Chapter Kafirun – Part 4

Recap:  We discussed worship previously as coming to understand reality where what we value and what we attribute the existence of anything to. In my understanding whatever I experience, I realize it coming from my Source of Existence. I assign meaning to my existence to whatever I regard as the source giving meaning to my existence.  Worship must make my life meaningful so that I feel indebted to Him for my existence and would want to acknowledge and thus worship Him.

109:3 “you are not worshipers of what I worship,
109:4 “and I am not a worshiper of what you worshiped,
109:5 “Neither are you worshipers of what I worship,”

Past tense is used in verse 4 i.e. your idea does not seem sustainable.  My choice is well established in my understanding, but your choice is not, but you can change it.

Does it help us to make our ideas clear when we make comparisons?  In other words, you worship this, and I worship that.  What I do is for my benefit and what you do is for your benefit.  I am holding my responsibility for my own choice and you for your own choice.  Can I pick up this responsibility by looking at what others are doing?

• Making comparisons is sure for us but competing with others to better myself is not.

We cannot come to a conclusion without making comparisons.  I learn by seeing the differences, comparisons, making contrasts in this world.  How I would know what to worship without making comparisons?  What can be my object of worship? Does it make sense to me?  What truly satisfies my existence?  This comparison must not be confused with being in a competition.

• Whatever you do is for your benefit and what I do is meant for my benefit.
• You hold your responsibility for your choices, and I hold my responsibility with my choices.
• Competing with others is not useful but making comparisons will be useful.

109:4 I am not the worshiper of what you worshiped.

Notice the tense of the verb changes. ‘Worshiper’ means a continuous worship in active noun, which means a one whose profession is to worship. Whereas, something that was ‘worshiped’ as the past tense and the attitude may change. The verse refers that the person is expected to change his decision and assume the right understanding about what to worship.

Whatever idea doesn’t satisfy me I reject that idea. Whatever you deemed as your object of worship in the past but now you are expected to realize that is not to be worshiped but an eternal source that can be the only source that can provide you satisfaction and is what you should be worshiping.

What do I value, what do I deem as the Source of my Existence?  I may not be sure about some idea (A) vs another idea (B) that I am sure of.  I may think about this idea (A), change and come to that idea (A) if it makes sense.

109:6 For you your religion for me my religion!

You are responsible for your choice and I am responsible for my choice of religion.

Nowadays we use the language of:  I, me and the other which encourages segregations.  This gives an exclusive attitude to each group. If one understands in this language structure, “lakum” (for you). This is yours and this is mine. The preposition “la” used here makes this very clear.

Another verse makes the use of the preposition as well:

28:55 “When they hear any idle talk, they leave that place saying: “We are responsible for our deeds and you are responsible for yours. May peace be with you; we are not interested in talks based upon the ignorance”

Moral ethics and teachings are there but let’s pay attention to the phrase “we are responsible for our deeds”, where the word responsible comes from the same preposition as in verse 109:6.  You are responsible for your choice, your religion and I am responsible for my choice of religion. The word “ibada” (worship) turned into “deen” (religion). Worship turns into religion.  This tells us the link between worship and religion.

Is there any connection between worship and religion? What kind of connection is there?

Worship makes one’s existence available and explains one’s existence. One gains meaning through this attribution. Religion must also be on the same line, whatever we do, the decisions we take all must be meaningful in terms of how I make use of my existence.  In every section of my existence, whatever I do is my religion.  For example, a person is fasting and experiences his hunger. If I see that the time or moment of eating will make my life meaningful for me, i.e. that moment with food will make my life meaningful. What am I worshiping? I am worshiping food, then. Food is not the source of happiness but a means.  I must be aware of Who provided the food, arranged this universe so that I may get to know the provider in the existence of food.  I eat food and the food disappears. I must look for another food.  I would be consuming the object of worship in my life and left with no security, meaning in my existence.

• How do I live in this world, how much security do I feel in my existence?

What am I indebted to?

• I have to be responsible for my choices, what I deem as my object of worship is my choice.

One understanding: If I assign a false object of worship, is usually understood as if God will punish me. Well, I am using my given free will and choosing things. I myself am responsible for my choice as I face the consequences accordingly. With my wrong choice, I am putting myself into trouble. I have to utilize given qualities such as consciousness and awareness to what my choice is.

For example if I find value in my career, education then that becomes my object of worship. Those things go away and I realize what value they actually have and that’s how my suffering would be. The true value is not given to the One who gave all those things. Be careful about your values, it must be sustainable, reliable, constant source of existence, eternal source of existence. Source of satisfaction, makes my life meaningful.

My understanding of my life is my responsibility and I must take care of that understanding whether it brings benefit or harm.

Another example, when we learn something, let us say as soon as we learn, the knowledge disappears. There is no point in taking such education.  What is going to satisfy me?  I look for everlasting satisfaction, knowledge which can only be provided by an eternal source of knowledge.

The order needs to be taken seriously. For example without water, much of life would not be possible. So, there is a need for water, same for light. They are all provided by the Source of their existence. The order does not exist by itself but has been deliberately placed and arranged for me. In the order it is inevitable that I will not be getting satisfaction and I will be suffering from this order by making wrong decisions. That is why the speaker God says “I will punish you”. The order is established by Him and I make use of it by my choices.  The punishment is instant. For example, a professional worker can work for a few years and will not be eternal. The human desire looks for eternal satisfaction while busying itself with a temporary action in this world. Since the desire is within me the eternal satisfaction must be possible while I am here in this type of creation.

Human question: I want to get satisfaction – permanent? Where is it? Look for the source of satisfaction while living one’s daily life. Scripture mentions about the Prophet Abraham – the teaching is important. The name Abraham symbolizes the representor of the idea in the example. As soon as Abraham realizes that the sun which was imagined to be permanent was setting, i.e. failing to be the Source of existence of anything, the statement was made: “I love not those that set”. The sun symbolizes everything in creation. The order in the universe is such that I can understand the transience of this world. Temporary satisfaction doesn’t satisfy me, humans look for permanent satisfaction.

We usually do not experience our belief i.e. worship. We think they are ideologies, abstract notions. However they must be part of my practical life. I should experience this. What did the idea bring to me? What value did it bring? Did I gain something as a result of my experience?  Religion must be experienced in this world so that I can make sure what belief brings into my life, do I get the satisfaction that I am being taken care of by an Absolute being?  I am sure that I won’t be deprived of my human expectations in life. Quran always points at the satisfaction in one’s existence. Whatever can provide that satisfaction is what I would worship.