Institutionalization of "amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar" (1)

“Amr bil maroof wa nahe anil munkar”/ to enjoin the right and to forbid  the wrong has been declared in Islam as a corner stone of a reformed society which is bound to fall a prey of many social evils, if obligation of “amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar” is not performed by the society.  The importance of institution of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ cannot be over emphasized in any civilized society. In this article, we would look into what types of institutions of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ are reflected in Islamic injunctions.

From the outset, it may be clarified that very words of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ imply this obligation is to be performed by the men of authority/influence; obviously to enjoin/order for the right and forbid/stop from the wrong requires some authority/influence to get others to act accordingly; without authority/influence only request may be made to others to act accordingly. Authority/influence has various forms. It may be legal one which is drawn from the state, from the  community (e.g. state institutions); it may be group authority/influence which is drawn from a specified group of community (e.g. non-state organizations like religious, political, economic, labor, ideological, or social organizations); it may be intellectual one which is exercised through knowledge and wisdom (e.g. writer's, intellectual's influence); it may be economic one which is exercised through economic influence (e.g. employer’s influence over employed); it may be moral one which is drawn from ethical values (e.g. parent’s or elder's influence over children); it may be social one which comes from socially respectable position (e.g. teacher's, doctor's, lawyer's influence); it may be administrative one which is exercised through superior administrative position (e.g. an officer’s influence over his subordinate). In short, this obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ may be performed by various types of men of authority/ influence. A person without any authority/influence may not perform this obligation; in fact this obligation is meant for only men of authority/ influence.

Every obligation/duty assigned in Islam has two facets- individual and collective. (for details plz see my article “Aqamat e Deen”. The obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ also has two phases- individual and collective.

The individual aspect of this obligation has been mentioned in Sura Luqman.

“O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination(Luqman-17).

In this verse Hazrat Luqman is advising his son to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. It means performance of obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ is not only collective duty but also an  individual duty; however because this obligation is to be performed through authority/ influence only, thus only individuals having some sort of influence are under obligation to perform this duty. 

The collective forms of this obligation may be performed broadly through two types of institutions/organizations. The first type are such institutions/organizations which draw their authority/ influence from the whole community/ nation on the basis of law; because such institutions draw influence/authority from the whole nation/community, such institutions/organizations in fact represent state and called state institutions. This form of obligation has been mentioned in following verses:

“And let there be [arising] from you a group inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful” (al-imran-104);

“those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of [all] matters” (al-hajj-41);

“You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong…” (al-imran-110).

These above mentioned verses state about performance of "amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar" by the whole community/nation which are to perform this obligation through a group (of state institutions).

A group may be defined as collection of persons having some peculiarity missing in other groups. All state institutions may be termed as a group in the words of al-imran-104 because these institutions share the peculiarity  of having legal powers which they draw from the state; whereas other institutions do not have such powers.  In the light of above mentioned verses, the obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ is to be performed by the whole nation/community (not by a component of nation/community) through state institutions. As this obligation is to be performed through authority/influence, these national institutions may be vested with legal powers by the state. In other words, the first type of institutions through which obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ may be performed are state institutions vested with legal powers.

The second type of institutions through which obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ may be performed may be groups of nation/community (not whole nation/community). Because such institutions do not draw their influence from the whole nation/community, such religious, political, economic, labor, ideological, or social groups/organizations do not have any state/ legal powers. The performance of obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ through such non-state organizations/groups has been mentioned in Quranic verses like:

“[Such believers are] the repentant, the worshippers, the praisers [of Allah], the travelers [for His cause], those who bow and prostrate [in prayer], those who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and those who observe the limits [set by] Allah. And give good tidings to the believers” (al-taubah-112).

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong…” (al-taubah-71).

In both above mentioned verses, mention has been made as to performance of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ by a group of people, not representing the whole nation/community. Such groups may be religious, political, economic, labor, ideological, or other social non-sate organizations which do not have legal powers vested by the state/nation/community. It means this obligation is not confined to be performed by the state institutions only; non-state organizations (having some influence) are also under obligation to perform this obligation.

 We may conclude that obligation of ‘amr bil maroof wa nahe anel munkar’ is to be performed at three levels.  First at individual level; every individual having some influence is to perform this obligation in respect of persons under his influence. Second at group level; every non-state organization having some influence is to perform this obligation regarding persons under its influence. Thirdly at state level; state institutions having legal authority are to perform this obligation in their respective jurisdictions.

Allah's Existence/ "Arsh e Elahi"

                                  

Allah's "Arsh" is Allah's frame of time and space where Allah exists as "Ahad"/alone. This is a frame of time and space where all creations are already annihilated; that is why Allah lives in this frame of time and space as "Ahad"/ alone. 

We have already seen in my article ‘Time Travel’ that Time and space are considered as a twin and interdependent phenomenon. Time may be defined as a distance between two points in space. Simply speaking, if a person moves from point A to point B, the duration required for space travelled/ covered between points A and B may be called Time to reach from A to B. In other words, if space between A and B is expanded, the time to reach from A to B will be expanded; and if the space between A and B is contracted/ condensed, time to reach from A to B will be shortened. It means the same event (in this case moving from A to B) will require more (expanded) time to happen, if space is expanded; and the same event will require lesser time to happen, if space is condensed/ contracted.

This concept of time and space may be substantiated on the basis of Quran.

Sura al-maarij states that “Lord of the Ascending Stairways. The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years” (al-ma,arij-3,4). These stairways or gates are used by Hazrat Gabrael (as) and other angels to reach to such divine proximity from where they receive commandments from Allah, and such ascendance of angels from earth to seventh sky happens within a DAY (twenty four hours) which is actually equal to fifty thousand years on earth. It means events happen quicker on 1st sky as we move from 1st sky to upper skies; the events occurring in fifty thousand years on earth take one day/24 hours to occur on earth in seventh sky. In other words, one second spent in the seventh sky would be equal to 211.22 days spent on earth; it means the events which are seen to be happened in one second in seventh sky would happen in 211.22 days on earth. That is why Allah states: “Indeed, they see it [as] distant, But We see it [as] near”(al-ma,arij-6,7). It also explains why 'meraj' was possible only within a part of night; the events witnessed by Hazrat Muhammad (saw) during the ‘journey of meraj’, would take thousands of years to take place according to earth time. It also explains return of Hazrat Masih (as) from an upper sky (i.e. fourth sky) to earth as much a young man as he was at the time of his exaltation - he would have stayed in the upper sky for a short period of time, but events happened in that short period  would have taken thousands of years passed on earth. (for details plz see my article ‘Period of Masih’s Stay in Upper Sky’).

From understanding of above mentioned Quranic verses, we may draw three conclusions. The first conclusion is because events happen quicker on earth as we move from 1^st sky to upper skies, it means space starts contracting/ condensing  as we move from seventh sky to 1^st sky. In other words, space starts expanding more as we move from 1st sky to upper skies. It means both time and space contract more on earth as we move from 1^st sky to upper skies. Thus, as we have seen through al-ma,arij-3,4, by spending a few hours in upper skies, we can see the events happening spending a few hours in upper skies, we can see events happening in future hundreds of years on earth.

It means we can draw second conclusion that mankind can travel in future time; this is what has been actually done by Hazrat Muhammad (saw) during ‘journey of Meraj’. During the short period which our Nabi (saw) spent in upper skies, he (saw) witnessed events which would require thousands of years to happen on earth; it means, ‘meraj journey’ was travel in future time.

The third conclusion is if events happening in 211.22 days on earth can be seen happening so in one second in seventh sky, from the same analogy it seems possible that all events happening from beginning to end of this world can happen in a single moment in such a frame of Time and Space which exist separately from frames of time and space of seven skies. Allah  is not bound to operate keeping within ambits of Time and Space in seven skies. Quran says about process of creation: “For to anything which We have willed, We but say the word, "Be", and it is” (al-nahl-40).  From this verse it is evident that anything which is willed by Allah happens forthwith. It is possible only in such frame of Time and Space which exists separately from frames of time and space of seven skies.

We can say that Time and space may be expanded/contracted to such a point where all events happening from beginning to end of this world may happen in a single moment of time. This testifies our Messenger's (saw) saying that Allah is done with process of creation and its allied matters; it means He is alone as all creatures are already finished.  It means Allah even at the present moment is alone; even at the present moment, He is ‘ahad’. Even at the present moment, Allah has such a frame of space and time where all the creations have already been annihilated; that is why He is alone and 'Ahad' even at present moment. That is why our sufis experience only one existence during meditation/ ‘mushahda-e-zaat’. But it does not mean that the created and the Creator are one; it only means that we experience one existence in such a frame of space and time when the creations have already been annihilated and Allah is already done with business of creations; this frame of time and space may be called Allah's frame of time and space.

 All other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies are to be perished; but Allah's frame of time and space is to continue. It does not mean Allah does not exist in other frames of time and space. Actually, Allah exists everywhere in all frames of time and space.  The difference between  Allah's frame of time and space and other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies is that Allah's frame of time and space is where Allah is alone, where all creations are already perished. Both kinds of frames of time and space (Allah's and others found in seven skies) are actually single entity but having varying degrees of contraction/expansion.

Allah’s frame of time and space is also called “Arsh e Elahi”; ‘Arsh e Elahi’ or Allah’s frame of time and space is Allah’ Dwelling where Allah exists as ‘Ahad’ but where all the events from the beginning to end of all creations, happening in all frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies, are collected; all stages and finality of all these events is recorded. A person attaining the stage of ‘Fana fillah’ and ‘Baqi billah’ is enabled to observe and feel all events recorded in “Arsh e Elahi” or Allah’s frame of time and space. Allah exists in ‘Arsh e Elahi’ as ‘Ahad’ , but it does not mean events occurring in other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies are non-existent in “Arsh e Elahi”; actually Allah is ‘Ahad’ /alone in his frame of time and space in the sense that all creations are already annihilated in Allah’s frame of time and space or in “Arsh e Elahi”.

But one day all frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies will be extinguished; all creations including human souls will be annihilated; that would be end of final stages of human journey; that would be end of ‘fana fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’ stage of human journey;  after that no human soul would be able to observe and feel events recorded in "Arsh e Elahi". after that no human soul will exist to be graced with stages of ‘fina fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’". “Everyone upon the earth will perish”(al-rahman-26). Only Allah’s ‘Arsh’/ frame of time and space will exist for ever.

"Fana fillah and Baqi billah"- a scientific notion

‘Fana fillah’/annihilation in Allah is a mystical concept which states that man is capable of attaining unity with Allah after passing through various stages of self-purgation and self-purification. This is a state when man loses his existence into Allah’s Existence. The concept of ‘baqi billah’/ permanence within Allah is a natural corollary of concept of ‘fana fillah’ ; ‘baqi billah’ means when man loses his existence in Allah’s Existence, he becomes permanent existence because Allah’s Existence is Permanent. These two concepts- “fana fillah and baqi billah” have various shades. The mystics disbelieving in ‘wahdatul wajood’ do not believe in above-mentioned description of these concepts; however mystics believing in ‘wahdatul wajood’ believe in this description. In other words, rightness or wrongness of this description of these concepts depends on correctness or incorrectness of concept of “wahdatul wajood” itself. ‘Wahdatul wajood’  describes natural/ ‘wajoodi’  oneness of entities of the Creator and the created; whereas ‘fana fillah’  and ‘baqi billah’ describe how human can attain ‘wajoodi’ and qualitative oneness with the Creator.

We have already seen in my articles “wahdatul wajood”, and “Ibn-e-arbi and Quran” that tenets of theory of ‘wahdatul wajood’ are contradictory to Quran and sunnah, and are not tenable logically. In the succeeding lines, we would evaluate the concepts of ‘fana fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’  on the basis of scientific notions based on Quran and sunnah.

We have already seen in my article ‘Time Travel’ that Time and space are considered as a twin and interdependent phenomenon. Time may be defined as a distance between two points in space. Simply speaking, if a person moves from point A to point B, the duration required for space travelled/ covered between points A and B may be called Time to reach from A to B. In other words, if space between A and B is expanded, the time to reach from A to B will be expanded; and if the space between A and B is contracted/ condensed, time to reach from A to B will be shortened. It means the same event (in this case moving from A to B) will require more (expanded) time to happen, if space is expanded; and the same event will require lesser time to happen, if space is condensed/ contracted. 

This concept of time and space may be substantiated on the basis of Quran.

Sura al-maarij states that “Lord of the Ascending Stairways. The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years” (al-ma,arij-3,4). These stairways or gates are used by Hazrat Gabrael (as) and other angels to reach to such divine proximity from where they receive commandments from Allah, and such ascendance of angels from earth to seventh sky happens within a DAY (twenty four hours) which is actually equal to fifty thousand years on earth. It means events happen quicker on 1st sky as we move from 1st sky to upper skies; the events occurring in fifty thousand years on earth take one day/24 hours in seventh sky to occur on earth. In other words, one second spent in the seventh sky would be equal to 211.22 days spent on earth; it means the earthly events which are seen to be  happened in seventh sky  in one second would happen in 211.22 days on earth. That is why Allah states: “Indeed, they see it [as] distant, But We see it [as] near”(al-ma,arij-6,7). It also explains why 'meraj' was possible only within a part of night; the events witnessed by Hazrat Muhammad (saw) during the ‘journey of meraj’, would take thousands of years to take place according to earth time. It also explains return of Hazrat Masih (as) from an upper sky (i.e. fourth sky) to earth as much a young man as he was at the time of his exaltation - he would have stayed in the upper sky for a short period of time, but events happened in that short period  would have taken thousands of years passed on earth.

From understanding of above mentioned Quranic verses, we may draw three conclusions. The first conclusion is because events happen quicker on earth as we move from 1^st sky to upper skies, it means space starts contracting/ condensing as we move from seventh sky to 1^st sky. In other words, space starts expanding more as we move from 1st sky to upper skies. It means both time and space contract  more on earth as we move from 1^st sky to upper skies. Thus, as we have seen through al-ma,arij-3,4, by spending a few hours in upper skies, we can see the events happening in future hundreds of years on earth.

It means we can draw second conclusion that mankind can travel in future time; this is what has been actually done by Hazrat Muhammad (saw) during ‘journey of Meraj’. During the short period which our Nabi (saw) spent in upper skies, he (saw) witnessed events which would require thousands of years to happen on earth; it means, ‘meraj journey’ was travel in future time.

The third conclusion is if events happening in 211.22 days on earth can be seen happening so in one second in seventh sky, from the same analogy it seems possible that all events happening from beginning to end of this world can happen in a single moment in such a frame of Time and Space which exists separately from frames of time and space of seven skies. Allah is not bound to operate keeping within ambits of Time and Space in seven skies. Quran says about process of creation: “For to anything which We have willed, We but say the word, "Be", and it is” (al-nahl-40).  From this verse it is evident that anything which is willed by Allah happens forthwith. It is possible only in such frame of Time and Space which exists separately from the frames of time and space of seven skies. We can say that Time and space may be contracted/expanded to such a point where all events happening from beginning to end of this world may happen in a single moment of time. This testifies our Messenger's (saw) saying that Allah is done with process of creation and its allied matters; it means He is alone as all creatures are already finished.

It means Allah even at the present moment is alone; even at the present moment, He is ‘ahad’. Even at the present moment, Allah has such a frame of space and time where all the creations have already been annihilated; that is why He is alone and 'Ahad' even at present moment. That is why our sufis experience only one existence during meditation/ ‘mushahda-e-zaat’. But it does not mean that the created and the Creator are one; it only means that we experience one existence in such a frame of space and time when the creations have already been annihilated and Allah is already done with business of creations.

Allah’s all creations are to be extinguished one day. Only Allah’s Existence is Permanent and to live forever and eternally. Allah’s creations are not to be annihilated into Allah’s Existence; they are to be annihilated to make them non-existent, not to make them transformed into Allah’s Permanent Existence. The Creator and the created cannot be one at any stage; they are not one in the initial stage nor can be one in the final stage of annihilation of creations.

 All frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies will be extinguished one day; that will be end of journey of human soul. “Fana fillah”  and “baqi billah” are stages of the highest spiritual development of human soul. ‘Fana fillah’/annihilation in Allah   is not losing one’s existence in Allah’s Existence, and becoming permanent existence within Allah’s Existence. Actually ‘fana fillah’  is a stage when human soul reaches to such a proximity with Allah where Allah exists as 'Ahad'; this is the stage associated with such a frame of time and space where Allah exists as 'Ahad'. This is Allah's frame of time and space. This is eternal frame of time and space. This frame of time and space is to live forever and it is never ever to be extinguished, because it is Allah's frame of time and space. All other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies are to be perished; but Allah's frame of time and space is to continue, because it is a frame of time and space where Allah exists as 'Ahad'. It does not mean Allah does not exist in other frames of time and space; actually,  Allah exists everywhere in all frames of time and space.  But the difference is that in seven skies' frames of time and space, creations exist, but, in Allah's frame of time and space, all creations are already perished but all the events from the beginning to end of all creations, happening in all frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies, are collected in Allah's frame of time and space; all stages and finality of all these events is recorded. A person attaining the stage of ‘Fana fillah’ and ‘Baqi billah’ is enabled to observe and feel all events recorded in Allah’s frame of time and space. Allah exists in Allah's frame of time and space as ‘Ahad’ , but it does not mean events occurring in other frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies are non-existent in Allah's frame of time and space; actually Allah is ‘Ahad’ /alone in his frame of time and space in the sense that all creations are already annihilated in Allah’s frame of time and space.

 At ‘fana fillah and baqi billah’  stage, human soul has NO sense of its existence because all creations are already perished in that frame of time and space.  But Allah makes human soul able to feel and observe events in Allah's frame of time and space because human soul- at the time of attaining stage of fana fillah and baqi billah- actually belongs to such a  frame of time and space where he/she is still alive.  But one day all frames of time and space prevailing in seven skies will be extinguished; all creations including human souls will be annihilated; that would be end of final stages of human journey; that would be end of ‘fina fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’ stage of human journey; after that no human soul would be able to observe and feel the events recorded in "Arsh e Elahi"/Allah's Frame of Time and Space; after that no human soul will exist to be graced with stages of ‘fana fillah’ and ‘baqi billah’'. “Everyone upon the earth will perish”(al-rahman-26). Only Allah's frame of time and space will exist forever.

We may conclude that concept of oneness of existence is not tenable either in the form of ‘wahdatul wajood’ nor in the form of “fana fillah’ or “baqi billah".