Now then, the decisive word regarding the First Message and the Second Message is that religion has a pyramidal structure - its summit is with Allah, where there is no "where," and its base is among the people: "Indeed, the religion with Allah is Islam." (3:19). And this base has descended from that summit - it descended to meet the reality of people, their needs, and their human and material capacity. Thus, Sharia was established. The summit of Islam’s pyramid will always remain beyond full realization, in eternity and beyond. Individuals will continue to evolve in their understanding of religion as they gain more knowledge of the signs in the horizons and within themselves. Allah, exalted and glorified, says: "We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient that your Lord is a witness over all things?" (41:53). And He says: "They do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills." (2:255).
He, exalted and glorified, wills for us to gain more of His knowledge at every moment. Regarding this, He says: "Every day He is bringing about a matter." (55:29). His matter is nothing but the unveiling of Himself to His creation so they may come to know Him. He, blessed and exalted, teaches us, saying: "And do not hasten with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say: 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge.'" (20:114). The increase in knowledge is nothing but an ascent from the base of the pyramid toward its summit in continuous evolution. As a person evolves in understanding religion, they develop their Shari'ah according to their needs and capacity, moving from a rigid foundation to one less rigid.
Individuals evolve in understanding religion and enter the ranks of individual laws, while societies evolve accordingly, raising their laws from a rigid foundation to a less rigid one. This progression ascends the pyramid’s ladder, whose base is the Sharia of the First Message.
If the summit of the pyramid of religion, regarding wealth, is found in the verse: "They ask you what they should spend. Say: 'What is beyond your needs.'" (2:219). Then its base is the verse: "Take from their wealth a charity that purifies them and uplifts them, and pray for them; indeed, your prayer is a source of comfort for them. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing." (9:103). Upon this foundation, the Shari'ah of the First Message established Zakat with fixed amounts, making it a financial law and a pillar of worship, because people could not yet bear a higher obligation. The realization of the pyramid’s summit was left to individuals, each according to their capacity. Encouragement for spiritual elevation was conveyed in the Prophet’s words: "In wealth, there is a right beyond Zakat.". In Allah’s statement: "Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you." (3:31). For his law on wealth and its place in worship was closer to the summit.
If the summit of the pyramid of religion in politics is found in the verses: "So remind, you are only a reminder. You are not a controller over them." (88:21-22). Then near its base is the verse of Shura: "It was by Allah’s mercy that you were gentle with them. And had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you. So pardon them, seek forgiveness for them, and consult them in affairs. But once you have decided, put your trust in Allah. Indeed, Allah loves those who rely upon Him." (3:159). At its absolute base is the Verse of the Sword: "When the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every ambush. But if they repent, establish prayer, and give Zakat, then let them go their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (9:5)
On this base, the Sharia of Jihad was established, and on the verse of Shura, the Sharia of governance was built - on the guardianship of the wise individual over the group. The base of the pyramid was not democracy but was closest to it at a time when democracy was unknown and society was unprepared for it.
And the base of the pyramid in that matter was not socialism, but it was the closest form to socialism at a time when its scientific concept was yet unknown and society was unprepared to practice it.
If humanity, over fourteen centuries, has traveled a vast distance toward maturity, entering the age of adulthood and leaving behind the age of childhood, and if, by Allah’s grace and this maturity, it has become capable - materially and intellectually - of embracing socialism and democracy, then Islam must be preached at their level. This means ascending from the rigid base of the Shari'ah of the First Message to a less rigid one, moving gradually toward the summit, which will always remain in the realm of individual responsibility. And the lowest level of the new base is the entry into socialism by prohibiting individual ownership of the means and sources of production, whether by a single person or a small group in the form of a partnership. This opens the doors of legislation toward socialism.
And the lowest level of the new base is the entry into democracy by ensuring the right to vote for every citizen, male and female, upon reaching a certain age, as well as the right to run for office. This opens the doors of legislation toward democracy.
And this process is what is called the development of legislation. It is an ascent from a secondary text, drawing as much elevation as possible toward an original text - an ascent from one text to another.
And there is legislation that overlaps between the First Message and the Second Message, such as the laws of worship. This is subject to development only in a way that keeps its summit open to the levels of individual laws, for each person who ascends - by Allah’s grace and through mastering imitation - to realize their individuality, distinguishing them from the collective herd.
The collective Sharia is not the foundation; rather, the foundation is the individual Sharia, just as the individual, not the collective, is the original unit. However, due to people's deep-rooted familiarity with communal living and the strong influence of the herd instinct, they have come to believe the opposite. Thus, when you speak to them about individual laws, they find it strange and unsettling. There is another reason as well - individual Sharia belongs to the rank of adulthood and responsibility. People are still like children; they prefer that others bear responsibility for them and find comfort in remaining unaccountable. Even when they do take on responsibility, it is within the herd and along familiar paths. But for an individual to stand alone, bearing responsibility as a singular entity and forging an untrodden path, this is daunting and finds little readiness or inclination in their hearts.
The gateway to the Second Message is the First Message, except for what undergoes legislative development. This development does not apply to acts of worship, except for Zakat with fixed amounts. This is because it was not originally a fundamental act of worship but was prescribed due to people's limited capacity for a higher form. Otherwise, the true act of worship in Zakat is that of the Prophet. No development applies to the law of exchange (mu’awadah), as it is fundamental and built upon the unchanging foundations of religion. Development applies to transactional laws (mu'amalat), such as fundamental individual rights, economic and political systems, and all aspects tied to societal transformations. These systems, which rapidly evolve, must keep pace with society, maintaining vitality, adaptability, and the capacity for renewal, growth, and progress. All of this has been previously indicated in this book.
The essence of the second message is vitality, evolution, and renewal. The seeker on its path must continually refresh their thoughts and emotions - every day, indeed every moment of every day and night. Their highest ideal in this is Allah’s own description of Himself: "Every day He is bringing about a matter." (55:29) Yet, He is "not distracted by one matter from another."
When one enters through the gateway of the testimony "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah," they strive to ascend by perfecting the imitation of the Prophet to the level of "So know that there is no god but Allah" (47:19). Then, through this mastery, they elevate their testimony of tawhid until they abandon the testimony itself, seeing that the witness is the witnessed. At this point, they behold "Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and those endowed with knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the Wise." (3:18).
Here, they stand at the threshold and are addressed directly, without a veil: "Say: Allah! Then leave them to plunge in vain discourse and play." (6:91). And "Say" here means "Be!" - this is the station of individual laws. When the seeker ascends the ranks of the second message through the gateway of the first, as explained, they will have traversed the sevenfold path - from Islam to Iman, to Ihsan, to Ilm al-Yaqin (knowledge of certainty), to Ayn al-Yaqin (vision of certainty), to Haq al-Yaqin (truth of certainty), and back to Islam anew. Then, they begin again at a higher level, continuing this cycle endlessly.
Islam is a spiraling ascent, beginning for us in collective law and ending with Allah, beyond place and beyond limit. The one ascending this path is in constant rise toward "the Lord of Ascending Steps" (70:3), increasing in knowledge with every moment and, accordingly, deepening their submission to Allah. Through this, their thoughts and emotions are continually renewed. Reaching the stage of individual law is inevitable for the seeker on this ascent, and it is not an unattainable station. Yet, the true test of perfection, for which souls strive, is that one’s reality be with Allah and that their individual law be an extension of that reality. But how distant, how distant that goal remains! This is a journey into the infinite. There is no idealism in this statement, for in its scientific aspect, it has descended to human reality, drawing people toward the absolute - each according to their level of knowledge. They ascend a ladder whose steps are as numerous as souls, for "above every possessor of knowledge is one more knowing" (12:76), until knowledge ultimately reaches "the Knower of the Unseen" (9:78).
This means that a person’s share of perfection has no limit, absolutely. The promise of human perfection is the rank of divinity. Yet, the path to achieving this is not built on idealism but rather on tangible reality, through the practice of worship and interactions in daily life, as previously explained in detail. It is sufficient for a person to know that Allah has reserved for them a perfection of thought and feeling beyond what any eye has seen, any ear has heard, or what has ever crossed the heart of any human being.
All praise is due to You, O Allah, as You are worthy of it - abundant, pure, and blessed praise.