Whenever there are events involving injustice and wildness, we often say, it is ‘jungle raaj’ [the law of the jungle]. The jungle is abused as we often abuse a man who has done an indecent job calling him a dog. A crow, when crows, is a harbinger of a cherished guest, but a crow, nowadays is mentioned more as one, who is killed and hung aloft for a lesson to other crows.
When we compare a man’s mischief, we go to monkeys and cats, and when we refer to his power, we catch the lion. However, when men eat human flesh, and turn indiscriminate, we invoke wolves. A man who is dunce is likened to an ass, and if something is going very fast, it is said to be talking to the winds. How is power of a man measured if not as horsepower. And most of all, when we have to reject something as absurd, a bull comes to our rescue, along with his shit. We call it ‘bull-shit’. The jungle is never far away when we men have to say something, and it has to be exemplified from the animal world.
In fact, we go to nature to authenticate our experience. In the same way as we quote from great authors and thinkers and even from Vedas. If some man has eaten up some other person, there is no way to say it more effectively than saying that he has eaten into him like ‘deemak’ [termiotes]. If some misfortune strikes a man, we compare it with lightning.
If we have to compare a man’s steadfastness, we invoke mountains. If a man starts going to a place of worship after committing sins, we are reminded of a cat going for Hajj after eating nine hundred mice. And if we want to tell man he should have a great patience, Farid the great poet says: a man should have the patience of a tree. Men who are full of wisdom, are humble just as a branch bearing a fruit bends. As pure as the Ganges, as high as the Himalayas, I wonder if there is any human emotion which can be delivered authentically without referring to nature.
So, it is the nature which we often call the ‘jungle raaj’. The idea of ‘jungle raaj’ conveys the idea of lack of justice in the human world. It is interesting to see why man thinks that his world is more just, as compared to the world of nature. Here is a glimpse of the life of the jungle, which human beings often denounce. The big fish eat the small fish. The powerful kill the less powerful. This is what happens in the jungle and even in oceans and the same thing happens in the world of men too. But the point of departure between the two world arrives soon, and I wonder if we can really accuse the world of nature as a land of lawlessness.
The Order of Nature
The order that we find in nature is far more powerful and more established than in the human world. Birds, animals are born with a default understanding of their role. Just imagine, they have no schools. It is only the human being who needs training in schools. And we need worship places to teach us how to pray and remain connected to the creator, whereas animals are always in a state of prayer. A Punjabi poet, Prof. Puran Singh finds the buffaloes and calves [animals on their fours] always in a state of prostration. Animals and birds have no liquor shops, they do not have ‘bars’, they do not have rave parties, they do not molest women. And most of everything, have you come across any murder in the forest?
In the forest, which we call the ‘jungle raaj’, there are killings. The big animals eat away the smaller animals. In fact, most of the birds are non-vegetarian. They eat up smaller insects. But nobody raises any cry. Because it is their way of life. There are no murders as I said, no police stations, no violation of rights. There are no courts to ensure justice. Only we human beings need courts of justice because the human world thrives on injustice. Murders take place in the human world only. The jungle has no underworld. They have no armies. No weapons dump. We have never seen them fighting pitched battles as men have done in the past over land for oil or resources.
Nature is a repository of sense and wisdom. Jungle is far more composed and balanced in its attitude towards life. They do not attack humans. Only humans have assaulted and molested the vegetation and the trees.
In fact, for the human world, ‘jungle raaj’ refers to the lack of justice and fairness, and a world which is given to crime. The fact is that the world of the jungle is the real world of nature where the law of the creator, the original laws are in operation. Man, with his greed and weapons, has created a world of crime which he equates with the ‘jungle raaj’. In my opinion, we denigrate the jungle in order to establish our superiority, whereas the facts prove it otherwise.
The final truth about the law of the jungle and the law of man’s land is a comparison between a sense of live and let live, and a passion for greed and exploitation and ultimate elimination of the other. The jungle ‘raaj’ is original and superior, whereas man’s laws are artificial and inferior, if not altogether infernal.
Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, with an opus of 190 plus books, is Laureate of the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards. His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand’s work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision. He is President of the International Academy of Ethics.
Abstract: This article highlights the scientific legacy of Abu Nasr al-Farabi, a great thinker of the Eastern Renaissance, and his influence on the development of modern fields. The scholar’s ideas on logic, philosophy, education, and society are analyzed, with special emphasis on his role in the processes of speech, thinking, and scientific analysis. The article demonstrates the relevance of al-Farabi’s views to today’s scientific and practical activities and emphasizes that his legacy is an important source in the formation and development of my field.
The development of every field is closely connected with the research, scientific ideas, and heritage of great scholars who lived and created in their time. One of the scholars who had the greatest influence on my field is Abu Nasr al-Farabi, who was honored with the high title “Muallim as-Sani” — the “Second Teacher” of the East. Al-Farabi’s ideas about human thinking, science, and the development of society have remained relevant not only in his own time but also today.
In 941, the scholar began living in poverty in Damascus. Despite this, he continued to pursue knowledge and conducted research in philosophy and other sciences. He gained the respect and patronage of the ruler of Aleppo, Sayf al-Dawla Hamdanid (reigned 943–967), who was known as a supporter of scholars. Although the ruler invited al-Farabi to his palace, he preferred to live a free and independent life. Nevertheless, his life in Aleppo was productive, and he wrote many of his works there. Between 949–950, al-Farabi lived in Egypt and later returned to Damascus, where he spent the last years of his life. He was buried in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery in Damascus. According to available sources, al-Farabi wrote more than 160 works, although many of them have not survived. Even the existing treatises prove his greatness as a scholar.
Al-Farabi created during the early Middle Ages, in the period of the Eastern Renaissance, which was characterized by the growth of productive forces, the development of crafts, irrigation systems, the construction of new cities, and the flourishing of cultural and spiritual life. Trade expanded in the 9th–10th centuries, especially with India, China, Byzantium, and African countries. Although the period was not free from conflicts, al-Farabi’s philosophical views reflected both the achievements and the contradictions of his time.
One of his greatest contributions to science was interpreting and enriching the works of Greek philosophers with new ideas. Al-Farabi wrote commentaries on Aristotle and was known as a promoter and continuer of his natural philosophical ideas. He also commented on the works of Plato, Alexander of Aphrodisias, Euclid, Ptolemy, and Porphyry. Moreover, he was familiar with the works of Hippocrates, Epicurus, Anaxagoras, Diogenes, Chrysippus, Aristippus, Socrates, and Zeno, and had a deep understanding of Epicurean, Stoic, Pythagorean, and Cynic schools.
Al-Farabi developed a comprehensive classification of sciences, considered perfect in the Middle Ages. In his treatises “On the Origin of the Sciences” and “On the Classification of the Sciences,” he described nearly thirty fields of knowledge known in his time. One of his important ideas is his doctrine of the universal intellect and universal soul, which he considered eternal. According to him, the human soul and intellect do not disappear after death but unite with the universal intellect and soul. In this teaching, there are profound ideas about the eternity of the world, the immortality of human essence, and the continuity of human knowledge and spiritual culture. Al-Farabi also substantiated the rational method of knowledge and emphasized observation, debate, sensory perception, and scientific reasoning.
One of the qualities that made al-Farabi great was his boundless love for knowledge and his belief that knowledge is the main criterion of life. He created major works in logic, philosophy, music, mathematics, linguistics, and political science. His logical ideas later had a strong influence on European science and helped deepen the understanding of Aristotle’s works.
Why do we need al-Farabi?
First, because he established the fundamental principles of science in fields such as logic, philosophy, politics, music, pedagogy, and psychology. Much of modern scientific thinking is based on his ideas.
Second, because he presented ideas that lead humans toward perfection. His work “The Virtuous City” discusses the ideal society and the perfect human being, and its ideas about education, morality, and governance remain important today.
Third, because he unified knowledge by emphasizing the interconnection of all sciences, which forms the basis of modern interdisciplinary studies.
Fourth, because he teaches us how to think — to analyze logically, rely on evidence, and study knowledge systematically, which is essential for success in any field.
Fifth, because his legacy still addresses modern problems such as justice, governance, morality, and education, proving that his ideas remain timeless.
In my field — language, literature, and scientific analysis — al-Farabi’s greatest contribution is his scientific explanation of the relationship between thought and speech. Through logical categories such as concept, judgment, and conclusion, he developed a methodology for correctly understanding and interpreting texts. Today, concepts such as text analysis, argumentation, and logical speech are rooted in al-Farabi’s works. Furthermore, his ideas about society in “The Virtuous City” correspond to many aspects of modern democratic principles, and his views on education continue to influence modern pedagogy.
The scholar’s legacy strengthens my love for knowledge, deepens my thinking, and reminds me that every word and every idea must have a logical foundation. Al-Farabi teaches the eternity of knowledge and the limitless nature of human thought. Therefore, I consider it an honor to follow his path in my field and draw inspiration from his scientific heritage.
References:
1.National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan, Vol. 1, “Farabi,” Tashkent, 2000, p. 412.
2.Jumaboyev, Y. From the History of the Development of Philosophical and Ethical Thought in Uzbekistan, Tashkent, 1997, p. 187.
3.Al-Farabi, The Virtuous City, Tashkent: Yangi Asr Avlodi, 2010, p. 164.
4.Yuldashev, M. Al-Farabi’s Philosophy and the Eastern Renaissance, Tashkent, 2005, p. 214.
Halilova Ruxshona Abdufattohovna was born on October 16, 2007, in Sariosiyo district of Surkhandarya region. She is currently a first-year student at the Denov Institute of Entrepreneurship and Pedagogy, Faculty of Philology, majoring in Uzbek Language and Literature. She holds a National Certificate in her native language. In addition, she has obtained more than 100 international and local certificates. She is a member of the Argentine “Science and Literature Writers” Association and has a membership certificate. Her articles are indexed on Google, and her creative works have been included in many anthologies. She has also participated in several prestigious competitions.
