Author: Muhajer Azizi
Analysis and Criticism of Modernism in the Light of Islam (Part 6)
D. Servitude to Reason and Desire from the Qur’anic Perspective
Undoubtedly, those who believe they have no need for divine guidance and laws, and who regard reason as the ultimate standard of judgment and the guiding principle of life, unwittingly fall into the trap of base desires and drive themselves toward the abyss of destruction. This is because a life devoid of heavenly guidance is nothing but corruption and utter loss, both in this world and the hereafter.
Allah the Exalted likens reason detached from revelation to base desire and condemns it in the Qur’an as follows: (وَلَوِ ٱتَّبَعَ ٱلْحَقُّ أَهْوَآءَهُمْ لَفَسَدَتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهِنَّ) [1] Translation: “And if the Truth had followed their desires, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been corrupted.”
In this verse, Allah clearly warns that freeing the intellect from the guidance of revelation and following desires not only leads to corruption in human society but also threatens the order of nature and existence itself.
In the modern era, servitude to reason and desire has spread in the form of various schools and intellectual movements. The dire consequences of these ideologies have shattered the body of human society and left people wandering down a chaotic, aimless path—a path devoid of peace, purpose, or salvation. These ideologies deceive the public with their polished outward appearance, yet they offer no stable, enduring laws in harmony with human nature.
Due to the dominance of such ideologies, social order and balance have been disrupted, and many thinkers are left bewildered about what path to choose in this era of modernity and change, in order to preserve lofty human values from distortion and oblivion.
It is a manifest truth that no intellect or philosophy can, by itself, maintain the balance of society or prevent the spread of corruption and immorality—except for Islam and its soul-enriching, salvific laws.
Some attempt to attain the results of divine revelation through human reason and philosophy. But it is clear that reason, without reliance on revelation, can never bear the heavy burden of divine guidance. Laws formulated by human reason do not endure; they are soon repealed or altered by others—even though their original authors considered them final and unchangeable. Thus, the only path to salvation is to free oneself from the servitude of desire and return to the worship of the One God—who alone knows which principles are subject to change and which laws are eternal. [2]
Therefore, the decisive solution lies in holding firmly to the rulings of the Creator of existence and avoiding false and baseless human laws and ideologies. Every believer must cling to Allah’s ruling in every matter and accept it without question.
Allah the Exalted says: (مَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ) [3] Translation: “It is not for a believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, to have any choice in their affair.”
And in another verse: (فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا) [4] Translation: “But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Prophet] judge in their disputes, then find no discomfort within themselves regarding what you have decided and submit fully.”
The problem with adherents of rationalism and desire-worship is that they only accept laws that seem aesthetically pleasing and suitable to the present time. Yet such laws have proven ineffective in the past and carry no guarantees for the future. In contrast, Islam offers a comprehensive, beautiful system aligned with human nature—one that takes into account both the past and the future.
As Allah the Exalted says: (يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ أَن تَضِلُّوا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ) [5] Translation: “Allah makes things clear to you so that you do not go astray, and Allah is All-Knowing of everything.”
The Qur’an was not revealed merely for recitation or blessings; it was sent to save humanity from misguidance, misery, and destruction. Therefore, salvation in both this world and the next depends entirely on following divine guidance and laws. Any system or law produced by the human mind that is devoid of revelation is worthless and misleading.
To illustrate how reliance on pure reason can bring a person to the brink of destruction, many examples exist. Here we suffice with one.
One of the leaders of the Baṭiniyyah sect, named Abdullah al-Qayrawani, wrote in one of his letters: “ماالعجب من شیء کالعجب من رجل یدعی العقل ثم یکون له اخت او بنت حسناء ولیست له زوجة فی حسنها فیحرمها علی نفسه وینکحها من اجنبی ولو عقل الجاهل لعلم انه احق باخته وبنته من الاجنبی وما وجه ذالک الا ان صاحبهم حرم علیهم الطیبات…” [6]Translation: “What is more astonishing than a man who claims to be rational, yet has a beautiful sister or daughter while his wife is not as beautiful as them—so he forbids himself from marrying them and gives them to a stranger? If this ignorant man truly used his intellect, he would realize that he has more right to marry his sister or daughter than a stranger. The only reason he refrains from it is that their leader has forbidden them such pleasures…”
The respected scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (may Allah preserve him) rejected this notion, stating: “Curse the above statement as much as you like. But honestly—if someone frees himself from the guidance of revelation, can he respond to this idea with mere reason? Today we see that, after hundreds of years, the dream of ‘Ubaydullah al-Qayrawani is being realized. His disgraceful theory is now being endorsed by people like him in the 20th century. In some Western countries, whispers about legalizing marriage to one’s sister are being heard. Eventually, if pure reason becomes the sole basis for all judgments under the guise of modernity, no sound moral value will remain. Humanity will be bewildered among contradictory theories, and all paths of escape will be closed.” [7]
E. Compatible and Incompatible Rationality
If by rationality one means an independent intellectual ideology, then such rationality is clearly incompatible and rejected from a religious perspective. But if rationality is viewed as a general concept, it can be divided into two types:
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Compatible rationality
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Incompatible rationality
If rationality refers to the logical interpretation and explanation of religious teachings, then this type of rationality is entirely acceptable and desirable. In such cases, ta‘abbud (devotion) does not mean blind imitation; rather, it reflects awareness, understanding, and a conscious acceptance of divine teachings. Islam is aligned with and affirms this form of rationality.
However, if rationality is understood as opposing revelation—placing reason against or above revelation—then religious thought becomes incompatible with modern rationalism, which often leans toward secularism. Nonetheless, if rationality is defined as openness to reason and the demand for justifiable explanations, then that is precisely the foundation of Islamic law, and the divine system of Islam rests upon it. [8]
Continues…
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References:
- Surah al-Mu’minun, verse 71
- Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Tajaddudgarayi az Didgāh-e Islam [Modernism from the Perspective of Islam], p. 18
- Surah al-Ahzab, verse 36
- Surah al-Nisa, verse 65
- Surah al-Nisa, verse 176
- Abdul Qahir al-Baghdadi, al-Farq Bayn al-Firaq, p. 297
- Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Tajaddudgarayi az Didgāh-e Islam, p. 15
- Abdul Jawad Ebrahimi, Islam, Modernism, and Traditionalism, p. 86
