Reading the Quran Here and Now: Chapter Muddaththir – Part 6
Recap: The psychology of the one who denies the truth is such that s/he looks for an excuse to justify his/her denial. As a result, deniers accuse the person that brings them message about the truth (revelation) without offering any reasonably acceptable counter argument.
74:24 “And said, “All this is a remnant of ancient magic.”
The one who is in denial claims that the message brought by the messengers is nothing but a tale of the ancient times and irrelevant.
The relevance of this verse to our present time has other aspects, one of which is this: Nowadays, people who look for an excuse to disregard the message of the Qur’an claim that the narrations of the prophets mentioned in the Qur’an are extracts of the narrations from the previous scriptures. They justify this claim through the support of narrations from some Muslim historians who write about religion without any belief base.
- What is belief base?
- Answer: Without getting lost in the literal meaning of the narrations but paying attention to the message in them. The message needs to be verified by the creation around us. It encompasses questioning the order in the universe.
- Is the order that we observe, investigate and discover produced by its constituent parts?
The other aspect of the rejection of the message of the Qur’an is this: By reducing the existence of the universe to chaotic happenings i.e. haphazardly ended up with order.
Analogy: A shirt comes with sleeves and collars. We experience that the shirt constitutes of these parts. This does not mean that these parts come in together to form the shirt. Similarly, the order in the universe constitutes of many different parts. The Qur’an makes its reader question the following:
- Can the constituent parts of the universe just happen to be like that by accident?
- Can the constituent parts of an order give existence to the order?
Some scientists claim that things come into existence by themselves as they are. Also, these scientists never question the source of existence of the qualities of the matter. Since so-called “scientific theories” cannot explain the source of existence of things, they attribute it to accidents, or by claiming that “they are as they are naturally”; whatever they mean by “naturally” is not explained.
When we deny the Source of existence behind the order in the universe, then we are to believe that things are coming into existence by themselves. During the last centuries, people who deny the truth present their argument by using some “scientific” terms and, ultimately, call it as “nature does it itself.” But the bottom line of this claim is the same: Reducing the presentation/message of the Qur’an as something “unscientific,” therefore, “magical.”
The Qur’an presents the idea that the existence of the universe needs explanation. It asks human beings to question the source of its existence. It explains that the Source cannot be within the universe.
Even if the Qur’an was “a remnant of ancient” magic, how do you explain the existence of the universe with all its parts and their qualities? Do you have an answer disqualifying the Quran’s message? No! That is why the opponents of the message of the Qur’an start using slandering language: “It is a remnant of ancient magic.”
Some people claim that ordinary people cannot explain how things are working that is why they believe in God. Those people who do not believe in what the Qur’an presents think that when they observe how things are working that they have explained how the things are coming into existence. Studying and learning how a machine for example works does not mean that you have explained how it has come into existence. One has to go further to investigate the source of their existence and conclude that there must be a Source giving existence to everything not to be found within this universe. The Source is not within the universe simply because whatever is in the universe is subject to the order of the universe, does not have free will to choose, power to give existence to anything, knowledge to plan the best option etc. This is what the Qur’an teaches human beings: Question the Source of existence and you will realize that everything is in need of being brought into existence. Everything is totally dependent on something else for their existence at every moment. Nothing can carry on its existence even for a second.
The Qur’an teaches that the Creator of the universe cannot be of the nature of the universe simply because everything we observe within the universe is totally dependent for its existence on something else. We observe the universe to exist and continuously renew its existence within a meaningful, purposeful manner necessitating the need of a Source Who can do it. This Source cannot be a part of the universe, hence, has to be not of the nature of the universe. This Source has to be Self-Existing. We human beings cannot imagine how a self-existing being could be because we have no experience of it. But human consciousness can easily conclude that such a Being must exist in order for the human reason to explain the existence of the universe with its qualities that we observe.
- One cannot question the nature of something, which is not of the nature of the universe.
- One can only conclude that there must be a Creator, not part of the universe.
74:25 “This is nothing but the word of a human.”
Claiming that the message is the word of a human is an easy scapegoat to be on the path to denial. Even if the message containing the truth was the word of a human being, what makes it right or wrong for you? You think that it is the word of a man and so it is the man’s perspective that is being presented to you. Rather than claiming that it is the word of a human you should come up with a convincing counter argument proving to human mind that this Qur’an does not make sense, thus, it must be made up by a human being. This entire attitude is nothing but a sign devoid of any reason. Why do they not want to take the Qur’an’s message seriously? They just do not want to admit that they are created for a purpose in this universe to get to know their Creator and act accordingly. They do not want to submit their existence to their Creator; rather they claim their existence as their own property and use it as they wish.
We have questions and we need to seek answers to those questions. The universe and the human consciousness demonstrate that human questions must be answered.
- Why did you make me with the ability to question the source of existence of things?
If you conclude that you have a Conscious Wise Creator then why would not this Wise Creator provide you with answers to your questions. Not only action wise answers (demonstrated in the universe) but also through words that we human beings understand. If our understanding capacity is not expandable beyond the limits of this universe to get the real answers to our questions which inquire the reason for the existence of the universe, then what is the point in having them (i.e. what is the point in being given all our qualities)? It is obvious that we need to get answers to our human questions from the One Who gave existence to these questioning qualities which require answers.
Finally, let us be brave enough to ask ourselves:
- How much am I using my human qualities to question what my reality is?
Tags: Al-Muddaththir, Here-and-Now, Muddaththir Series