By October 25, 2021 Read More →

Chapter Qamar – Part 2

Qamar, part 2

Recap: The moon is the representation of the celestial body.  People who were rejecting the message during the early period of revelation needed warnings about the reality of this universe.  That is, this universe is a temporary abode to prepare for a non-temporary life that fits my human expectations.  Why do we need to take our existence seriously here?  

 

Why does the Quran use verses to remind people that God is severe in punishment?  Sometimes warning is more educating than love, why is that?  Do we need warning, rather than a loving relationship with our Creator?  Warning from the Creator comes out of love and compassion, otherwise we cannot understand the verses that we are studying.  

 

Do we need positive encouragement or negative ones?


Comment 1: We respond better to love than punitive teaching.  When the relationship is punitive, then there is no honest relationship with the Source of one’s existence, because you would take your existence seriously out of fear, rather than learning.

Comment 2: Knowing thyself, I think that I will respond better to warnings, otherwise too much love and compassion may spoil me.

Comment 3: We would do anything for the love of the Creator as not to disrespect Him.

If we take practical examples around us, a teacher or a parent warns the child/student out of love and concern, because they fear that something may damage the child’s well-being.  Even when a parent reprimands a child, it is never out of hatred, rather it is for the benefit of the child which displays love and concern. 

If we take this universe as a school where we are learning, and our Creator is the One teaching us what we need to know and learn, then if one does not want to pay attention to such teaching, then they need warnings.  From time to time the teacher must keep reminding the students who are not doing their assignments that if you do not keep up with the deadline, you will face the consequence.  In other words, that is just an encouragement to warn the student that they should not fall behind and keep up with their learnings.  “If you neglect the assignments, then you will fail.”  This may seem like a threat, but at the same time, the teacher says that if you do not understand something, ask me.  During the learning process, the encouragement is there, and the threat is there as well.  It all depends on what type of student you are.  If a student keeps his promise, then he is on the right track.  Otherwise, warnings are needed to bring the student back on track.

During the 6th year of Prophethood, around the time this message was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), some people started reacting to his teachings, and wanted him to stop teaching his message to people who wanted to learn.  Hence, these people needed warnings reminding them of what the reality is because they were not learners.  The message presents the content in such a framework, that it is an encouragement, rather than total warnings.  People who remind others to take the message seriously, are doing so out of love and concern for them.  In other words, teaching is based out of love, for students who are willing to learn and ready to enroll in the education system.  People who keep resisting not going to school and learn, they suffer the consequence of meaninglessness and insecurity in their existence.

  • For unbelievers, the threatening verses are at the background of the learning process.
  • For believers, the good news verses are a promise to check one’s stance, (sincere repentance that may lead to Paradise).
  • Each addressee needs to pay attention to their priorities, concerning their situation directly and get alarmed about the message in the Quran.

Can we have any choice not to obey the order of the universe?  We are totally subject to the order of the universe.  Some people in history committed suicide saying that “I am given existence by God, and I will give an end to my life.  I will not let God (if there is such a thing), decide about my life i.e., death.”  Even if one commits suicide, one is obeying the order of the universe that is established by the Creator of the universe.  The Quran clearly states that you cannot go beyond the limit of the order of the universe, impossible!  You are a created being and 100% dependent on the will of the Creator, that is, He can operate over us as He wills.  Although he gave us freewill, we are still bound within His order in the universe. “I gave you the freedom to choose from what I have provided within My will in the order of the universe.”

We must take all the warnings within our life conditions.  There is compassion behind every threatening verse.  That is, “if you choose the way that I have warned about, then you will have no security in your life because you did not accept the truth.  Although your very existence submits to the will of the Creator, you cannot go beyond the order of the universe”.

The threatening verses teach human beings, why do you torture yourself and do not accept your reality?!  All the threatening verses are related to human misconceptions about their reality.

We always speak by establishing our conclusions by going through our real-life experiences, and then we reach and confirm these conclusions. While we are talking about our faith we need to use the language which presents our reasoning of why we have come to this conclusion. Example: To use a language like this is wrong: “It is not possible to disobey God.  Rather, “it is not possible to disobey the order of the universe, therefore the One that establishes the Order, God, whose will is what I am obeying here.”  Without bringing evidence, we cannot talk about our conclusions.   We should not take belief in God for grantedPeople need evidence to believe in something, hence, always present your evidence first, to express what you are convinced about and believe in.  We must learn to read the Quran on real-life evidence and then confirm it, if we are convinced about it.




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