Islam & Humanism

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In an age of science and nationalist politics, is religion still relevant any more? Does religion still have anything to say to us, or is it rather time to move on and find something better? Does Islam itself still have a relevant role to play in the ongoing development of human society?

Although he does not try to offer any final answer to such questions, they are the issues touched upon by Dr. K. Sohail in his recent book. It is part autobiography, part philosophical exploration and part spiritual journey - with all three blending together to offer an unusual perspective in an unusual format.

Sohail was raised in a devout Muslim home and lived a rather orthodox Islamic life when he was younger. He accepted this vision of Islam without any real question, because that is simply what everyone did. Things began to change, however, in a way which should be familiar to many: he began to seriously study science at school. In these studies he started to experience a different world with different attitudes, resulting in an internal conflict of values and ideals which would eventually lead to the abandonment of his literalist, orthodox religious views.

But his journey certainly did not stop there - the union of politics and religion pushed him even further away from his family's beliefs. He lived in Pakistan at the time and was there to see how the government under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was used by fundamentalists to turn Pakistan into a repressive Islamic state. No longer was traditional religion simply mistaken in some things, it was now revealed to be dangerous as well. It was at this time that Sohail left Pakistan to live in the West.

A central theme of his book is this development of the idea of a "mystical" philosophy of life. He never clearly explains what he really means by the term, but it does not seem to incorporate any of the supernatural aspects which are usually associated with it. Instead, the "spiritual" nature of mystics which Sohail praises seems to be based upon psychological, emotional and intellectual development. The goal, based upon what he writes, is to transcend the mundane and material aspects of life in favor of a deeper appreciation for the mysteries of life and existence.

The third group of mystics from the Secular tradition do not believe in a Theistic or Monistic God, but they still look forward to a special relationship with themselves or nature that is spiritual. They believe that Life has a spiritual dimension but that spiritual dimension has no relationship with God or any organized or institutional Religion.

Sohail explores many of the same issues which can be found in other books on secularism and humanism. However, those are typically written from a more philosophical and academic perspective - Sohail's book is more literary and poetic in nature. It is because of this that it reads like a "spiritual journey" which you might normally find among religious books, and for people who are used to reading philosophical texts, this might be frustrating at times.

In addition, he does get a few things wrong - like for example repeating the old myth that there are "no atheists in foxholes" (or, in this case, that there are no atheists in "turbulent airplanes"). But I don't think that it was written with philosophy students in mind - rather, it was I think written for religious people who are beginning to question the assumptions which they have been taught by family and society. This book will likely speak to them in a language they can understand. People who are already secularists and nonbelievers can also get something out of it, finding in the the reading of this book as a balance against the academic texts which they normally read.