108:3 “It is the one who hates you has been cut off.”
Anyone who rejects the receiving of the message is in a cut off position from abundant never-ending blessings (kauthar).
Who would be such a one?
- The side of me which is plunged into heedlessness and does not want to accept the transient nature of this universe. Such a side, mostly referred to as our “evil-commanding soul” is in denial or is deluded with the reality that this universe offers.
The other side of me which investigates the meaning of experiencing transience here wants to get to know the Source of the never-ending blessings. That side of us is really our human conscience, which knows what the reality here is and what the heart truly desires.
It seems these two aspects of human beings are always in conflict with each other. The egoistic side or the “evil commanding soul” always looks for immediacy in matters such as instant gratifications with things i.e. fulfillment of carnal desires, animal appetites and following the societal trends such as fashion… When the human being gets engulfed with fulfilling the egoistic tendencies, the conscience gets defeated. In other words, the intellect and heart get crushed.
Yes, we do need both side of us to operate in this universe. That is, the freewill needs to be exercised with the various options presented before us and that is the only way to decipher truth from falsehood.
Can you accept a dead-end in your transactions here?
- Human beings cannot accept that.
Hence, we must be consistent in using our human senses so that we make our interactions meaningful here by connecting to an Eternal Source of blessings.
We should always avoid using any vocabulary in terms of 100% being applicable to a person. People change, and they may have some moments in their life and they may realize some truth. Some events called calamities (such when struck by an illness or long-term worry) pave the way to an opening of searching for the truth. It is as if a light enters in a dark room.
When people bluntly ridicule the Prophetic message openly in the media, we do not know what they truly feel when they are alone at night. As far as the message in the Quran is concerned, we can never say that this is exactly how the Quran describes certain attitudes or group of people. The Quran uses black and white terms or concrete examples. These black and white terminology represents the final ends of the two alternatives. I can never be in between two pole/choices. I may be on the way towards only one end of the pole, not two of them at the same time.
The purpose of the Quran is not to blame people but teach us that the qualities (attitudes) described in the text can be taken by me as well and so I need to watch out for myself. Example: Not everything related to the Torah in the Quran is subject to rejection. The Torah has light and guidance in it.
- I may follow the corrupted attitude of the followers of Torah, while I am claiming that I am not one of the followers of the Torah.
Do I fail from time to time to follow the requirements of the characteristics of a believer? Yes. Do I act opposite to what the Quran describes to be a believer? Yes. So, can I say that I am not a believer? No. I am a believer that fails.
Example: I was hungry, and I ate food and I was busy with something else and never thought that it was the grace of God (even I said thank God at the end). The food finished, and I am not aware of what I did. What happens? My action of eating became cut off (abtar). Not because I am an unbeliever, rather I was not aware of my actions or I neglected the meaning of this action.
- Do not expect any benefit from the food itself; it is nothing but prepared for me in order to benefit me.
- The food is just a sample of the abundance and blessing of the Creator who created the food for me.
Instead of trusting in God you are obsessed with getting objects by hoping that the object will secure you, rather than the Source of Existence of the object (Creator). Here, you just experience abtaar (temporary satisfaction) and lose your opportunity to open up to kauthar (eternal satisfaction).
- Here you fail to see the object as a means to open to Eternity.
Everything here is a window opening to Eternity. That is, things here are a means to acknowledging the Source of Existence of that thing. If you are aware of it, then you will be very happy with whatever you do in this world. Everything in this world is created to be used as a means of acknowledging the Source of its Existence. Without such awareness and acknowledgment, you just use the things as a temporary satisfaction (abtar).
If someone does not like you, then it is not that they do not like the way you look, rather they do not like your ideas, thoughts and belief. Initially, yes, this verse was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and at time of the event, those people who opposed the message hated his ideology (the message) and hence, there were the ones who were cut off.
What this verse is reminding us is that egoistic tendencies are calling us to concentrate on the transient side of this existence. It is calling us towards a dead-end, abtar or momentary enjoyment.
Comment: If someone realizes that they are bestowed with abundant blessings, then they will not cut themselves off from the eternal goal.
It is expected but “eternal goal” may not be achieved. Here is what is going on:
- If someone realizes the abundance (everything is presented to us as a grace) which demonstrates the eternal side of this creation, then that is good.
- If you cut off from the Eternal Being, then you find yourself in the momentary pleasures of the blessings of this world and you are losing the Eternal satisfaction that can be gained through permanent consciousness.
- If you are not aware of Eternal Being, then you are always in abtar (dead end) position and you do not feel the loss. i.e. You have conditioned yourself to momentarily pleasure and have shut off your human side which expects Eternity (usually in this case, people say: “eternity is a wishful thought.”) This person suffers because s/he does not experience eternity.
We must think about this, so we can feel the difference in the various attitudes within us. This world makes us thirsty for another type of creation. When we destroy our prison cell in this world, then it opens the door to Eternity. If we solidify our limited expectations of the pleasure from this world, then we cannot see the Eternal pleasure from this world.
Practical example to apply the teachings of the verse:
Destroy material side/body of strawberry, what is left?
- Taste
- Smell
- Vitamins
- Nourishment
- The message it carries about its Maker/the qualities of its Maker.
- It must have a Designer. It must have the intention to establish the relationship between me and itself that I am attracted to the strawberry and I enjoy it.
See the qualities manifested in the strawberry. Just like art manifested in an object is more valuable than the object itself.
- Similarly, the spirit/message of the Quran is more valuable than its eloquence.
The universe is in existence to reveal the qualities of its Creator. Use this creation to dig out the treasures hidden that points to its Creator. All the qualities of the Creator are reflected within you too, in limited and manifested form. These qualities are in the form of reflections just like the art quality of the artist reflected in the piece of the art. Just as a mirror reflects objects, the qualities of the Real Object are reflected in you.
If you see something unpleasant, check yourself i.e. your interpretations are reflected there.
- Come to yourself and tear the physical side of yourself and get the meaning in your existence.
- If you want to know the qualities of your Creator, you must tear off your self-centric egoistic desires/expectations from this world, for the expectation does not exist by itself, it is dependent on something else.
Do you see the eternity in your human expectations?
We are supposed to. “Such a thing must exist.” We engage in temporary activities in our transient life. If you tear their material side, you see eternal side.
Look at your human side which looks for Eternity. “I am always in need of Eternity.” How can I gain it? Our human side cannot attribute itself to anything to do with this universe. Our human side opens to eternity. Then, we can see the hidden treasure of the universe.
- “My Creator is a hidden treasure and He created me to know Him”.
- I am just a mirror manifesting the qualities of my Maker.
Finally, do not follow temporary conditions of this universe. Always see the eternal side of everything. We are all in need to entertain our lives and experience pleasure in our lives. Instead of using this desire to experience Eternal pleasure, we put this expectation in the matter itself and say: “I want this, I want to taste this as well…”. Do not throw means of Eternal Happiness in a box and lock it!
Belief training is all about not to fall into unhuman behavior. Use the treasure to know what is in the treasure of this universe i.e. the Source of Existence of the treasure.
- Open the chest and see the hidden treasure.
- What is the “promised land” for the children of Israel (you and I who follow the Prophets)? I may fail from time to time but my intention is to follow. My “promised land” is the message that the Prophet that I follow brings. That message is that of Paradise i.e. Eternal Happiness.
Make a firm resolution that I am not going to reduce myself to my physical side only. Open the chest and you will see all the reflections of the qualities that you like i.e. Eternal Happiness. That is why the Quran emphasize on reminder about opening the chest because reminder does benefit.
- Do not put your hopes in this universe.
- I love compassion, not abtar (temporary) compassion, rather kauthar (eternal) compassion.
- Example: you attribute the source of compassion to your friend and when the friend dies, the compassion is gone as well.
Why am I created with the quality to desire eternity for each of my senses? —Can I provide Eternity by myself? No, but my desire is there. Don’t you want each of your senses to be fully satisfied in their entirety?
People make excuses that we should wait until the science or evolution process to come to the end, because for the moment we cannot explain how things are happening. Rather than getting stuck in a circular reasoning, think about how you are: “I have got human feelings which require Eternity. Neither my body nor the universe satisfies this need, but they remind me of this need”. The order, which every particle of this universe is bound to follow demonstrates that it cannot be the Source of eternity. It itself is subject to constant change and needs to be given existence at every moment. It does not necessitate its own existence. What are we expecting from this world to satisfy our need of eternal happiness?
- The correspondence between the Source of Existence as an Absolute Eternal Being and me needing the Eternal One is perfect. Both correspondences are in opposite directions. Two poles of the magnet, one is the Source of Existence of Eternity, the other one is the one who requires Eternity, they attract each other.
- Therefore, train your soul to turn towards kauthar (eternal pleasure), rather than abtar (temporary world pleasures only).
- The truth is very clear when compared with falsehood. Hence, be on the way/path to the truth i.e. kauthar.
If I am not aware of my reality, then I cannot be aware of the reality of the Creator of this universe. Therefore, I must think of myself FIRST, rather than who created the universe out there. First check: who are you, what are you looking for, how are you looking for?… My material side is just a glass of the mirror.
We are going through ego training Right Now, which we mostly neglect.
If you do not know yourself then you cannot know your Creator at all. This is a logically established principle. Don’t lose yourself under cultural influences, you need Eternal pleasure for everything. You need to be able to see, for example with no end. Check yourself. Would you like to lose your power of sight at one point of your life? Would you like to lose your youth forever now? Who likes to get old and be able to do nothing in this world? We want eternal happiness. Look for its signs in the world and within yourself, that’s where you can find it.