The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page xlii
GENERAL INTRODUCTION The second question is, was not the human mind to undergo the same process of evolution as the human body had already undergone? And just as the human body had ultimately reached a certain stability of form, was not the mind (and soul) of man destined similarly to attain to a stability which was its ultimate end? Meaning of Civilization and Culture In answer to this question we must remember that when we examine retrospectively the civilization and culture of different countries, we find that there have been many different periods through which those countries have passed. Some of these periods have been so advanced that between them and our time there seems to be little or no difference. If we disregard the mechanical achievements of the modern world, the achievements of some of the earlier periods of human history seem little different from the achievements of our own time. Both in civilization and culture such similarities exist. But if we go deep enough, we will find two important differences between earlier and modern periods. Before we describe these two differences, we wish to make clear what we understand by civilization and by culture. According to us, civilization is a purely materialistic conception. When material progress takes place, there comes about a certain uniformity and a certain ease in human activities. This uniformity and ease constitute civilization. The output which results from human labour, and the means of transport needed to move this output from place to place, constitute an advance in civilization. Similarly, all the methods which may be invented for the transfer of goods from hand to hand, all the schemes which may be instituted to promote education, industry, scientific research, constitute progress in civilization. Whatever may be done to maintain internal security and defence against external aggression constitutes civilization. All these are factors which influence human activities. A country which is advanced in respect of these factors confers upon its inhabitants a pattern of daily life quite different from that of other countries. It is this difference which constitutes a difference of civilization. In a country not agriculturally advanced, the daily food of the inhabitants will be found to be quite different from the daily food of a country advanced in agriculture. An agriculturally advanced country encourages the consumption of many different kinds of foods. It will try to provide for a variety of needs as well as a variety of tastes. But an agriculturally backward country will not be able to provide any such variety. There will be no regard for individual differences in bodily health or refinement of taste. Whatever food the country produces as a whole will be provided, without any or many alternatives. Similarly, an industrially backward country will not be able to compare with an industrially xvi