Contingent and Necessary Being – Part 2
This world, is a world of similitude and we have to try to understand the reality of things by analogy
- This is because it is almost impossible for us to comprehend the true nature of thing
- Through analogies we make sense of thing
Analogy of an artist
- The artist paints a beautiful art piece on a canvas
- Is there any relationship between the art and the artist?
- Yes, but are we able to deduce what kind of relationship it is?
- Because we are observant, we can see that the artist put paint on canvas and used his ability to create a painting
- The relationship between the artist and the painting is not straightforward if we are unable to see the artist at work
- We may be witness to the painting but we will never really KNOW who is the artist because we cannot comprehend the artists’ essence.
Analogy of a singer
- We know about sound waves, singers and composition, etc individually
- When we hear a pleasant sound, we know it must have come from someone
Analogy of a photographer
- The skills of the photographer is manifested in his photography
We have to ask: How can I relate the manifested art to the artist based on my observations of the art and knowledge that the art must have an artist
- We may know that an art needs an artist but we should not take it for granted in our experiences
- How can I relate the ability of the artist to the art produced?
- Think about it.
We should not take it for granted because it is extremely difficult to truly relate the ability of the person to the art that is being witnessed.
The qualities of a person (artist) manifested on a piece of art (matter) is within my vision and perception – so to confirm this, it easy. We can also then conclude that the artist has X,Y,Z qualities.
But the problem is here: Despite knowing the few qualities I see in the art as originated from the artist, I cannot know all the qualities of the artist because He is beyond my perception.
The relationship between the art and the artist is not an easy one because the essence of the source of the quality is Absolutely Infinitely different from the essence of the art.
- One of them is a conscious human being, who has free will. He chooses and decides. The essence of this human being has a completely different category/dimension than the art (an object).
Singer and song are in different dimensions. One is a human while the other is a non-material wave. Both are conceivable but they exist in a different category of existence.
As far as the category of the manifested art( taste, art piece, musical melody) is concerned you are able to list the qualities of them (beauty, balance, order, etc)
There are at least 2 categories (art -manifestation of qualities AND artist – source of qualities) of existence, which we are able to observe.
– Explaining the connection between the 2 categories of existence is something very difficult to establish despite the fact that we might able to see and witness that an artist is painting a picture.
– Although we cannot conceive the essence between the artist and the art, we can comfortably (without any doubt) conclude that a relationship exists.
Recap: The relationship between the source of the art and the art itself is very difficult to establish (not because we cannot understand the relationship between them. We can and we can confirm the existence of the relationship) because we cannot understand the essence of the relationship.
We see in this world that an artist is painting and a singer is singing. We can see and witness this.
But there exists a difficulty in establishing the source of the quality in the human being and how that gets manifested in the piece of art.
We see that a man is drawing, singing, sculpting – we know through our experience that the man is making it.
But if we had never experienced that a person is drawing or painting – and only see the painting itself – would be able to relate the painting to the source of the art (artist)?
– This is where we need training. To be able to see an art (analogous to the universe) and to recognize that it is a manifestation of one of the infinite qualities of the creator.
We know that if there is a piece of art, there has to be a source for it but if we cannot see the artist, we are unable to comprehend the essence of the relationship.
A man is singing – I have seen it – but it is difficult to relate the essence of the art manifested in the song to the man (a conscious being)
– They both exist in different dimensions.
– Although I am unable to relate the art and the artist, I am absolutely sure that the art is coming from the artist.
– But the essence is inconceivable because of the categorical differences in existence (one of them is a conscious human being while the other is a non-living thing)
– The essence of the relationship between the art and artist is impossible to establish BUT the existence of the relationship is easy for me to conclude (we know there is a relationship between the art and the artist even if I do not know who the artist is)
It is not possible to relate the manifested quality in the art to the essence of the artist.
The essence of the relationship between the carpet and the designer of the carpet is beyond our perception. We know that there is a relationship but I am unable to relate the design’s qualities to the designer’s qualities.
Somebody had a will to perform a certain function and choose to make use of certain colors to design a piece of art but beyond that we cannot comprehend the nature of the relationship.
What we are witnessing around us is an opportunity to truly understand the relationship between this world (work of art) and the creator (Allah)
– Everything we see is an example for us so that we may draw a similitude between objects in two categorical dimensions
– As we are looking at the painting (universe) we see that there are clouds, stars, planets, mountains, oceans, plants, animals, human beings and they all posses interesting characteristics.
– Human beings, for example, have been given a material existence, sight, memory, power to think, relate, imagine, ability to questions our existence (consciousness) and I need to figure out my responsibilities in this world
– As far as I am concerned I have a very beautiful characteristic; consciousness. I am aware of my own existence and that of other things around me BUT i do not know the essence (depth) of my consciousness.
– I am conscious of the existence of my own being and all the qualities given to me
All this discussion is in light of this hadith: Fa-inna bna Adama khuliqa ‘ala surati r-Rahman (The son of Adam was created according to the form of al-Rahman – God created human beings/Adam in his own image)
– Don’t take it literally,rather what this hadith means is that I have been created with the ability to understand my source of existence fully.
– Existence of my source of existence: I have the ability to understand who my source is
– How I know the source of my own existence? Because I have been given the consciousness of my qualities and the ability to question the consciousness of these qualities (For e.g.: When looking at a painting, I recognize that the qualities are a reflection of it’s creator which exists in a separate category)
I have been created so that I will use this world to know the qualities of the source of this world (establishing a similitude/mithaal)
– What we see in this world are reflection of the qualities of the creator of this world.
We have never seen the artist of this universe so we do not know which kind of being it is
– We will never know the real essence of the art of the universe
– But we are comfortable with it, because as established earlier, we can never know the essence of objects in different categorical dimensions
– Yet, we are aware that there exists a creator and cannot deny the reality of this just by witnessing the truth of our own existence
– The qualities given to me are so that we can know the source of our existence
My source of existence, gave me the ability to speak, think, understand, enquire (where do I come from, why do I exist, where am I going to go, since I witness that I am subject to continuous change?)
– I know that I was brought into this world and I will one day be removed from it
– Looking at the universe, I realise that no source can claim ownership or control over my existence because everyone else is like me.
– I ask myself through my own given qualities, why do I exist and who is the source of my existence?
– There is no source of answer within this world. I know that the art has an artist but I do not know who the artist is.
– I witness that everything happens perfectly so my existence cannot be haphazard.
“If there was no art, I would never look for the artist” BUT since I know there is an art, I must ask who is the source since I have been given the qualities to inquire.
– If I don’t ask, I will be contradicting my true self
– I don’t need to ask the essence/nature of the source of existence of this world but I am absolutely sure that the source of existence of this world exists.
As conscious beings, we should examine our own existence and from that we will know that we have a source and the source is communicating with us through manifesting his qualities on us.
– I do not need to know the nature of the manifestation of these qualities because my source has a completely different category of existence.
– To acknowledge His existence, I look at the existence of the art and I can conclude that the artists posses these qualities since He created it
The fact that I am aging, weather is changing, time is constantly evolving – everything takes place with such perfection and precision.
There are a limitless number of ‘art exhibitions’ in this universe – power of sight, hearing, nature, animals, etc.
– But if we reduce this example to a painting
– We can see that the paints are ‘moving’
– As the ‘move’ they make new paintings at every moment
– What can you conclude?: The painter is constantly at work
– How it is done?: I cannot know because the painter exists in a separate dimension.
What we can conclude is that the painting is constantly changing and I am able to perceive this change. The painter is always with me and I am never alone because I am part of His new painting in every moment. He is continuously with me and so naturally I ask Him, what is His purpose in constantly creating me?
– This is the gist of the 11th Word from The Words about why the source of the existence of the world must speak to me and why He made me here
– I am a conscious being and am able to perceive the reality of existence in which He continuously constructs. So He must tell me what my purpose in the painting is.
Can one atom give existence to another atom? Obviously not -so why then do we believe all these fallacious theories.
My creator makes clear to me that this universe has a source whose nature I cannot perceive but I can confirm His existence.
– Similarly I can never know the essence of an atom but I know it exists and how it functions (purpose)
It is absolutely impossible to explain the existence of anything in this world by itself (i.e. X created its own self)
– If something exists, the object together with all its qualities, we should ask what is the reason for them to exist (as opposed to not existing)?
– But we have never heard any answer to this question other than people denying it.
– The source of existence of this universe is manifesting its qualities in the created objects
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Sahih International: For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description of evil; and for Allah is the highest attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise.
walilahi mathalul ala (The best example is that of God): When you see any piece of art in this world, the source of this art is the creator but you cannot perceive the essence of the creator because He exists in a different category.
– If you want to understand the nature or source of existence of anything in this world, the source is always beyond your imagination.
The universe has a constant source of existence and the nature of it is beyond my perception
– All you need to know is that He exists and He is the source of all the qualities I see manifested around me.
What is the real nature of His power to create
What is the nature of Him knowing everything
– I will never be able to know
– But from all that I witness in creation I see that He creates and He knows everything.
Everything has a meaning and a purpose so my existence must also have a purpose. The answer to this must be found because we have been given the ability to question.
Through my being transient, and unable to sustain my life – I know that the source of existence of my existence must be eternal.
– From my being made and my being ephemeral I conclude that my source is eternal
– We cannot experience the idea of eternity but we know it must exist
I am learning – He is the source of knowledge
I have been given life and will be given death – He is the eternal source of life and death
Eternal: Whatever I see in this world, is nothing but manifestations of His source.
La-Ilaha: You cannot find the source of existence of anything in this world (the source of existence must be of a completely different nature, out of this universe)
Whatever we experience in this world is a manifestation of the creator.
There is nothing that we observe in this world, that is not a manifestation of the creator.
– But the creator exists in a different category and His essence is not within my comprehension.
The particles of paints are moving not because of their own cause but rather is the result of the creator’s will.
– He continuously creates every moment.
We cannot really think of the nature of the creator of things or think in terms of the creator. We can only think in terms of what we see and then conclude that what we see is how existence is taking place.
– No speculation about the creator and no speech from the point of the creator
– We cannot say that He is absolute so we are nothing. Always think from your own perspective.
The universe has a real existence within its own category of existence while the artist/us have a real existence in our category of existence. There is no need to deny either.
But because we realise our impotence, we see that all our qualities are manifestations of His qualities.
He is taking care of my existence now and He will continue taking care of my existence after death (it will just be existence in a different category)
Connection is important – there is no way for you to connect one category of existence to another other than through the qualities of manifestations.
Tags: An-Nahl, Contingent and Necessary Being Series, La ilaha illallah
