Chapter Balad- Part 2

Balad, part 2

Recap: We are presented with this land/the universe/your geographical whereabouts where we see things/qualities manifested all around.  An obvious one we notice is the young ones of any living creatures.  What can I relate to the relationship between parents and child or seed and tree?  Nothing is the Source of Existence of the relationships that I observe here (lailaha).  Everything is in need to be given existence (illallah).  The most important hardship for human beings is to be careful not to be carried away by his/her egoistic self-centered desires.  If man thinks that he is going to take care of his needs, then this hardship is with him.  On the other hand, if he thinks that his needs are being taken care of by his Creator, then the egoistic side keeps urging him to declare his existence independently and that is hard to resist.  But the result of trusting in God is great if s/he succeeds to overcome the ego.

• In other words, we should not be carried away by our egoistic desires in order to understand the meaning of our existence.

90:5 “Does he think that no one will ever have power over him?”

We may claim anything and consider that no Absolute Power observes me.  Some people say that if I deny God, nothing happens to me, and if I get angry with God, nothing happens to me.  This type of attitude will lead human beings to think that they are just bound to enjoy life here.  These types of people define themselves as living beings consisting of only a body, and they do not realize that we are not able to actualize whatever we want here.  That is, we cannot really do what we want here by ourselves, rather we are just limited to the capacity that we are made to function only by obeying the order.  Yes, we are slaves of the order established by the choice of the Originator of the creation!  If someone is conscious of his/her human side and realizes that s/he is a special creation, purposefully made, then s/he will say that I am not a slave of the order, but I am the one who follows  the order to worship the Orderer.  I ask my consciousness, which one do I want to be, a slave of the order or by obeying the order, acknowledging the authority of the Establisher of the order?  This acknowledgment is called “worship of the Creator” of the order of the universe.   

90:6 “He says, I have spent enormous wealth.”

According to some people, wealth is their property, body, or human qualities as belonging to them.  In the context of these verses (5,6 and 7), it talks to a person whose worldview is self-centric.  As a believer, I should be careful not to destroy my precious gift of God, including this universe and my feelings/body.  If I use my feelings only by confining it to this world, then I am wasting my feelings which are created to acknowledge their Creator.  Hence, we should use it to acknowledge the Creator.  

We may claim that I have spent enormous wealth.  That is, I have done lots of good actions, but when I die, I will come to nothing, and I will be wasted.  Another interpretation of this verse could be, I will try to enjoy my life by using my wealth in the best way of enjoyment, but I am now old, and I will die soon, and nothing is left with me now, all the enjoyment I have experienced are gone.  What a disappointment?!  That is a choice to interpret our existence, i.e., denial of a purposeful creation.  Some may say that life is purposeless, but they try to stay alive and carry on with duties of life because of the urge from their consciousness.  Example: let me give some charity so that the poor people do not suffer.  There is nothing wrong with this, but we must follow the order to acknowledge the Provider of the sense of “giving and helping the poor.”  That is how we can fulfill the purpose of our Creation, which is to learn who the Provider of this sense of compassion is and who the real Owner of the wealth  we have is. This means, when we have the opportunity to give to charity it is to be thankful to our Creator, God.

As if the way I am created in a way that My Creator is telling me: “When you feel that you are  pleased with My creation and you are thankful to My favors to you, that is the purpose of your creation.  “That is why I made you to worship Me.”  This is called “pleasure of God.”

If a person uses a machine in the way it is made for, what will the Engineer think of him/her, wouldn’t the Engineer be pleased with him/her?  Yes.  This man has fulfilled the purpose of using the machine.  I am fulfilling my mission here; I am not entertaining God.  By fulfilling my duty towards my creation, I get to fulfill the mission that my Creator has endowed me with, because the purpose is to get to know my Creator and respond Him back for all His gifts for me.  I must fulfill my part, that is why God says that I have created you for this purpose and I am well pleased with you when you get to know Me.  That is how we should understand seeking God’s pleasure, fulfilling my purpose in the best way and not wasting my wealth which is given to me by my Creator.  

 When I die, according to the view of a non-believer, everything is meaningless for me and I cannot be proud of anything, and all my charity work will come to non-existence. However, if I have a grain of belief, only then will I say that God will be pleased with me.

• These senses (compassion to help others in the example above) are given to me to understand what my responsibilities are.  

It is not my responsibility to know or figure out if God is pleased with me, rather I need to concentrate on the message/senses given to me and fulfill my duty.  When I do something, my feelings say that my Creator must be pleased with me.  We must think of this matter from our perspective, what am I expected to do in this world?  I feel that this is the way that my Creator is happy with me.  

• Whatever I do, I should not aim to please God, rather to take care of my responsibility as far as the purpose of my existence is concerned. 

When I am pleased with my existence and then ultimately, I am pleased with being created by God.  When I am pleased with God, only then God is pleased with me.  The concept becomes wrong when the purpose of a good action is to please God.  If I do something and it is appreciated by me and the others, then I say that I must use myself in the best way.  

• I am not doing anything to entertain God.
• We must use this concept in terms of my responsibility.  

Doing something for the sake of God means that God created me with the sense of help.  What am I expected to do?  To complete this sense of help in the best way, that is my duty toward the gifts I receive from my Creator.  I am not expecting any payment/reward for my good doings.  When I fulfill my duty, that is what I am expected to do for I feel pleased with my existence and thus the One that gives existence.  That is why to seek the pleasure of God means to do your duty and think of your responsibility.  And so, any way of performing the requirements of God, is a form of respect to my existence.  As a result, my Creator will decide about me because the Creator says in the Quran that those people come to Me and expect some sort of payment.  Our duty is not to expect anything, and just to fulfill our mission. However, by using the sense of help in me I may expect extra favor from my God.  “All the good things are from God, and all the bad things are from you, because you dirtied and soiled your pristine nature”.

When I use the machine/laptop in the perfect way, do I feel happy?  Yes.  When I treat people with compassion, do I feel happy?  Yes.  Happy, here is the payment/reward.  When you believe in God, this belief brings Absolute happiness and security to you in your existence.  “My Owner is the Owner of the universe and I do not worry about my future.”  My payment is already paid, in my worship, I already receive the payment.

Payment is already included in my action.  “Please help me to fulfill my duty in the best way, O my Creator, that is how you have created me”.  

90:7 “Does he think that no one observes him?”

Is no one recording my deeds?  The disbelievers think that they are not observed for what they are doing.  That is, I am doing it and no one is seeing me.  When you think that I am being created, then it must follow that whoever created me is renewing me.  The realization of renewal is more important than realizing that we are created.  A believer says that I am continuously renewed.  Who is organizing it?  Do I think that any part of the cell has any consciousness or knowledge?  Knowledge cannot be the result of accidental happenings.  There is no way to accept it.  Anything happening right now is subject to change, what can be the agent?  Recognition of being changed and undergoing change by a conscious Creator is important.  “I am being operated right now by my Creator.”  Whoever is creating me right now must know what I am doing. Everyone realizes this if they accept that their existence is not accidental.

The One creating me right now must be aware of what I am choosing.

Next week: The following verses (8,9 and 10) are calling us to come back to our reality.