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, 19th 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.”
