Who is God? God explains in His Final Book that it is quite
simply impossible for us to completely understand Him. We cannot pinpoint a
definition of the Creator,
Our inability to completely understand God does not mean that
He is completely remote from us. In spite of our limited understanding, we are
all quite capable of turning to God, and He is not unaware of our efforts,
God has not left mankind entirely in the dark regarding His
Nature. He refers to Himself by approximately 100 names in various places
throughout the Final Book. Each name is a descriptive attribute of God, and they
are all meant to help us understand the Creator. To gain this understanding
involves simply thinking about God and reflecting on His names, and this type of
awareness is a central pillar of faith (i.e. when one actively remembers God and
is conscious of Him). A second benefit of these names is that some of them
provide mankind with ideals to try to attain. For example, since God is the Most
Forgiving, Most Patient, and Most Knowledgeable, we should each strive to be
forgiving, patient, and knowledgeable (educated in our case).
Of all His attributes, God emphasizes a single one above all
others in His Final Book: that HE IS ONE. God is not two, three, four, or more
beings. There is only one deity, and He is God,
In other places of the Final Book, God emphasizes His
Greatness and the impossibility of fully grasping Him by using the plural sense
of pronouns for Himself - but He is strictly One and Unique with no other
partners or deities.
After this aspect of Unity, God chose to emphasize two of His
other names more often than the rest in the Final Book: "the Most Merciful,
the One who acts Mercifully." In fact, each chapter but one in the whole
Book starts with, "In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the One who Acts
Mercifully." These two names cannot be emphasized enough. They are meant to
stress we should not let our sins keep us from coming back to God and calling to
Him at all times, in joy or sadness. The Creator is more aware of our
imperfections than we are, and so when we stumble and feel bad, God is far more
likely to be kind than angry.
The Last Messenger and Prophet of God (i.e. the person whom
God chose to deliver the Final Book to the rest of mankind) commented on God's
mercy by informing us that,
"When God decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by
writing in His book which is laid down with Him: `My mercy prevails over my
wrath.'" - the Last Messenger
"God says: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with Him
when He makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make
mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make
mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me a
hand's span, I draw near to him an arm's length; and if he draws near to Me an
arm's length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes to Me
walking, I go to him with speed." - the Last Messenger
2. The Nature of Man
Who are we, and what makes us different from all other
things? We are creations of God, along with the rest of the universe. We are
human beings, all descendants of a common ancestry well known to most of us:
Adam and Eve. Humanity, however, is distinct from the rest of the universe in a
very fundamental way according to the Final Book,
"Verily, We did offer the trust to the heavens
and the earth, and the mountains: but they refused to bear it because they
were afraid of it. Yet man took it up - for verily he has always been prone to
be most wicked, most foolish." [33:72]
Over the years, many scholars of the Book have tried to
understand exactly what God meant by "the trust". The most convincing
argument (based on other parts of the Book, and on certain statements of the
Last Messenger) is that it refers to our ability to make decisions both freely
and intelligently. In other words, our uniqueness as human beings stems from two
gifts given to us by God:
* our ability to freely choose between actions (good and
evil)
* our ability to intelligently weigh and make those choices
The price of these gifts is a tremendous amount of
responsibility on our part; the responsibility not to abuse our gifts by
rejecting God or by hurting each other unnecessarily.
The blessings of these two gifts are immeasurable, especially
when God reminds us that He could have decided things otherwise by depriving us
of either gift,
"Now had it been Our will [that men should not
be able to discern between right and wrong], We could surely have deprived
them of their sight, so that they would stray forever from the [right] way:
for how could they have had insight [into what is true]? And had it been Our
will [that they should not be free to choose between right and wrong], We
could surely have transformed them [rooted] in their places, so that they
would not be able to move forward, and could not turn back." [36:66-67]
However, God did NOT will this, and as a result we are
blessed with will and reason. The Final Book clearly warns against abusing these
blessings, either by neglecting ourselves when we don't think wisely, or by
hurting others when we deny them the right to choose,
"Verily, the vilest of all creatures in the
sight of God are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use their reason."
[8:22]
"There shall be no coercion in matters of faith. Distinct
has now become the right way from error: hence he who rejects evil and
believes in God has indeed taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall
never give way: for God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing." [2:256]
In spite of mankind's free will and reason, God warns us in
His Book always to remember that these gifts are limited after all. The Final
Word lies with Him in all matters. However, this is not to say that men's
destinies are arbitrary - not at all. We are able to make decisions that affect
our lives, but at the same time, God is also making decisions about us and for
us,
"And had thy Sustainer so willed, all those who
live on earth would surely have attained to faith, all of them: do you then
think that you could compel people to believe, notwithstanding that no human
being can ever attain to faith otherwise than by God's leave, and [that] it is
He who lays the loathsome evil [of disbelief] upon those who will not use
their reason." [10:99-100]
"...Verily, God does not change men's condition unless they
change their inner selves..." [13:11]
3. Free Will and Reason Applied
Has God given mankind a clear path to Him? In essence, every
rational reader would like to know if they can trust the authenticity of the
Final Book. It is perfectly natural to feel that way; after all, this is the
outcome of our God-given gift of reason. However, our own skeptical minds are
the keys here: the Final Book, according to God, is addressed to people who
think, pure and simple,
"...In this, behold, there are messages indeed
for people who think." [39:42]
"Thus clearly do We spell out these messages unto people
who use their reason." [30:28]
No one but God can make a human being believe in the Truth of
the Final Book, but that human being has to read it with an open mind, applying
his or her powers of reason. The price of limited free will is that we must
choose to be guided. Those people who do search for the Truth with an open mind
and heart may find that the Final Book, while vast, is surprisingly clear,
"Nay, but this [divine writ] consists of
messages self-evident in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge -
and none could knowingly reject Our messages unless it be such as would do
wrong [to themselves]." [29:49]
"This divine writ - let there be no doubt about it - is a
guidance for all the God-conscious..." [2:2]
The guidance of the Final Book is available to anyone who
goes in search of it,
"[O men!] We have now bestowed upon you from on
high a divine writ containing all that you ought to bear in mind: will you
not, then, use your reason?" [21:10]
One of the most interesting aspects of the authenticity of
the Final Book is the quantity of scientifically accurate statements in it - on
subjects not even dreamed of 1300 years ago. A sample of these includes the
following:
-
a large explosion marking the start of creation (Big Bang)
[21:30]
-
the initial smokey (nebulous) nature of the skies [41:11]
-
the expansion of the universe [51:41]
-
the presence of a huge amount of time before mankind
appeared [76:1]
-
the existence of sun and moon orbits [21;33]
-
the finite sun and moon lifetimes [13:2]
-
the final destination of the sun (Solar Apex) [36:38]
-
the origin of all life based in water [21:30]
In fact, God states that the amazing beauty and intricacy of
the natural world around us, as well as our own complex biological makeup, will
ultimately lead us to Him as we grow in understanding,
"In time, We shall make them fully understand
Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the
universe] and within themselves, so that it will become clear unto them this
[revelation] is indeed the truth. Is it not enough that thy Sustainer is
witness unto everything?" [41:53]
4. The Presence of Evil
Why does God allow men and women to be hurt? There are some
people who use the presence of suffering and evil in this world as grounds to
lose hope and perhaps even to reject God. However, according to the Final Book,
the limited free will and reason of human beings destroys that argument. We are
responsible for what we do, and must bear the consequences - that is the
liability or price of freedom. The evil that we do and suffer from is chosen by
us and not by God,
"...God wills no wrong to His creation."
[3:108]
However, God also guarantees us that aside from our own evil
actions and their effects, God Himself will put us through some trials and
tribulations here on earth - but the key is they will never be more than we can
handle, and they may even be good for us,
"If misfortune touches you [know that] similar
misfortune has touched [other] people as well; for it is by turns that We
apportion unto men such days [of fortune and misfortune]: and [this] to the
end that God might mark out those who have attained to faith, and choose from
among you such as [with their lives] bear witness to the truth - since God
does not love evildoers - and that God might render pure of all dross those
who have attained to faith, and bring to nought those who deny the truth. Do
you think that you could enter Paradise unless God takes cognizance of your
having striven hard [in His cause], and takes cognizance of your being patient
in adversity?" [3:140-142]
"God does not burden any human being with more than he is
well able to bear: in his favour shall be whatever good he does, and against
him whatever evil he does..." [2:286]
An integral part of our being aware of God is hope and
patience in times of hardship. In fact, the loss of hope is actually one of the
symptoms of rejection of God,
"[Prophet Abraham] exclaimed, `And who - other
than those who have utterly lost their way - could ever abandon the hope of
his Sustainer's grace?'" [15:56]
The greatest source of hope is that God shall allow those
people who accept Him to enter Paradise and, more importantly, to be close to
Him. The Final Book contains many references on Paradise, and also on Hell, the
destination of those people who knowingly reject God. Paradise is quite
literally a place of indescribable joy, whereas Hell is its indescribable
opposite (both places are given only partial descriptions in the Book). While
the inhabitants of Paradise are permanent dwellers, the inmates of Hell are not
necessarily imprisoned there forever; there are some who shall ultimately be
freed,
"[But] verily, as for those who attain to faith
and do righteous deeds - the gardens of Paradise will be there to welcome
them; therein will they abide, [and] never will they desire any change
therefrom." [18:107-108]
"And whoever rebels against God and His Apostle and
transgresses His bounds, him will He commit unto fire, therein to abide; and
shameful suffering awaits him." [4:14]
"There shall come out of Hell-fire he who
has said `There is no deity except God' and who has in his heart goodness
weighing a barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said
`There is no deity except God' and who has in his heart goodness weighing a
grain of wheat; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said `There
is no deity except God' and who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom." -
the Last Messenger
5. This Life and the Next
What is the end to men's lives? There are two parts to men's
lives: the part here on earth, and the part in the Hereafter. The dividing line
between the two is known as death, followed by the Day of Judgement or
Resurrection. As far as death is concerned, everyone must go through it, but on
Judgement Day people will be sorted out from each other into different
categories,
"Every human being is bound to taste death: but
only on the Day of Resurrection will you be requited in full [for what you
have done]..." [3:185]
Resurrection Day will actually be a huge period of time (not
a regular 24-hour day) in which every single human will be resurrected and
judged by God on his or her beliefs and deeds. No human being - not even any
Prophet - knows when this Day will come, for this is knowledge known only to
God. The Final Book does describe it in several passages as a giant disaster on
many scales (physical and ecological among others), and the Last Messenger was
told of some of its foreshadowing signs which he communicated to us.
6. Messengers and Prophets
Who delivered God's Message to mankind? God has sent us many
`reminders' of Him and of our obligations to Him over the centuries, culminating
in the Final Book almost 1400 years ago. Every one of those `reminders' was
delivered to us via a selected human being, one who was strong enough to deliver
God's message to his people. These human beings are called the Prophets. They
were not supernatural or immortal or different in any way from other human
beings except that they were entrusted by God to speak in His Name,
"For [even] before thy time, [O Prophet], we
never sent [as Our messengers] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired - hence
[tell the deniers of the truth] `If you do not know this, ask the followers of
earlier revelation' - and neither did We endow them with bodies that ate no
food, nor were they immortal." [21:7-8]
Some of the Prophets were allowed to perform supernatural
miracles but only with God's permission (i.e. if He willed it). However, the
Final Book stresses that every Prophet is no more than a servant of God - they
do not have a share in His Divinity.
There is also a small group of Prophets who were also
Messengers. Every Prophet has called his people to the Truth, but Messengers
were additionally given a rejuvenated Message from God to convey. Every
Messenger is a Prophet, but not every Prophet is a Messenger. There have been
many Prophets, of which here are the names of a few mentioned in the Book: Adam,
Noah, Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Elijah, Elias,
David, Solomon, Jonah, Job, Zacharias, John, Jesus, and, of course, the Last
Messenger.
7. Eternal Salvation
Are certain people arbitrarily guaranteed the Favor of God,
while others are excluded? The Mercy of God is not restricted arbitrarily to any
one peoples. Everyone and anyone is free to accept the path to God using their
own free will and reason,
"And they claim, `None shall ever enter
Paradise unless he be a Jew' - or `a Christian'. Such are their wishful
beliefs! Say [to them, O Prophet]: `Produce an evidence for what you are
claiming, if what you say is true!' Yea, indeed: everyone who surrenders his
whole being unto God, and is a doer of good, shall have his reward with his
Sustainer, and all such need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve."
[2:111-112]
The consequence of this is responsibility - everyone will be
held accountable on the Day of Judgement. Some of us may be uncomfortable with
this, but it is simply the price of freedom,
"It may not accord with your wishful thinking -
nor with the wishful thinking of the followers of earlier revelation - [that]
he who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall find none to protect him
from God, and none to bring him succor, whereas anyone - be it man or woman -
who does good deeds and is a believer, shall enter paradise, and shall not be
wronged by as much as [would fill] the groove of a date-stone." [4:123-124]
8. Forgiveness of God
If we sin, what should we expect from God? If we subsequently
feel guilty and repent after doing something evil, God wants us to expect Him to
be forgiving, forgiving, and more forgiving. However, there is one sin which God
will not forgive: worshipping anything besides Him (unless the person realizes
his or her error and returns to worshipping the One God),
"Verily God does not forgive the ascribing of
divinity to anything beside Him, although He forgives any lesser sin to
whomever He wills: for he who ascribes divinity to anything beside God has
indeed contrived an awesome sin." [4:48]
"Say, `O you servants of Mine who have transgressed against
your own selves! Despair not of God's Mercy: behold, God forgives all sins -
for verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.'" [39:53]
Again, the most common phrase in the Final Book is "In
the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the One who Acts Mercifully."
The Last Messenger commented on God's forgiveness on many
occasions as in the following case,
"God has said, `O son of Adam, so long as you call upon
Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not
mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and were
you then to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were
you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to
face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as
great as it [i.e. the earth]'". - the Last Messenger
9. The Straight Way
What is the name for the way of life described in the Final
Book? It is Islam, and it means "self-surrender [to God]". Any
man or woman who accepts Islam is a Muslim. The Final Book is
called the Qur'an (meaning "the Recitation"), and it is
addressed to all of mankind in spite of being revealed in Arabic, the language
of its Messenger and his people: Muhammad bin Abd-Allah. The
life of the Prophet serves as the other base of Islam (the first being the
Qur'an), and it is known as the Sunnah. Muhammad is the Last
Prophet and Messenger of God as the Qur'an says,
"[And know, O believers, that] Muhammad is not
the father of any one of your men, but is God's Apostle and the Seal of all
the Prophets..." [33:40]
And God has revealed to us His proper name, and it is
ALLAH.
The Qur'an contains a great deal of guidance and information
for anyone looking for final answers. The information given in this small essay
is only the tip of the tip of the iceberg. There is no substitute for reading
the Qur'an itself in its entirety - it is the closest we can come to having God
speak to us directly and personally here on Earth. The Qur'an answers many
questions which are commonly asked by today's men and women. Its scope is wide:
from fundamental issues such as the nature of the Creator and mankind's limited
free will and reason, to the more mundane such as marriage laws and whom to give
charity to. Islam as described in the Qur'an is vastly and almost completely
different than Islam as understood by most non-Muslims and even a few Muslims.
The negative image of Islam today is an incredibly misleading deception. It is
based on the moral weakness of some people who claim to be Muslims, and also on
the unawareness of non-Muslims. Behind this image is the presence of a Truth
which answers the fundamental questions we have, and which can reunite us with
God. It is there for us to listen to, or to ignore.
And Allah Knows Best.
"And [know that] We have not created the
heavens and the earth and all that is between them in mere idle play..."
[21:16]
"Will they not, then, try to understand this Qur'an? Had it
issued from any but God, they would surely have found in it many an inner
contradiction!" [4:82]
"We did not bestow the Qur'an on thee from on high to make
thee unhappy." [20:2]
"[O men!] We have now bestowed upon you from on high a
divine writ containing all that you ought to bear in mind: will you not, then,
use your reason?" [21:10]
"...so remember Me, and I shall remember you; and be
grateful to Me, and deny Me not." [2:152]
"Verily, those who attain to faith and do righteous deeds
will the Most Gracious endow with love." [19:96]
"Say [O Prophet]: `If you love God, follow me, [and] God
will love you and forgive you your sins; for God is much-forgiving, a
dispenser of grace.'" [3:31]
"Say: `If all the sea were ink for my Sustainer's words,
the sea would indeed be exhausted ere my Sustainer's words are exhausted! And
[thus it would be] if we were to add to it sea upon sea.'" [18:109]
http://www.al-sunnah.com/books/ForPeopleWhoThink.htm
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