Chapter Takathur – Part 3

102:6 “You shall most definitely see Hellfire,”

102:7 “and again you shall surely see it with an eye of certainty.”

102:8 “Then on that you shall surely be called to account for your worldly favors.”

“An-Naeem” comes from “na’ama” (felicity, ease, blessings, live a luxurious life)

We know that we have been given lots of favors. Yes, I see that I have been given, then why will I be called to account?

This seems strange, doesn’t it? Since I am here and given, why would I be called to account? I was brought into existence here not on my own, I was not asked, given the choice or given existence with all different things, so why call me to account?

“La tus’alunna” – also means that you will be taken to question – what have you done with what I have given you freely? In other words, with the present tense: “what am I doing with everything that is being given to me?” Am I being taken into account for that? Will I be taken into account for that?

The One who gave me so many things – what did I do with the things?
Why am I questioned about this?
All these human concerns are not for external but internal reasons.

For example, if I were invited to a place and the transportation, food, clothing and everything necessary is arranged where whoever provided that says I provided you all this, then do I really utilize them or waste them?

I use them according to my needs.

If a person doesn’t use some things – would I want to give this person more of that thing?

What am I expected to do with the things?

I need to utilize them!

I utilize things for my own benefit. Doesn’t mean in a selfish sense, i.e. only for me and not anyone else, rather I use the things within myself – within my abilities. Utilizing things within the capacity that I am given i.e. the needs that I have. I am responsible for taking care of things that I need within my own capacity.

Whether I use them for me or share them with other needy ones, what is really expected of me to do with them? What are my human needs? I understand my bodily needs automatically. I do not need to be thought about them. But, how about my human needs? I have many other expectations to be satisfied.

All of the favors given to me must be questioned.

In this world, we are responsible within ourselves. If I waste something, do I feel comfortable?

No, I don’t like that. That feeling is given to me.
Similarly, I feel happy when I give something to a needy person.

Part I- Analyze yourself:

We will be accountable and responsible within ourselves. It seems that religion is not needed. Religion is just a guidance to me to show me a perspective which is not immediately available for me within my own capacity but when I am taught, I learn it.

All the things that are given to me in order to utilize them.

My Creator interferes into my feelings to the extent that I cannot go on analyzing these feelings by myself.

Everything within human beings are in the form of needs, not in the form of provider/producer. Even when I produce something, that is to fulfill my needs, I am the consumer who needs them.
The most important need for human being is to have a perpetual life and every satisfaction must be Eternal.
Creator interferes into my practical life saying use everything for an Eternal end. If I were not introduced this instruction from my Creator, who is also the Creator of my need for Eternal Satisfaction, then I would be left in a vacuum. That is, a need for Eternal Satisfaction but not know how to execute it.
Yes, we have the need, but we do not know how to satisfy it.

Everything is a sign that you need Eternity and this sense of Eternity is given to us.

Use everything for an eternal end.

Who doesn’t want to have eternal perfect satisfaction in one’s existence? It is very human.

It is not human to discover that we have the need but we don’t know how to satisfy it.Read the signs in you and understand that you need eternity and this sense of eternity is given to you.

I have to question whoever made me with the need for everything, particularly eternal happiness (we need eternal happiness, not to be replaced by temporary happiness). This sense of looking for Eternity and being in need of it is given to me by whoever made me and there is no trace of Eternity in this world because everything is dying and passing but I need Eternal Happiness, which is partially and temporarily possible and most of the time almost not. That is, not everything happens in the world as I expect it to be. I want everything to be perfect, but I do not see anything saying that I can give you perfection.

I need Eternity, where did I get this sense? The One who brought me here gave me the need for acquiring Eternal Perfection. Myself, I don’t know how to give existence to that sense and nothing else in the universe is able to provide that sense either. Anything here cannot satisfy my need for Eternity because they cannot give it to themselves. We are in a dilemma now!

Within my feelings, it is as if the Source of my Existence says: “I have given you the strong desires to ask Eternal Happiness and use the means here for this purpose because everything here is a sign pointing to this need.”

Eternal need is within us.

Everyone gets married with a wish, hope, expectation such as staying young and happy together as they are now. Does it work eternally? We get old and then die. This is a sign that I always need everything pleasing eternally.

Every favor has a sign that its Maker can do everything eternally. Why? Look at the creation – nothing in the universe is given existence independently from the rest of the universe.

“Whoever established the order of the universe must be my Maker”.

There is always a connection between my being and the rest of the universe. For example, on a dark night or blackout for city folks, I witness the stars and galaxies. Although they are years away, but this reality shows that I am connected and that my existence is from the One who made the whole universe.

Is there anything not subject to the order of the universe – acting independently from the rest of the universe?

My cells are given existence within the whole context of the whole universe.
Can you show me one thing acting independently from the whole order of the universe? For people who do not want to give a chance to the idea of a Creator of the universe and when they do not have answers to ontological questions, they do not mention it.

Part II- Absoluteness (Oneness) of God introduced in the Quran.

Quran guides us that: “I am the only one who created every single being pointing to the reality.”

Every single being in the universe must be made by a Being that is the Source that brings things into existence. Refer everything to the One who gave existence to the order of the universe. Oneness, Uniqueness, Absoluteness of a Creator is a logical corollary of reasoning.

Not only the revelation or prophetic tradition brought this news, but our being and this universe demonstrates such.

Quran emphasize that “I am the One who created every single thing pointing to my reality”. “Ahad”- there is no equivalent word for God is One, it needs a huge explanation. God is the One whose Necessity of Existence is that there must be a One Establisher of the order of the universe i.e. Uniqueness of God. This is a corollary of reasoning. That is, I cannot attribute anything to anything else. This opens in the mind of the people that this must be the reality.

Need for Eternity is already within us. No one remains in this world; the stars also have a limited time period. I have a wish to be eternally happy.

When we enter as a freshman, we don’t know what is there in the class. The potentiality to learn is already within me, the teacher helps to uncover this potentiality.
To live “happily ever after” is heard of and is appreciated by human beings. This concept of eternity is within the human desire.

Part III- Religion is the guidance to show me what perspective I should have.

The above verse is guiding us: “One day will come – did you utilize the capacity that has been given?” What have you done with your ability that I have given to you?

If I do not utilize my human capacity for the necessity of eternal life, then what good is it?
“I gave you existence it is Me, nothing in the universe can be the Source of Existence of anything”.
If I do not appreciate what has been given to me, then will the Giver/Provider would want to give me more?

I cannot stand the lack of acknowledgment of favors, which is called “Hell”.

Which sense within me drives and pushes me for eternal torture? We force ourselves, there is no sense within us to love torture- I may go against my existential reality. I have been given freedom to choose a choice which goes against my nature or not. I am free, but I have to be careful not to contradict my nature, the way I have been created.
Do we think God is punishing people? We put ourselves in torture whereas we can put ourselves in felicity. Choice is ours in this creation but, this choice must bring some results, nothing in this universe is without an aim.
The Quran keeps saying don’t despair of your Creator’s mercy. Only the deniers (of reality) cut off from the mercy of God. Why do we go against all the signs?
What have you done with the banquet I provided you? Did you throw it away or benefit from it?

Quran describes the doors of paradise is wide open, it never closes. There is no guard asking for entrance fee or your ticket. Whoever is willing to come, enter with arms wide open. Hell on the other end is described as being closed. The guards are there asking, “Why did you come here?” Oh man, why don’t you understand that the One who gave you existence gave you the desire for eternity. Why do you deny your reality? The people will reply that we lost hope in our Creator and distanced ourselves.

Society: I must enjoy myself until I die – why? After death there is nothing.

“I am going to provide you means of getting you the signs of Eternity, just say yes, the desire is in you, I gave it to you. I can do it, just do not deny it”.

Example: When eating – my desire is if only the taste is given forever – realizing the need for eternity and thus utilizing that need to be with the One who can fulfill it.

Finally, I just need to acknowledge and recognize this need for Eternity and then realize that the One who gave me this need must satisfy it not here but where this needs come from.