Modernity: When You Fall off A Raft, Flow But Lead The Current

Muslims didn’t invent the paper; the ancient Chinese did. Muslims only adopted, perfected and spread papers through knowledge. The Muslims adoption and perfection of (just) a paper – the then Chinese state's secret – gave rise to Baitul Hikmah (The House of Wisdom) in Baghdad, Iraq. The world’s largest repository of books and center of knowledge in history.

Muslims’ adoption of the paper didn’t just gave rise to prominent poets at a time when kings cannot even write their names in Europe but, it gave birth to scientists and critical thinkers like Al Khawarizmi in the 9th century – the “father of Algebra”. For his regard, historians believed that modern Trigonometry, Algebra and Geometry are but Muslims creation. In the 10th century, it also gave birth to Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and his Qanun (The Canon) which is said to be the “only medical library in the whole of Europe for more than a century than any other book in history.” Less I forget, the adoption of this ‘ancient Chinese State Secret’ also gave us Hassan ibn Haitham(d. 965) after who a crater in the Space was named for his contributions in optics and luminosity.

In my little knowledge of history, I tend to understand that despite criticisms, Al Khawarizmi, Ibn Sina, Ibn Haitham and many others who contributed to knowledge during their time were said to be pious and orthodox Muslims during their time. They embrace and adopted changes, made impact while STILL maintaining their Islamic values. May Allah forgive their shortcomings.

Fast forward 1848, Karl Max and Friedrich Engels who felt betrayed and overreacted to a certain political struggle in Europe, their “communist manifesto” set the stage for the rise of Atheism; the philosophy that if you want to live (successfully) in the “modern world”, you’d have to let go of religion. In reaction to the reality of their time, they believed religion was the problem – it’s retarding human development. This influence led to introducing and implementing rules for “state atheism” in places like China (PRC) and Russia (USSR). This was their mode of adoption to changes, their impact on the society as they condemned Christianity.

Marx, Engels and later Lenin and their sympathizers actually built this philosophy on a particular paradigm against a particular force. Islam as a religion, absolutely has nothing to do with their interpretations. For they only ‘know’ and lived in Christianity.  Their logic weighs thousand times less than an atom on the scale with Islam. Had they know, there might have been a positive paradigm shift.
Unfortunately, today, in the Islamic world we seem to be having some major key player who are systematically advocating this philosophy. In the name of ‘reason’ and ‘logic’, questioning Islam for “modernity”.

From inception, from the very first revelation – “Iqra” (meaning recite, read), Islam promotes knowledge; it promotes research, intellectual engagement, reasoning, critical thinking, logic and sciences but not some cruddy and crummy thinking and philosophy.

Modernity is somewhat indispensable. In fact, there’s no alternative to modernity. Change is a constant thing they say, but not with the fundamentals of Islam. A whisper of ‘what if’ about the fundamentals of Islam in the mind of a Muslim allowed to be manifested in word(s) or action(s) is a sign that one is sick and ill. One can embrace changes and still keep his identity, remain firm to his Islamic values. Islam doesn’t just apply to every time and place, there is no time and place that can thrive ‘properly’ without Islam. No time and place. Those who are at the crossroad; who are in a state of delusion and confusion are those who put aside Islamic values to embrace changes, to ‘worship’ modernity.

Islam as a religion, is both an honor and a privilege to a Muslim. ‘There is no honor without responsibility’ and one will certainly be questioned about his or her responsibility. One way to embrace such responsibility, to move forward, is to acknowledge the perfection of such an honor. The perfection of Islam. It isn’t like science and technology, not a social movement and not a material thing with flaws and merit. That, is not the Islam of Abul Qaseem peace and blessings be upon him. Not even close.
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