Assalam-o-Alaikum, Huzoor. Huzoor, my friend Chaudhry Abdul Rashid has given me permission to ask first. Alhamdulillah. This is very rare. Huzoor, most kindly guide us regarding the following matter. What is the connection between intellect and religion? Secondly, how far can we use intellect in the matter of religion? Although the question itself seems to have no connection with akal, but I must say it is a valid question. Superficially it seems lacking sense, because everybody thinks the answer is so obvious, you know. But in reality it does not lack sense, because this is exactly what earlier people have differed about on this issue.
Some renowned scholars in Islam and other religions, not only in Islam, in many other religions, have taken this strong position that akal, that is wisdom or understanding, faculty of judging things, has nothing to do whatsoever with religion. Religion is to be followed blindly and in total submission, and it should never be permitted to be challenged by reason. This is exactly the absurd position taken up by many scholars in every religion. So when you raise this question, obviously, that is what you have in mind. No? Sorry, I was paying compliments to you unnecessarily. I apologize. I just quote one, only one minute.
The Sayyidina, the Promised Messiah has said, akal ko deen pe hakim na banao hargis, ye to andhi agar nair-e-ilham na ho. That’s right. Hazrat Musleh Maud, akal andhi agar nair-e-ilham na ho, this verse belongs to Hazrat Musleh Maud. But again, you have interpreted this verse totally wrongly. That is the point again, unfortunately. Throughout the Holy Quran, challenges people who adopt a course of dogmatism, dogmatic attitude, and invites them to think, and repeatedly tells them, afala taakhiloon, why don’t you use your reason which Allah has given you? amma laa quloobin akhfalooha, do they not understand?
And also, are their hearts shut and locked? What is wrong with them? afala yatafakkaroon, laalakum yatafakkaroon, and so on and so forth. Of all the books in the world, religious books, if you collect references to reason from all the known revealed books, the references to human reasoning found in the Holy Quran would be much larger in number than the collective references of all the books in the world referring to reasoning of man. And pointing out that you should use your grey matters before deciding an issue.
So how could you interpret the meaning, or interpret the verse of Hazrat Musleh Maud to stand in total contradiction of what has been said by the Holy Quran? That is what beats me. This is why, you know, I tried to justify your question in a sort of way I thought everybody would understand, but unfortunately I was wrong. What he wants to say, this is what you want to understand, was simply this, that simply through reason you will not be able to, you will not be led to God and ultimate truth. God is a sublime truth which would remain out of the reach of reason alone, singly by itself.
But when aided by ilham, when aided by revelation, then reason would lead you to God. Then lack of reason will still not lead you to God. It is so manifestly clear that reason is like eyes, like vision. But if there is no light, where will that vision lead to? What use shall you put your eyes to if there is no sun? Can’t you understand the relationship? It’s not the denial of eyes. It says that both are necessary. By itself, reason will not lead you anywhere if Allah does not show light from high on. If that light is shed on you, then your reason will begin to see. Without that light, your reason is blind.
This is exactly the translation of a verse of the Holy Quran which says, Eyes cannot reach God. It is God who reaches eyes. Like the eyes cannot reach light, it is the light which reaches eyes. And that is vision. So, this is the most beautiful commentary on this verse in the verse form which unfortunately was misunderstood by you, so the question arose. Right? Jazakumullah.
