Section Ya-Seen – Part 3

We will continue to study the verses from Section Ya-Seen of the Qur’an from where we last left off. The last verse we studied (36:12), mentioned that everything will be preserved in a clear Record. The word “مُّبِينٍۢ” means clear which has two meanings: itself is clear and clears other things. The word “إِمَامٍۢ” translated as “Record” derives from the letters “مٍۢ”, “إِ”,  and “مٍۢ”, may refer to a religious leader or any other leaders. The combination of letters also refers to a mother’s womb, protecting the baby, preparing for its life after birth, gradually developing the baby in a secure position. Everything the baby needs is given gradually within the womb and after around 3 months, the spirit is blown into the fetus which then turns into a baby. 

When we die, we leave the womb of this world to enter our real world. In this world, our life is like in the womb of the mother where we are being prepared for the next world. We are given the opportunity to prepare ourselves here in this womb of the universe by using our free will, whereas the fetus does not have any free will to exercise freely while in the womb of the mother. In this way we are preparing for our future life to be given birth once we leave this womb of the world upon death to enter our real world. This teaching comes from Imam Ali during the prophet’s time where it was said that life in this world is like a dream. This life is pale as compared to real life in the next creation where our spirit will experience to the fullest sense the generosity of our Creator without being subject to development in time. Whatever our feelings desire from the Creator, His absolute qualities will manifest directly. If some people believe that they are given whatever they are presented to them in this world they will receive their satisfaction from what they believed in while in this world; for example, Nature, Random happenings etc. when they are woken up from their sleep like life by the One who created them in this world, in the next creation.

While we are preparing ourselves here in this world, if there is something lacking in a person either physically or psychologically, for example a physical organ may not be working, one would not be able to practice with it and may be worried for the next world. There is no need to worry about what the Creator has chosen for them, He will take care of it in the next creation by rewarding them to an unimaginably higher degree. For such a case one is not responsible for it. In terms of “what they leave behind” as the verse mentions, we may be negligent of reality and later may realize the truth. There is good news from the Qur’an that informs us of the opportunity to ask for forgiveness for that negligence and start living with the truth. I must repent and rectify myself to my original being where I was lacking in something, i.e. not using my potentialities for their purpose. I cannot go back and change my wrongs, but I can ask for forgiveness from our Creator, correct myself, and have the hope from His Mercy that it will be forgiven. 

For example, one would go to a rehabilitation center to revive their physical abilities that may have become weak. Similarly, we can go through our “rehabilitation process” by repenting, asking for forgiveness and correcting ourselves. We must understand that we should not despair for our past mistakes because we cannot go to the past days and repair them. But they are repairable by the One Who is beyond time and space: The Owner of this universe, God. Although the mistakes are written, they can be deleted as the Qur’an uses the word “ عفو” which means the One who deletes. To be forgiven is to ignore our shortcomings and the word “ عفو” means to completely delete, wipe out, obliterate the mistakes.

وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا أَصْحَـٰبَ ٱلْقَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَآءَهَا ٱلْمُرْسَلُونَ

36:13 Give them an example of the town, when the messengers came to it,

The word “ٱلْقَرْيَةِ” translated as town is important. All the prophets were sent to those people who did not take notice of the prophets and their message. They denied the prophets and accused them of lying. This is an example for us to prepare our minds. Those people who think they are honorable or arrogant reject the prophets. Ordinary people are usually ignorant, and stay impartial as they don’t see the value when they hear some truth. The prophets always faced challenges with the arrogant big-headed people of society. 

The prophets came and started delivering the message to people as they are employed by God to communicate the message to people. We will see that the “مُّرْسَلُونَ” is not necessarily the messengers but anyone who learns the message from the messengers, confirms it, educates themselves, trains themselves and teaches people as well. For example, now there is no prophet that has come to us in our time. We now have some people who educated themselves by  going through the scholarship of various students of the prophetic teachings. 

We should take this message taught by the prophets for ourselves. I must search for someone who is teaching the message of the prophets. I would not imitate the message of the prophets but investigate what it states and see how it is reasonable, confirmable and then, if I am satisfied with it, submit to it.

إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ ٱثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍۢ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُم مُّرْسَلُونَ

36:14 We sent them two messengers, but they rejected both. So, We reinforced them with a third, and they declared, “We have indeed been sent to you as messengers.”

One messenger was not enough so two messengers were sent. It is historically stated, although not confirmable, but an interpretation that the two messengers may refer to the main messengers: Moses and Jesus. The Qur’an mentions that there have been many messengers in between but these were the major ones. The third messenger referenced in the verse is interpreted to be the prophet Muhammad (pbuh). As we understood the word “مُّرْسَلُونَ” in a previous verse, there have been many messengers to continue the message of God which must be continued. Someone should continue to deliver the message to the next generation. Everyone must do their best in relaying the message as it is our responsibility. As I am satisfied and happy with it, I should not be selfish but share it with those who need it. 

The people denied the two messengers, so should one give up? The Qur’an says no, another messenger is sent. The messengers just come and say openly that we are messengers of God to you, bringing you the message from Him. Listen to it, think about it and see if it makes sense in an honest way. If it doesn’t make sense by being honest then reject it. 

Historically, many have consensus on the fact that those who opposed the prophets called them liars and physically abused them. It is well narrated in the life of prophet Jesus as well as Muhammad (pbuh) where they had opponents defying them. However, none of these opponents ever countered the prophetic message to challenge it, instead they physically attacked the messengers. For example, in the message that prophet Muhammad (pbuh) brings, one could have listened to it and countered that what you say that God speaks to you does not make sense, how can we follow you? But no one came up with a counter argument, but what they said was only you are lying, you are a magician, you are obsessed, you are a poet.  Neither to the prophet Jesus nor to the prophet Muhammad opponents came up with an argument against the content of the message the prophets brought  to them, but only they tried to kill Jesus and Muhammad. There is no recorded argument used by the rejectors saying “You say that the message is from God, the Creator of the universe, He should not speak in a nonsensical way.” The whole existence of the universe shows wisdom. They never argued against the idea of God being the Absolute Creator of the universe. The only problem they had was the concept of Resurrection. They saw that when one dies, they are buried under the soil where the flesh and bones rot. How is it possible that rotten flesh and bones are brought back to life? Many may understand the message in a shallow way by questioning the feasibility of Resurrection without paying attention to what the Qur’an is saying. God is going to recreate, resurrect the body in a completely new way. It is not that God is going to assemble the particles of the body and rebuild it although an Absolutely powerful one can do it. We witness that the Creator of the universe is continuously recreating the universe, why would the Absolute Creator be in need of collecting particles for His creation? The shallow understanding in civilization reduces human beings to bodily existence only where all the senses, feelings, consciousness and reasoning are all reduced to bodily existence. This bodily existence is taken for granted.

Without any evidence, many material scientists speculate that our brain is automatically producing knowledge. For example, one may say by using the physical eye where the eye is taken to be the source of vision. Many senses are attributed to the mind which cannot be the source of intelligence or consciousness. It is true that my spirit is related to my body as it resides in it. For example, I use my brain as the tool to reason, think and learn. My brain cannot decide for me to walk. I am not the brain, but I use the brain. I am not the eye which is a tool for my power of sight. Eyes are only tools, without life and a  conscious being using it, they are no good for anything. A dead person’s eyes may be functioning perfectly but it does not see anything. Likewise, the brain is only a tool, a perfectly functioning brain is no good for anything unless it is used by a conscious living being. We can easily understand that our body organs are only tools to be used by the human spirit which represents our being a human being rather than just a living being. Even if we may keep a dead person’s brain alive by artificial machines but a conscious human being using it is not there, what reasoning and realization do we think the brain will produce? Anyone who reduces themselves to body would have difficulty in understanding Resurrection. 

Preserving the particles of the body does not matter as the Qur’an mentions that a completely new body is given that is appropriate to the developed or deteriorated capacity of the individual’s spirit in the next creation. It depends on how much I have developed my spirit. A new body is given as much as I have prepared myself, understood the purpose of my human self, the senses and tools. I have realized that these potentialities within me are given to me by my Creator, whose power, knowledge, and wisdom are Absolute. I realize that I have not used my potential to their fullest, I should repent and seek forgiveness for that. God promises that I will be given a body as much as I have realized how much I have not fulfilled in my abilities and have asked for forgiveness for my shortcomings. 

Asking for forgiveness is essential for human beings. After belief in God comes asking for forgiveness which necessitates each other. The more we are aware of the qualities of the Creator, the more we become aware of how much we are neglecting our purpose in existence, and thus asking for forgiveness is necessary for our living in this world. We must not be proud of what we have learnt but we should present our case to God: “I was aware of what I should have done but I did not do it because of my negligence, please forgive me.” According to how much the spirit realizes and presents the case to its Creator, a new body is given. Those who see themselves as only body cannot understand the resurrection and reject the message of the Prophet. These people use their rejection of the resurrection as an excuse as if it is a justifiable reason, for not to admit, subjugate themselves to the prophetic message. They don’t want the prophets to be in a higher position than themselves in the society, so they deny their message. They miss the point that it is God who is the Highest One than them and the prophets. They are confusing the fact that while they are following the message they follow God’s Will not the prophets’ choices.

The phrase “إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُم مُّرْسَلُونَ” translated as “We have indeed been sent to you as messengers” is indicating that I am man like you who is employed to deliver the message which I practice and live by. I am not a king or someone seeking power”. For example, I don’t like the letter that a postman delivers to me. Do I accuse the postman? The prophets are not like postmen but one of the functions is to deliver the message like the postman. The prophets are also practitioners, and their teaching continues to live with me. In terms of delivering the message, it makes no sense to accuse the postman who simply is doing his job to deliver the message. Similarly, the prophets are innocent in delivering and presenting the message.

One may say that prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Moses fought against their enemies. The Qur’an encourages strongly to fight against those who drive you out of your land and deliberately attack your body to kill. The prophets never declared a war or had drawn their sword against people who didn’t believe in the message. This goes against the spirit of the message, the wordings of the Qur’an. One is only allowed to defend from an attack to protect their body and property. Everyone understands that if someone is attacked physically, the person has every right to defend themselves and their property. The fighting and killing verses in the Qur’an are under the condition that there is an attack or an obvious preparation for an attack. 

The other meaning of fighting as it is used in the Qur’an with the word “Jihad” is to disperse the message and present the counter argument to those who deny the reality of belief in God. If there is a physical attack, then a physical defensive fight is encouraged. Islam says that if they drive you out from your lands, drive them out in the same way. “Kill them wherever you encounter them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, for persecution is more serious than killing.” (2: 191.) One should not exceed for instance an attack of stones with an attack of bombs; the attack must be in equal terms. The Qur’an uses the word “لَا يُسْرِف فِّى ٱلْقَتْلِ ” (but do not let them exceed limits in retaliation) (17: 33) which is to not fall into extravagance in one’s attacks. One should not go beyond the limits in their defense, do not harm them further when you are the winner to further impose your power. Once the attackers leave, one should leave them alone. If the attackers offer peace for whatever reason, the Qur’an recommends accepting the peace offer. Although, it may be a war strategy, may be a trick, the Qur’an mentions not to doubt them and accept peace. “وَإِن جَنَحُوا۟ لِلسَّلْمِ فَٱجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ وَإِن يُرِيدُوٓا۟ أَن يَخْدَعُوكَ فَإِنَّ حَسْبَكَ ٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِۦ وَبِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (If the enemy is inclined towards peace, make peace with them. And put your trust in God. Indeed, He alone is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. But if their intention is only to deceive you, then God is certainly sufficient for you. He is the One Who has supported you with His help and with the believers.) (8: 61-62.) The Qur’an is further ahead than today’s understanding of war strategies which take advantage of the weakness of a nation to attack them further to completely destroy or dominate them.

قَالُوا۟ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌۭ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ

36:15 The people replied, “You are only human beings like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing. You are only telling lies!”

How do you know that the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing? I can only say this after having studied the message the prophet brings and seen that it does not match what the universe shows to me. One may declare the message to be nonsense as one is not seeing that the universe must have been created by the Most Merciful One. They thus declare that the messenger is a liar without demonstrating any evidence for it. The argument stating that you are a human being like us makes it sound reasonable. It is true that the messengers are human beings like us, but they are employed by the Lord of the universe. But nowadays some people who have gone through secular education say that I cannot argue against what the Qur’an says, it is rationally acceptable but why should I follow the prophets who are only human beings? This is the problem of our age.

For example, one may be suffering from a psychological problem and needs a therapist to work with. The therapist comes to identify the illness and provides the solutions. Can anyone reject this offer by saying that the therapist is only a human being like me and why should I take their advice? The profession of the therapist is to give you advice. The profession of the prophets too is to present to us how we should apply what the Qur’an teaches us in human conditions. They are employed to accomplish two missions: One is to deliver what they receive from their Creator and the second is to put the Qur’an’s teachings into practice as human beings under the guidance of God. 

The prophets are also employed to advise us without seeking any recompense, they give us free advice. They declare that “I am not a prophet by myself, but your Creator gave me the prescription and advice for you. He asked me to take this prescription to the ill person and I am giving this medicine to you. Try it and see if it has any effect on you to cure your illness. If it does not have any positive effect on you, then you can reject it.” The prophets come and tell me that you are in trouble in your spiritual world which affects your worldly and social life. Take this prescription that I am demonstrating to you in my practical life to be saved from the corruption that is out there harming you. When it comes to our professional lives, we seek many specialists and do not complain that they are human beings like us.

Many understand the prophets to be uneducated according to their definitions but do not realize that they were educated by their Creator and sent to us as to be the best  example for us to demonstrate how human beings are expected to live in their practical lives. They practice the content of the message in their lives and bring that message to us. I would observe the prophetic lives and study the message to see if they are lying or contradicting what they claim to have received from God. 

The phrase “إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ” translated as “You are only telling lies” basically means that the accusers are themselves lying and accusing the prophets as lying. This is not a historical narrative at all but how we are challenged today by unbelievers who claim that you are following a man who lived 1450 years ago in a desert, living in the Bedouin culture who does not even know how to read and write. Many accuse the believers in this way saying religion does not make sense whereas science talks about facts. That is correct, the facts are as the creation in this world is. The things are created within the order by the establisher of the order operating in the universe, they are facts. Scientific interpretations do not match the facts demonstrated in the universe but are based on imagination and hypothetical terminologies, like “Nature.” The interpretations of the materialist scientists have nothing to do with facts. For example, I see within the computer how the order in the universe is arranged in this way for the way the computer functions. The scientists go into the lab and study the order, which are facts but interpret them as accidental. By studying the order in the universe, I find out what the Creator of this order allows me to do this or that. We follow the order and may interpret it as if it is happening by chance or naturally. Scientists use Greek and Latin language to name their findings and say that they are explaining the universe under those terms, so that the listeners will have confidence in what they claim. The listeners are under the influence of the terminologies that they do not know and feel that the scientists know something that they do not know and consequently accept their personal and arbitrary interpretations as “scientific facts.” We have to watch out for this deliberate deception they use.

قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمُرْسَلُونَ

36:16 They said, “Our Lord knows that we have indeed been sent to you.

The messengers state that “We are sure of what we are telling you, there is no sign of falsehood, no sign of insanity. Challenge me if you can, what I am saying and doing.”  The messengers are repeating again that “we are messengers and nothing else.”

وَمَا عَلَيْنَآ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ

36:17 Our responsibility is only to deliver the message to you.”

The messengers mention that “مَا عَلَيْنَآ” translates as “We have no responsibility” but to deliver the message. We are not asking and expecting from you for anything to deliver this message. If you do not want to take it for yourself, at least do not try to impede us from communicating the message to others.”

قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُوا۟ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُم مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ

36:18 They said, “We feel that you are an evil omen. If you do not stop, we will surely stone you, and cause you to suffer severely.”

We see that the disbelievers use threatening language to accuse the messengers by saying that “you are an evil omen”, without countering with a proper response. Today, we see that  some materialist scientists study the universe, do research, and come up with many products that come out of their work. They seem to be coming up with a counter argument to the truth as they feverishly uphold their baseless interpretation that has no reality. They use phrases such as accidents, random choices, unconscious matter adapting themselves, evolving by themselves.  They say, “nature of matter”, but they never explain from where did matter get this quality to perform perfect actions? Can any matter make a choice on its own? They reply again going back to the beginning, “nature of matter is as it is.” They speculate that the thing might have been this way as we see it happening. 

The leaders of the people want to be respected, get prizes for their work. The truthful message is “an evil omen” for them as they are afraid that they are going to lose the claims that they make. They are afraid to lose their dominance and authority. They can only threaten the messengers by saying that if they don’t stop, they will be harmed. They have no counter argument. 

قَالُوا۟ طَـٰٓئِرُكُم مَّعَكُمْ ۚ أَئِن ذُكِّرْتُم ۚ بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌۭ مُّسْرِفُونَ

36:19 The messengers said, ‘The evil omen is within yourselves. Why do you take it as an evil omen when you are reminded of the Truth? But you are people who have wasted their own selves!”

The messengers reply in the best way to these people by saying that the “evil omen” is within yourselves. You are deceiving people by making false assumptions. Why do you take the message as an “evil omen” when you are reminded of the truth? You have no right to claim that you are superior, no right to claim that people should follow you, and that people should not believe in the Creator of the universe, God but your false interpretations.

The verse continues by stating that “بَلْ أَنتُمْ قَوْمٌۭ مُّسْرِفُونَ” translated as “But you are a people who have wasted yourselves”. This means that one did not use the abilities given to them by their Creator to understand reality. You are not using your abilities and rejecting the truth. You are wasting the trust, the human spirit given to you by your Creator reminding you of what you are doing wrong. Your egocentric concerns do not submit to this reminder, they do not accept the reality to follow it. You are wasting the precious qualities that are given to you by your Creator. Wasting food and property is also important but the worst thing is to waste one’s human qualities. 

Unfortunately, we waste a lot of our energy and time on useless things, talking trash, gossiping, arguing about irrelevant subjects to one’s reality. We know that if someone talks trash then we need to say “why would I waste my time watching his videos?” and stop wasting our time and energy. Someone may say: aren’t you going to join them as they have many followers? We should not be carried away by the number of the followers of a fashion, for example. Instead, we should question if it has some truth in it and if we find it useful then take it up. If it is not, then leave it. The size of the number of followers cannot be evidence of truth. 

The Qur’an describes the opponents of the prophets as being wasteful. The most notorious enemy of the prophets is described as Pharaoh in the Qur’an, he is mentioned to be a wasteful person. “وَإِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ لَعَالٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ” (For, surely, Pharaoh was tyrant on earth and was, certainly, of those who are given to excesses.) (10: 83) He did not waste his property but used it for his pride and arrogance. Anyone wasting their human qualities gravitate towards arrogance. We must watch out not to waste our human qualities. We need full concentration to understand the truth and live by it.