REASON & FAITH  
 

Reason and its Limitations

The source of revelation (Wahi) is transcendental Reality, which is beyond thc ken of reason, but as Revelation meant for human beings and serves the purpose of guiding them, it is, naturally, couched in a language which is intelligible to them. Reason, therefore, can apprehend the content of Revelation.

Reason has its own distinctive approach to Reality anti apprehends it, albeit to a limited extent. The greatest achievement of reason is science. Science employs methods, which are perfectly valid, and yields true knowledge within its proper sphere. Reason certainly has its limitations but sceptics declare it to be absolutely unreliable.

This is not true the telescope, which enables us to see heavenly bodies, which we cannot see with the naked eye. It will be unreasonable to reject its aid on the ground that it does not extend our vision to the outermost regions of the universe. Similarly, it is no doubt true that reason cannot give us absolute knowledge, nevertheless the knowledge it does achieve, however small, is useful and valuable the old adage, 'A little knowledge is a dangerous thing' is only partially true, as traditionally maxims are. A little knowledge is only dangerous when we take it to be complete knowledge.

Every fragment of knowledge is useful if we apply it with intelligence and with full awareness that it reveals only a fraction of reality. But if it is wrong to despise anti reject human reason as an unreliable guide, or belittle its value, it is equally wrong to exaggerate it and claim the whole of reality is within its ken.

Only a few aspects of reality are accessible to reason and about them it does supply true and useful knowledge. Reality, however, has an infinity of aspects, and all of them, as well as the very core of reality, reason will always find inaccessible. Reason can legitimately function within its own sphere anti ceases to be reliable the moment it steps beyond it. Wisdom requires that we should form correct estimate of the capacity of human reason as well as of its limitations. We can put it to the best use only when we know what it can do and what it cannot do. Some scholars, dazzled by the spectacular and soaring success of modern science, believe that the time is not far off when science will have solved the riddle of the universe and will be able to answer my question that care to ask regarding man and the world.

The universe to them is a gigantic machine, which, though immensely complex, can yet be understood fully and exploited by human reason, this presumptuous attitude is hardly justified and, if not corrected soon, can do us great harm. Wise men, including great scientists, are aware that reason can never fathom reality.

What Shakespeare wrote in the seventeenth century is still true when science has seemingly reached its meridian: 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Hereto, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'

The same sentiment is echoed even by some scientists of today. Dr. Aitken, the Director of Lick Observatory, California, while discussing the formation of thc universe frankly admitted; 'Of the origin of the universe and its ultimate fate, we know practically nothing'. Besides, there is no finality about scientific theories. With thc discovery of a new fact, even a well-established theory may have to be modified or even set aside. We cannot, therefore, place absolute reliance on them nor can a philosophy of conduct valid for all human beings, he built upon the shifting sands of scientific theory.

Dr. Crowther aptly remarks; 'The last word of science on any topic may perhaps he left for the last man to utter'.

It w ill be shear folly then, if we were to depend on reason alone for acquiring a set of right principles of conduct. Reason has repeatedly failed to give right guidance in regulating social relations, experimenting with social affairs has often led to disaster. Kingship was tried at first, then imperialism and finally democracy and that too is on trial today. Man has paid a Heavy price for experimenting with various forms of government - centuries of bloodshed, internecine, wars, revolutions, class struggle, and economic and political unrest. Man is still yearning for justice, equality, freedom and peace. For two centuries men have pinned their faith on democracy but there are now unmistakable signs of disillusionment. Later on we will undertake a fuller discussion of democracy.

 
The Function of Reason

Man is a finite being and the powers with which he is endowed are necessarily limited in scope. Human reason is no exception. On this ground, however, we are not justified in despising it and refusing to employ it in solving the problems of life. The guidance that reason gives is not less valuable because it is not perfect. It is reason that has raised man far above the animal level; to repudiate reason is to sink to the animal level or even lower. Man cannot fall back on instinct, which is the mainstay of animals. Man outgrew instinct when he developed reason. The glorious success of reason however, led man to over-estimate its capacity: he expected that reason would give him absolute knowledge. When this expectation was not fulfilled, he became disillusioned with reason and went to the other extreme in rejecting reason outright. Among religious people too, both the mystics and the dogmatists strictly in the later of the scriptures. They forget that both these things have to he interpreted by human reason if they are to be of any use to man. They forget that reason is the distinctive attribute of man and to repudiate
it is to repudiate the best in man. They forget that the Qur'an does not lend support to this deprecation of reason. Rather, it exhorts us to make full use of our rational power.

The Qur'anic view of reason and its place in human life deserves careful consideration. Briefly stated, this view is that the long evolutionary process culminated in the emergence of man, characterised by the Qur'an as a 'new creation' (23:14). It was at this stage that 'He breathed in him His Ruh (spirit) (32:9), and endowed him with the capacities of 'seeing, hearing and apprehending' (32:9). Man was granted a mind (fuad) which enabled him to think and, through the instrumentality of intellect, to build up the system of knowledge. Man will, indeed, be an ungrateful creature if he refuses to value and make use of the best Divine gifts. Reason converts the raw grist collected by the senses into knowledge. The Qur'an rightly assigns to reason an important role in human life:

'The worst of beasts in Allah's sight are the deaf, the dumb, who do not use their intellect to understand (8:22).'

This is a graphic description of the degradation of man when he does not press reason to service. Such a man, the Qur'an tells us, not only lives a worthless and debased life in this world but also renders himself unfit to live in the higher plane on which he enters after death.

There are many a people, both among men and jins, who lead such a life as makes it obvious that they are meant for hell.

It is so, because, as the Qur'an puts it: 'They have hearts with which they discern not, and they have eyes with which they see not, and they have ears with which they hear not: these are as the cattle - nay are worse: they are the heedless (7:179).

The point is again emphasized in the chapter entitled the Furqan. Muhammad the Messenger is addressed in the following words: 'do you think that most of them hear or have sense? They are but as the cattle - nay but they are farther astray (25:44).

The denizens of Hell are consumed with remorse because they had possessed understanding but did not use it to any purpose: 'Had we been wont to listen or have sense, we had not been among the dwellers in a flame (67:10).

In the Chapter 36 entitled Yasin, they are again reminded of their sinful negligence of their duty to use their understanding:

'And yet Shaitan (devil) has led astray of you a great multitude. Had ye then a sense this is the Hell with which ye were threatened (if ye did not use your sense and follow him blindly) (36:62-63)'.

It is clear, therefore, that Islam is no enemy of reason and does not regard it as a hindrance to `spiritual' progress. It will be worthwhile to consider the role that the Qur'an assigns to reason both in the `secular' and the `spiritual' sphere.

Reason and Faith - The Qur'anic View In the Qur'an, human reason is repeatedly extolled. As already stated, the birth of reason in man is referred to as marking a 'new creation'. It is clearly stated that even Divine Revelation is not to be accepted unquestioningly and uncritically. Man is exhorted to ponder and reflect over it and interpret it in the light of his reason. 'Will they not ponder over the Qur'an? (4:28)'. Men who find thinking irksome are described in these words:

'These are they whom God's Law of Retribution has deprived (as a result of their own doings) of the blessings of life and has made them deaf and has blinded their eyes, will they not then meditate on the Qur'an or there locks on their hearts (47:23-24)'.

The Qur'an appeals to man's reason and understanding. Its teaching is couched in a language, which is lucid and intelligible. 'Thus God makes plain to you His Revelations that happily you may reflect (2:219)'. The great truth to be apprehended by man is that he is the architect of his fate so that what he is in this world and what he will be in the Hereafter depend solely on his actions. Good acts necessarily elevate him and bad actions inevitably degrade him. His welfare and misery are the result of his own deeds. He cannot-shift his responsibility to others.

The Qur'an insists that even success in war depends on the right use of reason. It is generally believed that an army, which is inspired with courage and fired with zeal, is sure to win. The Qur'an claims that victory falls to the lot of men who remain cool and collected in the presence of danger and whose thinking is not clouded by passion. A hundred such men, the believers, are said to be a match for a thousand unbelievers who are swayed by passion, because they are as the Qur'an puts it, 'a folk without understanding (8:65)'.

It is clear that the Qur'an assigns an important role to reason in the life of man. The Messenger is enjoined not to demand blind obedience from but to exhort them to think and ponder. The following verse leaves no room for doubt that the Qur'an encourages and approves of independent thinking:

'Say, I exhort you unto one thing. And what is that one thing? It is that ye awake, for Allah's sake by twos and singly, and then, reflect (34:46)'.

The Qur'an expects man to think and use his power of understanding. If He does this, he will be sure to follow the right path. The point to bear in mind is that the path, which leads to success, that is eligibility for a higher plane of existence, can be discovered and followed with the combined help of reason and Revelation. These sources of guidance are supplementary to each other. If they are kept within their proper spheres, there will be no conflict between them. The Rasul, therefore, is bidden to say:

`This is my way. My invitation to you to follow Allah's path is based on reason and insight - mine as well of those who follow me (12:108)'.

The Qur'an challenges the opponents of Islam to produce arguments in support of their contention:
'Ask them, (O Messenger!) Bring your proofs if you are truthful (2:111)'.

They are admonished when they argue about things of which they have no knowledge:
'Why, therefore, do you wrangle concerning that about which you have no knowledge? (3:66)'.

Arguing about things of which we have no knowledge leads nowhere. The Qur'an asks us to eschew such unprofitable disputes:
'Do not pursue that whereof you have no knowledge. Verify, the hearing and sight, and the heart, each of these will be questioned (17:36)'.

The Qur'an lays stress on the value of correct knowledge and advises us to accept it and act upon it. All else is dismissed as mere guesswork, which is far from.