In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imaam Sadi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said:

Indeed, it is impossible to rectify the souls and acquire virtue solely through the worldly sciences. Experience and clearly witnessed circumstances are the greatest proofs regarding this affair, because despite its advancement and vastness it has been unable to nurture and rectify the souls [i.e. upon excellent traits, manners, dealings, characteristics, sound creed etc] which are the determinants of [sound] rectification and success. What the Religion of Islaam propagates is that which is entrusted with this rectification; it is what will guide the thoughts towards the truthful and authentic sources of knowledge, guide the actions of the people towards good and prevent them from evil. Islam is The Rectifier of the Creeds and Manners- the thing that cultivates the thoughts [upon righteousness], urges towards virtuousness and prevents from depravity.

The essence of that which the religion calls to – regarding belief in the Unseen, which includes belief in Allaah and that which He possesses of Names, Attributes and Actions of perfection; belief in Angels, belief in recompense for one’s good and bad deeds in this life and the next, which cannot be known except through the Messengers, is what acquaints a person with the fact that rectification – in reality – is not possible through other than sound belief and the religion of Islaam.

Therefore, even if the worldly sciences rectify [some] affairs based upon that which [some] people know in detail, it will still not be equal [in perfection, excellence etc] to the knowledge of the Messengers [in the least]. It will neither reach that which is reached through the knowledge of the Messengers nor can it influence the souls in the manner in which the knowledge of the Messengers has done; for indeed the souls do not voluntarily submit except through belief in Allaah, belief in His Angels, belief in His Books, belief in His Messengers and belief in the hereafter. And without this, voluntary submission is impossible, as is well known regarding human nature.

The Imaam also said: Industrialization And Modern Inventions: Everyone has participated in it – the righteous, the wicked, the believer and the disbeliever. As for religion and [virtuous] manners, then indeed -in this era-, it has greatly declined. So, when this industrial advancement is devoid of sound religion and faith, it became a great harm from two angles:

Firstly: It beguiled many people, who – due of their ignorance – think that worldly advancement is proof to show that its people are more worthy of achieving every good than others. They are clearly misguided, for indeed a person might be from the most skillful in affairs related to the material world, whilst he is one of the most ignorant people in affairs related to the religion, virtuous manners and the [other] beneficial affairs in this life and the next.

Secondly: When these inventions are devoid of sound religion, its mercy and wisdom, it becomes a great disaster for humankind due to the wars that resulted from them, killing, destruction and other affairs related to it. Its regulators [or overseers] and scholars are unable to laydown – for humankind -a stable, just and good life, rather they have not ceased moving from one miserable state to another. This is inevitable and the continuous state of affairs shows that [to be the case]. Therefore all good is found in the sound religion and all evil is found in rejecting and willfully denying [Allaah, His Messengers, His Laws, Guidance, Commands, Prohibitions etc.

[An Excerpt from Al-Adillah Al-Qawaati Wal-Baraaheen Fee Ibtaalil Usoolil Mulhideen. pages 45-50]

To be continued…InShaaAllaah.