Why There is Need for Religion?

Why there is need for Religion?

Dr Mozammel Haque

Islamic Cultural Centre London organised every month a monthly gathering to give an idea and knowledge  for those who are Muslims about their faith and to give an idea for those who are not Muslims to know what Islam is and how Muslims think and how Muslims see the world. Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, Director General of the Centre said, “I think the main purpose of that is to make harmony and better understanding within the society: the more knowledge about others the more we understand them. You know there is lots of misunderstanding in the world among nations, peoples and religion etc. because of the shortage of information, correct information. Sometimes with the modern technology the internet now you receive the information but it is not easy to find out that this information is correct or not. That’s the hardest piece of it.”

Lecture by Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan

Dr. Ahmad al-Dubayan, Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre & London Central Mosque Trust, gave a lecture on ‘Do we need religion in our life’ on Sunday, 19^th of January 2020 at the Library Conference Hall of the Centre. He started by saying: “Now the question I am going to deal with ‘Do we need religion in our life?’ Many specialists, atheists ask this question. Why do we need religion? I don’t need it in my life. Some people think only of money, materials. Then the materialists think of jobs, house, may be the medical treatment; may be also family or not. They live and enjoy. They don’t think of religion. Now the question is: Do we need religion or I don’t need any religion in this life.”

Materialism

One of the reasons why we have this question at this time is materialism. Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “Materialism in this modern time is eating a lot and many aspects of our life. Now people are more materialistic than before. Now population in the world is more than before; chances of jobs, of having being in a society with prosperity than before sometimes and at the same time, life is developing and going forward. There are many, of course, scientific discoveries; inventions. But also, we are everywhere in the world developed. So, the tools to destroy life, the society, are bigger than before. Because of that people think of the materials; they don’t think spiritually. That’s the number one.”

Lack of Religious education

Speaking about another reason is lack of religious education. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Number two is lack or shortage of religious education. The role of religion in the society is not like before. Is the role of church, for example, like before? It is not. Or the religious leaders or ministers, for example, are like before? It is not like before. Also, there is not spirituality in our life. We suffer for that. Spirituality is very very important for every body for every human being.”

The ICC chief enquired, ‘what is the difference between us and other creatures, such as animal.’ And immediately replied: Reason. What’s the reason? That is reason, we can think; we can judge things; we can speak; and the language itself is one aspect of the reason. One day I mention how the reason materialises for the language, the way of thinking.  Now all these things actually bring spirituality as a part very important in our life. We cannot ignore it.”

Religion gives Source of Law or Value

If there is this dimension of spirituality then life will be different. Talking about this different way of life, Dr. al-Dubayan said, “You can understand things in another way. I am going to talk about it. If you think just about materials then if you get sick, feel of course bad; you would be desperate. Maybe you will ask this question - why only me get sick in the family. He or she had cancer before; why only me? Would not able to marry; why only me? Why I am unemployed, everybody has a job; all these questions - you cannot answer by materials but you can have another understanding coming from spirituality for all the negative things happening in your life.”

Another important thing of religion is that it is the source of values. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Actually religion is the source of value or the values. Ethics come from religion and the law itself. Law was created. The source of law in the beginning was religion. How do we know this is allowed; this is not allowed; this is because of religion. Based on that the law was made and now the values come from both sources; the law and the religion. The law, of course, gives some values you have to maintain. You have always to see and obey law. Justice for example; protection for other people; no harm for others; you do not confiscate the properties of others. These are also there already in the religion. The law has the advantage of how to tackle the problem. Through the mechanism of law it punishes people, jail or whatever.”

Motivation comes from Religion

The ICC chief also mentioned, “Religion itself gives you the source of values. The values are not enough for religion. Religion wants you to adopt it in your hearts and lives. It does not say somebody steal because he is afraid that he would be caught and then reported to the police. That’s the law. In religion, you must not steal because of your belief in your hearts that it is not allowed; it is forbidden. So, the motivation comes from yourself; not because of the fear of law; but because of your belief this is an action which religion does not accept. Of course, the fears of the law there are together. So, you see religion is very important; as the motivation for ethics, for values in the hearts of the people to put them in the right way.”

Dr. al-Dubayan continued, “Many people see when the eyes of law close, when they do not see them they do other things which are not allowed. But if you have religion, the motivation itself lives with you when you are alone. That is the difference between:  if someone obeys law or if someone really believes it is forbidden if I am alone. The Qur’an itself praises those who have fears of Allah even if they are alone. They do not commit wrong actions; because there is a motivation in their hearts; fears of Allah Who knows everything and sees everything. HE does not need camera; or CCTV camera because HE knows everything. So, you cannot hide even. You can hide from others but you cannot hide from Allah. This is to show how religion is important. Those of ethics plus the law.”

Salvation Belief in Hereafter

Religion is important because in all religions of the world, you can see that; there is a way of salvation. Talking about Salvation or Life after death, Dr. al-Dubayan said, “I am not going to judge which salvation is correct or not but all religions show there is a way of salvation in life. What does it mean? It means there is a way how you can get away from all the problems of this life; and justice, mercy, beautiful life can start and begin. How? Many religions think of Hereafter; there will be another life after death; just like Islam, for example, in Islam. Islam talks about Hereafter; we talk about Hereafter when we talked about the Article of Faith. We must believe in Hereafter; the Hereafter and the Day of Judgement.”

What does it mean? Dr. al-Dubayan maintained, “We are temporarily in this life; we are going to pass this, we will go to another eternal life. This eternal life is the most important; not today. Today is the matter of testing; you are tested here; Allah has given you health; gave you money; gave you chances to what you are going to do with it. At the same time sometimes there are problems in your life; there are difficulties in your life; why?  Because Allah wants to see how you face this; and how you become patient and how HE can guide you to the right way. This is the way Islam sees that.”

Nirvana in Buddhism

Islam sees that way. Now other religion sees that in another way, as for example, Buddhism sees the salvation Nirvana. Dr. al-Dubayan explained Nirvana. He questioned, “What is Nirvana? If you practice Buddhism you will somewhere to the level you cannot you protect yourself from coming back to life; so, this circle of life death birth; then your soul will not come back again in this world. This is what they want. In Islam, this is not there. This is not accepted in Islam. Islam believes every human being have a soul and a body. This body in this life. After death your soul will go away and on the Day of Resurrection the soul will come back. There will be resurrection physically. People will be judged according to what they have done in their life and then there will be two ways; either to paradise or to the hellfire. That would be on the results of your life.”

In order to explain and elaborate Hereafter, Dr. al-Dubayan quoted from the Tradition of the Prophet peace be upon him. He said, “There is a Hadith of the Prophet peace be upon him, who said, ‘people during their life they are exactly sleeping; people are sleeping. They wake up when they die.’ What does this mean? All that is now is a temporary thing; one day it will come to an end. When? We don’t know. Some sleep; they die young. Some die, old; but it is a temporary time. Let’s say one hundred years; the longest the hundred and ten. One day they are coming to an end; it will not last forever. When someone die, the Prophet peace be upon him said: ‘he wakes up.’ How come? He wakes up means that he realises this life is just temporary life. That’s one; he realises it was not long; very short. And even the Qur’an says us when the people come on the Day of Judgement for the judgement of Allah Subhanahu wa Taala, they will say well just allow us to stay in our life for one day or two days; they will see it very short; very short; even some of them sees it only one hour; now they realise it is short; it is a dream.”

Both the Good and bad Person will regret

“Prophet peace be upon him said in another Hadith: one good person, a believer doing the best in his life, he will regret and also those who are doing bad things, they will regret. How come the good one regret and the bad one regret? The good one regret because he did not do more. He regrets because the chance he has not used for good actions; good worship. Good actions in all my life; with the intention for the sake of Allah; even if you are the best. Those who have done wrong things they will regret because they have not done good things. So, both of them will regret, good one and the bad one. Of course, the result will be totally different,” mentioned Dr. al-Dubayan.

Qadr or Belief in Destiny

The ICC chief also talked about Qadr or Destiny. He said, “This spirituality in your life or this meaning of your life gives you a kind of strength, gives you a kind of strength in life, for example, the belief itself. How? The belief in itself, the Article of Faith is to belief in Divine Decree; which is called Qadr in Arabic. Or what we call sometimes destiny. Destiny in your life or my life is something which Allah decides and HE knows what is going to happen. We cannot avoid it. But at the same time Allah is asking you not to surrender or to be passive; since HE is deciding everything I do not need to do anything, not to go for job, not to go for work; because if you want to send money you send the money, that’s it. I do not need to marry to have children, you will not have children. This pacifism is not there in Islam.”

He also continued, “In Islam Allah wants you to work, to do your best, avoid bad things, and to do good things in your life and at the same time if it works then you say Alhamdo lillah, thanks to Allah it works and now it is doing well; I thank Allah for that and this is fine. If it does not work, it means Allah does not want it, become patient and you keep on trying and pray Allah helps me and maybe HE is testing you and maybe HE is changing your direction of your life; maybe HE is preventing you from this problem because HE is preparing something bigger in your life. This is the way how people have their patience. That’s why, you see some men, some women, even in the darkest days still facing but still they don’t lose their faith. How did they get this? They get this from the spirituality they have. You see, for example, some mothers those in Iraq and Syria after all these atrocities have been there, they still say Alhamdulillah. We thank Allah subhanahu wa Taala. You see sometimes some mothers lost their three/ four children; sometimes all of them and the reporter asked, how are you? She said, Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah we still alive; and Allah subhanahu wa Taala make us to find an exit from this or to guide us from this.”

Belief in Materialism Only

Comparing with those who believe only in materialism, Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Those who belief only in materials cannot be like this. If you believe only in your material life, you will find this is the end; that’s the end of the world. I lost children; I lost everything; I lost my house, everything. How does this happen? And what is the end of this? What is the benefit of this? Why this only to me and not, for example, to my neighbour? Why only me and not the other people - these questions you will never find answer for them till you have the belief in the spirituality and destiny; the religion itself. Religion can only provide answers to these questions.”

This life is a test

“We belief this life is a test. Allah tests you, not with bad things, but HE tests you through good things. Some people Allah tests him with money; HE gives you to make your life easier to have a lot of money; millions. Why? Allah wants to see how you are going to do with it; do you help the poor people? Do you fight poverty with money? Do you take care of your parents? Do you take care of your neighbours? Do you know you see somebody you are financially able to help; do you help him or help her or you just turn your face on other side? No. That’s the test with money. Some people Allah subhanahu wa Taala does not test him with money but tests him with poverty. How? because HE wants him to be patient. Sometimes poverty is a matter of punishment. It’s a matter of punishment. It is happening in our life. You don’t know this; may be this is a matter of punishment,” Dr. al-Dubayan explained this.

To be balance

With religion, especially in Islam this has to be balanced. The Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London explained this. He said, “Islam teaches us to be aware; to monitor always this balance. When good things come; okay, now maybe Allah is testing me, I have to be better, I have to be good. When bad things come in the way HE is punishing me or HE is testing me. In both cases I have to be patient; I have to be better. If it is punishment, I got it; if this is not a punishment or testing that means I passed with them, then I win the test. In this case, you will never be desperate; you will never lose your hope with Allah. It is positive or negative; you will be surviving and you will still be doing the good things.”

Life without Religion

“If you remove religion from your life, all these things will be without meanings.  It will be meaningless. Then you will have these questions: why this happened to me? That’s why, you see many people commit suicide; they killed themselves because they don’t have any hope. They think, someone think, he or she is not successful in life. Okay, then things go the other way I don’t want. Then this is the way I have to put an end to this life,” Dr. al-Dubayan explained how people without religion lose hope and commit suicide.

Taking life is not your right

Frustration of life sometimes leads people to take their life, to commit suicide. But in Islam nobody has the right to take their own life. Life is an Amanah with him or her. Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Islam teaches us here taking your life is not your right. Even your own life; you cannot kill yourself. The moment someone think to kill himself, it is the moment that he does not have belief; it is the moment he does not have hope; it’s the moment he or she loses his or her trust on God and you must not loose that trust with God. Why?”

Prophets were tested

Dr. al-Dubayan gave examples of the Prophets and messengers who had to pass through the test. He said, “Allah tells us in the Qur’an about the sufferings the messengers of God had passed through. Why? The messengers, take for example, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him; take for example, Jesus Christ, peace be upon him; take for example, Moses, peace be upon him; they all suffered in their life. And they are the messengers. They are the chosen one. Someone can ask why Allah did not protect them in that moment in the beginning, so that nothing happened to them; no harm to them at all. Because Allah wants to say: look at this model of the messengers. HE has chosen them to deliver the message; they are prophets or messengers; but even they are prophets, they are messengers; Allah also test them, their patience.  Allah is making some good things and some problems in their life to let us know and to live and follow them. When we follow a model, the model is a human being; the model is not an angel and not a model that we cannot reach to that level. That’s why, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him repeated from the Qur’an this many many times all messengers are human beings; they are also slaves; servants of Allah subhanahu wa Taala.  Allah chose them to deliver his message. It means they are not in a position more than like the position of mankind or other human beings. They are the same. One thing more, Allah subhanahu wa Taala, chose them for the delivery of the message. That means they are really the people of high level of ethics, values, morals, everything. They are the models that we should follow. At the same time, they suffered like us, some difficulties in their life,” explained Dr. al-Dubayan.

Religion answers lot of questions

Atheists, materialists and many other people who do not belief in religion has lots of questions. They do not find answers to these questions in their life. Speaking about how religion deals with these questions, answers these questions, Dr. al-Dubayan said, “Religion answers lot of questions, one of them is justice in this world. This is the problem of the atheists. Now atheists have the question. If someone does not belief in God; then they raised questions how come all these bad things happened in the world. How come Allah allow some people to kill some people or children; how come Allah allow some people kill innocent people; how come Allah allow some people, for example, put a bomb somewhere and then explode. The children are killed or women are killed. The women who had nothing to do with the whole world; they are not part of it from the very beginning. Okay, how come Allah allow an accident; when someone is crossing the street, something happened and then crush by a car and he died. Logically, you cannot understand that. And this question is one of the questions raised by atheists and materialists. They posed all philosophical questions of life. Where is your end and wherefrom you come actually? This is a difficult question for anybody who does not belief in God. Can you answer these questions? Why this happened? Is it accident? Just incident happened like. Why it happened to me and not to him or not to her.”

Reason behind

The ICC chief continued: “Now if you belief in religion Islam explains this. Believing in God and explaining there is something behind. There is a reason, maybe, we don’t know the reason; but as long as you have the belief, you believe there is a reason, Alhamdulillah. We continue our way; we try to understand why this happened. And if someone commits crime, bad things and he dies before he was brought to the court or to the judge; don’t worry, he will not escape forever. There is the eternal life or Hereafter. He is going to face all these things that happened. Everything. Qur’an confirms this many many times.”

Prophet peace be upon him and his life

We can see from the Qur’an itself and maybe you know from the life of the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. Dr. al-Dubayan explained from the life of the Prophet peace be upon him. He said, “When the Prophet peace be upon him starts the message he was at the age of 40 years; he stayed in Makkah till he was 53. Thirteen years he stayed in Makkah after the revelation. All these thirteen years he was calling people or preaching them to give up worshipping those idols; go to worship Allah; HE is the only one. HE is the only one who created; HE is the only one who deserves to be worshipped; nobody else at all; no idol. No worship cars, no worshipping sun, the moon or whatever. This is Allah who created everything. The Qur’an confirms this many many times in hundreds of verses.”

Makki and Madani Period of the Qur’an

Scholars divided Prophet’s life peace be upon him into two periods, Makkah period and Madinah period. Actually, it is the period of revelation of the Qur’an; the period during which Qur’an was revealed to Prophet peace be upon him in Makkah is called Makki and the period during which Qur’an was revealed to Prophet peace be upon him in Madinah is called Madani. Dr. al-Dubayan mentioned, “Prophet peace be upon him  went to Madinah, which is Hijrah or emigration to Madinah. Now he stays in Madinah only ten years. So that the time Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him spent from the beginning of Islam till he passed away only 23 years; 23. Muslim scholars divide the Qur’an in two parts; they called it Makkan part when the Prophet was in Makkah. All the Qur’an revealed there to him, this is in Makkah the Makkan part; and the other one which was revealed in Madinah, about 400 kilometres long from Makkah; this is actually ten years where Qur’an was revealed, they called it Madani. Both together, the whole Qur’an. Of course, they mixed sometimes. The Order of the Qur’an is not historical, not chronological order. They are mixed but today the Muslim scholars decided this is related to this, to this event, to this incident, we classified them as Makki and Madani.”

Makkan part of the Qur’an

The Director General of the Islamic Cultural Centre then elaborated and talked about the Makkan part of the Qur’an. He said, “Makki is very big. The Makki part of the Qur’an talked about Hereafter, where they talked about resurrection; their belief in Oneness of God. This formed, may be, at least 80 percent of the Qur’an. 80 percent of the Qur’an speaks about believing in Oneness of God, Oneness of Allah, worshipping HIM and belief in HIM. There is a day when all people are going to come individually, to stand in front of Allah subhanahu wa Taala to be judged according to their belief, their actions, bad or good, and it will be decided there what is going to happen. This is many times repeated; because Arabs at that time did not belief in the Day of Resurrection; even some of them said and it is mentioned in the Qur’an how come after we are buried.  After many many years, you know, the body will become like dust as we say we become part of the soil of the earth itself; how come Allah is going to bring you back. If you wonder how Allah is going to bring you back, have you ever thought: how HE created you in the beginning. The One who created you in the beginning, is the One who can do it once again. And this is easy for HIM.  The Qur’an said that.”

Allah created the universe in a balance way

Whenever you think about resurrection you must think about the origin. Dr. al-Dubayan further elaborated about the resurrection and the life after death. He said, “When you think about the resurrection, you always think about your origin; how you were created from the very beginning itself. It is a miracle. Allah Subhanahu wa Taala is the One who created the system of the whole universe; the system of nature that we see in it. This is all balanced in a very very accurate way. There is a verse in the Qur’an which said: ‘Do not corrupt this after I have balanced everything in it’. This verse is very very important. This teaches us how to protect nature; it teaches us how to deal with natural resources; how we have to protect water; how we have to protect animals; how we have to protect oceans; to protect everything. If you do anything without care about them that means you are corrupting the system. You are not allowed to corrupt this. Allah said: ‘Don’t corrupt the balance once I have done it. Use it but don’t corrupt it’. That’s a very very important issue.”

Life without Belief

Dr. al-Dubayan then said about those who do not have belief in God. He said, “This question about life, justice in life, about destiny what is going to happen; this has been explained; whether this thing is going to happen or not; the question about the end of our life. All these questions come when religion is there. If someone is atheist he will, of course, find it difficult; and the hope in life and the hope to solve problems, the hope of protection from God in your life is not there when someone is atheist because he does not believe in it from the beginning. So, when you don’t belief in Allah then you don’t expect any protection, you don’t expect any message; you don’t expect anything because God is not there.”

“If belief is there then when you die,  no I don’t lose my hope; I don’t lose my trust in Allah; because HE is there and HE is going to implement justice; now or later; because HE knows when the right time comes for everything to do; actually this gives you a strength in your heart; give strength in your life; it gives you more soul thriving in your life. It gives you courage. You don’t lose your courage even in the darkest days of your life. That will give you more strength about everything in life; you know how to deal with difficulties; you know how you succeed, how you will be survivor; when you have a problem in your life, how to deal with it. You have problem with your job and how to deal with it,” explained Dr. al-Dubayan.

Spirituality in life

Dr. al-Dubayan went back to the main topic spirituality in life. He said, “Lack of spirituality in everybody’s life make your heart vacuum. There is a space, there is vacuum   in your heart; this vacuum cannot be filled if you don’t have the religion; if you don’t have a belief. I hope the explanation about Islam how Islam ease life; how Islam cultivates the universe; how Islam looks after Hereafter, the destiny; believing about worshipping Allah; the foundation of belief in the Oneness of Allah subhanahu wa Taala, that is the foundation. Without the belief in Oneness of Allah the whole religion will be cracked down; because this is the foundation on which you will build the belief. This is how it is in Islam and this is how Islam looks at the universe; and sees how life it is; your life now and for the destiny of the life itself; and I hope I have answered about the question do we need religion in our life.”