Neitzche, the Quran and the herd mentality

 

Perhaps most people assume Nietzsche to have been anti-religion and his ideas the opposite of Islam.

He is often known as an atheist, and critically attacks Christianity through much of his works.

However, he seems to have read about Islam and even praises Islam at times, which is interesting because most people assume he was against Islam as he was all religion.

It is thought his ideas were opposed to Islam and are at opposite ends.

This appears to have been what happened when I was at university and did not have time to read some of my daily translations of the Quran as I had to read Nietzsche's book as a homework.

a In the end, I decided to try and do both and so sat in the library with Nietzsche's book on the table in one hand and the translation of the Quran in my other hand on my knees.

I took turns to read from one and then the other without noticing one of my classmates coming up quietly behind me and exclaiming:

"This is something I have never seen before! Nietzsche and the Quran!  Tell me, what has Nietzsche got to do with the Quran?"

At the time I did not know that any of Nietzsche's ideas had anything to do with the Quran at all.  He seemed opposed to all that.

In fact, in the beginning, I was reluctant to read his book thinking I would not benefit from it or find it interesting.

Yet I have found a lot of benefit in reading it and after learning the Quran I have now come to the conclusion that there is a lot of similarity between the two.

I did a google search to see if anyone else agrees with me on this and found an article entitled "Nietzsche's peace with Islam" by Ian Almond.  I think this is the only article that sees a relationship between Nietzsche and Islam but the writer states with evidence that Nietzsche does seem to have had an interest in Islam.

He appears to have read about it widely and it was in the background of his ideas.

So anyway, the main idea of Nietzsche's that he is famous for and that I see to be similar to the Quran is his idea of herd mentality and the dominance of the herd.

His philosophy was that most people were like cattle – cows – just following each other without thinking much and without using their intellect too much extent.

The life of cattle is to each, sleep and so forth and they just follow each other without thinking.

Cattle don’t correct errors or come up with anything new they just continue to do what they have always done regardless.

In contrast to the herd mentality, there are some individuals who stand out in society. 

They don’t follow the others, rather they start to think for themselves and see some of the errors others may be making.

According to Nietzsche these are the philosophers.  They are intellectual people who are suited to ruling the country and solving its problems as they are not just blindly following others.

Others may eventually follow them.

I realized how unfortunately true this seems to be in the world we live in.  it really is hard to find people who will think for themselves and try to solve problems without a list or piece of paper in front of them from someone else.

We often have to waste a lot of time dealing with customer service people or others who don’t know how to deal with something not on their list or a bit different to something before.

Even in politics and social media many people just seem to copy each other and once there is a main opinion it seems that most people just pick it up and accept it from others.

We have not been taught critical thinking enough in schools.

However, when I remember Nietzsche's ideas concerning the herd mentality I also remember various verses in the Quran in which God Almighty compares disbelievers to cattle and says they are more misguided than them.

The Quran also implicitly implies that the reason for people's disbelief is not using their intellect and in particular, following their ancestors and others without really considering if they were correct or not.

In fact, blind following of others is not encouraged in the Quran at all.  As a verse tells us:  "and if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray.  They do not follow except assumption and what suits their desires."

Instead, the Quran encourages the reader of the Quran to use their intellect and to reach a true and authentic knowledge on which to base their belief.

We can gain this knowledge and increase our independent thinking by studying the world around us, looking at the food we eat, and considering the world and how it came about.

Knowledge and information should be based on evidence and belief and not on following certain groups or individuals.

People have committed atrocities and mass suicides from blindly following others and listening to misguided people claiming to be something they are not.

Of course, perhaps following others can benefit us when we don’t know something and for students who are learning.  However, learning should involve some questioning too.

The outcome of when a person develops his own mind and becomes guided by the Quran and by using his intellect is that he is in a position to tell others the right way and help to guide them.

Prophets are probably the highest example of such people.  They were no followers but were followed.

The Quran also tells us that people who use their intellects and think deeply about the world will often come to belief in God and that will lead them to paradise.

On the other hand, people who are just blindly following traditions of their culture and country without much thought may never come to a true belief and we are told one the things people will say on judgement day is that they wished they had used their intellect.

Some people will wish they did not follow who they did.

So in conclusion it seems to me that there are strong similarities between the ideas of Nietzsche and the Qurans addressing of the herd mentality.

I guess the main difference is that Nietzsche spoke about the effects of following the herd in the world only.

He also held that the philosopher was the highest and ideal type of person who should rule the others.

The Quran however, considers not only the implications of herd mentality in worldly life but also on judgment day.

It has a more spiritual perspective.

Those who are free from herd mentality are believers and people who have reached true guidance and are capable of guiding others.

The highest people are prophets but even they cannot rely solely on intellect alone but must have revelation to be guided.

For correct knowledge and guidance, the intellect must be in agreement with revelation because human beings are limited in their ability to get everything correct by themselves.

Therefore, the only thing that should be solely followed is the revelation and just anyone's opinion.

That is the same as saying we must obey the law, which is universal regardless of whether we really want to do so or not.  It is the law after all.

So I guess these are the main similarities and differences between Nietzsche and the Quran.