Chapter 4
Materialism-Based
Quranic Interpretations
Zameen-e-Chaman Gul khilaati hay kya kya
Badalta hay rang aasmaan kaisay kaisay
کیسےکیسےؿسماآنگرہےلتابد
کیاکیاہےتیکھلاگلچمنِمینز
The caravan of time forges ahead traversing newer milestones. This endless journey, revealing hitherto unknown terrains, and blossoming newer flowers of thought and vision, advances towards its destination with an accelerating pace. In this incessant ride, no respite or sojourn is permissible. Whoever is left behind falls a victim to “jaheem”, or meets a fateful oblivion. One comes across, in this journey, the revolutionary enlightenment radiating from truthful pursuits, and accompanying with it, the temptations arising from ambiguities, suspicions, dogmatic outlook, elder pursuit, wishful thought process, fabrications and superstitions. The Divine Scripture – the Book of Guidance – though available in its original form but the divergent versions of its exegesis, representing various schools of thought, make the journey of common folks to the eternal truth ever more difficult.
It is true that a reserved rejection, in principle, of the traditional exegesis, the result of religion-ization of the Divine Discipline, has been noted since quite some time in the past. Nevertheless, the problem remains that, starting from the era of Sir Syed and his contemporary Muslim scholars, down to the present time, the contenders of enlightened liberal Quranic school of thought have failed to agree on a unanimous, versatile, basic and global criterion/yardstick whose guidelines could be strictly followed whenever the crucial work of Quranic translation was to be undertaken; and only those translations were to be regarded correct and authentic that followed the prescribed criterion in letter and spirit. Moreover, whenever earlier translations needed to be given new dimensions, or updated, to bring them in accord with new academic or scientific discoveries, there should have been certain mutually agreed upon procedures to carry out the important assignment. To determine this kind of global criterion looks perceptibly impossible presently, or even in the near future. In the absence of an authorized global institution in this field, it looks very difficult to agree upon a course of action in this respect. This may also be construed as tantamount to restrictions on personal freedom of expression. Consequently, new and novel revelations continue cropping up. Within a single translation work, one finds quite logical arguments that tend to make you automatically agree with, but simultaneously visible are forced deviations and twists too in an obvious effort to reconcile the definitions with personal ideas. At places, signs and remnants of worn-out dogmas are quite apparent, and at other places modernism and unbridled thinking is witnessed leading to atheism. Somewhere you notice the fruits of inspired intellect, and still somewhere you find the materialistic approach trying to wrap up the Hereafter into the garb of materialism, contriving to abrogate the concept of a further stage of life higher than the existing physical one; thus, the luxuries and the opulence of this very physical stage of life are being declared as our destiny. Somewhere the reward of the Hereafter is revealed as the final destination, and somewhere else, peace of this physical life, human rights, or at the most, justice based system of governance is proclaimed as the sole purpose of life.
In this conflicting scenario, this humble student supports the idea that some efforts can still be made towards fixing a criterion, based on qualifications and level of competence, for those intellectuals who may be desirous of undertaking research in the most authentic, eternal and global divine Scripture, the Quran. For example, the right to undertake this project should be given only to Scholars well known to be fully conversant with the demands of contemporary spirit and all aspects of the modern knowledge and sciences. Those who must possess a mental horizon wide enough to encompass the knowledge of humanities, life, world, history, sciences of anthropology, sociology, psychology, laws of nature, spiritual or super-conscious values, the endless boundaries of Universe, its stages of creation, and beyond that, an understanding of the Creator's limitless powers, reach and prowess, and in its perspective, the awareness of the creative plan and the Ideal of the Creator. Those who must have full exposure to the different stages of the creation of life, their reality, different forms thereof and their destiny as fixed by the Creator. They must be well conversant with matter, energy, motion, the conscious level of different stages of creation, human self, the secrets and mysteries of existence and annihilation. They must, in actual fact, belong to the special category of Quranic “Oolil-Albaab” (Please check Verses: 3/190 and 39/21). As a matter of fact, the Quran does present most accurate remarks or suggestions on all of these subjects, and in this particular context, it does affirm that it is only for the people of knowledge to comprehend its message fully - (Look at the frequent repetition of the phrase “Li Qawmin Ya‟lamoon” throughout the length of Quran); those who can not only follow this divine scripture in the greater perspective of the mysteries of Universe, but can also explain it to common people. To confirm the truth of this statement by the writer, please check Verses: 2/230, 6/105, 7/32, 9/11, 10/5, 27/52, 29/64, 28/35. This statement of the Creator should also be kept in view that He has not created this great Universe aimlessly (by accident), meaning that behind it there exists a diversified and integrated plan for the people of intellect to ponder upon. (See Verses: 3/191 and 38/27).
With due respect for all, this humble student thinks that a competence in Arabic language and grammar alone is grossly insufficient for cultivating enough depth and breadth of vision to fully explain the Creator‟s splendid, universal and timeless Guidance. Had it been sufficient, all the prominent scholars of Arabic literature or linguistics would turn out to be the best translators and interpreters of the Quran. Furthermore, all the Mullas (the clergy) existing within the fold, whose basic education takes a start from the very teachings of Arabic language and grammar, would have been the best translators. On the contrary, we find no linguist or grammarian known as a Quranic translator. As a matter of fact, Quranic translation, and its true expounding, necessitates, in addition to mere language and grammar, the widest range and the highest level of intellect built upon a wide spectrum of reading and a higher educational background. It is the foremost demand dictated by the most advanced level of knowledge we are living with right now. One may object to this statement by saying as to how could the Prophet himself understand and disseminate the true knowledge of the Quran, when the general knowledge and sciences, during his age, were in their very initial stages of development. In this behalf, it may be submitted here that he probably could perform his great duties as the perfect disseminator of divine knowledge by virtue of the Creator's direct teaching and patronage which had elevated him to the exalted status of “Ufaq al- A‟alaa” (Verse 7/53) and “Sidrat-al-Muntahaa” (Verse 53/14) in the field of knowledge and wisdom. He was also bestowed with glimpses into the Divine control and governance of the entire Cosmos (6/75), being the requisite of a divine messengers' status. It was humanity's sheer misfortune that the exalted Messenger‟s direct preaching to his people was not allowed to last even half a century after his departure. His teachings, as well as those who learned from him, were brutally wiped out from the face of the earth during the early Umayyad period. However, in this context, according to contemporary comparison, this student acknowledges the Quranic scholar of our times, Allama Ghulam Ahmed Pervaiz, as the one nearer to the required intellectual criterion of a translator/interpreter of the Quran; and pays homage to him for his great competence and valuable accomplishments.
Let us now see in detail into the learned translator's particular, just grammar-based, translation of the Quran, in order to assess very carefully as to which direction it serves to lead humanity‟s caravan of evolution: whether towards some earlier phases of western materialism, or towards a dark abyss of atheism. It goes without saying here that even the so-called developed part of humanity is becoming fed up by now with the apathy and selfishness engendered by the destructive philosophy of materialism/secularism. They too are seen now turning towards seeking shelter under the soothing influences of higher spiritual values, self consciousness, intuition and Sufism.
.-.-.-.-.
The learned translator has recently embarked upon a uniform and coherent translation of the Quran from its beginning, apart from his thematic writings. In this particular project, his unambiguous and open inspirational conviction is announced in these terms :-
- Quran is a book of Human Rights.
- My ultimate mission is a translation that adheres to the recognized rules of Arabic language and grammar.
Quite right……… However, the first point falls under the classification of “personal convictions” being without the support of a Quranic authority, and would consequently be called a “pre-conceived belief” ……….and……... this very “personal conviction” of his can be construed as the source and origin of the Quran's materialistic representation. It is mainly because the learned Scholar is disposed to envision the human rights in the worldly perspective and in the light of only the physical demands of life. Detailed analysis and submissions are presented in the coming pages under the heading : Conviction No. 1.
From a cursory look, the second point above, can also not justify an expression of disagreement. Nevertheless, we still, definitely, are going to check as to how often the wide amplitude of lexical meanings – and also the application of rules of Arabic grammar – have been wishfully manipulated under the influence of the pre-conceived belief disclosed in the First Point above; or carried out under the compulsions of a pre-planned policy; or in the confines of the learned translator's intellectual limitations; or in accordance with his particular predetermined visual direction. The reality cannot possibly be denied that beliefs and thought patterns inherent in the minds of scholars cannot be blocked from casting their influence on their work. The interpretations and presentations of a writer usually remain surrounded by the boundaries of his mental prowess, personal convictions and thought pattern. This big drawback necessitates for every writer a limitless width and breadth of vision and knowledge of the subject matter and an unwavering impartiality in the face of dogmas and convictions. To say the least, one must abstain from disclosing his personal convictions in order to save his name from being labeled or affiliated under certain classification. This is the personal opinion of this humble student. Agreement is not solicited. A guidance in this respect can be taken from Iqbal‟s farsightedness and his minute vision when, in the context of his Quranic philosophy, he proclaimed his impartial policy of universalism in this verse :-
Na men „Ajmi, na Hindi, na Iraqi, na Hijaazi
Keh khudi se men ne seekhi, do jahaan se Be-niaazi
یزنیابےسےںجہاود،سیکھینےمیںسےیدخوکہ
یزحجانہ،قیاعرنہ،یہندنہ،عجمیمیںنہ
The learned translator's current translation is based on the two points copied above from his writings. However, some other policy points/convictions have been derived from his writings which require detailed discussion, and therefore are described in detail in the next pages. Let us now analyze, one by one, the policies the learned translator, or his institution, seem to be pursuing, with our aim of discovering the essence of the AGENDA they stand to serve, and to expose it to the public - this being the original purpose of this thesis.
This humble student needs here to clarify that he did not need at all to go to the painstaking lengths of writing this detailed thesis for accomplishing any of his personal motives, or to satisfy any egoistic intentions. But, since he has been actively engaged in this institution's academic work and in the propagation of its philosophy, he stands answerable to many followers of his school of thought. So a clarification of all the related issues is meant to serve as a means of absolving him from complicity in this forum‟s new perverted designs. In this context this humble student is, for the moment, confronted with the difficult question of whether to follow the trail of hypocrisy and deceit or to judge the facts of life on the scale of truth. An honest decision is inevitable because we cannot gain by escaping, just as no past generation has ever gained through escape. Let us then advance together in the direction of decisions.