By August 7, 2019 Read More →

Chapter Falaq – Part 7

“113:4 and from the evil of those who blow on knots,”

Why is my Creator telling me to seek refuge with Him?  More so, what do “knots” represent?

Comment: knot may represent confusion or convoluted thinking.

Does the word “knot” have enough connotation to explain what it means?

Comment: knots based on someone may do black magic.

Ok, but how does it effect you?  Because of someone else’s mistake, is God going to punish you?  For someone else’s evil, should you be punished?

If someone needs help, then I should help this person, otherwise it will be a failure from my side (negligence and laziness) and as a result, I feel punished for it i.e. pain and concern.  The order in creation is made in such a way that someone’s position has an effect on me because my spirit is connected to my environment.  Example: if the weather is hot, then I am affected.  If it rains, then I get affected as well.  Similarly, if people around me are always angry and shouting, then I say that it is negative energy because I do not feel comfortable.  There is a relationship here and as a result of this relationship, if you do not do your responsibility, then you will be a careless person.  If someone is needy in any ways (e.g. financial, moral support or wrong understanding of existence), and if I do not help them, then I do not feel comfortable and it will be my experience of pain i.e. a sign from my Creator that I do not care about people and I am not using my sense of responsibility given to me by my Creator letting me know that I am doing something wrong by giving me pain/stress.

  • If I do not take care of my responsibility, and help someone in need, then I do not feel comfortable and I will experience pain as a sign demonstrating to me that I am not using my sense of responsibility given to me by my Creator.

Going to the first comment, spreading confusion may have an effect on me in one condition: When I try to make things complex and tangle myself up in a way that I cannot get out of.  That is, if we do not have clarity about any subject within ourselves i.e. not fully satisfied, then the matter becomes entangled or “uqad” for us.

Example: inferiority/superiority complex.  These are “uqad”.  If you are from an elite institution, then you may look down upon other people from other institutions.  I thought that I am superior to others, that imagination puts me in a position that I cannot deal with my responsibility in a rational way because I have my biases.  These biases may be legitimate or not and I am not ready to solve this problem.  Hence, I cannot control my behavior in the right way due to convoluted thinking and I cannot adjust my life accordingly.

  • If someone blows on it, then I will be under this effect and this effect will not be true but becomes complex for me.
  • If someone used this complexity and exploits it on me, then I will get more complex and it will be more difficult for me to get out of this complex.

Because from the beginning, my attitude was wrong, and I cannot behave in a nice way.  Example: we say that some people who look down on others are snobbish.  Hence, I must check my behavior towards other people or any other creature.  If I think that I am better than the dog or someone else, then I behave towards the dog in an insulting way just because of my own attitude.  If I had another feeling that I am superior to the dog or an employee, then I do not behave in a normal human expected way.  Because of my own bias, I am not aware of my weak point that I took this attitude for granted that I am the manager and my employees do whatever I order.  As far as human values are concerned, people with superiority complex think that they are superior over other people and as a result inevitably they cannot control themselves, that is an evil situation to be in.

  • Thus, I must seek refuge with my Creator, if I trust Him and ask Him and remember Him, then I will understand that as soon as I remember my Creator (I am created).

Did you make the color of your skin?  The One who created you did.  Can you be proud of it or ashamed of it?  Nothing (neither proud nor ashamed, both are signs of superiority and inferiority complex respectively).  My Creator has decided my color on me.

  • If you feel inferior, then you are judging about God’s decision.
  • If are proud of it, then you are taking value out of it which does not belong to you, rather belongs to Him.
  • The color of my skin is not my property, I cannot be proud of it or ashamed of it. I am thankful that he created me as I am.  Because if He did not create me, then I would not exist as I am.  Which one is better?  Not to exist or accept as I am created.  When we remember our Creator, we must be THANKFUL because we are brought into existence and all the qualities are given to us by our Creator. 

When I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak, then I will remember that the values in my being do not belong to me.  Example: I am very beautiful (superiority complex) or I am ugly (inferiority complex i.e. according to the standard of other people you are putting a price to yourself).  You are created as you are.

  • If you have any of these attitudes, then this attitude without your realizing causes a problem i.e. a settled unquestioned, not well-thought understanding of your existence.

Tall/Short, Ugly/Beautiful.  Are these things your property, no you are created as such?  If good/bad, then it belongs to God.  Usually, what is good or bad for me is my own assumption as compared to something else.  This is my prejudice!  We must see that being in existence is the best value that I can ever have because I am given existence.  Example: someone has preferred me to exist because I am worth it in his eyes.  It maybe an ant, a cat, short man, tall man… these are our concepts.  If you are in one part of the world, then you will be tall as opposed to another part where people are taller than you.  It means that these things are relative, it is not real.

  • My assumptions as comparing to another person cannot give me the right to attach myself as “with-value” or “valueless”. No!
  • Take yourself as comfortable with your existence and thank the One who brought you into existence and think that I must be worth a lot in the eye of my Creator so that he gave me existence. I am a precious being in the eye of my Creator.

“The Lord of daybreak” is the Lord of the whole universe, galaxies and everything in the micro world and what an imaginable prefect order has been established?  This demonstrates that the Creator of this order must be an Absolute Being.  Can you imagine?  Absolute Being has thought of you and created you because you are worth to be created.  How valuable you are!  Why are you taking care of your size, your color, body structure, your abilities that you develop or not?  Take care of your responsibilities and be thankful to the One who brought you into existence.

  • Do not be proud of whatever is given to you from birth and do not be ashamed of it and do not make any complex within your own thought.

This is how the creation side of the matter is.  Now, how are we created?  That is the existential side.  Our understandings on creation and existence may have complexes.

Comment:  Why can’t I be proud of my color for example?

Why are you proud of someone else’s work? Do you make your skin color?  Is it your property?  Rather, I am proud of my Creator, whatever He gave me.  I am proud of my existence because in his eyes I was worth to be created. 

Your owner is not your father/mother or the state, rather the Lord of the whole universe.  When you remember this reality, then you will have no complex.  It means seek refuge with this realty: “Remember me, I am here, the One who created you.  Your being belongs to me”.

Human psychology is an interesting subject. Let us take another example.  A janitor would not like to be asked what s/he does.  Rather, if someone is in a good position, then they want to be asked about their profession.  (Hidden complex- ask me about my nationality!)

If someone has any complex (inferiority) about a matter, then s/he wishes that this matter should not be the subject of conversation.  These are all fake identities, knots or complex personality.  This is the source of problem for every people as a general culture.  We must try to get out of any complex for ourselves.  If someone has many psychological problems (i.e. problems that s/he cannot solve by herself/himself, so s/he is suffering from it), listen to this person carefully.  Try to see where the complex or knot is because all psychological problem has the same root i.e. an existential void (biological causes are exceptions.)

Example: If I have a problem in myself with my dealing with other creatures, then me not liking spiders or bugs means that something is wrong with me. If you do not like it to be in your house, that is okay, but why do you get annoyed with it?

Ask the spider: Why are you ugly and make webs?

Look at the honey bees: Can you make honey or do something that they cannot do?  No, they are so talented.  Honey is created for us and everything which is created is perfect in its existence.  My creation is perfect in its existence because my Creator is the perfect One.  If my Creator was not a perfect One, then He would not be able to create spider which I get annoyed with.  We must convince ourselves that no matter how I am created, whatever I am given, it is best for me. Do not compare because it is not real (e.g. I do not have this or that)  Since it is not based on reality, you will be swimming in an imaginary world and as a result you develop certain ideas which are not true and you start developing certain biases which does not let you act as you are supposed to act.  That is, you do not act as you are or how your reality is.  Can you act realistic when you are in an unrealized world?  No!  This contradiction of the reality and your illusion causes double personality!  You can never be comfortable and feel relaxed because you are in between reality and illusion.  Illusion does not let you act as you are supposed to act.  This discordance causes your personality to be twisted, rather than smooth so you cannot be comfortable with yourself.  If you do not follow the way that you are created and distort it by assumed/convoluted thoughts, then you will be uncomfortable and have psychological problems.

Uncomfortable personalities are called psychological problems.  Here, you are trying to solve problems from outside.  Rather, the complex is within.  This complex is made by me, by my wrong assumptions and false comparisons.   Example: white people are usually valued more than black.  Rather, I am proud of my Creator as He prepares me to exist.  I am precious in the eyes of my Creator. He gave me consciousness to be aware of my existence.  There is no unnatural attitude constructed by your Creator!  If you do not realize this, then of course you will have psychological problems (bored, stressed, unsatisfied…) and you will feel unsatisfied with yourself always.  Impossible to get out of this, unless we solve the problem from within ourselves, inside.

  • Be comfortable as you are created.

Don’t assume unrealistic understandings by comparing yourself with others and put a price for yourself according to the standards from people around you.  That is how we judge each other.  While comparing with others and assuming false ideas, our personality loses its straightness and becomes twisted.  As a result, I have to suffer for it because of my unrealistic assumptions.  People cannot make you feel bad, it is you because you take them seriously rather than the Creator.

  • If you do not take refuge with the Creator, then you will take refuge with value of the society.

We are equal in terms of being created.  Everything is created according to the choice and decision of our Creator.  A cat is created as a cat according to the choice of its Creator.  I am created as I am according to the choice of my Creator.  I did not choose to be old, why should I feel inferior or superior?  It is not my business.  I am just enjoying as I am created, and I am happy about it because my Creator is keeping an eye on my existence and operating a new existence continuously.

  • I am under the surveillance of my Creator, why should I bother about others? The Creator is the Owner of all creatures including everything else, the whole universe, we belong to Him.
  • As soon as you realize the lord of daybreak, then you solve all your problems.

How am I going to seek refuge with my Creator is our concern?  “Daybreak” represents solution and serenity.  No darkness anymore, nothing is unclear for me, I understand everything.  When you recognize and acknowledge that He is the Source of Existence, day becomes bright and nothing is in darkness anymore.  When you acknowledge that He is the Source of Existence, then everything becomes bright.

In our relationship with the universe, there is a material aspect first and then psychological interaction/aspect.  Example: when I open a box of spoiled food, it smells bad and everyone around me can smell it.  Is it my fault?  Well, in its existence, that is how the order is and so it is not my fault.  That is, if I do not properly store the food then it goes bad.  However, in my negligence yes, it is my fault.

We are dealing with a very sensitive subject.  If you understand it, then it will be a source of healing. The fact of the matter is that we are mostly living in an artificial life style, afar from our human disposition because of our problem with comparison.

We must see whether what the Quran says makes sense.  How can I make “Belief in God” the Source of solution for all physical and psychological mean?

If you understand that any solution is provided by God, then you will be thankful to the Absolute Being.  I can speak and have a dialogue with only my Creator.  However, I cannot have the same attitude towards creation.

Example: This chair is made by a person.  If the Maker of the chair tells the chair that “you are bad,” then the chair will say “it is your mistake since you made me.”  Similarly, my Creator does not tell me I am bad because I am His work.  I am proud of my existence as I am because of my Creator who is the best as he created the whole universe.

  • Only before my Creator, I can feel inferior. Apart from my Creator, I cannot feel inferior before even the whole creation.
  • Confess your mistakes to only your Creator and not anyone else.

Psychological problems are our own innovations, it is not God created.

Comment: I understand that laws are created but sometimes I do not prefer what is being created.

Creation of something is different from your choice. Check your choice. E.g. if you do not like cold weather do not complain about it but prevent yourself from cold. The other things in the world need cold weather, it is the order of creation.

Comment:  Sometimes we compare things that do not hold any value for my existence.

Comparing myself with others should not cause any superiority or inferiority complex.  I should take lesson from others and accordingly direct my freewill and make a choice.

However, at the existential level, no one can say that I am given less capacity. Everything created is perfect in its existence and is given its due.  Example: honey bee is perfect in its creation.  Another example: someone is a perfect ill man and creation of cancer cells are perfect in their existence. However, our acquired biases and understandings are not perfect because while I am making comparisons, especially if it is not real or based on reality, then I am insulting my Creator. I should carefully differentiate between the creation of cancer cell and me avoiding it, not wanting it to come close to me. I should take precautions not to get bitten by an insect but it does not legitimize my criticizing its existence and accusing its creator.

When you say that a person is ugly, then that is your perception and as a result you are insulting the Creator.  Imagine the Creator is there, and s/he will say who are you that do not like my work.  We are talking about things at the existential level, not at our assumed perceptions.  We are responsible for our assumed perceptions.  I am perfect as an “ugly” man.  I am perfect as an “old” man.  No one can make me as an old man.  I am proud of my Creator, rather than I am proud of my beauty. These words are assumed by us as a result of our comparisons.

If you think that your knowledge is from your teacher and you are indebted to the teacher, then you give opportunity to the teacher to exploit you.  Do not develop any knot that someone else blows on.  We should not be disrespectful to anyone but be aware of all these.  As a mom, I am employed by my Creator to serve my child.  Is the child putting a gun in you that you must take care of me?

  • Develop an understanding that I am not indebted to anyone besides by Creator.
  • We cannot be proud of our talents/abilities. Example: is the honey bee proud that it can produce honey and the others cannot?  The honey bee can do that just because it is created to produce honey.  A mouse cannot say that “I can hide and get anywhere in the house and you cannot.”  These are false comparisons.  Again, be careful not to develop any idea within oneself that I am indebted to creation besides my Creator.

Respect others because they are the products of my Creator.

  • “Iyyaka na’budu”— Only acknowledge the Source of your Existence as the Creator that I worship. I am made as I am.  All prejudices that we construct are based on negligence of our Lord.

 

 




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