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Islamic Worldview Page 1

Introduction

The definition of Islamic Worldview is a metaphysical survey of the visible as well as the

invisible worlds including the perspective of life as a whole.

World view is not merely what we can see through our eyes. It is also something which is

permanent and forever not temporary. The current definition nazrat al-islam li al-kawnis not

the proper meaning because it only explains which is tangible and can only be seen through our

eyes.Maybe the term ruqyat al-islam li al wujud is more accurate because it shows the

existence of god. The world view of Islam is not based upon philosophical speculation

formulated mainly from observation of the data of sensible experience, of what is visible to the

eye. Nor is it restricted to kawn, which is the world of sensible experience, the world of created

things.

Islamic worldview encompasses both the al-dunya and al-akhirah. in which the dunya aspect

must be related in a profound and inseparable way to the Akhirah-aspect, in which the latter has

the ultimate and final significance. Specifically, it means that while we are doing our ibadah we

also must do the best in our work in this world without implying any attitude of neglect or being

unmindful of the dunya aspect.

All our happiness in this world is related to the Akhirah and we must be confident in the promise

of Allah that whatever we do we will be rewarded or punished. Reality is not what is often

defined as waqiyyah in modern Arabic dictionaries; reality is haqiqaha factual occurrence

while waqiyyah is only a point to factual occurrences.

Furthermore, a factual occurrence may be an actualization of something false (batil), whereas

reality is the actualization of something true (haqq). Comprehensively, world view according to

the perspective of Islam is then the vision of reality and truth that appears before our minds eye

revealing what existence is all about; for it is the world of existence in totality that Islam is

projecting.

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The Main Issue in Discussion

Islamic Worldview has been misunderstood by the Western countries, especially the Americans.

They frequently viewed Islam as necessarily violent, anti-Western, and politically and socially

reactionary. As such the article main issue is to provide the true knowledge and explanation

about the Islamic Worldview as the essentially a theistic and ethical worldview which contrasts

with the secularistic or atheistic alternatives. The main important element discussed in the article

are the concept of God, the creation of man, the creation of the Universe/Nature, Religion as

deen and finally thefalah or Aim of Life.

As for the assignment, I have selected two elements to be reviewed. The first one is the concept

of God in Islamic Worldview and the second element is the creation of man and nature.

The Concept of God in Islamic Worldview

In the Islamic worldview, the central or core concept which permeates all aspects of life is

Tawhidor the unity of God. To be a Muslim is to believe in the Oneness of God.

Say He is Allah, the One. Allah-us-Samad (the self-sufficient master, whom all creatures need,

He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten; And there is none co-equal or

comparable unto him. (Qur an 112)

Tawhid has three aspects:

Tawhid a! Rububiya: To believe that there is only one lord for the entire universe; itsCreator, Organizer, Planner, Sustainer, the Giver of Security, etc., and that is Allah.

Tawhid a! uluhiya: To believe that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah.

Tawhid a! Asma was

Sifat: None can be named or qualified with the Names or Qualifications of Allah, e.g.

Al-Kareem. We must also believe in all of these qualifications.

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The foundation stone of the Islamic faith is Tawhid. The Islamic worldview fundamentally rests

on this concept. Everything else is a logical extension. To the Muslim, God talks of Himself in

the Holy Quran as the One God who has no partners (17:111; 112:1); the God who is living,eternal, self-subsisting (Quran 3:2; 112:2); the God who created all other creations (6:1214)

with the sole purpose of worshipping Him ( 7:54; 24:41; 51:56); the God who created man as the

best of creations and gave him knowledge (2:30; 96:45); the God who created the universe in

perfect order ( 13:24); the God who is the Cherisher, the Sustainer, the Gracious, the Merciful,

the Omnipotent, Omniscient, the Owner of everything.

Man in the Islamic Worldview

Man is at once the khalifahkhal (vicegerent) on earth and abdcabd (slave) of God. While the

role ofkhalkhalifah implies that nature, the universe and other creations, are entrusted to man for

his utilization, the role of abdcabdmeans that man does not have any ultimate authority or

absolute rights other than to follow the will of God. Both these roles have to be lived

simultaneously and any neglect of either one would not enable man to function as his true self.

The Reference of this forgetfulness is to the covenant that man made with his Lord, as identified

in the Quran:

And remember when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their

seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): 'Am I not your Lord? they said: Yes! We

testify, lest you should say on the day of resurrection: verily,we have been unaware of this.

SurahAlAraf 173

Verily, We created man of the best stature (mould)

Surah Al Teen: 4.

And remember when your Lord said to the angels: I am going to create a vicegerent on

earth

Surah al-Baqarah: 30

I created notthe finns and human except to worship Me.

Surah a Dhariyat: 56.

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By this it is meant that if man forgets who he is in relation to his Creator, he would be potentially

guilty of great crimes due to his arrogance. By being the leader in this world but with

responsibility and accountability to God, mans actions then become part of his worship and

submission to God. There seems to be a trend in contemporary Islamic scholarship, especially in

the social sciences, to overstress the khalifahkhilafah aspect with little or only implicit

reference to mans primary role of being the abd of God.

Man, as mentioned in the Quran, is the best of creations (95: 4), having been imbued with Gods

spirit (15:2829). Man is at once endowed with physical, intellectual and spiritual potentialities

which must all be nurtured and developed. This acceptance of the spiritual aspect of man is of

fundamental importance in the Islamic economic vision and has far reaching implications for the

epistemology and methodology of Islamic economics and on human welfare and needs. In

addition, only man has been endowed with aql (intellect), considered in Islam to be essentially a

spiritual substance. It is this intellect aql , when used to its full potential, that enables man to

understand his position and to act accordingly.

Universe in the Islamic Worldview

Another element very important in the economic vision is nature/universe. In Islam, nature/

universe comprises of the heavens and the earth and all in between, a phrase which is repeated

numerous times in the Quran. The nature/universe is basically another sign given to man to

direct him to worship God, the Creator. In addition, besides the visible/material world, there is

also the world of the gha ghayb (invisible) which is equally real and existing to the Muslim.

Nature is in natural submission to God (7:54; 22:18; 24:41) in ways known only to God and is

meant for man to utilize as khal and cabd (2:60; 6:95103; 15:1623; 16:321). On the other

hand, man the khal and cabd, is asked to reflect on the majesty and orderliness of nature, to see

these signs of Gods existence and mercy to man ( 2:2122; 116117; 14:3234), and thus to

submit himself to God. Thus, nature is not seen as something that must be overcome or

conquered in mans pursuit for development in this world. It is, rather, a bounty from God that

must be utilized in the best way possible for all, in accordance with Gods will, remembering

that it is part of Gods creation.

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Other Issues Discussed

The writer also discussed on the impact of not practicing the Islamic Worldview. The collapse of

nations is a result of Mans ingratitude to God. For example, the Kingdom of Sheba in SouthWestern Arabia and Parable of an Ungrateful Nation.

The Islamic Worldview postulates mans life as being subjected to perpetual test by God in

regard to his behavior and utilization of all nature or God given bounties and resources. The

corruption that happens today is due to mans disregards of Gods messages and guidance as

how to manage God given resources. Balance and harmony must be maintained in life just as

God had implanted them in nature.

Conclusion

The Islamic vision of reality and truth, which is a metaphysical survey of the visible as well as

the invisible worlds including the perspective of life as a whole, is not a worldview that is

formed merely by the gathering together of various cultural objects, values and phenomena into

artificial coherence.

As such the worldview of Islam is characterized by an authenticity and a finality that points to

what is ultimate, and it projects a view of reality and truth that encompasses existence and life

altogether in total perspective whose fundamental elements are permanently established. These

are, to mention the most salient ones, the nature of God; of Revelation ( i.e., the Quran); of His

creation; of man and the psychology of the human soul; of knowledge; of religion; of freedom;

of values and virtues; of happiness all of which, together with the key terms and concepts that

they unfold, have profound bearing upon our ideas about change, development, and progress.

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References

1. M. Akram Khan (1989), An Introduction to Islamic Economics, Chapter 2, esp pp. 34-44,

IIIT and Institute for Policy Studies, Islamabad.

2. S.M.N. Al-Attas (1975), Islam and Secularism (Chap. 3,esp. pp. 47-69), ABIM, Kuala

Lumpur.

3. Sayyid Qutb; Rami David , Basic Principles of the Islamic Worldview, North Haledon,

N.J. : Islamic Publications International, 2006

4. Wikipedia Search Engine

5. Google Search Engine

6. Yahoo Search Engine

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