What has Western Thought brought to the World?

 

At first, the objections brought against religion by Westerners and Orientalists were open and clear. However, in recent times, a new method has been brought out in which religion is praised in a general sense, but the form and image of religion that is in their minds is a warped and distorted form of religion. Using the name and path of supporting and aiding religion, Westerners want to promote a deviated and distorted version of religion. In essence, the main target of Westerners is Islam and the Muslims. Other religious groups are used as shields for deviance, and ideals for Muslims to imitate, as they have already deviated a long time ago. 

The detail of the deviances that this distorted and warped image of religion - as promoted by Westerners, Modernists, and Liberals, is presented hereunder:

Dilution of 'Aqa'id

1. At the simplest level, a religion is made up of beliefs, worship and character or morals. People are told to take one or two out of the three, and to abandon the others.

2. The idea is promoted that 'Aqa'id, or beliefs, is not an integral part of religion.

3. People are made to understand that changes can be made to 'Aqa'id (beliefs) according to need.

4. Taking it a step further, people are told that there is no need to seek the truth in 'Aqa'id or beliefs. 'Aqa'id, or beliefs are simply a means of bringing satisfaction to the desires. 'Aqa'id is referred to as a 'static emotion'. It is sometimes praised, and scorned at other times.

Dilution of 'Ibaadaat

5. 'Ibaadaat, or worship has been given the status of customs, and based on this, a person can either accept it or reject it.

Dilution of Akhlaaq

6. Good character and morals - as taught by the religion - are not understood to be an integral part of the religion.

7. Good character and morals - that are acceptable and promoted by Westerners and Modernists - are portrayed to be the entire religion, and religion itself is understood to be a system of good conduct.    

Dilution of Tasawwuf

8. Tasawwuf is understood to be a means of reformation of the character, but it is turned into a philosophy. Religion and Tasawwuf are then interpreted as feelings and emotions and passions, then all the results of Tasawwuf are taken to be the original aim and objective of religion. In this way, Tasawwuf is used and abused by Modernists that actually distort it, rather than promote and practice it correctly. 

Dilution of Deen

9. Religion is understood to be a social organization. Subsequently, it is taken to be one of the means to organize and arrange the society. The objective of religion is defined as social success or service to the nation. It is then said that religion is for man, and man is not for religion. Religion is described as a beneficial building block of societal living.

10. Religion, especially Tasawwuf is taken as a means of solace for humanity, i.e., without the barrier of Imaan and Kufr. Equality is promoted at every level, i.e., every person, from any religious background, or any sexual orientation are all understood to be equal at every level in everything. 

Free Thinking 

11. Free thinking, freedom in religion and freedom of behavior is promoted. The ploy behind this is to feed the concept to people that there is no need for revelation in religion or character and morals. Beliefs can be made up using the human intellect, and man has the right to adjust beliefs.

Subjecting the Divine to Evolution

12. To declare religion as the creation of the human mind. People are told that together with the progression of humanity, religion must be changed. We seek the protection of Allah, even the concept of the divine being is declared as something subject to evolution.

Tolerance 

13. In a display of 'tolerance' and free thinking, the same position given to correct beliefs is given to wrong and flawed beliefs. 

Principle of Relativity

14. The principle of relativity is applied to religious principles, and it is said that every idea and thought only possesses relative truth, not independent and permanent truth.

Common Sense

15. The standard of everything is made man and common sense. Whatever religious concepts a common person fails to understand, they are all rejected.

Worship of the Intellect

16. Whatever knowledge can be acquired through a deficient intellect, only that is accepted. Whatever is beyond the intellect, that is not believed and accepted. The concept of knowledge is kept restricted to physical matter. 

Seeking Expediency or Maqasid-ush-Shari'ah

17. Muslims are encouraged to seek the expediency behind the laws of Deen. These expediencies are taken as the source and foundational source of the Shari'ah.

Materialism

18. The physical world is taken to be the reality of everything. Everything is gauged according to it. Monetary benefit is sought through religion. Material progress is understood to be the yardstick in everything. The basis of material progress is comfort to the body and luxurious living. People are encouraged to ask, 'What benefit did religion bring to the world?'

Denial of the Ghayb

19. Everything unseen is challenged and denied. The miracles of the Ambiya' 'alayhim as-salaam are denied, or, they are given some 'rational interpretation'. 

Dynamic & Static

20. The word 'dynamic' is used in a praiseworthy manner, whilst the word 'static' is used disdainfully. People are told, 'Islam is dynamic, the 'Ulama' have rendered it 'static'.

Quietism

21. People are taught to love (warped and distorted) religion, and love of (warped and distorted) religion is promoted, because it frees a person from the worries of the world.

Humanism 

22. Every religious issue is looked at with the eyes of Humanism. Deen and religion is understood to be the result of human thought, and everything is brought to the level of the human mind.

Scientism

23. An effort is made to reconcile science with religion, in such a way that religion is subject to scientific viewpoints. Science is made the final decider in all matters.

Constitution  

24. The laws of Fiqh are understood to be like man made laws. People are told that Deen is simple and straightforward, it is the 'Ulama that have taken it backwards. The Deen is willfully distorted and then the claim is made that the original and pure Deen is being revived. 

'Ilm

25. The idea is taught that pure 'ilm is worthless, and 'ilm is whatever is the product of invention. 

Comparative Religion

26. Religions are studied and compared without any principles governing it. Or, differences and similarities are sought out in order to unite the religions.

Foreign Influence

27. Every part of Deen is attacked by stating that parts and concepts of it have come from other cultures, foreign countries, and alien ways.

Self-Obsession

28. The concept and idea is promoted amongst the masses to give their own views and interpretations of Deen. People become self-opinionated and self-obsessed through this. 

European & Western Standards 

29. All concepts of Deen are gauged by a European or Western standard. Eastern terminology is understood incorrectly and Western terminology is made synonymous with Eastern terminology. Western civilization is made the standard, and every way and culture is measured and judged according to it. 

Magic with Words

30. Modernity and Modernism works with word magic; it wants to mesmerize the minds of people and suspend their ability to think. So, in order to praise something, it is considered sufficient to call it modern or scientific. Words like 'freedom', 'human happiness', 'prosperity', 'raising the standard of living' etc. are made very popular. On the other hand, Islam, Islamic beliefs, Islamic viewpoints, and Islamic interpretations are given an image totally contrary to what they mean. For example, Jihad is called terrorism, those who believe correctly and practice Islam properly are called fundamentalists, backwards, hardliners, and other epithets. 

'They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect his light, although the disbelievers dislike it. It is he who sent his messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to manifest it over all religions, although those who associate others with Allah dislike it.' [Surah as-Saff: 8-9] 

Source: Islam aur Fikr-e-Jadid, Muhammad Salim Qurayshi