BY MALEK BENNABI
This work was not able to see the light normally; indeed it is
the reconstruction of an original destroyed under special circumstances.
We believe, we have saved the essential; the development of an analytic
method in the study of the Qur'anic phenomenon.
Practically this method strives to serve two aims: to give on
the one hand the young Algerian Muslim an occasion to meditate seriously
on his religion, and on the other to suggest a timely reform in
the spirit of classical commentary. Indeed, it is necessary to realise
that in Algeria, as in all Arab countries, the cultural revolution
is passing through a phase: "The Muslim renaissance" which receives
all its technical ideas from the western culture, particularly and
notably by means of the Egyptian awakening. These technical ideas
not only influence the new material life, which is adapted more
and more by young Muslims, they also concern in a less susceptible
manner, it is true, the spiritual things of the soul-the spiritual
life in a word.
In fact, it is amazing, most of the young Muslims today receive
their religious build-up and even sometimes their religious impetus,
by means of the writings of European specialists. The number of
Islamic studies, which appear in Europe, from the pen of eminent
orientalists are a fact undeniable. But can one imagine the important
place which this type of activity occupies in the movement of modern
ideas in Muslim countries? There is in this general crisis an aspect
which interests, in particular, the aim of this study, namely: the
influence of the work of orientalists on the religious spirit of
our young university graduates-either by bibliographic necessity
or by simple intellectual affinity-to refer to some of these western
sources even for personal Islamic information. In fact the local
sources of information are devoid of their cultural treasures, appearing
henceforth at the bottom of the national libraries of Europe.
It is curious to note the complacency, in Egypt especially, which
helps the most wild ideas coming out of the universities in the
West. Unquestionably the most instructive example in this respect
is the hypothesis formulated by an English orientalist on "Jahillian
poetry". There would be nothing excessively abnormal if, from the
moment of publication, the hypothesis of Margoliouth had not received
the keen appreciation from the Arabic reviewers and from certain
theses of young Arab doctors. It has even acquired the value of
a positive criterion, noticeably in the study of Dr. T. Sabbagh
on the "METAPHOR" in Qur'an.
This author systematically refuses, from now on, to consider the
Jahillian poetry as a positive domain of Arab philology. Up to this
point, "The miracle of the Qur'an" was based on the major argument
of the transcendence of the "Word of God" on the "speech" of man.
Hitherto, the commentary had recourse to the style to prove the
miracle of the Qur'an on a rational basis. But in drawing conclusions
from the Margoliouth hypothesis, as in the case of Dr. Sabbagh,
it is exactly this basis which would be in error. Since then, the
problem of interpretation of the Qur'an would be posed on an extremely
important point for the belief of a Muslim, namely: the proof of
the miracle of the Qur'an. In any case the intellectual revolution
would not have lacked to lead our university youngsters to assert,
sooner or later, the weakness in the classical criterion, which
had so far furnished the arguments in favour of the supernatural
origin of the Qur'an. For a mind with a Cartesian bend, of what
value can be an argument proving hitherto purely subjective?
Indeed no Muslim, Algerian in particular, could from now on compare
objectively a Qur'anic verse to the period of rhythm or the rhyme
of the pre-Islamic era. Long since we have ceased to possess the
spirit of Arabic language to be able to draw a judicious conclusion
from a literary comparison. Long time ago our belief on this point
was satisfied by a principle of authority which hardly agrees with
the demands of the spirit of the elite hitherto infatuated with
positivism. Hereafter, hence the problem of the commentary is posed
in a new angle.
The subject of our study is related, partially, to this doctrine
under the relation of the rational conviction with the intellectual
conviction, placed first under the aegis of theology. Otherwise,
we would like to furnish directly the necessary rational base for
this conviction, at any rate, to open methodically and broadly the
religious debate in order to lead the Algerian intellectual to build
himself this base necessary for his faith.
The method followed here is to tie the particular case of Islam
to religious phenomena in general, to place its prophet as the ultimate
in the chain of prophetic movement and to place the Qur'anic doctrine
as the outcome of the stream of monotheistic thought. Consequently,
this consists of deducing from the Qur'an, from the phenomenological
point of view, an authentic criteria for Islam as a revealed religion.
But we cannot neglect to establish the tie, dialectically necessary
between the chapters of this study, to pre- establish a first criteria
devoted to the messenger, Mohammed, since the second criteria is
devoted to the message of the Qur'an. Such are the outlines of the
method, which we would like to put at the disposal of the young
Algerian intellectual to help him establish the rational basis of
his religious faith.
The Religious Phenomenon
That the human conscience faced the metaphysical problem thus
and with such regularity, at all its phases of evolution, is itself
a problem, which the sociologists wished to resolve by characterising
man as "an essentially religious animal". Two divergent theoretical
consequences follow from this basically objective definition:
(a) Is man "a religious animal" in an inborn instinctive manner,
as a consequence of an original disposition of his nature?
(b) Or else has he acquired this quality by a sort of psychic
osmosis, propagated by entire humanity, begun by an initial cultural
accident which occurred among a group of humans?
Precisely these are the two basic theses which arise out of the
problem put by the religious phenomena. Of course it would be naive
to strive to resolve this philosophical antagonism by a mathematical
solution, as some of our estranged intellectuals would wish, probably
by an oblivious scientism, or by some elementary principles of Positive
science itself. Be that as it may, once the fundamental principle
of a system is established the system must remain rigorously compatible
with it; coherent in all its consequences. Now the two questions,
which we have just put, as a consequence of the religious phenomenon,
do not expose religion by means of science, as one may tend to believe.
Science does not prove the inexistence of God. Not any more-we con-
cede it on principle-his existence. The debate here is between two
religions, between theism and materialism; between the religion
which has postulated God and that which has postulated matter.
The aim of this chapter is to compare these two philosophical systems:
that which regards the religious sense of man as an original part
of his nature-an idea, which is recognised in many aspects as an
essential factor of all civilisations: and that which treats religion
as a simple historical accident of human culture. And its conclusion
would moreover be supported by conclusions from following chapters,
which will bring forward also a sort of posterioric proof, furnished
by the prophetic phenomenon and the Qur'anic phenomenon, which places
religion at the level of a cosmic phenomenon, next to the physical
The Prophetic Movement
In the preceding chapter we have already established the necessity
of putting simply a postulate; here we proceed to examine a particular
aspect of monotheism, which-while bringing forth with it from the
mouths of Prophets, its transcendental proof-becomes itself a criterion
for the totality of the religious phenomenon.
Since Abraham, some individuals, moved by an irresistible force
had come periodically to talk to people, in the name of an absolute
truth, of which they were said to have a personal and exclusive
knowledge by a mysterious means-revelation. These men claim themselves
to be envoys of God, sent to carry this word to the people, who
couldn't listen to it directly. The exclusiveness of this revelation
and the convincing character of the mission of a prophet constitute
a special aspect of prophethood, which is the essential basis of
monotheism and its phenomenological evidence. By the unique testimony
of the prophet, the prophethood appears as an objective phenomenon,
independent of the human "me" which expresses it. The problem precisely
is to find out whether this is something purely subjective and not
an objective phenomenon as magnetism, for example. The existence
of magnetism is shown to us by a loadstone needle, which exhibits
qualitatively and quantitatively the specific aspects of magnetism.
But we can only establish the prophethood by means of the testimony
of a prophet and the contents of the written message he has brought
to propagate. Hence the problem is psychological on the one hand
and historic on the other. It should be remarked that the mission
of the prophet is not an isolated fact, it is a continuous phenomenon
which repeats itself regularly between two fringes of history with
Abraham and Muhammad,peace be upon them both
The continuity of a phenomenon, which repeats itself periodically
is already a useful scientific evidence, to admit in the principle
its existence, under the conditions always to verify this by compatible
facts with reason or by the nature of the principle. Now from the
phenomenological point of view, if a case of a particular prophethood
explains or establishes nothing, its repetition under certain conditions
justifies the general existence of the phenomenon in a manner already
more scientific. Hence it remains to examine seriously the type
of this repetition, in order to distinguish its special character,
from the general law, which can control the totality of the phenomenon.
One has no valid reason to accept a priori, the prophethood as
a psychological accident affecting the history of one human "me".
One has also no reason to claim directly the intervention of a pathological
factor to explain the prophethood by the personal equation of the
prophet in affirming that it is or it could be due to over-excited
nerve, or of exalted imagination, or of thought directed by some
purely subjective phenomenon.
If it were possible for physicists to make a sample of iron talk
under the influence of magnetism, undoubtedly, they would be very
happy to ask a lot of precise information rather than deducing it
all from known facts, or from some hypothesis which are not rigorously
supported by calculation. However, the prophet is a subject who
can talk to us of his internal state, who even argues it, first
of all for his personal conviction and later for the external service
of his mission. If there is prophethood, first of all it ought to
be considered as the disturbing cause which breeds in a human "me"
the irresistible attraction of a mission, whose motives and aims
could not be explained by this "me".
That is why the knowledge of the phenomena by the prophet himself
is essential for a critical study of the subject. Jonas, Jeremiah,
Mohammed are such subjects who are as much individuals and who,
at first, wished to voluntarily avoid the prophetic call. They resisted,
but finally they were carried away by their call. Their resistance
emphasises, however, the polarisation between free will and determinism
which bent their wills and subjected their "me". In these indications,
there is already a strong presumption for an objective thesis of
The Rational Criterion
Mohammed was an illiterate, whose very meagre knowledge could have
come to him only from his material environment. In this chivalrous,
idolatrous and nomad atmosphere the social and metaphysical problems
were never raised. The knowledge of Arabs on the life and thought
of other people is insignificant, as can be clearly inferred from
pre-Islamic poetry, which forms in this respect a precise source of
information. Hence while leaving for his retreat of Ghar Hira, Mohammed
could only have the ordinary know- ledge of the usual ideas of a primitive
milieu. Now the revealed knowledge just shakes up his superficial
knowledge, doubly formed by the general ignorance and the very "Ummi"
(illiteracy) of Mohammed.
It is necessary to visualise the surprising meaninglessness that
is expressed in this "read" which is the first word of the revelation.
Mohammed is an illiterate; this order shakes him up naturally, since
it is so contrary to his being an "ummi". He timidly replies "I
can't read". But what a sudden shock for a positive spirit like
his! When, at the subsequent revelation, the voice ordered him to
preach, he wonders with anxiety, who shall believe in me?" There
is surprise of the unexpected and an uncertainty of conviction in
this question. Moreover the revelation is interrupted for some time.
He begins to wish for it, even desperately call for it. But the
revelation does not come. Mohammed finds the worst times of his
moral crisis at Mount Hira. Further from diminishing, his uncertainty
increases tragically. He complains to his sweet wife. She tries
to con- sole him but with no avail. Finally, after two years the
revelation resumes and brings the supreme and the only consoling
expression, The Word, to him.
Now he has an infinitely more objective certainty on this point.
But this long wait so anguishing and the unexpected joy which followed
it, should be the psychological conditions most favourable to this
graceful state of his mind, when there was not any shadow of uncertainty.
In fact it was the extreme uncertainty of Mohammed, which obliged
him to torment himself and followed the intellectual process which
resulted in the final certainty.
The Literary Aspect of Qur'an
The literary aspect of the message, which was the principal subject
of study for the classical commentators, loses its importance more
or less in our time, which is more scientific than literary. in
fact, since we do not have adequate material that contains the spirit
of pre-Qur'anic language, we could not judge relevantly the transcendence
of the style of the Qur'an. However, there is a verse carrying historical
information of the utmost importance on this point. In this verse
the Qur'an explicitly claims this transcendence, with which it intends
to overcome the literary spirit of the period. It throws a stupefying
challenge at its con- temporaries as follows:
"Bring a single sura similar (to this) and ask for the support
of men and jinns, if you wish".
History does not record that this challenge had ever been met.
One can conclude from this that the challenge has existed without
response and hence that the literary "miracle" had effectively overcome
the spirit of the particular period. But as far as we are concerned,
there are also some other sources, leading to a conclusion even
on this particular aspect of the question. The bedouin spirit is
essentially music loving; its aspirations, its moments and its progress
are all translated in the rhythmic musical expression of the Arabic
verse, whose metre could be as short or as long as the step of a
camel. It does not treat any mystical or metaphysical obsession,
and it also ignores the dialectical subtleties and the abstractions
of philosophical, scientific or religious thought. Its terminology
corresponds to the simple requirements of the internal and external
life of a bedouin and not of a settler.
Such are the characteristics of this Jahillian, idolatrous nomadic
language which the Qur'an nevertheless, bends to its own spirit
in order to express a universal thought. Moreover for expressing
this thought the Qur'an adapts the form of blank verse, something
new in Arabic rhyme: it frees itself from the metre and it is amplified.
. . .
Thus when the Qur'an was revealed it was not a progressive evolution
for Arabic, but something like a revolutionary explosion: such a
philological phenomenon is unique in the history of languages. With
a single jump, Arabic had become, from its primitive dialectical
stage, a language technically organised to carry the thought of
a new culture and a new civilisation.