Chapter Hashr – Part 3

Hashr, part 3

Recap: What kind of Absolute Being is the Source of my existence i.e. the Source of Existence of the universe?

The Medina chapters deals with regulations within social life and international relations i.e. how the life of the people in general should be protected.  How should we understand Absoluteness of God and Oneness of God?

• We are not learning what kind of attributes does God have, rather we are looking for the evidence that makes us conclude the Source of Existence of these attributes.
• Without evidence, human beings cannot confirm. So, where can I find evidence?  It is all around us.

Every age, every nation becomes a part of history because we all change over-time.  It is interesting to see how education transitioned from specialty centric (established by scholars) to institution centric in the course of human history.  Now, you adapt yourself to institutions, before you adapted yourself to scholars.  That is how religion became institutionalized as well.  Example: Application of Christianity in Cathedrals schooling system.  Similarly, Islamic institution presented ruling as legislations (sharia).  As a result, almost only hadith narrations were taken into account and studied by people.  However, the hadith narrations cannot really be accurately interpreted because we cannot know what was in the heart of the man performing it.  What can be extracted from a hadith narration is just one “keyword” or a “summary phrase”.  But somehow, people who observed the action or speech of the Messenger of God presented what they have observed from their own interest perspective.  How can you make a line out of one dot?  Similarly, how can you make a sunnah out of a hadith? This needs a very comprehensive study.

• We need experts to guide us because just reading a translation cannot help me learn something. The translations of the Quran can only provide a skeleton of the teaching.

How can I know that God is the Source of Existence of peace?

(In principle, what I conclude as Absolute is relative to me, no one can talk about the Absolute truth.)

My destination is God: “Please God put me in the right path, destination of which is You.”

Can I reach God before I die?  No, impossible.  Our duty is to search for God and try to be convinced by examining the signs in the creation about its existence until death.  Do not be a part-time searcher!

Turn your face towards Kabah.  It means position yourself as belonging to an Absolute.

Am I on the right path?  Am I on the destination to get to know the Creator better?

After having the point of reference (the studies of which are theoretical), then I can work on the practical side.

I am here to look for ultimate destination i.e. to get to know the Source of my existence and what kind of being it is.

What do we mean by God, so I will learn why do I exist?  The question should not start with who God is, rather my concern is what the meaning of my existence is.

• In order to get the meaning of my existence, I have to get to know the Source of my Existence. Where did I come from?  What gave me existence so I can understand the Source of my existence.

Belief is personal and you cannot inherit it from someone. 

Am I happy with this?  Does it put me at peace?  Destination of peace is not to get this universe under our control, rather getting the meaning that the universe points at.

Can I see the evidence of peace in the universe?

Look at the galaxies in the universe or the life of plants and animal in the forests.  Peacefully coming into existence, living peacefully and dying.

Where can I find peace?

Meaningful creation is manifesting in the universe every night and day and you see how peacefully everything comes into existence.  Example: In religious text, there is mention about “the night of destiny (Laila tul Qadr)” where angels come down until crack of dawn.  What does that mean?  It means that peace is coming down, which is nothing but me realizing how act of creation is taking place and qualities are manifested in a peaceful way with no hindrance whatsoever.  That makes us conclude that the source of Existence of this universe must be a peaceful One or the Absolute Source of peace.

Will of the Creator is manifested in such a way that I feel peace within myself in observing creation.

• If you conclude in the end of your reflections on creation that everything is coming into existence out of the will of the Creator of the universe who is arranging everything in a perfect harmony, then you feel that I am created by this One. This realization culminates when your spirit leaves the body and you find yourself in a completely different sort of creation of your Owner i.e. death.
• Is there anything coming into existence with difficulty?

What does crack of dawn refer to?

When the light of the beginning of a new day (different type of creation) comes, that is death.  In other words, a peaceful transition is taking place at every moment.  Since my spirit is operating in the body, my spirit is at peace with its Source of Existence with the coming of light i.e. realizing the Source of Existence of peace.