Section Jathiya, part 6

اَللّٰهُ الَّذِيْ سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْبَحْرَ لِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ فِيْهِ بِاَمْرِهٖ وَلِتَبْتَغُوْا مِنْ فَضْلِهٖ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَۚ 

45:12 “God is the One Who has subjected the sea for you so that ships may sail on it by His command, and that you may seek His bounty and that perhaps you will be grateful.”

Initial query: What is the difference between saying “God is the One who has subjected the sea for you” and “God has subjected the sea for you”?

There is a methodological difference that is used in some verses of the Qur’an that makes the thing being mentioned as inviting me to question.We must first observe the sea, and question how it is subjugated to us.  From realizing that the sea is subjugated to us or employed for us for human benefit, we ask: Who is the agent of the sea that is employed for our service?  Example: Look at your laptop, can you conclude that the one who made this laptop must be an intelligent engineer?  Can you find the engineer inside the laptop? That is what many material scientists are trying to find the source of existence within the universe itself. Similarly, looking at the sea and things floating in it, you can conclude that a Conscious Intelligent Engineer must have designed it that way, and has subjugated the sea for us to use.

After observing the sea, the first statement in our initial query probes us to question: To whom belongs these qualities that I observe in creation?  That One is God, in other words, there must be a Conscious Agent to whom these qualities belong to.  This way of logical reasoning is mostly neglected.  

• Here, you are invited to look at things, the way they are created, and see which kind of qualities are needed for them to exist.  In other words, look for the source of the qualities, and you will not find it in the universe.  Then, attribute the qualities to a Being who cannot be of the nature of this universe, hence, must be an Absolute One.

The second statement in our initial query assigns the qualities of subjugation to an Agent directly.  It is not wrong, but it misses the learning process of concluding an Absolute Source of Existence.

• The statement “”God has subjected the sea for you” brings the concept of God and then attributes existence to Him. This statement does not have a logical reasoning, rather it is a statement that only expresses the speaker’s pre-accepted conclusion, therefore does not add any conviction to the belief of the speaker.

The Quran pushes us to understand the subjugation of the sea, a miraculous act indeed, which can only be performed by nothing of this universe.  Hence, there must be an Absolute Creator of the beings, which must be called “God”.  

Absolute means nothing to do with this universe but must exist.  It means that this Being must have a completely un-imaginary nature of existence.  That is why we cannot give it a shape, number, or name.  He must have an Absolute Power so that every molecule of water in the sea, although liquid, must be created by this Being in such a way that it should lift the ship with His command (amarr in Arabic) or will.  It means that each molecule is created in such a way that they will end up lifting the things.  We are not discounting the laws of physics and mathematical calculations that need to take place in order to calculate the density of water to allow for the object to float in it, which are also part of an existing order/law/principle/will that points to nothing of this universe, rather a One not of the nature of this universe (i.e. Absolute).  

The Creator of the universe has been presenting all these demonstrations to the human mind to think about the creation of all these things.  The following verse also keeps mentioning that human beings must pay attention to how the universe is brought into existence.  This verse is pointing out at the creation of “ships”, why is that?  At the time of Revelation, the human made transportation means for the contemporary people around the Prophet (pbuh) was via “ships”.  The wind and water help the ship to float and not sink but move; this is all arranged perfectly well within the order of the universe.  However, ships are made by human beings.  This verse is drawing our attention to not only ships which have been discovered, but there are other means of transportation that you do not know yet.  God is encouraging people to figure out other means of transportation that have not been discovered yet and are still available under the command of God and manifested in the orderly creation of the universe.  Find those out and Glorify Your Lord!

Example: The Prophet Solomon is mentioned in the Qur’an as having the quality to fly. This is a demonstration and encouragement  to discover that there is a possibility for human beings to fly through the order in the universe.   The more we discover, the more we become aware that the order of the universe has lots of treasures that need to be discovered.  What happens when we discover the treasure in creation, let’s say human beings discovered the airplane, now what?  We are traveling faster and catching days of journey in a few hours.  That is good, but it only benefits our worldly temporary life.  What other benefits can these discoveries entail?  The way the universe’s order has been established demonstrates to us that the One who establishes this order of the universe, is doing it delicately and precisely with full wisdom.  The more we become aware of the secrets in the order in the universe, the more we become aware of the various qualities of God existing, and how fine and succinct they are.  We cannot put a number to these qualities. Every time we discover the secrets of the order of the universe, we discover new qualities of God manifested that are endless.  Therefore, we cannot put a limit to the qualities, most scholars have referred to well known 99 names of God, some say 1001, and a few scholars say “endless”.  Again, we do not know what else we are going to uncover as God’s qualities, for they are still waiting to be discovered.

If we deeply reflect on all mass communications that we use for our benefit such as phones, laptops, and gadgets, they can only be realized by God’s command because the whole existence is the command of God.  All the secrets of existence are possible through the command of God.  We know that the human mind is created, the order is created, and the human feelings are encouraged to discover more and more, thus, everything must be prepared by the Creator of this order.  

The word “amr”, God’s command, is not like what we observe as the Commander-in-Chief of an army, rather, “amr” points to the meaning of as He wills.  That is, as He wills, He commands, “Be and It is” (as it is expressed in human language).  Every command is how God wills it to exist.  Whereas, the Commander-in-chief of an army has to use the word “Stand up!” And, if the soldiers are on strike, they do not obey him! That is the difference between human action and how God’s act of creation takes place (Be and It is).  The Absolute wills only in an Absolute form, must be limitless, i.e. He wills every single being in a perfect way so that there should be no contradiction and meaningless existence.  Everything is willed for a purpose.  

Second query: What can be the ultimate purpose of creation?  What do we understand?  

My own capacity is to examine this world, to check my feelings, check my human capacity and question how come they exist.  As far as our capacity is concerned, how can I make sense of creation so that the purpose of creation must be “something”?  

Let us start by looking at the elements of the universe. Why do you think air molecules are created?  We are looking at the elements of the universe and can logically conclude that whoever created these air molecules must be an Absolutely Wise One i.e. the Source of existence of the universe cannot be of the nature of His created work .  We cannot think of Absolute to be like a huge man, because we cannot imagine what Absolute is.

Example: By observing the laptop, can you conclude that the laptop is the result of a random act or an accident?  No, there must be a maker, an engineer of the laptop.  One point is extremely important, if I am looking for the maker of this laptop within the laptop itself, that is impossible to find!  We cannot liken the maker to a part of the laptop either (a logical fallacy).  However, there must be a maker, not like the laptop but something else.  Similarly, the universe must have a Maker, not like anything of the universe.  We cannot proceed like some materialist scientists who are still trying to find the source of the existence of the universe in the material itself.  (we should avoid getting carried away by these legends of trying to explain the existence of the universe within the universe by simply using our human logic in the right way).

Now, what can be the reason for this maker of the laptop to create a laptop?  Similarly, what is the reason for the One who created the universe?

I can relate the laptop to myself because I carry it with me.  The laptop is very useful for me, I write documents and it enables me to communicate with the people I know.  There is a relationship between me and the laptop.  The one who made the computer must know what I need so that s/he can get more money and trust from its consumers.  The maker of the laptop is a human being, so his/her purpose must be related to his/her personal benefit.  However, as far as the universe is concerned, do you think whoever made the universe, (which you may call God because you do not know what nature this Maker has), must exist?  Yes.  This Maker must be Absolute because it continuously keeps creating the universe and keeps giving us life.  Can you get anything for free from the maker of the laptop?  No, but in the universe, everything is given to us freely.  Do you pay for your power of sight?  No.  Do you pay for your digestive system?  No.  What do you pay money for?  Goods at the grocery store.  Well, the apple for example that you buy, are you paying for its creation?  No.  You are just paying to the state as tax, the farmer and other intermediaries that transport and handle the apple. They are not the creator of the apple.  Does the Maker of the apple need any payment?  No, it is an Absolute One, and does not need any payment with physical money.  Can you now notice the relationship between the universe and me?  It means that the universe is corresponding to my human feelings and answering the needs of my human qualities.  

Example: if you have some health issues, you go to the doctor, however, at the end of the day, we all know that we will die.  No one wants to die.  No one wants to live a life with meaningless things to do.  Let’s say if someone offers you to jump off the window of a tall building, would you do it?  No!  That seems to be a meaningless act, and it does not make sense to me.  We all ask why I should do this, and we all want to live a meaningful life.  All these qualities are given to me by the One who made the universe.  I have been given such infinite qualities that they relate to the qualities manifested in the universe.  Example, if something is beautiful, we like it.  We like healthy life; we do not want any illness or sickness.  I want to have a meaningful existence, but when I see that I am going to die, then I ask the question: whoever created me, why did you create me?  I start communicating and complain to my Maker.  “Since you gave me the qualities to appreciate beauty and enjoy this life, why would you kill me at the end?”  We seek wisdom in our existence and accordingly communicate with our Source of Existence.  If you have never seen a portable phone charger and when you see one, you will ask what is this to the person who carries it, which shows that we are hardwired to ask questions to seek meaning in things.  We are given all these qualities to directly communicate with the qualities manifested in the existence of the universe.   Example, you are hungry, food is provided, you need beauty, go to the garden, and watch flowers.  Why do I love beauty?  To appreciate the One who creates beauty.  Through the universe, you are communicating with the Creator.  What a wonderful Creator, whoever you are, for making this beautiful creation, I am thankful to you!

What other needs and wants do we carry in our existence?

We want wisdom and we want security in our existence.  Who wants to disappear from existence?  The universe says that my Creator and the One who gave you the sense which loves life and does not like death, meaninglessness, and annihilation guarantees that He is the Source of your existence.  If He is the Source of your existence, then utilize all these senses and communicate with Him.  The creation of the universe points out the One who gives these senses to you, and I am communicating through the universe with its Creator.

The Quran makes this case explicit for us, and we must confirm it under the witnessing of the universe.  When we pay attention to the witnessing of the universe, we can confidently conclude that I am seeing the evidence in the universe that what You are saying in Your Speech, the Qur’an, is correct, that is belief in Revelation (Book).  

Can we conclude that the universe is created for us to get to know who our Creator is and communicate with Him?  The universe is a middleman introducing who my Creator is.  By examining the universe, I get to know who my Creator is.  Now, what?  I understand that the One who creates the universe has all these various qualities and I need to communicate with Him through these qualities.I need to interact with these qualities and connect them to their Owner to make my life meaningful and perfect.  It seems that my Creator created me in such a way where He is asking me to communicate with Him, i.e., whatever I need, I must present to Him.  Example: We do not want to die.  “O my Creator, you gave me the sense not to die, and I want to have a perfect happy life”.  We want a life where we are not bothered with doing chores, paying bills, and we want a house next to a beautiful scenic view to enjoy nature. Only You, the Creator of this sense of the need for a meaningful happy life can satisfy it.  Some may argue that challenges of life are needed for human development and growth. First of all, we should ask why do we have this sense of growth in us? It must be a preparation for another creation that we are going to experience the pleasure of what we learned here on earth. We need to transfer our potential into capacity and learn the details of creation.  This is only possible in this world by going through challenges. It is like learning in schools through attending the classes, listening to the teachers, doing assignments and passing tests etc. 

Our senses force us to develop ourselves to have a happy developed communication with our Creator.  All of us ultimately want Paradisiacal life, which is true to our nature.  All our needs are possible to be ready by this Creator and He is pushing us to ask Him to get those ready for us.  

“Only the One who created us can do it, we should get to know Him.  The Quran says, O human beings, we created you to get to know Me and worship Me. (Qur’an 51:56)

Most Muslims keep repeating that “God created us to worship Him.”, what does that mean?  One of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh), Ibn-Abbas interpreted this verse as only after getting to know the Creator can we worship Him.  Without knowing Him, you cannot worship Him.  If you do not know Him, how are you going to worship Him? In a way God says: “You can have the Object of Worship as only Me, that is why I created you”.  How can I believe in the above verse?  By going through the same process as laid out on page 1, we must use creation as a witness to fulfill the purpose of our existence, which is to communicate with our Creator by acknowledging Him. This necessitates to submit to my reality as a created being in need, whatever is given to me is nothing but His favor.

Getting back to the verse, all means of transportation (train, plane, car, bike…) are created for me through His command i.e. He willed it to be and arranged the universe accordingly.  All this is created for us to be appreciative to the Creator of the universe.  That is the key point, to be grateful, i.e. He created everything for me, and provided it for me, I confirm it, however, the verse (with the underlined part of “be grateful”) is asking us to check ourselves, “Am I being grateful for everything that He creates?”  The problem here is that we are given free will. Although the truth is out there with the universe witnessing it, we are free to choose to not acknowledge, thank and be grateful to the Correct Object of Worship, the Creator of the universe.  We may not be honest with ourselves and thus not tell the truth to ourselves about what is the Real Object of Worship that deserves our thanks.  The important reminder here is to be consistent within ourselves and be thankful because our existence forces us to do so.  For example, do we know that cheating people is bad?  Yes, we are given the sense not to like it, but we may still choose to cheat people.  Similarly, we may choose to deny that the universe must have an Absolute Source of Existence and choose to cheat ourselves with an illogical view of the world that the universe happens to be like this with no purpose towards my existence.    

The Quran says to us to be thankful/grateful, ” لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُوْنَۚ” translated as “perhaps you will be grateful. (underlined in the verse under study).  So, how are we going to be thankful?  By being consistent within ourselves that this is what the obvious witnessing of the universe is telling me, and I must accept that I am not the owner of myself i.e. all my human qualities are given to me as bounties (it is His bounties).  I cannot claim that I am a wise man for example, rather, I have to be thankful to the Creator for all the human qualities that I experience. (Alhamdulillah- All praise belongs to the Creator of the universe.  “Hadha min fadli Rabbi”- this is from my Lord’s bounty to me.)

• If everything belongs to my Lord, can I really be proud of myself?  For example, this opportunity to shine at a school project is what my Lord created for me, and I seized it.  That is why God consciousness requires being thankful.

This verse is really teaching us with real practical examples of how to think, reason, use our free will in the direction of acknowledging the Lord of the universe.  

• Wrong statement:  Ships/Laptop… are created by man.  
• Correct reasoning: Man asked, just like the farmer asked that she needs an orange tree by sowing the seed in the soil.  The farmer did not create the seed.  The farmer tilts the earth, and uses her physical power which is created by her Creator in order to pray to God for oranges.  In other words, the farmer asked by obeying the orderly creation of the universe: “Please the Creator of the universe create an orange tree for me that bears orange fruits.”  The farmer followed the principle in creation (or learns from the set order which does not change).  The order teaches the farmer and allows her how to communicate with God. 
  -Everything is created for the farmer by her Creator, but she is just expressing what she
  wants by following the order in creation.
  -Farmer is not the Creator of the orange.

The same thing is going on in technology.  Scientists learn from the order of the universe and get into what the order of the universe allows them to get into.  That is, by discovering a set order, they conduct research in the lab, and share what the order allows them to get as the results.  As they learn, they apply that knowledge.  Just like the farmers, the scientists also learn how to get some results by obeying the orderly creation of the universe.  When they obey this orderly creation, a laptop comes out, which requires much more intellectual capabilities than sowing an orange seed.  Regardless, the same logic must be applied such as:

• Technology is God’s blessing, and scientists work on it to get the money to compensate for their labor, not for creating the device  Similarly, the orange is God’s blessing, and the farmer works on it to get her money as her compensation for her labor and not for creating the orange.

There is no essential difference in “creation” of an orange and the laptop. Although scientists make a significant amount of money as compared to a farmer because of the cost of labor.  For example, we pay $1 for an orange and $1000 for a laptop.  Therefore, we cannot say that we are grateful to the scientists because they invented the laptop for us. Rather, they discovered how to achieve a laptop from the order, just like the farmer discovered how to achieve an orange tree from the order in creation as well.

Please do not get tricked:  Scientists claim that their interpretations make sense just  because the result of their work  makes our lives comfortable. Simply put, we do not have to accept their interpretations of the existence of the universe just because their findings of the devices work perfectly. Yes, they followed the orderly creation perfectly and the results were created perfectly. Hence, we must esteem and appreciate their labor for which we pay them. If their interpretations do not match the reality that we are observing in the way the universe is coming into existence, we should not hesitate to reject them.

Another trick that the materialist scientists use is this: If we reject their interpretations they will say, “are you denying Science?”  No, Science is my domain of study, and it is what the universe reveals to me about its Creator. I am rejecting your interpretations under the pretext of claiming that “scientific discoveries work, therefore, my interpretations must be accepted.” If their interpretations deny the obvious truth observed in the way that things come into existence in such a miraculous way, we should not hesitate to reject it!  We must take the device they make and pay them for their labor, but thank the Creator who creates the universe in such a way that it allows us to make these devices. We must feel confident in our belief so that we are not misled by these misinterpretations.