My Eureka Moments

My journey on the road to my book had many Eureka moments. A Eureka moment does not come in a vacuum. It is like a sudden answer to a question that has long agitated one’s mind, a flash of lightning preceded by buildup of charged clouds.

The most important Eureka moment came many years ago when during a discussion somebody suggested that so many problems of interpretation and coherence in understanding the Scripture would be resolved if we think of Quran not as a book of all laws but as a book of basic jurisprudence from which all laws can be derived by application of mind. I said to myself that this is the answer that I have been looking for. This is how constitutions are framed and detailed laws written for the management of the society. First of all, there is the preamble and the articles on fundamental rights. Detailed laws are then enacted to realize the goals of the preamble and fundamental rights. All laws must conform to the basic provisions of the Constitution and those that do not can be abrogated or modified.

But the question was: Is there any verse in the Quran that would justify the application of this approach? As I read the Quran with this question in mind, I chanced upon the verse 3:7 which says that some of its verses are extremely clear in meaning; ‘they contain the fundamentals of the book.’

So, if we use the fundamental principles and values of the Quran as the preamble and enact all laws on that basis, then we would be doing what is fully in accord with the Quran.

Justice, equality, freedom, and human dignity constitute the basic message of the Quran which can be the touchstone for everything else. Practices and subsidiary laws relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, and inheritance for women must be compatible with the fundamental principles of justice and equality. Certain practices in these matters that were required in the then prevailing circumstances 1400 years ago can be modified and made compliant with those fundamental principles and values.

One day while reading the Quran the diverse implications of the verse that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ flashed across my mind. Full implementation of this verse calls for not only freedom of faith but also freedom of thought because the two are inseparable. There is no freedom of faith without freedom of thought and no freedom of thought without freedom of faith. As I reflected over this verse, I saw its other implications. How can we have concepts of heresy, apostasy, blasphemy and prescribe punishments for them as they clearly negate the principle of ‘no compulsion in faith.’

While pondering over the relevant Quranic verses and Ahadith for compiling the basic principles, it occurred to me that besides the Quran and Sunnah we could derive the basics of the faith from the 99 names and attributes of God. While there are controversies about the authenticity of Ahadith in many cases there is unanimity about the 99 attributes of God. Indeed his 99 attributes constitute the noblest summation of the faith. The implications of God’s attributes of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness led me to the concept of jihad as peaceful holy struggle which is much more effective and achieves better results for everyone than the violent jihad.

Another Eureka moment came as I read the verse 3:130 about interest. I had long struggled with the theological issue of condemnation of interest. Without interest there is no banking and finance, and without banking and finance, there is no economic progress, only stagnation and poverty. When I read the verse carefully, I realized that what the Quran has forbidden is exorbitant rate usury by professional money lender which doubles and re-doubles his wealth, not 5% modern banking interest. Nobody can double or redouble his wealth by this very modest 5% interest rate. Finance at 5% interest rate is not exploitation of someone in distress but key to social prosperity.

On the very complex issue of continuity and change in observing Quran’s message there were a few moments of Eureka.

The divine text of Quran is unchangeable but not its interpretation. It must evolve with change of circumstances. Change of interpretation is not change of the text of Quran.

In the same context it occurred to me to distinguish between two dimensions of faith–the ‘devotional religion’ and the ‘behavioral religion.’ The former is about man and God relationship and the latter about man and man relationship in this world. The former is about the hereafter and therefore unchangeable and not subject to empirical evidence. But the latter must change with change of circumstances and being of this world subject to empirical evidence. Behavioral religion must constantly evolve to meet people’s changing needs.

Finally, distinction must be made between principles and models or institutions to implement them. The former are permanent but the latter must evolve with requirements of circumstances. Change of models and institutions is not change of permanent principles.

Some thoughts flashed across my mind as I read the verse 2:219 which said that there are some benefits in gambling and drinking and some harm but since the harm is more than benefit avoid it.

In this verse Quran is clearly advocating a cost-benefit approach. Avoid what does more harm than good.

Quran is not just giving a commandment but also giving the reason for the prohibition of gambling and drinking. This means that the reason for commandments must be understood, they are not arbitrary. Something is not bad because it is forbidden but is forbidden because it is bad. Drinking and gambling are not bad because they are forbidden but forbidden because they are bad. Similarly, something is not good because it is enjoined but enjoined because it is good. For example, charity is good not because it is enjoined but it is enjoined because it is good for the society and the donor himself. Charity is more than altruism it is enlightened self-interest. So, there are reasons for God’s commandments and they must be understood by application of mind.

For interpretation of the Quran, any Scripture or Constitution its overarching goal must be understood. As I read Quran with this in mind, I was struck by the number of times God says that it has been sent as a ‘blessing to mankind.’ That is the unifying purpose of the Scripture– people’s welfare which must be constantly kept in view for correct understanding and interpretation of the Quran.