Lecture 3: The Origin & Nature of Human Being: Islamic & Western Perspectives PDF

LECTURE 3 THE ORIGIN & NATURE OF HUMAN BEING: ISLAMIC & WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVES  OVERVIEW OF LECTURE 3 ◦PART 1 ◦THE ORIGIN & NATURE OF HUMAN BEING: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ◦ SPIRIT (RUH) ◦ FACULTIES OF THOUGHT -INTELLECT (‘AQL), AFFECTION (QALB) ◦ SOUL (AL-NAFS) ◦ BIOLOGY ◦ EMOTION...

LECTURE 3 THE ORIGIN & NATURE OF HUMAN BEING: ISLAMIC & WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVES  OVERVIEW OF LECTURE 3 ◦PART 1 ◦THE ORIGIN & NATURE OF HUMAN BEING: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE ◦ SPIRIT (RUH) ◦ FACULTIES OF THOUGHT -INTELLECT (‘AQL), AFFECTION (QALB) ◦ SOUL (AL-NAFS) ◦ BIOLOGY ◦ EMOTIONS OVERVIEW OF LECTURE 3 ◦PART 2 ◦THE ORIGIN & NATURE OF HUMAN BEING: WESTERN PSYCHOLOGY PERSPECTIVE ◦ DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION ◦ FREUDIAN ICEBERG METAPHOR ◦ THE CONCEPT OF ORIGINAL SIN  PART 1 THE ORIGIN & NATURE OF HUMAN BEING: ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE CREATION OF MAN: THE SPIRIT ◦Human is a dignified creature of Allah due to its spirit (ruh) ‫َفِإذا َس َّويُتُه َوَنَفخُت فيِه ِمن‬ ‫روحي َفَقعوا َلُه ساِج ديَن‬ Meaning: “So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of my spirit, then fall down in prostration before him.” (Al-Hijr 15: 29) (Sad 38:72) CREATION OF MAN: THE THINKING ABILITY The Intellect (‘aql) ◦Then human is equipped with the intellect (‘aql) to be capable in organizing and managing resources on earth in compliance to divine injunctions. ◦This faculty of intellect/reason distinguishes him from other creatures  ‫◦َوِإذ قاَل َر ُّبَك ِللَمالِئَكِة ِإّني جاِع ٌل ِفي اَألرِض َخ ليَفًةۖ قالوا‬ ‫ُك‬ ‫ُل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َتجَع فيها َمن ُيفِس ُد فيها َوَيسِف الِّدماَء َوَنحُن ُنَس ِّبُح‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َلَك ۖ قاَل ي َأ‬ ‫َن‬ ‫مو‬ ‫ع‬‫َت‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ما‬ ‫ُم‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ِإّن‬ ‫ِبَح مِدَك َوُنَقِّدُس‬ ◦When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity? ’He said, ‘Indeed I know what you do not know.’  ‫◦َوَعَّلَم آَدَم اَألسماَء ُكَّلها ُثَّم َعَر َضُهم َعَلى الَمالِئَكِة َفقاَل‬ ‫ُك‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫نِبئوني ِب سماِء ٰهُؤالِء ِإن نُتم صاِدقيَن‬ ◦And He taught Adam the Names, all of them;1then presented them2 to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful.’ ‫لي‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ن‬‫◦قالوا بحا َك ال ِع ل َلنا اّل ما َعَّلم ناۖ َك َأ‬ ‫َت َع ُم‬ ‫َت ِإَّن‬ ‫ِإ‬ ‫َم‬ ‫ُس َن‬ ‫الَح كيُم‬ ◦They said, ‘Immaculate are You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed You are the All-knowing, the All-wise.’  ‫َأ‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫◦قاَل يا آَدُم َأنِبئُهم ِب سماِئِهمۖ َف ّما نَب ُهم ِب سماِئِهم قاَل م‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َأل‬ ‫َغ‬ ‫َل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫ُك‬‫َل‬ ‫ُق‬‫َأ‬ ‫ل م ِإّني ع ُم يَب الَّس ماواِت َوا رِض َو ع ُم ما ُتبدوَن‬ ‫َوما ُكنُتم َتكُتموَن‬ ◦He said, ‘O Adam, inform them1 of their names, ’and when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I indeed know the Unseen in the heavens and the earth, and that I know whatever you disclose and whatever you were concealing?’ )Al-Baqarah 2: 30-33( The Faculty of Affection (Qalb) ◦The heart or the faculty of affection (qalb) is the means through which human understands the divine objectives of his existence. It regulates other aspects – the emotions, desires, dreams and wishes. ‫◦َوَلَقد َذَر أنا ِلَج َهَّنَم َكثيًر ا ِمَن الِج ِّن َواِإلنِس ۖ َلُهم ُقلوٌب ال‬ ‫عو‬ ‫س‬ ‫ال‬ ‫آذا‬ ‫م‬ ‫َل‬ ‫ها‬ ‫رو‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ع‬ ‫فَقهو ها َل م َأ‬ ‫ٌن َي َم َن‬ ‫ُيٌن ُي ِص َن ِب َو ُه‬ ‫َن ِب َو ُه‬ ‫َي‬ ‫َك‬ ‫ٰل‬ ‫ُأ‬ ‫ُّل‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َأل‬ ‫َك‬ ‫َك‬ ‫ٰل‬ ‫ُأ‬ ‫ا نعاِم َبل ُهم َض ۚ و ِئ ُهُم الغاِفلوَن‬ ‫ِبهاۚ و ِئ‬ ◦Certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and humans: they have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, they have ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle; rather they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless. )Al-A’raf, 7: 179(◦ ‫◦َأَفَلم َيسيروا ِفي اَألرِض َفَتكوَن َلُهم ُقلوٌب َيعِقلوَن ِبها َأو آذاٌن َيسَمعوَن ِبهاۖ َفِإَّنها‬ ‫دو‬ ‫ال‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ِف‬ ‫تي‬‫َّل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ُب‬ ‫الُقلو‬ ‫ى‬ ‫ع‬‫َت‬ ‫ن‬‫ِك‬‫ٰل‬ ‫ال َتع ى اَأل‬ ‫بصا‬ ‫ُّص ِر‬ ‫َم‬ ‫ُر َو‬ ‫َم‬ ◦Have they not travelled over the land so that they may have hearts by which they may apply reason, or ears by which they may hear? Indeed it is not the eyes that turn blind, but the hearts turn blind —those that are in the breasts! )Al-Hajj, 22: 46(◦ ◦The verses above indicates that besides ‘aql, qalb also ‘thinks’. ◦Human intellect (‘aql) can only understand the material and concrete aspects but affection (qalb) understands the message beyond the concrete world ◦In most cases, human external actions stem from qalb THE SOUL (AL-NAFS) Soul (Al-Nafs) ◦Potential to be upgraded or downgraded ◦By the soul and Him who fashioned it and inspired it with[discernment between] its virtues and vices:one who purifies it is felicitous, and one who betrays it fails. (Al-Shams, 91: 7-10) CREATION OF MAN: BIOLOGICAL ASPECT ‫‪Adam is from soil‬‬ ‫◦ال فضَل لعربٍّي على عجمٍّي ‪ ،‬وال لعجمٍّي على عربٍّي ‪ ،‬وال ألبيَض‬ ‫على أسوَد ‪ ،‬وال ألسوَد على أبيَض ‪ : -‬إاَّل بالَّتقَوى ‪ ،‬الَّناُس من آدُم ‪،‬‬ ‫وآدُم من تراٍب‬ ‫◦ الراوي ‪ | - :‬المحدث ‪ :‬األلباني | المصدر ‪ :‬شرح الطحاوية‬ ‫◦ الصفحة أو الرقم‪ | 361 :‬خالصة حكم المحدث ‪ :‬صحيح‬ ‫‪◦There is no privilege of the Arab over rest, not the non-‬‬ ‫‪Arab over Arab, not the white over the black, not the‬‬ ‫‪black over white, except taqwa. Mankind are from Adam‬‬ ‫‪and Adam is from soil‬‬ Man is from clay ‫طي‬ ‫ن‬ ‫نسا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ل‬ ‫َخ‬ ‫َأ‬ ۖ ‫َق‬‫َل‬ ‫َخ‬ ‫يٍء‬ ‫َش‬ ‫ُك‬ ‫َّل‬ ‫ح‬‫َأ‬ ‫ذي‬‫َّل‬ ‫◦ا‬ ‫ٍن‬ ‫ِم‬ ‫ِن‬ ‫ِإل‬ ‫َق‬ ‫َبَد‬‫َو‬ ‫ُه‬ ‫َن‬ ‫َس‬ ‫ُثَّم َجَعَل َنسَلُه ِمن ُس الَلٍة ِمن ماٍء َمهين‬ ◦who perfected everything that He created, and commenced man’s creation from clay. Then He made his progeny from an extract of a base fluid. (Al-Sajdah: 8-9) ‫‪Stages of human creation in mother’s womb‬‬ ‫◦ َوَلَقد َخ َلقَنا اِإلنساَن ِمن ُس الَلٍة ِمن طيٍن ُثَّم َجَعلناُه ُنطَفًة‬ ‫في َقراٍر َمكيٍن ُثَّم َخ َلقَنا الُّنطَفَة َعَلَقًة َفَخ َلقَنا الَعَلَقَة ُمضَغًة‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َفَخ َلقَنا الُمضَغَة ِع ظاًما َفَكَس وَنا الِعظاَم َلحًما ُثَّم ن أناُه‬ ‫َش‬ ‫َأ‬ ‫َّل‬ ‫َن‬ ‫قي‬ ‫ِل‬‫الخا‬ ‫ُن‬ ‫َس‬ ‫ح‬ ‫َخ لًقا آَخ َر ۚ َفَتباَر َك ال ُه‬ ‫◦‬ ◦Certainly We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him a drop of [seminal] fluid [lodged] in a secure abode. Then We created the drop of fluid as a clinging mass. Then We created the clinging mass as a fleshy tissue. Then We created the fleshy tissue as bones. Then We clothed the bones with flesh. Then We produced him as [yet] another creature. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators! )Al-Mu’minun 23: 12-14(◦ Gradual stages of biological creation Arabic term English translation 1 ‫طين‬ Clay 2 ‫نطفة‬ Sperm 3 ‫علقة‬ Blood clot 4 ‫مضغة‬ Lump (Chewed-like substance) 5 ‫عظام‬ Bones 6 ‫لحم‬ Flesh 7 ‫خلقا اخر‬ A new creation EMOTIONAL ASPECT Potential ◦To be responsive to revelation positively ‫◦ِإَّنَما الُمؤِمنوَن اَّلذيَن ِإذا ُذِكَر الَّلُه َوِج َلت ُقلوُبُهم َوِإذا ُتِلَيت َعَليِهم‬ ‫آياُتُه زاَدتُهم إيماًنا َوَعلٰى َر ِّبِهم َيَتَوَّكلوَن‬ ◦The faithful are only those whose hearts tremble [with awe] when Allah is mentioned, and when His signs are recited to them, they1 increase their faith, and who put their trust in their Lord (Al-Anfal, 8:2)  ۩ ‫◦ِإذا ُتتلٰى َعَليِهم آياُت الَّر حٰمِن َخ ّر وا ُس َّجًدا َوُبِكًّيا‬ ◦When the signs of the All-beneficent were recited to them, they would fall down weeping in prostration. )Maryam, 19: 58(◦ Unstable ‫◦ِإَّن اِإلنساَن ُخ ِلَق َهلوًعا ِإذا َمَّس ُه الَّش ُّر َج زوًعا َ و ِإذا َمَّس ُه‬ ‫الَخ يُر َمنوًعا‬ ◦Indeed man has been created covetous: anxious when an ill befalls him and grudging when good comes his way )Al-Ma’arij 70: 19-21( How instability can be overcome ‫َصالِتِهم داِئموَن َواَّلذيَن في‬ ‫ٰى‬ ‫ل‬‫َع‬ ‫م‬ ‫ُه‬ ‫َن‬ ‫ذي‬‫َّل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫َن‬‫ي‬‫ّل‬ ‫َص‬ ‫ُم‬ ‫ال‬ ‫اَّل‬ ‫◦َأِإ‬ ‫و‬‫َي‬‫ِب‬ ‫َن‬ ‫قو‬‫ِّد‬ ‫َص‬‫ُي‬ ‫َن‬ ‫ذي‬ ‫َوالَمحرو َواَّل‬ ‫مواِلِهم َح ٌّق َمعلوٌم ِللّس اِئِل‬ ‫ِم‬ ‫ِم‬ ‫َر ِّبِهم ُمشِفقوَن‬ ‫الّديِن َواَّلذيَن ُهم ِمن َعذاِب‬ ◦ —[all are such] except the prayerful, those who are persevering in their prayers, and in whose wealth there is a known right for the beggar and the deprived, and who affirm the Day of Retribution, and those who are apprehensive of the punishment of their Lord )Al-Ma’arij 70: 22-27(◦ Overcoming instability of emotion Based on the verses previously, instability of emotion can be overcome by: 1. Being consistent in prayers. 2. Giving out to the needy 3. Have faith in the afterlife 4. Fear the punishment of God Al-Hadid, 57: 20 ◦ Maksudnya: Ketahuilah bahawa (yang dikatakan) kehidupan dunia itu tidak lain hanyalah (bawaan hidup yang berupa semata-mata) permainan dan hiburan (yang melalaikan) serta perhiasan (yang mengurang), juga (bawaan hidup yang bertujuan) bermegah-megah di antara kamu (dengan kelebihan, kekuatan, dan bangsa keturunan) serta berlumba-lumba membanyakkan harta benda dan anak pinak; (semuanya itu terhad waktunya) samalah seperti hujan yang (menumbuhkan tanaman yang menghijau subur) menjadikan penanamnya suka dan tertarik hati kepada kesuburannya, kemudian tanaman itu bergerak segar (ke suatu masa yang tertentu), selepas itu engkau melihatnya berupa kuning; akhirnya ia menjadi hancur bersepai; dan (hendaklah diketahui lagi, bahawa) di akhirat ada azab yang berat (di sediakan bagi golongan yang hanya mengutamakan kehidupan dunia itu), dan (ada pula) keampunan besar serta keredaan dari Allah (disediakan bagi orang-orang yang mengutamakan akhirat). Dan (ingatlah, bahawa) kehidupan dunia ini tidak lain hanyalah kesenangan bagi orang-orang yang terpedaya. ◦ Surah al-Hadid (20)