Chapter Tin – Part 1

The Fig (Chapter Tin)

The chronologically 28th revealed chapter of the Quran.  This is around the 3rd or 4th year of Prophethood as an approximation because at that time, there were no established calendar systems that we use nowadays and people around the Messenger of God were mostly nomads living in natural, simple, unspoiled conditions without any formal education. 

We should take into consideration the conditions of the Arabian Peninsula while interpreting these verses.  That nomadic civilization was nothing like our civilization now.  At that time, the people did not keep any record of the time periods.  They only kept records of the family tree of their tribal systems (ancestors) which was important in their culture.  For them, the revelation started from scratch i.e. life in mecca was what we may call as primitive. The prophetic message marked as the beginning of how the human nature is going to be developed and prepared for a civilized, peaceful, and just society by establishing a just administration i.e. build an exemplary Government system for the world.  That is how the change took place and the Islamic civilization spread so fast and wide in a very short period as compared to other civilizations that took decades.  Example: The Caliphate was established immediately after the death of the Prophet and in total it took half a century from the time of the Messengership/Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh), for it to be established in the form of an empire. Other empires that emerged (example, Persian Empire, Roman Empire…) comparatively took longer to be established.

No one can deny the historical occurrences of the events as long as the message is universal.  We do not reduce the message within a historical geographical context only (space-time), i.e, the content of the prophetic message is not confined to the conditions of that time alone but I need to bring it to my living conditions.  What happened at that time helps us to develop our human character.  That is, we can use the message of the Quran to establish how I can turn my wild nature into a perfect human nature?  (if I have not educated my potentialities, how am I going to develop it in the possible perfect form?)

All the earlier revealed chapters of revelation (the Quran) were introductions to prepare the understanding and minds of people on how to educate themselves gradually.  When we try to understand how the verses speak in limitless (Absolute Knowledge) terms, it means that is how human reality gradually develops towards the very best side of two opposite poles.  Human reality stands in between those opposite poles and gradually develops towards the very best side or the worst side.

• No one becomes perfect at once or completely corrupted at once.  

We gradually improve ourselves, that is how creation is i.e. everyone grows gradually such as plants, animals, galaxies…  Human beings also grow gradually and get old gradually, starting from zero (birth) until they die.  We encounter all ups and downs of life experiences.  We are subject to this formation or path to follow.  There is no hurry to cross the journey, rather we must ensure that our direction is correct.

Let’s see how this process is presented in this chapter.

95:1 “Consider the fig and the olive.”

The fig and olives are witnessing the varieties and multitude of what is being presented to us as creation.  Look, the Creator of the universe can create an olive with one seed and the same Creator can also create a thousand seeds in one fig fruit.  There are other fruits containing between one and thousand seeds.  This showcases that the Creator of this creation does not have to follow one pattern.  We notice that every plant, animal and planet, galaxies, solar system… have their unique character.  

We should notice how everything is created in different ways and at that same time.  All species are different, and even the members of species are different.  Example: The cat is one species, and all cats are created in different ways, having their own personalities, at the same time all around the globe.  The same with the human species.  What is going on here?  Nothing is waiting in line to be transformed, change is happening constantly at the same time.  

In the earlier revelations, the Quran draws our attention to look at creation out there.  Is the Quran encouraging us to do scientific research?  The purpose of the teachings of the Quran is to tell us what human beings cannot know by investigating the universe or the nature of reality.  I can see the signs, but I do not know where the signs come from i.e. what the signs refer to.  What I see in the fig and the olives are signs to some qualities and we cannot refer these qualities to anything that we can comprehend.  We can only say that these are wonderful acts!  If there was no revelation from the Creator revealing to human beings (in order to open up their minds) that the universe is a created being and it has a Creator, which cannot be describable within the conditions of the universe or cannot be defined with any word that human beings developed as a result of their experience with this universe (we cannot use any word for It).  We can only say that these things are strange.  

Anthropologists who study primitive lives discovered that whatever their tribal conditions are, the primitive people had some sort of notion of a Source of Existence, but they do not know what it is.  They spoke in their own languages referring to things such as the spirit of trees, the spirit of the monkeys, the spirit of the lions and the spirit of the forest.  They didn’t know what it is, at least (within their primitive conditions), they were intelligent enough to realize that the forest, the animal kingdom or the vegetable kingdom cannot be just an accident.  There is something which is responsible to create them, maintain them, sustain them and provide them with life, shape, intrinsic qualities, prepare them for life and make them perfectly adaptable to the conditions of their environment.  

As soon as something is born, it starts adapting itself to its life conditions.  Example: Let’s explore the life of honey bees.  When a baby honey bee hatches out of its egg, it starts cleaning/sucking on its honeycomb.  A tiny creature, is it learning from someone?  Is it influenced by its environment?  No, it is prepared that way.  

• Primitive people were intelligent enough to see that there is something operating over this world.  

• That was enough of a belief for them.  
• They were not using civilized modern language.  
• They were not materialists.  
• They were believing in something transcendental to the object beyond itself.  

• If you are knowledgeable enough to understand that the universe is like a creature born, then its Creator, Sustainer must be the spirit of the universe (in language of the primitive people).  It is a shame to call them primitive compared to the now so-called educated material philosophers/scientists!  

Educated people who say that the universe happens to be like itself, without any conscious knowledge or agent behind its perfect organization should reconsider their thoughts. Who should we call as primitive people?!  At the end of this world, we will realize who is primitive and needs to be called “human beings”.  

The nature of human beings has a perfect potentiality that resides in us and it needs to be developed.  Yes, we are developing but some people still are obstinate (not to accept the reality) and try to invent excuses to be in denial of a Source of Existence because they are so engulfed in their egoistic arrogance: “I shouldn’t submit myself to any Higher Being and, therefore deny a transcendental Being.” On the other hand, if I understand that the universe has an Owner, so the globe of the world has an Owner and then I have an Owner. That means that He has created me for a purpose. I must question this: “how can I communicate with Him? How can I know which kind of thing It is?”  We must work on it!  

• If someone is loaded with his own caprices such as arrogance/ego (I am at the center of the world), then he cannot acknowledge the Transcendental Being.  

The Quran mentions that I will present this Transcendental Being and my evidence is the creation of this universe.  You must use this creation like the primitive people and the true honest scientists who study the work and through discovering the qualities manifested in this world, you get to know a One not of the nature of this universe.  What you discover is that matter has no qualities that can be claimed as its own.  So without any qualities of its own can matter act on its own choice?  Impossible!  It has no free will to choose. These primitive folks and honest scientists are to be appreciated.  

This verse does not imply that the fig or the olive are more sacred than an apple or a banana.  The subject is going to be about one seed to multiple seeds, how these can represent two extreme ends (acceptance or denial of the reality).  That is, human being questions: How are they developing like this?  Is there any way to understand their development within their own cells?  Are the particles intelligent to develop on their own and establish an order?  Within this order, how can all parts of the structure work in perfect harmony and correspond with each other?  Impossible!  

We cannot find any sign that matter owns its qualities from itself.  They need to exist by someone else’s choice i.e. some other source preferred them, someone else gives them existence. They cannot give existence to themselves and be created by themselves.  There is no sign that matter has any power to give existence to itself.  The order of the universe has nothing to do with the matter, that is just the plan of the Creator or the way that the Creator puts everything in order so that the universe works perfectly and intelligent people will understand that: “This perfect act going on in the universe cannot be accidental.  There is wisdom behind it, conscious choice behind it and deliberate planning at play.”  Everything is created knowingly within the perfectly created plan. 

• The only starting point for human beings is to look at creation.

95:2 “and the Mount Sinai.”

Historically, revelation from God known to human beings which starts with monotheistic revelations (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) claims that revelation is revealed under the surveillance of God, the Absolute Being.  There are other religions (ancient texts) who claim that revelations are revealed by sage people.

Mount Sinai is known by the monotheistic religions.  A person claiming to be the messenger of the Creator of the universe receives revelation in Mount Sinai.  It doesn’t matter where the location is.  At the same time, we are not negating the ancient traditions as having any remnants of revelations.  Now that revelations are known to human beings, we don’t even mention that it is God’s revealed revelation.  Unfortunately, we don’t focus on a Speech from the Creator of the universe, at the least think about what does something that claims to be the Speech of God mean for me?  Does God speak verbally? These ancient revelations might have been originally revealed by God but in the course of history, certain people adapted it to themselves and the common people attributed revelation to the person preaching it, rather than to God. Later on, many fundamental teachings might have adopted to political and social life and lost their core divine teachings

The monotheistic texts claim to be God’s inspired books and refer to God’s origin in them.  The stories are described in most of those texts, but when the purpose of the story is distorted they are corrected with the new revelations.  That is, in the course of time, they were adapted to the political, economic conditions of their environment. In other words, people started adjusting the content of the texts according to the political desires of the Ruling bodies/Kings/Emperor.  Under human influence, they deformed these God revealed texts to adapt themselves to the historical conditions of their time and most of the texts might have lost their pure form of revelation.  When the Speech of God loses its genuine identity, God reveals another revelation to renew it and adapts it to the new life conditions or updates it, corrects it, and eliminates the mistaken understandings in it.

There are parallel teachings between the Torah and the Quran.  However, the main message sometimes corresponds to each other whereas sometimes the same message differs.  If we carefully investigate it, they differ when there is a scratch or deformation in Oneness of God (i.e. pure, not adulterated form of Oneness of God).  That shouldn’t be our concern.  As far as we know the Quran claims to be the most recent and last revelation after the Torah and the Bible, which was revealed to Jesus (pbuh).  The Quran says, I am the new one.  Study the Quran and confirm it within your feelings and the universe. We are all free to not confirm it.  No one can force you to do so!

Now, Mount Sinai represents “the revelation”.  That is, there are signs in creation and that is a fact/reality of revelation.  You must compare what God reveals in the form of verbal expression and in the form of act (action wise revelation, the creation).  You must see the parallel between them.  Example: If the Quran is the word of the Creator of the universe, it must not contradict the signs (ayat) we observe in the universe.  

• Action wise signs (ayat) in the universe and verbal signs (ayat) must tell and reveal the same reality.  

This is the 4th year of revelation preparing the minds of primitive people to start thinking in two channels and prepare their minds that in the course of time as they will be educated, they will be able to make the comparison (i.e. confirm what they experience in the universe with what God’s speech conveys). Most of these people were uneducated people who could not count up to 30.  Even the Prophet (pbuh) had to present a way of communicating 29 days of Ramadan (fasting month) as narrated in some hadiths where fingers were used to show the number of days to fast.

For us, as far as the training of revelation is concerned, we have to go through the same stages of gradual development.  Start from the first revealed chapter of the Quran to this chapter which is the 29th revealed chapter.  These chapters are short; and the shorter, the deeper in meaning they are. 

• The fig, the olive as well as Mount Sinai symbolize revelation because minds are being prepared.  

95: and the land secure

Are we going to bother about which land is being referenced here?  In order to see the signs of the Creator of the universe, you don’t have to go to a land where olives and figs are created.  If you live in a town where pecans are around, then look into it to witness the Creator of the universe.  That land where pecans grow is home for you.  Although the social construct may not be according to what you expect, look at creation because it is created for you.  The creation side of anything is most appropriate to your life conditions.  You need air and there is air for you.  You need light, it is there for you.  You need something, there are means to get that as much as your conditions allow you.  Everything is created perfectly for the human being to live where they are.

 

• I don’t have to go somewhere else to experience what the Creator of the universe has prepared for me to see as signs.

 

• • In order to see the signs of the Creator, I can use creation around me.

 

• Concentrate on your life conditions where you are created, and you can feel secure in your existence.

 

We need to look for the revelation and use our intelligence/potentiality to respond back to the news that we receive from the revelation and try to find out the answers to our human questions: what am I doing in this world and what is my purpose of existence?  

 

• These verses are instructing us to investigate the reality of what we wonder: “who we are, who gave me existence, what is my purpose of existing, I am so perfect as far as my creation is, I am given different kinds of aspirations, feelings, fears and hopes, for what?  Who is operating over me? 

 

• The Quran is preparing our minds to get on this journey.

95:4 “Verily, we create man in the best conformation.”

We created man in the best adjustments, adaptations, and nature (both sides: body and spirit).  We are given all necessary equipment to fulfill our purpose of existence.  When we look at our body structure, we see how our hands are parallel to each other.  What is causing this?  What side of the hand is arranging this?  

If there is a small change in the way that the body functions, then we are in trouble.  Sometimes we experience some malfunctions.  Example: sometimes we don’t even remember that we have a stomach functioning and performing several duties and working in harmony with the rest of the organs.  What a perfect arrangement it is for a piece of meat!  We are created in this way.  How come?  

• That is just one example of the body structure.  However, the human being is not only the body, that is our animal side.  Just like cats are different from dogs but we all share physical traits such as one nose, heart, lungs, liver…  Yet, every species is different.  Cats are not like mice, and birds which are completely different from each other, but they all communicate with each other.  They all try to be respectful to the environment according to their given capacity and are prepared in the best form.  

Spiritually, we are given the senses which are able to communicate all the meanings manifested in this world.  All the aspects of the qualities manifested in this world, we recognize it, we say this is beautiful, this functions well, this is useful, this works like this, how wonderful this is, I love the smell of this  perfume, I love the action of the birds on the tree and I like it when the bird sings in the morning and I love to wake up to their melody.  

How about the animals living under the earth, everything is doing some sort of duty, fulfilling a role and keeping the balance of this order?  That is how the Creator has set up this order.  Things are created in this way and the order is not going to be spoiled otherwise this world cannot be managed.  

• Human spirit also communicates with the signs manifested in the universe and through the signs, we can acknowledge the capacities of the real owner of the signs which is called the Creator, the Owner of the Universe, the Sustainer of the universe, the Lord of the universe.  
• We can get to know Him through His manifested qualities.  

We need some help to jump out of the universe and accept the reality that this universe must have a Creator who must have these qualities (whatever I see here) in the Absolute sense (because everything functions at the same time everywhere with no interruption, perfectly and smoothly).  Nothing is happening in the universe accidentally.  

We take notice of our own existence.  “The human being is the best masterpiece of the signs in the universe” 95:4 and we are conscious of it.  We know the types of qualities that we are given and we acknowledge the qualities manifested within ourselves.  

“I have been given an element within myself which is called consciousness and this element is aware of its own existence as well.”  Example: the laptop is functioning as it is made but it is not aware of its existence like us.  Human beings are aware of their make and aware that they have consciousness.  It is so amazing, and we are the best of the signs of the Creator, i.e. we are the best creation to know the Creator of the universe in the best possible way.  

 

• Think about yourself: who made all of your human qualities!?

 

95:5 “Then we reduced him to the lowest of the low.”

Does what my Creator tells me make sense? You are free to accept/reject: Why do you reduce me to the lowest of the low?  Why don’t you let me be in my perfect structure?  

The Creator says: “That is how I established the order under My surveillance according to My will i.e. whatever you choose within this order with your freewill, that will be your choice.  However, the creation of your choice is My act of creation, you choose it and I create it.  

The purpose of revelation is to teach us the aspects of events which look to the Creator.  The aspect that looks to the world, we see it when using it.  I have my freewill and I choose.  If I want to learn something from the universe, I study the order.  Just like the scientists are discovering more of the order in the universe and there is no end to it because the Creator of the universe is, by definition, Absolute.  There is no end for Absolute and we are given the potentiality to understand this.  

When you study, you understand that the order is established in such a way by its Creator and I am freely choosing.  Sometimes, to choose some options is not easy because the Establisher of the order says that you have to act within the limitations of My order i.e. You are not the Creator, but you are subject to the will of the Creator.  You will choose by exercising your freewill as much as He allows you to choose.  For example, I cannot choose to sleep on the moon right now but perhaps in the near future, they may develop some mass transit system to get there.  However, I can choose to sleep in the park outside.  Bottom line, I am responsible within the given area to choose.  The physical field of freewill is somehow limited as compared to the universe.  As far as my spiritual side, my human soul has freedom with no end.   That is, I can completely submit myself to the Absolute Creator or deny submitting myself to the Absolute Creator (i.e. preserving my existence with the claim that I am responsible for myself by myself and I will decide what I want and I am not going to acknowledge that there is a Higher Being, Owner of the universe, Owner of my existence.) 

 

• The more I reflect on my existence, the better I become aware of myself in my sensual life, the capacity of my feelings.  

 

As we started thinking about one fruit with one seed and another fruit with multiple seeds, here we are with two ends i.e. the perfect form of creation and the worst choice that the human can decide upon (that I am the result of accidents).  These are the most extreme sides.  

Which way am I following?  I am free to choose either way, however, the important thing is to be in the right direction.  Suddenly, I can choose the direction of the perfect man (verse 1) or the worst man (verse 2).  I must take precautions not to go into the wrong direction and then we gradually develop after that.  Just like the cold weather is created for us and we take precautions by turning on the heat.  

In order to know who is the Owner of the feelings that I have, I need to use the opportunities in the creation freely given to me by my Creator.  The order needs to be used to appreciate the Creator, thank Him and acknowledge Him: “You are the Owner and I am just the one using things You create.”  Can you say that anything is yours?   We haven’t done anything to get our feelings and our body.  “I have to acknowledge that You have blessed me with these qualities and I am thankful to You and I will use them to get to know You better because I have the potentiality to get to know who my Owner is so I can be thankful to Him.”

Not everyone is lowered to the lowest of the low.  There are exceptions.

95:6 “except those who have faith and do righteous deeds. Theirs is a never-ending reward.”

If I am on the belief journey, then I have chosen to acknowledge my reality, that I did not equip myself with these wonderful human qualities, which has nothing to do with matter (such as the sense of love),  I cannot say that I got it by myself. 

Every animal is given some spirit, perhaps a limited capacity as compared to how I function.  I do not know how the cat feels but I know that the cat is given certain qualities to perform a certain role; unless human beings spoil them.  Otherwise, cats can perfectly adjust their lives to how they are created.  

We are given so much capacity and we need to use it in the right way and for the right purpose.  My human side (all my qualities) is giving me signals, signs that I am created by a One who is Merciful, Just and Wise.  Be grateful and don’t reject your reality (by being ungrateful)!  My consciousness tells me this.  

• If I choose to confirm that I have a Transcendental Being (a Source of existence that cannot be described within this universe), it is beyond this universe.  It is impossible to describe Its qualities within the limits of this world.  

In our standard language, we call it Absolute Being, i.e. the Source of Existence of the universe.  I confirm It and use all the facilities given by Him through acknowledging that He is the Owner of all my feelings, and I am not.  Example: a father takes care of his children and loves them. The father may say that I am given these qualities by my Creator.  If I enjoy it, it is because of God’s will.  If I misuse it and use it wrongly, then I distort the purpose of their existence.  When I am not careful with how I use my human qualities, my Creator says that you are doing something wrong, it is not a pleasurable way of living in this world, don’t torture yourself, accept your realty!  

If I claim that I have faith in God and I am grateful to God but I am not going to use my human capacity while I am interacting with other creatures (animate/inanimate), then I am not fulfilling the purpose of my existence.  If you have a purpose, the consciousness acknowledges it.  Just like you may cut a tree for wood purposes to build something or just cut it aimlessly.  You are given the permission to cut the tree and utilize it. The tree is created for you, that is the will of the Creator and consciousness acknowledges it.

What we have received in the Mount Sinai is the revelation i.e. the tree is created for you in order to fulfill the purpose of your existence.  Example: I gave you a life which needs sustenance and I have prepared air for you, use it.  You need food and I am preparing it out there, use it.  If you do not eat the food and destroy the fields, then that is not the right way to follow. 

The exception that we see i.e. the people who are exempt from reducing their existence to the lowest of the low are the ones who choose the right direction or do the right deeds.  They use things with acknowledgement of their Owner which is according to their own capacity that consciousness realizes.  Example: Will you kill an innocent child?  No.  Your consciousness will say no regardless of your belief background.  Some people become arrogant and kill the child to satisfy themselves.  However, the consciousness says that you shouldn’t do it.  

• “People who choose the right way are doing the righteous deeds according to My creation.” 

I choose the right way according to the direction I receive from the Speech of God or the guidance from my God.  Without this guidance I will not have any purpose of existence to fulfill.  I would not know why I am given existence; as much as I know, this is my experience and the universe looks wonderful. Thus, guidance is necessary to point me to the right direction on how I should live my life.

What is the never-ending reward? (next week…)

• My life is limited here.  

 

Tags: Al-Tin, Creation, Earlier Revelation, Primitive People, Prophethood, pure spirit, Repentance, Tin series