The story of Jesus in the Quran – part 5
Building upon the verse 19:88 of the Quran that we studied last time where it stated: “They say: The Most Merciful has taken to Himself a son!”. We discussed what the word “son” represents and mentioned the usage of the word “Rahman” rather than “God” in this verse that is preferred to be used.
“Walad” is not only related to the son of God (perhaps 1 % meaning wise), because the word son indicates to inherit the same qualities as his parents.
“Walad” is related to something of this universe, as if inheriting the same qualities or values of divinity, as if it has the power to create or a part of the Creator. Is it possible? That is what the Quran responds to in many places. The Quran is extremely sensitive to giving any quality of creatorship to anything that needs to be created. This is important because we don’t see such a thing. Unless one has conditioned themselves saying that I don’t want to believe in God, the religious people don’t know science, but I do.
There is not much freedom of speech given to science researchers. If anything is mentioned relating to an Absolute Source of existence or if one hints at God in some paper, it is no longer regarded as a scientific paper and thus not worth publishing. Physical results employed by science are correct but the interpretation of attributing existence to nature or the matter itself that they decide by themselves is problematic. If any scientist questions whether matter is a conscious being to choose, to know, to prefer the best options, then, their papers will not be accepted and published in science journals.
The word “Rahman” refers to a merciful, compassionate Creator. The whole universe is nothing but mercy pointing to the Merciful Creator. He wanted to favor the creation, present His favor in front of the eyes of appreciative beings. So those who are conscious will see, understand and appreciate those qualities and will have no excuse to say that I am not aware that I have a Merciful Creator. The whole order of the universe is out of mercy.
What about nature or matter itself? Does nature have mercy to allow to improve themselves, adapt themselves for a better future as if they know the future and they have freedom of choice? Can I ask nature to be merciful to me? Things have to follow an order that is constantly being made. The change is also taking place within an order. All these things constantly coming into existence need knowledge, power but along with mercy. Out of mercy everything is preferred to be as it is. We have to be careful: what is the Source of Existence (SOE) of the entire universe, including every single being in the universe that is constantly changing? Everything in creation is demonstrating the power and free will of the Creator. The SOE doesn’t have to create something as we expect but may create something else telling us that I am not your slave but your Owner. If some events happen that I may not like, I have to see that the event is not a punishment but a way of teaching me my createdness, my limits, my bond to my Creator.
I need to let go of my arrogance, my caprices in trying to know better for myself, I am not my Lord. I have to learn my reality, get to know my Creator and fulfill the purpose of my existence to accept who I am and who is my Creator. The purpose is to worship my Creator. How do I perform that worship? Accepting who I am and who my Creator is. Practically could be done by words, action as in following the order in creation where my senses such as consciousness realizes that by following the order, I am following the will of my Creator.
Side note: Saying Allah or Most Merciful are names but we need to be comfortable on what our understanding of these terms are. We have to pay attention to the usage of the word Most Merciful rather than Allah in some verses – notice the difference of word usage between God and Most Merciful. (Say, call on God, or on the Most Merciful, whatever names you call Him, the best names belong to Him… 17: 110)
لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْـًٔا إِدًّۭا
19:89 How terrible is this thing you assert!
Why is it terrible? Impossible to make sense of the idea that God has bequeathed His qualities to a created being. This idea has no reasonable explanation for me to confirm. If someone attributes any divine qualities such as Creatorship, Preference, Knowledge and Consciousness to something, including men, those people who claim to be prophets, nature, cells which all have the nature of temporality, dying matter then it is impossible to assert such claim of attribution. The verse is drawing our attention to the seriousness of such understanding (“Shirk”) where God is seen as inheriting or bequeathing His divine qualities to another being. Such attribution of Infinite/Absoluteness to created beings has no reasonable explanation.
Very heavy words are used – to draw our attention to the seriousness. There are many people that say nature has the power to create itself, not openly but with language such as: that is how it is, happens in this way, without paying attention to the fact that they need to be brought into existence by a Creator. The experts know that they are unable to prove such claims of matter having power to create so they play with the words to keep it sound “scientific.”
Experts may say: We know all the details of the elements in particles.
Do the particles have any consciousness to come together in such a harmonious way? The universe works in this way because I know all the parts. Is that convincing of an answer or just a matter of ego and pride? Pride is the source of arrogance and thus human corruption for not to believe in a Creator of the universe. Intelligence is used to justify arrogance and be proud of oneself. Knowing the parts of a machine and utilizing it does not give one authority to claim that the machine is working by itself.
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ ٱلْجِبَالُ هَدًّا
19:90 It almost causes the heavens to rupture, the earth to split open and the mountains to collapse in devastation
It causes the universe to express anger at such understanding. Knowing that being a part of a thing such as a human body does not mean that the body and its parts work by themselves – what is the connection between the different parts – who has chosen them to be that way – by themselves? Does the matter have free will to choose and decide what is the best way to reach a perfect and complete body working harmoniously?
Many people deny God but nothing really happens to the universe so what is this about: “heavens being ruptured and mountains collapsing”? The Quran speaks to guide human beings to as much as they are concerned with. Many may just take the verse and move on. There are many that may go along with “mother nature” being merciful. The Quran mentions, take my advice and look at the universe and when you attribute divine qualities to anything in the universe, see what happens. The heavens collapse to meaninglessness, mountains collapse for the person who misinterprets the truth and attributes the existence of things and all the changes to matter.
When I deny knowledge written in a book, the book becomes meaningless paper sheets. Why don’t I read what qualities are being demonstrated in the book, see the qualities of the Author, Writer, Maker, etc? When I look at a marble structure, do I admire it for the marble stone itself or for the art exhibited on it? Everything is a work of art. How does the body work? How are living beings employed to take care of young ones? See a mouse, how does it know to see, smell things, see much better at night – a wonderful piece of art of the universe? How does it take care of the needs of its young?
أَن دَعَوْا۟ لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ وَلَدًۭا
19:91 for that they attribute a son unto the Merciful
If one attributes divine qualities to something in this world, they will bring meaninglessness into everything including their own being – everything will collapse for them. I have to watch out in my life if I attribute any quality to anything then my world would collapse for me. By denying the mercifully created universe by the Most Merciful Conscious One – as if destroying God’s conscious created world for myself. I have to look at my own creation and see the signs of Mercy present all around. “Ar’ Rahman” is calling me on how dare I attribute to a created being the qualities that cannot be theirs?
وَمَا يَنۢبَغِى لِلرَّحْمَـٰنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا
19:92 although it is inconceivable that the Most Merciful should take to Himself a son.
“Inconceivable” as in impossible – How can one do such a horrible thing – a little more serious in guiding language as if God is begging me not to fool myself, that I should see the mercy of the Merciful Creator. Our attention is drawn so that we don’t harm ourselves by the creative action of “Ar’ Rahman” – the Merciful in a merciful way by reducing His creation to the action of unconscious beings such as matter happening randomly.
وَيُنذِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ وَلَدًۭا
18:4 – And to warn those who say, “God has taken to Himself a son.”
This verse is from section Al-Kahf which is warning human beings to consider their understanding of “God having taken himself a son” which is, as we discussed above, impossible and contrary to the truth.
مَّا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنْ عِلْمٍۢ وَلَا لِـَٔابَآئِهِمْ ۚ كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةًۭ تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَٰهِهِمْ ۚ إِن يَقُولُونَ إِلَّا كَذِبًۭا ٥
18:5 They have no knowledge of Him [or, of this], nor did their forefathers. What a terrible claim that comes out of their mouths! They say nothing but lies.
“Having no knowledge” here means that they have no evidence to prove their claims.
“Nor did their forefathers” – We just keep repeating the statements and traditions of previous generations without using our senses and qualities to investigate, see for ourselves and confirm our own conclusions. In science, one follows a certain pattern of scientific approach on how things develop – why keep repeating the same interpretation of these wonderful creations by inheriting the pattern from past scientific theories – scientific materialism – as they do not want to approach the understanding from theology’s perspective. However, they are studying a different kind of theology. Studying theology is not about studying the scripture as the universe is also the speech of the same Creator as that of the scriptures. The universe is well enough to understand that things must have an Absolute Creator – no other way to explain its existence.
“This is a terrible claim that comes out of their mouths.” Any claim should not be made just via lip service but reasoning, feelings, intellect, senses as well. But those who claim that God has given existence to anything, anybody (“a son”) endowed with the quality of creating something. Those people who do this claim utter it only through their mouth but not from their reasoning and senses with a support from any logically acceptable evidence in creation.
It is easy to see that matter has nothing to do with feelings, happiness; matter has no mercy. Any quality given to human beings, they all need to be created and totally dependent on their Creator. They cannot act independently from the way the Creator decides, the order of creation in the universe. With no exception in the entire world, every being is equal before their Creator, including the miracles created in the hands of the Prophets need to be created by the Will of their Creator. Any human being is not the creator of their actions but only chooses from within what is created by the Owner of the universe.
“They say nothing but lies” – Lie is knowing the truth but denying that truth; lying is not ignorance. If I don’t know it is not a lie but ignorance. Lying is to know the truth in their feelings, reasoning and intellect, but still denying it deliberately. Majority of the people may be ignorant and the liars are few, deserving hell.
That is why we are given reasoning, feelings, and intellect to confirm the truth. Every feeling is a promise from my Creator. I don’t want to be harmed, lose my existence, and remain full of energy. These are all promises from my Lord that He will give them to me in a permanent and perfect form. Be honest in my existence here as all these feelings of not losing things such as pleasure, existence are promises where He tells me that I will give them to you.
Tags: Jesus, Materialism, Mercy, Messenger, Qualities, Quran, Theology