SPIRIT OF ISLAM JULY 2O18

27 Spirit of Islam Issue 67 July 2018 Although man is running the affairs of the world just as angels are running the affairs of other parts of the universe, it is only in a limited sense that the world is in man’s control. It was man’s task to convert the potential into the actual. The whole of human history is a reflection of this journey; this journeying from potential to actual. The most appropriate word for this journey is ‘civilization’. Man’s entire history, from Adam till the Day of Judgment, is but another name for this civilizational journey. The Creator has made the earth as the abode of civilization. It was man’s task to develop this ‘potential civilization’ into ‘actual civilization’. Khalifa is the name of the creature who would play this role—irrespective of whether he is religious or secular. The word ‘civilization’ is generally employed to refer to material progress. A conventional understanding of the term ‘civilization’ is that it refers to a stage of high social, cultural and scientific progress. But this is a limited understanding of the term. To fully understand what ‘civilization’ means, one must see it in the context of God’s creation plan. The builders of civilization do not create anything on their own. Rather, they progress along the journey of civilization using the natural resources that the Creator has created. The human builders of civilization are, as it were, workers of the Creator. They are giving practical shape to God’s creation plan. In reality, this journey of civilization is a journey of divine civilization. It is taking man to that stage where he can have a high experience of praise for God and gratitude to Him, where he can reach the higher stages of God-realization. But because this work is happening while keeping human freedom intact, people have not been able to understand its significance. To properly understand this journey of civilization, it is necessary to set apart the evils produced as a result of human freedom and then see how God is managing human history. To meaningfully understand human history, it is most important to keep apart the human element and look at the working of the divine element in history. A Survey God has bestowed man with freedom. Man has been granted this freedom so that he can discover things himself and cultivate a self- developed personality.