Faith and the Dialogue of Civilizations - Part 1 of 8
By Professor Nazeer Ahmed
CA
In an ambitious reach, this brief paper takes a fresh look at a broad sweep of questions facing modern man:
- What is civilization?
- How are civilizations to be classified?
- What sustains a civilization and why do civilizations fall apart?
- What are the sources of conflict across civilizations?
- What are the possible areas of cooperation?
- How can an individual with multiple identities function in a cross civilization matrix?
- Is America a new civilization, different and distinct from all earlier civilizations?
These questions are addressed from an Islamic perspective. However, the issues raised and the alternatives explored should be of interest to all students of history and culture, especially to those engaged in a serious dialogue of civilizations. This series is based on a paper presented by Professor Ahmed at the invitation of a group of scholars at the Berkeley Theological Seminary, California. The full paper is published in www.historyofislam.com.
What is Civilization?
Where there is no faith, there is no civilization. This is the Universal Law of Civilization.
In the fascinating panorama of the struggle of man on earth, faith has played a pivotal role. Each of the major religions of man imbues its followers with a particular vision of the transcendent and the relationship of the human to the transcendent. That particular vision governs to a large extent the relationship of each faith with the world at large. As the globe shrinks under the incessant impact of technology, men and women of different faiths need to come together to understand one another and shape a common human destiny.
A civilization is a human system in faith space. Faith is a divine gift to humankind. It brings man in contact with heavenly energy that flows down from divine Grace. Were that energy to disappear for a moment all existence shall cease to be.
The reservoir of faith is infinite. It is inexhaustible as compared with the reservoir of human energy which is limited and exhaustible. A civilization based on faith endures. One that is not anchored in faith may last several generations but does not endure.
Faith is the dynamic principle of civilization. It is what makes ordinary people work together to achieve uncommon results. Each civilization has its own faith, and its own motive force. Men and women who are part of a civilization have faith in a shared vision and a common destiny.
A civilization is a living organism. Within this organism, life and death, renewal and decay are coexistent. When the forces of renewal are dominant, a civilization prospers. When the forces of decay take over, a civilization collapses.
Like a wave, a civilization is subject to opposing forces. Wave formation requires the gravity of the moon and a favorable combination of wind, temperature and pressure. Similarly, a civilization rises when certain universal attributes favor its formation. A wave dissolves into turbulence when the favorable conditions disappear. Similar is the case with civilization. When the favorable attributes disappear, a civilization goes into decay and is ultimately destroyed.
Like waves, civilizations collapse with a thunder. But the forces that cause them to collapse are not instantaneous. They build up over time until the civilization becomes unstable. The process is like that of an earthquake. The forces that cause an earthquake build up over years, perhaps centuries. And when they exceed the limits, the pent up energy is released with the suddenness of an earthquake flattening everything that stands in its way.
A dynasty is not a civilization. A civilization may contain within it several dynasties. Each dynasty is like a fresh wave overtaking the one before it. Observe a wave as it overtakes the one before it. The wave in the front disappears and gives way to the one behind it. In the same way, a dynasty gives way to another one. A particle in the ocean moves up and down as a wave traverses it. Similarly, a body politic endures a dynasty as it makes its appearance and disappears. As long as the ocean provides the energy, new waves are formed and the show goes on. Similarly, as long as faith propels a civilization, it renews itself even as it endures the vicissitudes of history.
Civilization is a monarch that rides on a chariot with four wheels: justice, perseverance, mutual support and righteous action. If any of these wheels becomes unhinged, the chariot topples over. Faith is the propulsive power for this chariot. When the reservoir of faith is exhausted, the chariot grinds to a halt.
A Classification of Civilizations
Faith provides a basis for the classification of civilizations. Broadly speaking, there are three systems of civilizations:
1. Civilizations based on faith.
2. Civilizations not based on faith.
3. Hybrid civilizations where the forces of faith and disbelief have not sorted themselves out.
The civilization systems that are based on faith are fundamentally different from the non-believing systems. A faith-based system draws its energy from belief in a transcendent code that defines the relationship of the individual with other individuals, with the society and with the cosmos. By contrast, a non-believing civilization puts the human mind in the driver’s seat. There are no absolutes in such a system. Human action is predicated upon the exigencies of circumstances. The rational faculty rather than a transcendent code makes the decisions.
A civilization based on faith has both a heart and a mind. A non-believing civilization has a sharp mind but does not have a heart.
The living civilizations based on belief include the Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Neo-Confucius-Chinese and Judaic. The modern global civilization is a non-believing civilization which appears in many avatars including the materialist, the dialectic, the humanist and the agnostic.
The question may be asked whether America is a civilization based on faith or a non-believing civilization. It is neither. It is unique. There has never been anything like it in human history. Some claim that the American civilization is Christian. Some others claim it is Judeo-Christian.
These statements are only partially correct. Founded by refugees, fleeing religious persecution in Northern Europe, it soon became the melting pot for the civilizations of the world. Certainly, the European stream dominates but it is also a fusion of multiple nations, races, cultures, religions and civilizations.
The basis for American civilization is a civil contract with the Constitution of the United States, whose preamble states that all men are created equal. This is a universal idea as Christian as it is Islamic and Hindu and Buddhist and humanist. Men and women from all over the world have come to these shores in search of a new world, lured by the promise of liberty, freedom from oppression and a better life. They participate in the American enterprise, contribute to it, prosper, and melt into it. America is not just Christian, it is also Jewish and Buddhist and Hindu and Muslim, humanist and secular. It is a human experiment, unlike any other experiment of the past. It is faith based and yet defies encapsulation in religion. It is secular, yet it remains deeply religious. We have therefore classified it as a separate civilization in its own right. (To be continued)
