Tawheed: Monotheism
By:
Hanif Mohamed
Introduction
Tawheed,
monotheism is the belief in one god. In Islam it is the belief
in Allah, the one true god. The basis of monotheism in Islam can
be seen in the Qur’an where Allah says, “Not a messenger did We
send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him:
that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.”
(HQ21: 25). This idea is the basis of Islam. The purpose of
writing this composition is to try to show Muslims and
non-Muslims alike that there are many signs that point to
monotheism. We will show that man has an innate desire to seek
out his Lord. We will also show how nature points to monotheism
and also how science and technology has helped man to see the
oneness of Allah. It is my hope that this composition is easily
understood and will help the readers to have a better
understanding of Tawheed.
Lesson One:
Seeking Allah
Allah,
the Lord, Cherisher, Evolver of the universe who depends on no
one and with out Whom no one would exist has given man an innate
need to search for Him. Allah says in the Qur’an, “Allah the
needless” (112:2) which has also been translated as “Allah, the
eternally besought of all” by Izzudd in al-Hayak, shows the fact
that everyone searches for Allah. We all have a burning desire
to know where we come from. The primitive man with his limited
resources have from the beginning of time tried to explain how
the world came into being and what his role should be in it. Man
came into this world with everything he needs to survive; he
didn’t have to find the necessities of life they were already
provided for him. Man was never taught how to breath, and a baby
was never taught how to suck on his mother’s breast, yet we all
breath and are nourished. How did that come to be? There are all
different types of plants and animals that were here prior to
us, so we could not have created them, so where did they come
from and who created them? These are the type of questions that
were asked by our ancestors and are still being asked by us
today. Fortunately for us Allah in His Omnipotent Wisdom and
Knowledge created this inquisitive nature in us to search for
the answers to these mysteries and has given us the answers to
these perplexing questions. After a thorough examination of
cause and effect we come to know that there is a Primary Cause
that has instigated all the subsequent effects.
When we
don’t find or have an understanding of the Primary Cause we
continue to search because we find ourselves unfulfilled and
saddened. We do this because the Creator has also given us a
need to be thankful because we were only created to worship and
praise him. Indeed we have a lot to be thankful for, such as our
mental and physical faculties as well as our social relations.
In order for us to have a sense of completeness this urge to be
thankful has to be addressed and satisfied. Satisfaction only
comes from knowing your Lord and until He’s known the search
will continue.
While we
search for Allah, the Primary Cause, we find ourselves being
pulled in many directions. Once the knowledge of there being a
primary cause is realized we have to find the correct way of
following the commands of Allah “The Primary Cause”. This
process is just as difficult if not more difficult than finding
the Cause because of everyone having an idea of how we should go
about serving Allah. On an everyday basis we find Christians,
Jews, Buddhist, Muslims, atheist and others trying to propagate
their way of life. Unfortunately every road doesn’t lead to
Allah and the way that he has chosen for us. However we are also
blessed with fortune because the All Wise Creator and The
Primary Cause has given us guidance from the beginning of mans
existence as shown by the Holy Qur’an “And received Adam from
his Lord words and Allah turned to him mercifully verily, He is
the Oft-turning to mercy, the Most Merciful. Said We then, get
down ye all together and when cometh from Me unto you a
guidance, and whosoever follows My guidance on them shall be no
fear nor shall they grieve”. (2:37-38). Our learned men in their
commentary on this verse states that the guidance that’s being
referred to in this verse was created along with the creation of
Adam (peace be upon him or p.b.u.h). In this we see that man has
always been guided, the key is to be guided aright. With right
guidance we can cease searching for Allah and begin knowing
him.
Lesson
Two: The signs of Allah in our daily life
Allah
says in the Qur’an “Behold! In the creation of the heavens and
the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the
sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of
mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and
the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in
the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in
the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like
their slaves between the sky and the earth; - (Here) indeed are
Signs for a people that are wise.” (2:164). This verse
admonishes us to take notice of the natural order of life and
how Allah provides sustenance for us. By doing this we will
begin the process of getting to know our Lord. We take the time
to revere and respect man for his achievements and works. And
man’s works fall very, very short of the works of Allah. By
contemplating the signs and wonders of Allah we obtain a greater
appreciation
and knowledge for
how great our Lord is. This knowledge allows us to worship Allah
and have faith in Him. This knowledge is also essential in us
having the right concept of Allah. The wrong concept of Allah
will have us worshipping the created and not the Creator. With
an incorrect belief system we will find ourselves depressed,
frustrated and full of despair. This is the problem faced by
materialist, agnostics, scientists, and atheist because through
their disbelief they have nowhere to turn to in their time of
need. An example of that is, when an agnostic person feels that
a bad omen has come on them and they want help from the Almighty
how do they address Him, how do they seek His countenance, how
will they know what the prescribed actions are to alleviate
themselves from this bad omen. They can’t find the solution to
their problems because they don’t acknowledge “The Cause” so a
lot of them from these groups commit suicide, turn to drugs or
withdraw completely from life. This is because they have no
hope. Hope can only comes from knowing that Allah, who created
all things, has power over all things and has the ability to
change all things. When you don’t submit to Allah you can’t know
the kindness, love, and mercy that He has for his creatures.
Thus leaving us to our own limited and inadequate understanding
and depriving ourselves of the Mercy of Allah.
Islam is
by definition is the total submission to the will of Allah.
Another definition is peace. When we analyze these definitions
we can deduce that peace, real peace, can only be obtained by
submitting our will to that of Allah. That is the definition of
a Muslim. Where in the above paragraph those that didn’t
acknowledge Allah fell into peril and despair, the Muslim is
assured of the mercy of Allah. Armed with this info the Muslim
experiences lest anxiety when he deals with death, fear of the
unknown, war and every day life. The Qur’an attests to this when
it says, “It is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs
with oppression – that they are (truly) in peacefulness, for
they are on right guidance.” (6:82).
This peace
that Allah bestows upon his devotees also gives him a sense of
responsibility towards himself and the creations of Allah. This
makes the Muslim learn what his rights are and the rights that
others have on him. When a person doesn’t know that he is
accountable for all his actions he will not always do his best.
He wont cross his t’s nor dot his I’s , he wont see a job
through, he wont have compassion for his fellow man. But the
Muslim that fears his lord and knows his Lord, knows his
responsibility and lives up to them. If everyone knew their
rights and the rights of others on them there would be no
selfishness, oppression or aggression toward one another.
Allah deals with
his creation by His signs (prophets) through them He shows us
how we are to deal with life on every level. This is why we have
no excuses, our Lord has provided everything for us. And has
guided us to righteousness, and in order to be righteous we have
to hold true to the trust given to us by Allah most high. The
only way to live up to this trust is to have a sense of
responsibity, and make it strong within us and nurture it by
understanding the signs of Allah.
Lesson
Three: Two clear ways of knowing Allah
Man has been
said to posses mind, body and soul. The mind and soul are the
intellect and spiritual aspects in man. These are his tools
that deal with his internal faculties. His eyes, ears, nose,
skin and mouth deal with the external. These tools that Allah
has given to man allows us to know Him in various ways.
Allah has
separated man from his other creation by giving him the ability
to reason. With this reasoning, if man is left alone with no
external coercion he will undoubtedly come to the conclusion
that he didn’t create anything, not even himself, so there has
to be a greater force, a Creator that has created everything.
The Qur’an gives a great example of man’s inner and external
search for him through the story of Prophet Abraham (p.b.u.h).
Allah says, “ So also did We show Abraham the power and the laws
of the heavens and the earth, that he might (with understanding)
have certitude. When the night covered him over, He saw a star:
He said: "This is my Lord." But when it set, He said: "I love
not those that set." When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he
said: "This is my Lord." But when the moonset, He said: "unless
my Lord guide me, I shall surely be among those who go astray."
When he saw the sun rising in splendor, he said: "This is my
Lord; this is the greatest (of all)." But when the sunset, he
said: "O my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of giving
partners to Allah. (6:75-79). In this story we see Prophet
Abraham watching the heavens and observing the signs of Allah in
nature (the stars, moon and sun). While he is using his physical
faculties, he sees the stars, moon and sunrise and set. He when
he saw each of them rise he concluded that they must be his
Lord, but when they set his internal faculties deduced that
these things were created and that the creator of these things
must be worshipped. He must be his Lord. Hence Abraham declared
“Verily I have turned my face wholly unto Him Who originated the
heavens and the earth, being upright, and I am not of the
associators.” (6:79) From Ibrahim (as) we find where man has
found the right path through his intellect, and also by means of
his physical faculties.
Some
people never come to that realization. One group of people that
used their physical faculties, were actually deceived by the
signs of Allah when He bestowed his blessings on them like
power, riches, sons and status. Pharaoh and the people of
Pharaoh fit this description. There are many references to the
story of Pharaoh and Prophet Moses (p.b.u.h) in the Qur’an for
this purpose I will use what Allah says,” Then after them We
sent Moses with Our signs to Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they
wrongfully rejected them: So see what was the end of those who
made mischief. Moses said: "O Pharaoh! I am a messenger from the
Lord of the worlds, - One for whom it is right to say nothing
but truth about Allah. Now have I come unto you (people), from
your Lord, with a clear (Sign): So let the Children of Israel
depart along with me." (Pharaoh) said: "If indeed thou hast come
with a Sign, show it forth, - if thou tellest the truth." Then
(Moses) threw his rod, and behold! It was a serpent, plain (for
all to see)! And he drew out his hand, and behold! It was white
to all beholders! Said the Chiefs of the people of Pharaoh:
"This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed. "His plan is to get you
out of your land: then what is it ye counsel?" They said: "Keep
him and his brother in suspense (for a while); and send to the
cities men to collect- and bring up to thee all (our) sorcerers
well-versed." So there came the sorcerers to Pharaoh: They said,
"of course we shall have a (suitable) reward if we win!" He
said: "Yea, (and more), - for ye shall in that case be (raised
to posts) nearest (to my person)." They said: "O Moses! Wilt
thou throw (first), or shall we have the (first) throw?" Said
Moses: "Throw ye (first)." So when they threw, they bewitched
the eyes of the people, and struck terror into them: for they
showed a great (feat of) magic. We put it into Moses’ mind by
inspiration: "Throw (now) thy rod”: and behold! It swallows up
straight away all the falsehoods, which they fake! Thus truth
was confirmed, and all that they did was made of no effect. So
the (great ones) were vanquished there and then, and were made
to look small. But the sorcerers fell down prostrate in
adoration. Saying: "We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, - "The
Lord of Moses and Aaron." Said Pharaoh: "Believe ye in Him
before I give you permission? Surely this is a trick, which ye
have planned in the city to drive out its people: but soon shall
ye know (the consequences). "Be sure I will cut off your hands
and your feet on apposite sides, and I will cause you all to die
on the cross." They said: "For us, We are but sent back unto our
Lord: "But thou dost wreak thy vengeance on us simply because we
believed in the Signs of our Lord when they reached us! Our
Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and take our souls
unto thee as Muslims (who bow to thy will)! (HQ 7:103-126) Here
we find Allah sending Pharaoh one of his signs (Moses p.b.u.h)
with clear evidence. Pharaoh, taking himself to be god was full
of arrogance because of what Allah had given to him (power,
wealth, sons). Pharaoh’s intellect (inner faculties) was astray
because of his physical perceptions concerning the blessing
Allah gave him. Allah gave Moses (p.b.u.h) signs to warn Pharaoh
of his waywardness and to return him to the path. When Pharaoh
saw the physical power of Allah through His signs, Pharaoh
resisted and was destroyed. When Pharaoh was drowning he finally
acknowledge Allah, and said, “There is no god but the God of
Moses (p.b.u.h).” (HQ 10:90). Here we find Allah giving man the
opportunity to use his external and internal tools to
acknowledge Him by his signs, but man not recognizing his own
limitations failed to see Allah’s signs. He failed to see that
Allah is not limited and it was Allah that gave man everything
he had. May Allah keep us far away from the arrogance of
Pharaoh, and may he also remove the veils from our sight so that
we acknowledge Him internal and externally.
Allah has
designed man to call out to Him in his time of need. At that
time he realizes that he has no power. He sees his limitations
and has no choice but to call on Allah.. At this time his
faculties, internal and external, turn to the Primary Cause for
help. Unfortunately after man is delivered from his calamity
many of them fall right back into disbelief. The man that
doesn’t fall back into disbelief is that man that has used his
faculties to bring him to the light of reason. His veils are
removed and he has truly come to know his Lord.
Lesson
four: An answer to an important question
God, the
eternal, there is no god but he, he, who has no partners or
associates. He begets not nor was He begotten, and there is none
like Him. This by all accounts can be viewed as surah Ikhlas in
the Qur’an, but it is actually the concept of Umvelinqangi,
pronounced as Walla hu gani held by the South African Zulu
tribe. This was their concept of Allah before any European made
his way to their land. The Zulu’s are an ancient tribe that was
isolated from outside influences and were able to arrive at this
concept. We can say that this idea was miraculous, but Allah
says in the Qur’an “ And indeed raised We in every nation an
apostle (of Ours preaching) that “Worship ye God (only), and
shun ye (the worship of every kind of) idol,” so of them were
some whom God guided, and of them were others on whom error was
confirmed; Therefore travel ye in the earth, then see what hath
been the end of the beliers.”(16:36) Allah tells us here that
every nation had an apostle sent to them, from among their own
people. We have seen a reference from the Qur’an that when Allah
created Adam (as) guidance from Allah was present. The Zulu’s
aren’t the only ancient people that had this idea, the proof of
that comes from the above verse where Allah says “travel the
earth and see what happened to the beliers.”
There are
some that say that we get our religious beliefs from customs.
However customs vary from people to people. The belief that
there is a Higher Being can be seen in every people at every
place and time. Customs have come to overshadow the belief in
the Higher Being, but this Higher Being (Allah) gave guidance to
every people. So the custom of Allah giving guidance is actually
the most common custom. Allah testifies to this when He says
“Verily We sent thee with truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and
a warner: and there is not a people but a warner hath gone among
them.” (HQ35: 24) This shows that every people had been warned
but they didn’t heed the warning. They forgot the revelation,
changed it or disregarded it. This caused some people take
their other traditions and even nature as being their gods
(idols). Allah has given man an innate desire to know Him so
that burning turns us back to Him.
Psychologists say,
“that the human spirit or soul has four senses”: Sense of
knowledge, sense of goodness, sense of beauty, and sense of
belief. The sense of worship is rooted deep in our in our
spirits. Allah created us this way. None of these senses can be
separated from us or from each other. These senses are called
fitrat (divinely- created nature) in Islam. This nature allows
us to know that love for Allah has always existed and will
continue to exist. And faith in Allah is an eternal flame that
warms our heart and spirit. In order for us to be successful we
have to be aware of this nature and nurture it.
Lesson
five: A True story
Imam Ali
(p.b.u.h) has said, “Praise be to Allah who wore (the dress of)
honor and pride and has chosen them both for Himself giving not
to his creatures.” He the Imam continues, “And Allah, The
Exalted, has cursed those of his servants who attempt to quarrel
with Him over this quality (honor and pride)”.
From the
above we see that only Allah has the right to be proud. Al-
Mutakabbir is one of the attributes of Allah. This attribute
describes how Allah is the One that possesses all greatness, Who
is above having any of the qualities of His creatures, Who is
above being harmed by the oppressors among His creation, Whose
greatness and pride are the super-most. This shows that Allah is
the only One that deserves the attributes of greatness,
perfection, pride, and glory, all at the same time. Who is
greater than Allah? And whom does Allah submit to? The answer to
both questions is no one. Thus Allah has said, “Surely evil is
the dwelling place of those who are proud.” (HQ16: 59). We find
that, the first being to be filled with pride was the Iblis, the
shaytan, he was ordered by Allah to bow down to Adam (as) but he
was full of pride and Allah cursed him until the day of
judgment. (HQ15: 29-33). By us being filled with pride we follow
the example of shaytan, the rejected, and that leads straight to
the hell fire. What an evil abode it is.
We see that
as men we can’t do anything. Those that came before us were
punished because they tried to adorn the cloak of Allah (pride).
There are many ways for us to show pride, here are a few; we
show pride by not obeying Allah, not giving full measure, not
supplicating to Allah etc. Pride is a disease of the heart. The
cure for it is to submit to Allah, realize everything was
created by Him, thus everything belongs to Him, and that we are
only here to worship Him.
Lesson Six:
The second way of coming to know Allah
Looking at
the world we live in, we realize that this world is not in chaos
and disorder. On the contrary, we see that this world follows
specific laws and follows them without any deviation. Nothing
happens haphazardly, it happens for a reason.
The earth
is made primarily of water. Approximately 75% of the earth’s
surface is water. This no coincidence, every living thing is
made from water and is dependent on it for it’s survival.
Without this essential element the earth could not support life.
With water we grow our crops, give water to our cattle, and
hydrate ourselves. It is no wonder why Allah has given us such
an abundance of water. We get it from rain, dew, streams, and
oceans. In this we see that this world had to be planned by a
Master Planner, that knows the needs of the creatures here on
earth.
We also see
that all creatures have special qualities that allow them to
survive. The animals that live in nature have furs and hairs
that allow them to deal with cold and heat. In the winter they
grow longer and fuller coats and in the summer they shed there
winter coats so that they will be cool. This had to be planned
because of how this happens all the time without fail. This is
evidence of the laws of nature that all creation follows.
Men have
been on the face of this earth for eons and have made tremendous
strides in the field of science. Man has been a great imitator.
All of his systems are based on nature. Man makes airplanes and
the concepts of flight come directly from birds. He builds
irrigation systems to simulate rain. Man looks at these systems
occurring in nature and has to say once again that this system
didn’t happen by chance. It had to have been made by a Master
Builder.
The
probability of an uneducated man going into a computer plant to
reconfigure the programs of that system is slim to none. No
matter how long he stares at this computer he will never be able
to figure it out. There are some geniuses that are capable of
doing extraordinary things, but the complexity of a computer
system even confounds its makers. There are millions of actions
that take place while operating a computer. The computer gathers
data, displays that data, saves, deletes, and controls functions
of other computers hundreds of miles away. In this world man is
that uneducated
guy sitting there
looking at the huge computer system. Even the brilliant among us
can’t begin to imagine what it will take to run this universe.
How can a man regulate all the births that occur in plants and
animals, how can he regulate temperatures all over the world?
How can he not see that it is Allah the Master Planner, and
Master Builder, that is in control. He is The Lord, Cherisher,
Sustainer, and Evolver of all the worlds. (HQ1:2).
Here we can
see that if man were to sit back and ponder the order in nature
he will find his Lord. Allah has said “Behold! in the creation
of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and
day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,- Men who
celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying
down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation
in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! not
for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us
salvation from the penalty of the Fire. (HQ3: 190. -191) These
verses show that if man would ponder these signs in nature we
will see that The All-Mighty creator made this system and we
will be successful if we praised and worship Him. We can also
see that this system was not created for nothing, but for a
purpose. All praises belong to Allah.
Lesson
seven: Examples from creation.
With the
advancement of technology the world is as they say a “smaller
place”. We are able to see now what was revealed in the Qur’an
fourteen hundred years ago because of this newfound technology.
The more we learn about this system the more we see the oneness
of Allah. Maybe with more advancement we will be able to prove
more of the Qur’an.
The human
body is truly a work of art, Allah says ”We have created man in
the best structure”. (HQ95: 4) This ayat from the Qur’an shows
that there was a creator that created us, but in the previous
section it was said that technology helped to prove the oneness
of Allah. When we see man as an adult it is hard to imagine his
humble beginnings, what we see is the end result. A man with two
eyes to see, a nose to smell, a mouth to taste, skin to feel and
a host of systems that make the machine (man) function. Science
and technology has taught us that the most complicated thing on
earth is man. We all have different talents, shapes, colors and
languages yet we all begin the same way. In this we see that we
all breathe, eat and drink to survive. That shows we all have
the one creator. Allah says, “Was he not a drop of sperm emitted
(in lowly form)? Then did he become a leech-like clot; then did
(Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion.”
(HQ 75:37-38).
When man was fashioned, Allah gave him a respiratory, digestive,
and neurological system that is self regulated. Again these
aren’t things that man asked for but if he didn’t have them he
couldn’t survive.
Here we will
take the time to discuss one of the systems that makes man
unique from other creatures, that is mans digestive system.
Allah has given some animals the ability to only digest herbage,
while in others meats. Man can digest both herbage and meats.
Man needs nutrients from both to survive. To discuss the entire
process here will be lengthy, but in brief digestion starts with
saliva in the mouth, digestive enzymes in the stomach, and the
distribution of nutrients from the large intestine. After then
the body excretes the waste products that will harm the body.
This is present not only in man but also through out all
creation. The oneness of Allah is seen hereby technology because
only with recent technological advances has this information
become available. Allah has made these signs available to us
fourteen hundred years ago.
Lesson
eight: A world of wonder in a small bird.
In this
lesson, we want to leave aside the large country of our body,
which we have briefly touched upon and turn to a look at the
wonder of other creatures.
We look at the
sky at certain times and we see large groups of birds flying
together in well-organized groups. These are called migratory
birds and they fly thousands of miles annually to mate. These
birds mate at there places of birth. These birds have no maps,
compasses or north star system used in cars to guide them to
their destination. How are they able to navigate these great
distances without the guidance systems we have?
Science now
says, that these birds have a natural compass that guides them
over these great distances. These birds make these migrations
annually. Who taught them how to fly? Allah says,” Do they not
observe the birds above them, spreading their wings and folding
them in? None can uphold them except (Allah) Most Gracious:
Truly (Allah) Most Gracious: Truly it is He that watches over
all things.” (HQ67: 67). Who tells them when it is time to make
their migrations? Again science has said that birds have a
natural instinct that allows these birds to know when to take
flight. Allah says, "I put my trust in Allah, My Lord and your
Lord! There is not a moving creature, but He hath grasp of its
forelock. Verily, it is my Lord that is on a straight Path.”
(HQ11: 56). In the commentary of this verse Abdullah Yusef Ali
says, “this verse shows that Allah has full control over every
creature.” This shows that what science is referring to, as
nature is only Allah. More evidence can be seen of this when we
find baby birds that have been hurt and are unable to keep up
with the flock. Humans have nursed these birds to health and
when it is time to make the migration they make that migration
without any help. And they find their way back to their
birthplaces. These phenomena can only be present if a Wise
Creator were present to cause this wonderment.
Lesson nine:
Love for insects and flowers.
Generally when we think of insects and flowers we either say of
the flowers that they are beautiful or they cause allergies, and
of insects that they are nuisances. All of these statements are
true in their proper contexts.
Flowers and
plants are beautiful; they have many different colors, shapes
and scents. Along with being beautiful they provide oxygen and
can be used as a food source for us humans. In them we also find
some that have medicinal properties that helps heal people.
Flowers and plants have a very big problem that has been solved
by our Creator. The problem is that, science has found in the
plant kingdom that there are both male and female plants, Allah
also attests to this when he says” Glory to Allah, Who created
in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their
own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no
knowledge. Because plants don’t walk like animals they need help
in the area of reproduction. This is where the nuisances come
in, (the insects). We have come to find that pollen that
fertilizes the female plants get to them primarily by insects
traveling from one plant to the other.
There is no
wonder why plants and insects burst upon the scene at the same
time. They are dependant on one another for their survival.
Along with plants being beautiful some cause allergic reactions
in people. Science now tells us that if people are allergic to
say an individual flower if they eat the honey of bees that have
eaten primarily from that flower they will build up a natural
defense towards that allergy. Allah says of the bee, “And thy
Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and
in (men's) habitations; Then to eat of all the produce (of the
earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord:
there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colors,
wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those
who give thought. (HQ 16:68-69). Truly this gift from Allah is
also a mercy from Him, and a testament that he knows his
creation. He knew that some people would be allergic to flowers
and has given them the perfect natural remedy. Glory be to Allah
the Knower, the Merciful.
Lesson ten:
In the world of infinitely small things.
Allah has
said, “When Prophet Solomon (p.b.u.h) with his large army of
men, jinn, spirits and animals entered a valley where several
thousand ants were carrying on with their daily routine on the
surface of the earth, they at once decided to enter into their
holes inside the earth so that they might not be inadvertently
crushed by the hosts of Sulayman.” (HQ 27:18) Allah has also
said, “There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a
being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities
like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book, and they (all)
shall be gathered to their Lord in the end.”(HQ6: 38). From
these Qur’anic verses the ants and other living beings are said
to live in communities like us and also they have the ability to
communicate with each other. We as humans are sometimes
oblivious to these facts.
Science
shows that the ant has a lifestyle very similar to ours. Ant
society is very complicated, and organized. They have a Queen
that they all answer to, nurseries, factories, armies, silos for
grain and scouts. People have devoted many years to the study of
ant society to bring us this information. The ant if his grains
are wet brings them out to dry. If the grain begins to bud he
removes the buds, this keeps the grain soft and from taking
root. At the sign of danger the scout ant gets word back to the
mound to have the mound protected. If the scout ant finds food
he leaves a chemical trail that the other ants can follow to get
to the food and they will never get lost. There are questions
that keep recurring here, who taught the ant what it knows? The
answer is always the same, Allah.
The smallest
building block of creation recognized is the atom. Everything is
made of atoms. Some atoms are very stable on their own and
others are very unstable. Some atoms need to combine with others
to become stabilized. The periodic table gives us a list of
elements and it gives the atomic make up of all of them. Up
until recently men thought that there was nothing smaller than
the atom but science introduced us to protons and neutrons.
Science has also shown how atoms can be split. The splitting of
atoms have great benefit and great detriment.
We know how
devastating the atomic bombs were to Japan in WWII, it is well
documented the destruction it caused to that island. However
today that same technology that was used for destruction is now
used for energy. In many countries it is the chief source of
energy. In many ways the atom or the splitting of the atom can
be seen in the same light as iron. That may seem strange, but
Allah says, “We sent aforetime our messengers with Clear Signs
and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and
Wrong), that men may stand forth in justice; and We sent down
Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many
benefits for mankind, that Allah may test who it is that will
help, Unseen, Him and His messengers: For Allah is Full of
Strength, Exalted in Might (and able to enforce His Will).” (HQ
57: 25). From this verse Allah lets us know that in iron we can
get destruction or benefits. We also see in the smallest of
things the atom we can either have destruction or benefit.
Allah, there is no god, but he knew what man could do with
possessing atomic knowledge. He knew the power of it because we
see it manifested everyday in the sun and stars that he created.
Nothing was created for naught, Allah is not blind nature he is
the Knower.
Appendix to
lesson ten: How splendid are Allah’s Qualities!
Know that
to the same extent that realizing the existence of Allah through
studying the secrets of the created world is easy, learning of
His Qualities is difficult and requires a great deal of care and
caution.
This is
because Allah can never be compared to anything. Allah in his
infinite wisdom assures that when he says, “He begetteth not,
nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.” (HQ112:
3-4). Ayatollah Pooya in his commentary on this verse states,
“Anthropomorphism, the tendency to conceive God in the terms
known to man, creeps in at all times and among all peoples.
Nothing or no being can be separated from the infinite Supreme
Being nor was there anything or being from which He was
separated. So neither He begets nor was He begotten. Therefore
there cannot be any being like to Him.” So in a nutshell
anything we imagine to be Allah is not Allah. So how do we know
our Maker? We know him by his qualities.
Allah has
Qualities both negative and positive and they’re both infinite.
Infinite Qualities of any imagined perfection and negation of
all imagined imperfections he doesn’t have.
The most well
known Qualities of Allah are:
- Allah is
the “Knower”(‘Alim): He knows all things.
- Allah is
Powerful (Qadir): He has ability over all things.
- Allah is
the Living because something which is living has wisdom,
power and because Allah is Wise and Powerful, thus he is
Living
- Allah is
the Willer (Mur’id) that is He has a Will power and he
is not obliged in His work and whatever He does, has a
goal and wisdom and even the smallest thing in the
universe does not lack a philosophy and a goal.
- Allah is
Perceiving (Mudrek), that is, He understands and
perceives all things; He sees everything; He hears all
things and He is aware of all things.
- Allah is
Primordial and Eternal (Qadim and Azali), that is, He
always was and His existence has no beginning because He
always boils from His inner Essence and because of this,
He is primordial and eternal because a person whose
being is from he himself has no non-existence or
annihilation.
- Allah is
the Speaker (Mutakalim), that is, He can create waves in
the atmosphere and speak to His Prophet, not that Allah
has a tongue or lips or a larynx.
- Allah is
Truthful (Sadiq), that is, whatever He says is the Truth
and is equivalent to reality because lying comes from
ignorance or from weakness and a lack of power and it
is impossible for Allah Who is Knowing and Powerful, to
lie
- He is not
a composite. That is, He does not have mixed elements
because in this case, He would be in need of other
elements, whereas, He is in need of nothing.
- Allah is
not a body because every body is limited, unstable and
accepts annihilation.
- Allah is
not visible. That is, He cannot be seen because if He
could be seen, He would be a body, limited and accepting
annihilation.
- Allah has
no place because He is not a body to require a place.
- Allah has
no partner because if He had a partner, He would have to
be a limited creature because two non-limited, from
every point of view, is not possible and in addition,
the unity of law of this world shows His Oneness.
- His
Qualities are exactly like His Essence.
- Allah is
Needless and Self –sufficient. He is rich and containing
everything because an endless being from the point of
view of knowledge, power and all things had no
deficiencies.
Allah
says again, “There is nothing like unto Him.”
Tawheed
or monotheism has been the subject of this composition. It
has been shown how everyone searches for his Creator. It has
been shown how the Creator manifests himself to his
creatures. It has shown how those who don’t acknowledge the
Creator behave in adversity as opposed to those who do.
Nature was shown to bear witness to the Creator and the
Oneness of that Creator. Science and technology have been
used and Qualities defined to express Allah’s Unity. The
best proof or proclamation of Allah’s unity is from his
book, where he says,” Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of
the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allah." Say: "Do
ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such
as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?"
Say: "Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths
of darkness equal with light?" Or do they assign to Allah
partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so
that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: "Allah is the
Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and
Irresistible."