Need for Religion

Why does humanity need religion when reason, science, and social institutions already contribute to human progress? This book examines that question through arguments concerning justice, morality, human nature, and the limits of purely human systems of guidance.

About the Book

Need for Religion is associated with Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi's work Need of Religion, published by the Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania.

The work considers why religious belief remains necessary for individuals and societies.

Rizvi begins with the observation that human beings live in communities and depend upon one another for their needs.

Because social life involves competing interests, he argues that societies require laws capable of protecting rights and preventing injustice.

The author questions whether individuals or groups can establish perfectly impartial laws when their judgments may be influenced by limited knowledge or personal interests.

From this premise, he develops an argument for divine guidance as a foundation for justice.

His discussion of God emphasizes divine knowledge, independence, and freedom from injustice.

The work also examines the meaning and characteristics of religion, seeking to explain why religious teachings are relevant to human life.

Another important subject is the relationship between religion and scientific understanding.

Rizvi responds to the claim that religion necessarily conflicts with science and considers questions involving human development and religious belief.

The publication also addresses objections concerning resurrection and life after death.

These subjects connect the need for religion with broader questions about human existence, moral responsibility, and the possibility of an afterlife.

The author's approach is theological and argumentative. His conclusions reflect an Islamic understanding of divine authority rather than an empirical demonstration accepted across all philosophical traditions.

What You Will Discover

• Arguments concerning humanity's need for religion.
• The relationship between social justice and divine guidance.
• The author's understanding of God's justice and knowledge.
• Responses to claims that religion conflicts with science.
• Questions concerning resurrection and the afterlife.
• The characteristics of religion as presented in Islamic thought.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is suitable for readers exploring the foundations of religious belief, students of Islamic theology, and educators discussing religion and society. It is particularly useful for examining arguments about the moral and intellectual necessity of religion.