Section Al-Furqan – Part 30
We are continuing to study verses from Section Al-Furqan. We last investigated the usage of “shadows” and the “sun” within the verse to teach us to observe creation. The Qur’an has been listing some obvious observable examples from creation in order to introduce to us the Creator of the universe. This observation of the universe establishes the foundations of belief in the Creator, God. Using the same kind of evidence from creation, the next verse introduces the second most important pillar which is the belief in Resurrection. If one is convinced and satisfied by looking at the universe, by looking at the signs and acts of creation taking place that necessitate that there must be a Creator then the person will find solace and comfort in their being, in their existence. He relieves himself from being a meaningless, purposeless existence which contradicts his human capacity and gains a meaningful and purposeful creation realized by a Conscious Absolute Being who is the Creator of the universe. However, if one sees themselves as a living body that is slightly more developed than animals, they don’t investigate their feelings and qualities within them as being given, as if they exist by themselves with the qualities obtained from the environment accidentally as a result of random choices of unconscious materials. Such people will thus deny the existence of a Conscious Creator. They would look for only temporary satisfaction in their existence until their death.
One point to understand about translations of the Qur’an is that all translations are a starting point, somewhat rough. It is not to say that they are incorrect, but they are incomplete. Only one of many meanings of the verse is usually translated. Even if there is a commentary on the verse, it would still be limited in understanding the content of the verse which comes from an Absolute One, an All Knowledgeable One Who knows all human beings, at every moment, existing at every place. Although the commentators have more insight into the verse than translators, they are still limited within their own knowledge, capacity and living experience within their own time and space. No one can blame the commentators for not understanding the full meaning of the verses as it is impossible for anyone to get the complete meaning. We cannot limit the meaning of the verses to any of the commentaries. Human beings cannot go beyond their time and space that they are in. We must try to understand the Qur’an within our own time and space which would come from the latest commentaries.
Unfortunately, this is not generally understood among the Muslims and non-Muslim commentators who are consciously exploiting this. If one presents a citation from the earliest commentator to the current Muslim community, they will say that “they are “Salaf”, great people. However, they are the great people of their time, they made the commentaries according to the needs of their time. During their time they were the best great scholars, but not anymore. This doesn’t reduce their value as great scholars in our eyes, we can learn from their experience and then bring their commentary into our time conditions. I must work on how I can use their scholarship to understand the Qur’an in the best way in my day and age, within my living conditions. If I can do this, I can benefit from their experience by bringing it into the current living conditions. Their experience was best during their time but not during this time. Recent commentaries are making their commentaries by benefiting from the old scholarship but are less authoritative. Rather than copying the work of previous scholars, they must bring the message to their current time. Some previous scholars such as Razi, Ibn Jarir, Zamakhshari, Qatada, are great people to admire for their work. However, we must get the message applicable to our time now. If one quotes from an earlier source, he is regarded as a great scholar, whereas when one comments from a recent scholar, he is not regarded as that authoritative. In general, the recent commentators that bring the message according to our living conditions are better.
With this principle in mind, let’s investigate the next verse:
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيْلَ لِبَاسًۭا وَٱلنَّوْمَ سُبَاتًۭا وَجَعَلَ ٱلنَّهَارَ نُشُورًۭا
25:47 It is He who made the night a garment for you, and sleep a rest, and made the day like a resurrection.
Although this verse seems to be shifting the subject away from the previous verses, it uses similar evidence of creation in the universe to introduce a new topic which is the existence of Resurrection. The verse mentions that there is a conscious Source that is perfectly arranging the solar system that is beneficial and fitting to every being. The relationships between the earth, the sun and the moon are all perfectly arranged for our needs. Although we are used to it and may not think about it, we must reflect on them and fall into admiration for the One arranging this.
The verse continues mentioning sleep as a rest and then day to be like a resurrection. One would ask why not mention the day for the gaining of provision. There are other verses that do mention obtaining your daily provision under the light of the sun, however, here it is bringing in a new topic of resurrection. The verse is asking me to pay attention to the fact that after sleeping, I wake up to a new day, lit up deliberately for me, which is like a resurrection, “نُشُورًۭا”.
Let’s look at another verse on the same topic:
وَٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَرْسَلَ ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًۭا فَسُقْنَـٰهُ إِلَىٰ بَلَدٍۢ مَّيِّتٍۢ فَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلنُّشُورُ
It is God who sends forth the winds; they raise up the clouds. We drive them to a dead land and with them revive the earth after its death: Similar is the Resurrection.” (Fatir, 35:9)
The same word of “ٱلنُّشُور” is used here which is translated as “the Resurrection”, whereas in the verse above “نُشُورًۭا” is translated as “a resurrection”. The verse is mentioning that the dead earth will become alive. The word “فَأَحْيَيْنَا” translated as “We revive” means that the earth is given life by Us. The earth is not changing itself; this is figuratively teaching me that out of earth, I see that living beings are created by sending rain there. There is a deliberate creation taking place to satisfy my human needs. Can physical matter have any consciousness to make all these arrangements, to make human beings live and walk? There is the need of a conscious Creator to realize all this which is not just to satisfy my bodily needs but also my spiritual needs, my feelings that are dying for eternal satisfaction. With this understanding, death will no longer be frightening as it will be like dead earth being given life. My being would not die as my spirit will be satisfied with a new kind of creation similar to what is happening in creation with the arrangement of winds, clouds and rain to renew the earth. The One who is doing all this is your Creator as well, He is demonstrating to you that He is going to resurrect you as He is resurrecting the plant out of dead earth, dead material and a dead cell.
For example, in the cold we experience the wind which makes the situation even cooler. Why is the wind there? My consciousness from experiencing the universe will understand that there is nothing purposeless in creation. There are multiple benefits in this arrangement that we cannot even count. From one side, the needs of my body are prepared from this demonstration. Through my reasoning, I can make sense that the One who is demonstrating this is taking care of the needs of my body. However, I will die which may seem like a horrible thing as I don’t want to die. I want to have perfect satisfaction; all my feelings are looking for eternal satisfaction. I like beauty and look for eternal satisfaction in beauty. I want full perfection, not half of it, and it must be continuous. All my feelings need perfect continuous security as well. The Qur’an says “كَذَٰلِكَ ٱلنُّشُورُ” , “Similar is the Resurrection” which is the conclusion to what has been stated so far. Why is God telling me about the arrangement of the clouds and winds”? It is to tell me about how Resurrection is happening and will happen upon my death. The One who creates me in a miraculous way will be the One Who will take care of me.
This way of reading the Qur’an as speaking to me gives me comfort: “I know that my Creator is speaking to me, educating me and giving me comfort. Only my Creator can know me and arrange all this for my comfort”. By mentioning this, He is presenting the meaning in creation so that I come up with the right conclusion.
Unfortunately, the education we receive in the mainstream is only to satisfy our bodily existence, to make a profession to stay busy with, excel in it. It kills the spiritual side as there is no preparation or teaching to satisfy my spiritual side, satisfy the needs of my feelings. We must be careful as the most important side of education is neglected even in the Muslim countries and schools. Most hours are spent on bodily satisfaction, while only a fraction if any is spent on fulfilling spiritual needs. It should be the other way around as our spiritual needs are much more important. If there is no eternal happiness, no satisfaction for my spirit, what am I going to do with temporary satisfaction, success which will leave me upon death, and my body will rot in the earth? We must awaken ourselves to the reality of our existence and help others as much as we can.
This verse is asking me: “Have you remembered death last night as you went to bed and resurrected this morning?” I must honestly think about this. Do I remember how my body is arranged, how the solar system is arranged, how the universe is arranged to allow me to go through this experience of sleep and awakening which is likened to death and Resurrection. These verses are teaching me that these arrangements are reminders for me that Resurrection will definitely happen. I must not worry about it but be careful, have the satisfaction that I will be resurrected accordingly. If I am satisfied, I would be living in this world accordingly where the temporary world should not delude us. Everyone takes care of the bodily needs but the spiritual need for Resurrection and having satisfactory evidence for it is neglected. We must bring to our attention what is neglected. What am I going to do with information encouraging me that when I wake up, I must have a healthy breakfast to start my day. Most of us already know that and do that anyway. We need to encourage, talk about what is neglected, which is the most essential side, i.e. to understand Resurrection with a convincing heart. That is where the Qur’an comes to our aid.
Do we see any principle of the Qur’an in the above two verses? There are two aspects or pillars of belief that were touched upon, one being the belief in God, the creator of the universe, and in the above two verses, belief in Resurrection. This principle is found at many places in the Qur’an, most obvious yet the most neglected among the readers of the Qur’an.
It is preferred to use Resurrection rather than “I believe in the Hereafter” when we talk to people. The usage of “Hereafter” has the connotation of unknown, uncertainty of what is after this world. This universe is our witness and evidence to what we conclude. Resurrection is more palpable to understand that our death here is not the end of our existence but a renewal where the spirit gets a new body appropriate to what it deserves. Islam presents to us the notion of Resurrection which gives us the opportunity to utilize the evidence of the universe. I must see that everything is resurrected at every moment. The universe gives direct reference to the belief in Resurrection. When presenting to people, I must speak with evidence: “I believe in the reality that we will be resurrected as every being in the universe is an example of resurrection. The dead earth is given life through creating rain”. Rain is not the source of life; it doesn’t have any quality, let alone life, to itself. Rain is used as part of the order of creation organized by a Conscious Knowledgeable, Powerful Creator.
Similarly, we should present God as the “Creator of the universe” which ties the creation of the universe to its Creator. Belief in God is a package that necessitates evidence which is why we must try to use “Creator of the universe” when reasoning and talking to people. It is only in prayers, supplications to God that I must use “Allah” or “God” but not when talking to people. In my personal acknowledgment, I have done my homework and concluded that: “My God! You are my Lord”, thus I can use the terms “Allah” and “God” there but when it comes to presenting to people, I must use “Creator of the universe”. For example, the speech of Imam Ali includes: “I swear by God who splits the seed and grain”, here the usage of “God” is accompanied by the action of splitting the seed and grain. This usage with defining actions is to draw the attention that one cannot believe in God for no reason. The principle of the Qur’an is to present God with His actions. By using “Lord of Men”. (114:1), Caretaker of Men (114:2), The God of people (114:3), “By the Fig and the Olive” (95:1), etc.
While we are talking about any article of belief, we must always speak with evidence. Unfortunately, some classical scholars define belief without any evidence which does not work for this century. In their time they did not need to provide evidence because their readers did not have doubts about their belief and there were no questioning people. The disciplines of science provide updated evidence when presenting something. We look for evidence in science subjects but when it comes to religion, we are fine with just accepting without any evidence. Why such a contradiction?
What parallel do we see between the Qur’an and the creation of the universe? We see that creation takes place gradually, in the same way, the Qur’an also teaches gradually. The human body adjusts to the environment gradually, human beings learn gradually. We see that the Qur’an educates human beings and the societies gradually. When we study it by following the chronology of the revelation we can realize that the same way is applied in the Qur’an.
Every creation is enough evidence to demonstrate who is the creator of that thing, this One must be the creator of the whole universe. Everything is integrated, one cannot separate one from the other to study it separately. Unfortunately, we are cheated by material scientists who claim to study a cell in an element independently and say that it is acting by itself. In order to act by itself, the cell must have the capacity to know what is going on in the rest of the universe and have control over them. The Qur’an must be read in the same way. I cannot take one word from the Qur’an to study separately but it must be within the context of the whole Qur’an. I must see the interconnection, relationship of the words, how it relates to other words just like the universe is created. I must see that each word, sentence can only be arranged by the One who created the whole universe integrated into a whole being speaking in the Qur’an with sentences integrated into a whole book.
There is a correspondence between human feelings, the universe, the Qur’an and my human characteristics in their existence they all point to the same Absolute Being.
Tags: Al-Furqan, Belief, Feelings, Furqan Series, human qualities, Life, Lord, Quran, Worship