Session 44 Notes
Do we feel that we are needy? This question in secular culture is mostly seen only in terms of material needs, things for our bodily satisfaction. How about our human side, don’t we see it as important? Can anyone guarantee their existence in the next moment? Even with all the material fulfillment, can I stop myself from changing and aging towards death? Do I not feel the need of a life with infinite satisfaction?
The Qur’an reminds us to pay attention to creation in the universe and see that everything is praying in their being for their existence, the continuation of their existence. Everything in the universe in its essence, in the way that they are created, are in need of their Creator. Unfortunately what we have been taught in the name of “education” has destroyed our understanding of the reality of this universe. We have discussed the materialistic scientist’s interpretation, which distorts the reality that we observe. For example, we may say that “the bird flies”, “the tree grows”, “fish swim in the sea”, “that is how it is, as I observe”. The Qur’an reminds us that “No, that interpretation is incorrect. Everything is created with the need of (1) asking for their existence, (2) continuation of their existence, (3) be given whatever they need to continue their existence.”
For example, when we look at a plant, we see that it is in need, created in a way to receive the appropriate amount of water, sunlight, minerals and air. These material elements seemingly satisfying the needs of the plant are associated with the existence of the plant, imposed to our minds by the secular education as cause and effect relationships. We shouldn’t be misled by materialistic interpretations that things are satisfying their existence by themselves. The Qur’an reminds us that there is no cause and effect as we see but there is a continuous creation within a perfect order. This order doesn’t change. This continuous change within a perfect order appears to our mind as things being connected to each other, adjacent, next to each other with no gap. We just take things as they are without realizing that everything is created in their essence to express their need, which the Qur’an calls “prayer. They are always praying to their Creator to continue their existence and to satisfy their needs.
Nothing in the universe can continue and carry their existence by themselves. Nothing has any quality to carry their existence to the next moment. For example, one may say: “I am going to get a glass of water from the kitchen”. We usually take the existence of the next moment for granted, including the kitchen to exist in the next moment, water to exist in the next moment. In fact, the next moment doesn’t exist yet. Our past is gone and we cannot bring it back. The next moment doesn’t exist yet and I am in need of this next moment to be created for me. Have I ever thought of this?
We discussed last time one form of praying which is the latent form. Within their own existence every being has potential where they inactively pray. We will now examine the 2nd form of prayer.
- The Prayer of Innate Need
All living creatures “pray” for what they need to survive. They need things that are way beyond their power or will. Because the Creator is Compassionate and Wise, He sends them from places they would never expect, exactly what they need, at the right time.
All living beings are created with innate needs in order to survive because they cannot create what is necessary to survive by themselves to continue their existence. For example, can one create water? No, I have to find water that is already created for me. I breathe air that is already created. All living creatures thus pray for what they need to survive. It is out of the mercy of the Creator that He sends things at the right time out of places one would never expect. The essence of being is created, organized and arranged in such a way that everything comes into existence in the most seemingly contradictory conditions. For example, where does the energy that physicists talk about come from? From the most unexpected source which is matter. Where does life come from? Everything is created in such a way that one cannot attribute the result to its elements. All the beautiful planning, arrangement, designing seemingly come from completely opposite qualities. The smell, taste and color of fruits cannot be coming from the dirt soil which has completely opposite qualities. Science mentions eating carrots for better vision. How is vision related to carrots? They are of completely different creations having nothing in common. Another example is out of dirt, wonderful miraculous creations are happening resulting in various plants, flowers, fruits and trees, pure, without any dirt in themselves. Another example is at the birth of a child, the mother’s breasts are full of milk as soon as the baby is born. Does the meat, blood and bones know that the newly born baby needs the milk which perfectly meets its need. It is so miraculous, creation happening out of a completely unexpected place, prepared by a Conscious Compassionate Creator.
In short: Everything that happens in the universe is a sort of prayer presented to God. The whole universe is created to pray. Planets, stars, plants, animals, human beings are all created to pray. When we see a newly born baby, it is asking with its “innate need” for milk, for compassion to be taken care of such as protecting, cleaning, etc. from the One who created him.
In their essence of existence every being is praying whether we use our free will to go along with our essence or reject it. We are always left free. The Qur’an mentions beings to enjoy the universe and take this given opportunity to either accept the reality of who is providing for the needs or deny it. It challenges human beings to call upon nature to satisfy their needs. Are we going to thank “nature” or the Creator of the universe? We have the choice to acknowledge reality.
We live in a society where everything is so familiar to us that we don’t pay much attention to their existence as being deliberately given. For example, we enjoy water coming from the faucet. We just take it for granted and do not remember the water supply company. Let’s say that one day when the water doesn’t come, we are taken by surprise and we immediately call the water supply company. We should not wait to remember the source of anything we benefit from until we lose it and then appreciate it. The main reason we see in the creation of anything we do not like is to break this familiarity; it is a compassionate reminder for us.
Figure 1
Figure 1, shows a farmer milking a cow and is shocked to see orange juice coming out. This is something to reflect on as our rightful expectation is for white milk to come from the cow because we are accustomed for things to be a certain way as part of the orderly creation. We are usually not surprised to see milk coming out from the udders of the cow. Is the cow a milk factory, engineer or a scientist? We need to be surprised every time we see milk coming out of the cow, something completely unexpected. Unfortunately, we have gone through secular education of cause and effect resulting in normalization of the continuous miraculous creation we are experiencing. Normalization and familiarity are the most dangerous enemy of human beings which we must be watchful for. Familiarity breaks the connection between me and my Creator as I forget about Him and take things for granted, such as : “I know, that is how things happen. The cow is supposed to give milk”. If you ask why? The materialistic answer is very simplistic: “Because the cows always give milk; It is natural. This way of living is devoid of seriously questioning if a cow can be the creator of her milk? My human side must realize that only the Creator of the universe who creates the cow also creates the milk through the cow. He is the One who perfectly creates everything for me in a perfect arrangement; and I must be thankful to Him.
There is a traditional prayer which says: “O God! Increase my amazement of Your creation!” There are prophetic miracles narrated where it says that the camel or the tree spoke which we find amazing. We are usually not surprised when we are, for example, speaking. How are we speaking? Isn’t this incredible that meat is speaking, when their essences are completely contradictory?
The cow eats hay and out comes milk, a completely different essence of hay and milk. Why are we not surprised? Scientists use the term “emergent property” to explain the contradictory essence of grass, hay eaten by the cow, and water. Then, we see the result is milk! What a surprise! There is no common property to claim that milk is made of hay! Similarly, out of dirt, various colors, tastes and smells within plants, flowers and fruits is amazing when the dirt has nothing in common to those so called “emergent” qualities! Every human mind asks “Emerges from what? What is the agent behind the existence of the “Chemical reaction”? How can the “emergence” itself come into existence in the next moment? All of these questions are not answered by these scientists! Can such an amazing creation and arrangement prevail throughout the universe with no exception to be the result of accidents?
- The Prayer of Conscious Beings (Like Us)
We pray in two ways to express our needs.
When human beings use our free will to obtain what we need, we need to obey the order established by the Creator of the universe, whether we are aware that we are in fact praying to the Creator or not.
This is Prayer by Action: For example, a farmer plowing a field is “praying” through his work. He isn’t asking the dirt to create the food, he is obeying the order of creation by tilling the earth, thereby “knocking” at the door of God’s mercy and asking for his daily bread.
Matter, rather anything in the universe has no quality to give existence and organize the order present in the universe. Matter or an atom must exist within an order; the atom cannot produce its order but has to function within the existing order. Everything is created with contradictory qualities, so that no one can say that the previous material is the cause of the existence of the next stage of material. That is impossible as both stages are contradictory to each other. For example, when the organic fertilizers, which are animal manures, are used the flowers smell very nice that everyone loves it. In this way of creation we understand that the conscious Creator’s mercy is helping us not to confuse that the material cannot be the source of existence of what is created as a result by creating contradictory properties in each of them. How disgusting the animal manure is and how bad its smell is! On the contrary, how lovable and beautiful the flower is and how nice its smell is!
The Sincere Request: We also “pray” during a time of desperate need or with a truly pure heart; this prayer is almost always accepted. In fact, most of human progress and great scientific discoveries are actually the result of deep focused searching, the best way to ask for the Creator to create what they want in the next moment of creation.
The Well Known Prayer: This is what we usually think of as prayers. This is prayer by word, when we use our voices and hearts to ask God directly for what we need.
Our prayers determine our existential human value
A person’s worth, whether a brilliant scientist or an ordinary human being is determined by the source from which they expect their hopes to be filled. It could be:
A.) Nature to satisfy his needs: One will be beseeching nature to respond back to him with its unconscious laws developed as a result of coincidence. His human value becomes lower than unconscious matter.
B.) Chance or luck: One will plead to a completely imaginary entity to fulfill their expectations. Something uncertain, unknown, and left to chance. His human value becomes lower than meaningless production of chance.
C.) The Creator of the Universe: A conscious being who purposefully creates the universe and renews it continuously using His Absolute Power, Will, Knowledge, etc. He created human beings with countless needs so that they would be continuously communicating with Him through His work, the universe and also through His speech conveyed to the messengers He appoints. His human value becomes much more honorable and dignified than the entire universe; he is the addressee of the Owner of the universe.
Think of yourself:
A.) Being in a wonderful house as a result of natural events.
B.) Being in the same wonderful house as a result of accident, or by chance
C.) Being in the same wonderful house invited by the owner of the house as a guest and entertained by a compassionate host.
Which one fits best to your human dignity? How much do you enjoy your life being in this house? Which one fits your human honor best?