1.Blinded by hostility towards religion and all religious systems, the votaries of modern philosophy, however, have been propounding a completely reverse theory of the origin of religion.
2.They assert that of all human emotions, fear is the oldest and principal human emotion, and that it was born in the cradle of horrors and hardships frequently encountered by primitive man when his life was shattered by violent cyclones, earthquakes, plagues, and other dreadful incidents.
3.According to them, it was this sense of fear that drove the human being to worship and adore unseen mysterious supernatural powers which, in his view, were responsible for these disasters. Polytheism was thus the first religion of the human being who started his religious life on earth with a belief in many gods or goddesses.
4.We have dealt with this view in another book3 and exposed its weakness. Here we would like to dwell on just one point: which of the two views about the origin of religion is more convincing and sensible, and borne out by objective evidence – the one presented by the Qur’an or that which is offered by the proponents of modern philosophy?
5.Is the incidence of earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and other disasters the most commonplace feature of our existence? What about the smiling season of spring – the flowers that bloom, their colours, their beauty, the lush gardens, the peaceful nights made bright by moonlight and the shining stars? And what about the blessed rain, abundant and plentiful, that nourishes life with rich harvests?
6.What is our most common experience in life – beauty, joy and God’s providence and mercy or disasters and other dreadful occurrences? Considering the creation of this marvellous universe and the miraculous creation of humans, are we peculiarly horrified and terror-stricken by what we see around us?
7.Or, are we overwhelmed by feelings of awe and gratitude to a Most Gracious, Ever Merciful, and Most Generous Creator? Anyone who considers these questions objectively, with a free and open mind, will inevitably reach a common conclusion and express a common reaction. This is because of the fact that both human nature and reason point to the direction set out by the Qur’an rather than the one taken by modern philosophy.
8.To postulate that fear is the primary human emotion is untenable and wrong. Fear exists only when we are faced with a danger or the possibility of losing something we cherish and value, and which we feel the need to protect and safeguard. In other words, prior to any feelings of fear, there must exist a perception of a blessing in the human psyche.
9.Once the perception of blessing is established, it automatically leads to a perception of a Benefactor and our sense of gratitude toward Him. This is the natural line that our observation of the universe and of our own human nature should follow. It is through observing and then realizing how we are favoured with countless blessings in this life that our hearts are overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude to our true Benefactor impelling us to worship and adore Him.
10.With regard to the question of how, after once having found the truth, the human being wanders off into various crooked paths, its cause does not lie in some innate flaw in human nature. Instead, it is to be found in the misuse of free will by the human being or in the perversity of human reason when it becomes enslaved to human caprice and whims.
11.After our pledge to worship and adore Allah alone and to seek only His help, and our declaration of full confidence and trust in His mercy and grace, we pray to Him, “Guide us the straight way.” These words are the very essence as well as the apex of our supplication with which the surah concludes. Following this, our expression of displeasure with those who incurred Divine wrath as well as with those who are astray further clarifies what we passionately seek by setting it in relief against all that is negative.
