects is the spatio-temporal
world of our experience. Now, we can turn our attention to the
human self which seeks a meaningful relationship with Reality. The
Real, in relation to the human self, is God, and the self’s attitude to
the Real is deen. The self is strengthened and enriched through
permanent values which are the various attributes of the Real Self
called God.
What is the nature of the human self and what is its place in the
scheme of the universe? We will, first, state and critically examine
the answers which modern science and philosophy have supplied to
these questions. In ancient and mediaeval philosophy the self was
synonymous with the soul, and the soul was believed to be an
Islam: A Challenge to Religion 50