By August 29, 2022 Read More →

Section Al A’raf – Part 14

Part 14

 

7:30 “He has guided some, while others are destined to stray because they have taken Satans as their masters instead of God – thinking they are rightly guided.”

 

Analogy: A student in a classroom follows the class requirements by doing all assignments.  S/he completes all the requirements of the class and may feel satisfied with being on task with the class.  However, such students still feel to be on guard with not losing the consistency of the good work, more so, they must look for more ways to improve their understanding and learning.  Similarly, as students in the universe, if we feel grateful for the blessings and bounties provided to us by a Source (not of the nature of this universe), then this way needs to be continued by the students of the universe.  

 

Furthermore, if one connects everything to an Absolute Source of existence and constantly tries to be aware of the reality of these transient experiences, then they should always strive for ameliorated understanding of the truth that this universe points to.  In other words, we are never done with the education system here, there is always learning happening and room for growth.  Also, the person who thinks that he is on the right track can never guarantee that what s/he is doing is right.  Yes, we may feel satisfied when we accomplish tasks by attributing things/events to an Absolute Source of existence, but this feeling of satisfaction cannot guarantee that we deserve eternal satisfaction, but we should always be hopeful for it and pray to God that He will overlook our shortcomings.

 

Comment: The consciousness and awareness within myself is a messenger letting me know that I ought to be doing my homework i.e., fulfilling the purpose of my existence.  How do I know that I am doing my homework properly?  In other words, how do I know that I am fulfilling the purpose of my existence?

 

I am never sure if I am doing the right thing or not.  We must be in this position always i.e., look for perfection always: “is it enough?”  Theoretically, we know that it is never enough as we have a long way to go because our capacity is infinite. We must try and be careful of our choices, decisions, actions because they may be wrong.  If I feel at any time that what I have decided is true and I feel satisfied with it, I have to accept it. While I need to trust this satisfaction, I have to keep in mind that I cannot guarantee that this conclusion represents the Absolute Truth. I need to continue investigating the foundations of my satisfaction and be open minded for the possibilities of further improving it. Otherwise, if I am sure that I am a successful person, I will just say that I am done.  I would not need to look for the possibility that I might have made some mistake. There are more ways to go.  At the end of each investigation I will realize that there is no end to finalize the journey of searching the Truth.  When we say “realizing the reality of the universe”, we mostly use it in  general terms that everything is created by an Absolute Being.  It is correct, but when it comes to our practical life, treatment with people, and how we deal with creation, we neglect the message delivered to us, don’t we?!  Negligence is an important part of our responsibility.  We should not fall into despair, rather, we must have hope from the Mercy of our Creator that if I try my best, He will award me with the best.  This desire is given to me by my Creator that I would love to be treated in the best way and if I am honest within myself that I am not contradicting the purpose in my existence, then I will realize that I am honest and there is a long way to go.  Hence, we should not be sure about our future, whether it is perfect or not.  We should always be investigating more and making our conclusions clearer for us.

 

7:31 “O Children of Adam! Beautify yourselves for every act of worship, and eat and drink (freely), but do not waste, verily He does not love the wasteful”.

 

Yes, we must beautify ourselves, especially when we go to gatherings in the place of worship in any society.  But this verse is calling us to prostrate to the manifestations of the Qualities of the Creator in any creature in the universe by confirming them that they belong to their Creator. When we go into prostration, we admit that I and the matter cannot create their qualities.  The matter declares that they do not have any claim on the qualities that are manifested in them.  Hence, everything prostrates before a One that provides the qualities.  With this awareness, we are always in a “mosque.”  Example: when you look at a leaf falling, be aware that it is prostrating to its Absolute Source of Existence, therefore, you must accompany its  prostration, which shall beautify your feelings.  The whole universe is our mosque/masjid.  The mosque is your own spirit as well.  Didn’t you make a covenant with the Source of your existence?  The Creator endowed on you the spirit which is within you.  You cannot say that I do not want it.  When you get rid of the spirit or deny its existence in you, you cannot exist as a human being anymore.  By accepting the spirit to be within me, you are going with the contract with the Source of your existence.  If you do not kill yourself, you are keeping your contract with the Source of your existence.  We are all addressee as students of the speech of God (The Quran) as well as His silent Speech in creation. By confirming the Truth and thus being in harmony with the declaration of the universe we beautify ourselves. Otherwise, when we contradict our nature and the reality of the universe, what we do is ugly, not beautiful, does not match our nature. 

 

The promised creation is a new type of creation, the next creation, you will be surprised with what you are going to encounter there. Hadith narration states that God treats the universe and the human beings as you see here with 1% of His Mercy, the 99% Mercy is to be disclosed in the hereafter.  It must be so because the absolute cannot be limited to anything. For the Absolute there is no difference in amount, although the universe may seem huge to us.  God’s mercy is still waiting for more to demonstrate itself for those who did not deny it.  When we acknowledge that we are created, and that all the qualities we have belong to their Creator, then we benefit from the universe.  This does not mean to treat creation as we want, but as the Source of Existence wants us to in recognition of His Mercy. We learn from the prophet’s teachings that when we do one good act of acknowledgment, we are rewarded tenfold or more, just like sowing a seed of corn gives us hundreds of more corn.  

 

In order to appreciate the Revelations and the hadiths (sunnah of the prophets), we must appreciate ourselves, and the universe.  If I do not appreciate my creation first, then I do not get acquainted with my Creator, present my needs to my Creator so as to receive answers through His verbal Guidance.  We must establish our foundations on the conclusions by firming our base, only then I can appreciate guidance from the Creator because I know that I have a Creator who created me and answers my human questions.  In other words, only after confirming the reality of the creation, we can realize our needs of our Creator’s Guidance to further in obtaining the questions we have and cannot get from the universe.  In other words, if we analyze the queries under the guidance of the Qur’an, only then can we understand the message of the universe better. At least, we must start investigating the Quran, by sparing some reflection time every day.  Otherwise, believing in the Quran as to be the Revelation from God is not enough to satisfy our human needs.  Yes, we must benefit from the scholars, but we must always come up with our own conclusions by confirming that the Quran is answering my deep human questions.  Afterwards, we can start getting answers from the Quran that satisfies our human needs.  That is how we can get in contact with our Creator and make progress in understanding the reality of our existence.  But firstly, I must pay attention to my existence and the existence of the universe, to get into the teachings of belief matters.  If I miss this step, then I will end up following rituals without their essence.

 

Finally, we should not waste our human qualities as they are given to us to fulfill the contract/covenant that we have with the source of our existence.  Don’t waste your feelings by concerning with temporary matters only, rather use them to acknowledge your Creator and reach out to Him.  This realization has endless degrees.

 




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