Islamic Alternate to Death of God Theology

Projection Theories and World Religions

In light of three previous posts, and when we examine the known faith traditions of the world, we see that anthropomorphism or projection of human traits to God is embedded in the scriptures of many faith traditions with varying degrees. Theologians of most of these traditions vainly try to eliminate anthropomorphism from their scriptures by arbitrary, artificial, and fanciful interpretations, but very often, scriptural text refuses such arbitrary treatment. As it is impossible to discuss all the religious traditions within the limited scope of this post, we confine our observations to the three developed Semitic religions that claim their divine origins in the Abrahamic faith: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Judaism

In the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament, God is depicted with human-like characteristics, both mental and physical, consistent with the idea of creating man in his image. He is portrayed with a range of human emotions and actions such as eating, drinking, and experiencing joy, sorrow, and anger. He changes his mind, plans evil, is admonished by Moses and repents of evil, and frequently engages in human-like activities. This portrayal often mirrors the tribal aspirations, ideologies, and ambitions of the Jewish people. God's finite nature in these texts seems to reflect the limitations of his human authors.

Christianity

In the New Testament, the concept of God takes a distinctly human form in Jesus. This incarnation of God as the Son experiences human life, including eating, drinking, sleeping, and suffering. Jesus' experiences of pain, joy, anxiety, and his eventual crucifixion highlight a portrayal of God as suffering and dying, yet resurrected.

Despite efforts by some Jewish scholars and early Christian leaders to move away from these anthropomorphic views, the portrayal of a physically human-like God remains, especially pronounced in both traditions though more pronounced in Christianity than Judaism. The Judeo-Christian traditions’ concept of God may lend itself to the evolutionary theories propounded by Western scholars because its authors are mostly humans. It reflects their needs, aspirations, ideals, and practices. 

Islam

On the other hand, most Muslims try to avoid anthropomorphisms or presenting God in human categories and attributes (with some exceptions like Hashawiyyah and other Mushabbihah though not exactly as crude as in Judaism and Christianity). The Islamic concept of God does not lend itself to an evolutionary and progressive scheme. Islam insists that the first human (Adam) was a monotheist and Allah SWT always sent prophets and messengers whenever the original monotheism was compromised or degraded into polytheism. The Quranic cyclical prophetic history from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them) supports the above claims.

The Quranic Integrity

In contrast to the Jewish and Christian Bibles, which were authored by multiple individuals from diverse backgrounds in various settings, the Quran stands apart as a sacred text (revelation) received by a single individual, Prophet Muhammad (SAW), throughout his lifetime. It was recited, memorized, and transcribed under his meticulous supervision during his lifetime. From its inception, the Quran was acutely aware of its divine origin (revelation), eternal message, and moral foundations. It carried a clear mission to reform aspects of Judeo-Christian faith traditions and address perceived excesses in matters of belief and practice. Millions of people still memorize it, read it, practice its teachings, and speak its original language, Arabic, which helps to preserve, clarify, illustrate, and interpret the words and meanings of the Quran. Islam presents a model of top-down revelation rather than a bottom-up projection of human psychological, sociological, cultural, and economic needs.

Universal, Rational, and Safe-Guarded

The Quran introduces monotheism as a concept that is entirely self-sufficient, balanced, universal, original, and not a result of gradual development or restricted to a particular region. In Islam, there is no room for polytheism, henotheism, or monolatry. The depiction of God in the Quran is marked by a distinct otherworldliness, transcendence, and harmonious internal and external consistency. This representation of God contrasts with Western concepts of a deity capable of evolution or human-like characteristics. In Islam, God shapes humans in His moral image but is never shaped by human limitations or categories.

Tripartite Classification of God's Oneness

The Quran presents a unique and profound portrayal of God as an entity of absolute singularity and unparalleled nature, deserving of human admiration, reverence, respect, and fear. This portrayal is encapsulated in the concept of al-Tawhid, which is characterized by its tripartite classification of God's Oneness in terms of Lordship, Worship, and Names and Attributes. This concept effectively protects the divine from being distorted or misused by human interventions. In Islam, God is depicted as supremely exalted and transcendent, making any attempt to reduce Him to human-like characteristics, behaviors, or emotions appear inconsistent and trivial. This representation of God as ethically and transcendently monotheistic in the Quran is distinctly different from the more human-like representations of God found in Jewish and Christian traditions.

Transcendence and Immanence

The portrayal of God in the Quran as simultaneously sublime, majestic, awe-inspiring, and sovereign, yet accessible through His knowledge, wisdom, guidance, love, compassion, and mercy, strikes a unique balance. This blend of transcendence and immanence inspires deep awe and elicits positive responses from believers through love, submission, and worship. In the Quran, God is depicted as the Supreme Creator, endowing humanity with a moral essence that transcends human imagination, manipulation, appropriation, and creativity. The image of a supremely grand, sublime, and majestic sustainer of human existence and essence is challenging to manipulate or distort.

Muslim God Talk

In the Quranic discourse, references to God avoided anthropomorphic and corporeal terms such as "Father," "Son," "Mother," "Crucified," and "Suffering God." Instead, it presented a deity who was majestic, sublime, unique, moral, and awe-inspiring—simultaneously the creator of humanity and the world while transcending them in absolute terms and categories.

Absolute Church and State

Furthermore, unlike the historical narrative of the Christian Church that frequently asserted divine authority and experienced a history characterized by inquisitions, rigid dogmatism, alliances with worldly powers, religious terror, manipulations, and erroneous understandings of humanity, society, and the universe, the Quran adopted a different approach. It opposed the creation of a dominant clerical hierarchy, stood against irrational, supernatural religious dogmatism, inquisitions, persecution, and terror, and advocated for religious rationalism, naturalism, liberty, rights, and diversity. Islam challenged the concept of the divine right of kings, removing distinctions between royalty, nobility, and commoners regarding legal matters and piety. It did away with Christian practices like celibacy and the institution of monks and nuns, promoting and encouraging marriage as a natural means to safeguard individuals from intense hedonistic impulses and aggressive sexuality. Islamic natural law presented a contrast to Christian supernatural, arbitrary, and paradoxical doctrinal laws and the belief in miraculous interventions on a cosmic scale.

Muslim Hypocrisy

Throughout history, there have been instances where Muslims have deviated from the core tenets of Islamic practice, attempting to shape their understanding of God to fit their own limited, narrow, and flawed perspectives. However, the text of the Quran and the authentic and historical model set by the Prophet resist such distortions, consistently exposing the hypocrisy within the Muslim community and the disparity between Islamic ideals and actual practices among Muslims. This contrast is more pronounced when compared to Christian scriptures and practices, which face challenges due to their human compilation, the evolution of their canonical history, the absence of original texts, and the fading of original languages like Aramaic and Greek.

The translation of the original Christian Bible into secondary and tertiary languages has led to interpretations and alterations that infuse the text with human ideas, leading Western scholars to perceive religion, God, and doctrines as human inventions. An objective examination of Islamic religious history, doctrinal evolution, and cultural practices, free from Eurocentric biases, reveals that religion transcends human psychological, sociological, cultural, and economic motivations. It addresses profound questions about human origins, purpose, meaning, and destiny, reflecting the grandeur of the divine source behind it. Western reductionism in understanding religion might stem from its diminished role in the Christian West and does not necessarily capture the religious dynamics in the Muslim world, where God, the Prophet, the Quran, and Islam continue to be as influential, if not more, as they were a century ago.

Reductionism

Muslim critics argue that evolutionary theories of religion tend to reduce complex religious phenomena to simplistic biological, sociological, anthropological or psychological explanations. They claim that such reductionism oversimplifies the rich and diverse nature of religious experiences, beliefs, rituals, and spiritual practices. Critics from the Muslim community argue that Western theories on the evolution of religion are challenging to validate empirically and do not meet the criteria for falsifiability. This indicates that these theories are more individual conjectures rather than broadly agreed-upon concepts within Western academia. Such theories remain speculative, as their verification through empirical evidence is difficult, thus questioning their scientific rigor.

Beyond Human Psychology

In addition to that, Islam emerged during the 7th-century geopolitical conflict between the Byzantine Christian and Persian Zoroastrian empires, within a rich religious and cultural context. Islam forged a unique synthesis by incorporating certain compatible thought patterns while discarding those that conflicted with its fundamental values. These historical circumstances underscore the idea that religion is not solely a psychological and sociological phenomenon or a form of escapism for the masses; rather, it can be a catalyst for political and cultural upheaval, ushering in new eras and epochs. Evolutionary theories often overlook these revolutionary aspects and the resilience exhibited by religious traditions. That is why critics point out that while evolutionary theories can provide insights into why certain cognitive tendencies might make humans predisposed to religion, they do not explain the specific content of religious beliefs or the variations in religious traditions. Projection theories often overlook the cultural and historical contexts in which religions emerge and evolve. Religions are deeply embedded in specific cultural and historical contexts, and projection theories may not adequately account for the role of culture, tradition, and social factors in shaping religious beliefs and practices. They also underestimate the social functions of religion, such as providing moral guidance, fostering community cohesion, and addressing existential questions. Religion serves purposes beyond individual psychology, and these functions are not adequately addressed by projection theories.

Mere Utilitarian Dimensions

Muslim critics especially argue that evolutionary theories often neglect the spiritual or metaphysical aspects of religion. Religion is not merely a social institution but also involves beliefs, experiences, and practices related to the sacred or transcendent. Sociological and psychological theories often downplay or overlook these dimensions and focus too much on the utilitarian aspects of religion. People's choices, beliefs, and spiritual journeys are not always solely determined by social or psychological factors. These theories may describe how religion functions in a given society or the life of a person but may struggle to explain why specific religious beliefs and practices emerge in the first place. Religions often contain a wide range of beliefs, practices, and interpretations, and sociological and psychological approaches may not adequately address this internal diversity, sophistication, and complexity.

Comprehensive Eschatology

Islamic beliefs include a comprehensive eschatological framework, with teachings about the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and hell (Hellfire). These concepts are central to Islamic theology and differ from evolutionary explanations that focus on the adaptive utilitarian functions of religious beliefs.

Science and Religion

Unlike early Christian leaders and theologians, early Muslims actively embraced Greco-Roman philosophy, sciences, and knowledge. They undertook the translation of Greek works into Arabic, refining, purifying, and expanding upon them while incorporating insights from Indian, Persian, Chinese, and Egyptian sciences. This synthesis of knowledge not only preserved ancient wisdom but also ignited a rapid intellectual advancement that influenced the known world for nearly a millennium.

While the Christian West experienced periods of darkness called the “Dark Age”, scientific stagnation, and religious persecution, the Muslim East and Muslim Spain fostered an environment that encouraged scientific inquiry, religious diversity, and freedoms. Consequently, the Western understanding of God, scripture, religious institutions, doctrines and interpretations of man, society and nature diverged significantly from the Muslim perspective. The early history of Islam is characterized by a wealth of intellectual discourse, rational philosophy, and scientific inquiry. In contrast to the historical persecution of figures like Galileo or Copernicus due to unscientific biblical interpretations, such incidents are not observed in Muslim history. It's important to note that the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity, not primarily as a scientific textbook, even though many scientific assertions within the Quranic text align with established scientific knowledge.

Eurocentrism and Exceptionalism

Unfortunately, due to their Eurocentric perspectives, the Western scholars unjustly imposed their local Western, Christian, and European experiences and realities onto Islam and other faith traditions. They selectively focused on minority Muslim views that depicted God in mildly anthropomorphic terms, such as references to God’s eyes, hands, and other mildly human-like attributes, which were often intended metaphorically. This approach erroneously conflated Islam with extreme theories and analyses that had dominated and secularized the Western world. A more equitable approach would have involved studying the Muslim religion and world within their own context, acknowledging their unique realities, challenges, and prospects. Undoubtedly the Muslim believer experiences fears, insecurities, and anxieties, and is apprehensive about formidable natural events like earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes, among other catastrophic forces of nature. However, these are not the only reasons for their belief in God Almighty. There are myriad other factors contributing to this belief. The orderly and varied design of the universe, the vast array of different contingent creatures, the phenomena of life and death, and numerous other aspects of life all guide him towards a belief in an infinite, eternal, sovereign God, to whom humans ultimately return. These aspects of existence are beyond mere imagination and are not figments of human thought. Similarly, the transcendent nature of God exists beyond simple human imagination, beyond childish wishes, and beyond mere psychological constructs. Western scholars, akin to the proverbial blind man who perceives only a part of an elephant, such as its leg or trunk, and mistakes it for the entirety, often approach the Quran with a similar limited perspective. The Quran resists such narrow interpretations or generalizations.

Unique Paradigm

The Qur’anic god paradigm is neither corporeal nor anthropomorphic. The few seemingly anthropomorphic expressions of the Qur’an readily render themselves to metaphorical interpretations, without the invention of facts or metaphors not existent in the text itself. Such non-anthropomorphic explanations can be derived either from the context (or from within the Qur’anic text) or through metaphors commonly used in the Arabic language. This fact has been established by a great many Muslim scholars and theologians over the centuries. Additionally, these seemingly anthropomorphic phrases such as eyes and hand of God, if kept within Qur’anic parameters, help create a needed modality in the communication process between God and man. The Qur’anic paradigm can create this modality without recourse to graphic anthropomorphism or corporealism. Consequently, Islam has been known for its strong anti-anthropomorphic stance, and except for the absolute literalists, mainstream Islamic thought has always shunned and rebuked corporeal and anthropomorphic depictions of God. This delicate balance is maintained by the well-preserved text of the Qur’an itself.

Islam vs. Secularization

This is perhaps the reason why the Islamic faith has not been secularized or shaken to the extent that certain other traditions have been over the past centuries. Ernest Gellner, a British Sociologist, observes that: “At the end of the Middle Ages, the Old World contained four major civilizations. Of these, three are now, in one measure or another, secularized. Christian doctrine is bowdlerized by its own theologians, and deep, literal conviction is not conspicuous by its presence. In the Sinic World, a secular faith has become formally established and its religious predecessors disavowed. In the Indian World, a state and the elite are neutral vis-a-vis what is a pervasive folk religion, even if practices such as astrology continue to be widespread. But in one of the four civilizations, the Islamic, the situation is altogether different.”

He further argues that “there is one very real, dramatic and conspicuous exception to all this: Islam. To say that secularization prevails in Islam is not contentious. It is simply false. Islam is as strong now as it was a century ago. In some ways, it is probably much stronger.” He attributes this stability and resisting power to its “emphatic and severe monotheism, the view that the Message received by the Prophet is so to speak terminal, and that it contains both faith and morals – or, in other words, it is both doctrine and law, and that no genuine further augmentation is to be countenanced.” Therefore, it can easily be contended that the Qur’anic God paradigm has the potential to stand the ground against modern atheistic challenges and avert the dangers that have shaken other civilizations to the very core of their essence.

If Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were to visit a mosque

The traditions of Judaism and Christianity have evolved significantly over time, resulting in considerable changes in their language, scriptures, doctrines, and forms of worship. This evolution is so profound that, hypothetically, if Moses were to visit a contemporary Jewish synagogue, he might not recognize the language, doctrine, or worship service. Similarly, if Jesus were to observe a modern Christian church, he might not readily identify it as part of his original faith tradition, given the substantial transformations and secular influences in Christianity. In contrast, Islam has largely retained its foundational aspects, including language, scripture, worship practices, doctrine, architecture, and attire, with only minor variations. Therefore, it's conceivable that if the Prophet Muhammad were to visit any mosque, from Australia to Timbuktu, he would likely recognize it as part of his religious tradition. Islam, in this way, has often not conformed to Western categorizations and theories.

Conclusion

To summarize, the concept of God in the Muslim world and mindset remains neither obsolete nor weakened. It is actively alive, pertinent, and impactful. The intrinsic rational vigor of this belief is so compelling and dynamic that it stirs deep emotions of tears and awe among believers at the mere mention of God, His scripture, His Prophet, or His promises of rewards and punishments. The contemporary world, which often leans towards atheism, agnosticism, and skepticism could greatly benefit from embracing such a potent, spiritual, moral, just, compassionate, and logical understanding of God.