On his official Facebook account on 19 December 2012, Amr Khaled wrote:
“From Dr Amr Khaled’s book A Call for Coexistence:
God created the earth… Have you forgotten the wisdom of creation?
Developing and reforming the earth. How can it flourish unless we differ from one another, exchanging cultures, ideas and benefits? Difference thus becomes the purpose of creation, so that the earth may flourish. If we were all alike, the earth would be very impoverished. Do you see the greatness of the verse: ‘And We made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another’?”
Comment:
- God created people different from one another although they share one origin, so that they may come to know one another. He said: “People, We created you from a male and a female and made you peoples and tribes so that you may know one another” (al-Hujurat 49:13). Through this acquaintance they exchange interests and benefits, support one another, inherit from one another and so forth. But difference does not necessarily lead to reforming the earth, still less to developing it. Sometimes difference causes improvement and sometimes destruction and corruption, because desires, appetites, intentions and aims differ, among other causes of disagreement.
- Our Lord states the true fruit of this difference at the end of the verse: “The most honoured of you before God is the most mindful of Him” (al-Hujurat 49:13). His wisdom required this difference so that the effects of His attributes and beautiful names might appear. He honours the God-fearing and recompenses the wrongdoer; the reformer is distinguished from the corrupter, and the believer from the unbeliever. All this returns to fulfilling servitude to God: whoever worships Him more is more honoured before Him.
- Developing and reforming the earth through the means God has enabled us to use are among His favours to us, to serve as a means and reminder to fulfil God’s right, repent to Him, realise monotheism, and show humility and reverence before Him. There is no power or strength except through God. Reflect on His words: “He brought you into being from the earth and settled you in it. Seek His forgiveness, then repent to Him. My Lord is near and responsive” (Hud 11:61).
In his commentary on this verse, Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Sa‘di, may God have mercy on him, says: “‘He brought you into being from the earth’: He created you in it. ‘And settled you in it’: He made you successors in it, blessed you with outward and inward blessings, and established you on earth, building, planting, farming and cultivating as you wish, enjoying its benefits and making use of its advantages. Just as He has no partner in any of this, do not associate partners with Him in worship.
“‘Seek His forgiveness’ for the unbelief, association of partners and disobedience you have committed, and desist from them. ‘Then repent to Him’: return to Him with sincere repentance and devotion. ‘My Lord is near and responsive’: He is near to whoever calls upon Him, whether with a supplication of request or of worship, responding by granting their request, accepting their worship and rewarding it with the finest reward.” [1]
- True reform of the earth, indeed of the whole world, comes only through obeying God, realising His oneness and following His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. It is not the pursuit of worldly adornments, which distorts the intended meaning of reform. Shaykh al-Islam, may God have mercy on him, said: “Whoever reflects on the world’s circumstances finds that every good condition on earth is caused by affirming God’s oneness, worshipping Him and obeying His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him. Every evil in the world, every trial, affliction, drought, subjection to an enemy and the like, is caused by opposing the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and calling to something other than God. Whoever reflects on this properly finds it to be so in their own particular circumstances and in those of others, generally and specifically. There is no power or strength except through God.” [1]
- The claim that the wisdom of creation is developing and reforming the earth is the doctrine of extreme philosophers such as al-Farabi, Ibn Sina and others. They claim that reforming society, establishing justice and striving to create the virtuous city are humanity’s task on earth, and that it was for this that worship was prescribed, messengers sent and scriptures revealed.
See:
The reality of the doctrine of monotheism according to al-Qaradawi
Succession on earth means developing the earth
People’s positions on the benefit and wisdom of worship
[1] Taysir al-Karim al-Rahman, p. 384.