ILHÂD – الحاد

 

Literally: An excavating a burial niche at the bottom of a grave. A deviating from the right way.

A deviating from religion. Irregiliousness. Apostasy.

 

اولاشماز دست أدب غرب هوسبار هواكار دهادار

دأب أدب أبد مدت قرآن ضيابار شفاكار هدادار

The Fanciful, Lust-Exciting Genius-Style Hand of Western Literature Cannot Reach Up To the Healing, Light-Scattering, Hidâyah-Laden, Eternal Literature of the Qur'an Which Is Pure Adab1

A state that pleases the mature and perfected one’s elevated appreciation, does not gratify the childish desire, and the one who has dissolute nature,

It does not entertain them. Due to this hikmah, those raised amid base, dissolute, carnal and lusty pleasures will not identify with the pleasure of rûh.

Looking with the 'novel-based' view of modern literature, which issued from Europe, they will neither see nor experience the elevated subtleties, the majestic virtues, of the Qur'an.

Their touchstone cannot assay those virtues. There are three areas in which literature promenades; it roams within their bounds, cannot go out:

Either love and beauty, or heroism and valour, or depiction of reality. In uncultivated literature (adab), it does not seek the truth in heroism;

It rather instils a feeling of worship of power by applauding dhâlim humankind's cruelties. In regards to beauty and love, it does not know true love;

It injects into the nafs a lust-exciting thrill. In the question of depicting reality, it does not look on the universe as Ilahî art;

It does not see it with its hue of Ar-Rahmân. It rather approaches it from the point of view of 'Nature,' and depicts it thus; and it cannot be freed from this.

For this reason, what it inculcates is the love of 'Nature.' It instils in the heart a feeling of worship of material, from which it cannot easily be saved.

Again, that literature (adab) without adab, both sedative and narcotic, can provide no beneficial salve for the pains of the rûh which arises from the dhalâlah resulting from the above.

It has found a single remedy, and that is its novels. Books with their dead living, the cinema with its animated corpses. The dead cannot bestow life!

And the theatre with its reincarnations and ghosts from the vast grave known as the past. - It is completely unashamed at these three sorts of its novels.

It has put a mendacious tongue in the mouth of humankind, attached a fâsiq eye to its face, dressed the world in a scarlet petticoat, and does not recognize sheer beauty.

If it points to the sun, it puts in the reader's mind a beautiful blonde actress. It apparently says: "Dissipation is bad, it is not fitting for man."

It points out its harmful consequences. But its depictions so incite dissipation that they make the mouth water and the mind (aql) cannot remain in control.

They whet the appetite, excite desire, so the emotions no longer heed anything. The literature (adab) of the Qur'an, however, does not stir up desire;

It imparts a feeling of worship of the haqq, an ‘ashq for sheer beauty, an appreciation and taste for beauty, a desire to worship haqiqah. And it does not deceive.

It does not look at the universe from the point of view of nature; it speaks of it from the point of view of Ilahî art, with the colouring of Ar-Rahmân. It does not confuse the mind.

It instils the nûr of ma’rifat of As-Sâni’. It points out His âyahs in all things. Both produce a touching sorrow, but they do not resemble each other.

The literature (adab) born of Europe excites a pathetic sorrow arising from the lack of friends, from being ownerless; not an elevated sorrow.

For it is a woebegone sadness inspired by deaf nature and blind force. It shows al-‘âlam as desolate, not in any other way.

It depicts it in this way, holds the sorrowing man there, places him ownerless among savages, leaving him without hope.

Due to this feeling of thrill he has given himself, he gradually sinks into ilhad; it opens up the way to atheism, from whence it is difficult to return. Perhaps he never will return.

Qur'anic literature (adab) produces a sorrow, but it is the sorrow of ‘ashq, not of orphans. It arises from separation from friends, not from the lack of them.

Its view of the universe, in place of blind nature, is as conscious, Ilahî art with rahmah; it does not speak of nature.

Instead of blind force, it describes Ilahî qoudrah with ‘inayah and hikmah. The universe, therefore, does not take on the form of a desolate wasteland.

Indeed in the view of the grieving one it addresses, it becomes a gathering of friends. On every side mutual love and response, which cause no distress.

The friendliness at every corner draws the melancholy person into society, giving him a yearning sorrow, an elevated feeling; not a dejected mournfulness.

Both also give rise to eagerness. Through the eagerness provoked by literature (adab) which is uncultivated, the nafs becomes excited, the desires are stimulated; it gives no relief to the rûh.

The Qur'an's eagerness, however, excites the rûh, gives rise to a lofty eagerness. It is for this mystery that the Sharî'ah of Ahmad (asm) wants no trifling amusements or diversion.

It has forbidden some tools of amusement as haram, and permitted some others as halal. That is to say, tools producing Qur'anic sorrow or eagerness in revelation are not harmful.

But if it produces the woebegone grief of the orphan or carnal thrills, the tools are haram. It changes from person to person, not everyone is the same.” The Words ( 770 )