Essay on Islam: The Quran itself is an example of multiple dimensions

We must, most certainly, know the European scientific methods, but we should not require ourselves to imitate them. Today all scientific methods in all fields have changed. They have taken on a new look. Religious truths, must of necessity, do the same.

It is clear that in order to know Islam, we cannot choose one approach exclusive of all other ones, because Islam is not a one dimensional religion.

Islam is not a religion which is based solely on the Gnostic feelings of human beings or limited to the relation­ship between God and man.

This is just one dimension of the Islamic faith. In order to know this particular dimension, we should turn to a philosophical method because the relationship between man and God is part of this field of thought.

Another dimension of this faith relates to one’s way of life upon this earth. In order to come to know the truths of this dimension, we must make use of today’s sociological and historical methods.

Thus, if we look at Islam from just one point of view, we have only seen one dimension of a many-sided crystal. If we looked at the issue correctly, we would realize that it is not suffi­cient to have a general knowledge of Islam.

The Quran itself is an example of multiple dimensions from which various sciences have been drawn throughout history.

The most important dimension of the Qoran, which is the least known, is its human aspect consisting of its social, historic and psychological dimension. One of the reasons for this remain­ing an unknown dimension is because sociology, psychology and human sciences in general are newer sciences and this differs from other historical studies and books, which are among the oldest ones ever written.

Historical events relating to tribes and the fate of nations and their relationships and the causes of decadence of different nations are mentioned in the Qoran, especially in the longer verses.

A historian should study them from a scientific point of view. A sociologist should look at them through a sociological method. To discuss and understand problems of natural science and the phenomena of nature, a natural method is needed.

As a special field of history and sociology, I will mention two methods, both of which are from the same point of view and that is, that of the social and historic study of human sciences. In order to make myself clear, I like religion to an individual. There are only two ways to know a great personality.

These two methods should be joined in order to be able to come to know the great individual. To begin with, one should become familiar, in a scientific way, with all his thoughts, writings, suggestions, speeches, articles and books.

In other words, it is necessary to know the mind, thoughts and ideas of a person in order to come to know the individual.

But research alone is not sufficient because there are so many aspects in one’s personal life which are not reflected in one’s written works or speeches. Only reflections of them appear, but they are not really known.

The second way, which completes knowing the individual, is to review his life and discover his family background, where he was born, what was his race and nation, how he spent his child­hood.

How was he brought up, what kind of an environment did he grow up in, where did he study, who were his teachers, what events did he face in his lifetime, what were his victories and his defeats?

In review, there are two fundamental ways to come to know an individual, both of which one must follow. The first is to study his thoughts and ideas and the other is to study his or her life from the beginning.

A religion is similiar to an individual. Its works and thoughts are its book which from the text of the school which it invites people to join. The biography and the description of a religion form its history.

Thus, in order to know Islam in a precise and detailed manner which is up to today’s standards, two major ways exist. The first is to study the Qoran, which is a collection of thoughts and the remains of the ideas and science of a personality named Islam.

The second is to study the history of Islam which describes the changes which have occurred from the beginning of the Prophetic mission to the present.

This is a method but un­fortunately the approaches to studying Islam to date are very weak especially as regards the Qoran and the history of Islam. They are only marginal notes to a scientific method of researching Islam.

Fortunately, with the awareness of Islamic societies today, the attention of Moslems towards knowing the content of the Qoran and an analysis of Islamic history increases each day.

One further method for coming to know Islam exists. It is a method known as typology. Most sociologists today believe this method to be the best approach to solving problems of sociology and in particular, for the comparison of one school of thought to another.

In order to come to know Islam, I used a method which is also used in Europe in researching the sciences of humanity. I was able to arrive at a method which can be used for all religions.

It is to know five distinguished modes or aspects of a religion and then compare them with its similar mode in other religions.

1. The God or gods of every religion who is or is worshipped by the followers of this religion.

2. The Book of the religion as the foundation of a law which this religion brings and invites people to believe in and practice.

3. The Prophet of every religion who declares the mission of this religion.

4. The form of and appearance of those who are addressed by the religion. Every prophet declared his prophetic mission in a different way. One addresses people, another, princes and nobles and another, scientists, philosophers and select people.

Thus, sometimes a prophet appears in the form of a person who accepts the existing power structure, whereas another prophet arises in the form of a claimant in opposition to the power structure.

5. The hand-picked followers of every religion are the examples and representatives of people who are trained in that religion and then offer it to society and history.

Now then, in order to have knowledge of Islam in this system, one needs to first know God. There are many ways possible to come to know God such as through knowing beings or through philosophy and illumination of the soul or through Gnosticism or through examining the details.