Article appeared Friday, November 25th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (205)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Is it important for products to be accompanied by instructions? For example, how do instructions on a packet of soup powder help? If there were no instructions what may happen? If instructions are not followed, whom does it harm? For example, what would happen if instead of using hot water as instructed, the soup is served simply by adding cold water? Again, without reading the instructions, would it help to speculate about how best to make the soup? Similarly, if we are created, should our Creator send us instructions? What could the purpose of instructions be? Would it help to guess or speculate on the purpose of being created? Would it help to simply be guided by our personal logic, whims or lusts? Fortunately, as pointed out by Warren (2002, p.20), in his best-selling book, Fortunately, there is an alternative to speculation about the meaning and purpose of life. It's revelation. We can turn to what God has revealed about life in his Word. The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it. The same is true for discovering your life's purpose: Ask God. {1} Revelation has therefore not left man in the dark, to guess and speculate about the purpose of life. Again, as pointed out by Warren (2002, p.20), It is our Owner's Manual, explaining why we are alive, how life works, what to avoid, and what to expect in the future. It explains what no self-help or philosophy book could know. Throughout the ages our Creator has repeatedly sent Revelation, e.g. the Torah, the Psalms, the New Testament and most recently, the Quran. Each subsequent Revelation confirms the truth of the previous Revelation as well as gives feedback on the events since the last Revelation. Let us now turn to the Quran and evaluate what it says about itself. With truth have We sent it down, and with truth has it descended (come down, part-bypart). And We have sent you (O, Muhammad) as naught else save a bearer of good tidings and as a warning (of accountability on the Day of Judgment). [17.105] To find out what are the good tidings and what is the warning let us first look at what the Quran says about who has sent Revelation. Praise be to Allah, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and has made the darkness and the light. Yet those who reject faith hold others as equal with their Guardian Lord. He it is Who created you from clay, and then decreed a pre-defined term for you. And there is with Him another term after death. Yet you doubt within yourself! He is Allah (everywhere) in the heavens and in the earth. He knows all your secrets (whatever you hide in yourself) and your utterances, and He knows what you earn (by your deeds). Never came to them a revelation of the revelations of Allah but they did turn away from it. [6.1 6.4] So not only does the sole credit belong to our Creator for making the heavens and the earth, it is He who has created both the possibilities of bad and good (darkness and light)! Being the Creator, therefore, it is He who has defined what constitutes a bad deed and what constitutes a good deed! To exercise our free-choice and do both good deeds and bad deeds each of us has been given a pre-defined time on earth. After our death we will be with Him for another term as determined by Him. In the Verses above, He defines two major sins. The first sin is assuming something other than the Creator has power over us! Everything other than the Creator is created and therefore has absolutely no power other than that granted by Him. For example,

assuming a date like Friday the 13th has evil powers, or that a new years day determines blessings for the coming year, assuming that a lucky charm has the power to bestow luck, etc. are assumptions against this principle. Assuming that religious leaders, saints, prophets, pirs, the occult, etc. have powers to grant favors goes against this principle. As another example, assuming that our Creator has a physical family, e.g. son or daughter, also assumes a being other than the Creator has power. Just as the Creator is indivisible so are His Powers. One of the most influential writers of the French Renaissance, Michel de Montaigne (1533 1592), brings out this unfortunate fallacy of creating gods. Man is certainly stark mad: he cannot make a worm, yet he will make gods by the dozen. {2} In other words, according to the Quran, as translated by Pickthall, the purpose of sending each of us to the present life on earth is: That He may ask the loyal of their loyalty (to the Creator) and that He has prepared a painful doom for the unfaithful. [33.8] Assuming that other things have the power to grant favors is being unfaithful to the Creator! The second sin mentioned [6.4] is ignoring and/or not applying the User Manual, i.e. Revelation sent down by the Creator. Unfortunately, as pointed out by this Verse is that most of us turn away, i.e. avoid or ignore Revelation. While ignoring Revelation, there is a lot of logic thrown about by philosophers, scientists, thinkers, etc., however, the relevant question is: is it possible for a created being to know why he/she was created? So, is it better to be guided by the One who has created us or is it better to rely on our own speculations? Such speculations were offered to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as they are still offered in todays world. Therefore, in the following Verse, our Creator logically asks about supporting those who speculate:

4.109 You may well argue on their behalf in the life of this world, but who is there to argue on their behalf with God on the Day of Resurrection, or who will be their advocate?
Being unfaithful goes against the purpose for which we have been created and thereby harms ones soul. However, if one understands, our Creator gives a way out:

4.110 If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful. 4.111 And if anyone earns sin he earns it against his own soul: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.
-----{Notes}: {1} Warren, R. (2002). The Purpose Driven Life: What on earth am I here for? Zondervan, Michigan 49530. {2} http://atheisme.free.fr/Quotes/Authors_6.htm