Motives for Materialism

By Murtadha Motahari

Discusses the main reasons for abandoning religion and settling with materislism

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781365833779

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Motives for Materialism

Motives for Materialism

Translated from Persian to Arabic by Mohammad Ali Al-Taskhiri

Translation from Arabic to English and Commentary by Almaani Initiative for Translation

Distribution and copying material from this book is permitted as long as its contents are not changed and properly cited.

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Contents

Introduction

Materialism

Historical Origin of the Idea

Materialism in the Islamic eras

Man’s Instinct: Is it Monotheistic or Materialistic?

Materialism in Recent Centuries

Shortcomings of ecclesiastical concepts

Human depiction of God

In summary

God from Auguste Comte’s point of view

Divine Duty

The Three Historical Phases According to Auguste Comte

Ecclesiastical violence

The first aspect

The second aspect

Shortcomings of philosophical concepts

The Problem of the First Cause

The secret behind the need for a cause:

Monotheism and Evolution

The Eternal Will and Eternal Desire

Eternity of Matter

God and Freedom

Immaturity of Social and Political Concepts

Opinions by Non-specialists

Worship or Life

The Unsuitable Moral and Social Environment

Heroism and Resistance

Epilogue

The Author in a Nutshell

Introduction

This treatise is the outcome of two lectures that I delivered at the auditorium of the Higher Institute in 1968 and 1969 upon an invitation by the students’ Islamic Society of the Higher Institute in Tehran. Both lectures were entitled (Motives towards materialistic trend).

My close friends showed their interest to publish these two lectures. Thus, they transcribed them from the recorder and forwarded the drafts to me in order to modify some sentences. At the outset, I was convinced for such a linguistic correction or modifications. Then I determined to include some clarifications and details and to add some topics. This resulted in the booklet growing to a book with threefold the size of the original treatise.

The topic of my study represents one aspect of the history of human doctrines and thoughts. As it is known, analyzing historical events is somehow difficult because they are related to complicated factors particularly if the study is concerned with the human doctrinal developments.

I do not claim here that my research in this treatise is well-established and solid, as the saying goes, but I hope that it had opened a way towards achieving the purpose. I gave a lot of details in some sections and gave a summary in some others. Nevertheless, all chapters have potential for elaboration.

As to which extent this treatise would be successful? and if successful, are its demands to be given in details? All that is related to the level of service it provides, the position it may get and the support it may gain in the rage of its desired goal.

Mortadha Al-Motahari

Mashhad – 6 Jumada Al-Thani, 1391 A.H

Materialism

Since we are looking for the motives of the material trend[1] it would be natural if we identify the topic of our study (i.e. materialism) in terms of the really circulated terminological indication. Then, we will identify the borders of materialism and later we will start our research.

The word Materialism has many usages that cannot be all the topic of this study. For example, materialism meaning the originality of matter may refer to the belief in its external objective reality as opposed to viewing it as virtual, mental and accidental issue by Idealism which denies that matter has external reality and views it as one of the mind’s innovations.

According to this term, theologians – be they Muslims or non-Muslims – are considered materialists. This is because all of them believe that matter has objective reality outlined by time and space and that it is an evolving, integrated, perceptible, visible, non-mental truth with specific effects. Having this materialistic view does not contradict the belief in Allah and monotheism, rather; since nature is a working unit and a created and consistent unit, it is the best way to know Allah. Allah’s wisdom is revealed through observing the accurate materialistic evolutions. The Holy Quran itself considers these materialistic incidents as astonishing evidence leading to knowing Allah. The word materialism may be used to mean the denial of non-material existence and to restrict existence to the material world. It argues that any existence in the universe would not be there unless it is governed by the rules of matter and falling within the framework of time, space and human sense. Anything other than that is but a mere illusion.

What we are looking for in this book is to know the motives behind this trend. The book also tries to find how the factors that created this trend were created and thus leading to the denial of metaphysics and any non-material existence and consequently deny the existence of God and then to consider anything beyond matter as a mere nonentity.

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[1] The author means the philosophical trend which spread in Iran during the fifties and sixties

Historical Origin of the Idea

This idea is not a new one. It is incorrect to consider it as one of the byproducts of modern scientific evolution and that it was found during the past two centuries, for example, as the rest of scientific theories that were unknown before that.

Absolutory no! The materialistic trend is not restricted to the recent centuries. Rather, it is considered one of the very old ideas. We notice in the history of philosophy that many ancient Greek philosophers prior to the age of Socrates and his philosophical renaissance were materialists who denied metaphysics.

Moreover, we find that some who lived in the Pre-Islamic era that was contemporary to the time of Prophet Muhammad believed in materialism. Thus, the Holy Quran started a violent argument with them and conveyed their point of view in verse 24 of Al-Jathiyah Sura: And they say, ‘There is not but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time.’ And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming.

Materialism in the Islamic eras

Since the term Dahar, which denotes a period of time, was mentioned in the previous holy verse, those who denied the existence of God were called Dahrī. Throughout Islamic

history, we come across many individuals who were atheists and materialists. This is in particular evident in the Abbasid era when philosophical doctrines and different approaches stealthily delved into the Muslim community. Many of those would exploit the intellectual liberty in scientific, philosophical and religious fields (to the extent that does not contradict with the Abbasid’s policy). Those individuals announced their beliefs and were known for their materialistic trend. Then they started to argue with theologians, discuss them, present their proofs and doubt the monotheists’ proofs. They freely voiced their opinion and listened to other people’s views. Islamic history is full of their stories. Some of them used to hold their sessions in the prophet mosque during the time of Imam Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and discuss their topics. The book "Tawhid Al-Mofadhal bin Amro" was but a result of the doctrinal confrontation with them.

Al-Mofadhal bin Amro, one of the companions to Imam Al-Sadiq, says:

"One afternoon I was sitting in Rawdha between the grave [of the Prophet] and the minbar [tribune]. I was thinking of the honor and virtues endowed by Allah on our prophet Mohammad. I was also thinking of what Allah has endowed, given, honored and favored him in terms of his grace, high status and great position. While doing that, Ibn Abi Al-‘Awjaa came and sat in a place where I could hear him. After he had sat down, one of his friends came and sat with him. Ibn Abi Al-‘Awjaa said: ‘the person buried in this grave has attained glory through his integrity and attained honor through all his virtues and acquired presence in all his attributes. His friend said: ‘He was a philosopher who attained the greatest status and major position. He came along with miracles that left minds perplexed, dreams lost their way and hearts delved deeply to pursue their knowledge’. Ibn Abi Al-‘Awjaa said: ‘let us leave the mention of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) as my mind is bewildered with him and my thought has become motionless. Tell us about the origin that he is guided by. There is neither a creator nor a manager but things are created by themselves without any creator. This is what the world was and is still to be". 

Upon hearing that, Al-Mofadhal feels severely hurt and lashed them for a while. Then he would resort to Imam Al-Sadiq (PBUH) to tell him of what had happened. The Imam would reassure him and promise to teach him knowledge and best practices with which he can face the allegations of atheists. Then he started to deliver