Chapter Buruj – Part 3
Recap: We looked at verse 7 of this chapter:
“to watch what they were doing to the believers.” Quran 85-7.
The word “shuhud” (translated as to watch) means to witness something which implies that one is aware of what one is doing. The Quran is an ever-fresh Speech of God, so we should not investigate it as something of the past. We will thus analyze the verse as “to watch what the unbelievers are doing to the believers”.
The general public nowadays does not harm others and go on with their lives. However, some people take it within themselves to criticize the believers. The Quran asks people to use their intellect to answer what is going on within themselves.
We must practice what the Creator provides through creation. Example: if there was no injustice taking place in the world, then how can we practice justice? We hear from the Quran that one must be kind and respectful to the people. Why? That is how the qualities of the Creator are manifested in the universe where there are opposite qualities we experience. This allows us to choose the quality of kindness and respect over harshness. I thus develop a familiarity with good qualities while practicing them as this practice will contribute to my hereafter. So that when I am taken out of the limitations of this world, my new body according to the condition of the new existence will not be estranged to It (hereafter). So, we can then say: “This is what the Creator introduced to us and now we are experiencing it directly”.
We are given a creation NOW to experience the qualities of the Creator HERE (not directly but their manifested forms). Here, we need to develop our recognition of God’s names. We must do HERE what is expected for us to do in order to live with the qualities of the Creator HERE and NOW. Whichever way we are created, there is no extra burden imposed on us. On the other hand, we have created extra necessities of life because of giving in to societal influences and what we are exposed to through secular civilization. The necessities of life in its basic sense are very few.
- What the Quran presents to human beings is nothing contrary to human nature.
- Every human being can experience his human nature in its purest sense.
We must respect every creation as a gift from my Creator. For example when a friend presents a gift to me where the gift represents the friendship and honor of my friend towards me. I am pleased and thank the friend to honor the friendship. Similarly, the universe is a gift, it is a sign from my Creator to acknowledge Him. As students of the Quran, we should bear in mind that the ultimate Creator is the Absolute Being. Nothing else can administer this universe and nothing has Divine qualities in creation.
In order to be an Absolute Being, one has to have creative qualities that cannot be found in this universe within the already existing beings. Hence, the Creator of the universe is not of the nature of this universe (Absolute in its essence).
No one should enforce God’s religion on anyone. People are free to accept it as they want. Everyone should be free to express their ideas which should not turn into enmity towards others. Guidance comes from the Creator of the universe through the Prophets to whoever wants to be guided. You just convey the message and leave the result to God. Always repel the wrong ideas and resist wrongful attitudes within oneself.
- Always solve anything with better behavior: “Call [people] to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good teaching. Argue with them in the most courteous way, for your Lord knows best who has strayed from His way and who is rightly guided.” Qur’an 16: 125
85: 8 “They took revenge on them only because they believed in the All-mighty, the praiseworthy.”
We can praise only the Creator of the universe for anything we have been given in this world. When we live with this awareness, nothing bothers us anymore. Those who do not acknowledge that they are created by the Creator of the universe, Who is an Absolute Being, they try to enjoy their lives with the realization that their life is going to come to an end and they will disappear in existence forever in spite of their feelings that desire never-ending enjoyment. This contradiction within themselves makes them feel disturbed. By seeing that those who believe in the Absolute Being enjoy their lives with the belief that they belong to Him and He can and will take care of their lives.
If person A insists on an idea that is proved to be wrong by person B, person A either has to accept his mistake and correct it or try to defend his mistake by false excuses. Failure to prove that he is right makes him an enemy of person B, and person A does not want person B to demonstrate that he is wrong. Person A tries other ways of revenge.
85:9 “to whom the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. And God is witness unto everything.”
Being a believer in God has endless degrees and it has no limit. The whole universe demonstrates His Absolute qualities. We should always strive for experiencing the presence of His Qualities in everything we do and everything we witness in creation. We should never get tired of refreshing our confidence in His Existence. He is a conscious Being, must know what He is creating and also know what we are doing in our lives. The universe witnesses that its Creator must be witnessing what He is creating. Otherwise, this universe cannot be explained as to how it came into existence and sustains its existence with a perfect balance, purpose, beauty, meaning etc.
Tags: Al-Buruj, Buruj series, Creation, Prophethood, pure spirit, Repentance, Turn back to God