1977-August-26

Bilalian News

Human Development

Emam Wallace D. Muhammad

(The following excerpts and thoughts are from a recent Khutbah delivered by Emam Wallace D. Muhammad.)

With the Name of Allah (In the Name of God), the Gracious, the Compassionate. As-Salaam-Alaikum

Dear Readers,
In the Quran, Allah tells us through the Prophet that we are created or made like a plant. Your growth is like a plant. A plant grows naturally. When the tree matures, if it is a fruit tree it drops its fruit to the ground and new trees grow from the seeds of its fruit. A plant has its leaves in the higher part of the plant and its roots anchored in the ground. Its roots feed on water and its leaves feed on sunshine and air. A plant is peaceful. Creatures can come to the plant for shelter and find a home. The tree or plant is a beautiful sign and symbol of human life or human development.

We should have ourselves anchored in agricultural or economic development. We can't live as spirits up in the sky, we have to have our life rooted in the physical creation. For God began our growth in the physical creation.

The beginning is not greater than the latter stage. This is told us in the Quran. But the beginning in economical development or agricultural development or some kind of business development is a necessity for life. Allah? says to us, "Surely the latter stage is the greatest." That is, the social development of the human being is the more important growth for human fulfillment. Moral development is a source of life for the growth of human beings. God doesn't leave us on that level of human morality without divine guidance. Divine guidance is given to us through God's righteous prophets as sunshine and fresh air for our higher development. Revelation also is in accord with the natural laws. Spiritual development should be in accord, and is in accord with natural law. God has not given us a revelation that is in opposition or contrary to natural laws. God has given us revelation that reveals to us the growth from natural laws. On the level of human law, we come into a higher understanding of our natural growth.

The human being is not a foreign growth. The human being is an extended growth. In fact our human expressions are only higher expressions of the natural expressions. God has made the universe in a certain design, to follow certain laws, to meet and form certain definite patterns and a certain order. The spiritual evolution of human beings is humanly more interesting than Darwinism.

It is only when we follow the direction given to us by God that our society becomes truly the higher society. Allah says that He has created us of the highest design or in the best of molds. However, man is reduced to the lowest of the low. When man thinks he has some power of his own that he can use to secure himself and make himself a permanent ruler or permanent power on the Earth, he has fallen to the lowest of the low. Brute power is not his power. That is, man is a human being and should never take on the mind and nature of the brute. God has given brute power to the ape, but the ape also has a social order and he uses his brute power wisely and man is no contest for the ape in terms of brute strength. In his intelligence, man is raised above the apes, and in this arena or area the ape is no contest for man.

Human Development

Let us never, never forget that Allah has created us. He has created the universe, and He has set a definite design and order. This is the teachings of scripture and especially found with stress in the Quran. Since the growth of natural law designed and revealed by God supports the universe, can't it support little me and little you? Allah says that He has prescribed for us religion after the natural design. He has prescribed for us the religion after the order and design established by Him in the creation. This shows us beyond any doubt that life is continuous and life is one evolutionary progression from inorganic to human development.

My life is an extension and a higher growth and form. The animal life is an extension of plant life and the plant life develops from inorganic life. The laws we see manifest in human society are extensions of the animal law we call instinct. God is 'extending, God is graduating life. The tree is elementary, the animals are secondary, the human being is in a university or college. All share a common life progression and a common origin. So this is the grace of Allah, that we have not left the basic life and the basic knowledge which grew from one source created by Allah.

Peace be to you
Your brother in service to Allah.
Wallace D. Muhammad