Theory of Religion Evolution: Islamic View III

 
Prophethood Tasks

Islam was actually revealed to Adam a.s and it is the inheritance of his descendents whom are human-beings. After his descendents expanded and multiplied, there were additions and modifications to what had been revealed to him. 

The God through His Mercy had sent prophets to bring human-being to the track. Each time deviation happened, the God will send His prophets and messengers among human-being to transmit the message to other human-beings. Prophets were not teaching anything new but transmitting again the creed of human ancestors. Only the Way differs according to period of time as the Way appears to be related to the development of society, culture, and intelligence of human to accept it. It is also according to time span.

The religion of the universe is only one which is the nature, Islam. It was first being revealed to ancestors of men who is Adam a.s. Prophets and messengers of the God are all Muslims. So, non-Muslim fellows, according to our belief, Jesus Christ is a Muslim just like others who spoke revelation or Word with their tongue. It does not matter whether he is a Son of God or being a deity when performing miracles. We respect him the same as we respect noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w and Moses a.s. We worship only the God and not spirits which dwell in earthly vessels and that does not mean that we degrade a noble person. All of prophets propagating His teaching and purifying His teaching according to the necessities of their era.

Says the God in His revelation:  "Abraham is not a Jew and not a Christian but he is a straight person (in faith) who submits himself (to the God) and he is never among polytheists." (Surah Āli-'Imran verse 67)

The first messenger of the God is Adam a.s. Muhammad s.a.w is the seal of the prophethood and the final messenger as his era or time span reaches the resurrection. Glorious Quran only reveals 25 of prophets and messengers of the God. Between Adam and Muhammad, who knows how many messengers and prophets of the God. Only the God knows. The God does not tell us in detail in the revelation.

Says the God: "And for every nation there was prophet. So, when came to them, being judged amongst them with justice and they are not tyrannized." (surah Yunus verse 47)

All of 25 prophets and messengers revealed by the God with revelations mentioned in the Quran struggles in Mediterranean region and generally are Semites. Noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w is also a Semite. However, there were also non-semite prophets as there are also human who live in other parts of the world since before the birth of Muhammad s.a.w.

Says the God: "Verily We sent messengers before you in which some of them that we tell you their story and some we do not tell you. And it is not (possible) for the messengers to bring signs except with the permission of the God. Thus, when comes the order of the God, the true judgement will be delivered while those who stood by falsehood will be lost in vanity." (Surah Ghafir verse 78)

Hence, it is not something to be surprised if there are also monotheism ideology with the command to perform charity and chastity in primitive society outside of Islam, Judaism, or Christianity coverage. Usually these primitive societies are civilized and possessing manners or ethics, far from other barbaric primitive people.

As for Muslims, Muhammad s.a.w is the final messenger and prophets for the closing of eras. The Way revealed to him is appropriate according to the era from his ordination to the end of the world and the authority of the teaching demands the usage of mind and intellect power besides the faith. There is no more prophethood after him as he is the seal of eras, now is the period of the end. We are waiting for the destruction to give way for Resurrection and Judgement as what is mentioned in al-Fatihah, the mother of scripture where it mentions about the King of the Day of Religion which refers to the God. 

Muhammad s.a.w the Final Messenger

It is mentioned that the God has perfected the Law toward mankind in the Glorious Quran...  

Says the God: "Prohibited upon you carcass, blood,  the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than the God. And (those animals) strangled or by violent blow or by head-long fall or injured by the goring horns (for their flesh), and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what is (properly) slaughtered and those which are sacrificed on stone altars and (it is prohibited) from seeking decision through arrows (fortune telling). That is indeed evil for you. This day, those ingrates who have despaired from your religion; fear them not, but fear Me! This day, I have perfected for you, your religion and completed upon you My favor and have approved for you Islam as the (Divine) Law. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination toward sin; indeed the God is All-Forgiving and Merciful." (Surah al-Maidah verse 3) 

The verse signifies that celestial revelation stopped from descending to the earth after Muhammad s.a.w passed away. This verse is the final Word divinely descended upon Muhammad s.a.w in the year of 10 H (632) while performing his last pilgrimage with his 124,000 companions in the holy city, Mecca. It signifies that prophetic task of prophet Muhammad s.a.w in receiving revelation and transmitting it toward the universe and mankind is finished. It signifies the era of revelation is sealed with Muhammad s.a.w through the Glorious Quran.  

Muslim nations reject anyone who came after Muhammad s.a.w and claim himself as the messenger of the God. There were also people who teaches religions and way of life to others before Muhammad s.a.w but their name is not mentioned in the Glorious Quran. Thus, we could not determine whether they were prophets or not, messengers of the God or else since the God never mention anything about them. We only have 'possibilities.' If we look through theology angle, those who taught the teachings never taught people to carve or making idols or icons for concentration in worship or meditation. Those practices were added by people after they passed away.

Regarding Buddha, Ustad Muhammad Fawzi Awang in his book, Religions of the World published by Pustaka Aman Press in Kota Bharu, Kelantan (1964) page 83 mentions:

Both Ustad Muhammad Farid Wagdi and Ustad Mahmud Yunus mentioned that Buddha is a weird case. He is not far from being classified as a messenger who transmits teaching and there is also no prohibition to have such an opinion except for those sub-sects showing dissents on something which possibly being innovated by religious groups. It happens everywhere in other faiths in other places as well. The verse from Quran for this is from the God saying: "...there are some messengers who we tell to you their stories while others are not being told." If Ustad Muhammad Fawzi mentions something about Buddha Gautama, perhaps the formula could also be applied to others who teaches religion such as Zoroaster, Kung Zi, and Lao Zi. This is according to Dr. H. O. K. Rahmat H. S. (1979). 

Theory of Religion Evolution: Islamic View I

 

We had already seen the views of Western scholars who do not accept the authority of Quran and Sunnah. Their view is based from their observations. View of scholars for example from Andrew Lang coincidentally seems almost close to Islamic view. 

In Islam, we view that the first human, Adam was revealed by the God, believes the God and worshiping the God the One. The nature divinely revealed is another synonymous of Islam. Says the God in Quran: "Indeed the law of life for the God is Islam."

The verse implies that the only teaching, wisdom, and law of life divinely revealed by the God to the earth is Islam. This teaching of nature is implanted in Adam's self. Says the God in Quran: "And turn your face to the law which is straight. The nature (divinely revealed) by the God since the human was created according to this nature. This is the law which is precious (valuable for spiritual and physical civilization) but many people do not realize it" (Surah ar-Rum: verse 30).

From this verse, we as Muslims are aware that Islam is not from human's evolution of thought. It is the nature divinely inspired and revealed by the God to every single human-being. Human was not introduced to his or her God by experience or lessons but by his or her nature which already exists in his or her selves. When Adam a.s was created, he was not being taught to whom should he devote himself. He knows his God and devoting himself to the God. Islam is not the result of human cultural development.

Though many books wrote that Islam is marked with the birth of noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w or the beginning of revelation to him but we believe that we are following the older path which is the path of patriarch Abraham a.s and his son, the noble prophet, Ishmael a.s. The reason why Christian fellows especially in Europe and Western world do not understand why we respect and also believe prophet Jesus Christ although we do not worship him like the God is that we are not following anything new. Islam is not marked with the birth of prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It is in everyone's self, nature. We do not worship Muhammad s.a.w nor anyone though Muhammad s.a.w was revealed with the Words in his heart because we still can differentiate the God and a figure. So, I wonder European scholars in 19th C always call Muslims as Mohammedan and trying to use articulation to offend people. This shows that Europeans are not tolerant, ignorantly emotional, and had exported this witless culture to other part of the world. We are not like Christian fellows to be identified with such identification and I realize that Christianity has many sects apart of those mainstreams in the West. Islam is derived from His Name, not of earthly names of figures who transmit the teaching to others. So, at this point, we are not the same. We do not use word play when it comes to the God and Divinity, or the creed to a certain individual as a transmitter of the teaching. No need to burden our head with what the God never says in scriptures as we have no right 'to speculate. We are not in the position to do so, and we should realize who we are.'

In human historical development, some human deviating from their 'nature' in creed. There are few factors which lead to this deviation toward the Absoluteness of the God:

Their creativity in imagination wants something which is anomalous and magical. So, they begin to imagine few things about the God and their imagination had gone far beyond the limit. Their imagination is also accompanied by life experience that they had faced. Imagination and whatever had been seen by their physical eyes were implanted into their mind. It influence the way on how they think and shaping their fantasy. They could not think anything about the God except with whatever that they had seen, the appearance of the God was made resembling whatever they saw and think it suits to Him. They faced difficulties to think about the Essence which is totally incomparable to anything in the universe or anything which revolves around them.

When they are performing worship, it is also difficult to focus their mind and attention without any focal point, so they need idols as the image of the God. Idols being by heating, hammering and shaped according to whatever preference that they have in their mind.  

Actually, this is something which is common among practical Buddhists, not a Buddhist who is just in name because I did learned it and tried to practice that. Just for common sharing with brothers or sisters for general knowledge. People, I mean Buddhists who performed meditation without any image or rupam have higher chance to achieve enlightment. This is related to rupa and arupa jhaana. Basically these enables a person who performs thapa (meditation) to enter the facts of existence. There are some teachings on how to attain jhaana in a part called as Anapasati Suttam. It is how to sharpen ones mind and making him aware of everything that happens around or any changes that happened could immediately be sensed.

Introduction to angels and other kind of creatures invisible to human physical eyes turned to be personified or anthropomorphized into human appearance or characters. According to some people experience in life, everything which is alive and exist must have genders either male or female. It is difficult to think about creature who has no gender. Angels who has no gender being given genders and positioned as lower gods which are know as deities or gods. They could determine human life and fate. In many events in this life, this spirit or angel sometimes being equalized to the God until His Unity becomes ambiguous. This is what leads to animism and polytheism. 

Extraordinary acts or any events happened which does not according to normal condition it should happen such as miracles or sacred comes out from a figure, for some human with middling mind who could not accept them as universal acts assumed as divinity acts. So, there is another assumption made up by them that the Essence of the God incarnating in the body of the person who performs miracle. Now these persons become God or at least equal to the God. Also the development of Buddha's image as focal point for prayers although Buddha never taught about any divinity regarding himself. 

Last time, I didn't believe that Buddha is God though I bowed down and prostrated to images during pujas or worship. I usually did it secretly and silently whispering chants in my room where I kept Buddha's pictures in my wallet and files between my failed exam papers. I had no idols with me as my family members are all Muslims except me (by heart). I didn't pray according to Islamic way and only prostrated twice or three times according to time in a day, in morning, afternoon, and evening according to manuals that I get from temples for practices. I hate brother in law when he came by before he married my eldest sister because he interrupted my pujas as he stayed in my room. Buddha is only a spiritual teacher and those who attain enlightment are also known as Buddhas. Before him there were also Buddhas. It is not an exclusive term.      

Sometimes, the God is being figured out like a human until every characteristics of the God becomes gods. This happens as in the example of Hinduism. There is also an explanation which says that obstacles for a religious teaching to be deviated is just too small or nothing at all. First is that, in ancient time, most teachings propagated by a transmitter has no obvious concept regarding theology and creed related to divinity. Most of teachings are taught and transmitted through oral since not many people could write as writing systems are not well developed so teachings could not be accurately preserved. Oral transmitting of a certain teachings could be over transmitted. Those who received the teachings from the first transmitter would put their own subjective into the teachings and propagate it to others. Not for long, maybe one or two centuries after the teaching was propagated, it becomes another new teaching with modifications here and there. Later, teachings written down are mixtures of those during the period of transmission and modifications.  

There is also times where the writing of the teachings need some modification or adapted according to situation at the time for the religion to be spread out of the surrounding. It is to avoid the teaching from being obstructed by rulers and the people who followed the teaching from being tortured by governments' authority.  

There are at certain place where the writers of teachings wanted to get benefits for themselves, for their tribes, or for their race through the teachings. They tend to magnify everything regarding the teaching that made them to over-write the teaching. This is not something weird, for example there is a news about a python had swallowed a goat. When the news reached another city, it become the python had swallowed a cow.    

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