By April 11, 2022 Read More →

Chapter Sa’d – Part 18

 Recap:  Which kind of promises is God making for the believers and those who do good actions, and support   goodness in their life.  At the same time, what happens to those who transgress the rights of other people and God, who is the Creator and Owner of the universe?  Unfortunately, we take ownership of God’s property and wrongfully appropriate it to ourselves and other creatures.

38:55 “All this [for the righteous]: But, truly, for the transgressors is an evil place of return.”

The Quran describes Paradise and Hell as having different levels and for different purposes.  “I am controlling the order of the universe, you cannot change it, you just obey My order to do good action or bad.”  The consequence will be on your soul.  Those people who obey with the attitude of obedience and being thankful to Him, by acknowledging that these are all provided to us to benefit from, they are on the right path.  The other way is transgressing the right of God.  That is, we must be careful not to spoil the bounties that are given to us.  Example: Some scientists are using the order of the universe as it is created and then denying the conscious Creator and attributing their findings to the accident or the thing itself, thus ignoring the right of their Creator.  That is the result of denying the reality of one’s existence.

Rather, without denying the reality of your existence, you must acknowledge and be grateful to the One who created you.  Then, you will be taken from this existence because this is just a temporary training place.  The next creation is appropriate to the endless desires of the human feelings.  We are here perfectly satisfied for our bodily needs, but not for our human needs, this place is a disappointing field for the spirit.  Example: We all want loving relationships with each other, but we are free to spoil our characters and start harming each other by declaring war and causing corruption to satisfy our ego.  However, we are given the awareness of what is right and wrong.

We are being trained here, to get to know who is going to satisfy my human needs?  Who is the Creator of my body needs and my human side?  We are given the intellectual capacity to understand this.  The One who created my body and human needs is going to provide me with the satisfaction that I need.  “You are great to provide everything for the needs of my body, I acknowledge that, the way you are creating lets me know that you can satisfy the needs of my spirit as well”.  I am expecting You as the Creator to satisfy the need for my spirit, that is getting ready for the hereafter.”  This is acknowledging and laying your trust in Him.

The Creator lets me know that which He is going to provide for me.  That is, if I am honest/dishonest to my reality, I shall get what I deserve.  The way He creates tells me that: “If you are honest, I will give you a reward, Paradise, i.e., all expectations of your human feelings will be fully satisfied, as I do it for your body here.”  Although my feelings tell me that the One who creates me with my human needs must create eternal satisfaction for me, the news of the Quran confirms this aspect.

The second aspect of the news of the Quran says that there will be Hell, i.e., whatever we deny about the reality, we will be compensated for it.  Example: I want to enjoy myself with no trouble.  I want everyone to be lovely and be in a friendly relationship with everyone.  God says, how are you going to do it? There is no way to do it by yourself.  However, I go on transgressing my human side with an ungrateful attitude that I am doing my best to achieve my goals, which is denying my reality and denying what I see in creation.  I must understand that the creation is obviously speaking to me and understand that the Creator is the One setting up the stage for me, as an Absolute Being.  Why don’t you acknowledge it?  “As a result of arrogance, you say that there is no eternal happiness, after I die, that is the end.  In Hell, you will have nothing of what you desire, because you denied that it is Me who provided everything for you through My Mercy while you were created in the world.”

This book (the Quran) claims that there is no author.  So, who wrote it?  The One who created the universe is the author of this book.  It says inside that I am the Author of the Book.  It seems to be reasonable; can I confirm it?  Let me examine it.  The way we are educated requires us to rationally expect something as a confirmation, i.e., show me/prove it to me.

This definition of the Quran says that I must be able to confirm its Author as to be the  Creator of the universe through my experiences.  Although it seems to be correct that no one can interfere into the order of the universe which can be explainable only by referring it to the act of a conscious source.  Whoever arranges the order is being gracious to us.  No one comes back from the hereafter.  You must experience hereafter here so you can establish the confidence within yourself so you can confirm it.  The Quran says that whatever I say makes sense and you must confirm it.  

 If I deny that I have no Owner and claim that this universe has no conscious Owner, then I am transgressing my own reality.  Although everything is provided for us and everything is fitting perfectly to my bodily expectations and my rationality can grasp it, I may still reject the reality.  As a result of my arrogance, I say that there is no conscious source, just natural beings happening by themselves.  How do you feel as a human being?  The body is satisfied, and no one is complaining about it, except the human interferences through wars and natural disasters which are partial and for a purpose.  However, the wars happen only because of human egoistic attitude and caprices (I am going to be the winner, with superior power…).  The human egoistic attitude does not acknowledge any limit.  There is always war going on due to caprices of certain human beings.

When I say that there is no Owner of the universe, I have to say that I will die naturally, because I came into existence randomly, unconscious beings arranged themselves in the most conscious way by making everything perfect.  How can a rational being approve this?  After claiming this, as a conclusion, I would say that I was lucky to exist and benefit from things.  What does luck mean?  As if accidentally, everything fits to my expectations.  Are they acting on their own?  They are unconscious matters.  How can unconscious matter follow the order?  They have no choice of their own, they don’t know you and you don’t know them.  What is matter, anyways?  How did the matter come into existence?  They say, I do not know.  

The conscious and perfect agent of the universe (God, the Creator of the universe) is impossible to imagine because it is not part of the created universe.  I cannot imagine something which is not within the capacity of the universe.  That is so obvious!  Example: Can you imagine who made this laptop?  No.  But I am sure there must be some conscious agent who worked on this laptop.  The work is in front of me, and it does not matter what the man who made the laptop looks like.  The work proves that this world needs a conscious agent.  The universe is immeasurably more perfect than this laptop.  There must be a conscious Creator.  That is what human beings understand and confirm.  If I come here as a result of good luck, then I will die with bad luck, so meaningless!  What happens in my human feelings while I am benefiting from this universe, eating, learning, traveling…?  All my human feelings turn into nothingness and meaningless.  

Can you do anything with no meaning?  Example:  Someone tells you to go run. You would ask why? If he just tells you to run, how would you feel?  Meaningless!  Whereas, if someone tells you to run every morning to help out with your health problems, and then you will get rid of your health problems, will you run?  Yes, there is a purpose now and you like it, for you dislike any meaningless action.  Similarly, am I an accidental being who came into existence out of luck and will die?  How can I enjoy anything?  People who define themselves as animal beings think that they will disintegrate in the soil, because they reduced their values to material body existence.  This is the most disgraceful value to the human being.  All your feelings will have no hope from any source because matter accidentally gives your body sustenance with no purpose.  That is how the Quran phrases it: “We will make them enjoy their life temporarily,” (Qur’an, 31: 24) thus we will see if they appreciate it or not. If you say that I am the result of accidents, then you will suffer from meaningless life.  The Quran says that this state of spirit will entertain the same status in the next creation, meaningless, despair, as if they are continuously rotting, that is what they deserve. (Qur’an, 8: 51)  The Quran says, try to help them and call them to their consciousness, so as to not be arrogant and transgress the rights of their Creator.

Example: If someone says that I need a car, can you please give me a car.  You look at the man and say that you seem to need it, sure I will give it to you.  As soon as the person gets the car, he says that I was lucky and I accidentally got a car, but I know that it is not mine.  He never acknowledged and never turned back, that someone, an Owner gave him a car for his use and that someone was kind.  My consciousness is aware that it is not mine, but I am a lucky man for this is my car.  The Owner is watching him/her and now the car is completely dead.  However, our human feelings still desire entertainment and enjoyment.  Can you please give me another car for I need it?  Go and ask “accident” to give you a car.  That is the reality we experience in this world; this ability is given to us to understand as evidence that the promise in the Quran is correct.  They will have an evil place to return and no car/enjoyment in the next creation.  If someone does not find the Quran satisfactory, then s/he cannot find anything satisfactory.  As the Quran says, we are going to tell them whatever they assume to be benefiting them from the life of this world, there is no other agent, but only the Owner of the universe could do it. He demonstrated and showed them that this universe cannot exist by itself.  Everything in the universe is unconscious, they must obey the order and they have no other choice at all but to obey the order, i.e. to be as they are created.

The things have no other choice but to obey the order, only the human beings have the free choice and can deny verbally.  Even people who deny must follow the order to get whatever they want to get.  Again, they are denying the Creator, but they are still the slaves of the order of the Creator i.e. God.  What is wrong with these people, why don’t you come to your reality, and become honest to yourself!?  If you are honest with yourself, then you are at peace with yourself, that is what Islam is all about.  It is so simple.  The Quran is not asking you to believe in something which does not make sense to you, or you cannot understand.  You must study the Quran to get fascinated with the message by understanding the speech used in it, which are the descriptions of the reality of this world.  That is why it makes it easy for everyone to interpret its meaning according to his/her needs and human capacity.  That is why it is not a book of law or history.

The Quran is a description of reality speaking to human feelings, depending on which kind of feelings my human side is experiencing.  It is a wonderful piece of literature which is so peerless and consistent in its message.  Nothing contradicts the mind unless we have a prejudice.  We may have a mind brainwashed by secular education.  I should not judge the Quran with the criteria that I learned from secular education.  Secular education already denies and contradicts what the Quran says with evidence of facts of how the universe is working which does not explain who the Creator of the universe is.

If you know how this laptop works, it does not mean that you are grateful to the laptop, you are grateful to the Creator of the laptop, laptop is just a machine, made in this way.  We must be grateful to the scientists who make these technologies.  When it comes to the universe, some people who seem to be bright and smart, say thanks to nature.  What are you talking about?  What is nature? Where is it?

Due to obstinacy and arrogance, I say that I am not going to accept anyone who is superior to me. You are set free to choose this, but you are not programmed  this way because you have your reasoning and intellect.  In other words, you are not supposed to choose ignorance or denial, because you have your reasoning and intellect, and you understand that what you have chosen does not make sense.  Some people insist on contradicting their reality.  

How can I confirm the news of the Quran while living in this world, through our own human experiences?

Example: I need a car.  I need to have satisfaction.  “Please give me a car Mr. Owner of the universe, you are a Merciful person.”  Here is the car, anytime I enjoy the car, I say thank you Mr. Owner of the universe.  That is a rationally consistent person.  Anytime you see Mr. Owner or use the car, you say thank you Mr. Owner, we are all grateful to you.  One day, the car broke, you go to Mr. Owner and say, sorry but the car broke, I was careful, and I was always thankful to you.  Will you give me a car?  Yes.  “You were very thankful, and I will give it to you”.

This sense says that God will give me Paradise, i.e., what I have been expecting.  If I am respectful, grateful, and thankful to the One who gave me this life on Earth.  That is what human feelings are all about, a witness to the promise that we read in the Quran that Paradise will be for those people who are realistic and consistent who are grateful to the One who created this universe and provided for my body, created my feelings and demonstrated that His capacity is Absolute.  In other words, His Mercy is Absolute, and He is Absolutely Just.  Everyone deserves what He gives, He is generous in rewarding and Just in not rewarding i.e., punishing.  Punishing means that you deserve it, so I am going to give you. The Quran emphatically explains that God’s punishment is not extra, rather as much as you deserve. (Qur’an, 8: 51)  However, God’s Mercy and reward is limitless.  We say “my Creator is going to give me a better car, because I was grateful and thankful.  I was not denying that the Owner of the universe was the Giver and accepted it.  That is why belief and acting according to belief go hand in hand.  Example: The Owner was very generous to me by giving the car and while I am using it, I am not careful at all, saying that the Owner will give me another one.  The Owner knows it and says that you were not careful.  That is why the Quran always keeps saying: “Those who believe (aamanu) and act according to their belief (wa amilus salihat)”, side by side.  That combination is so real to my feelings, I can confirm it.  We must know that feelings are witnesses of the news of the Quran.  There is no need to be prejudiced to say that I believe there will be Paradise because the Quran says so.  Use your abilities with what the Quran says, rather than imitating it.  That is what we need to train on how to confirm the news about our reality in the Quran and ourselves.

How are we going to confirm the news of the Quran about the hereafter after death?  How am I going to be convinced that what the Quran says is correct and I can confirm it with full conviction?  That is what the training is all about in this class.  

38:56 “Hell, where they will burn. What an evil place to rest!”

You were insulting the Owner of the universe (in the example above, the car), so how can you have another car?  The guardians of Hell will say, have you not heard that if you deny the Creator, you will fall into a horrible life.  Hell is the worst place for human beings. (Qur’an, 39: 71-72)        

38:57 “All this will be theirs: So, let them taste it: burning despair and ice-cold darkness.”
38:58 “And other such punishments.”

Only if I was grateful then, because I have nothing now.  No help, no hope, on the contrary, complete despair is described as ice-cold darkness i.e., burning.  

38:59 “And it should be said to the seducers, this crowd of people which were guided by you, shall be thrown together with you, headlong into hell: No welcome to them, for they shall enter the fire to be burned.”

Trying to make people deny the message that the Prophet brings by saying that don’t bother listening to it for it is trash.  All these propagandas arranged by certain people will have a meaningless future.  They will enter the fire with a burn of hopelessness because all human feelings always experience this.  In the end, you will be deprived of everything.  Isn’t it a burning despair that I enjoyed the party last night, at the end it is gone, and at the end of my life I will become compost?  What a disturbing human feeling!?

38:60 “And the seduced shall say to their seducers, No! You are not welcome!  You brought this upon us. What an evil place for settlement!”

God forbid us for this situation.  The people who follow them blindly, say that you are not welcome, this expression means, I hate you.  People who make propaganda that God is just a pointless thing, and that the reality is nothing but nature itself are lost.  They further go on saying that, we must accept our reality and try to enjoy ourselves as much as possible because, in the end, we will lose everything anyway.  The Quran is calling us to the understanding of the people who are seduced .  Is it true?  Let us examine it.  Rather, we say these scientists are great because they are making beneficial technologies and so the way they interpret the existence of the universe must be correct.  

How do you confirm that the Qur’an is the word of God?  In denial, do you really feel that your human side will enjoy rotting under the Earth?  Even if there is a wound on my finger, I don’t want it, let alone, completely rotting.  May God protect us from this inhumane claim.  They say that religious people don’t know how the world works.  Also, they don’t let certain scientists speak freely, when they realize that the universe is not possible to explain within itself. They take them out of their status and make them unemployed.  These ruthless people claim to help mankind, helping humanity and making machines to make an arrogant status for themselves in the society. 

38:61 “They will say, Our Lord, whoever brought this upon us, double his punishment in the Fire.”

38:62 “and they will wonder, why we do not see men whom we used to count among the worst,”

38:63 “were we wrong in mocking them [in the world]?  Or do our eyes [just] fail to see them [in the Fire]?”

38:64 “This is how it will really be: the inhabitants of the Fire will blame one another in this way.”

They were regarding the religious as ignorant people and saying that science works, yes it works, because the scientist is just discovering the order of the Creator of the universe.  When you deny the Creator, you are wrong. I appreciate your work and I am using it, but don’t tell a lie and don’t insult the Creator of the universe.  Be honest!  Say, I am benefitting from the order of the universe, and whoever creates the order of the universe, we are thankful to this Owner.  Otherwise, what kind of intelligence would you have if you say that the universe created itself?  We should be sorry for them.

Comment: How can a person say that this universe happens to be by itself?  Due to this starting point, they have to say that don’t think about the end of the journey and focus only on the moment as if there is a possibility of changing the reality of an end of this world.  I have this need for perfect happiness with all that I am made to love. The Quran is inviting me to consider that the things are not capable of satisfying my eternal needs here and now by themselves.  They are convincing me that it is coming from the Maker who is satisfying me, and everything points to this Maker who is rich and has infinite life, so I can trust my given expectations to this Maker.  By this connection, I start enjoying my life here and now.  Otherwise, I will find myself trying to feed this need of eternal happiness with finite beings. This is an obvious contradiction.

 




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