Chapter Buruj – Part 2

Recap: This chapter was revealed during the 4th year of the mission of Prophethood.  Quran talks about the external signs as well as internal signs for human beings to reflect on i.e. reality of creation which in turn directs them to their reality.  What kind of interpretations can we make about our life and our future?  How do we explain the constellations in the sky?  Is it sustaining its own existence?  There must be something beyond the existence of this universe.  There is a purposeful act behind the existence of this universe, and it must have its consequence.  This universe existing is not a joke or a simple matter to ignore.  

• Human consciousness knows that this is an important matter.  That is why human beings struggle to understand the meaning of their existence.

Believers confirm the Necessary Existence of a Creator.  Deniers choose to neglect this confirmation.  Which attitude reconciles with our human side?  We must be careful not to define ourselves with our physical bodies only, rather we have a rich creation as far as our human side is concerned (non-matter side such as consciousness and feelings).

How can we reduce our feelings to brain activities?  As if things are emerging out of brain cells or activities.  We are all free to endorse any idea.  However, make sure that your comprehension makes sense rationally.  There is a conflict going on within our human side, what to confirm and what not to confirm.

We are expected to use all our senses; even doubts need to be considered.  In other words, doubts are the only way to confirm the truth:  

• Can the universe exist by itself?  

• Can I be the product of an accident?  

• How about the order, is it developing out of coincidences?

85:4 “Doomed be the makers of the ditch.”

The way the denier of the truth follows does not fit the human character, i.e. denial of the truth contradicts the human side.  If my humanity is dead, then I am dead as a human being.  I may be alive as a body insensitive to my human feelings and emotions.  This contradictory attitude is a destructive choice and is considered “doomed”. Some may literally read the verse as if being cursed by their Maker.  If one reflects on their existence that they have been made, why would their Maker curse them? The language is not finger-pointing to any people but the attitude that one may take. It is for me to decide whether to attribute existence to matter or a Conscious Creator. By taking matter or nature as the source of existence, I contradict myself and thus make the ditch for me to fall in it.

The ditch can only be within one’s own self or heart.  The heart represents all human feelings which is internal to everyone.  Although the brain may be endorsing new theories or ideas, the heart knows what it needs i.e. the reality.  So, “the ditch” in the verse represents meaningless conclusions about reality. In other words, attributing existence to matter becomes the ditch.

When one doesn’t submit to the truth, the universe becomes the fire because there is no Owner of the universe for him/her. As a result, the existence of the human being is left as being a random occurrence.  Also, the matter which is perishable becomes a false source of support bound to delude the intellect.    

Both believers and unbelievers are created beings.  The responsibility just lies in one’s choices of how they want to view their existence.  There are two worldviews:

1. Product of act of an Absolute Being- (I am confined by an Absolute Being.  This view where one is within the granter-ship of an Absolute Being.  I will be taken into a realm where my Creator will entertain my human feelings to its Infinite capacity.)
2. Product of Randomness (This view where one is confined by their body and matter.  I do not belong to anything. My existence ends here.)

85:5 “of the fire fed by fuel.”

• What is “fuel”?

Comment: Fuel is a conclusion(s) that are not deduced from Reality.

Comment: Fuel is something running.  Continual denial of the existence of the Creator.  Continually reproducing excuses for justification of denial.  Within every generation, there are various excuses competing within each other.  Trying to explain their existence is constant.

Fuel is the model of thinking about explaining the existence of the universe as happening by itself or nature. One can be sincere in their investigation about the universe but what conclusion does one arrive at is important. Is the existence of the universe coming from the matter itself or must be coming from an Absolute Creator? 

85:6 “when they sat around it.”

When you settle in with your own fuel and you sit around your own ditch.  That is, you have formulated a worldview and you live by it.

85:7 “to watch what they were doing to the believers.”

When the Quran speaks in terms of the physical description of tribes, it represents the idea of belief or unbelief.  Alternative ideas are also an interpretation of human feelings.  One idea (falsehood) is produced by one side of human beings which represents non-existence to be used to make a comparison between right and wrong so that wrong disappears after the right idea settles in.  

• Wrong needs to be rejected after confirming the right idea.
• Revelation always presents us with a black and white case.  Revelation helps us to appreciate what the truth is because after acknowledging the wrong, you are convinced about the truth.
• Truth hurts and that is why people try to cover it up.  Human freewill has two options: truth or falsehood.  

While they are burning the right idea, they burn themselves because they deprive themselves of the benefit of the right understanding of their own existence

Comment: Are some people free from falling into the “ditch” once they believe in God?

I may say that the universe is created by God and the tree is growing while I may believe in God as the Creator of the universe.  If the tree grows by itself, then that idea goes in the ditch.  We need to efface/lighten up the gray side of our tablet.  No one practices a 100 percent belief, that would be angelic.  Our area of interest should be to investigate:

• How do things act in a certain way?  We need to interpret existence in a way as to conclude comfortably that an actor must be behind the existence of the universe.  

• Interpretations of the findings are our choice.  

Philosophical views are presented as scientific findings and vice versa.

How am I going to present myself with an idea and decide that this idea is right?  Use our senses to evaluate the idea. Other ideas will come which are Satanic, trying to burn the truth and thus undermining the idea of the Creator of the universe.

Any idea which is wrong is represented with the name “Satan”.  If an idea is wrong, then what is the right idea?  I need to search for the truth.  The wrong ideas are out there because they have no basis for support, and they are easily rejected, which in turn motivates us to search for the truth.  

• The Quran always bases its argument on lailaha illallah (nothing in the universe has the quality of Deity or there is no creator in the universe, so how do I explain the existence of the qualities?)  
• Now I think about it, and this idea is useful for me to search for the truth!