Qamar, part 7
Recap: Nothing happens in this world randomly, rather it is an opportunity for us to communicate with our Creator. The order is set and the beings in it are continuously created in different forms. If we reject the Prophetic message, there is not only a physical affliction (spiritual crisis) in this world, but also ruins one’s next creation as well. Sometimes God creates something that we do not want, and it is for us to understand that we cannot guarantee our future here, rather everything is in the hands of the Creator, God.
- If a great majority of the people unite and do not let the Prophet spread the message, then a physical affliction comes.
Our relationship with the world is not restricted to human beings but extends to animals, plants, and other beings. Example from the prophetic time: A woman put a cat in a cage and did not let it eat/drink, then the cat died of hunger. The prophet (pbuh) said that this person will be punished in Hell for it. Our treatment of the world matters which should be the appreciation of the qualities of God manifested in this world. The samples of these qualities are created within our human soul. That is, not letting the cat benefit from its own share in creation is inhumane. If I prevent the cat from getting its sustenance, then it means that I am denying the nourishment of God. As if I have the power to prevent the quality of the Nourisher, God, and not letting this quality of God reflect on the cat. With such doings, we deprive ourselves of God’s Mercy, and as a result, God decides that My Mercy will not reach you, because you denied the Mercy and killed it.
If a disease is not cured for a long time, that part of the body becomes dysfunctional, and needs to be cut. If a nation, in general, rejects the Prophetic message, their obstinacy in the rejection of the Prophet turns out to be “gangrene” like. Hence, this nation needs to be cut off and destroyed in this world. As a result, the next generation should not do that. For He is Absolutely Powerful and Wise.
- The denying nation needs to be cut off because their existence contradicts the purpose of the creation of the whole world.
54:43 “Are your disbelievers any better than these? Were you given exemption in the scripture?
This verse is speaking to me now, am I given any exception that I will not be punished if I reject the Prophetic message? No. Example: If I give someone who is in need of something and then without using it they throw it away, will you give it again? No. Similarly, the manifestations of God’s names in me are a sign that its acknowledgement and appreciation must be given here and so the result will be eternal in the next creation. Therefore, I am equally liable to a punishment for rejecting the message. Now, let’s say if we reject our feelings which are a manifestation of God’s names, and deny them, then I face the consequence. That is, if I claim that I happen to be accidentally created in existence. Here, I am not using the tools that God gave me. As a result, God says that I will not give you anymore. The description of Paradise and Hell is a reflection of such consequence, either grateful or ungrateful for existing. If someone appreciates existence, then you give more. If you are thankful to the sender, then you enjoy the pleasure of benefitting from it and the sender will send you more.
- The purpose of anything given here is to enjoy the taste permanently. That is, when I eat something delicious, I am still hungry, and I want the taste to remain with me permanently. I understand if I appreciate something then God will give me permanently, because temporary satisfaction does not satisfy my needs and also He is an Absolute one, why then He should not satisfy my needs since He is the One who created me with these needs. Hence, another creation must take place which I call “Paradise”, this is what my human nature requires, and I am a witness of it. The revelation also mentions it.
Is there any written form of evidence in me that says if I treat something badly i.e., not recognize the Creator’s qualities, I will be treated harshly permanently?
- Revelation does not mean scrolls only. Human nature does not change, God’s treatment of His creature does not change, the order of the universe does not change. These are all God’s revealing Himself to us.
54:44 “Do they perhaps say, “We are a great army and we shall be victorious.”
We are in majority, so we are right. These types of claims take their power from a “greater number”. We should not confuse this matter with the majority of people deciding how something should be administered concerning our social life. As far as establishing what the truth is concerned, if we have the idea against what most of the opinion will decide, then we should keep investigating for ourselves. Is it the truth? Is it the reality? Example: The majority is picking a dictator. Is it correct for human nature to follow a dictator and lose freedom? No. The majority can decide but they cannot represent the truth.
- The majority of the opinion does not represent the truth.
54:45 “Their forces will be defeated, and they will turn their backs and flee.”
Their ideas will be defeated how? For a person who is honest and looking for the truth, s/he will see that their ideologies do not represent the truth. The false ideologies will be defeated. This is in the theoretical sense. At the end, the truth shall prevail as is a common rhetoric for even the most powerful civilization were destroyed.
54:46 “But the Hour is their promised time (of judgment) and the Hour is more severe and bitter.
If I deny one manifestation of the Names of God (the One who creates the universe must be All-powerful), and I go with the idea that sometimes He does things not appropriate to His Majesty, then I lose that part of the creation and I do not benefit from it. That is, if I do not see wisdom in the calamity, then it can sever my relationship with my Creator. That is, I get angry with the calamity, become harsh with the calamity, and criticize Its Creator, God. If I have this attitude, then I lose the benefit of the education there to fulfill the purpose of my existence.
As a result, the other qualities of God are also rejected, which turns the universe into a complete accident, i.e., happens to be eternally like this. As if the order itself is happening like this. As a result, I lose all my hope for the future. I am living now but I have no hope for my future. My universe will be destroyed. I know that I will lose everything, “that is doomsday for such a person”.
Everything must be confirmable the evidence within me, outside me and the scriptures. Some narrations from the Prophet (pbuh) say that when there is no person believing in God, that is time for complete destruction of the world. It means that there is no one declaring lailaha Illallah, the universe will be destroyed completely. If something is not used at all, we dispose of it away. Example: if a car manufacturer produces cars which are not purchased and appreciated by consumers, they close out. How about at a personal level? If I see creation as accidental happening, that there is no purpose to my existence, although I am burning to get eternal happiness, then do I get any pleasure from my life? Everything is meaningless anyways, whatever I am given, it will disappear, so why bother about anything? Life will not be worth living. Just look at our experiences here, the moment we enjoy something, on the spot it is finished and gone. Can I get it back? No. God is openly presenting and declaring that you cannot hold on to anything in this world permanently. “Only through Me, you can get full satisfaction for what you are looking for. I created you with this desire of seeking eternal pleasure and security. If you deny it, then you deny the pleasure of this world in every aspect. It loses its own meaning and becomes a place of torture. Anything you want to get here, goes away.”
Losing pleasure is pain and facing meaninglessness is another pain. The universe has lost its values, then that is doomsday. Physically we understand that whoever gives existence to this universe cannot be of the nature of this universe, and we can easily understand logically that there will be no reason in creating this universe but for a purpose.
54:47 “Truly the wicked are deluded and quite insane.
The deniers and rejectors (unbelievers) have no reason to confirm what they claim, and they have no sound reasoning.
54:48 “The day when they are dragged on their faces into the fire, taste the scorching of hell-fire.”
Example: you are thirsty, and you want some liquid to quench your thirst, and there is news that says that you will die of thirst because there is no liquid at all. How will you feel? Hopeless and tortured. That is, there is no hope i.e., hereafter.
A person whose all senses are dysfunctional, has lost all source of dignity. Face represents human dignity. This person is extremely thirsty and there is no water at all, and he is sure that he will die of thirst. Can you imagine the torture that he is suffering from? That is complete despair.
Belief is described as “belief in ghaib”, believing in a Creator who is not describable within the conditions of this world, you cannot define it with any elements of this universe.
How can we believe in the Absolute Being then?
This is possible by being consistent within oneself. Belief in “ghaib” is correct, we must be aware that the universe witnesses this as well, I must be consistent within this understanding, because denial cannot be proven.
54:49 “We have created all things in precise measure.”
Everything is perfectly designed. Even insects have a different type of creation than other creatures, i.e., all plants are different, as long as they exist as plants, they function as if they know what to do. My stomach and heart know what to do. It is miraculous and is created with measurement and proportion according to its capacity. You cannot reduce this wonderful creation to matter as acting on its own randomly.
54:50 “And Our ordaining [a thing and its coming into being] is but one [act] like the blinking of an eye.
Everything comes into existence instantaneously with no lagging behind. The universe is changing at every moment, there is no gap between one state of existence to another, it is a constant action and can only be realized this way by a One who has Absolute knowledge. We cannot explain it in another way. Things are just slaves of the order though have no knowledge of the order. In a brick building, a brick is there because the masonry put it there. In other words, someone wills the universe to exist and it has to be as He willed.
God speaks in a way that ordinary people can understand. The message for human beings is simple and it is not restricted to those who acquire knowledge, rather universally open to anyone willing to take it to heart. God’s language is an example of what my knowledge base is, at a simple level, then I can further make meaning out of it within the context of the Speech of God.
54:51 “We have indeed destroyed people like you, who then is willing to take it to heart?”
People may pretend to be happy, show to be happy, but are not stable in their lives. I cannot enjoy the temporary moments because the world is created in such a way that the people who don’t believe in the infinity of the Creator will suffer spiritually. When I connect all my feelings to the creator, only then do I find true solace. Through the objects in the universe, we recognize our Creator. We experience the objects because creation manifests His qualities continuously.
The universal message cannot be reduced to a literal meaning of a verse/prayer: For example, “O our Lord, lay not upon us a burden like You laid upon those before us.” (2: 286). We should not limit the meaning of this prayer only to physical destroyance: “Don’t put us in the position of the people you mentioned in the Qur’an that You destroyed”.
Rather, we need to pray for a well spiritual life, with no suffering, pain and torture of falling into a complete darkness of non-existence as the disblievers suffer.
54:52 “All they did is in the scripture”.
In human nature, the universe and verbal explanation altogether guide us to understand reality.
54:53 “Every action small or big is recorded.”
Everything is protected in its creation. There are the obvious examples that we see such as the seed and the tree. The seed has all the recordings of the life of the tree in it, when the tree dies, the recording of the seed is preserved. Similarly, “O human beings, do you think I should ignore your actions and attitude?!”
Below, are some verses that carry the same meaning to the verses and topics we discussed today about Messengership having reached me, my ability to discern right from wrong, and how serious I am with the message that reaches me so I do not destroy my existential future with my choices.
6:131 “That is because your Lord would not destroy a community for wrongdoing while their people were unaware [of the meaning of right and wrong].”
6:132 “Everyone is assigned a rank according to their deeds; your Lord is not unaware of anything they do.”
17:15 “Whoever accepts guidance does so for his own good; whoever strays does so at his own peril. No soul will bear another’s burden, not do We punish until We have sent a messenger.”