Chapter Fil – Part 3

Chapter Elephant (Al-Fil), part 3

Ordinary is the way that we are accustomed with this universe.  Quran should be read as a Source that claims to be the Word of God, not that it is Word of God.  In other words, the Quran should be read to confirm and develop confidence to say that this claim being made is true. The reader must read to confirm what it claims.  In the Quran there are many examples where scenes are described that look extraordinary – miraculous things that we are not accustomed to, happening to people. The creation that we observe here is as we are accustomed to, based on experience.

Human beings are expected to experience things within their own life. What we experience in this world is what we call ordinary, routine things. We don’t experience miraculous things. How can we confirm that miraculous things, like the one mentioned in this present chapter of the Qur’an, are being done by the command of God?

Our mind and heart need to get satisfied that this order that we experience cannot happen by itself. We are experiencing things that we call ordinary as we are used to, and we predict the future based on that experience of order which does not change.  I can do projections of the future as a result of my experience of the world because the order does not change as we experience it.  Within the order there are things happening not bound by certain laws (principles in the order) such as the results of human free will, animal activity (also derived from free choice) i.e. animal activity is happening in such a way without me knowing which direction the bird is going to fly for example or whether the seed is going to be eaten by a bird or not; we do not know whether it will grow or not. Aside from these aspects in creation, the rest of the order seems as an established set of laws.

The Quran says that I (God) can interfere as the establisher of the order and do what I want – miracles of God. We accept that miracles can only be realized by the Order-er of the universe. Based on the Quran, it’s possible but I have not seen any such miracles.  History does narrate miracles but to be convinced about the evidence of miracles pertaining to my reality lies on my own personal experience, rather than trusting the narrators.

• Narration cannot be evidence for my conviction of miracles or even the narrations of ordinary events.

Main problem lies in my understanding/perception of this universe.  How am I going to understand my reality in this universe?  After all, I am concerned with myself.

From one side, the order is in front of me and I experience it. On the other side, the Quran tells me that the Owner of the universe can interfere at any time and change the order.  How do I confirm this news from the Quran? How do we reconcile this claim of the Quran and my physical practical experience in the universe? Again, the problem is not about belief in miracles, rather the main problem lies in the understanding and perception of the existence of the universe.

How are we going to understand the reality of the existence of this universe including myself?

Serious matters lie in the perception of the existence of this universe. This concerns more about my existence than some star far away in the galaxy. I want to solve my problems about existence, what will happen to me, where am I going?

For example, a man going on a journey packs up for his long journey in order to have everything needed. For one man it may take 2 hours probably to pack up and for someone else probably half the time. If someone is specialized in packing, he may do it in less than half an hour. The more someone is energetic, dynamic, the same task/event takes less time. Most of us may see that this is an inversely proportional relationship i.e. the more energetic one is, the lesser time will be taken to accomplish the task.

Similarly, in order to understand the reality of this existence, I can take the example of zero and infinity.  In order to bring something into existence, my power is zero i.e. I cannot bring anything into existence which did not exist before.  Can I bring something into existence out of nothing?  No.  (Scientists call it ex-nihilo).  In that sense, my power to create anything is 0 in mathematical terms. Bringing something into existence is impossible for me. On the other hand, the One who gives existence to this universe which did not exist before (today’s existence did not exist yesterday), the capacity mathematically will be described as infinite, no bound, no limit, not a number. As far as the One which gives existence to this universe, Its capacity must be infinite.

• Infinite represents what I cannot count within the universe. (example: the universe is infinite.  Can I give a start and end to the universe? No.)  As an example, for the concept of infinite once there is a start or end, then infinite no longer applies.  I observe start and end i.e. start and end concept is for me to understand.  The example of the universe being infinite is to show we don’t know the start and end. Scientists have estimated billions of years as a start but those are estimates. Infinite in your example is to show as something we cannot count. If there is start, then it can be counted.
• Absolute represents beyond this universe. (that is my logical conclusion i.e. it must be so, can I explain it otherwise?)

Let’s say that a one which has absolute power, knowledge, will is preparing our package for our traveling.  The infinite power, talent is preparing the package in how many seconds? 0 seconds. Let’s expand the example to prepare instead of 1 package to 50 trillion? Still 0 seconds.

• No matter how big the number, the infinite will still act in 0 second time. What does it mean logically? I cannot witness it because there is no infinite within the universe.  Even if something comes from out of the galaxy, it is within this universe.
• We cannot physically experience Absolute as there is no infinite in the universe, logically we can be sure that such a concept must be.

I got to be satisfied with my logical conclusion and that is called “belief”.  Certainty can only happen when you are logically consistent, and your human feelings are satisfied with this conviction.  The word imaan (belief) comes with serenity, assurance i.e. no hesitation.

• I must experience something (serenity) so I can confirm it.

This chapter says that an army of elephant is defeated by a flock of birds. Why? The narrator of the speech says that I am the Creator of this universe, I can make it. There is no physical evidence where I look at and see that there is no less powerful defeating someone more powerful. How can the owner of the universe be able to do this? I need to confirm this here.

Claim of the Quran says: “If the Creator wills anything to exist, then it exists.”

The wording of the Quran is important in order to understand the real purpose. The wording from the maker is such as if the Creator wills anything, for example, simple atom or a huge galaxy to exist, then it exists.  “If I will to give existence to a thing, it is Be, therefore it is”.

Quran claims that the Owner of the universe crates everything equally (Arabic word “shay’un”) — “Big/small is same for Me”.  Not like me, a human being, where I must gather things to get something.

• For infinite there is no simple, complex, big, small, quality, quantity, and such comparative qualities.

“Create” does not mean creating out of nothing.  Nothing does not exist.  “Ex Nihilo” is not true.  Instead, the One who gives existence to something gives existence to something which did not exist.  Existence is given directly just as a result of “Will” of the Creator. Existence is not coming from non-existence, i.e. no means.  In order to create, one has to have Absolute quality of Will/Consciousness/Choice/Power/Knowledge.

• “Ex Nihilo” (coming into existence from that which does not exist/From nothing) – is a wrong way of thinking. How can existence take place from nothing? There must be a Source giving existence.  Also, what I observe is created things being brought together to yield a product.  Do these things know each other?    So, how can I conclude that things are coming into existence out of nothing.  As far as I am concerned, I observe coming into existence of things which did not exist.
• From our practical life, we might use God gives existence out of nothing, influenced by human philosophy. But we should be aware that this is from my observation.
• In order to create, one must have Absolute qualities (Absolute Will). For the Absolute, the content of the package makes no difference.

If an agent brings something into existence, then that agent must have Absolute qualities. If something has Absolute qualities, then in order to bring anything no matter the content must be equal.  Bringing into existence does not take time, zero time. When I look at a park and it exists, the source must be Absolute in terms of bringing into existence with zero time. What about the galaxy, same thing when it comes from an Absolute agent. Quran mentions that one cannot get out of the edges of the universe as it is infinite and there are no limits.  How did Muhammad (pbuh) claim to know that one cannot get to the end of existence 1450 years ago?  If we understand that we are created being, given existence – that is what we are. We cannot give ourselves existence.  Human mind can logically conclude such because of the round structure of the universe.

• Whatever exists, needs a cause of existence, simply because the thing has no quality to exist by itself. That is observational and logical.

How do we experience the universe based on the points mentioned above?

Stage 1: Logically speaking, in order to bring things into existence, one must have Absolute power.

Stage 2: Experientially: We observe no quality in the things to bring themselves into existence.

Stage 3: If an agent brings something into existence, then it must have Absolute quality which does not need anything else other than itself to give existence to something.

Time is a notion after things are in existence. For something that doesn’t exist, there is no concept of time and space. For example, my existence in this world that I am experiencing is in years with respect to time.  I have gone through multiple stages, but I may not have thought about it to realize that the cause of existence must be of an Absolute quality giving existence in no time, zero time. We are not experiencing instant existence but endless instances of existence. The source of existence as we understand must be Absolute and I on the other hand am subject to the endless instances of existence in stages, according to my experience of existence.

• Endless time for me and no time for the Creator.

Often heard comments: “where is God when the war happened, or when some undesirable event happened?”  We don’t know what we are saying. The events are some items within the package of the universe in the example earlier.  What the package includes in it, I am following it within time.  Package includes space and time at the same time.  Universe exists within the space and time dimension.  For the Absolute Source, the package must be instant knowledge, power, will etc.

The events are in space time for me but for the Absolute there should be no space time dimension.  For me, the events are like the items in our package example above but experienced within space time.  That is to say, as I experience events “many times” in my life experiences here, the Source of Existence of these events must not be subject to time (because it is Absolute by definition).

Flash drive example from part 1 of these notes:  Our life is in a flash drive and we only experience moment by moment segment.  The Existence of the flash drive points to an Absolute Knowledgeable One.

God’s Knowledge is Absolute, what does that mean?

Does anyone know what I will do two hours later? No.  How about my Creator, does It not know what I am going to do?  If it is my Creator, then It must know it.  Do you think that the package is subject to my experience only?  The Preparer of the package must know what I will experience in 10 years; as in the flash drive analogy example where all those years of experience are there in the flash drive.

• My free choice is known to the Creator before I experience it. My not knowing what I am going to choose freely does not mean that the result of my choice is not known also. For the Absolute Being we cannot use any language which belongs to our experience within this universe. We cannot even imagine how it is like to be Absolute. Therefore, we should not make speculations about the nature of the Knowledge of the Absolute Knower. But we logically conclude that in order to be the Source of Existence of this universe, It must be Absolute.

By definition, Absolute must be beyond time and space, Source of Existence of everything in the package. I don’t know but the infinite knowledge must know – the source of existence of space time.  By definition, the things, events may occur within an order that I may not experience or expect but the preparer of the package must know it.  For the One who gives existence to the universe, It must know it prior to giving existence.  That is, for me everything must be known to It before as it must be within infinite knowledge.

How do I experience the universe?

If God says that I know what you will do tomorrow and at the same time that you have free will to choose. The argument is before I practice my free will, how can this be known by the Creator since it didn’t happen? My exercise of free choice is known by the Creator before I experience it. You can freely choose as that is what free will is. However, it is known by the Creator as it is within the package or flash drive and the package is arranged accordingly. The Creator must know what we are going to choose freely. We are subject to time but It must not be subject to time. I cannot use the same language for me as a created being and for It as the Creator.

Stage 1: I only choose from what is existent.  Do I choose something which does not exist within the package?  No.  I am only experiencing given options being presented to me right now.  Can I choose something from the past or future? No. We are choosing instantly in our lives, whatever exists right now for me.

My decision is happening right now in the form of hope/imagination, happiness, hopelessness…  I am choosing instantly, not from last minute or coming minute.  I am choosing what exist instantly.  We are squeezed to a time limit which goes to zero.  I am practically experiencing very limited time period in existence.

Stage 2:  When I choose among created things, can I create anything? No.

When I decide to choose something, as far as my experience here is concerned, for example, my hand moving slowly, nano seconds are happening, creation is happening in time for me.  What is the significance of this matter?  I am choosing in the form of wanting a result, which is the next moment that gets created.  Am I creating that moment?  No. A whole new universe is created the next moment for me. I choose but I do not create. I am wanting and a new universe is created according to my choice which must be known to the Absolute Creator who arranges the package according to the result of my choice.

Stage 3: Freewill cannot create.  It cannot claim act of creation.

I am experiencing moment by moment of the universe.  I am unable to distinguish that I am experiencing smaller than nano second of existence. Rather I am experiencing constant continuous existence.

• For me, there is endless “Be” i.e. events/opportunities, creation for me in time. For the Absolute, there is “one-time Be”.  For example, taking a medicine to coagulate blood is within the order in the universe, known by the Creator of the universe. I take the medicine the result comes out within the order of the universe. This is what I experience. For the Creator, the medicine and my taking it and the result is known with no time limitation and the order of the universe is established accordingly by the Absolute Creator.

“No one can know my knowledge except what I reveal” (2: 255.)  We only choose from among what is created. Our choice is absolutely free and must be known by the Creator.  That is, we are discovering step by step what the order is. We must realize that we choose only from among what is created, and our choice is absolutely free, but this must already be known by the Creator of the package.  God’s knowledge is subject to my free choice.  That is, God’s knowledge is following my choice.  He gave me this ability to choose freely, and this does not prevent Its Will and Knowledge to be Absolute. That means, it is His preference to give me the free will to choose freely. That is why my free will does not prevent God’s Absolute Free Will. His Absolute Knowledge of what I am going to choose in time depends on my free choice, but His Knowledge does not depend on time. The package of the universe has been prepared by Him for me to exercise my free choice which is already known to the Absolute knowledge. We cannot comprehend the content of Absolute but logically we can conclude that the Creator must have Absolute Knowledge, Power, and Will.

• My freedom to choose is free but God knows my choice. That is, from my perspective which is subject to time, I experience /exercise my choice.  From His Absolute perspective, beyond the limitations of time and space, It gives existence. In other words, He is the One Who gave existence to the entire universe as a package including time and space in it at the same time. (Remember the flash drive example.)
• Freedom of human choice is limitless (infinite) but exercise area of human freewill is limited. That is, I cannot go outside the bound of this universe.  Whatever I experience is within this universe.
• Example: you prefer to drink water, and nothing is holding you back. Can you stop the earth?  Can you give life to an inanimate being? I may only cut a plant and give an end to its life. That is, I can only use things within the order.

Comment: Can we learn order of the universe at a faster rate?

You can discover what is already existent. But the main question is:  Can you bring something into existence in the universe?

• Field to practice freedom for human beings is limited but freedom to practice is not limited.

He judges according to what I am going to practice according to my conditions and package i.e. freely choose.  My freely chosen choice is known accordingly to my Creator.

Comment: God knows it before I experience it.

Creator knows what is in the package of which I am only a minute part; do I know what is in its entirety?  No, whatever I experience is stage by stage according to my conditions.