113:3 “I take refuge from the evil of darkness when it gathers (on top of each other).”
Let us check our understanding of what darkness is referring to.
- Is night something frightening, because there is no light? That’s possible but could that be the only meaning?
We should bear in mind what kind of speech this is i.e. who speaks to the reader:
- I am the One who is the Creator of the universe.
- I am the One who is your Creator.
- I know what you need and that you need guidance.
- I am speaking to you to help you travel safely through your life journey.
- I say, are you speaking specially to me?
We should question, why do you speak to me? As humans, we know that we have so many senses. We find that our feelings do not fit within the universe and go beyond the limitations of this world. The universe says that I cannot satisfy your need for eternal satisfaction, I myself am transient.
Where should I go for eternal happiness? The things around me do not have the answers to my human side. For bodily side, yes, I am able to find food, shelter and clothing. What about eternal happiness? For example, my mother, father, grandparents love me but we understand that one day they will leave us. Also, one day I will leave as well.
- One has to think and feel their position in the universe.
We are confined within this universe. Have you ever thought of what the universe is? Where am I? What is the meaning of this universe? In this existence, there is no answer for this. That is why I do not really know what the universe is. Wherever one goes in the universe, the feelings and expectations do not get satisfied. Without realizing where we are, the nature of this universe, our existence, we cannot understand what darkness is because darkness doesn’t exist by itself.
- Example: Darkness is not being deprived of light from a bulb since we all have that in every residence.
- Everything in existence must have a Source of Existence (SOE).
Quran speaks to what? Who are the addressees? Does it speak to mountains, rocks?
Answer: Human beings.
Which part of human beings? Speaks to the Heart, Soul?
Soul represents what? The soul represents our human side which has awareness. Awareness has two sides working; one is that it is aware of the existence of others as well as aware of the existence of itself.
- Soul is whatever makes me a human being without considering my bodily material side.
When my human side is in darkness, then I am in trouble. I thus must seek refuge with the SOE. Who gave me this sense of not wanting to be submerged in existential darkness? Existential darkness as related to my existence – consciousness is aware of this. Through my consciousness I realize that I do not want to be in existential darkness, i.e. having the existential question but not having the answer.
What is this existential darkness? Our human side wants to make sense of our existence here. The human side wants to know what my existence means, why am I here? Could the grave be the end? If yes, then why bother then? Meaninglessness is pain and darkness for me, how do I get out of this meaninglessness? Take refuge with your Lord.
What do we mean by seeking refuge with the Lord? I must come back within myself and question one thing which is extremely important: “Where did I get the sense of needing eternal solution or satisfaction?”
Where did I get this consciousness, which makes me aware of my need? You have to find the solution/cure; question it and you will find the SOE. Otherwise you will remain in darkness. I have to be convinced with my own existence. What is the SOE of my consciousness? Where did it come from?
The universe is so huge, innumerable galaxies with stars – can it satisfy me? No. What if I have the whole universe? I still want eternal happiness. I am subject to death so how do I reconcile this? The previous verse offers an answer:
“Seek refuge with the Lord of Daybreak (enlightenment, getting out of the prison of the world)” (Falaq, 113: 1) from this evil of darkness.
Where did I get this need for eternal satisfaction, where did I get my consciousness? The Source that gives me all this must be the source to take refuge with.
- Consciousness realizes that you are in darkness if you cannot get out of existential darkness, which results in distress to the human side. In order to receive a cure from darkness, getting out of prison of being squeezed between birth and death within this limited world, you must seek an answer/guidance from the SOE. My Creator does not speak to me in regard to anything that I can solve by myself. When your human side is in darkness, then that is evil. And so, you must seek refuge with the Source of your Existence. Meaninglessness in one’s existence is the source of pain. Through my consciousness, when I realize that if I do not get answers to my questions, then that bothers me. “Whoever gave me existence gave me the need to get out of this existential darkness.”
Where did I get the sense of getting rid of darkness? You must seek refuge with the SOE of the question. If you are not sure that the universe needs a Creator, then ask yourself if it is possible to exist by yourself? Additionally, is it possible to exist through other parts of the universe?
It looks contradictory to question the source of darkness. People are not encouraged to ask questions in the general culture. –Even cultural religion tells us not to question faith – most likely since they have no answer.
- We should be open and free thinking, free from the slavery of culture to be able to make sense of our existence.
- Freedom comes before belief. Without freedom, belief cannot be held.
- Analogy: The building is made by bricks. Is the brick the SOE of the building? Similarly, are your eyes the SOE of your power of sight? No. Are you as a whole being, the SOE of yourself?
Question: Why is it called evil of darkness?
Is one comfortable with the existential status of never being satisfied with the universe? Isn’t that trouble and you seek the Source to take refuge with? The universe cannot answer my questions; it then becomes easy for me to find the SOE of the universe who must provide the answer. The answer is there with the SOE. I must look for the Lord of the universe to speak to me. Only the written text of The Quran does not answer my questions, I have to try to understand what exactly it says by accompanying my reflections with the witnessing of the work of its Speaker, which is the universe including my own human qualities. Then I will realize that the answers come from the Creator of the universe.
Social security/welfare coverage is until death. Life insurance is until death. These are all temporary solutions. I need to insure not to go into non-existence, annihilation. Who can insure on that? Could it be the state, the job, the parents, the social security, health insurance, the universe?
I belong to the Lord of Daybreak and such a one is the answer. I am transient but the Lord is eternal. The transience is given from Him. The questions and human needs are given to search for this Lord. We are created with endless questions in order to look for solutions for them so that we may find the Source of answer for them.
- The source of answer is my Lord; I must become aware of Him (His qualities), the more I become aware of His being Absolute the more I will be secure in my existence.
Feel free to ask the questions, we should not be afraid or shy about this: Ask who organized this universe, who gave me eyes, ears, senses? What is the digestive system, who/what organized it? I am asking what is the source of existence of my body (including cells)? Some answers from civilization would be the cells in my body or nature which is so simple minded and imposes that on us. I am asking what is the source of my existence (including my cells)? They answer, your cells. Are these satisfactory answers? That is why we need to be brave to question their explanations.
If the universe is dependent in its existence, the SOE of the universe must be independent. The universe is transient, the SOE must be permanent. I belong to this Eternal Source of existence.
I may find myself in darkness as a result of my not questioning what my human side really needs. The answer is already in my existence, I have to search for it. When I discover the answer, I come out of darkness and become enlightened.
Can we give existence to anything which did not exist before?
To create means to bring something into existence that did not exist before. The civilization uses the word “creates” very loosely. Creating means inventing, not discovering. For example, we discover the galaxy that already exists. There is no end to discovery. Study the brain and there is no end to that. Whatever is existing in the universe, we discover that.
Formula offered by the Quran: La ila ha Illah Hu. This is proved by the universe and everything in the universe. The universe cannot provide the answers. The only way to get the satisfactory answers to my existential questions is to find out my SOE and attach my existence to this Absolute Source. By realizing that my existence is from Him and I belong to Him, the Eternal Existence Giver. This is the only way to free myself from the prison of darkness of transience. We should not cheat ourselves with readymade answers, someone else’s answers, but have our own questions and seek the answers by ourselves. The Creator speaks to those who are questioning, are in darkness and seeking light.
Daybreak emerges when I attribute my existence to my Lord, Who must be the Eternal Existence Giver.
- Turn to the speech of our Creator for this purpose to seek the light.