Qaf, part 12
Recap-
50:30 “The Day We say to Hell, are you full? and it says are there anymore?”
Hell represents negating the truth. Just as 2+2= 4, how many possibilities are there for the truth? One. Another question, how many possibilities are there for the wrong answer? Infinite. Hell represents the wrong answer, denying the right answer.
The Quran describes Hell as a fire which never extinguishes. Hell represents the wrong answer to the question of what this universe is all about. What can be the Creator of this universe? There is only one answer: The One who gave existence to the entire universe The Quran describes “Hell” as the symbol of fire. It also describes the next creation as different. “Fire” represents how Hell will be as far as my understanding of this world is concerned.
“Fire” represents the wrong answer, “fuel after fuel” and becomes larger and larger. It will burn everything and turn into almost nothing. We need to understand the examples depicted in the Quran as a teaching for our life.
Again, the wrong answer never ends. This is an excellent way of explaining human beings of not choosing the mistake which has no end, a condition of the next creation happening now. God speaks to human beings to guide us to understand what the reality of this existence is all about. “Ghaib” is not describable within the conditions of this universe, and we can make sure that such a thing exists, but we cannot liken it to anything of this universe.
What do we mean by “Ghaib”?
Belief matters cannot be described physically but there are some ideas that we cannot deny. We must use our reasoning and comprehend what is the purpose of this existence. Then we need to experience through our senses, and the heart which not only pumps the blood but also supplies nourishment to other body parts. Without consulting one’s feelings, human beings cannot reason properly. We must understand rationally, and we must be able to confirm rationally. Denial is like a black hole, which helps us to confirm what the truth is. Human mistakes have no end, and that is why we must always seek refuge with the Creator of the universe.
50:31 “And Paradise is brought near to the God-conscious, not far off.”
God conscious (i.e., “muttaqee” or pious person) is someone very careful from not falling into a mistake or doing something wrong. Paradise is brought near and open to all. Whereas we drag ourselves by force to Hell. People brought to Hell have to knock the door. The guardians of Hell say: ‘Why are you here?’ These are symbolic teachings of the Quran. No one is welcomed in Hell.
Paradise is described in the Qur’an as a door wide open. People are struggling to find out reasons how they can get away with the idea of God and as a result, establish a new idea saying that existence might have happened by chance. Is that so? How can you explain the existence of all perfect qualities manifested in every being then? Everything has wisdom here, that is what we notice. Where did matter get its will to perfect itself? The more we struggle to find out the Source of Existence physically present within the universe, the more we drag ourselves in Hell. However, Paradise is next to us. The way our feelings work finds the right answer to human existential questions.
Everything is purposefully designed; the human mind can see it. The doors of my feelings are wide open, if only I accept that the universe must have a Creator who is the Owner of all of us.
There is a difference between right and wrong. If I act according to my feelings and be nice to my neighbor, then I feel good, and my feelings confirm it and say: “Peace be upon you”. If I steal something from my neighbor, then I feel embarrassed and fearful. Embarrassment is created by God to show me that I have chosen an option which contradicts my original existence, whereas happiness is the gift of the Creator of my feelings. Paradise is the result of the Mercy of the Creator, whereas Hell is the result of my own choices which contradict my original nature.
- Mercy of the Creator is infinite, I can only comprehend it within my capacity. That is, how much I am able to acknowledge and witness the Source of my existence in my experiences.
50:32 “This is what you have been promised, for everyone who turns unto God and to keep Him always in mind.”
It means that we have been promised within our human side “Paradise”. It is integrated within our own soul to desire eternal happiness.
50:33 “who are in awe of the Compassionate although He was beyond his perception and came with a repenting heart.”
Our true human side is like a compass needle which turns towards the North because the Earth is created in this way. The sun never changes its orbits, and the moon never changes its orbits. They are in the same direction that they are created. Everything is created like the needle of a compass pointing to the North. The way our intellect works is always on the same line, no one can claim anything else but 2+2=4. When you confirm this, your heart and mind is satisfied and convinced. Our intellect and unspoiled feelings always turn to the truth.
When I make mistakes with wrong conclusions, then I mess up everything. As a result, my own choice just wanders around with no purpose and aim because falsehood/nothingness does not fit human feelings. Belief must be fitting to human intellect and must be confirmed by human feelings comfortably. The examples of belief in God, and the next creation within us is not a wishful thinking like some people claim. In this universe, there is no Creator and permanent existence, however this universe is transient, and, in its transience, it demonstrates the Self-Sustaining Maker/Creator. If you write a sentence on a paper and burn it, the meaning is not coming from the paper because matter is a dump being created by its Creator and must act and exist by its Creator. What we need to understand is that an Intelligent Agent is behind the meaning manifested in the paper. The knowledge in the paper is the product of a Conscious Agent.
Things change continuously and we experience another creation at every moment. Everything needs to be explained by attributing it to an Absolute Power. Everything is continuously renewed and pointing to the Absoluteness and infinite Wisdom of the Creator. Everything is decorated in the same way, and this set up/order/beauty never disappears. The transient world always points to the Absolute Creator.
God is the One who creates with order, and everything receives its measure permanently. Our hearts and feelings are created within the same conditions. Human heart has its orbit which is the relationship between our feelings and its Creator. Human feelings only receive satisfaction when it finds its Absolute God. I am free to deny the truth, and when I do that, I lose my orbit. To deny the Creator of the universe is a hard work, whereas accepting the Creator of the universe is human logic. Hence, direct your feelings to the right orbit.
When someone keeps their direction towards their Creator and keeps Him in his/her mind (I have to look for the truth), then these people are promised “Paradise” because they did not contradict the purpose in their creation. They even experience in their life on earth the pleasure of eternal happiness when they realize their existence from an Eternal Being. You say it is obvious that 2+2=4, it does not even need to be confirmed.
Literal meaning of “Kashiya” means “fear, awe,” but when it is used together with “el-Rahman” i.e. “khashiya al-Rahman” literally means “those who fear Merciful.” Then the meaning is “those who fear of disregarding, disrespecting, and denying Mercy.”
Comment: Can we trust our heart and feelings?
If you cannot trust your heart and feelings, who would you trust then? How would you know that your intellect is reaching a satisfactory conclusion? We should be careful not to corrupt our tools to find the truth, which are our intellect and feelings. Try to keep the right path because we have free will. I must always watch out how to use my free will in the right direction. We must ask our heart if we would like to have a Permanent Satisfaction of Life, not get ill, old and sad. The Quran says to find out the One who can do that, the Creator of the universe and you will be comfortable there and your heart will be satisfied.
Your feelings teach you the reality. That is why people who deny their human feelings end up saying, this is wishful thinking. Why do we deviate from our natural orbit?! Those who deny their feelings, in fact, deny their reality. We need to utilize every tool endowed in our being. For example, if one wishes that s/he had a perfect permanent life, this is a sign that we are created with the need of a perfect permanent life. The One who created us with this need is urging us to look for the satisfaction of this need. If you cannot find it in this creation, then you will search for the purpose of the creation of this feeling in you. Everything is created with a purpose. If we utilize this sense we will understand that our Creator is promising us that He will give it in another creation since it is not satisfied in this creation.
Intellect grasps the truth, heart, and feelings accept and confirm the truth. The mind cannot control the feelings, but the mind can receive ideas/answers and present it to the feelings, which either reject or confirm it. If the intellect brings in a wrong answer, the feelings reject it. Human beings are given freewill, and we can choose to deny. The denier must cover up his/her denial in order to justify his/her biased attitude.
Analogy: I am driving a car with the GPS. The car is my reality, and the human feelings (heart) is the driver of the car. I get the direction from the GPS/my mind which is supported by signposts/the revelation. If I follow the GPS, then I feel comfortable, otherwise, I feel troubled. Our minds cannot change our spirit, but my spirit may reject what my intellect may present to my spirit. That is why the feeling of denial will feel despair with complete torture.