In The Footsteps Of The Prophets – Part 12

“And if you give [me] the lie- well, [other] communities have given the lie [to God’s prophets] before your time: but no more is an apostle bound to do than clearly deliver the message [entrusted to him].” Ankabut (29): 18

Abraham’s duty is to convey the message to people, similar to the duty of the other prophets. It is said that the Prophet (pbuh) was sad when his Uncle was not grasping the message but the Prophet never “reacted”. Therefore it is important that there is no reaction from the message conveyer. Also, one has to deliver the message as clearly as possible.

• How should we deliver the message (balagh)?
• One has to deliver the message “clearly”.
• One has to deliver the message without any “reaction”.
• The language in the Quran is “clear” (mubeen)
• Message needs to be delivered to human beings i.e. to human senses.
• One has to be watchful of their language so that it is understood by those listening.
• The Quran addresses everyone regardless of their understanding level.
• An apostle (messenger) reminds and helps human beings get the meaning that is already within their capacity.
• The Quranic message is not to teach humanitarian acts; on the contrary it encourages us to use our human senses to question our humanitarian acts.
• We need to question the fundamentals of belief.

“What! Do they not consider how God originates the creation, then repeats it. Verily this is easy for God!” Ankabut (29): 19

“God” is the One who originates the universe.

• What qualities must one have in order to give existence to the universe?
• It cannot be dependent on other beings.
• It must be self-existent.
• Is there anything self-existent in the universe?
• Everything is subject to change i.e. things are continuously changing.
• While things are changing, they have to obey the order of the universe.
• Everything is dependent. Change is dependent on the order of the universe.
• Anything dependent cannot originate anything.
• The Creator/Originator must be Absolute i.e. not dependent on anything.
• I am constantly subject to change i.e. renewed at every moment. Although, I may appear the same since yesterday. In other words, my existence at every moment is given existence without being dependent on my previous existence.
• In reality, everything is continuous but given new existence.
• Example: a line is a collection of dots. I just see a line on my end, however, at every moment a dot is coming into existence. The dots are in such close proximity that they appear as a line.
• The order is a continuous pattern of dots.
• My existence continuously depends on the “will” of my Creator.
• Nothing in the entire universe can sustain its existence for a second.
• “Khalaqa”, “fatara”, “badaa,”nashaa”: everything is given existence at every moment.
• Whatever is giving existence to this universe must be “Absolute”.
• Whoever gives existence to the universe wills it.
• Everything is created at the will of the Originator at every moment. In other words, there is no one time making or using materials and then things just work by themselves. Everything is continuously coming into existence at the will of the Creator.
• What does it mean to be “resurrected”?
• Every moment I am being resurrected i.e. my existence is being renewed.
• Every moment the order is renewed.
• We don’t see the “renovation” but we see “change” (line).
• In the example above, we are just following the line. It is as if we are at the edge of the line; we don’t know what happens at the next moment. The continuation of the line is consistent i.e. “existence”.
• Existence happens within an order. The order is under the will of the Originator at “every moment”.
• I have my existence today as given by the will of the Creator.
• The Creator must be “Absolute”.
• The Creator cannot be thought of in limited terms or “time”.
• Creation CANNOT be thought of as a clock that was wound and is now ticking and the Creator as the clock maker.
• Clock works according to the order of the universe.
• The Creator is the One who makes the order of the universe.
• I am here to learn the order in creation and obey it.
• The understanding of the universe as a mechanical entity is meaningless.
• How do I know God is Absolute?
• Every moment comes into existence at once.
• Everything is continuously being renewed in its existence
• “Kulla yaumin huwa fi sha’n”: every moment there is a new act of creation.
• I am given existence today at the will of the Originator. My existence is not the same until death.
• Quran guides us not to be misled thinking that it is time that affects us. “Nothing but time destroys us” But of this they have no knowledge; whatever they do nothing but guess (Quran 45:24) In other words, they are under the perception that time is changing them, not the Creator God.
• What is time?
• Time is our constructed language. We perceive the universe as existing in space and continuing existence, which we call this continuation as “time.”
• No one can stop existence for a second.
• We are totally dependent on the will of the Creator.
• That is why it is mentioned in the Quran that the believer’s heart trembles when they hear the name “God”.
• The Creator needs to be referred to with “attributes”.
• Example: God, the Nourisher. God, my Sustainer. God, Lord of the universe…
• Assigning attributes is the result of my experience.
• Every moment comes into existence at once that is what we mean by “creation”.
• The word “God” should make us free from worries.
• Hasbunallah wa ni’mal wakeel: God suffices me, I do not need anyone/anything else.
• That understanding should help us feel secure in our existence.
• My existence depends on God and he gives me Absolute security in the existence of my body, mind, emotions, feelings, imaginations…
• God is enough for me, He is Absolute.

“Say: Go all over the earth and see how He originates creation, then God produces a later creation, surely God has power over all things.” Ankabut (29):20

• God speaks to human beings who perceive creation.
• I need to analyze the Quranic language and understand that the Source of existence is Absolute i.e. every moment is changing.
• Everything is continuously changing. The Creator keeps demonstrating its Absoluteness.
• Example: Morning is different from evening. Seasons are different as well.
• It’s like a concentric circle with various scales i.e. day scale, year scale, century scale…
• Mistake: I preserved my life since last year.
• In reality, the Source of my existence is the same since last year.
• If I sustained my existence last year, then I would be able to preserve my existence i.e. stop “aging”.
• If I do not sustain my existence, I should NOT fear “death”.
• Life and “death” is all given. It is dependent on the Source giving me existence right now.
• After I die, whatever happens is given.
• Quran speaks to our phenomenology i.e. outward perception.
• The Creator speaks to us as we observe things/act of creation i.e. how things happen?
• Example: sunrise/sunset.
• In reality the sun does not rise, the earth rotates.
• Similarly, in my perception I may be sustaining my existence.
• When I look at a dead person, I start worrying about my existence at death.
• In reality, existence is given to me in both “life” and “death”.
• Nothing is preserving my existence (lailaha). The One who gives existence, everything belongs to it (illallah)
• Lack of awareness of what the “content of God” entails engenders a worrisome feeling within my being.
• My perception/imagination of the “phenomenon” becomes valueless to my existence.
• I find myself using the word “God” without being conscious of its meaning.
• The verse is drawing our attention to the fact that whoever originates creation, will renew and originate further creation again and again.
• Sustaining our “existence” vs sustaining our “life”
• By following the order, I am just asking the Order Giver to create the results.
• Example: By putting gas in the car, I am just obeying the order.
• I DO NOT contribute to the existence of the order.
• Using my freewill, I am asking to be given a certain option, although I cannot guarantee the result BECAUSE I am NOT the Creator. It’s up to the Giver to accept it or not.
• Example: By eating healthy food, I cannot say that I am protecting my life. On the contrary, I am asking the One who creates the order to keep me on the “healthy” side rather than the “unhealthy” side.
• I learned how to be healthy by following the order.
• I cannot guarantee anything.
• In the example, people may still die despite eating healthy food.
• Similarly, while breathing, I am asking the Creator to give me breath, which is part of the order. I am just obeying the order.
• I realize that without breath, I will die.
• I am not the one creating death or life. It is what I find in the order of existence, universe.
• Doing acts (wearing clothes, walking, and keeping warm…) is nothing but praying.
• Bottom line, I do not sustain “existence of my life”.
• I am given options, I choose.
• Every time I use my freewill, it is nothing but asking the Creator.
• Example: I do not want to have illness.
• Every choice is nothing but asking the Creator that I want this.
• The order itself is sunnatullah (God’s order in creation).
• I am not doing anything but begging the Creator.
• While walking on the street I am praying.
• Prayer is acknowledgement of the source by conscious beings.
• Every moment is a prayer.
• God teaches us how to be happy.
• This news is within the order, we just obey the order.
• “Sami’na wa atana”: When they hear the Quran (or the order of the creation) they obey.
• Scripture says: Whether you like it or not, you are obeying my order.
• Asking to breathe is obeying the command of the Creator through the order in His act of creation.
• I am not going to learn, I am going to pray to learn. I don’t know how learning takes place.
• In reality, God is speaking to us at every moment with endless languages and signs.
• Just be aware that you are obeying.
• Stars and unconscious beings are all obeying the order though not with their free will, which they are not given.
• Only human beings have the option to deny i.e. abuse their free choice/freewill.
• How should we regard “ritualistic” prayers?
• Actions in the ritualistic prayers (five times daily prayers, or, fasting in the month of Ramadan…) is like an envelope.
• I need to fill the envelope with a letter.
• Empty envelop has no meaning.
• Rituals are symbolic but it does not mean that they have no reality.
• It reminds me to concentrate on my reality.
• Ka’ba is the evidence of the line of the Prophetic messages throughout human history i.e. reminds about the Oneness of God (tawheed). It is the symbolic representation of lailaha illallah.
• If I am conscious of what I am doing, then any action becomes meaningful.
• Similarly, noise gets its value if it is a meaningful word or sentence.
• The utterances of words are meaningless if not sought for their real purpose and meaning.