Islam and West: Averting War and Fostering Peace

By Leslie Terebessy

Acquiring knowledge of revelation requires understanding the relationship between reason and revelation. The relationship between revelation and reason is understood differently in different parts of the world. Education and culture play a role. As a result, revelation is understood and accessed differently in different parts of the world. Regrettably, knowledge was corrupted in different ways in both the West and in the East. They became alienated from revelation, each in its way. In the East, access to the knowledge of revelation was hampered by the repression of reason. The repression of reason permitted folklore to taint knowledge. It enabled the proliferation of problematic rulings. In the West, access to revelation was restricted by rationalism, which teaches that rationality is enough to reach knowledge. At the root of the corruption of the knowledge of revelation is the perception that reason and revelation are "adversaries" rather than allies. This perception played a key part in the repression of reason in the East and the marginalization of religion in the West. What would it take to redress this? What would it take to establish the right relationship between revelation and reason? Reducing the tension between reason and revelation requires rethinking the relationship between reason and revelation. This requires rehabilitation of knowledge both in the East, and the West. Thinkers endeavour to grasp the riddles of existence, to know reality and experience spirituality. For existence extends beyond physical reality. But who brought a wide-ranging explanation of reality and existence? We find an exposition in revelation, which refers to this life and the afterlife. Regrettably, the written records of sacred scriptures were tampered with. The result was a misunderstanding of revelation. The relationship between reason and revelation was affected. But Allah sent prophets to restore the balance. Revelations confirm the prior revelations and correct a range of misconceptions that emerged regarding them. The West takes pride in the supposed rationality of its civilization. But is it really as rational as they would like us to believe? Or is there a touch of irrationality lurking beneath the surface? Muslim ulama are not far from the mark when they fault philosophers for weaning humanity from religion. Lessing betrayed the secret of the philosopher when he stated that they love the search for truth more than the truth. We witnessed wars and suffering in the past on an unprecedented scale. Are these wars the acts of rational persons? Are they the acts of God-fearing persons? A deficit of rationality in the West is reflected in the treatment of spirituality. Why do educated persons underappreciate revelation? It has to do with the excesses of the past, the burning of the witches, the Inquisition and the internecine clashes between different sects. These aberrations were in part the result of a misunderstanding of the relationship between reason and revelation and the requirement to reach and retain a proper relationship between the two. Reason is required to understand revelation. Reason is also required for the utilization of the teaching of revelation. Unfortunately, the relationship between reason and revelation was upset and requires attention. How do we restore the agreement between rationality and spirituality? In finance, we restore the balance by raising income. In psychology, we restore the balance by raising awareness. How do we redress the experience of alienation, separation from God? In what ways do Islam and West resolve the alleged "tension" between reason and revelation? They both missed the mark, albeit in different ways. The West places excessive emphasis on reason but Muslims place too much emphasis on tradition, misrepresented as revelation. To achieve a balance, the West has to become more spiritual while traditional Muslims should be rational.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B09GZPLCX2
• ISBN13: 9798483639510
• Release Date: September 2021
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"