The Reasonings (page 137)-
“The great majority of people cannot grasp abstract truths unless they are not presented to them in forms that are familiar to them. Therefore, in presenting abstract truths, comparisons, similes, metaphors, parables, or allegories are used. In addition, the great majority of people tend to accept as true what they perceive to be true with their five external senses. For this reason, since even preliminary truths and basic laws concerning physical sciences had not yet been established at the earliest period of its establishment, the Shari‘a preferred to remain concise in these sciences in order not to confuse people. However, it did not refrain from hinting at certain basic truths concerning them.”
If we understand Sharia as governing one’s individual and social life, is that abstract?
- No.
Laws are abstract but when it comes to the practice, they are concrete so that everyone can practice them.
We are trying to understand:
Was the Prophet an impostor? Is what he is telling the truth? Is he genuine in his claim as taught by God or himself?
What does “abstract truth” refers to?
- What the universe refers to? The Quran gives guidance about what the universe refers to. The Speaker in the Quran is aware that human beings are liable to misinterpretation. That is why God interferes in this matter and guides people about abstract truth, not a distorted interpretation.
The claim of the Quran is that this is the only true interpretation you can extract from the concrete examples. Human beings may have some ambitions, prejudices and indoctrinations by society. Quran claims that I am going to clear all these misinterpretations of the signs of the universe and guide you to reach the right understanding of the signs of creation and I will help you with this. When you follow the way I am presenting to you, it will not contradict yourself.
Most people when they look at the universe without the guidance of the Quran, they find the universe to be extremely sophisticated. But they cannot attribute this sophistication to anything in the universe and they are puzzled. They try to interpret the meaning as referring to something of the part of the universe because human beings cannot go beyond the limits of this universe by themselves because we are bound to this universe unless we are taught and educated, we do not know. Example: if you do not know Japanese, can you learn it by yourself without going through a learning process? No. When you are taught, you learn it, speak the language, and it makes sense. Similarly, Sharia is innate to us, but we need to be taught and pinpointed by our Creator and as a result, you will be happy because He knows what you need best.
While we are interpreting the concrete examples (matter) and reaching abstract truths, it is not easy to grasp the abstract notions unless they are presented to us in a way with our 5 senses that we are convinced that they are the truth. In order to understand if something is true or not, we have to be satisfied with our experience through our five senses. It must be presented in the form of parables and similes made within the conditions of the universe, so I can assimilate it by using my 5 senses. Without utilizing comparisons, similes, metaphors, parables, or allegories I cannot grasp abstract truth. The five senses are very material, I cannot see God, I cannot hear God or hereafter. I cannot touch next creation for example, I cannot touch act of creating as well. I just found creation. Abstract truth must be presented to me within the conditions of my real material life. When I look at comparisons, similes of two material elements, I become aware of the difference. Example: I can make the distinction between random happenings and purposeful happening by my reasoning and experiencing the world. Just like this table cannot come into existence by itself, not only in its matter form but its shape, size and color… Whoever made this table knows the purpose for its usage as it is finely adjusted to the user’s needs. Similarly, what can be the Conscious Agent behind the existence of such a wonderful universe?
Quran gives a simple example such as the sun rotates around the earth, as how the phenomenon is happening in the eyes of the ordinary people, something left to the experts to discover more and for us to think about the Creator of the order of the universe. Nevertheless, the purpose of the Qur’an is not to teach what turns around what, rather it invites the reader to ponder on the rotation of the unconscious beings and conclude that their actions cannot be organized by themselves and by accident. Quran shows us how to think and makes the Intelligent Agent behind the existence of the universe to be a Necessarily Existent One. But there is no such Intelligent Agent within this universe who is the Cause of Existence of the universe. What is it then? Now, you start wondering and that is what God teaches.
Quran never exposes itself as to be blindly accepted. Rather, use your reason. The universe is given to you to find out about its meaning. Matter has no consciousness, but it seems to be made by a Conscious Being. Also, the reflection of consciousness in the creation demonstrates that those beings have conscious aspect (meaning) which are here, what is going on in here and you start wondering. This leads to the concepts of angels.
What is the meaning of this universe pointing to an Absolutely Wise and Knowledgeable One?
In your human side, you have a seed which encompasses within it, expectations of an Eternal Existence. What is expected from the Quran is to give me the cues within the material world so that I will understand the meaning behind what this material world is referring to i.e. an Absolute world. It is not an easy task, but revelation makes it easy for human beings to understand this. If there was no revelation/teaching, then I will not be able to reason this way. The last revelation that we are experiencing here has been around 1400 years ago. Some people are still obstinate not to listen to the teachings of the Quran (delivered by a Prophet) by saying that they themselves will find solutions/truths or meaning of existence here. Those people who do not take the Prophets seriously, what do they refer the things to? As existing by themselves.
Is there anything which subsides its existence without being dependent on the whole order of the universe? Matter does not have the choice to choose, it is obliged to follow the law/order. They do not have freewill to give existence to themselves since they are in need to be given existence. What kind of existence is this with no freedom? If you do not have a choice, then how can you choose to exist? Research is getting into the details of how creation is taking place within sub-atomic world. They do not use their human mind and would not want to follow the Prophetic teachings; an illiterate man as oppose to the more sophisticated scientists as far as their utilizing their free-thinking abilities is concerned. As a scientist, I have to explain everything within the order of the universe.
No one can get the truth without listening to the Prophetic teachings. Universe exists, as a result of the laws within the universe, they say. Where are the laws apart from the universe itself? No Human Mind Can Approve That Chance Made the Universe. It is an oxymoron. Can you show one thing coming into existence by chance without being subject to the order of the universe? No, everything is subject to the order of the universe so how can you talk about chance? No-one can demonstrate that chance is the source of the order in the entirety of the universe, but anyone with a tongue can utter such a nonsense.
- Chance does not exist in the universe.
- Non-existence does not exist.
Hence, you cannot explain the existence of the universe within the conditions of the universe itself. Just as you must refer the existence of the table to its deliberate conscious maker. That is the difference between guidance from the Creator and human beings trying to interpret existence within the conditions of this universe. Impossible! How the Quran makes it possible is by giving examples which are possible and experiential with the 5 senses of human beings directly related to the conditions of the universe. Example: if you do not taste anything at all, will you become aware that you have the ability to taste? We are given the five senses only to be used to experience the conditions of existence within the universe. Quran speaks to five senses first and give examples from there by giving allegories to make sense of as solutions to find out answers to our very human questions by using our rationality and then human feelings to appropriate them to /his being.
These are abstract truths, how can I confirm/belief the abstract truths?
Quran is brought to us by another man like you and I, and gives perfect guidance to satisfy my human needs and queries, i.e. Why am I here? Quran gives the answers under the witnesses of the 5 senses experiences.
Any attempt to explain the Quran without referring to examples, parables and similes to satisfy me as the human being through helping me utilize my 5 senses cannot help me understand the abstract truth, i.e. I must use my 5 senses in order to confirm the abstract truths of the Quran. If someone tries to explain the Quran as far as the abstract truths (belief in God, revelations, angels and message-bearers employed by God) are concerned (which makes 97% of the Quran), then, this person must interpret those examples, parables, allegories used in the Qur’an in a way that makes sense to human reasoning.
Revelation (Speech of the Creator) does not happen in physical terms (with material connection) and Quran says to its recipient that you too have to believe in it, how? The one who receives the message explains it in physical terms and shows us how to reason. These are the fundamental teachings of the Quran, must be presented within the conditions of human experience in the universe through 5 senses and then reason about the result of their experience. It is impossible for some people if they do not go beyond their physical experience without questioning how those things are coming into existence. What they end up with is that the Quran is a miraculous book because it has some news which were not known to the contemporary human beings during its revelation. They conclude that it must be from God and Muhammad cannot make it. These kinds of people believe in the hereafter which is mentioned in the Qur’an because it is mentioned in the Qur’an, and it must be so. Quran says that you have to experience it with your five senses within the universe and use the parables here to make sense of it in a rationally approval/convincible way to become convinced with the reality of my message. If you are not convinced about the abstract truths, how can you bring the truths into your practical life? Example: you live in this world without practicing Eternal life here. Some interpreters say that you have to believe in it just because it is mentioned in the Qur’an, and as a result, the teachings of the Quran do not affect one’s life, rather brings in ritualistic responsibilities.
According to such people, the main religious responsibility is to believe in the truthfulness of the Quran as it was revealed by the Creator of the universe because there is no other way and it is brought to us by an appointee appointed by the Creator of the universe. On the other hand, the Quran is full of reference to human rationality, it urges the reader to use it. The Qur’an must be explained under the example of the material world that we are living in and communicating with our five senses. I do not see my spirit, but I understand that I do not consist of matter only, I have feelings and emotions. Quran says that you see the universe and you do not see the order, but you conclude about the order which takes place within the principles of creation through your reasoning. Within yourself there are principles of creation within your being, so you can conclude by observing the universe through these qualities which we call “feelings and human emotions” which cannot be explained within the conditions of matter. Senseless matter cannot be the Source of Existence of human senses. Human beings have something not of the matter and the Quran says that this is the law of Creator (‘amr’) exists within you, something extra as far as your human qualities are concerned. Hence, we must watch out when we try to understand the Quran, look for a teacher who teaches us the abstract truths experienced and observable by our 5 senses.
- Quran brings evidence addressing to my 5 senses.