FINDING TRUE RELIGION AND BELIEF

Prof. Dr. Mahmud Es’ad Coşan

My observation in all the foreign countries I have travelled has been the following: Religion is a very important institution that is very much alive.

It is a very valuable asset that is indispensable and irreplaceable for humankind. It is a great need. Societies have spent billions, trillions in this domain and new investments are still being made, big sums are being allocated.

Throughout history, every society has given great importance to religion, shaping life around and pursuant to it—in modern societies, it seems this situation has almost never changed. In the first half of the century, communist countries were opposed to religion and tried to destroy it, while some philosophers schemed to substitute other values for religious values; however, frustration and failure ensued! Reversal efforts have now begun. Nothing can take the place of religion because it has its own unique place; it is beyond science, yet answers the questions that naturally come up from the depths of the human mind and spirit. It satisfies needs and curiosity, relieves fear and anxiety, and ensures peace and happiness.

So, then, religion should not be rejected. On the contrary, it is imperative to revitalize it in a productive and positive way that is beneficial to the health of the human body and mind, of service to society, and in accordance with the scientific level and information of our time. But this can only be done on the condition that our efforts are not in conflict with nature and society, with creation, with wisdom, with science, with reason, and with the interests of humankind’s body and soul. And we must of course listen to the voice of reason, conscience, and science, and take them as our guides!

Even in the current space age, humanity has not fully matured in terms of religion and belief—it is in a very pitiful state. Many advanced and modern countries are surprisingly primitive and backward in terms of religion and belief. For example, the Japanese worship the sun and sanctify their emperors, thinking them to be the son of the sun; in India, there are hundreds of superstitious beliefs and huge crowds worship cows; Jews do not believe in the hereafter; Christians look to the prophet Jesus, who is a servant of God like us, as the son of God, and they cross themselves in front of a symbol of a corpse nailed to a crucifix; some primitive communities worship cobra snakes, fire, totems, and the devil; and scholars in advanced societies invent new sects.

In this sad situation, many modern-day people are put off by religion; they have drifted into disbelief, denial, and irreligion and have become nihilists, anarchists, communists, hedonists, epicureans, existentialists, etc.

Which one is the right path? Which one should we adhere to?

The path of denial is closed. To turn a deaf ear to the voice of reason, science, and conscience, to turn one’s back on philosophy, to leave questions unanswered is to bury one’s head in the sand in order not to see the truth.

The fundamental sources and books of the great divine religions brought by true prophets have not been well preserved; they have not reached us in an authentic, secured, reliable, and undistorted fashion. This is also indicated to by the experts of those religions. Unfortunately, those prophets’ lives, memories, and relics have also not been well preserved; they have been lost to the passing of centuries, buried in the darkness of history. Even the locations of their graves are uncertain.

On the other hand, when the religion of Islam is called to mind, it is acknowledged by friend and foe alike that Islam is in line with reason, logic, and science. It gives value and importance to the existence and physical and mental health of mankind. Centuries ago, it specified and adopted fundamental rights and freedoms which have only recently been achieved in the West. It embodies extremely beneficial provisions for the individual and for community life. It addresses itself to all people. It warns them in a divine book. It views believers as brothers and sisters; men and women, black and white, rich and poor . . . it views all people equally. It calls for a free society that knows no privileges, classes, or exploitation. It provides very valuable and satisfactory information regarding the nature of mankind, the being, oneness, and qualities of the Creator, and life in the hereafter.

We understand from historical, religious, and rational proofs and records that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet of Allah the Almighty. His every word and action has been determined to the finest detail with the most rigorous scientific methods, and has been guarded since his own lifetime with rigor, care, and diligence. Thus we know the details his social and private life and of his environment to a degree that has not been granted to the memory any other. His noble garments and strands from his hair and beard are preserved as keepsakes in various mosques; the original copies of letters he sent inviting neighboring countries to Islam are housed in museums; his noble hadiths, which have been gathered in collections of hundreds of volumes, are read and put into practice. Best of all, the divine book revealed to him, the Qur’an, was retained completely and instantly without even the change of a letter, and has been circulated all over and conveyed to everyone interested.

What a great gain for science and religion, how exciting and delightful for humanity! No such treasures or such fascinating historical material exist for anything else in such breadth and abundance.

It is now time for this unique material to be taken into consideration by all of humanity, for a close examination of its nature, essence, purpose, effects, benefits, and results will be instrumental in finding remedies for many of the troubles of our times.

And so humanity must carry out this task in order to find the true and genuine religion and faith, to solve this, its most vital problem, correctly, and to get rid of falsehood and superstition.

We, too, should support this positive advancement to the utmost of our abilities, “place Islam on the lips of the age,” and guide well those who thirst for it.