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 We shall start with the most reliable branch of all sciences, which is mathematics, whose foundations are unshakable and therefore a value system built upon its solid core will be reliable, safe and philosophically sound too. Now, the anecdote says that during the cavemen era the first mathematician was asked, “Where do numbers come from?”

In order to demonstrate he brought forth 3 apples and asked them, “how many apples are there?”

“There are three apples,” they replied.

“Eat them.” So they ate them. It was then asked, “What happened to the apples?”

“Gone. They were eaten.”

“What happened to the numbers, you only just ate the apples, you could not have eaten the numbers too? Surely the numbers must remain.” The conclusion reached is that numbers are immutable and imperishable.

Therefore, numbers are the archetypal forms or essence of ‘things’. ‘Things’ are quantified using numbers in the first instance, then, the secondary attributes are endowed with e.g. colour, shape size, smell, length and breadth.  Number is the essence while the rest are attributes. Number is the substratum upon which substances gather, number is the soul while the forms and attributes are the bodies. Attributes are secondary, or more properly, contingent, they do not constitute the essential property of a ‘thing’. For example, humans are attributed hands, eyes, skin, hearing, warm bloodedness; however, these attributes do not define human but only describe it. Many other animals, too, have these characteristics.  On the contrary, the lacking of some attributes does not take anything away from the thing, e.g. a human missing a hand, eye or hearing does not make him any less human!

A ‘thing’ is differentiated from another ‘thing’ by defining its essence, limiting it through quantification and qualification. Some ‘things’ if they are abstract, cannot be quantified, for example, ‘good’ or ‘beauty’, instances of these things can be measured and compared through relativity; while the instances of concrete ‘things’ can be quantified, e.g. ‘a six of one and half a dozen of another’.    A ‘thing’ can only have one essence otherwise it will not be possible to differentiate it from some other ‘thing’ while the attributes can be integrated in order to define a thing.

On examining numbers, there is no doubt that the true archetypal number is one, the rest being duplications, additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions only! The true numeric value of quantity or quality is One, which is indivisible and imperishable in reality. The demonstration for this is that ‘one’ being the only number one cannot add another number to it or take away from it. Only possibilities remaining are that it can be divided or multiplied by itself, but the answer always remains as the immutable and imperishable One (1 x 1 x 1 … x 1 = 1, or 1 / 1/ 1…/ 1 = 1). 

Qul huwa Allahu ahad

Allahu alssamad

Lam yalid walam yoolad

Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad

[al-Qur’an, chapter 112:1-4)

(Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;

Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;

He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;

And there is none like unto Him.)

The universe as a whole is One and inseparable, however, it is possible and practical to differentiate the particulars from the universals, the parts from the whole. Although a ‘human’ is one in essence it can be divided in parts, identified and labelled in terms of bodily members, however, the whole is greater than the sum total of parts!

Wamin kulli shay-in khalaqna zawjayni laAAallakum tazakkaroon

And of every thing We have created pairs: That ye may receive instruction (51:49)

The ‘child’ is the unification and amalgamation of its father and mother, however, a child in its infancy does not know this. The child’s innate disposition, which is the essence, the given propensities are determined through the parents while the attributes and personal characteristics manifest themselves under the ‘conditions of being’, i.e. opportunities and situational factors such as family, society, economics and culture.

The child in its infancy, does not know its origin, name, custom or culture, neither its parentage.

Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: No babe is born but upon Fitra. It is his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Polytheist. A person said: Allah's Messenger, what is your opinion if they were to die before that (before reaching the age of adolescence when they can distinguish between right and wrong)? He said: It is Allah alone Who knows what they would be doing. (Muslim 6426)

Through the parents the child learns his name, language, values customs and culture. If we were to examine it more profoundly then we will discover through the naming of the child many things about his identity – the name may contain and allude to the family history, class, culture, nationality and religion among other things. This naming or ‘baptism’ superimposes on the fitra a list of beliefs, values and expectations – a role for life by which the child’s future success, and ultimately happiness which depends on this criteria, will be measured. This baptism puts shackles on the child, captures and enslaves him during infancy, for freedom of thought is not possible at this stage.

During each stages of development there are different sets of fathers and mothers – the father denotes the heavenly development i.e. intellectual and spiritual, while the mother denotes the earthly aspect i.e. physical growth, warmth, comfort and affection. Can you fail to see how the crops are ruined unless it receives in due proportion of heavenly blessings of the sun, rain and wind for the purpose of scattering the seeds, brother bees for the purpose pollination and mother earth for her provision and bed and nourishment! Therefore, one who guides towards spiritual development is a father, especially saints, sages and prophets, among the latter Abraham and Adam, peace be upon them, are known as the fathers of tribe and humanity respectively.

On social level of development the country is its mother while the rulers are its father. How often have we seen throughout history whole groups of people rejected by its parents for whatever reasons that may be? We identify an object through either quantitative or qualitative differentiation at the first instance, and then put then in a ‘box’ using a like manner of integration. That is, before we sort things out we have to differentiate it from another through ‘limiting’ it either as qualities e.g. red, cold, ugly etc., or quantities as shape, length, weight etc. then when place it in the category of things, e.g. this is a hand (not a foot), this is a man (not a goat), this is a house and that is a car! The mind cannot make sense of ‘things’ without this process of differentiation and integration and lumping or boxing of things together.

A child in its infancy does not make much of the world and its objects as he encounters at first due to his ‘box’ being incomplete and has not formed enough boxes to put away the things of this world into. So he keeps on asking the ‘why’s and the ‘how’s during the formative years of his life. This categorising on his behalf keeps lessening in proportion to his acquiring a comprehensive worldview. Once the categories have been formed the questioning ceases, and with that comes stagnation in development and growth!

We have seen after 9/11 how not only Muslims but Sikhs  (and other asians) too had been ‘boxed’ together with Osama bin Laden due to having some common features – the colour of skin, the attire, the beard and the turban. This is a fallacy of preconception and bias, however, it is still functioning as meaningful and valid ‘worldview’, which serves the purpose of its possessor, who is in no better position to know otherwise. Just like any logical argument if the premises to begin with are false then the conclusion arising from it will be false too. This is known as a valid argument; however, all valid arguments are not sound!

4:1 “O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single nafs, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence God, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for God ever watches over you.”

And on his authority from Ibn 'Abbas on Allah's saying: (O mankind!) [he said:] 'This is an expression of general applicability, but it could also be of particular applicability. (Be careful of your duty to your Lord) obey your Lord (Who created you) by means of copulation (from a single soul) from the soul of Adam alone, for the soul of Eve was included in his (and from it) from the soul of Adam (created its mate) Eve (and from them twain has spread abroad) He created through the copulation of Adam and Eve (a multitude of men and women) scores of human beings: male and female. (Be careful of your duty towards Allah) obey Allah (in Whom ye claim (your rights) of one another) your stuff and rights by Allah's right, (and towards the wombs (that bare you)) and also by the right of kinship and filiation; or it could also mean: keep the ties of kinship and do not sever them. (Lo! Allah hath been a Watcher over you) He has been a Protector: He shall ask you about that which He has commanded you of acts of obedience and keeping ties of kinship.