Section Noor, part 3
Recap: Every being is like a niche that contains light which is emanating meaning to its observers. Everything that we interact with carries meaning which is light reflecting signs of the qualities of its Creator. It may seem that the material side of a being becomes an obstacle to see light from that being. On the contrary, the material being becomes the means to see the qualities of its Creator manifested in that being. It is through the qualities manifested in every being that we can get to know our Creator.
How do we know that someone is an artist? We ask them to show their work. Only by investigating the work can I know what kind of an artist the person is. Similarly, the Creator of the universe manifests His qualities in physical form (you and I are His creation) in the universe. We get to know our Creator only when His qualities manifest on physical beings. That is, our spirit needs a physical form to connect with its Source of Existence, that is how our existence is set.
Why do you believe in God?
- I believe in God because the universe is out there.
- My spiritual side grasps the light through my physical existence.
Isn’t the universe also a sacred book?
We respect the scriptures because it contains the word of God. Shouldn’t we also respect the universe where the knowledge, wisdom, and qualities of its Creator are manifesting? We must be sanctifying the universe and upholding it with esteem as equal to the verbal Speech of God, because we cannot have one without the other. I observe the universe, the trees, the sky, and stars which are very sacred because it is myCreator’s work, would I not respect it?!
Example: your mother gives you a gift, you appreciate and respect it. Similarly, we must respect all of creation and everything in the universe, not only human beings but also the fruit flies, pebbles, and grass, just to name a few unnoticed items because they are the work of our Creator. They are presenting themselves to me as evidence of the existence of our Creator, for example, through a firefly, we can see the Speech of our Creator: “I am the One who made this, and no one or nothing else can make even a wing of a firefly.
كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّىٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ
24:36 “A glass like a glittering star, fuelled from a blessed olive tree from neither east nor west,”(We covered the first 5 questions in part 2 of section Nur)
- Does the “glass” cover the light if the lamp is radiating light?
- Can the glass be a source of “light”?
- How can we relate this verse to the heavens and earth?
- For example, isn’t our stomach digesting?
- Can we say that “It is our intellect thinking? Why not?
6. What does “fuel of the olive tree” represent? - What does “from neither east nor west” mean?
An olive tree is known to produce olives every year. The more it is harvested, the more production is yielded. Hence, the best example to understand the meaning of blessings. Similarly, in the universe, we see that the same matters are used to yield hundreds of thousands of other crops. What we can understand from this is that the same light is coming from the same Source which keeps repeating His qualities manifesting in the universe continuously changing.
During harvest season, there are new products coming into existence. Similarly, every day, and every moment, there is a new creation that comes. The Source of existence of this fuel is a blessed One. It means that with His infinite qualities, the Source of existence is manifesting itself. Also, we cannot see where these qualities are coming from anywhere in the universe, that is what the “east nor west” refers to. When we say la ilaha illallah, we are saying that there is nothing in this universe that these qualities are originating from, every part needs to be created in the certain location allocated for them i.e. whoever created them, willed them to be there. There is no way to attribute these qualities to any part of this universe.
يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ
24:36 “whose oil almost gives light even when no fire touches it.”
Keep reminding yourself: I observe continuously change in the universe. I am not aging, rather, I am newly created at every moment within the context of the whole universe perfectly fitting by the One who is the Creator of everything I communicate with. As compared with the previous existence, I am being changed in a different form (youth vs old age, for example). There must be an agent responsible for conducting such change. If we closely ponder over how creation takes place, we can conclude that creation comes into existence directly, with nothing interfering with it. It means that creation is coming from an Absolute Infinite Source, and this Infinite Source does not need anything to create something. In our case, when we need results or want something to come into existence, we literally must manually do it by following the order in creation. For example, to write something, we type or move the pen with our hands. However, for an Absolute Source, it requires nothing of this universe to bring something into existence continuously changing as if He is writing at every moment a new book.
We are all being changed right now, without our noticing, what an amazing creation this is!? That is why we must take the creation of the universe seriously and study it. That is the message of the Quran. However, materialist mindset interprets the universe superficially i.e. change to be happening on its own.
نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ
24: 36 “Light upon light”.
It is an analogy telling us to look at the universe and you will see light coming from every object.
Do we see multi-layered “lights” in the universe?
There is nothing in the universe which is not created in layers upon layers. For example, an atom is made up of particles. The molecules are made up of atoms and you can keep going in discovering more. Similarly, each layer manifests different layers of the Creator’s qualities.
Do we see only one “light” in the universe or multiple “lights” within each other?
Each part of the body emanates different qualities of its Creator which are different from qualities found in air molecules for example. We cannot separate one part of the universe from another as it is all interconnected together like one huge body. Also, we cannot disconnect ourselves from the atmosphere. Can you breathe without the air molecules? No, we are all elements of the solar system. And each element of the solar system manifests different qualities of its Creator.
- We cannot isolate and study one air molecule in a lab, because it co-exists with the rest of creation.
Light is being emitted from the air molecule in the lab, but we cannot explain the existence of the air molecule independent from the rest of creation. Let us take the example of the human heart. The heart cannot exist on its own, it must collaborate with the rest of the body and the atmosphere. If the heart pumps out the dirty blood and if the dirty blood is not cleaned by the lungs, then we will all be subject to immediate death, we cannot continue to exist. It must be perfectly functioning at every stage of its existence. If it was not functioning from the very beginning how would it evolve itself into a better functioning position? These kinds of claims are just made up stories. Another example, the lungs cannot function without the throat. It is amazing how the air is made to flow through the trachea.
- Again, we cannot isolate anything from the rest of the whole universe.
Even the milky way is part of another cluster of galaxies, just like the earth rotating around the sun. Everything in creation is continuously declaring that My Creator is the One who created the whole system in the universe as it is. The universe comes as a complete package from its Creator with infinite layers of creation manifested in it.
Can we see anything which reflects only one quality on it?
If you just study a cell, how many different qualities are needed to make one cell? Power to create, knowledge encompassing everything in the universe, shape giving, beautifying, measurements, balance, purposeful design and adjustment with the rest of creation. We can go on and on with the qualities which are infinite, called in Islamic literature as “asma-ul-husna“. What does that mean? Does God have 99 names as known in the Islamic literature? No, the 99 names refer to the obvious qualities that we laymen observe in creation, and the Quran also mentions these main qualities. However, reducing God’s absoluteness to a number is an insult to its Grandeur. Rather, we are discovering endless qualities of the Creator manifesting in details of beings every day. Just look at how many sub disciplines are emerging in Science and Technology, it is wonderful, SubhanAllah (Glory be to the Creator of the universe)!
Comment: A DNA has the past and future encoded in its structure.
Indeed, we will never exhaust discovering the different layers of creation (qualities of its Creator).
How about ourselves? Does our spirit have only one quality?
No. Just like creation, we have endless qualities of our Creator manifested in us. For example, consciousness is an amazing quality that we are endowed with. How do I acknowledge the presence of other people and beings when they are around me?! Have you ever thought of how you are aware of your existence? Consciousness is a self-awareness phenomenon. It is a quality that is functioning along with the material body, and it is aware of its own existence. “I exist.” “Things exist”.
What else are we endowed with that is obvious? Reasoning, memory, intellect, speech, sentiments, concerns for others, affection… Who does not have any worries? How do we explain the feelings of concern for others? All the qualities we have in ourselves are nothing but the manifestations of my Creator’s qualities. My Creator is telling me that “I am the One who created these qualities manifested in you, therefore, I am the Source of existence of your qualities.” For example, if you are a loving person, you cannot claim ownership of this quality of being a loving person, rather, you are gifted with the quality manifested in your existence to consciously become aware of it and realizing that: “my Creator has given me this quality and I am just using it.” I am not the source of my loving qualities. We must apply this Quranic reasoning to each sense that we are exercising, and being aware that this is what my Creator meant by gifting me with these qualities in my existence.
Can you count the qualities of the Creator of the universe? No. It is countless. Similarly, our human qualities are also endless because my Creator has created human beings as the best masterpiece of His work. That is why the Quran mentions that the human beings are the Creator’s caliph on Earth i.e. “You will represent My qualities in the best way, like the fruit of a tree.” We are all the fruits of a tree of the universe, and the seed of the fruit is our spirit. This seed preserves every quality of the tree i.e. its Source of Existence’s qualities. How many scientists are working on discovering the workings of the DNA? The discovery is endless, impossible to count.Is there any limited degree for the qualities of this “light”?
Example: God is the One who must have the quality of Power. Without Power, the universe would not exist. The One who creates the universe must have the quality of “Power”. That is methodologically correct as per the guidance of the Quran, and approvable by the witnessing of the universe. How many layers of the quality of Power do we observe in the universe? For example, you study Mathematics and the knowledge that you can obtain from this discipline is endless. Let us list God’s qualities of power: creating particles, creating molecules, creating mountains, creating the earth, creating the solar system… There is only Power upon Power (nur’an ala nur’an) or (quwwa ala quwwa) and knowledge upon knowledge (ilm ala ilm) or (hikmah ala hikmah).
When we say that we believe in God, we must base our reasoning on solid evidence. If every quality of the Creator is manifested in endless layers with infinite evidence in every existing being, what else do you want to certify your belief with?
How many different disciplines of sciences can you learn if you have chosen?
Let us say that you have studied Architecture. Could you have chosen to study English literature? Yes. We have endless potential to learn new disciplines, but we use only one or two, so shame on us.
The month of Ramadan is approaching. What does fasting mean?
I am going to fast to display my loyalty to my Creator and acknowledge Him by obeying His order. Why don’t you eat food that you bought with your money during fasting? Because the Owner of the food has not allowed me to eat it until sunset. Fasting is recognition of its Owner towards all the gifts that you are endowed with, including money, time, and profession. In this recognition, we are claiming that the food that I think that I worked for as a result of my labor, does not belong to me, I am not the owner of my assets and properties. Rather, I just asked the Creator to create the results for me. Example: I am producing potatoes. You just put the seed and water it. I just asked for the result (potatoes) to be created by obeying the order of the creation based on my past experiences. Can anyone create one potato? Impossible!
Firstly, we cannot create anything, including life. Life is not of material nature. I cannot explain life, I only experience what life is. For example, when someone dies, what is left? Only the dead body stays here, life and human spirit leaves this physical world, they are not made of “matter” they do not change and do not die. We use the faculty of memory and recall previous experiences to compare a dead body to a live body and by the help of this memory we know that the body has lost something which is called life. Otherwise, no one knows what life is. Do you know what your senses are? I am just experiencing it, but I am sure that I have senses, but I do not know their essence. The essence of the qualities of God is unknowable, but we are sure that the Creator of anything must have these qualities. For example, do you know the essence of knowledge of the engineer in this laptop? No, but you see that this laptop must be made by someone who must have the quality of Engineering.
The Quran keeps repeating: Is there any doubt about God?!
قَالَتْ رُسُلُهُمْ أَفِى ٱللَّهِ شَكٌّ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ
“Their messengers answered, ‘Can there be any doubt about God, the Originator of the heavens and earth?” (14: 10)
Ghaib is not unknown or unseen physically, rather we see with the eye of intellect Ghaib in the existence of the universe, in the sense of light emanating (as we discussed). In the example of the laptop above, if you see a man in physical form, it means nothing when he only verbally claims to have the ability to make a laptop. Only when the man displays the quality of Engineering by creating the laptop can you get to know the Engineer of the laptop. As depicted in movies, when someone speaks behind clouds: ” I am your Lord”, that is not how we get to know the Creator of the universe. Rather, by observing the clouds, and pondering over its existence can we conclude that these clouds must have a Creator who is speaking with me by displaying a beautiful canopy as a shade on a hot sunny day, for example.
Finally, when I examine the universe, I am sure that its Creator must exist. That is why, while you are reasoning about the source of existence of the universe, do not use concluding Quranic languages to confirm the results of your investigation, for example “God created the universe.” Rather, according to the Qur’anic methodology of reasoning, use the following language to process your conclusion: “The universe must be created by someone who is not part of the universe, and I cannot see it, that someone is an Absolute Being called “God”. This is a confirmation of one’s belief which we must exercise (i.e. from creation to Creator). However, during prayers, while performing salah, you present your conclusion to God, “I acknowledge you as my God to be the Creator of me and the universe (alhamdolillahi rabbil alameen)”. While reasoning, it is just the opposite.
Tags: Al-Noor, Noor Series
