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I S L A M I C A N D N O N- I S L A M I C WO RL D-V I EW S

A COMPARATIVE STUDY

By

Joud Shafiq

February 2009

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Table of Contents

1) Introduction ------------------------------------------------- 32) World-view: ------------------------------------------------- 4

A)Definition ------------------------------------------------------- 4

B)The importance of having a world-view ----------------- 6

3) The non-Islamic world-view ----------------------------- 6

A) Historical development ------------------------------------- 7

B)Current condition -------------------------------------------- 9

C) Implications to the developing western world-view - 9

4) The Islamic World-view: --------------------------------13

A)Definition ----------------------------------------------------- 13

B)God, man, and the Universe ------------------------------ 13

i-The nature of GOD ------------------------------------ 13

ii- The nature of man ---------------------------------- 14

iii- The relationship between God and man

(The purpose of life) ---------------------------------- 16

C)Implication of the Islamic world-view ---------------- 18

5) Conclusions ------------------------------------------------------- 23

References ----------------------------------------------------------- 25

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1)Introduction:

We live in the age of globalization, of challenging and imposing of views

and ideologies, and hence, it becomes a matter of intellectual and cultural

survival, to know who we are, and who we are not!

The clashing, or the interaction of cultures and ideologies is inevitable,

however, an interaction on a conscious level, while being aware of the

separating boundaries, is bound to enrich all parties, while an interaction

that is ignorant of these boundaries, is bound to ripple chaos and confusion

. Therefore, this paper will discuss one of the most important concepts

required for the drawing of concise and clear boundaries, leading to the

differentiation of cultures and ideologies, this being the concept of “world-

view”.

This introduction will be followed by an explanation on what is meant by a

“world-view” and the importance of having one. I will then move on to

discussing the non-Islamic world-view –with the realization that there is no

one non-Islamic world view, but more so for the purpose of generalization

and contrasting. This generalization in describing the non-Islamic world

view is used more to delineate the boundaries of the Islamic world view,

than to limit the boundaries of the non-Islamic one. This will then be

followed by a discussion of the Islamic world-view. A comparative study

involving the implications of adopting either of these two world-views on

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the life of individuals and societies will follow. The paper will end with some

drawn conclusions.

2)”World-view”:

A) Definition:

“world-view” comes from the German word “weltanschauung”, where

“Welt” means “world” and “Anschauung” means “view”.1

Tarnas, defined a world-view as:” a set of values, of conceptual structures,

of implicit assumptions or pre-suppositions about the nature of reality-

about human beings, about the nature of the relationship between human

beings and nature, about history, the divine, the cosmos- which constellate

an entire culture's way of being and acting”.2

However, Vidal3exposed six questions that define what the components of

a world-view are:

1- “What is?” it covers questions such as ”what is the nature of our

world?”. A model for what reality is. It is a question of Ontology.

2- “Where does it all come from?”, it covers questions such as” what is

the origin of the universe?” , the answer to this question should

1 World view at http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/worldview2 ''The Western World View: Past, Present and Future” at

http://www.healthy.net/scr/Interview.asp?Id=298&xcntr=2

3 Vidal c. what is a world view? At http://cogprints.org/6094/2/Vidal_2008-what-is-a-worldview.pdf.

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explain how and why? What is required is a model for the past. It is a

question of Explanation.

3- “Where are we going?”, it covers questions such as” what is the fate

of the universe?” , What is required is a model for the future. It is a

question of Prediction. Because the future requires making choices

between different alternatives, values are needed to be able to make

these choices, and this is the forth question

4- “What is good and what is evil?”, it covers questions such as” what is

the meaning of life?” , “what is moral and ethical?” . What is required

is a theory of values. It is a question of Axiology.

5- “How should we act?”, What is required is a theory of action. It is a

question of Praxeology.

6- “What is true and what is false?”, it covers questions such as” How

can we acquire knowledge?” . What is required is a theory of

knowledge. It is a question of Epistemology.

Robert Redfield, divided the components of the world-view into three:

humans, nature and the supernatural, hence different world-views

present different interactions between these three components4.

To conclude, I will choose the following definition: A world-view is like a

matrix interwoven from our values, belief systems, perceptions, and

morals, forming the framework/boundaries through which reality -with all

it’s dimensions- is seen, analyzed and responded to. As for the components

of a world-view, both Vidal’s questions and the three components

4 World-view at http://anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_2.htm.

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presented by Robert are describing the same issues, only the presentation

styles are different.

B) The importance of having a world view:

When we study human actions and interactions, whether on individual

basis, or as a collective, as in the case of societies and nations, we find that

actions are never born out of vacuum. The observable actions are always

preceded by a complex invisible matrix of a vision of the world. Whether

we are conscious of this vision or not, does not undermine its importance,

and as I have mentioned in the introduction, being aware of our world-view

and that of others; results in beneficial and enriching interactions.

In addition, psychologists and sociologists are putting forward the need for

individuals to have a religious or philosophical view of the world, stating

that individuals with such vision are more secure, trusting and have a better

sense of well-being 5 .

1) The non-Islamic World-view:

Some of the most influential world-views in the united states for example

are Christian Theism, Naturalism, and New Age Pantheism6. However,

before we start looking at some of these, we need to look at the historical

development of the most important ideologies in the west, looking at the

historical process can provide us with some ideas about:

5 Previous reference.6 Solomon,J.World Views, at http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/w-views.html.

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-The evolutions of these ideologies.

-The relationship between the different components of the current

non-Islamic world –view.

-A better understanding whether these ideas can be complementary

to the Islamic world-view, or quite contrary to it.

a) Historical development:

Since the most challenging world-views to the Islamic one are those

existing in the west, I will be discussing some of the historical

developments7 that took place in the western world specifically affecting

the GOD-human relationship , starting from The Middle Ages until modern

times. These developments changed the western world-view, with practical

implications resulting in some of the major crisis that the whole world is

facing today.

-The middle ages:

People in Europe were adherent to the Catholic world-view. The middle

ages started with the St. Augustine’s theology which focused on God being

a mystery and the inability of humans to fathom the nature of GOD, and

ended with St. Thomas Aquinas’s theology which called for the use of

reason –after being affected by Muslim philosophers- and contemplating

nature and the existence of GOD. During this age, philosophy by itself did

7 Nasr Seyyed Hossein, A Young Muslim Guide to the Modern World, IBT Kuala Lumpur, 1993.

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not present a world-view, it merely helped to explain the Christian world-

view.

-Renaissance:

During this period, people started rebelling against the power of the

Catholic church. Some were leaving the Catholic world-view to a more

reformed one such as the Protestant world-view. Still, others were leaving

the religious world-view in general and adopting a more philosophical one

instead. Hence, philosophies such as Humanism, Rationalism, and

Individualism were rising. In these philosophies, the relationship between

man-GOD were different, Man was starting to replace GOD as the center of

the universe.

-The scientific Revolution:

With the coming of the scientific revolution, philosophical and scientific

world-views were being pushed into center-stage. Scientific epistemology

was being hailed as the source for all kinds of knowledge, and hence the

vertex of the supernatural was being flattened.

-The age of Enlightenment:

Science was being made into philosophies to explain everything, like the

Newtonian Deistic philosophy. There was no longer a need for GOD to

explain how the universe was created, and this was very apparent in the

spread of agnosticism, atheism, as well as secularism. Theories and

philosophies about the purely physical nature of man were being

propagated.

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b) Current condition8:

Based on this historical analysis, we can see that in the west there are a

number of world-views:

-Religious world-views, such as the Catholic, protestant, and

Mormonism world-views. In addition, there are those who adopted

the world-view of ancient Greek or eastern religions. Some invented

new religions and subsequently new world-views, and there are

those who diluted religion resulting in world-views such as

secularism.

-Non-religious world-views such as those of atheism and agnosticism.

-Philosophical world-views, such as those of Humanism,

Existentialism,..

-Scientism, where the world is only seen through science.

c)Implications to the developing western world-view:

The most central change that took place during this development that

started with the disenchantment with the power of the Catholic Church,

was the gradual replacement of GOD and all that is metaphysical with man

and the physical world.

The second most significant change was the independent development of

scientific methodologies, discoveries and achievements, in finding

8 Previous reference.

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explanations to the physical world, that were not dependant on a belief in

the metaphysical.

If we keep these two changes in mind while we try to answer Vidal’s

questions concerning this developing western world-view, we find the

followings:

1- Concerning the ontological question of “what is reality?” And the

explanation of ”How did it all start?” and the prediction of “ where

are we going?”:

a- Since reality in this world-view is only that which is

comprehensible by the senses. There is no metaphysical

dimension to it, there is no GOD, hence, no metaphysical

explanation or prediction. This means no day of judgment, no

accountability after this life, and this life is all that there is. This

has a huge impact on how man views the universe, his

exploitative relationship with nature, and his motto for the

survival of the fittest.

The lack of the metaphysical dimension affects also the view

on the nature of man. Man has no soul, he has only a physical

essence. This implication was a result of scientific

reductionism 9 , this theory combined with the theory of

evolution lead to the reduction of the human soul to the

psyche, and that to biological activity, reducing man to a

9 The ideal in physics of the 1700 AD was to able to explain all physical realities based on the movement of the atoms. This idea was applied to all areas of science, the human body, chemistry and so on.

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bundle of Energy that can be measured. This trend of reducing

everything higher to the lower is present in all aspect of

modern life.

b- Since man has to depend on his logic and science to explain

reality, the purpose of his existence, how everything started and

how it will end, he will never reach permanent and stable

answers. As Al-Attas explained10, man’s view of the world is open

ended, his answers will continue to change with the changing

circumstances. This results in emotional and psychological

instability of man, especially since man’s destiny (prediction) is

unstable, which also affect the answers to the coming questions

on how man should live his life.

2- Concerning the Axiological question of “what is morally correct?”

and “what action?” follows that (Praxeology):

a. Since this world-view is open ended, and all such answers are

provided by human logic, then it follows that what is

considered right/wrong, the value system will be relative, what

is wrong today can be right tomorrow as circumstances

change. This can be seen when the united states found

drinking alcohol to be wrong in the beginning of the twentieths

century, and after they could not stop people from smuggling

and drinking, thirty years later, they legalized it.

10 Al Attas Syed Muhammad Naquib, Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam< ISTAC, Kuala Lumpur<2001, p2.

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b. A lot of confusion will arise as to how man should act. How a

man acts depends on those values that are now relative, and

on what man believes reality is, which has already been

discussed in point number 1.

3- Concerning the Epistemological question of “How to acquire

knowledge?”:

a. As Nasr explains 11 acquiring knowledge depends on what is

measured by the senses. It is a quantification methodology,

anything that could be mathematically defined and analyzed is

important, anything that is a quality is secondary since it can’t

be measured by mathematics (example :cosmos is a book of

Devine wisdom is not important since it can’t be measured).

b. The scientific method of evaluation based on what is

measured by the senses became a philosophy and spread to all

areas of life, such as using the scientific quantification method

to study social sciences12! If it is not scientific it is not accepted,

hence revelation can’t be accepted as a source of knowledge,

reducing revelation to ethics and personal choice13.

4)The Islamic World-View:11 Nasr, A Young Muslim Guide to the Modern World, previous ref. and Nasr Seyyed Hossein, Islam and the Plight of Modern Man,Lahore,Pakistan, Suhail academy,1974. 12 Previous ref.13 Previous ref.

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A) Definition:

Al Attas14 stated that the term “Islamic world-view” falls short of what the

term actually implies in Islam. It is Ru’yat al-islam li al-wujud:”The vision of

reality and truth that appears before our mind’s eye revealing what

existence is all about; for it is the world of existence in its totality that Islam

is projecting15”.

The vision of reality and truth for Muslims is based on a holistic vision, it

encompasses both the physical and metaphysical dimensions of existence.

According to Al-Attas, the fundamental components of this reality are : The

nature of GOD, HIS revelation, the nature of man, knowledge, religion,

freedom, values, virtues and happiness. I will be discussing three elements

and their interactions, mainly GOD, man, and mans relationship with the

universe from the Islamic view. This will be followed by a comparison of the

resulting implications of both the Islamic and western world-views

according to Vidal’s questions.

B- GOD, man, and the universe:

1- The nature of GOD:

- The most important principle in Islam is “Tawheed”, the

oneness of God (unity of GOD). HE is one in His Devine

being, in His Lordship , He is the Creator, the Sustainer,

the Provider, and the One in whose hands is the disposal

of all affairs. He is also one in His Devine attributes and

14 Al Attas , Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. Prev.ref.15 Alattas, pre.ref. p2

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actions, and the only deity humans turn to and worship

(aluluhiyah).

- Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form. He

is Self-sufficient or Self-subsistent or, to use a Quranic

term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator dose not create only in

the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves

them and takes them out of existence and is the

ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.

Therefore, the nature of GOD in the Islamic world-view is in

quite contrast to that in the Deistic, and the Christian world-

views, and of course the other end of the spectrum when

contrasted to the Atheistic world-view. The implications of

this view of the nature of GOD will become more apparent

when we discuss the question on Praxeology.

2- The nature of man:

- Man was made of clay (physical part):

“The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He

created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was.

(3-59)

- Man has a meta-physical component (soul): "So, when I

have fashioned him completely and breathed into him

(Adam) the soul which I created for him, then fall (you)

down prostrating yourselves unto him.“ (15-29)

- Man was bestowed with knowledge and intellect:

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“And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He

placed them before the angels, and said: "Tell me the

names of these if ye are right.“ (2-31)

- Man was created with a pure fitra (inclination) to know

his Lord:

“When thy Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam -

from their loins - their descendants, and made them

testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your

Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said:

"Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest ye should say on the

Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful": (7-

172)

- GOD honoured man above a lot of HIS creation:

“We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them

with transport on land and sea; given them for

sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on

them special favours, above a great part of our

creation”. (17-70)

- Man can fall into sin, but he was taught how to repent

and no concept of completely sinful nature and no

concept of original sin.

“In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their

nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew

together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden:

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thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be

seduced”. (20-121)

“Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration,

and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-

Returning, Most Merciful”. (2-37)

The Islamic view of the nature of man is in contradiction

with the western view in terms of the metaphysical part

of man. This will be further elaborated on when I discuss

the question “ where are we going?”. Also, the pure

nature of man and the rejection of the principle of

original sin in the Islamic view is in contrast to the

Christian view, the implications of which will become

clearer when I discuss the purpose of life.

3- The relationship between GOD and man (the purpose of

life):

The answer to this depends on what I just explained about

the nature of GOD and man. Muslims believe that we were

created by GOD, hence, they look for the answer to the

question on the purpose of life ,with the creator (Quran). “I

have only created Jinns and men, that they may worship

Me. (51-56) (ibn Abbas said yabudun is yarifun {know

GOD}).

God also said in the Quran:” Behold, thy Lord said to the

angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt

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Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and

shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify

Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not.“ (2-

30).

Therefore, man’s relationship with his Lord is that of worship

(ibadah) and upholding of trust. Ibadah according to Al-Zarqa16:”Man

turning toward God in intimate communion, reverence, and in the

spirit of devotion and humble submission”. And Ibn Kaiym Aljawzya

said that “taabud” is love with humble submission to the one we

love. He places taabud as the 9th rank in love, starting with the 1st

“having a relationship” and the 10th being “khullah”17.

Therefore, the purpose of life is for man to wilfully enter a bond of

love and submission to his Lord, whereby he wilfully upholds God’s

laws on man and the universe around him fulfilling the role of

trustee.

The Islamic view is also different from the Christian view. To believe

in the original sin and that man needs to be saved during his earthly

existence will render its effect on how man should go about his life in

a way that is different than if man believes that he was born with a

pure nature.

c)Implications to the Islamic world-view:16 Al-Zarqa Mustafa Ahmad, The Islamic Concept of Worship, pp109-115, in Islam its Meaning and Message, ed.Khurshid Ahmad, United Kingdom, The Islamic Foundation, 3rd ed.,1999.17 Aljawzya, Ibn Qayyem,

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If we compare the Islamic world-view to the western world-view, we can

see the following differences and implications:

1- The Islamic world-view did not go through historical developments, it

did not change, it is not open ended, it is permanent. Since the

moment is was born, it was mature and perfect18.

2- In the Islamic world view, GOD is at the center of the universe, GOD

and revelation is the source for the Islamic world-view19. Hence the

metaphysical plays a heavy role in the construction of this world-view.

Therefore, It is not applicable to assume that the Islamic world-view

has to undergo changes and mature as did the western one since the

sources of both views are different.

3- If we keep these two points in mind while we try to answer Vidal’s

questions concerning the Islamic world-view, we find the followings:

1- Concerning the ontological question of “what is reality?” And the

explanation of ”How did it all start?” and the prediction of “ where

are we going?”:

a- Al-Attas explains reality in Islam is:”based upon revealed

knowledge through religious experience, and embraces

both the objective, metaphysical and ontological reality as

well as the subjective, intuitive and psychological

experience of that reality”20.

b- Since the nature of reality is based on revelation as well as

the physical components, the explanation and prediction

18 Al Attas , Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. Prev.ref. p4-519 Prev. reference.20 Al Attas , Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. Prev.ref.P75

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about reality and existence in the Islamic world-view is

answered from revelation. Since man was not there when it

all started and man now, will not be there when it ends,

Muslim man gets his answers about what is metaphysical

from the metaphysical, that is, from the Quran. Therefore,

It all started with GOD creating the earth and the universe

and then creating Adam and Eve. This is in grieve

contradiction to the Western view, where man is a

byproduct of evolution and the implications of this being

translated as survival for the fittest, and the impact of this

on how man acts with his fellow man and with the

environment. This will be further elaborated on when I

discuss praxeology.

c- This reality and existence is a phase in the existence of man.

In the Islamic world-view, in contrast to the non-religious

western world-view, this life is a preparation for the next

life (life after death). Therefore, man is going where GOD

planned for him to go, and that is into the next phase of his

existence where he meets his Lord and accounts for his

deeds in this life. The implications of this will be explained

further when I discuss Praxeology, and Axiology.

2- Concerning the Axiological question of “what is morally correct?”

and “what action?” following that (Praxeology):

a- The Islamic world-view is in contrast to the western one on

these two points. Since the purpose of existence in the Islamic

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view is to enter into a bond with the creator and reach GOD

with the a sound heart, this requires spiritual growth, and

spiritual growth has it’s toots in morals and values. These morals

and values come from revelation. What is right morally is what

is dictated by the creator as being right, hence, these values are

permanent and can’t be changed according to changing

circumstances.

In addition, the values and concepts themselves differ between

the two world-views. For example when justice or happiness is

considered, the Islamic world-view conceptualization of justice

and happiness is not limited to this worldly existence, it

encompasses both this life and the next. Al-Attas explains the

western world-view concept of happiness as :” The Aristotelian

conception maintains that happiness relates only to this world;

that it is and end in itself”21, while he explains happiness in the

Islamic world-view :”is not an end in itself because the highest

good in this life is love of GOD”22. The implications of this will

also be reflected in man’s actions, since actions will differ based

on what man believes is just and what he believes is unjust.

b- In addition, the Islamic view has its roots in the metaphysical,

and most importantly the belief in the day of judgment and the

hereafter, where everyone is accountable for what he had done.

This accountability affects the adherence to morals and

principles; without having judicial law to implement it. Man has

21Al Attas , Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. Prev.ref. P3422Al Attas , Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. Prev.ref. P35

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to monitor his own actions. This was very clear when prohibition

of alcohol came, Muslims were pouring what they had in the

streets. This is in contrast to what I mentioned happened when

alcohol was considered illegal in the US.

c- How man acts is deeply rooted in the Islamic view of the nature

of GOD ,and man’s relationship with GOD. The principle of

tawheed (oness) frees man from humiliating himself to any

other man. In the Islamic vision, man believes in that his creator

is also the sustainer of everything in the universe and nothing

happens if HE does not will it to happen. This belief gives man a

different look on why things happen and how man should act.

d- According to the Islamic world-view, man’s actions have to be

carried out according to what GOD has dictated. Man is GOD’s

trustee, so man is bound by certain rules and regulations in his

interaction with himself and everything around him. This has

implications in the conceptualization of “freedom of choice”, of

what is meant by development and progress23.

3- Concerning the Epistemological question of “How to acquire

knowledge?”:

In contrast to the dominant western world-view which bases its

knowledge on what can be measured by the senses and

disregarding what cant as myth, the Islamic view of knowledge is

based on both the physical using the senses and on the

metaphysical using revelation.

23 Al Attas , Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam. Prev.ref.

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A) As Al-attas explains that there are two levels of

knowledge, the second is based on the first.

The first is obligatory upon all Muslims, Every Muslim

has to acquire the knowledge about GOD, man, and the

nature of relationship (purpose of life). When man

knows his LORD, man will know himself! Everyone has to

know what is Ubudiya, and what it means for man to be

GOD’s trustee. This knowledge is associated and can not

be separated from action. This knowledge also

formulates the frame through which the second kind of

knowledge is acquired and used.

◦ The second kind of knowledge is that acquired through

the senses, with observation, testing, analysis and so on.

It is contained and framed by the first level of

knowledge.

The pursuit of this kind of knowledge has to be done in

accordance with man’s purpose and role in this life (ubudyah

and khilafa). For example, we know and discover more about

natural phenomena, not to abuse the environment, but to

know about GOD through HIS creation, and to understand how

to be the best vicegerents. This affects the type of knowledge

sought, how it is acquired, and the application of it. All are

guided and controlled by the Islamic view of the world.

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5)Conclusions:

World-views are visions of reality that are based on underlying principles

and ideologies, and in order to understand these views, one has to

understand their roots.

The Islamic world-view shared some similarities with the old western world

view that was based on the Christian world-view, both were GOD-centered.

They shared a conceptualization of reality that is of both physical and

metaphysical nature, and the ramifications of this belief in the value

system, actions and to some degree in epistemology as well.

However, when the western world-view became man-centered and pulled

away from all that is metaphysical, whether in the derivation of values,

actions or epistemology, the two world views became on opposite ends of

the spectrum of vision.

If we address the question which is better, then I think the Islamic world-

view is more compatible with the nature and needs of man. This does not

however preclude any kind of beneficial exchange between the two views.

As I stated in the introduction, if man is aware of his view of the world and

of the boundaries of this view, then man can pick and choose from the

other view what can be beneficial and repackage it according to his view of

the world. For example advancement in science can be very beneficial, but

man has to be aware of his own vision of the world. Man can adopt the

achievement but not the ideology that comes with it.

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References:

1- http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/worldview2- ''The Western World View: Past, Present and Future” at

http://www.healthy.net/scr/Interview.asp?Id=298&xcntr=2

25

3- Vidal c. what is a world view? At http://cogprints.org/6094/2/Vidal_2008-what-is-a-worldview.pdf.

4- World-view at http://anthro.palomar.edu/social/soc_2.htm.

5- Solomon,J.World Views, at http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/w-views.html

6- Al Attas Syed Muhammad Naquib, Prolegomena to the Metaphysics of Islam, ISTAC, Kuala Lumpur,2001.

7- Aljawzya, Ibn Qayyem8- Al-Zarqa Mustafa Ahmad, The Islamic Concept of

Worship, pp109-115, in Islam its Meaning and Message, ed.Khurshid Ahmad, United Kingdom, The Islamic Foundation, 3rd ed.,1999.

9- Nasr Seyyed Hossein, A Young Muslim Guide to the Modern World, IBT Kuala Lumpur, 1993.

10- Nasr Seyyed Hossein, Islam and the Plight of Modern Man,Lahore,Pakistan, Suhail academy,1974.