Session 56 Notes
We are continuing with the topic of purposes of the Qur’an. We last looked at physical limitations we face, where our spirit is looking for a way out from the limitations of this temporary world where we are aging and will definitely die. We looked into the 1st paradox where we are looking for answers as to who we are, who created us, who created the universe, who put us here in this universe? All these answers are not to be found in the universe or anything in the universe. Whereas, the questions exist in our very human essence. Since they are with us, and the universe cannot answer them, then we should direct our questions to the Creator of the universe who created us with the need to expect answers to our questions. He introduces Himself to us through His attributes of perfection manifested in us and everything in the universe.
The paradox we are talking about here means that we have the questions but don’t have any answers solved from within the universe. We are left alone in this universe, the universe is out there, and we are here. We are questioning by looking at the universe what’s going on here, how is there a perfectly working order where things are coming into existence and going? The things in the universe cannot really go out of their way by themselves, they exist in what is called the “order of the universe.” Who has established this order; this extraordinary order cannot be the result of an accident, who is keeping them in this order where they have to obey the order? Who’s doing that? We don’t know and actually no human being can know it by his own effort. We hear that some people are trying to answer the question by looking into the universe itself. Surely, no one can find the engineer of a machine within the machine. Their answer usually is that the universe happened to be in such a way that it must have organized its own order and made itself imprisoned in this order, to obey this order. This doesn’t make sense; it is just a speculation with no sign found in the universe showing that it may be true. All the elements of the universe are unconscious things that do not have any consciousness, knowledge, will to choose, ability to plan the future and make decisions and have power to practice them.
Let’s think about this, this answer says that one makes themselves, makes the order and puts themselves subject to that order by themselves. To be in an orderly way by itself, that thing itself has to be working in an orderly way. If something is in chaos, it cannot put itself in order by itself. These are the answers that are made up which are nothing but speculations. There is no evidence whatsoever. The universe is existing in a wonderful way where many things are going on, putting us in a puzzled situation. Someone brought us here in the universe with questioning ability. We ask how the things exist in the universe and there is no answer from the universe; these questions go beyond the capacity of the universe.
The second paradox is related to human capacity where we are not just bodies as the materialists put it. Can a body produce consciousness? They say it is the product of the brain. How can the brain, which consists of matter, give existence to consciousness which has nothing to do with matter; they belong to totally different categories of existence! How about feelings, intellect and free will? All these have no limit. Let’s dive into the paradox itself:
Paradox – 2
The capacity of our spirit (consciousness, feelings, intellect, free will) have no physical limit; our expectation of satisfaction is infinite. Available data in this universe are all limited and do not speak in our language so that we can understand clearly.
We witness that there is nothing meaningless in this universe. We are also aware of the existence of a potential within ourselves that seeks intentionality and meaning. The existence of this paradox must also have a purpose and meaning.
We ask who gave us this infinite need of meaning with no means of satisfaction provided in this universe? We need an answer. Otherwise, we would remain in an existential contradiction within ourselves.
Our intellect says, “Whoever created us with these human qualities must provide the answers so that we can free ourselves from this paradox.” As a famous author puts it for another argument: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
We are created in a way that we need to be taught: Who can answer our questions?
Let’s ask ourselves this question: would we like to have a wonderful life with no problems, no bills to pay, not having to do any work, no boredom and everything is entertaining? Everything is continuously changing and new things are coming for our enjoyment. If someone offered you 1 million years of this life and then you go into non-existence, would you take it? One day before that time is up, you are reminded you had agreed to that time period and now tomorrow will be non-existence. Would you like this news and not ask if there is another one more million years? Ask yourself and think, when will you willingly accept to go into none existence? Everything is good and dandy, no one would like to go into non-existence. All those happy days would just become meaningless if the end is non-existence.
All of our human expectations have no limit. We witness that things in the universe are disappearing, we can imagine that in 100 billion years, as scientists calculated it, the universe will disappear and become nothing. We thus start questioning the meaning of this existence right now. Death is an event which happens only once so it is not that important. What is important is that we are living in this world while knowing that we are going to die. Whatever we have accomplished in the universe will be multiplied by zero, it would seem. How happy would one feel at the end? The problem is knowing that one is going to die while knowing one is alive. This life becomes unbearable and meaningless.
Human beings are expecting an eternal life because our qualities urge us to have an eternal life. The available data in this universe is all limited and does not provide any answer to our eternal needs. Some scientists make up stories that there may be another universe coming out of the dead universe, although there is no evidence at all for this speculation. When these scientists are told that they will meet their grandmother who passed away in that speculated new universe, they dismiss it as “wishful hope” with no reality. When the same scientist is told that the Creator of the universe promises that human beings will be recreated after their death they do not accept it. Human beings are given the desire for eternal life and it is evidence that whoever created them is promising them eternal life.
We need to ask: where do we get this need for eternal life. Where did we get the sense for that and who can answer this? The universe cannot answer. We have the potential within us to always seek intentionality and meaning in the universe. We must have a purpose for living and in whatever we are doing. What is the meaning of life? The universe is silent but my feelings are screaming for an answer. This is where the paradox lies.
The existence of this paradox must also have a purpose and is meaningful. We must ask who gave us this infinite need of meaning with no means of satisfaction provided in the universe. Why am I put in this world with the qualities needing infinite satisfaction but the universe doesn’t provide it, doesn’t say anything, doesn’t speak in a way that one gets out of this paradox. This paradox is beautiful because it motivates us to look for a solution. Whoever gave us the senses, the intellect, the feelings to look for eternity must provide the answer so that we can free ourselves from this paradox. These human qualities are the invitation to get out of this paradox.
Missing piece: A SMART GPS
The meaningful universe without a smart GPS, as far as human capacity is concerned, turns into a meaningless being. Like an engineer who makes a wonderful and very useful machine that we cannot know why he made it and how we should use it in the best way. Unless he provides the necessary information for it, the machine becomes meaningless. We expect that he should provide a manual book and an instructor who teaches for what purposes it should be used and how we should use it. If he does not accompany his product with a manual book, the work of this wise engineer will turn into a futile effort; such behavior is not befitting of such a wise engineer.
The smart GPS will save us from this meaningless paradox. Such a smart GPS can only be provided by the Creator of the universe including the human beings with these needs. Nothing or nobody can teach us how existence occurs and why we exist.
The key word is to have a GPS that is “smart”. This means that this is not an ordinary GPS we are using nowadays. It does not know where one should go and which road one should take among the options. We have to tell it. We need a smart GPS that must know our purpose of life, our purpose of existence, and what is our existential destination. This smart GPS must give us the proper directions for how to live our life in preparation for our final destination. It must tell us how we can satisfy our needs. Otherwise, everything becomes meaningless. Whoever made the universe must provide the manual for it and send instructors to teach us because that is what we need. The universe doesn’t provide any of this. Whoever has given us existence must provide us with the smart GPS, the manual and the instructors along with it. This can only be provided by the creator of the universe. Nothing else can teach us how and why we exist. We just take existence for granted. In the last session we saw a few verses where the Qur’an says: We did it, the One who did it, etc. This means the One who created the universe.
Let’s examine Figure 1, showing a lost person trying to find his way because he doesn’t trust himself and needs some guide. This gives a physical example but this example can extend to our need for a smart GPS, the manual for our existential living. There cannot be anything more important than this smart GPS because without it, everything becomes meaningless.
Figure 1
Here is the SMART GPS
As the Speech of our Creator, the Qur’an says: “I am the SMART GPS for your life journey”
Let’s examine a few verses:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدْ جَآءَتْكُم مَّوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَشِفَآءٌ لِّمَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“O human beings, a teaching from your Lord has come to you, a healing for what is in [your] hearts, and guidance and mercy for the believers.” (10:57)
The verse mentions “teaching from your Lord”. This is not to be taken as “preaching” which conveys a negative connotation pertaining to the religious discourses performed by priests, imams or rabbis relating more to indoctrination. The Qur’an here is giving advice by offering the solution. We are free to accept it or not. If we can find the answer ourselves to our existential needs without the need for guidance then the Qur’an says go ahead. Every human being needs the teaching from their Creator, their Lord, the One who gives them existence and life in this universe. The One who administers our life, arranges it offers us a healing plan for what is in our senses, our feelings, and in our hearts.
All biologists know that as soon as we are born, our cells include in them the news that they are going to die. No one can stop death, no one can stop their aging process however much they try to delay it. The cell has in their very existence the names of God “يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ”, the One who gives life and the One who gives death at the same time.
All physicists know that the universe is going to die. None of these scientists can show that one thing can sustain its existence for even a slice of a moment; impossible. The One who gives something existence also gives the sign for it to die. It is important to understand that the continuing, changing universe is manifesting the names of “يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ” at every moment of existence at the same time. The guidance and mercy of the Qur’an saves one from committing suicide physically or living a life as if we were dead, meaningless struggle for a dead end. We must think about this. Why does God speak to us, why does He send revelation to us, why does He do that?
Let’s examine the next verse for the answer:
…وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا۟ تَعْلَمُونَ
“…to teach you the Book and wisdom, and [continuously] teaching you what you never knew” (2:151)
To teach us the book means the meaningful creation in the universe and the wisdom in their existence. Teaching us what we do not know if we remember our paradoxes. Things that are impossible to know from the universe. In our practical life, we are taught even the simplest of things such as boiling an egg. We are given the ability to understand when we are taught; but if we are not taught we remain ignorant. The ability to learn is different from knowing something. Only after learning through experience or teaching can we have knowledge. Everything needs to be taught to us. We don’t know why we are here. We don’t know when we will die. What we claim to know is ultimately useless, temporary for this world. We will forget all about it, leave everything behind whatever we learned of this universe. What stays is what this universe indicates to us, that we need to be taught.
The Qur’an says that it will teach us. The Qur’an directly addresses each and everyone of us telling us why we are here and what we are expected to do.
The Qur’an shows us the address of our destination
When we read the Qur’an we find out that it is providing us with the address of our destination.
- Tawhid: Connecting human beings to their Creator. Living with God-consciousness
Tawhid means that this universe must have a Creator and this Creator cannot be like the universe that He created but something else other than the universe. It can only be an Infinite Being, an Absolute Being. Absolute can be only One. There cannot be two infinites. Also infinite cannot be divided into pieces. The manifestation of infinite must be observed in each and every being where they manifest qualities that point to their Source of existence who must be an Infinite One. Every being says: I am created by the One who created the whole universe. Thus, we are connected to our Creator and we must live with that awareness. The purpose of the Qur’an is to teach us how to live with God-consciousness in this universe. This means knowing who our Lord, who our Owner, Our Creator is.
Let’s examine the verse giving the definition of Tawhid:
فَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ
“Know, then, [O human beings] that there is no deity other than God…”(47:19)
We must know that there is no deity in this universe, there is nothing with the ability to create other than God, the One who created the whole universe.
The following is a famous section describing who God is.:
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ
“Say, ‘He is God the One [Absolute Being], God the Self-Subsistent. He has never transferred any of His infinite qualities to any of His creatures and He has never inherited any of His qualities from someone else. And there is nothing that could be compared with Him’ ” (112:1-4)
The phrase “قُلْ ” means to pass this message to the people, explain it to them. “Say, He is God.” Now, who is this God? The next phrase explains who this God is, the One Absolute being. The word “أَحَدٌ ” does not mean number 1, but the Absolute Being, the Unique Being.
The next phrase says “God the Self-Subsistent”, meaning that He doesn’t need anyone but everyone and everything is in need of Him for their existence, for their satisfaction in their life.
The next phrase says “He doesn’t transfer any of His infinite qualities to anyone and He never inherited any of His qualities from someone else”. The Qur’anic language is symbolic which some translate as not giving birth to anything. The Qur’an uses all sorts of figures of speech, like metaphors, allegories, figurative speech to convey the message it wants to convey. The rendering of “He doesn’t transfer any of His qualities or inherits any of His qualities” is appropriate. He is Self-Subsistent, Self-Existing, whereas everyone else is dependent on Him for their existence.
The next phrase explains further in the simplest way to understand: “There is nothing that could be compared with Him”. He cannot be compared with anything in the universe He created. This means we cannot describe the Creator of the universe with any concept that applies to created beings and human beings.
Let’s examine the following verse along the same line which is fundamental teaching of who God is:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
“He is God: there is no deity (anything which has the quality to create) other than Him…” (59:22)
There must be a Maker, a Cause for the existence of the universe, a cause of existence of my consciousness and feelings. How can we define the source of existence who is called God? There is no deity, there is nothing which has the quality to create other than Him. This is how the Quran introduces our Creator to us. He is introduced as al-Malik (Sovereign), al-Quddus (Pure), al-Mussawir (Artist), al-Shifaa (healing and mercy), etc.