The Poor-Man's Guide to Modernity - Independent Media Center

Everyone gets to believe in whatever theology they want! The author of the Holy Qur'an in
defining the religion of Islam, already took the inherent differences in beliefs and perception
biases due to the very nature of socialization of man into account! Thus, apart from friendly
discourse, any forceful disputation with another on the nature of their personal beliefs is
transgressing the limits set by the author of the Qur'an for Islam's practitioners:
“And if your Lord had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have
believed, all of them; will you then force men till they become believers?” (Holy
Qur'an, Surah Yunus 10:99, Arabic:
) جميع‎0‎اۚأفأنتتكرهٱلناسحتى‎Z‎يكونوا"مؤمنين‏
ولوشاLءربWكلأمنمنفىٱلأرضڪلWهم‏
Wonderful.
This leaves man, as per the other three clauses of Surah Asr verse 3, in his short gift of life, to
not worry about saving another's soul, but to primarily contend with his own conduct with his
fellow man, the previously mentioned “haquq-al-ibad”.
The commonsense advocacy of that method of conduct, of doing good to fellow man, of
striving for “haq” in removing injustices from oneself and from fellow man, and being patient in
adversity rather than committing suicide or becoming a suicide bomber, is beneficial guidance
to all mankind no differently than the Biblical commandment: “do unto others has you have
others do unto you”, and Bertrand Russell's non-religious formulation: 'Maximize individual
happiness while minimizing social conflict for optimizing the overall common-good', are
beneficial for all mankind.
Take from whichever system of thought that resonates with one; but don't be iniquitous to
oneself or to another; and the only practicable method to achieve that enlightened state of
affairs regardless of the belief system is the pursuit of “ilm” – is the prima facie core message
of the author of the Qur'an.
If only man were to take heed of any of this platitudinous stuff from any of the Books of
wisdom, and implement that which is his preferred choice due to socialization, in his respective
tribe and nation.
That singular failure to implement moral platitudes, from time immemorial, is the one
fundamental problem of failure to strive in “haq”!
The Poor-Man's Guide to Modernity 183 / 334 Zahir Ebrahim