Quran-Universe Parallel Reading: Chapter Fatiha (2017) – Part 3

Recap: From observing the universe, we need to go to the scriptures to check whether the scripture is really from the Creator of this universe. If we see no discrepancy between the two, then, we can confirm the scripture as to be the Word of the Creator of this universe. It becomes like a completed circle: Universe->Scripture->Universe.

Before reading the scriptures or word of God, we have to seek refuge with the Creator. It means that we need to clean ourselves from our biases and purify our being from the inside out. Any holy book inspired by God has to be in unison with the speech of the universe in a form of act. The purpose of the speech of God is to let me know why I exist. Our responsibility is to check the authenticity of the text with the act of creation. While making this comparison, I should not forget that my ability to make comparison is also given to me by the Creator of the universe. Hence, the scripture, the universe’s speech and my human qualities must correspond. There should be no discrepancy between these three elements.

When we have the right understanding of God, only then can we evaluate its speech in the right way. If I do not have the right approach towards what God is, then I cannot extract the right meaning from the scripture. Otherwise religion becomes a title when one follows a certain culture without observing, questioning and confirming.

1:1 “In the Name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful.”

Why in the Name of God?

• Because it is with the ever-renewed manifestation of the qualities of the act of creation do we observe the whole universe continuously renewed.
• This renewal is the coming into existence of the universe at every moment.

The Speech of God offers us this claim (1:1) and prompts us to check whether this claim is true or not. Does everything come into existence as the manifestation of God’s qualities? Let us take a banana for example. What can you refer the existence of the banana and its qualities to? Is any part of the banana the cause of its existence? No. The banana together with its part is given existence right here and then. Let us take another example: The computer and its parts. Is the charger itself causing the computer to charge? No. The charger with all the parts of the computer has been put together by the Engineer. The parts are just a means which are made to function in a certain way. Therefore, everything that we see in the universe, including the order is made and cannot be the Source of existence of the result. Nothing in the universe has an independent existence; everything is totally subject to the order of the universe. Thus, the order is subject to the One who gave existence to it. The order cannot give existence to itself.

Therefore, (1:1) means that with the manifestation of the qualities of the One that gives existence to the order of the whole universe has given existence to the banana within the context of the whole wide universe.

In order to give existence to one banana, One has to give existence to the whole order of the universe. I cannot isolate existence of one banana from the whole order of the universe. Not one particle act independently from the rest of the whole universe. In order to explain the existence of one atom, we have to explain its existence within the context of the whole universe.

Materialists categorize existence into topics such as biology, mathematics, geology etc. Everything is intertwined and coming into existence all at once. Theoretically, you cannot put one item in a lab and study it independently in isolated conditions. Let us take an analogy. For electricity to come into your house, the power plant is the main source; the switch is not the cause of light. Similarly, everything in the universe comes into existence from the same Source of existence which gives existence to the whole universe. Example: the solar system itself is not functioning in a certain way on its own choice but it is made to function within the order of the universe. Hence, we cannot separate it as an independent phenomenon from the rest of the whole universe.

Bismillah (1:1) = results of the manifestation of the qualities of the Source of existence of the whole universe.

• I question: Is it true? How can I explain the existence of the banana? Can I attribute it to something else other than what the verse claims?
• Everything comes into existence as a manifestation of the One who creates the whole universe.
• This One is my conclusion and I call it “God.”

Example: Jane means nothing by itself. When I say Jane, the pianist, now it means something. Qualities are attributes that define a person. Similarly, all the qualities manifested in the universe belong to the Source of Existence of the universe, called “God”. If I am not aware of the qualities, then God means nothing. We need to confirm the qualities.

• Everything has its own identity which points to the Source of its existence.

Comment: Adam knows all the names of God.

It means that you are “Adam” and you are endowed with the ability to recognize and acknowledge the different qualities manifested in the universe. Example: After observing the banana, you can conclude that the One who gave existence to the banana is the Originator of the banana, the Fashioner of the banana and the Compassionate One. It is as if we have been breathed into our being all the manifested qualities in this universe. These qualities are potentially in us but we have to develop them into abilities. Human senses are able to acknowledge its Creator with all its qualities. I am given the criteria to acknowledge the qualities manifested in the universe. If we do not train our potentiality, we remain ignorant to the Source of our existence and we ourselves reduce our being to that of an animal. Watch out! Our human senses and faculties are given to us to get acquainted with the qualities of the Creator of the universe.

Names of God= the manifested qualities.

All things are manifestation of the qualities of their Maker. Everything in creation is nothing but the manifested qualities of the Originator and the Creator of everything within the universe at every moment of their renewal in existence. That is how the Source of our existence has endowed us with the quality to get to know It through the qualities manifested in the universe and in us.