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The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)
The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey
Should we follow humanity or God?
These are both different issues. We believe in God because He is the Creator. Humanity is not a creator; it is a social phenomenon. It is a known fact that nature is an enormous reservoir of facts and knowledge, and according to science, man—in his limited lifetime—can acquire only a partial knowledge of reality. If science has a limited scope, then the question arises as to how should one attain wisdom?
There are numerous grave situations in life that require wisdom and guidance from God the Creator of the universe to find solutions. The Quran says: He grants wisdom to whom He will; and whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant wealth. Yet none bear this in mind except those endowed with understanding. (2: 269) There are many examples from the life of the Prophet where he was guided towards wise solutions for problems by God Almighty. So, belief in God is essential because there are many occasions in life when we require wisdom to deal with the situations in our life. Quran the book of God and the life of the Prophet who lived under divine guidance present this wisdom. Belief in humanity is only one aspect of belief in God. It is because of our belief in God that we can inculcate human values in ourselves.
What is actually within man’s control?
The present pandemic is directly giving us this understanding of what we can control and what we cannot. Natural laws will always remain as God has ordained them. These are laws which God has defined. There are physical laws known to man, and man cannot alter them. Human beings have freedom only to choose their action. For example, a person cannot change the natural laws governing the natural resources, but he can choose to make use of them with responsibility or be a reckless user. According to the creation plan of God, this is a test for man and he will be accountable for the choices he made in life, which is entirely in his control. Belief in God and accountability of our actions instill in man a responsible behaviour towards every resource God has bestowed on us in this world.