Arguments for Messengership – Part 45

The Reasonings (continuation on page 140)

A CONCLUSION

“Doubt issues from three sources. If, being unaware of the purposes of the Owner of the Shari‘a and not realizing that Divine guidance considers the different capacities of humanity, you deviate into a demagogy, which is a nest of misleading doubts and suppositions, your objections will arise from the following three points:”

What is expected from Divine Guidance?

• To acknowledge the endless capacities in existence.

The majority of the people’s capacity is that they do not grasp abstract notions and do not grasp the details in creation.  Divine guidance takes notice of this in regard to human beings in general across all centuries.  It is quite normal not to be an expert in all disciplines.  Example, if you are an Engineer, then are you expected to know the discoveries in Medicine?  No. Most of the society consists of untrained people to understand abstract notions and grasping new discoveries of the order in creation in the century they live, Divine guidance speaks to every type of people in every century.  That is called eloquence of the language.

Verbal Speech (e.g. Qur’an) does not change as it occurs only once.  The meaning of the Speech must be open to all capacities of the people, that is called the eloquence of the Quran.  It is a dynamic speech.  We cannot expect this quality of eloquence from human speech which cannot know the future and the details of everything, only a Divine Speech can know such.  If it is a Divine Speech, then it must be spoken to everyone at every time. One of the main reasons for the Qur’an to use allegories, similes, parables, metaphors, analogies etc. is to be open to interpretations. But the main message remains unchanged, though the evidences to help confirm the message is open to interpretations according to the understanding capacity of the people in their own centuries.

How are we going to deal with Divine Guidance which is presented to us through the Prophet?

In our age, it is presented to us through a man who claims to be the Messenger of God as appointed by Him.  What I expect from the Messenger to bring to me is the various capacity to interact with Divine Speech 1400 years ago.  I do not expect Muhammad to have this capacity, he is a man who died and buried, but I expect eloquence from the message that he claims to have received from the Divine Source. While studying his narrated behavior and explanation of the message we have to look for the meaning contained in these narrations of his speech and actions. Literal meaning of the text is static, I must look for the meaning engrained in its eloquence.  Example: What kind of similes or metaphor it has?  A Divine Speech (by definition) should be able to address, always satisfy and connect with all capacity level of people since beginning of revelation to the next one if any.  As far as I am concerned, Divine Speech must address to me now after almost 15 centuries.  Am I benefitting from the Quran now?  That is my responsibility.  I should not care whether this Speech will satisfy the next generation or not?  If God is speaking, then the Speech must satisfy me now. I cannot judge about the satisfaction of the next generation. The Creator must take care of that.

• All scriptures claiming to have origin of Divine Speech, which does not speak in literal sense, rather speaks to all capacity out there.

The quality of eloquence of the Quran or any other scripture should not put me in contradiction as far as my capacity allows me.  Example: a verse is stating about something that I do not understand since I am not an expert in that subject.  That is impossible as it defeats the quality of eloquence manifested by the Speech of the Creator of the universe.  If it is a guidance from my Creator, then He must speak to me and guide me within my capacity since He gave me this capacity.

Since the Source is Absolute, the dynamic meaning of the text must have no limit as far as I am concerned, and I must be included in it.  For if the Creator of the universe speaks and excludes me because of my lack of capacity or higher level of capacity, then where is my guidance since the scripture says that it is guidance for all mankind.  Am I not a member of mankind?

The enemy of the Speech of God is to read it literally.  That means to claim that the text is static and literal meaning makes the text static as well.  That is the biggest crime, to read the Quran literally.  It is very dangerous!

Comment: It is worth reading the other scriptures.

That is not our topic here but whatever scripture you read, you must bear in mind that it claims that it is coming from a Divine Source and it should speak to you now.  Regardless of your capacity, it must give you guidance, otherwise it is not a Divine Speech.

Yes, learn with the help of others and after you learn, it must make sense to you within your own capacity.  Do not say that my capacity is very low, I haven’t got any education, so I do not understand anything from Qur’anic speech.  Do not expect that you will understand to the level of someone who has higher capacity.  However, we should all benefit from the meaning of the Divine Speech according to the level of our capacity.  Yes, the letters are static but the content in it is dynamic.

Even if I do not understand the text, I should study how to read and get the methodology of reading the text.  Example: Cleanse yourself before approaching the book otherwise you cannot benefit from it.  Yes, take the ablution is a symbolic way of physical cleansing but human beings do not consist of physical beings only but also human qualities.  Hence, cleanse your human qualities from anything that is extra to your human nature.  What is extra to your human nature?  Taking values not from the Divine Source after studying it and being convinced about it, rather from society, family background and propaganda from certain ideologies without questioning them…  Cleanse this!

Cleansing verse means cleansing your human side.  The ritualistic side does not solve your human problems even if you wash yourself 10 times.  You need the meaning behind the symbolic representation of cleansing.  Cleanse yourself from prior considerations which has no reality.  How do I check that?  Example: you may put value into something.  Question it: How important is it?  How legitimate this value is?  Does it have a reality for you? Does it give eternal satisfaction?

Example: Someone says Quran is written by Muhammad and he was a very successful man.  Now, you read it.  Did you cleanse yourself from this bias?  No.

Which kind of attitude should I take then?

This is a static text which does not change over the course of time and it claims to be originated from a Divine Source.  Does the Quran say that Muhammad is the author?  No.  It says that there is no author in this world.  The book is called the Quran.  Who is the author?  He has authored it but He is not in the universe.  If the author of this book is not in the universe then it must be Divine.  So, I will read a text which claims to be spoken out or uttered by a Divine Source.  What are you expecting from a Divine Source?  To have a static text but endless layers of meaning.  Let me read this text according to my level of capacity and what I will learn from it will address to me right now within my level of capacity and only after that if I am convinced about the content of the Text, then I can confirm it.  What we struggle with is thinking that some part of the text does not apply to me as it does not make sense to me.  Well, study it within your capacity.  If you do not understand the text, then get a teacher who is expected to cleanse you from biases and help you understand the layers of meaning which corresponds to your level.  That is your teacher. If what your teacher presents to you makes sense to you, only then it makes sense to you within your capacity.  That is the definition of the Quran.

We have human potentiality which is “my capacity”.  Potentiality is Divine.  Capacity is created after you use your freewill.  We cannot say that the creation of my present situation belongs to God, rather I have chosen to be at this level that is why the Creator has given me existence according to what I deserve to be.  I cannot create my present situation but at the same time the limitations of my capacity come from my choice.  I will be benefitting from the Divine Speech and the meaning behind the existence of the bird (for example) within my capacity.

Why did you get engaged with the education system?  You wanted to improve your capacity of understanding.  If I have not developed my capacity to understand the meaning of the Speech of God and creation (same thing), then I cannot benefit from it more than what my capacity allows me.

Comment: What matters more is our approach to the focus of our study.

What is always written in the physical cover of the Quran?  Verse: “No one can touch it except those who have cleansed themselves.” (Qur’an, 56: 79) This is literal translations which is always static.

Fiqh (jurisprudence) only presents physical representation of one’s capacity.  Example: you must turn to qibla, you have to recite fatiha, you have to cover yourself, then bow and prostrate…  Does fiqh talk about that you have to have certain amount of consciousness?  Is there any physical measurement to it?  No, fiqh cannot put any rule on that.  The physical representation or fiqh rule is static just like the literal meaning of the Divine Speech.  Fiqh rules come out of the static meaning of “a static text” as it treats to be.  Example: make ablution to touch the written text.  That is static, but the nature of the static text is supposed to be dynamic and Eternal.  How about the dynamic and eternal side of the verse?  If this verse is Divinely originated, then it must have endless layers of meaning.  When I only physically cleanse myself, am I touching the Eternal side of the meaning the text carries? Not necessarily.

Fiqh side of religion relates only to body, but I am not a body only.  Example: if you come to class just to be marked present but you are sleeping, then that does not help you at all.  Physically present in the class is a must but you must pay attention to the teachings of the teacher.

Just like physical preparation is necessary for a job interview, but is that enough to get the job?  No, it only prepares you outwardly for the interview.  What have you prepared yourself for as far as your capacity is concerned?  The main concern of the interview is to check your capacity.  While you are cleaning yourself physically doing ablution, it must be a means of reminder that you are preparing yourself for an interview.  During your interview, you present your qualifications.

• Similarly, prayer is presenting your resume to your Creator, what you have prepared today.
• Physical appearance is necessary but that does not make you a worshipper.

If you want to benefit from your existence, make trade with the Source of your Existence.  That is, establish a covenant with the Source of your Existence and use every opportunity in order to get to know Him.  That is the best trade.

• How to read and benefit form the dynamic aspect of Divine Speech? That should be our aim.

Understanding must be addressed to the meaning.  Example: When you look at the bird, do you get meaning out of just looking at its physical body?  No.  Similarly, you understand the Speech of God when you get the meaning of the text.  Otherwise, with literal meaning of the text, you just understand dictionary meanings of the words written by Muhammad as conveyed to him by His Creator.  Everyone can get some meaning if they aim at it.

• What does it mean for me to like the bird? This is going into the meaning of it.