When we take other living beings living on this planet with us as an example, what do you think the result will be? Is correct knowledge accepted as an action that turns into practice in the lives of other living beings?

Do they also have lives built on the basis of ingratitude, legitimising the wrong, irresponsibility, or are they unable to put what they know right into practice?

The knowledge of finding its mother among five hundred sheep is given to a lamb the moment it is born. The knowledge that the liquid (milk) in its mother’s udders hanging down between her hind legs is the vital food it needs is also given to it at birth. But this is not the case for a human being.

A newborn human being is born incapable of protecting himself from danger. Until he grows up, he lives in constant need. If a mother trying to breastfeed her baby falls asleep, the baby is not even able to breathe on its own to survive. In general, it does not have the power to survive by its own efforts and to find the vital food it needs. For this, it needs to be cared for by someone until it determines and applies the right knowledge.

Other living beings, on the other hand, acquire the means of obtaining what is given as sustenance and the methods to protect themselves from the dangers they will encounter with their birth. They do not need anything like clothes, but they are born with the most suitable outer skin they will need to survive and reproduce. Faith attributes this formation to the fact that they are not subjected to a test, whereas unbelief attributes it to the mechanism of natural selection.

Natural selection is known as the mechanism by which individual organisms with characteristics more favourable to adaptation to the external environment have a better chance of survival and reproduction than other individuals who do not possess these characteristics. Today, in Muslim societies, this mechanism is explained under the name of science as if it were proven. In order not to stray too far from the subject, I would like to briefly mention what is presented to us under the name of “science”. Since it would require a long explanation to deal in detail with the mechanism of reproduction and survival of living organisms, I will be content with describing the theories of natural science and the thought it serves in different branches of science. Their formation, ideas and results…

Mikolaj Copernicus,[25] a Polish priest and astronomical scholar,[25] published a book in 1540 called “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium”[26] describing his heliocentric[27] theory in detail. The subjects explained in this book were that the earth was a round and moving body, the discussion of the ecliptic[28] system, the apparent motion of the sun, the examination of the planets and the moon. Copernicus, who was a priest as well as an astronomer and a doctor, did a great service to science by explaining his theory to the world. However, this caused a great reaction from the Christian clergy. According to the Christian belief at that time; “The sun was standing still and the world was like a flat tray. Jesus Christ had given an order to the Sun to stand still. Those who thought otherwise would go to hell.” Copernicus, on the other hand, demonstrated with evidence that these ideas were very wrong. His theory was as follows: “The centre of the universe is the sun, the earth is a planet revolving around the sun. It is round and in motion. Other planets also revolve around this sun.”

In a short time, this idea spread rapidly throughout Europe. The false belief of the Christians was attributed to the religion itself, not to the clergymen who lied in the name of religion. Based on this logic, all religions were recognised as the product of reason. Thus, the Christian religion, which was widely accepted in Europe, gradually lost its interest. Europeans, who lost faith in the churches, believed in these tales, which rapidly spread to societies living far from religion. This false belief resulted in a general break with religions. Religion was now regarded as opium and was seen as nothing more than discourses invented by the rulers of societies with the intention of numbing the people. As a result of these distances, a belief called “Naturalism” began to spread in the 19th century. Naturalism[29] is the general name of systems that accept nature as the only source of knowledge in reality and explain the human mind with natural concepts. In these systems, nature

(creative) power is not recognised in any way. Materialism[30] and Positivism[31] later became extensions of this system.

Sigmund Freud[32], Karl Marx[33] and Charles Darwin[34] are the proponents of this idea in their respective fields. Based on this perspective, Freud developed psychoanalytic theory, Marx developed communism, and Darwin developed the theory of natural selection. Darwin, who claimed the theory of natural selection, although he was a theologian[35], denied the Creator’s disposition[36] since he considered the life and reproduction of living things as a coincidence. Darwin’s natural selection is based on the assumption that there is a constant struggle for life in nature and that those who survive in this struggle will always be “strong and suitable for natural conditions”. With these investigations on natural science, he came to the conclusion that human beings first descended from the same lineage as apes and became what they are as a result of a number of biological stages.

Freud’s thesis, on the other hand, is based on a theory of psychology that completely denies the existence of the soul and tries to explain the entire psychological world of man with sexual and similar worldly impulses. As a result of his researches on the “unconscious” in the field of psychoanalysis, he proposed that human behaviour is mostly due to a number of animal impulses and instincts inherent in human nature.

Marx, on the other hand, based the honour of humanity and societies on material things. As a result of his studies, Marx based his ideology on the claim that ‘humanity is a product of the material infrastructure of the society in which it exists’.

A mentality that bases the origin of man on the ape, his ideology on materialism and his soul structure on animal instincts in order not to accept honourable creation… We will deal with all of these ideas in the following chapters without mentioning their names. Since they are presented as theses put forward in the name of humanity’s finding value, gaining personality and fair governance, we have preferred the ‘Other Living Things and Correct Knowledge’ section rather than dealing with these theses in another section.

Although human beings are created as helpless, defenceless and in need of protection, their lack of awareness about life and their will to commit every evil act increases the importance of correct knowledge to a vital dimension. Lack of knowledge about the existence of a mechanism that commands evil within itself, not knowing for what purpose and in what way to live, will make life miserable for other living beings under its command and for itself. The fact that apocalyptic scenarios are constantly on the agenda for reasons such as global warming, terrorism, hunger, depletion of the ozone layer, extinction of living generations, etc. is due to the fact that people do not know how to access or use the right information. This ignorance has led people throughout history to form groups and struggle with other groups in order to gain power. The real purposes of these groups in establishing authority[37] will be explained in detail in the next section.

While it is so important for people to determine the right information or the method of access to that information, there is no doubt that determining what should be a means as an end exhibits the dimensions of ignorance. When what is to be determined as an aim is not determined together with the right knowledge, it will automatically become a means. While our aim should be a chain of actions aimed at gaining Allah’s pleasure, if we determine that we will die as the basis of our aim, our correct knowledge will be to lead a life based on continuous consumption. However, death should not be a goal for us, but a means towards the goal. The lack of correct knowledge leads people to be in such a state of heedlessness. Living a life like “Since we are going to die, we should consume everything until we die” is compatible with the belief of a person who is convinced of a one-world life. Because a life without a belief in the hereafter is the belief of orders other than Islam.

When we look at the universe, our planet called ‘earth’, which resembles a grain of sand on the shore, has eighteen thousand species of living beings when we consider only the genera and an average of four hundred thousand species when we consider the species. Among these living creatures, we, as human beings, are living our lives in a multitude of around six billion five hundred million. While living together with eighteen thousand species of living things on this planet, which looks like a dot in a photo frame taken from space, the fact that only humans live irresponsibly and far from passing on what they know to their lives can be explained by what other than the lack of correct information and transportation methods.

In order to exist in the social order, what distinguishes all these living beings from us is that we need clothing and sustenance. Could it be that the fact that there are no other living creatures other than us who are concerned about clothing or future (sustenance) is the main reason why we cannot stand behind what we know?

Are these the reasons why we disregard what we know and the values we claim to believe in in favour of our momentary interests due to concerns about the future, career and comfortable life?

Yes, although we live together with eighteen thousand species of living beings, no other creature other than us was created to be prone to such worries. Their lives are not based on the concern for sustenance (future) and the desire for a comfortable life. We have been created with this nature in order to feel the necessity of living in a way that Allah (swt) is pleased with. In this state of incompleteness and insignificance[38], we must realise that the only robe[39] tailored to our own creation is that which is realised by following Allah’s commands and avoiding His prohibitions. These facts are clear proofs that we have been brought here to be tested and that we do not belong to this world. The purpose of the world of trials is to gain Allah’s favour by worshipping and obeying Him, sometimes through hardship and suffering and sometimes through abundant wealth and prosperity.

Allah (swt) says:

Do people think that they can say, “We have believed” and not be tested? [40]

In order that our desires such as the fear of sustenance and a comfortable life do not turn into goals and worries, we are assured by the verse that we should be sure of them.

Allah (swt) says:

There is no creature on the earth whose sustenance does not belong to Allah. He knows its place of judgement and its place of transience. It is all written in a clear Book. [41]

Of course, these verses affect those who are sincere in their faith and whose submission is complete. As such, the ranks are becoming clearer at the point of faith and the test has begun in this field…

The correct knowledge, which is given to other living beings with creation and directly settled in practical life, is the basic part of the test in human beings, but it comes to life as the knowledge that will enable the formation of acceptance and rejection, gained with the free will. Allah (swt) knows the most accurate.

While other living creatures, although exempted from this test, exhibit wisdom to those who have wisdom with their lives, we are giving our test by being weighed on the scales of faith in the way that Allah (swt) has ordained. Everything on earth has been offered to the service of man, and in return, what is required of him is to maintain every moment of life with the consciousness of servitude, without being heedless. The purpose of the creation of these creatures is wisdom for the eyes that look at them with an example and utilisation when the need is felt.

Allah (swt) says the following in His verse:

There is a sure sign for you in animals. We give you to drink from their bellies a pure milk from between the faeces and the blood, which slips down the throats of those who drink it.”[42]

Your Lord revealed to the honey bee: “Make dwellings of the mountains, and of the trees, and of the arbours which men build… Then eat of every kind of fruit, and bow down and follow the paths of your Lord.” Out of its ventricles comes forth a drink of various colours, in which there is healing for mankind. In this is a sure sign for a people who reflect.”[43]

And He created the animals; in them there is warmth and benefit for you, and from them you eat.[44]

He has created horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and as an ornament. And He creates what else you do not know…[45]

[25] Astronomical scholar (b.1473-1543)

[26] On the rotation of celestial spheres

[27] Sun-centred

[28] The plane assumed to pass through the Earth’s orbit

[29] Naturalism and naturalism

[30] The philosophical theory that nothing exists except the movements and changes of matter

[31] An understanding of science based solely on the facts of the physical or material world

[32] Austrian neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (b.1856-1939)

[33] Philosopher, political economist (b.1818-1883)

[34] English naturalist (b.1809-1882)

[35] Religious scholar

[36] The power to possess something and to use it as one wishes

[37] The legitimate power of a person or group over other groups

[38] Despised, worthless, despised

[39] A long, ornamented and unlined garment made of cloth, worn on top, hilat

[40] Surah Ankebut, Verse 2

[41] Surah Hud, Verse 6

[42] Surah Nahl, Verse 66

[43] Surah Nahl, Verses 68-69

[44] Surah Nahl, Verse 5

[45] Surah Nahl, Verse 8