Ethical Lessons from the Quran, part 1

Ethical Lessons from the Quran-  “Ethical Lessons From the Qur’an”, part 1

As believers, we have lots of concerns about how to organize our personal lives according to God’s message presented in the Quran. That is why we must study the Quran to understand what the message is for us as human beings living right now in this world.  Every one of us should say, “What makes me believe in the Quranic message?  I must have some confidence in what I conclude based on practical life experiences.”

The translators of the Qur’an do their best to translate the Arabic text into various languages.  However, the meaning we extract from these translations should not bind us to that understanding only, as the Quran by definition is a continuous Speech from the Lord of the universe.  We need to go into deep analysis of the Quran and concentrate on the practical side of how to apply God’s message in our lives.

The verse we will study seems to provide us with the relationship of doing good actions and my expectations from God on doing such good actions.  

Nisa, 4:79 “Anything good that happens to you is from God; anything bad happens to you is from yourself.  We have sent you [O Muhammad] as a messenger to all people; God is sufficient as a witness.”

At first glance, it may seem as if the verse is saying that we are bad people, and God is the good One. Let us delve into this:

1. How do we define “bad” and “good”?  What is our criterion for them?

The immediate answer from a religious perspective would be the Revelation of God. Let us  reflect on this from our everyday living experience. Sometimes we may not get what we are expecting; does it mean that the creation of that thing is bad for us?  Does this mean that something we do not like is not good in “existence”?  That is, do we see anything bad in the existence of the universe at all?  

Example: An architect makes a building.  Would an architect make a building to harm the residents that would use the building?  No.  Similar to the architect, we can understand that the Creator of the universe is not expected to give existence to something that would harm me or anything in creation.  Think about it, can your Creator have a heinous intention to harm you by creating something bad for you?!

From the aspect of creation, everything is good.  The One who creates the universe does not want to do anything bad to it.  What about death?!  As far as human feelings are concerned, no one wants to die.  What does this mean, then?  The One who creates the universe must be the Creator of death as well.  When we get old, we envy youth.  What do these feelings point to?  The One who created the universe has created me with my feelings.  These feelings are not created by me, but created by the One who gives existence to the universe and me.  These feelings say that we should not like anything bad for us (calamity, illness…), including death. However, I experience all these things in the universe.  My feelings are created by the Creator of the universe and these feelings contradict with what some of the things in the universe He created offer.  How are we going to solve this seemingly contradictory appearance?

The first premise of reasoning lies in knowing that the Creator of the universe does not manifest any signs that He has a bad intention in creating the universe, let alone our feelings.  When we dislike something He created for us, especially death, then we are experiencing something which contradicts our human nature, the way I am created.  My feelings say that I should not die and get old, but at the same time, the same Creator keeps creating old age and in the end death for me.

These feelings of not wanting to die and staying youthful forever are created for us.  The feelings of love, fear and hatred are also created.  If you were not given the sense of fear, for example, how would you know that you need to improve yourself in a certain area?  If we are not given these feelings, we would never be able to improve ourselves.  Example: if we were not given the feeling of fearing death and desiring a permanent happy life, then we would never search for the meaning of life and existence and look for the solution to satisfy this feeling.  We can only use the data and content that is available in the universe to know our human condition.  If something is not created in the universe, then it is not available for us to use. As a result, we cannot talk about it, let alone speculate anything when relating it to our feelings.

Why do we dislike certain things, and according to what criteria do we dislike them?  For example, we are given the sense not to like death. Let’s ask ourselves this question: Why do we see death as something bad?  Why am I given the sense not to die?  The same Creator who has given us the sense to stay alive and not to die, creates death.  What is the wisdom here?  My Creator is teaching me that I cannot be created for annihilation and just live my life in this world up until death.  He is trying to teach us that we are created for eternity, yet we cannot find it in this world.  So, we question, where can I find eternity because we realize that we are not created for this world.  This teaching is the wisdom and mercy in creation.  If I am not created for this world, then what am I expected to do here?  This sense is an invitation to look for a One who can create an eternal life for me.  The same teaching can be applied to the sense of desiring youth and good health, we must look for a One who can create permanent youth and permanent good health for us.  These feelings are an opportunity for us to communicate with our Creator.  In Islamic scholarship, this communication is called “’abd” (worshiper) and “Ma’bud” (the Worshiped) relationship.  This type of relationship is acknowledging that I am created, and I have a Creator.  All the needs given to me are His promise to me that only He can give them to me. This is how we are subjected to a training or education in this world to get ready for eternal life.

Is it easy to maintain the “‘bd” and “ma’bud” relationship?  It depends on human beings because we are created with free will, choosing from available options.  Any interpretation of the meaning of creation is also dependent on my will to choose freely from options available to me.  For example, I am free to assign the creation of this universe to random happenings, an available option.  However, I must question, can this universe accidentally evolve into a perfect universe and give rise to perfect human beings by itself?  Can an imperfect being  stay in life and then make itself perfect depending on random choice?  Can millions of beings improve themself randomly into perfect beings unique in their existence? Can a computer with one of its essential parts not functioning perfectly work and let this imperfect part randomly improve itself and start functioning? From the very beginning the computer does not work, how then can this imperfect part improve itself since the machine cannot function at all? Impossible!  We must think about it.  Let us look at a sparrow which is different from a chickadee bird.  Who is arranging various species at my display?!  Only a One who is the Owner of my senses and feelings is the Creator of all different species that I interact with.  Let us question our source of origin, how did I develop from a fluid to a perfectly functioning human being?  Who is designing me and at each level of my different design giving existence to me throughout my life from babyhood to an old age?  Who is changing me, as if transforming me from a blood clot to a man?  

We must be careful of the choices we make, because everyone is free to choose what they like, and accordingly will face the consequences, if not in this world, then, there must be another creation where the full justice will be executed for sure.  That is the news that the Quran gives us.  Being a believer does not guarantee that people are doing good and making the right choices all the time.  Impossible!  We are all prone to make mistakes, and we learn from the wrong choices not to do it again.  Simple!  

We must focus on the existential side of the matter, i.e. analyzing the existential side, followed by relating with my reasoning to this existential side.  When I use my reasoning, I am using my human side, where I see if it makes sense to my existential side.  Here, I can misinterpret things, because I have the option of choosing various interpretations available. Therefore, I need another criterion to help me make the distinction between what is the right interpretation and what is a misinterpretation.  I need the right answer to guide me from the One who created me, because I am not sure about which interpretation fits my human nature. The One who created me has created me in such a way that I cannot guarantee whether what I have chosen is right or wrong.  Since I am given the options to choose, my Creator must guide me to understand the right option befitting my human side. That is why the Prophet coming with His message is necessary.

When we interpret something to be bad or good, we must investigate if we have a sufficient base for it?  Am I deciding according to my feelings by itself, or am I deciding according to the reality of the creation of these feelings?  After getting to know the purpose of one’s existence, we can reach the right criterion.  For example, you need to be ill to understand that the One who gave your health wants you to call upon Him, come back to Him and acknowledge Him that He is the Provider of health, and now He is taking it away from you to tell you that He it is, the health Giver.  Nothing in creation can guarantee your health unless you connect with your existence Giver, the only One who can give you health.  When you take medicine, you are praying to the health Giver to give you health.  When you acknowledge that taking the medicine is an opportunity to connect with the health Giver, then you attach your existence to the Eternal health Giver.  As a result of this interpretation, the idea of “luck” or “chance” as options of curing you or making you ill does not get picked up, which is a misinterpretation of the happenings of existence.  Unfortunately, people who do not accept or subscribe to a conscious Creator attribute everything to randomness, chance or luck, none of these have any reality in existence, but only absurd empty words.

All our needs may be interpreted and defined by us as “bad”.  In their existence, the creation of everything is good because they help me understand the Source of my existence and communicate with Him.  We need prayers, and prayer means communicating with God and acknowledging Him, confirming our reality that He is the source of all good, He has given me the senses to see some things as bad, so that we will look for a solution and find out that we are the solution with our realizations, choices and understandings.

• The creation is arranged in such a way that when I do not like something, I should look for a solution, which is a very human thing to do.  While looking for a solution, I get to connect with the Source of my existence and this fulfills the purpose of my existence.

Think about it, who can give you youth again?  The One who gave it to you a while ago, gives you the sense of desiring eternal youth, is the only One that can satisfy this need.  Through the sense of loving youth, your Creator is inviting you to call upon Him. I must not  forget that I am  His created being with the need to communicate with Him as the One who creates the sense of staying young forever.  As we are aging, our skills start deteriorating, and we call such creations bad.  However, the creation of old age is for a good purpose, but I may label it as bad.  The purpose in anything that we deem bad is to acknowledge the Source of our existence and communicate with the Source of Eternal Life.  The problem with many people who are discontent with their lives is that they are struggling with establishing the relationship with God through what may apparently seem to be “bad,” even if they think God is hurting them.  We must use what we perceive as bad to communicate with an Eternal One who is Merciful and Wise in His decision for us.

2. Is not everything created by God good?  What does “anything bad happens to you is from yourself” mean?  Am I the cause of “bad” things?

Whatever you feel and experience, the feeling is given by God, and everything is wisely created and for a good purpose.  My Creator never does anything nonsensical and always creates what is best for me, (“al-Hakeem,” the Wise and “al-Raheem, the Merciful).  We must always keep the awareness of seeing the wisdom and mercy of our Creator in all experiences.  When something good happens to you, you are happy.  Always ask yourself, what is the wisdom and mercy in this happiness?  It does not mean that we should remain indifferent to anything bad and deny its existence.  The same principle applies to anything hurting us, what is the wisdom and mercy in this event that I see bad?  Always try to look for the solution where you are asking for the solution from the way God creates. His way of creating is a blessing for us.

Let us take another example to make it practical.  While walking, John trips and breaks his leg. Of course, John is not happy with this event, he may label it as a “bad” event. But as a result of the creation of this event John should think what mistake did he make?  He was not careful enough while walking and may not have taken enough calcium growing up.  This side of the event looks to John, where he has contradicted God’s wisdom in understanding and applying the way the universe is created i.e. take calcium to get strong bones.  Now, what type of attitude should John take?  John must recognize and accept that he was not careful with his diet.  Is breaking the bone God’s punishment for John?  No.  The act of the bone breaking is teaching John that he has made a mistake, by not carefully following God’s order and wisdom in creation.  At the same time, the act of bone breaking, is a call from his Creator, to acknowledge Him as the Giver of Health, mending bones, and communicating to His Creator that he has made a mistake. John wants his healthy leg back and only God can create it for him.  Here, John pleads to God to teach him what to do, searching for the best order in creation, taking the best medicine, and appointing the best doctors.  These are all opportunities created for John from the Creator of the universe.

From the practical example above, we can understand that if something “bad” happens to you, it is not a punishment, rather God is asking you to be on the right path.  God is teaching you to check in whether you are on the right path or not. What is God teaching me now?  Did I make a mistake?  Yes, I did because I did not obey the order in creation. That is my mistake, and God is teaching me that you are doing something wrong by creating that which is bad for me.  

In Islamic theology, there is a fundamental principle, once something is created and happened in the past, that is God’s determining (qadar or taqdeer).  As per Quranic teaching, we must look into what God is teaching me and what is my responsibility.  The past is God’s determining for me.  The future is my responsibility, what am I supposed to do tomorrow?  How am I supposed to follow the right way i.e. God’s way, which is by obeying the order in creation.  When something is created, my attitude should be, which kind of lesson should I take from it, so that I will use it for my future life?  In the case of John’s example, he did not take enough calcium, and his bones became weak, which he learned by breaking his bone. His responsibility now is to take enough calcium in his diet which is obeying God’s command, and acknowledging Him as the Giver of Health.

When we see verses that include “test” (baliyyah or fitnah), we quickly say that God is testing, which is the literal translation.  However, when you look at the root meaning of the verse, you are not being tested, rather God gives you the opportunity to find the right way by giving the opportunity to deny it and follow the wrong way as an option.  Some of us live this life thinking as if God needs to know and is testing me whether I am a good man or bad man.  Does my Creator not know what I am going to choose tomorrow, and does He not know what He will create tomorrow?  The Absolute Being must know so that accordingly He is arranging things for me to learn and choose from.  God does not need to test me!

We can understand this testing situation by taking the analogy of a teacher and student.  A good teacher gives you a multiple-choice test.  Each question has 4 options, with one option being correct, while the other options being incorrect.  A good successful teacher is careful to give the wrong options that will teach you the details of the subject that you might have missed to learn.  When revising the test, a good student will learn the fine points they missed while choosing the wrong options. The wrong options are there for the purpose of teaching.  Similarly, my Creator is a good teacher, and all the wrong options are provided for me to teach me what not to choose.  Everything is a means of education, purifying myself from ignorance.  All these arrangements are presented to us, to take us on the right way of becoming perfect human beings.  If we understand this, then we will have no problem with whatever we encounter in our existence.

Again, the first premise of reasoning as mentioned above establishes our faith in the Creator’s act which is out of Mercy and Wisdom.  That is, look at how the universe  is organized, you will realize that the Creator cannot be a bad Creator with a bad intention.  Anything that happens to me, I must take the attitude that there is wisdom and mercy in its creation.  I may fail to understand if my interpretation is good or bad.  At the same time, I must try to understand the reason in its creation, because everything is created for a reason.  Everything is perfectly created, measured and calculated.  My responsibility is to ask: What is the wisdom in the creation of what I am subject to now? Rationalizing does not mean that I trust Allah, what He creates there must be a reason, and it has nothing to do with fulfilling the purpose of my existence.  Rather, it has something to do with me, to teach me, so that I will try to do my best to understand what is good for me and what I should learn from it.  I must seek the opportunity to fulfill the purpose of my existence.

It is your mistake if you do not take lessons from these practical life experiences.  That is your interpretation of not learning, not communicating with God, as a result of which, you will be in despair and suffer its consequences.  All the consequences are presented to me in this world, and after I die, I will be asked by God, “why did you not utilize the reasoning, consciousness that I have given to you and why did you not use them properly with every opportunity presented? That is what the day of reckoning is, the day of accounting i.e. we will all be taken into account for how we chose to take lessons and learn from the events or why did we not use the opportunities presented to us, and how did we waste the reasoning and consciousness that was given to us in the best way?”

3. Why does the verse mention here “We sent you as a messenger?”

The Prophet (pbuh) is instructed to just deliver the message. People are free to choose; they may take lessons, or they may not.  It is advised to keep delivering the message but not force anyone. The Prophets cannot force anyone who rejects the message.  While delivering the message, there were wars, not because people were not believing and following him, rather they were trying to kill the believers. As a result, the believers were practicing self-defense and protecting themselves.  After receiving the message and taking the lessons from it, the rest is on me. I must work on it, analyze it and put it into practice in my life.  We cannot have the attitude of only praying as believers in God, and not doing anything to be guided in the right way.  This world is the teaching field (“sa’y” effort/action/endeavor), we must constantly strive to learn and take responsibility upon ourselves. 

4. What does God being a witness mean in the context of this verse?

God knows what I am doing. He presents it, creates it, and records what I have chosen.  When I die (although, I do not want to die),  I am not afraid of death with this understanding when it is given. It is my Creator’s choice, for He gave me the sense not to like death, so I am avoiding it, that is what I am supposed to do here. We should try to understand the reason that the sense of disliking death is given to us in order to search for how and where we can satisfy this sense of permanent perfect life and what or who can provide it for us.

By providing us with the universe (when we question who can be its Creator, we can easily realize that the One who created it must be the Absolute One), my senses (through my feelings I know what is right from wrong), the prophets (they are employed to educate people and being an example for human beings), and the message (although the prophet Muhammad, for example, died, the message he brought is protected and now available in the form of a book), all of this becomes my criteria to know what is right and wrong.  We are left free here to make our decisions, and God does not interfere in our choices. It does not mean that God is not concerned with us and just watching us. Rather God is continuously creating and is recording our deeds.  Furthermore, God is not forcing my free will to go a certain way. 

We must be careful as the teaching is going on through the various four channels, and we are only choosing.  Finally, by providing us with the universe, our senses, the prophets and the message (as laid out in the above paragraph), God is teaching us that we must take care of ourselves. How am I going to use the free will given to me?  Am I going to neglect the purpose of my existence and acknowledge my reality i.e.  be on the right path by submitting myself to my Creator or not?