The Role of Qur’an in the Transformation of Human Society

Abstract

Abstract

There is no denying the fact that at one time in human history Muslims were the leaders in human values. They were the torchbearers of knowledge when other civilizations lived in darkness. They developed the physical aspect of human civilization by establishing libraries, hospitals and centres of higher learning. Today, however, Muslims are in a state of moral and intellectual decline. This paper argues that the primary cause behind the advancement of the early Islamic society and the subsequent decline of later Muslims are primarily due to the way the Qur’an has been dealt with. While the early Muslims read the Qur’an, understood it and acted upon its injunctions; today the majority of the Muslims read the Qur’an ritually, gaining no insight or knowledge from it. The paper addresses two questions: Why the Qur’an quickly transformed and improved the early Islamic community and not the present one? Why Muslims have lost their supremacy in knowledge and morality?

Keywords: Qur’an, transformation, enlightenment, barbarism, primitivism, civilization.

Abstrak

Tiada dinafikan bahawa pada satu masa dalam sejarah manusia dahulu, umat Islam merupakan pemimpin dalam nilai kemanusian. Mereka adalah pembawa obor pengetahuan ketika negara-negara lain masih di dalam kegelapan. Mereka membangunkan aspek fizikal tamadun manusia dengan mewujudkan perpustakaan, hospital dan pusat-pusat pengajian. Hari ini, bagaimanapun, umat Islam berada dalam keadaan kemerosotan moral dan intelektual. Kajian ini menerangkan bahawa punca utama kemajuan masyarakat Islam awal dan kemerosotan umat islam berikutnya adalah disebabkan bagaimana cara Al-Quran digunapakai. Walaupun umat Islam awal membaca, memahami Al-Quran dan mengambil tindakan injunksi berhubung dengan itu, tetapi hari ini ramai orang Islam membaca Al-Quran secara ritual, namun tidak mendapat apa-apa daripadanya. Kajian ini mempersoalkan dua pekara: Mengapa Al-Quran dapat mengubah masyarakat Islam yang awal dan bukan yang sekarang? Mengapa umat Islam kehilangan kekuasaan mereka dalam pengetahuan dan moral?

Kata Kunci: Al-Quran, transformasi, kesedaran, tidak bertamadun, primitivisme, tamadun.