Chapter Inshirah – Part 5

Recap: Some verses in the Quran may seem to be disconnected.  If the verses were the production of a man, then s/he will know how to fix it.  A Scripture by definition is the verbal Speech of the Creator of the universe.  Quran provides guidance of the end of a transaction; the in-between is left for the reader to investigate and experience for himself/herself.  Historians tell stories in its complete sense, the Divine Speech on the other hand pushes the reader to go, investigate and find out the end result.  The investigative search is within one’s capacity.

94:7 “Therefore, when you are free (from one task), resume (another task).”

When you follow the guidance, you will understand that when you interact with the universe, you conclude something.  Then, when you perform the next transaction, you conclude something again.

How is this verse connected with the previous verse i.e. 94:6 “Verily, with every hardship, comes ease?” Dig into your investigation and you will get the answer.  Example: when you are hungry, you will find the food.  What is the purpose in the existence of hunger and satisfaction?  There is a need and the answer is there, both are prepared consciously within the eating process.  When you are satisfied, there has got to be more to this and you must search for it.  What can be the meaning in the existence of the hunger and satisfaction?

It does not seem to be an accidental random happening: “I accidentally happened to be hungry and find the solution to it.”

When you are free, start questioning in the task that you perform.

In the task that you perform, which can be either trying to understand the meaning from the verses of the Quran or a Prophetic teaching, you understand something but there is something more.  Go further.  Why? You will find absolute ease at the end for you and will give you the relaxation and satisfaction that my life and being in need to be given something is complemented.  Nature of this universe is not full of contradiction.  “Here I am, and everything is given to me, I need air and air is provided.”  As far as human capacity requires, then the universe is a contradiction: “Nothing satisfies my human expectations of seeking Eternal Happiness.”

The universe is full of attraction and repulsion and all complement each other.  How can we explain the existence of these qualities?  Materialist scientists miss the Source of Existence in their investigations.  Example: why do plants have different natures?  Every plant is given a form original to itself.  It is amazing!  Origination of the creation is never mentioned by materialist scientists.

Until 1930, people could claim that the universe is eternal with no beginning and end.  A famous cosmologist discovered that every galaxy is reflecting different light shades.  Even Einstein taught that the universe could be Eternal.  All this is so obvious in our observations.  However, the scientists stray from questioning the Source of Origin of things?  The best explanation they give is the big bang theory, that everything came into existence once i.e. originated, however, they do not question the Source of Existence of this big bang or, of things right now.  If you can prove that one particle is coming into existence by itself, then there is no need to search for an Originator here in this universe.

Also, the number of years that the earth has originated does not add any value with concluding a Source of Origin right now.  Every moment your existence comes into existence in a different form.  When you were young, you wanted to be an adult and now as an adult, you want to retain your youth.  That is a human desire pointing to the Necessity of an Eternal Existence.

Question: Who is making me old?  Rather than I am getting old.  Are you making yourself old?  Similarly, how can you say that I was born, or I will die?  A person is not the agent of birth and death.  A person is given birth and death.  Even the genes are given to us.  Who is functioning to operate our genes?  Who is changing it?  Are the aging quality of the genes originated by the particles which are nothing but unconscious beings which are also in need of an originator for their own existence? The Origin of the action of change is never brought into discussion.

Your physical need is met when you eat and are satiated.  Resume another task means that now, you must use your intellect and human feelings, what is the point in eating ang being satiated?  When you start digging into it, you found that there is a Source of Existence and purpose in its existence because it is a consciously designed act of creation.  Look at the existence and see the creation aspect of it.

We experience existence which is an act of creation. Creation infers that things are coming into existence out of nothing of this world, but by an Originator of a new phenomenon.  You were created a certain way yesterday and today is different. What is the Source of Origin of that difference which is itself an independent act?

How many layers of task lies in one action?

• Endless and we must dig into it because of the qualities that we find in each action.

Study the actions of a cell.  Each cell has its own program.  How many cells are in a body of a person?  Endless.  Cells for skin works differently than that of the tongue.  It is amazing how things are in work simultaneously. Saying that they are encoded in the genes is not the answer because the human mind asks the source of existence of the genes and their qualities. One cannot explain away by attributing the existence of a thing to another thing which also needs to be created by an Originator of its existence.

If we dig into the workings of the universe, we discover more.  Just like deliberating over something or “Zikr” in Arabic is benefitting from the previous conclusions and building one step ahead by remembering it was like this and how can I apply it to this new experience/creation that I am experiencing.  Quran itself is a zikr.

Free from task means that I have accomplished one task or accomplished one stage of understanding.  Now, I must develop further understanding.  Is there any end to any discoveries?  No.  Just as there are still ways and possibilities to develop new types and forms of technology for example.

When you examine the existence of a thing, you are examining the creation process of a thing, how it came into existence.  Example: in the act of creation of an orange, which kind of qualities do you see?  Color, shape, size, taste, fulfilling a purpose…  The Creator’s qualities are endless because qualities manifested in every act of creation is endless.  That is why the qualities of the things have no end and people keep searching and come up with new qualities in the act of creation.  Every quality is a sign of the qualities of its Maker.  Since there is no end in reaching the qualities manifested in the creation of beings, it means that the qualities of the Creator are endless.

• We cannot reduce the Creator’s qualities manifested to a number because we cannot get to the end of the qualities manifested in creation. Can any discipline declare that they have reached the pinnacle in their research?

Do not be done by saying that I believe in God!  Keep investigating the universe to develop your understanding of the meaning of this existence.  Never stay idle!  Always read creation immediately without any gap!  Yes, things are created by a Creator, they immediately go into which kind of Creator it is!?

What is declaring Lailaha Ilallah (nothing has power to give existence to anything, thus only the One who Gave Existence to all is God) good for you, what benefit do you get from it?  Which kind of qualities can I see in His work?  If I am given the ability to question it, which kind of qualities are these, it means that you are invited to investigate the qualities.  The process of “zikr” seems difficult, but it is not.  Example: In secondary school, you use your previous accumulated information/experience and you remember them, and you must go one step ahead.  That is, if you are satisfied with one quality of the Creator, then go investigate another quality.

The materialist worldview does not allow you to feel secure in this existence.  In Islamic civilization, there is no insurance and if you are hungry, the state has to take care of you.  Also, there is no retirement in Islamic civilization.  As long as you can work, you have to work, otherwise the state has to take care of you.  These are in worldly terms.  How about in belief research?  Serious scholars get more excited with research when they get older.

Our aim is to get closer to my Creator, to realize who my Creator is, to become aware of His qualities.  The more you know someone, the closer you are.  Then, He becomes your acquaintance and you become familiar with Him (that is expressed in the language of the Qur’an as “awliyaullah.”  When you get to know Him better and better, you trust Him more.  “There is no end in getting closer to God” means this.

What does “going to the seven heaven or Miraj (Ascension)” represent?  Getting layers and layers of meaning to understand the reality of this existence.  You are getting closer to someone who can never be reached.  The Creator is beyond space-time limitations (by definition) since it is the Creator of space-time, so trying to reach him physically does not make sense.

94:8 “and turn all of your attention to your Lord.”

Do all your actions to seek the Eternal One.  When you are done with one task resume to another means to dig deeper into getting acquainted with the qualities of your Creator.  In other words, all your transactions must be to get to know the Source of your existence and attach your being to It.