1.1.08

Evolving Mind

My Friend Arabic ID asked me, whether I did change my mind before about any ideology. Knowing I did several times, I promised to reply a post about it, then crowds of life took me to forget the matter. It was today when he reminded me about it. Therefore, I apologize to him for my delay, and here we go.

Logic and Faith Battle:
I will start with theology and faith, for being on top of my research areas. I was born as a Muslim, and I was 9 years old when I started to read somewhat about Islam. Starting with the heritage books pertaining to 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries. I kept reading, until the age of 16, when my mind could not understand, what appeared to me by this time as discrepancies. Feeling confused, and seeking more knowledge about divinity, I started to read all what I can get about theology and faith. Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism , Sikhism and Hinduism were all within the list. Also to a lesser degree Confucianism and Shinto. Then, being surprised by the degree of commonalities and even rituals among many religions, I was dragged backward to research the roots in old Celtic and Egyptian paganism.
Through the road, I kept reading in Islam as well. However, in a more diversified fashion from heritage books to orientalists' writings, like Philip Hitti and others. From extremists like Abu-Ala Mawdody to atheists like Abulla Qasimy. From Shiites to Sunnites to other minorities like Abhadis, Dorzy and Ismailis. It was around the age of 19 when I became bias not to believe at all. The level of discrepancies and human interactions that links the divine faiths to paganism were too much for my young mind to tolerate. On other hand, the attractions of science and logic world on the were very potent. This was the non-believing era in my life. Surprisingly, the science and logic did not give me a complete explanation by itself to the life maze.

Keeping on my readings, by time, I started to discriminate what is divine and what is human in religions, to admit the fact that religions and divinity are very true and can go with logic and science harmoniously, and complementary, only when you skeleton it from all the human elements in it. I was around 26 when I cam to this coast. Yet, with a very cloudy image. That is much more clear and distinctive now. Today, I can say, with logic, science and faith, altogether, I could answer many questions, that I had never been able to comprehend with any of these elements alone.

Life Mates:
Then, about woman and marriage. I used to believe when I was younger, in the complementary theory. That man and woman should not be identical, they should complement each other so life goes in the best way. Later on, I understood that a degree of complementing each other is important. However, the common floor must be much wider. Also, I started with an attitude rejecting polygamy, then I accepted it with conditions. Finally, I came to a belief in non-conditioned one, except knowledge and acceptance of all parties, i.e. Knowledge and acceptance of the man, his first wife, and the wife to come, all in advance surely. I still do not see it the best way for the man himself, but I believe many men will have a different perception. Each according to his case.

Political Group:
Politically, I started in Wafd party when I was 18 years old. Mainly attracted with the word "Liberalism". It was then, when I realized the liberals in Wafd treated the antiquity Pasha "Fouad Serag El-Dien" by that time, only as an idol. This is why I did not stick in it except for less than a year. Later on, when I learned how to read history, and how to extract historical truth from widely believed fictions, I became bias to Nasser as a role model, not an idol, and to scientific socialism as a road map. In my way to this, I passed by mingling with Muslim Brothers group, Egyptian nationalists, as well as Pan-Arabists.

Finally, I believe much in Imam Abu Hanifa words when he said "My opinion is the possibly-wrong truth, others' opinions are the possibly right falseness" and whenever I see a man who is very sure of anything, I feel pity for his ignorance. Whenever someone think he knows it all, he is whether a God or an insane. Being monotheistic, when I see such a man, I feel pity for his insanity. I am in this life to know, God created us to understand this life, tame it, lead it and succeed in it. He trusted the quality of his new creation when He answered angels' protest saying "And when the Lord said unto the angels: I am about to place a viceroy on earth, they said: will you place therein one who will do harm and shed blood, while we, we hymn praise and sanctify You? He said: Surely I know which you know not." Cow:30 . For this I believe, who leads a good life, helps others leading a good one, and supports the development of this planet with his works, words, deeds and wisdom, to be the one carrying out his divine mission. Whoever will perceive the responsibility of being God's vicegerent in land, will know he should be seeking truth, and nothing but truth. As a divine vicegerent cannot sleep on falsehood. It is our divine mission to know.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passada lá no meu site, que é sobre o CresceNet, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . Um abraço.

طارق هلال said...

Dear Dr. Eyad
I was surprised by the fast you responded to my request..

Actually this is what I wanted to know , as you know there is no learning or gaining without suffering and struggling and gaining information from the roots, but who can do so, not everyone I think -I mean for sure-

I hope that Allah keeps his gift of understanding and searching the truth upon you.

Dr. Eyad Harfoush said...

Dear CresceNet,
Wish I can understand your statement. I tried online translators but it didn't work.

Dr. Eyad Harfoush said...

Dear Arabic ID,

I felt already too late as your kind question was quite lone ago. Striving for truth is a long path. I do not think a man can at anypoint in his life reach an absolute truth about anything. Life is complex and man's life is too short to get it all. Greetings and regards

Dr. Eyad Harfoush said...

Dear Arabic ID,

I felt already too late as your kind question was quite lone ago. Striving for truth is a long path. I do not think a man can at anypoint in his life reach an absolute truth about anything. Life is complex and man's life is too short to get it all. Greetings and regards

The Alien said...

Dear dr. Eyad,

there is no absolute truth, this gives me the motivation to keep learning and thinking. i know that the others always have something that i can learn so i keep reading and listining.

Dr. Eyad Harfoush said...

Dear Alien,
I agree surely, it is our divine mission to know. Welcome back, I missed your comments.