The Master Key

The Master Key

1989 12 December 3 The Master Key (292) The Majesty that was Islam, a book by Montgomery Watt may be all praises for the greatness of Islam, but its title gives a misleading slant to the subject. It certainly evokes a Picture of Islam in all its glory, but, at the same time, it suggests that it was a thing of the past; that, in effect, it has come to a dead end. While arousing a feeling of pride in what Islam formerly was, it strikes a pessimistic note for the future.

In the fifth chapter, the writer says that “astronomy was a practical science for Arabs, because they had to know the direction of Mecca from every Islamic city, in order to face in this direction in their prayers.” (p. 228) This shows that the rites of worship in Islam are not irrelevant rituals with no practical value: they are directly linked to the other human sciences. For instance, just as prayer requires a knowledge of direction, fasting requires the use of the calendar, zakat requires that arithmetic be used in its calculation, and Hajj requires a knowledge of geography.

If Islam in its true form is alive among Muslims, then all other matters of human value will also be alive amongst them. The establishment of Islam is synonymous with the establishment not only of ethics but also of science and culture. This was certainly true of the first phase of Islamic history. But in present times, Islam in its true form is not a living thing for the majority of the Muslims. That is why ethics, science and culture have become closed books to them. The master key to these realms is Islam. In both religion and worldly matter it is only Islam which can bring true enlightenment.