Emaan - The category of knowledge that unlocks the human fitrah
Our belief influences our behavior. Can we nurture belief in a way that not only do we behave in a socially responsible way, we also add value to society through creativity, innovation and wise policies? Obviously we can, because if this wasn't possible then the whole framework of accountability in the afterlife and subjugation of worldly resources for mankind by Allah loses relevance. So what type of belief should be nurtured? As Muslims it is belief based on tenets of emaan. Is there any specific benefit of actually believing in the tenets of emaan? Yes there is. It develops the potential in individual to behave like a socially responsible, intelligent and creative human being. Allah says in the Quran:
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. (30:30)
Belief in Allah unlocks the fitrah on which each individual is born. How does this happen? There are many verses in the Quran where Allah links His guiding of mankind to belief in Him. Guidance from Allah helps us behave in a way for which we have been created. Allah has revealed through the Quran:
So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.(4:175)
Not only does belief in Allah play a pivotal role in easing behaving in a socially responsible way it also makes it possible to intend actions solely for Allah. After all, as Muslims our actions only have value when we intend them for Allah only. In intention there is no space for any other factor influencing our behavior.
INTENTION, KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM
Intention is an abstract thought that has emotions attached to it. These emotions vary in strength depending upon each individual belief, likings, and aversions. Intending actions for Allah not only ensures reward in the afterlife it also leads to reward from Allah in life of this world. The reward is knowledge and wisdom/judgment. Allah clearly tells us through Surah Yousaf that there is a correlation between belief, intention, socially responsible behavior, knowledge creation and wisdom/judgment. Knowledge creation and wisdom/judgment are a product of critical thinking. Allah tells us through the Quran:
And when Joseph reached maturity, We gave him judgment and knowledge. And thus We reward the doers of good (Muhsineen). (12:22)
Muhsineen are people who behave in a socially responsible way in a state of Ihsan. State of Ihsan is an emotion based thought that is reflection of intention. To behave like muhsineen we need to intend actions for Allah. This is only possible when our belief in Allah is strong enough to influence our thinking and behavior. Point is, we need to nurture belief in children based on knowledge about Allah if we want socially responsible human beings who are able to enhance their critical thinking abilities as a reward from Allah.
BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF
Our thoughts are based on remembrance of facts stored in our brain. We take decisions based on remembrance of relevant information along with what we believe in. We model this information to form new thoughts or to create new knowledge. Belief is critical to decision making. Ethics, morals, honesty, fairness, sacrifice and kindness become relevant and lust, greed, stinginess, miserliness, and arrogance become irrelevant when belief is sound and firmly grounded in the heart. This happens because everything is analyzed and then decided on basis of belief.
THE ERROR
Our education system doesn't work on belief to manage behavior. It rather works on external factors to influence behavior. Aspect of intention is simply ignored. It leaves this for each individual to develop on its own. Intention cannot be dictated because it is a state of heart. In Islam intention is what makes an action into an asset or a liability so it is of utmost importance. So if an individual fails to intend actions for Allah it is a crisis of the heart with severe implications in this life and the next.
SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS OF THE HEART
Since belief influences intention formation, it needs to be nurtured with care and has to be based on knowledge. Quran and hadith are the ultimate source of knowledge. Since for each individual belief develops on its own depending upon the life experiences and reflection on knowledge that each individual considers as knowledge to believe in, it cannot be developed through an authoritarian attitude. Like intention, it cannot be dictated because it is also a state of heart. Therefore, belief has to be nurtured through reason and by inviting people towards Allah wisely, because it influences intention. So the most that we can do is to impart knowledge that the individual has the choice to consider as knowledge to believe in. That knowledge relates to tenets of emaan because it is the key that unlocks the potential of the human fitrah.
THE PARADIGM SHIFT - TRAINING THE HUMAN WILL
Paradigm shift is to train the human will by focusing on belief development so that individuals behave in a socially responsible way in a state of Ihsan and get knowledge and wisdom as a reward from Allah. Aim is to nurture belief in tenets of emaan to a level where students reap benefits associated with it in life of this world and the next. Since tawheed is ingrained in our fitrah:
And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware." (Al-Quran 7:172)
All that we need to do from academic perspective is to build upon this tawheed embedded in our fitrah through da'wah. Allah has told us the way to go about it. In the Quran Allah says:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. (16:125)
Fulfilling the condition of the above verse requires changing the content of subject of Islamic studies (Islamiyat). The content needs to build upon the tawheed ingrained in the human fitrah to a level that it enables the individual to get guidance from Allah. Besides that it also needs to aid in formation of intention that is acceptable to Allah.
So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He has created [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah . That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. (30:30)
Belief in Allah unlocks the fitrah on which each individual is born. How does this happen? There are many verses in the Quran where Allah links His guiding of mankind to belief in Him. Guidance from Allah helps us behave in a way for which we have been created. Allah has revealed through the Quran:
So those who believe in Allah and hold fast to Him - He will admit them to mercy from Himself and bounty and guide them to Himself on a straight path.(4:175)
Not only does belief in Allah play a pivotal role in easing behaving in a socially responsible way it also makes it possible to intend actions solely for Allah. After all, as Muslims our actions only have value when we intend them for Allah only. In intention there is no space for any other factor influencing our behavior.
INTENTION, KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM
Intention is an abstract thought that has emotions attached to it. These emotions vary in strength depending upon each individual belief, likings, and aversions. Intending actions for Allah not only ensures reward in the afterlife it also leads to reward from Allah in life of this world. The reward is knowledge and wisdom/judgment. Allah clearly tells us through Surah Yousaf that there is a correlation between belief, intention, socially responsible behavior, knowledge creation and wisdom/judgment. Knowledge creation and wisdom/judgment are a product of critical thinking. Allah tells us through the Quran:
And when Joseph reached maturity, We gave him judgment and knowledge. And thus We reward the doers of good (Muhsineen). (12:22)
Muhsineen are people who behave in a socially responsible way in a state of Ihsan. State of Ihsan is an emotion based thought that is reflection of intention. To behave like muhsineen we need to intend actions for Allah. This is only possible when our belief in Allah is strong enough to influence our thinking and behavior. Point is, we need to nurture belief in children based on knowledge about Allah if we want socially responsible human beings who are able to enhance their critical thinking abilities as a reward from Allah.
BEHAVIOR AND BELIEF
Our thoughts are based on remembrance of facts stored in our brain. We take decisions based on remembrance of relevant information along with what we believe in. We model this information to form new thoughts or to create new knowledge. Belief is critical to decision making. Ethics, morals, honesty, fairness, sacrifice and kindness become relevant and lust, greed, stinginess, miserliness, and arrogance become irrelevant when belief is sound and firmly grounded in the heart. This happens because everything is analyzed and then decided on basis of belief.
THE ERROR
Our education system doesn't work on belief to manage behavior. It rather works on external factors to influence behavior. Aspect of intention is simply ignored. It leaves this for each individual to develop on its own. Intention cannot be dictated because it is a state of heart. In Islam intention is what makes an action into an asset or a liability so it is of utmost importance. So if an individual fails to intend actions for Allah it is a crisis of the heart with severe implications in this life and the next.
SOLUTION TO THE CRISIS OF THE HEART
Since belief influences intention formation, it needs to be nurtured with care and has to be based on knowledge. Quran and hadith are the ultimate source of knowledge. Since for each individual belief develops on its own depending upon the life experiences and reflection on knowledge that each individual considers as knowledge to believe in, it cannot be developed through an authoritarian attitude. Like intention, it cannot be dictated because it is also a state of heart. Therefore, belief has to be nurtured through reason and by inviting people towards Allah wisely, because it influences intention. So the most that we can do is to impart knowledge that the individual has the choice to consider as knowledge to believe in. That knowledge relates to tenets of emaan because it is the key that unlocks the potential of the human fitrah.
THE PARADIGM SHIFT - TRAINING THE HUMAN WILL
Paradigm shift is to train the human will by focusing on belief development so that individuals behave in a socially responsible way in a state of Ihsan and get knowledge and wisdom as a reward from Allah. Aim is to nurture belief in tenets of emaan to a level where students reap benefits associated with it in life of this world and the next. Since tawheed is ingrained in our fitrah:
And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying to them], "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes, we have testified." [This] - lest you should say on the day of Resurrection, "Indeed, we were of this unaware." (Al-Quran 7:172)
All that we need to do from academic perspective is to build upon this tawheed embedded in our fitrah through da'wah. Allah has told us the way to go about it. In the Quran Allah says:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. (16:125)
Fulfilling the condition of the above verse requires changing the content of subject of Islamic studies (Islamiyat). The content needs to build upon the tawheed ingrained in the human fitrah to a level that it enables the individual to get guidance from Allah. Besides that it also needs to aid in formation of intention that is acceptable to Allah.
The content should invite the children towards Allah through reason, worldly motivation and concept of accountability of actions. This way managing abstract thoughts becomes easy and effective. The approach should no longer be academic. It should be purely belief based, because behavior as well as reason behind the behavior has to be managed. The focus should be on the heart so that it becomes easy to behave in a socially responsible way.
CONCLUSION
Belief in tenets of emaan makes behaving in a socially responsible way with the right intention possible. It also places the person in the position to get guidance, knowledge and wisdom as a reward from Allah. So if we want to transform our society from its current state into a creative, vibrant society then we need to focus on the human fitrah through our education system. We need to train the human will through belief development along with imparting knowledge of right and wrong and knowledge of sciences so that mankind subjugates the worldly resources in an effective way without compromising on the afterlife.
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