A Qur'anic Model for a Universal Economic Theory

A Qur’anic Model for a Universal Economic Theory 11
The Islamic Approach to Man's Duality
That, in Islam, man is a dual being made from body and soul has already been
quoted earlier in Qur'anic verses. Here we are essentially interested in the nature of the
human self, its relationship to the body, and its dual attributes that generate one
outcome in the MPC rather than the other. For this purpose we start by summarizing the
theories of two outstanding Islamic scholars; namely. Ibn AI-Qayyim Aljawziah and
Abu Hamid AI-Ghazali and then proceed to give a synthesis of their arguments in the
light of the insights revealed to us by the framework of the MPC.
Ibn AI-Qayyim in (Al-Ruh) casts the following compounded question before
giving the answer which he considers the only one consistent with the Holy Qur'an and
the Prophet's tradition. The question is this: What is the essence of the human self? Is it
part of the body? Is it one of its incidents? Is it a body that lives inside the human body?
Is the wrong-doing self, the blaming self, and the tranquil self one and the same self but
with different emphasis of attributes, or are they three different selves?
With respect to the essence of the self and its relation to the physical body, Ibn Al
Qayyim believes that the self is a being that is different in essence from the physical
body. It is a celestial, light being, live and mobile and penetrates the human body as
water penetrates a rose or fire penetrates coal. As long as the organs of the body remain
suitable for receiving the effects that flow to them from the self, the latter will remain in
contact with these physical organs and give the body its living characteristics. The
moment the physical body is damaged beyond repair the self parts company with it and
joins the metaphysical world of spirits.
As for the relationship between the self and the soul, Ibn AI-Qayyim argues that
the term "self" in the Holy Qur'an is used sometimes to denote the whole human being,
and sometimes to refer to the soul alone. However, the term "soul" is never used in the
Holy Qur'an to refer to the human body. He concludes that the difference between the
self and the soul is a matter of difference in attributes not in essence; perhaps the self is
nothing but the soul after it enters the human body.
As to the distinction between the wrong-doing self, the blaming self, and the
tranquil self, Ibn AI-Qayyim again believes that it is the same self but with different
aspects, each of which is dominated by a certain type of attributes. Thus, the self is
called tranquil because it finds tranquility in its complete submission to God, in its love
for Him, in its dependence on Him and in its sense of no need for any other than Him.
Such tranquility can only be achieved if the self understands and accepts the holy names
and attributes of God and their consequences. This degree of tranquility requires and
enables the self to acquire certain attributes and values consistent with it, e.g.,
repentance, sincerity, truthfulness, modesty, humility, forgiveness, patience, etc.
The blaming self refers to that state where the believer in God blames himself
whenever it does or yearns for wrong doing. Such a self oscillates between right-andwrong
doing. The wrong-doing self for lbn AI-Qayyim is a despised self because it
always longs for wrong-doing, the latter being a fundamental aspect of the human self.
If human beings are left to themselves without receiving help from God, none would
survive the assault of his whims. Thus God says in the Holy Qur'an " ... And were it not
for the grace and mercy of God on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: But
God doth purify whom He pleases..." (24:2 1).