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Ancient Greece, which gave birth to great philosophers and philosophical ideas, occupies a prestigious position in the European annals. Philosophers like Socrates (c. 470-399 BC), Plato (c. 427-347 BC), Aristotle (384-322 BC), Epicurus (341-270 BC), and many others are still read and debated in the corridors of academia throughout the world. European history, civilization, education, democracy, liberalism, and philosophy all have their roots in ancient Greek thought and civilization.
Due to the significant contributions made by Greece in the past, many researchers consider it to be "The Land of the Philosophers" and the cradle of Western civilization. Apart from that, during ancient times, Greece was also well-known for its pantheon of gods. The Greeks had gods of all kinds, similar to many other ancient civilizations of that time. They had twelve major gods and many minor ones.
The fall of Greece gave way to the rise of Rome as a superpower. Like the Greeks, the Romans also had many gods. It was only under the rule of Emperor Constantine (272-337) that Rome became a Christian nation in 313 AD. The fall of the Roman Empire as a superpower ushered the masses in the West into the medieval period, also known as the Dark Ages, or in Latin, saeculum obscurum.
During the Dark Ages, the Catholic Church became so powerful that even kings had to listen to it if they wanted to remain in power. The immense power enjoyed by the clergy went so far as to curtail the freedom of scholars and scientists. Any scientific theory that did not conform to the teachings of the Church was labelled heretical, and the scientist was sentenced to harsh punishment. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) and Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) were among those who had to face the wrath of the clergy.
As the power of the clergy increased and became tyrannical, the masses, who were the victims, could no longer tolerate the atrocities committed by the priestly group. The religious institutions of Europe made a ruling that anyone who had sinned should buy the "Indulgence Papers" and burn them to wash away their sins. One of the hardest things that could not be accepted by the masses was the ruling that said a married man was deprived of a sexual relationship with his legally married wife if it was other than for procreation.
Long before the coming age of the Renaissance and Enlightenment in Europe, people were following the Christian way of life. They strictly followed the Christian ethics dictated by the authority of the church. Things were pretty normal until a storm of protest came from a few reformists who appeared in the Western scenario to challenge the papacy's authority in the Vatican and the domineering role of the Catholic church. Though the demand from the reformists was timely to release the masses from the clutches of religious orthodoxy, they did not have the slightest idea of where their call for reforms would take the masses in the future.
The great change from the Dark Ages to a time of rebirth, enlightenment, and freedom of thought brought forward scholars, scientists, great artists, craftsmen, and others who began to believe in science and technology. This progressive journey continued for some time, until the arrival of thinkers like Charles Darwin (1809-1882), Karl Marx (1818-1883), Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), and others, who over time led the masses further and further away from God.
From modern times up until now, their greed for power, dominance, and wealth has led them to create wars in the Middle East in order to plunder the region's riches in the form of oil and gas. Since they controlled the world media, they used it to their advantage by spreading false accusations and making empty promises about regime change and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. The true number of lives lost during European colonization remains incalculable. Up until now, Europe has not admitted its wrongdoings and apologized to Asia, Africa and the Middle East
In the absence of well-grounded values, the masses were led into all sorts of deviant beliefs and practices. Living a meaningless life has taken many in the wrong direction, leading them to drugs, alcoholism, perverted sexuality, teenage pregnancy, xenophobia, satanism, witchcraft, black magic, and other evil practices.
Latest statistics in many countries in the West indicate that people are going through serious psychological problems. In many cases, these problems have led individuals to end their own lives. The current situation in the West shows that, even though people ran away from God, they were not able to solve many of their problems-especially those related to the inner dimension of life. Without God, they have not been able to find answers to deep questions such as their origin, the purpose of life, and what happens to them after death.
As much as he admired the West for its creativity, he also condemned its arrogance, materialism, and spiritual emptiness. Recognizing the loss of direction among Western people, Goethe, through the Diwan, called upon the East to inspire the West with its spirituality and deeper philosophy of life.
A century later, that call was answered by Iqbal (1877-1938), the poet-philosopher of the Indian subcontinent, who wrote Payām-e-Mashriq (Message of the East). In this masterpiece, Iqbal offered a fair and balanced critique of both the East and the West. To the West in particular, he highlighted the deeper causes behind its civilizational decline-especially its materialistic and mechanistic way of life, which came at the cost of spiritual awakening and a God-centered existence.
Besides Goethe, another German philosopher-Nietzsche-shook Europe with his slogan "God is Dead," famously expressed in The Gay Science (1882) and Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885). Nietzsche foresaw the coming moral decay of Europe due to the abandonment of Christian morality. He warned that with the collapse of religious belief, Europe would lose its moral compass, leading to nihilism and a spiritual crisis.
Migrant Muslims in Europe and the United States are doing a remarkable job. They contribute in every possible way to the economic growth of their countries of residence, while also engaging in professional da'wah (Islamic outreach) for those seeking guidance and a path back to God Almighty. Their holistic and meaningful way of life is attracting many-atheists, agnostics, nihilists, secularists, and others-who are searching for deeper meaning.
Islam is currently the fastest-growing religion in both Europe and the United States. Observing this rise reminds us of Goethe's call for the East to come and inspire the West with its spirituality and philosophy of life.
The views expressed herein are those of Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak of the Department of Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Studies, AHAS KIRKHS, IIUM, and do not necessarily reflect the views of IslamiCity.
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