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The Islam has come to create a new faithful community with certain properties in itself. This community is the last and the most perfect community in human history. The mission of this community is to establish the system of Allah all over the world. So the people might live on a true way. This community takes its energy and ability from its belief. The source of its thought is the Quranic verses and the Sunna of the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet himself and muslims have tried to fulfill their missions with all their power during centuries. So they have established ethical, scientific, economic and administrative systems which are not precedent in the history of world. All of these systems constitute the Islamic culture and civilization. The first cornerstone of Islamic culture and civilization is appeared in the first brought down verse of Quran:
Read! In the name of your Lord, who created Created man from a clot (of blood) Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he did not know. (Al-‘Alaq, verses 1-5)
With this decree the Prophet (saw) and the Muslims have begun to read all the universe which is written by the pen of God. Also this is beginning of the Islamic sciences. In many verses, people are directed to think and to contemplate on the facts in universe. One who knows is not equal to one who does not know. The foundations of Islamic thought, Islamic culture and civilization are determined in the verses of Quran and the Prophet’s words and Sunna in the first period of Islam, Asr-ý Saadet (the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammed (saw)). The main peculiarities of Islamic culture and civilization are the followings: • Belief of Tawhid (affirming the unity of God), • Revelation and human content, • Material and spiritual balance, • Personal and social stability, • Worldly and otherworldly balance, • Openness to the reason, the science, the technology and the arts, • Commitment to the idea of a classless and justly world, • Peace loyalty, • Belief and worship and tolerance.
As a result of these main features mentioned above, the Islamic culture and civilization has offered to the humanity many products and inventions in science, technology and arts. It is known that many books are written to describe these facts along centuries.
Foundations of Islamic Thought The culture of Islam is alive today with all its principles. If we look at the events, the injustices and the tyranies in the human history, we encounter the fact that the principles of Islamic culture are realistic and rightful . Islamic culture is neither beaten and nor destroyed. However, the number of people obeying this rules and the number of states living this culture has decreased. Today, people living Islamic culture is a minority. This does not mean the defeat of the Islamic culture. This is a result of misuse of the people’s choice. However, the failure can be observed in the productivity of Islamic civilization. Until the 16th century the Muslims have demonstrated great potential in the Islamic culture and civilization. But they have been feeling overly satisfied with themselves and access their peak. They did not try to take even further and so got loose. As a result, they lost their supremacy. Overtime, the negative effects brought about by this relaxation has affected Muslims, so they strive to dominate again. But it could not be possible to return again to the time of beginning. The main principle to build up the conditions of the first period of Islam is only possible to learn and apply the principles of Islamic thought. The Muslims must struggle to learn the principles of Islamic thought in every aspect of Islamic civilization to upgrade again. We want to explain the basics of Islamic thought below. ► Islamic thought must apply all the concepts and principles of which are totally time invariant Quranic verses. Holy Quran is the word of Allah. It is not a creation. It is a book that is God’s revelation. It is neither God, nor else. It is surely God’s attributes. It is written in the Quran, read in languages, preserved in breast, protected and memorized. It is not incarnated in the breast. Ink, paper, calligraphy, all of them are creations. Because they are made by the acts of the people. But the word of God is not a creation.
► Islamic thought accept that the Prophet Mohammed (saw) is the last messenger of God and that the verses of Quran and Prophet’s sermons are true.
► The basic fundamental in the Islamic thought is faith. Faith has six terms. They are; the belief of Allah, of His angels, of His books, of His messengers, of good and evil coming from God and of the resurrection after death. Faith consists of declaration with language and ratification with the heart. Only declaration with language is not enough for perfect faith. Ratification is alone not enough for perfect faith either.
► Islamic thought is divine. It has come from God with all features. Muslims get along with all the features and do not add anything on it and diminish anything from it.
► Islamic thought is not changeable according to the requirements of practical life and its life-changing events. That is core of the thought stays constant. This constancy does not cause the lack of any function of the intelligence and life. Opposed to some declaration, it leads to an active and energetic development. However, this development takes place in the framework within the limits of the divine thought.
► Nothing other than God does have any effect on the people and nature. Nothing shares the authority and domination of God.
► Thought of Islam is universal. It is the unique thought which can explain all irregularities observed in the universe. Thoughts of mankind could not establish a system explaining every event in nature.
► Thought of Islam is consistent. Man-made system of thought could not save themselves from the excessiveness and contradiction. Both philosophical thought and other religious thought systems could not save themselves from the same problem. Because they are deteriorated with the participation of the thought of human being.
► There is no pain and evil problem in Islamic thought. According to Islam, this worldlife is assigned to test and work. Account and reward land is hereafter.
► The Muslims are not appointed to investigate the unseen and fate. However they are obliged to believe the appreciation of God for the good and evil.
► Islamic thought is positive. The attributes of God do not contain any negativity. Quran is a place where the basis of positive thinking form of Islam is reflected.
► In Islam there is no negative functions and actions of people. Man is created to be elected as a caliph on the earth. The function of the human on earth is to carry out God’s order in a practical way. The aim of the people is to repair , to develop and to change the earth to reach a more productive level. The authority of the utilization of energy sources in the universe is given to the human beings.
► Islamic thought deals with real life issues that have positive functions in life. It deals also with the properties of human being such as sadness, unique characteristics personality and influence. It does not deal with hypothetical and utopian human.
The task of Muslims is to regulate their lives according to the basic principles of Islamic thought. They must learn their obligation in Islam and apply them completely. They must also learn the recommendation of Prophet (saw) and should be in the utmost effort to fulfill his advices. It must be remembered that to be happy in the world and hereafter is only possible by obeying the binding duties of Quran and Sunna of Prophet (saw) with a complete sincerity and utmost efforts on issues. God gives the success.
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Fundamentals of Islamic Thought |
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Publishing date : 04.11.2015 |
