Quran-Universe Parallel Reading: Chapter Fatiha (2017) – Part 1

By definition, the Quran itself claims: “I am the speech of God speaking to human beings as a guide”. Since any text can claim anything, it is our duty to investigate its claim. In these series of studies, we will discuss how should we approach the Quran and answer these questions:

• What is the Quran for me?
• What is the nature of the speech of the Quran?
• How should I analyze the speech of God and apply it to my life?

Before answering the above questions, we first need to answer the following questions:

1. Who is God?

• The Creator of the universe.
• How do we know?

We first need to find out the base that we have established in our claim of believing in God. Mostly, we take it for granted that we believe in God either by birth or choice, none of which serves as evidence to support a claim. Witnessing of the universe is the evidence to support your claim in belief in God.

How are we going to use the universe as a witness to its Creator?

The most important aspect of the universe is that it has a certain order and it works within an order. The order demonstrates that there is something consciously going on. Some people take this order to be self-explanatory within itself while others take this order as to be explained by an external factor. Science claims to explain anything within the universe, so it nullifies the need to explain the Source of the order and hence explaining the need for belief in the Creator. This is the mindset of materialist scientists. People following a certain religion see everything coming into existence from a Conscious external source, then that is their mindset. Both are biased because the first mindset does not want to conclude about an external source and the second mindset concludes the external source without witnessing the universe. Generally speaking, if you have a certain mindset, then you start interpreting everything with that mindset.

Let us challenge the scientific mindset: Is everything self-explanatory in the universe?

When you study the order in creation, is it coming into existence by itself? Example: How do you explain the growth of a tree? Is the water causing the tree to grow? Water itself is in need to be given existence. So, how do you explain the existence of the qualities of water? Additionally, what is sustaining the order in the existence of water and its qualities, therefore, the universal order itself? A closer look at this reality shall make one realize that the universe is not stable; it needs to be given existence.

Scientists claim that universe consists of quanta. A quantum is not really mass but it is the building block of the universe and we cannot catch it. Every three trillionth or less of a second, the building blocks of the universe changes: by switching from matter to antimatter. How can you explain the existence of this change? If you can find one quality in the quantum with the ability to produce itself then that is enough evidence to conclude that the universe exists by itself.

Also, some Muslim scholars claimed that there is no fixed time. That is, you cannot fix that this moment exists. The notion of time is a concept that we developed through our experiences. We can only talk about the “ever moving movement” which we cannot catch it.

But existence of quanta makes it appear for us to have space and it is subjective to our observation. Because of the continuous act of creation, we see a stable space. Because we are able to preserve memory, we develop a sense of time. But think about it, we can imagine, when existence itself stops, what/who within the universe is able to sustain it for the next moment?

Some questions to ponder on:

Can the brain be the source of its own existence? Can it be the source of existence of its memory? Also, can the brain be the source of existence of its consciousness?

Universe is nothing but a collection of effects.

Fundamental of the methodology of reasoning:

1. What is the Source of Existence of quanta and of its order?
2. How does the order sustain itself?

The building blocks of the universe cannot sustain their existence. When something cannot sustain its existence, it cannot be the Source of Existence of itself.

When some scientists get stuck and cannot explain how existence of quanta are being sustained, they refer it to “nature”, which is nothing but the collection of quanta. This is a circular reasoning. In fact, they may mean by “nature” something Absolute. But those scientists who have a materialistic mindset cannot say this because they are aware that the universe is not absolute.

In conclusion, the Speech of God needs to be read by witnessing of the universe.

Next class, we will study the following:

1. How do we jump from observing the beings in this universe to a concept of a “Creator”?
2. What does seeking refuge with God mean before reading the Scriptures?
3. What is the meaning behind doing ablution before reading the Scriptures?