Section Al-Furqan – Part 19

We are continuing with studying Section Al-Furqan of the Qur’an. We last investigated verse 29 mentioning the fact that Satan always abandons human beings. We understood Satan to represent false ideas, thoughts that have no reality with the objective of keeping one away from remembering God. There are other verses that state Satan is always with human beings and thus does not abandon man (Zuhruf, 43:36 and Nisa 4:119-120). We will study towards the end on how to reconcile the verse saying Satan abandons human beings with other verses mentioning Satan is always with human beings.

The word “ٱلذِّكْرِ” in the Qur’an refers to: Remembrance, Reminder, Revelation, the message within us, and the Qur’an. The verse is not related to remembering things in our worldly life but is related to our existential reality where we must acknowledge and remember our Creator. We are mostly inclined to forget: What is the meaning in my existence? What is the purpose of my existence? What am I supposed to be doing here? We need to be reminded about these questions. 

I am getting messages from the way the universe is created, the Qur’an and the message within me where they all convey a central message related to the purpose of my existence. I do not need to be reminded of my bodily needs because I am created in a way where my body reminds me when it is hungry, when it is tired, when it needs water, etc. All my bodily needs are arranged within the order of the universe. In my bodily existence, the meaning of my life is not arranged, I am not told the purpose of my existence.  My consciousness, which can also be referred to as the heart, keeps asking human questions as mentioned above, looking for meaning and satisfaction. For example, even if I am successful in this world, my consciousness reminds me that I will die and leave this world; consciousness looks for meaning to satisfy my human side. I must keep in mind by remembering that I need full and infinite satisfaction. My inner spiritual side says that I need an Omnipotent One, Infinite One to satisfy the needs of my feelings. The universe tells me that there must be someone, an Infinite Being that can respond to my needs. My consciousness says that I need that One who can satisfy my needs. What the universe tells me in the way it is created and what my feelings say conform to each other. All the prophetic messages historically known to mankind remind me that my existence is meaningful. One day will come when I will be taken to eternal life, either satisfying me if I deserve it or not. It all depends on how I lived my life here in this world; if I have not wasted my life. For example, a student that studied in college deserves to get his degree whereas those who waste their time and never learn don’t deserve the degree. 

The Qur’an also comes as speaking to me directly, telling me that I have a Creator, who prepared and provided everything for me in this world. It gives me guidance as to how I can put myself on the right track and make my life meaningful. All these channels of messages tell me the same thing, not different from each other. I must be able to respond to these messages in a meaningful way by acknowledging that my Creator is All Powerful, All Knowledgeable, All Just, etc. He answers my needs in this world as I feel fully satisfied in my existence as well as in the next creation only if I am not ungrateful to Him, and don’t turn away from the message that He presents through the different channels. The Qur’an must be my guide, the universe and the prophets are reminders for me where the prophet also gives me practical examples on how to live my life. My human feelings are mixed with reminders and partially convey to me what is right and wrong. My feelings tell me that I need to be thankful to my Creator, but they don’t tell me how I should communicate being thankful to my Creator. The Qur’an combines all these channels with extra instruction related to guidance on what to do. How do I communicate with the universe and the Creator of the universe? 

The prophetic message is represented by Revelation such as the Qur’an in our time. The prophets show us within a limited time and space condition which has universal implications where everyone at every age, stage, condition, geographical space can say: “I am practicing the guidance of this revelation.” The Qur’an defines itself as a guidance, including remembrance, reminder and revelation from my Creator. It gives the general principles like a “constitution” and the prophet is practicing this “constitution” within the conditions, geography of his own time frame. He says: “This is the best pattern of living that I am leaving to you. Benefit from it and practice it as well by using the well-established guidance of the Qur’an.” We take the Qur’an as the “constitution”, take the practice of the Prophet during his time, and bring it to our time and living conditions. The Qur’an is so essential as it combines all other channels or venues through which we get reminders. That is why the Qur’an identifies itself with titles such as: “Zikr” (Remembrance), “Nur” (light), “Rahmat” (Mercy), “Hudan” (guidance), etc.

For example, in Section Baqara (the Cow), the Qur’an describes itself as “Hudan lil muttaqeen”, a guidance for those who want to believe and not follow the wrong path.  The word “muttaqee” means someone who is careful not to fall into mistakes and danger. One would try to escape from any dangerous position. If I have this carefulness of not putting myself into danger, then the Qur’an says that it can guide me then. 

The Qur’an gives extra information as to what the universe is, what my human side is which urges me to look for meaning in my life. Everyone wants to have a meaningful, satisfying life. My heart wants it, my consciousness urges me to look for a source to satisfy them. The Qur’an comes to tell me that it will guide me on how to fulfill this reality. I need this extra information from the Qur’an on how to be guided along with the benefit from all the channels of reminders that I get in my practical living, to be successful. We can spend hours on studying the verses of the Qur’an to get the message assimilated within us.

There are other verses that state that Satan is always with human beings whereas in this verse, it says that Satan abandons human beings. How do we reconcile them?

وَمَن يَعْشُ عَن ذِكْرِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُۥ شَيْطَـٰنًۭا فَهُوَ لَهُۥ قَرِينٌۭ

43:36 “But as for anyone who chooses to remain blind to the remembrance of the Most Gracious, to him We assign an [enduring] evil impulse, to become his other self.”

The word “يَعْشُ عَن” in the context of this verse means that although your eyes see but you are not assimilating the message to remember the Most Merciful. When I choose to remain blind to the remembrance of the Merciful God, then God assigns an evil impulse (Satan) within me. Whenever I am not remembering God, it is immediately replaced with Satanic whisperings. As long as I keep away from remembering God, this Satanic whispering, false understanding, useless information, meaningless lies become my other self. 

The word “قَرِينٌۭ” means close to me as if attached to me and doesn’t leave me alone. For example, we have a cup of water, which when emptied is replaced by air. The cup never stays empty. Similarly, in our lives, there is no emptiness, either it is the remembrance of God, or it is the satanic whisperings. Either I remember God or something else would come to me, i.e. something else is waiting to ambush, attack anytime that I am not paying attention to remembering God. The Qur’an describes this attack as coming from Satan.

I cannot be neutral, or indifferent. Either I am with God or with temporary false things while living in this world. This should not be understood as either we are with the Qur’an or we are off track, either we are praying, or we are involved with worldly affairs (Satan). This is not how this verse should be understood. Let’s take a simple example: When I am drinking water, I remember God as the Owner of water, be thankful to Him while I am drinking it. If I don’t drink water with the remembrance of God and just drink it, then Satan replaces my remembrance of God with the remembrance of the water as if it is satisfying me. This is not denial, which involves conscious rejection. However, when I don’t remember the Owner of the water then I am with Satan who makes the act of drinking water being wasteful and only for bodily satisfaction.

وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمْ وَلَأُمَنِّيَنَّهُمْ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ وَلَـَٔامُرَنَّهُمْ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلْقَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّخِذِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ وَلِيًّۭا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ خَسِرَ خُسْرَانًۭا مُّبِينًۭا

4:119 “I will certainly mislead them and delude them with empty hopes. Also, I will order them, and they will slit the ears of cattle and [by doing so] alter God’s creation. And whoever takes Satan as a guardian instead of God has certainly suffered a tremendous loss.”

What does it mean to slit the ears of cattle? Historically, there are stories mentioning this act, but it is not related to our daily life. This was a habit that represented altering God’s creation. Nowadays, the molecular structures, DNA are altered. Most of the food we get now is also altered in some form. We find pollution now in the oceans, air and atmosphere. The Qur’an is giving the simple example applicable in that time to now and carries till the end of this world. At the time of Revelation, altering God’s creation was represented with the slitting of cattle’s ears. When the ear is slit, the creation of the ear is spoilt, immediately God changes His creation according to the action chosen. If I use my free will to change something, God creates accordingly but I would be at a loss. 

Nowadays, chemical alterations are in pretty much everything. The weapons industry is responsible for all sorts of alterations to God’s creation. What about spiritual distortion by misrepresenting the existence of this universe? Rather than saying that things are created in such a way where they are witnessing the qualities of their Creator, the beautiful creation is turned into meaningless creation. This distortion is Satanic whispering. If I don’t listen to the guidance of Revelation, immediately it is replaced with Satanic whispering.  The verse continues that following Satan’s way would lead to tremendous loss as Satan promises meaninglessness, just enjoy your life and forget about your reality.

يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ ۖ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا

4:120: Satan only makes them false promises and deludes them with empty hopes. Truly Satan promises them nothing but delusion.

Satan is always with us whenever we forget to remember God consciously it immediately replaces the empty place with delusions and empty hopes. The Qur’an is reminding us that if we don’t remember God, if we take a guardian other than God then we are in the hands of Satan and will suffer a tremendous loss. We must not cheat ourselves by saying that I pray, fast, and fulfill the religious responsibilities. The rest of our life, I must try my best to realize that every moment I exist is because of God’s grace in creating me.