Sacrificing One’s Existence

Topic: 17^th word, Pg 227

Moreover, it is His property and it is He who bestowed it. So do not scorn it, sacrifice it unhesitatingly. Sacrifice it so that it will be made permanent. For negation of a negation is an affirmation. That is, if non-being is not, there is being. If non-being is negated, existence comes into being.

Sacrifice it so that it will be made permanent.

• How can our transient life in this universe be made permanent?
  • By returning (sacrificing) all our GIVEN qualities to the Absolute owner

If we cannot confirm an eternal existence while we are alive, how can we say that we believe in an eternal existence AFTER we die?

• We have to reject false, empty claims
• Any claim made about the ‘afterlife’ needs to first be convincingly experienced and explained while I am alive for me to really believe

Think about your own qualities and you will see that you do not own a single quality. Each cell in your body cannot own itself nor can it sustain itself.

• Who owns it?

*This video could help put things in perspective about the order in universe and the lack of any single particle to control it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0

By reflecting upon all of my qualities, I realize that I have no ownership over ANY single element of it

• I am not self-subsistence
• As I observe the rest of creation around me, I realize that NOTHING is self-subsistent
• Everything is entirely, totally and absolutely dependent
• The perfect harmony amongst every aspect of creation only proves that we are all dependent on the same, single Source

Meaning of the word ‘sacrifice’ as understood commonly.

• Giving YOUR privilege over something to someone else
• By sacrificing that which I perceive is MINE
  • It is a struggle that we are constantly involved in because the main challenge that we face here in this life, is attributing an independent existence to ourselves.
    • This car is mine
    • I breathe
    • I live
    • I cry

In reality, nothing is mine. Everything is given.

– The purpose of our living is to know the Creator by returning (sacrificing) all that we have been given back to Him.

This universe must have an eternal, absolute, permanent Creator

• Why?
  • If the Creator is not permanent, it means that it is transient
• If something is transient, it must have been given existence
• Whoever created this world must be Absolute in His essence and His qualities
  • Human rationality DEMANDS and NECESSITATES a permanent, eternal Creator

From the qualities I observe in this world, I conclude that the Source of these qualities must be Absolute as well

• Otherwise, I cannot explain the existence of myself OR of the objects and their qualities themselves.

negation of a negation is an affirmation

if non-being is not, there is being

I do not own my existence

• If I acknowledge this fact (that I do not own my existence NOR does anything in this world), I am implying that everything is dependent on the single One who gave existence

If me being permanent is not true, the existence of a permanent Being, comes true.

• non being = non independent existence
• The moment I acknowledge and realize the non-independent existence of EVERY SINGLE CREATED BEING, it leads me to the Only, Eternal, Absolute Creator.
• The fact that everything exists (I see and observe it) BUT that nothing creates itself necessitates a confirmation of an Absolute Creator.

Many people say: The universe will exist forever without even pondering on the factuality of the statement

• When existence of the universe is taken for granted, (one’s own existence is independent)
• But, can anyone confirm that the universe will exist eternally?
  • Everything is subject to change
• We have to first establish that I am completely dependent and not at all self-subsistent

We can only understand eternal existence by seeing the manifestation of eternity in existence

• To be able to see eternity in existence, I have to reflect on my own existence BECAUSE I am my own starting point.
  • When I reflect on my existence, I can confirm that I am utterly and completely dependent
  • My existence points and leads me to a Creator
  • My rationality necessitates that this Creator cannot be described with the qualities of this dependent beings, thus, I can only describe it/him as Absolute and Eternal

The fact that I can see nothing in creation acts on its own, reveals to me that the Creator has Absolute knowledge

• Nothing escapes from His power, will, knowledge, wisdom
• Everything in this Creation, is a revelation of the Creator’s qualities.

Analogy: I have been created with the desire to be eternally happy. I can in no way explain the existence of this desire for eternal happiness by attributing it to any source in this universe but to the Creator of the universe.

• This desire is a revelation from my Creator
• It makes me realize that He wants me to be eternally happy
  • If He wants me to happy, He will give it to me
  • It is a promise
  • If He was not going to give me the eternal happiness, He would not have given me the desire for it.
    • The creation of desire itself would be in vain if it was not a promise

If I educate my human qualities with this awareness, I realize that my Creator is the Eternal One

• In every moment, I return myself to the Eternal Creator and in every moment am in eternity
• I experience that I am not losing my creation as the day passes BUT am gaining eternity through my experience of the manifested qualities of the Eternal Creator in this world.

The One who created me in the first place, will create me again.

• Whoever created me in this form must be Absolute
• If He has given me the desire for eternal happiness, He will give it to me
• The fact that I want an eternal existence, I can confirm that I will be resurrected because I want to be eternally happy.

036.077

Sahih International: Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop – then at once he is a clear adversary?

036.078

Sahih International: And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, “Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?”

036.079

Sahih International: Say, “He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.”

At every moment, we are being made to exist at a different form.

The fact that I exist NOW, in a different form from what I was in my baby years, is a sign that resurrection is real

• I am constantly being resurrected
• This in conjunction with my eternal desires, is evidence that my existence cannot be temporally limited.
• My existence is eternal
  • Therefore, death cannot be the end of my existence
• After ‘death’ there is a different form of existence (resurrection)

Some may say: Cells are the source of life

• Can life give itself its own existence?
• Can life prepare itself for the future?
  • Or is life, given?

I observe that I cannot control my own existence

• My experience (objective) leads me to realize that EVERYTHING is made by a conscious Being.
• If I cannot control anything, how can a single cell be in control?

We say: ‘This is meaningful, beautiful, ugly…”

But we never question the existence of the qualities.

We need to train ourselves to question the existence of qualities observed, of my senses, of myself, of EVERYTHING.

• Step away from taking existence for granted
• The object that is seen and the seer that sees are all being given EXISTENCE

Secular science starts with a ‘taken for granted’ existence

Look for the agent (Creator) behind everything

Analogy: ‘My beard is growing’

• The cells are created with that capacity so that it functions in that way
• The hair cell HAS no authority, power or control to create anything
  • Negate the false claim that things have an independent existence.
• ‘This beard that has been given to me is being made to grow’

The Quran guides us to discover these truths.

• Don’t take the Quran’s claims for granted
• We have to confirm them

The All-Generous Creator buys His own property from you, and gives you the high price of Paradise in return. Also, He looks after that property well for you, and He will return it to you in both enduring and perfect form. O my soul! Do not delay! Do this trade, which is profitable in five respects, and be saved from five losses; make a fivefold profit all at once!

The All-Generous Creator

• Everything that you have is from Him
• It is all being GIVEN
  • Nothing can create itself
• He is the ALL-GENEROUS One

Common ‘rebuttals’:

Why did God create me? If I was no created, it would not matter He is generous or not.

• We cannot speculate about God
  • When we speculate about God, we are ‘imagining’ Him
• My only reality is my existence
• I have to think and question within my existence
  • From my existence, I see that everything I have is being GIVEN

If God created me, He had better be generous because I did not ask to be created.

• Always engage in conversations that are grounded in reality
  • I know that I am created
    • It is not a matter of ‘if’
• As a human, I find myself equipped with emotions. One of them is my need to respond back to the One who is giving me everything

I can use my own qualities and conclude that I have a Creator

• However, when I observe the rest of creation, I need guidance on how to understand the purpose in their creation
• The Creator speaks to me through Revelation so that I may be guided on how I can understand the purpose of my existence and use my human qualities

When I read the Quran, I should read it with the awareness that it is to provide me guidance about how to live my life

• If we reduce it as a book of rules, we cannot benefit from it
• Similarly, if we reduce the Prophet’s role to explain religious rules and NOT as the one who guides me about my human qualities, I am cutting myself terribly short of gaining guidance.

My ‘religious’ actions should not be in contradiction to my human qualities

• We have to see the compatibility between actions and our reality (eternal existence)

We should never judge people’s actions BECAUSE our duty is to take care of my own capacity.

Why do I pray?

• A way to acknowledge my reality
• Prayer is NOT the only form of worship

buys His own property

I have to acknowledge that all that I possess, does not belong to me

• My existence belongs to Him
• He has given you everything. We have to acknowledge that none of it belongs to me
  • I return it back to Him
• When I return it back to its Owner, I am getting a ‘price’ for it
  • The highest price
  • Price = Acknowledgement of the Absolute, Eternal One. This acknowledgement gives me ‘peace’ because I am in the realm of the Eternal One

I cannot guarantee my paradise

• But I know that my Creator will guarantee me paradise
• This acknowledgement makes my existence meaningful
• He is the Only One who can create

Once you acknowledge that everything belongs to Him, you will not misuse anything in creation

• Everything has all been given to you so that you may acknowledge Him
• Act in accordance to His purpose of creation

I should not break the contract between my Creator and I

• My contract says: You are here to know who your Lord is
  • I agree because only in doing so, I am at peace
• The contract also has terms of who I should follow (the Prophet)

Paradise is in this world, and it lies within your belief.

Tags: 17th Word, Human Questioning, Necessary Existence, Paradise, Sacrifice, The Words, Ya Sin