Leaving The Cocoon Of “Yesterday” And Reaching The Essence

I like the following lines by Sufi Mawlana Jelaluddin, which emphasize a significant fact:

That statement relates to the understanding of “Muslimism”, not to the “Deen-i ISLAM.” As I have already emphasized clearly, the “Deen-i ISLAM” is the universal SYSTEM and ORDER beyond-time at the sight of ALLAH. According to the level of understanding of their communities, all of the prophets have explained that universal SYSTEM and ORDER which is beyond-time. It was hence presumed that various religions for various nations were born in the name of each prophet...

The time-free universal SYSTEM and ORDER, also known as “SunnatAllah,” never alters nor is renewed. Currently it is the same as it was before the existence of the world and will yet be the same even after Doomsday (qiyamat)... We are familiar with it also as the “rules of nature” as far as we are able to perceive it...

Only the explanations and interpretations may be updated. Understanding the “Muslimism” and the way of viewing the Deen may be updated; never the SYSTEM itself. As time progresses and people's awareness improves as well as science, knowledge, insight along with advancements in technology develops, the assessments (appreciation) of the “Deen-i ISLAM” changes accordingly. Thereupon, many things that were greeted by denial yesterday (in the past) due to lack of comprehensive reasoning, are realized to be of great importance and unavoidable obligations proposed as a conclusion of the SYSTEM and ORDER. So, it becomes a renewal in people's understanding of the “Deen-i ISLAM,” that is in their “Muslimism,” not the “DEEN” itself...

Likewise, the lines by Mawlana Jelaluddin above relate to a renewal in the assessment (appreciation) of the “Deen” under the enlightenment of update, and a recognition of the importance of many matters that were not appreciated in the past. Unless such a renewal is reformed, our understanding will remain fixated in the “cocoons of people's conditions of ages ago.” Despite all advancements in all other areas, we will then have imprisoned ourselves into unawareness regarding the matters of understanding and assessing the Deen. One will never be able to attain the core until one gets freed from the cocoon of “yesterday!..”

Furthermore, we have a notification by RasulAllah that indicates the necessity of progress to be aimed at for the proper understanding of the Deen... He noted the following:

“ALLAH sends a Mujaddid (Master Spirit of the Age) at the beginning of every century and renews the understanding of the Deen!”

Clearly that notification points at the need for an updated consideration of the “Deen” in the current periods in order to satisfy the present conditions.

There cannot be any REFORM in the DEEN because it is ALLAH Who FORMED the “Deen.” However, we may consider a renewal in the way of “understanding” the Deen and in its “assessments.”

We are unable to guess on a possible arrival of a “Mujaddid” (Master Spirit of the Age) at the beginning of 14th century of Hegria, within Islamic nations ranging from Indonesia, Malaysia to Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, or whether one has already come or will be coming!.. Or, if there has been a Mujaddid in every community (jamaat)! It is a matter of gifted people. As I have already passed the age of fifty, my end seems rather close. Therefore, speaking on my own account, it is my foremost concern that... according to the explanations of the RasulAllah, I am going to be laid in a grave on my own and there I will reply to the angels all by myself... I am going to be questioned only about my Lord (Rabb), my Prophet (Nabi) and my Book only in grave, without any question concerning my sect (madhab), my cult (tariqat), my sheikh, my Mentor or my Hodjaefendi or anything else I relate to... It is my personal opinion that first of all I must comprehend the concept “ALLAH” seriously as explained in the Koran and experience its effect, so that I may declare “My Rabb is ALLAH.” I must comprehend what is the meaning of being RasulAllah... what kind of a task Hazrat Mohammed performed... what he wished to communicate to me, so that I may declare “My Nabi is RasulAllah Mohammed Mustafa” and confirm him. I must also be able to READ the KitabAllah in order to declare that my book is the “KitabAllah” or I must determine that the Koran al Karim is a book revealed at the sight of ALLAH and confirm it, so that I may declare “My Book is Koran al Karim!”

No doubt, a rational person will not take a risk with an unforgivable attitude by disregarding such an essential matter for his eternal life beyond death through holding onto the things he will never see again after he abandoned them back in this physical world. Associating some superstitions and irrational stories opposite to reasoning and logic, with the “Deen-i ISLAM” and turning away from it hence, is never a reasonable behavior for an intellectual person. Thirty-three years of my profound researches and practices have proved me that every principle that the RasulAllah proposed us has reasoning, wisdom and a scientific explanation behind it as far as we know. All these could be figured out. However, neither we nor the “Deen-i ISLAM” can be charged with the interpretations of others made in totally different periods and under different circumstances...