Chapter Tariq – Part 2

Part 2

How does the Quran construct its argument and presents the case to the human mind and feelings? How does the Quran make this connection of my human feelings and what I observe in the universe?  More importantly, can we confirm these arguments?  What responsibilities remain on me?  What should I do with these messages?

Everyone should be aware of the type of text that they are reading, and accordingly they will conclude.  To conclude that this Speech is the word of God, I must confirm it as much as I can, one by one (written verses and action wise verses).  Confirmation is a must to avoid blind imitation.

Recap:  What is the “Tariq”?  I am called to witness the universe, who is calling me to do that?  A prophet (Muhammad, peace be upon him) or the Creator of the universe?  The Creator of the universe is disseminating this message through a human being, Muhammad (PBUH).

Why would the Speaker say that it is the star that pierces through life’s darkness?  It is about the distinguishing between the right and wrong.  The translator of the verse understood that “Tariq” is something that pierces through life’s darkness.  What kind of means is the Quran using and presenting its message to human beings?  In other words, under the witnessing of what am I being asked to conclude something?

We should all reflect on: What did we understand from this way of the Speech from the Quran, starting from an unknown word (“Tariq” as an example), going through human creation (material to immaterial) and life’s darkness.  The One who does this will bring you back and you will have no power to retain yourself from your Creator.  All the human evidence is combined within the teachings of the Quran.  That is how the Quran speaks to us, i.e., how we should behave, assimilate the Speech within ourselves, and how we should present the message of the Quran in an appropriate way.  All the states and stages of witnessing that we encounter ought to be used as evidence to conclude my reality.  

The sequences presented in the Quran are making up a web of thought, supporting each other, and the human senses say that this is true.  Even my body and feelings are also interested in understanding reality because I want a perfect existence and I do not want to die.  The people who are not ashamed of themselves, say that I am ready to go to my Creator.  That is what I am expected to do, and I did not want to go into non-existence.  All these elements of my creation are combined in such a way that every element support each other, this method of sequential understanding that the Quran walks us through is the unique teaching of the Quran which you cannot find anywhere.  Other scriptures may have some snippet of it, however, in any case, evidence is needed to confirm the reality of existence and all the evidence that we are asked to witness in the Quran within us and around us, they all support each other.  

What does Tariq mean in the context of the Qur’anic teaching, then?

Tariq is the Quran, the One who comes at night and pierces through the darkness.  How about the star that commentators mention about?  Yes, it is the Quran, i.e. the Speech of God in action as well, because what it witnesses to and what it says is true. 

How about the written text?  Yes, it is the Quran, they all support each other.  When we speak about religion, if someone does not bring the four elements (the universe, human feelings, Speech of God and Prophethood), then religion means nothing to me.  

• Presenting religion is a big responsibility, and not presenting religion in an appropriate way is a shame!

86:5 “Man should reflect on what he was created from.”

God is reminding us: “You must think about why I created you and how you can make most of your life here?” I should reflect on my existence.  

86:6 “He is created from an ejected fluid.”

86:7 “issuing from between the backbone and the ribs.”

Someone made me out of the process of these sequences of events.  Now the Speaker is going to specify to pay attention to this stage of your existence.

What did you attribute the beginning of your creation to?  To a Creator? Doesn’t matter if you believe or not at this point, what is your attitude towards this point?  You are coming from dirty water, reflect on what you were created from?  Is this cell making me?  There is knowledge encoded on it, who wrote it?

• If you attribute your existence to causes, the causes are so insignificant matter.
• How come your feelings develop as they are?

• What makes you a human being is not matter.  

86:8 “He certainly has the power to bring him back to life.”

Did you pay attention that you are made in a simple but perfect form, don’t you think that the same One can create you again? 

• By reflecting on the creation of human beings we can easily reach the conclusion about the re-creation of human beings, again. 

86:9 “On the Day all secrets (of hearts) will be disclosed.”

Why are we given the freewill?  So, we freely choose, and the consequence of our choice brings something in our lives.  Why are all my tools given to me?  If I do something, can anyone know my intention?  No. But my feelings, intention and planning exist.  The One who has created me should organize all these acts of creation, and do you think that such a One who creates my thoughts should not know them?!  Aren’t my feelings and intellect created by Him, the ability to choose is created by Him? And so whatever I choose by using my freewill, it must be created by Him, i.e. I am choosing, and He is creating.

I have no power to carry on my acts, I am just simply choosing to act.  How are the muscles, joints and action occurring?  What is happening in the body of a man, needs to be described with volumes of books, i.e., how many cells are functioning and nervous systems working together in harmony with everything else.  Otherwise, I would just take each action for granted.  I am not even aware of how I speak when I prefer to speak? I want it and all of my related muscles start working in harmony.  I just want to move my hand for example, and the result is created.  Can anyone guarantee that tomorrow will exist?  The whole universe and the stars are impotent like you and me. No one can guarantee that whatever I choose will happen. I cannot guarantee that the air I inhale will work in my lungs as I want. We only choose and the result is created.  

• I cannot do anything by not obeying the order, and I am bound by obeying the order.

I may do some actions, and you can observe the physical appearance of my actions.  Do you know what is behind my feelings and intentions?  No, but the One who creates it must know it.  He says that I am going to bring you back to life again and display and present you everything as they are recorded.  Just like a tree grows from a seed, I know which stages of existence you are going to go through.  We are experiencing this here.  Our background feeling behind every action is known by the One who creates it.

We went from understanding the sequential meaning of piercing star, darkness to guardian angels. The One who creates all knows them all).

86:10 “Then he will have no power and no one to help him.”

If we are not ashamed of what we have done, then we will not worry about anything.  Example: if I insulted someone and hurt someone’s feelings in an unjust way, I do not feel happy, because I am disturbing someone’s feelings.  I feel guilty about this act.  In other words, if I do something wrong according to my human qualities given to me, then I still feel ashamed of myself because I am contradicting my feelings given to me by creation.  I am ashamed of the choice that I made which contradicts my human qualities.  I am being informed through these kinds of activities that there is a consequence of my choices.  There is something going on here.  Sometimes, I feel happy, and sometimes I sweat if I do something bad, there must be a purpose in them.  Accordingly, people experience the consequences of their choices.  This is a reminder that you will be considered for the consequences of your choices.  The people who are not ashamed of what they have done will be happy and worry free.  

Whatever is happening in this world as far as human beings are concerned, we are choosing something because of our feelings.  I experience something bad or good, what is happening in me cannot be attributed to unconscious matter, can it?!  Matter has no emotion and no knowledge, power and will.  Matter cannot be the result of the order because it obeys the order.

Someone is making a video of doings here; can natural things develop by itself and record everything for a purpose? Can matter have a purpose by itself? These recordings will leave nothing and capture everything, don’t I experience that here in living beings?! If I record anything it must have a purpose.

Nothing here can help me in my existential agony, rather I use what I have been given to help myself.  Example: I am hungry, and someone provides the food for me.  He did not create the food, he just used what is available to prepare the food.  If I am happy that this food satisfies my need, then I must be thankful to the One who creates the food for me.  The one who is ashamed of his video recordings, will have no one to help him.

86:11 “Consider the heavens, ever-revolving.”

We are not static and not one existence here is static, rather we are a continuous renewed act of creation, renewed again and again in a different form.

86:12 “and the earth, bursting forth with plants.”

The earth and the sun are rotating so fast, but we seem to be staying in our place fixed. The relationship between the sun and the moon may not seem a serious matter, however, how do you explain the existence of the harmony with their movement?  By physical laws? Can physical laws exist by themselves? We are revolving together with the solar system so fast that we even do not feel the distance that has been travelled with more than one rotation.  When we investigate it we always notice the actions; can the Earth be the Creator of its action?  No, the Earth is bound to follow the action.  That is, someone is subjugating the Earth to follow its order.

86: 13 “It is indeed a distinguishing speech,”

86:14 “and it is not an idle tale.”

It does not mean that things are meaningless here.  Someone asking you to pay attention to your existence, and we must reflect on it.  Everything is clearly made distinct here.  The Speech is distinguishing everything  in detail, and so it must be something important for me to notice and take action on.