EVERYTHING IS PART OF YOUR DESTINY

EVERYTHING IS PART OF YOUR DESTINY

We have created all things according to a fixed decree. (Surat al-Qamar: 49)

As is stated in the verse above, Allah the Almighty ordained everything. For Allah, Who needs only to command "Be" and it is, has not only ordained the fate of people, but also of all beings. Those who truly believe in this absolute truth unconditionally submit to the destiny Allah has ordained for them with His infinite wisdom. Either willingly or unwillingly, everything is under Allah's control and is subject to Him.

However, people hold many errant opinions about fate. These opinions, mainly inspired by various deviant outlooks, are voiced without giving much thought to them. Moreover, they ignore that this is something that displeases Allah. They do not avoid using common catch phrases, lyrics or poems that imply a rejection of destiny. Evidencing this flawed understanding, nonsense phrases such as "to overcome destiny" or "to change destiny" come about. People who believe such notions consider their expectations and aspirations as "destiny," and, in their failure to realize that these are mere expectations, they assume that destiny has failed to proceed as ordained and thus been altered. Such irrational reasoning is typical of those who fail to have a true grasp of destiny.

Destiny is Allah's creation and infinite knowledge of all events, either past or future. Allah creates time and space from nothing, keeps them under His control, and is not Himself bound by them. Moment by moment, every detail of everything that occurs, or has or will occur, are predetermined in the sight of Allah.

We created man and We know what his own self whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Qur'an, 50:16)

Allah creates time and thus is not bound by it. Therefore, He does not merely watch what is happening and wait to see their consequences. In His sight, the beginning and conclusion of every event, and its respective position on the timeline of eternity, is known. Everything is determined and comprised in destiny. Therefore, man lacks the power to make any changes to it. Conversely, destiny is a decisive efficient factor over man. Every moment of his life is bound within it. A person cannot even step out of the boundaries of fate, let alone change it. This is similar to the case of an actor, who slips outside of a video-cassette, acquiring a separate existence to make deletions or additions to the scenes of the film in which he is an actor. This is certainly an illogical and impossible situation to expect.

Evidently, phrases such as "overcoming destiny " or "changing the course of destiny" are but fallacies. A person who says he has changed his destiny is actually uttering something he was destined to say.

For example, there may not be a ray of hope that a patient be restored to health. But, his unexpected recovery would neither mean that he overcame his fate, nor that it had been changed by his doctors. It just reveals that the time determined for him was not yet due. Like everything, this is, too, determined in the sight of Allah and a part of destiny:

... And no living thing lives long or has its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for Allah. (Surah Fatir: 11)

No self can die except with Allah's permission, at a predetermined time... (Surah Al 'Imran: 145)

We created you so why do you not confirm the truth? Have you thought about the sperm that you ejaculate? Is it you who create it or are We the Creator? (Qur'an, 56:57-59)

Being bound by time and space, it is unlikely for us to have a full grasp of fate because Allah creates us and our destinies, and He is unbounded by anything. Whatever happens to you, believe that Allah is entirely unbounded by time and space.

There is yet another fact you need to keep in mind: Allah plans all events in a way to benefit the religion and believers. This being the case, a person of faith always shows deference to the events he encounters. Forgetting or ignoring the fact that Allah ordains all situations in life is the greatest harm one can ever do to oneself; bringing nothing but deep distress. In any case, whether one acknowledges this fact or not, it does not change what is predestined for him; ultimately the course of all affairs is predetermined by fate:

Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen. That is something easy for Allah. (Surat al-Hadid: 22)

As is also evident from this verse, whatever happens to someone is definitely predestined, and whether one believes in it or not does not alter this fact. All affairs taking place on the face of this earth, including the birth and death of every person, occurs by Allah's Will at just the predetermined time-not a moment before or later.

It is He Who created you from clay and then decreed a fixed term, and another fixed term is specified with Him... (Surat al-An'am: 2)

Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen... (Qur'an, 57:22)

Since nothing happens either on earth or within people's souls without Allah's Will, always putting one's trust in Allah is a disposition that Allah demands from His servants. Also, this is what man is inherently inclined to:

Say: "Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust." (Surat at-Tawba: 51)

As Allah states in the verse "... We test you with both good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned to Us." (Surat al-Anbiya': 35), He puts believers to test in a number of ways. To this end, besides things that they deem good, other things that seem harmful to believers happen to them. Since everything is created by Allah's Will, they always yield the best results:

... Know that Allah knows what is in your selves, so beware of Him! And know that Allah is Ever-Forgiving, All-Forbearing. (Qur'an, 2:235)

... It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

Those who have faith in Allah and follow His path always enjoy the security and peace of mind of being submissive to destiny. Nothing frightens or distresses a person who submits himself to his destiny. Allah will grant His believing servants a good life both in this world and beyond, and keep them under His protection as long as they seek His pleasure. However, Allah may not always reveal the good of something that happens in this world. Yet, it remains that which may be seemingly adverse may lead a believer attain a better reward in the hereafter. A believer who is seriously ill, for instance, does not feel grief for what he experiences. On the contrary, he sees his disease as a way to get nearer to his Lord. The most important thing to remember is that Allah plans all events to protect His true servants and to enable them to earn Paradise.

My Protector is Allah Who sent down the Book. He takes care of the true believers. (Surat al-A'raf: 196)

Those who never forget that there is a divine purpose in whatever happens to them feel the nearness of Allah's company in every step they take. Wherever they are, or whatever they are doing, they never forget that Allah knows it all very well.

Therefore, never forget that everything, past and future, in all its detail, is recorded in Allah's sight, that nothing happens to man except for what Allah wills, that Allah is knowledgeable about our actions wherever we are or whatever we are doing, and that we are all bound within the destiny ordained for us.

THE INFORMATION BEHIND MATTER AND LAWH MAHFUZ

THE INFORMATION BEHIND MATTER AND LAWH MAHFUZ

Information… This concept today means a lot more than it did even a half century ago. Scientists are developing theories to define information. Social scientists speak of "the information age." Information is becoming a very important concept for humanity.

The discovery of information in the origin of both the universe and life itself is what makes this concept so important in the modern world. Scientists today are realizing that the universe is formed by "matter, energy and information," and this is replacing the materialistic philosophy of the nineteenth century which defined the universe as being made up entirely of "matter and energy."

So, what does this all mean?

Let's explain through an example, that of DNA. All living cells function according to the genetic information in the double helix structure of DNA. Our bodies are also formed by trillions of cells each with its own DNA, and all the functions of our bodies are registered in this giant molecule. Our cells use protein codes inscribed in the DNA to produce new proteins. The information that our DNA possesses is so large that if you wanted to write it down, it would fill up 900 volumes of encyclopedias, cover-to-cover!

Certainly there is no hidden thing in either heaven or earth which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 27:75)

And truly, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high in dignity, and full of wisdom. (Qur'an, 43:4)

So what is DNA made up of? Fifty years ago, scientists would have replied that DNA is formed by nucleic acids called nucleotides and the chemical bonds holding these nucleotides together. In other words, they used to list only the material elements of the DNA. But today, scientists have a different answer: DNA is composed of atoms, molecules, chemical bonds and, most importantly, information.

It's just like a book. We would be quite mistaken to say that a book is only made up of paper, ink and binding for, alongside these materials, it is the information that truly makes it a book. It is information which separates a volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica from a book formed by randomly arranged letters like ABICLDIXXGGSDLL. Both have paper, ink and binding, but one has information while the other does not. The source of information is the author of that book, a mind with consciousness. Therefore we can't deny that the information in DNA was placed there by an intelligent being.

The Information Dead End Of Evolutionary Theory And Materialism

The discovery of this fact has sent materialist philosophy and Darwinism, its application to the natural sciences, into a dead end, because materialist philosophy claims that all living things are formed by matter alone and that genetic information appeared somehow by "chance." This is like saying that a book could be formed from a random assemblage of paper and ink.

Materialism subscribes to the theory of "reductionism," which claims that information can ultimately be reduced to matter. For this reason, materialists say that there's no need to look for any source of information besides matter. But this assertion has been proven to be in error, and even materialists have started to owe up to this truth.

One of the leading defenders of the theory of evolution, George C. Williams, pointed in a 1995 essay to the mistake of materialism (reductionism), that is, assuming everything to consist of materials:

Evolutionary biologists have failed to realize that they work with two more or less incommensurable domains: that of information and that of matter… These two domains will never be brought together in any kind of the sense usually implied by the term "reductionism." … The gene is a package of information, not an object... In biology, when you're talking about things like genes and genotypes and gene pools, you're talking about information, not physical objective reality... This dearth of shared descriptors makes matter and information two separate domains of existence, which have to be discussed separately, in their own terms.1

Those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will never come." Say: "Yes, by my Lord, it certainly will come!" He is the Knower of the Unseen, Whom not even the weight of the smallest particle eludes, either in the heavens or in the earth; nor is there anything smaller or larger than that which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 34:3)

Stephen C. Meyer, a philosopher of science from the Cambridge University and who is critical of the theory of evolution as well as materialism, says in an interview:

One thing I do in classes to get this idea across the students is that I hold up two computer disks. One is loaded with software, the other one is blank. And I ask, "What is the difference in mass between these two computer disks as a result of the difference in the information content that they possess"? And of course the answer is zero, none, there is no difference as a result of the information. That is because information is a massless quantity. Information is not a material entity.

Then how can any materialistic explanation explain its origin? How can any material cause explain its origin?... This creates a fundamental challenge to the materialistic evolutionary scenarios.

In the 19^th century, we thought that there were two fundamental entities of science: Matter and energy. At the beginning of the 21st century, we now recognize that there is a third fundamental entity, and it is information. It is not reducible to matter; it is not reducible to energy.2

All theories put forward in the twentieth century to reduce information to matter-like the random origin of life, self-organization of matter, the biological theory of evolution that has tried to explain species' genetic information through the mechanism of mutation and natural selection- have failed. Professor Phillip Johnson, a leading critic of Darwinism, wrote:

The real duality at every level of biology is the duality of matter and information. The philosophers of mind-science fail to understand the true nature of information because they assume that it is produced by a material (i.e. Darwinian) process and hence is not something fundamentally different from matter. But this is merely a prejudice that would be swept away by unbiased thinking.3

As Johnson states, "information is not matter, although it is imprinted on matter. It comes from elsewhere, from an intelligence...." Dr. Werner Gitt, a director and professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology, expressed much the same thought:

A coding system always entails a nonmaterial intellectual process. A physical matter cannot produce an information code. All experiences show that every piece of creative information represents some mental effort and can be traced to a personal idea-giver who exercised his own free will, and who is endowed with an intelligent mind.... There is no known law of nature, no known process and no known sequence of events which can cause information to originate by itself in matter...4

As we discussed above, a book is formed by paper, ink and the information it includes. The source of this information is the mind of the author.

And there is one more important point: This mind comes prior to the material elements and it decides how to use them. A book first appears in the mind of the person who will write that book. The author makes logical connections and comes up with sentences. Later, in the second stage, he gives these ideas a material form. By using a typewriter or computer, he turns the information contained within his mind into letters. Later these letters go to a printing house and they make up a book.

So here, we can reach the following conclusion: "If matter includes information, then that material has been pre-organized by a mind possessing that information. First there was a mind, and then the owner of that mind turned that information into matter and thus created a design."

The Mind That Existed Before Matter

[Luqman told his son]: "My son, even if something weighs as little as a mustard-seed and is inside a rock or anywhere else in the heavens or earth, God will bring it out. God is All-Pervading, All-Aware." (Qur'an, 31:16)

Therefore, the source of the information in nature cannot be the matter itself, as the materialists claim. The source of information is not matter, but rather a supra-material Mind. This Mind existed before matter. The Mind created, shaped and organized the entire material universe.

Biology isn't the only branch of science leading us to this conclusion. Twentieth century astronomy and physics also demonstrated the existence of an astonishing harmony and design, pointing to the existence of a Mind that existed before the universe and created it.

Israeli scientist Gerald Schroeder, who studied physics and biology in universities like the Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT), and the author of the book The Science of God, makes some important remarks on this subject. In his new book entitled The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth, he explains the conclusion reached by molecular biology and quantum physics as follows:

A single consciousness, a universal wisdom, pervades the universe. The discoveries of science, those that search the quantum nature of subatomic matter, have moved us to the brink of a startling realization: all existence is the expression of this wisdom. In the laboratories we experience it as information that first physically articulated as energy and then condensed into the form of matter. Every particle, every being, from atom to human, appears to represent a level of information, of wisdom.5

According to Schroeder, the scientific results of our age lead science and theology to meet at a common truth. This is the truth of Creation. Science is now re-discovering this truth that divine religions have actually taught to humanity for millennia.

Lawh Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet)

So far, we have looked at science's conclusions about the universe and the origin of living things. The conclusion is that the entire universe and life itself were created using a blueprint of magnificent information that existed before.

Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book. (Qur'an, 13:39)

This conclusion reached by modern science is strikingly in agreement with a secret that was laid out in the Qur'an some 14 centuries ago. In the Qur'an, a book sent to people as a guide, God announced that the Lawh Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet) existed before the creation of the universe and that it furthermore explained all creation and events in the universe.

The Lawh Mahfuz was "guarded" (mahfuz) so the things written there were not changed or spoiled. In the Qur'an, this is called "Ommu al-Kitabi" (The Mother of the Book), "Kitabun Hafeethun" (All-Preserving Book), "Kitabin Maknoonin" (Well-Protected Book) or just the book. It is also called Kitabin min Qabli (The Book of Decrees) since it also tells of the events that humanity will face.

In many verses, God tells about the characteristics of the Lawh Mahfuz. First of all, there is nothing missing from this book:

The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 6: 59)

One verse says that all life in the world is recorded in the Lawh Mahfuz:

There is no creature crawling on the earth or flying creature, flying on its wings, who are not communities just like yourselves-We have not omitted anything from the Book-then they will be gathered to their Lord. (Qur'an, 6: 38)

In another verse, it is stated that "on earth and in the heavens," in the entire universe, all creatures and things, including the smallest speck, are known by God and recorded in the Lawh Mahfuz:

You do not engage in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an or do any action without Our witnessing you while you are occupied with it. Not even the smallest speck eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 10: 61)

It is indeed a Glorious Qur'an preserved on a Tablet. (Qur'an, 85:21)

All information concerning humanity is in the Lawh Mahfuz, and this includes the genetic code of all people and their destinies:

Nonetheless they are amazed that a warner should have come to them from among themselves and those who disbelieve say, "What an extraordinary thing! When we are dead and turned to dust . . . ? That would be a most unlikely return!" We know exactly how the earth eats them away. We possess an all-preserving Book. (Qur'an, 50: 2-4)

The following verse states that God's words in the Lawh Mahfuz are endless, and this is explained through an example:

If all the trees on earth were pens and all the sea, with seven more seas besides, was ink God's words still would not run dry. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Qur'an, 31: 27)

Conclusion

The facts that we explored in this article prove yet again that the findings of modern science confirm what religion teaches to people. The materialist dogmatism that has been imposed on science is in fact rejected by science itself.

The conclusions of modern science about information serve to objectively demonstrate who is right in a dispute that has been raging for thousands of years. This dispute has been waged between materialist thought and religion. Materialist thought claims that matter is without beginning and that nothing existed before matter. Religion, on the other hand, states that God existed before matter, and that matter is created and ruled by God's endless knowledge.

The fact that this truth, which has been taught by divine religions-like Judaism, Christianity and Islam-since the dawn of history, has been proved by the findings of science, is an indication of the impending post-atheist age. Humanity is getting closer to realizing that God truly exists and He is the "All-Knowing." Just as reminded to people in the following verse of the HolyQur'an:

Do you not know that God knows everything in heaven and earth? That is in a Book. That is easy for God. (Qur'an, 22: 70)

1. George C. Williams, The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution, (ed. John Brockman). New York, Simon & Schuster, 1995, pp. 42-43
2. Stephen Meyer, "Why Can't Biological Information Originate Through a Materialistic Process", Unlocking the Mystery of Life, DVD, Produced by Illustra Media, 2002
3. Phillip Johnson, The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism, Intervarsity Press, Illinois, 2000, p. 123
4. Werner Gitt, In the Beginning Was Information, CLV, Bielefeld, Germany, pp. 107, 141
5. Gerald Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, Touchstone, New York, 2001, p. xi

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -II-

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -II-

They are like Satan when he says to a human being, "Disbelieve," and then when he becomes disbeliever, says, "I wash my hands of you. Truly I fear Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." (Qur'an, 59:16)

Satan will employ different methods for different people, and will target people's weaknesses in order to lead them astray. Throughout history, Satan has approached each person with a different tactic. He ensures that a person who is already distant from religion distances himself still further by making the life of this world seem alluring to him. He makes him forget about the Day of Judgment, and thus, manages to keep him far from the true religion all through his life.

All the while, he does not neglect to approach the believers. In order to hinder believers from worshipping Allah sincerely, he strives to stop them from engaging in deeds done to earn Allah's consent. He endeavours to weaken their values. Disguising the true nature of their evil, he tempts believers into succumbing to arrogance, selfishness, forgetfulness, carelessness, conceit, and irascibility.

In order to distract them, Satan encourages people to make long-term plans with which to keep their minds busy. He strives to prevent them from keeping their minds occupied with the remembrance of Allah. For this purpose, he makes people immerse themselves in everyday problems, or inspires them with excuses to justify their negligence in remembering Allah.

Believers who are submissive to Allah, who remember Him night and day, who are aware that everything takes place under His control, and who sincerely turn towards the Lord, are less susceptible to the influence of Satan. As the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also said, "When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, (Allah's) mercy envelops them, and tranquillity descends upon them.'' Satan especially strives to make people neglect remembrance of Allah. Indeed, he has a particular influence over those who do not fear Allah:

Satan has gained mastery over them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Such people are the party of Satan. No indeed! It is the party of Satan who are the losers. (Surat al-Mujadala: 19)

Disbelievers are the people who have taken Satan as their friend and adopted his system. With such a mindset, adherence to Satan and the hatred and hostility they feel for one another become unavoidable. However, Satan also strives to stir up hatred among believers. In doing so, he aims to weaken the believers' will and deter them from obeying Allah. Allah has warned His servants against this danger and showed them the ways to avoid it:

Say to My servants that they should only say the best. Satan wants to stir up trouble between them. Satan is an outright enemy to man. (Surat al-Isra': 53)

Contrary to the common perception, Satan is not a being that appears now and then. He follows you wherever you go, or in whatever you do. He is resolved to this struggle so long as you live.

A person who forgets the existence of Satan is apt to misidentify his temptations. Therefore, he may be easily deceived into believing that these temptations are his own thoughts. He may simply fail to grasp that this cunning inner voice is the voice of Satan. However, true believers are granted with the wisdom and insight to distinguish the voice of Satan from that of their conscience. Allah has informed them how to protect themselves from the whispers and provocations of Satan:

If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who perform their duty, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly. (Surat al-A'raf: 200-201)

If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who guard against evil, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly. (Qur'an, 7:200-201)

One of the most effective methods which Satan frequently resorts to in order to lead people astray is to make them "forget." Satan's main strategy, therefore, is to make people forget about their responsibilities to Allah. He strives to hinder good deeds by making us forget that Allah encompasses us from all around, that we are subject to fate, and that we will die and have to give an account of our actions in Allah's presence.

Satan does not want people to be thankful to Allah. That is why he tries to make them forget that everything around us is a favour from Allah. By making the life of this world seem alluring, and making them forget the existence of the hereafter, he strives to deceive people. He endeavours to make people forget that there is an absolute good in everything that happens, and especially in unexpected events. The reality of fate and the need of putting one's trust in Allah are other key factors he tries to make people forget.

In the Qur'an, Allah draws our attention several times to the fact that with his inculcations, Satan can affect a human's mind and thus make him to forget:

When you see people engrossed in mockery of Our Signs, turn from them until they start to talk of other things. And if Satan should ever cause you to forget, once you remember, do not stay sitting with the wrongdoers. (Surat al-An'am: 68)

"... No one made me forget to remember it except Satan. It found its way into the sea in an amazing way." (Surat al-Kahf: 63)

... but Satan made him forget to remind his lord, and so he stayed in prison for several years. (Surah Yusuf: 42)

Despite all these acts of Satan, he is a being entirely under Allah's control and he has no power over true servants of Allah. After all, Allah created Satan and, willingly or not, he is subject to Him. He can perform his acts only with His permission. Unless Allah wills, he is incapable of doing any of them. No matter what Satan does, he can mislead only deniers. On the other hand, his actions against those with faith only help to reinforce their commitment:

… so that He can make what Satan insinuates a trial for those with sickness in their hearts and for those whose hearts are hard-the wrongdoers are entrenched in hostility-and so that those who have been given knowledge will know it is the truth from their Lord and have faith in it and their hearts will be humbled to Him. Allah guides those who have faith to a straight path. (Surat al-Hajj: 53-54)

Allah has revealed to us that Satan actually has no power. It is only the disbelievers that he can capture under this influence. This is made clear in the Qur'an:

Iblis was correct in his assessment of them and they followed him, except for a group of the believers. He had no authority over them except to enable Us to know those who believe in the hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. Your Lord is the Preserver of all things. (Surah Saba': 20-21)

On the other hand, believers do not lend an ear to the temptations of Satan but immediately take refuge in Allah, as they are commanded in the Qur'an:

If an evil urge from Satan eggs you on, seek refuge in Allah... (Surah Fussilat: 36)

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -I-

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -I-

Did I not make a contract with you, tribe of Adam, not to worship Satan, who truly is an outright enemy to you, but to worship Me? That is a straight path. He has led numerous people among you into error. Why did you not use your intellect? (Surah Ya Sin: 60-62)

You have an enemy whose only aim is to keep you far from Allah, His religion and the Qur'an. He does not relent from his plot even for a moment; lying in ambush, he awaits the opportunity to fulfil his task. He is able to see you from where you cannot see him and tries thousands of methods to entrap you. One of his characteristics is that he is stealthy. His methods, tactics and tricks may vary from one person to next. The tactics he employs may also depend on the time, place and conditions. This enemy of ours is Satan, the being who was driven from the sight of Allah.

Contrary to what the majority of people think, Satan is not an imaginary being. As a part of the test in this world, one needs to be always watchful against Satan. Because, revolting against Allah, Satan swore to lead His servants astray. Allah relates the rebellious behaviours of the devil in the Qur'an as follows:

We created you and then formed you and then We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam," and they prostrated-except for Iblis. He was not among those who prostrated. He (Allah) said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you to?" He (Satan) replied, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay." He (Allah) said, "Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it. So get out! You are one of the abased." He (Satan) said, "Grant me a reprieve until the day they are raised up." He (Allah) said, "You are one of the reprieved." He (Satan) said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for them on Your straight path. Then I will come at them, from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful." He (Allah) said, "Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them who follow you, I will fill up Hell with every one of you." (Surat al-A'raf: 11-18)

Satan is your enemy so treat him as an enemy. He summons his party so they will be among the people of the Searing Blaze. (Qur'an, 35:6)

As is made clear in the above verses, Satan is the most avowed enemy of mankind. This being will also try to mislead you by arousing in you sinful desires. However, an important point should be noted here; as is stated in the verses above, the major goal of Satan is to make you, along with the rest of mankind, follow him. The accursed Satan will not relent until you enter Hell.

There is yet an even more important fact to remember: Satan does not possess any power independent of Allah. Allah created him, and he is completely under His control. He is a servant of Allah, and can only act with His permission. He is charged with the task of helping to distinguish those who truly believe from those who do not. He can only act under Allah's Will. When the time granted to him expires, he will be thrown into Hell together with those he had led astray:

(Allah said): I will fill up Hell with you and every one of them who follows you. (Surah Sâd: 85)

Therefore, Satan does not actually have any power over believers. As Allah stresses in the following verse, he has power only over those who do not truly and sincerely believe:

He (Satan) said, "My Lord, because You misled me, I will make things on the earth seem good to them and I will mislead them all, every one of them, except Your servants among them who are sincere." (Surat al-Hijr: 39-40)

Satan cannot lead a man, whom Allah created as a believer, to go astray from the right path. Of course, believers are always prone to make mistakes. However, they never despai r of Allah's mercy, but immediately take refuge in Him and repent with sincerity. Allah informs us in the Qur'an of those over whom Satan can exert his power:

He has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. He only has authority over those who take him as a friend and associate others with Allah. (Surat an-Nahl: 99-100)

It is written of him [i.e., Satan] that if anyone takes him as a friend, he will mislead him and guide him to the punishment of the Searing Blaze. (Qur'an, 22:4)

Satan wishes to lead you to become insolent, arrogant and disobedient to Allah, just as he himself is. He commands you to do evil, to perform acts that are not pleasing to Allah and to say of Allah that about which you have no knowledge. He tries to hinder you from assessing Allah's true grandeur and might. Allah draws attention to this danger in the Qur'an as follows:

Mankind! Eat what is good and lawful on the earth. And do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He truly is an outright enemy to you. He only commands you to do evil and indecent acts and to say about Allah what you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 168-169)

His main endeavour is to fill mankind with constant fear of poverty, a goal which he is able to accomplish once he has made them forget about the hereafter. Unaware that everything is under Allah's control, and that no one can prevent any good if Allah wills it, these people live completely irresponsibly, leading them to commit all sorts of offences against Allah:

Satan threatens you with poverty and enjoins you to be niggardly, and Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 268)

Satan's primary tactic is deviousness. Indeed, Allah describes this stealth "... the insidious whisperer who whispers (evil) in people's breasts." (Surat an-Nas: 4-5) As the verse makes clear, Satan, who approaches people deceptively, busies people with idle and trivial matters and makes their wrongdoings seem fair to them:

If only they had humbled themselves when Our violent force came upon them! However, their hearts were hard and Satan made what they were doing seem attractive to them. (Surat al-An'am: 43)

More importantly, these people, whose hearts are hardened and who assume themselves to be on the right path, though in fact they are misled, lead themselves still further from Allah's revelations. Forsaking Allah, they hold Satan dear, follow his path, and thus, grow even more insolent.

DEEP THINKING

DEEP THINKING

Have you ever thought about the fact that you did not exist before you were conceived and then born into the world and that you have come into existence from mere nothingness?

Have you ever thought about how the flowers you see in your living room everyday come out of pitch black, muddy soil with fragrant smells and are as colourful as they are?

Have you ever thought about how mosquitoes, which irritatingly fly around you, move their wings so fast that we are unable to see them?

Have you ever thought about how the peels of fruits such as bananas, watermelons, melons and oranges serve as wrappings of high quality, and how the fruits are packed in these wrappings so that they maintain their taste and fragrance?

Have you ever thought about the possibility that while you are asleep a sudden earthquake could raze your home, your office, and your city to the ground and that in a few seconds you could lose everything of the world you possess?

Have you ever thought of how your life passes away very quickly, and that you will grow old and become weak, and slowly lose your beauty, health and strength?

It is He Who stretched out the earth and placed firmly embedded mountains and rivers in it and made two types of every kind of fruit. He covers over day with night. There are Signs in that for people who reflect. (Qur'an, 13:3)

Have you ever thought about how one day you will find the angels of death Allah appointed before you and that you will then leave this world?

Well, have you ever thought about why people are so attached to a world from which they will soon depart when what they basically need is to strive for the hereafter?

Man is a being whom Allah furnishes with the faculty of thought. Yet, most people do not use this very important faculty as they should. In fact, some people almost never think.

In truth, each person possesses a capacity for thought of which even he himself is unaware. Once man begins to use this capacity, facts he has not been able to realise until that very moment begin to be uncovered for him. The deeper he goes in reflection, the more his capacity to think improves, and this is possible for everyone. One just has to realise that one needs to reflect and then to strive hard.

Someone who does not think will remain totally distant from truths and lead his life in self-deception and error. As a result, he will not grasp the purpose of the creation of the world, and the reason for his existence on the earth. Yet, Allah has created everything with a purpose. This fact is stated in the Qur'an as follows:

We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them as a game. We did not create them except with truth but most of them do not know it. (Surat ad-Dukhan: 38-39)

Did you suppose that We created you for amusement and that you would not return to Us? (Surat al-Muminun: 115)

Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire. (Qur'an, 3:191)

Therefore, each person needs to ponder the purpose of creation, first as it concerns him himself, and then as it pertains to everything he sees in the universe and every event he experiences throughout his life. Someone who does not think, will understand the facts only after he dies, when he gives account before Allah, but then it will be too late. Allah says in the Qur'an that on the day of account, everybody will think and see the truth:

That day Hell is produced, that day man will remember; but how will the remembrance help him?

He will say, "Oh! If only I had prepared in advance for this life of mine!" (Surat al-Fajr: 23-24)

The truth can be told to a person in many different ways; it can be shown by the use of details, pieces of evidence and by every means. Yet, if this person does not think over this truth on his own, sincerely and honestly with the purpose of comprehending the truth, all these efforts are useless. For this reason, when the messengers of Allah communicated the message to their people, they told them the truth clearly and then summoned them to think.

While Allah has given us a chance in the life of this world to reflect and derive conclusions from our reflections, to see the truth will bring us great gain in our life in the hereafter. For this reason, Allah has summoned all people, through His prophets and books, to reflect on their creation and on the creation of the universe:

Have they not reflected within themselves? Allah did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them except with truth and for a fixed term. Yet many people reject the meeting with their Lord. (Surat ar-Rum: 8)

A man who reflects grasps the secrets of Allah's creation, the truth of the life of this world, the existence of hell and paradise, and the inner truth of matters. He gets a deeper understanding of the importance of being a person with whom Allah is pleased, and so he lives religion as is its due, recognises Allah's attributes in everything he sees, and begins to think not according to what the majority of people demand but as Allah commands. As a result, he takes pleasure from beauty much more than others do, and does not suffer distress from baseless misapprehensions and worldly greed.

These are only a few of the beautiful things a person who thinks will gain in the world. The gain in the hereafter of someone who always finds the truth by thinking, is the love, approval, mercy and the paradise of our Lord, which are above everything else.

ALLAH (SWT) ENCOMPASSES ALL THINGS IN HIS KNOWLEDGE

ALLAH (SWT) ENCOMPASSES ALL THINGS IN HIS KNOWLEDGE

Allah (swt) created the order of the universe in superb detail to allow man to grasp His greatness. A verse referring to this order reads, "... so that you might know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in His knowledge." (Sura at-Talaq: 12). Faced with the sublimity of the details of this order, man becomes in awe, recognizing that Allah's wisdom, knowledge and might is infinite.

So expansive is Allah's knowledge that what for us is "infinite" is in His sight already ended. Every event that has taken place since the creation of time, until deep into eternity, was predetermined and ended in Allah's sight. (See Timelessness and The Reality of Fate, by Harun Yahya) This is related in the Qur'an as follows:

We have created all things in due measure. Our command is only one word, like the blinking of an eye. We destroyed those of your kind in the past. But is there any rememberer there? Everything they did is in the Books. Everything is recorded, big or small. (Sura al-Qamar: 49-53)

Man must seek to appreciate the extent of Allah's knowledge, and reflect to comprehend His greatness.

Billions of people have appeared on earth since time immemorial. Therefore, Allah (swt) created billions of pairs of eyes, billions of different fingerprints, billions of different eye tissues, billions of different types of humans... If He so willed, He could also create billions more. As stated in the Qur'an, "... He adds to creation in any way He wills. Allah has power over all things." (Sura Fatir: 1)

Allah (swt) also possesses the power to create many other things beyond our limited imagination. The entire extent of the treasures Allah (swt) has bestowed in this world for His servants is all within His sight. He sends down to us only that which He wills, all within a measure predetermined:

There is nothing that does not have its stores with Us and We only send it down in a known measure. (Sura al-Hijr: 21)

This matter, manifested everywhere in Allah's superb creation, holds true for both that which we know as well as that which we do not. To this, Allah (swt) draws attention in the verse, "... and He creates other things you do not know." (Sura an-Nahl: 8), He creates many other things of which we are entirely unaware.

Allah (swt) has created many worlds and beings which we cannot see. To better understand the possibility of the existence of other worlds, we should consider the following: a picture is two dimensional-width and length. The world in which we live, however, is 3 dimensional-width, length and depth-(time can be considered as the 4th dimension). The rest is beyond our comprehension. However, in the sight of Allah (swt), there are other dimensions. Angels, for instance, are beings that live in another dimension. According to the Qur'an, angels can see and hear us from the dimension and space in which they exist. Furthermore, the two angels, seated on our either shoulder, each, and at every moment, is recording every word we speak and every deed we do. Yet, we do not see them. Jinn are also beings of another dimension, as we are informed by the Qur'an. They, like us human beings, are also tested, all through their lives, and Allah (swt) will ultimately bring them before judgement. However, they are possessed of completely different attributes than humans; their existence is dependent upon an entirely different system of cause and effect.

These are all facts that deserve careful consideration in order to attain a better grasp of Allah's splendid creation. It is within Allah's power to create innumerable new worlds, beings and situations. Furthermore, each is He able to create with a limitless degree of differentiation. Indeed, in a nature unknown to us, Allah (swt) will create Paradise and Hell. While systems left to their own in this world tend to age, become corrupted, and eventually expire, in Paradise, unaffected by the passage of time, nothing will deteriorate; "rivers of milk whose taste will never change" is an example to elucidate this feature of Paradise. The human body too will not degenerate; nor will anything ever age. According to the Qur'an, everyone in Paradise will be of like age, will live together for all eternity, in the best condition, and without growing older or losing their beauty. Allah (swt) also informs us in the Qur'an that in it will be bursting springs for us from which to drink. Hell, on the other hand, will be utterly different; in it, Allah (swt) will create unimaginable torment. No one will be able to conceive the pain of such torment until he experiences it.

Say: Allah is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants. (Qur'an, 17:96)

On everything in this world, Allah (swt) has placed a limit. Everything has a finite existence. This being the case, in order to comprehend "eternity," and Allah's infinite might, we need to exercise our minds and compare these ideas with something that is familiar. We can only come to know to the extent that Allah (swt) permits us. Allah (swt), however, is infinite in knowledge. Let us consider the following example, Allah (swt) has created 7 basic colours. It is impossible for us to visualize another colour. (The case is similar to describing the colour red to someone who is blind by birth; no description would be adequate.) However, Allah (swt) is able to create more than these basic colours. Although, unless He so wills, we will never be able to have a grasp that which is beyond what He has willed for us to know.

All that we have just mentioned belongs to that knowledge that Allah (swt) has allotted us in this world. But, one point deserves particular attention; because Allah's power and might is infinite, anything can happen, and at any time, by His will. Allah's Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) also referred to the eternal power of Allah (swt) when he said, "The seven heavens and the seven earths are no more in Allah's Hand than a mustard seed in the hand of one of you." Allah (swt) explains the infiniteness of His knowledge in the Qur'an as follows:

If all the trees on earth were pens and all the sea, with seven more seas besides, was ink Allah's words still would not run dry. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Sura Luqman: 27)

In brief, no matter how hard we strive to do so, we cannot possibly come to grasp the extent of Allah's knowledge, because it is unlimited. We can comprehend it only as far as Allah (swt) permits us to do so:

Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not subject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Sura al-Baqara: 255)

 

ALLAH'S INSPIRATION TO EVERY MAN: CONSCIENCE

ALLAH'S INSPIRATION TO EVERY MAN: CONSCIENCE

Conscience is a spiritual quality that bids man good attitude and thought, and helps him think straight and tell right from wrong.

One of the important aspects of conscience is that it is common to all people. In other words, what feels right to the conscience of a man also feels right to the conscience of all others provided that the same conditions prevail. The conscience of one man never falls out with that of another. The reason lies in the source of conscience: it is the inspiration of Allah. Through the conscience, Allah lets us know the best and the most beautiful behaviour and manners which it will please Him for us to adopt.

That conscience is an inspiration from Allah is mentioned in the Qur'an, in Surat ash-Shams:

And the self and what proportioned it and inspired it with depravity or taqwa, he who purifies it has succeeded, he who covers it up has failed. (Surat ash-Shams: 7-10)

The seven heavens and the earth and everyone in them glorify Him. There is nothing which does not glorify Him with praise but you do not understand their glorification. He is All-Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving. (Qur'an, 17: 44)

In the above verses, Allah declares that He has inspired the self with depravity (to act in a sinful manner, to disobey, to deviate, to lie, to turn away from righteousness, to stir up trouble, to decline in good manners). The opposite is taqwa (awe or fear of Allah which inspires a person to be on guard against wrong action and eager for actions which please Him). It is this very conscience that makes man guard against evil deeds and find the right way.

One of the most important aspects of conscience is that it helps man to find what is right of his own accord. Conscience will surely show man what is right, even if nobody else will. So, what matters for man is to take recourse to his own conscience, listen to what it says, and act upon it. For this reason, we can say that conscience is the main component of religion.

Anyone who does evil or wrongs himself and then asks Allah's forgiveness will find Allah Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 4:110)

Above all, there is one point that must be borne in mind; every man, from the moment of gaining consciousness, is responsible for what Allah inspires him with and what his conscience tells him. From the moment he starts to conceive the events around him and becomes able to judge for himself, he is expected to possess and be able to exercise the ability to hear and distinguish the voice of his conscience, and to have the will to follow it. From this point forward, he will be questioned about the actions he takes in the course of his life. If he follows his conscience, he will be rewarded with an eternal life in Allah's heaven, but if he follows his self, he will meet an eternal sealed vault of fire.

Death is not distant from any one of us. It is perhaps even closer than we think. That Allah did not create the life of this world for a vain purpose and that death is not an end is an undeniable fact. We all have to organise our life according to this great truth, because after death, we will be judged according to the life we lived, and we will either be welcomed in paradise, or thrown into hell. Even if one is not convinced by the truth of this, can he really afford to risk so much and not work for his life in the hereafter? The only solution is to obey the commands of Allah by listening to the conscience. If someone does not follow his conscience or use it fully, when he meets the angels of death, he will be plunged into an agony of remorse and hopelessness, which he will suffer for eternity.

Whatever we do, our conscience will not leave us until we die. Conscience is a power that works totally out of our will. It is Allah's voice. We will all continue to hear this voice until we die, but those who do not follow this voice will taste the intense regret of it after they die. Accordingly, in the Qur'an, many examples are given from the conversations in the hereafter in which those in hell confess what they failed to do in life. Therefore, in truth, everyone knows what he must and must not do and evading the conscience does no good.

'What caused you to enter into Hell Fire?' They will say, 'We were not among those who prayed, and we did not feed the poor. We plunged with those who plunged, and denied the Day of Judgement, until the Certain came to us.' The intercession of the interceders will not help them. What is the matter with them that they run from the Reminder like panicked donkeys fleeing from a lion? In fact each one of them wants to be given an unfurled scroll. No indeed! The truth is they do not fear the hereafter. No indeed! It is truly a reminder to which anyone who wills may pay heed. (Surat al-Muddaththir: 42-55)

If man does not want to make the above speech, he must listen to his conscience, follow the Qur'an, follow the Messenger (saas) and follow the rightly-guided people. He must never turn his back on the truth once it has been shown to him, and try to turn off the voice of righteousness within him.

LOVE OF GOD AND FEAR OF GOD

LOVE OF GOD AND FEAR OF GOD

Allah is He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and earth belongs. He gives life and causes to die. You have no protector or helper besides Allah. (Qur'an, 9:116)

... Take provision; but the best provision is fear of Allah. So have fear of Me, people of intelligence! (Qur'an, 2:197)

God says, "Do not take two gods. He is only One God. So dread Me alone." (Sura an-Nahl: 51)

Fear of God is one of the essential attributes of a believer. Because, it is fear of God that draws a person nearer to God, makes him attain a deeper faith, enables him to conduct himself responsibly towards God every moment of his life, and nurtures his dedication to values of the Qur'an. The fact that the good morals God expects from His servants come with the fear of God is reaffirmed by the Prophet Muhammad (saas) in these words:

Fear God wherever you are; if you follow an evil deed with a good one you will obliterate it; and deal with people with a good disposition. (At-Tirmidhi)

Failure to understand the real meaning of fear of God causes some to confuse it with other kinds of mundane fears. However, fear of God differs greatly from all other type of fear.

The Arabic word used in the original text of the Qur'an (khashyat) expresses overwhelming respect. On the other hand, the Arabic word used in the Qur'an to refer to worldly fears (hawf) expresses a simple kind of fear, as in the fear one feels when faces with a wild animal.

A consideration of the attributes of God leads to a better understanding of these two kinds of fear, both expressed by different words in Arabic.

Worldly fears are usually caused by a potential threat. For example, one may fear being murdered. However, God is the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful and the Most Just. Therefore, fear of God implies showing respect to Him, the All-Compassionate, the Most Merciful and the Most Just, and avoiding exceeding His limits, rebelling Him and being of those who deserve His punishment.

Your friend is only Allah and His Messenger and those who believe... (Qur'an, 5:55)

The consequences that a fear of God has on people make this difference apparent. Faced with a deadly danger, a person panics; seized with hopelessness and desperation, he fails to exercise his reason and discover a solution. Fear of God, however, actuates wisdom and adherence to one's conscience. Through fear of God, a person is motivated to avoid that which is evil, corruptive, and likely to cause either physical or mental harm to him. Fear of God fosters wisdom and insight. In a verse of the Qur'an, God informs us that it is through fear of God that wisdom and understanding is acquired:

You who believe! If you have fear of God, He will give you a criterion (by which to judge between right and wrong) and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. God's favour is indeed immense. (Sura al-Anfal: 29)

Worldly fears cause man anxiety. Fear of God, however, not only gives rise to increased spiritual strength, but also to peace of mind.

It is through fear of God that man avoids those evil actions displeasing God. A verse of the Qur'an states, "... God does not love anyone vain or boastful." (Sura an-Nisa': 36). A God-fearing person strives diligently to abstain from boasting, and to engage rather in actions to earn God's love. For that reason, fear of God and love of God are mutually exclusive.

Fear of God, in fact, removes the obstacles to drawing nearer to God and earning His love. Foremost of these obstacles is one's lower self. From the Qur'an, we learn that there are two aspects of the soul; the one inspiring evil and mischief, and the other, guarding against every inclination to evil.

... The self and what proportioned it and inspired it with depravity and a fear of God, he who purifies it has succeeded, he who covers it up has failed. (Sura ash-Shams: 7-10)

Struggling against this evil, and not giving in it, requires spiritual strength. This strength derives from fear of God. A God-fearing person is not enslaved by the selfishness of his soul. The awe he feels for God draws him away from thoughts and deeds unworthy of His pleasure. A verse of the Qur'an informs us that only those who fear God will take heed of the warnings imparted to them:

You can only warn those who act on the Reminder and fear the All-Merciful in the Unseen. Give them the good news of forgiveness and a generous reward. (Sura Ya Sin: 11)

Man's striving must be to feel a more profound fear of God. To effect this noble sentiment, he must reflect upon God's creation and recognize the supreme artistry and power represented in its every detail. His thinking must enable him to attain a better grasp of His grandeur and add to his awe. Indeed, God commands us:

You who believe! Have fear of God with the fear due to Him and do not die except as Muslims. (Sura Al 'Imran: 102)

So have fear of God, as much as you are able to, and listen and obey and spend for your own benefit. It is the people who are safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Sura at-Taghabun: 16)

The more a believer fears God, the more loving he becomes. He better acknowledges the beauty of God's creation. He acquires the ability to recognize the multitude of people, nature, animals, and in everything around him, as reflections of God's sublime attributes. Consequently, he comes to feel a deeper love for such blessings, as well as for God, their Creator.

A person who grasps this secret also knows what love of God is. He loves God, over and above anything else, and understands that all beings are the work of His creation. he loves them in accordance with God's pleasure. He loves believers who are submissive to Him, but feels aversion for those who are rebellious towards Him.

The true love that makes man happy, brings him joy and peace, is love of God. Other forms of love, felt for beings other than God, are, in the words of the Qur'an, love peculiar to idolaters, and consistently leads to anguish, sorrow, melancholy and anxiety. The idolaters' love and the love believers feel for God are compared in a verse as follows:

Some people set up equals to God, loving them as they should love God. But those who believe have greater love for God... (Sura al-Baqara: 165)

ALLAH HAS POWER OVER EVERYTHING

ALLAH HAS POWER OVER EVERYTHING

Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Qur'an, 2:115)

Allah (swt), the Creator of everything, is the sole possessor of all beings. It is Allah (swt) Who heaps up the heavy clouds, heats and brightens the earth, varies the direction of the winds, holds birds suspended up in the sky, splits the seed, makes a man's heart beat, ordains photosynthesis in plants, and keeps planets in their separate orbits. People generally surmise that such phenomena occur according to "the laws of physics," "gravity," "aerodynamics," or other physical factors; however, there is one point these people ignore: Allah (swt) created all such physical laws were created. In fact, the only possessor of power in the universe is Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) rules all the systems in the universe, regardless of whether we are aware of them, or if we are asleep, sitting, walking. Each of the myriad of processes in the universe, all essential to our existence, is under Allah's control. Even our ability to just take a small step forward depends on countless minutely predetermined details, including earth's force of gravity, the structure of the human skeleton, the nervous system and muscular system, the brain, the heart, and even the rotation speed of the earth.

What is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Allah. Allah encompasses all things. (Qur'an, 4:126)

Attributing the existence of the world and of the entire universe to sheer coincidence is complete delusion. The exquisite order of the earth and the universe completely contradicts the possibility of formation through coincidence, and is, rather, a clear sign of Allah's infinite might. For instance, the earth's orbit around the sun deviates only 2.8 mm in every 29 kms from the right path. If this deviation were 0.3 mm longer or shorter, then living beings all over the earth would either freeze or be scorched. While it is virtually impossible for even a marble to revolve in the same orbit without any deviation, the earth accomplishes such a course despite its gigantic mass. As stated in the Qur'an, "... Allah has appointed a measure for all things..." (Sura at-Talaq: 3). In effect, the splendid order in the universe is maintained as a result of fantastic systems that depend on highly delicate equilibriums.

Many hold the perverted belief that Allah (swt) "created everything and then left them on their own." However, any event, taking place in any area of the universe, occurs solely by Allah's Will, and under His control. The Qur'an states the following:

Do you not know that Allah knows everything in heaven and earth? That is in a Book. That is easy for Allah. (Sura al-Hajj: 70)

It is very important to grasp this fact for someone who strives to get near to Allah (swt). The Prophet Muhammad's (saas) below prayer is a very good example:

O Allah: All the Praises are for You: You are the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth. All the Praises are for You; You are the Maintainer of the Heaven and the Earth and whatever is in them. All the Praises are for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth. Your Word is the Truth, and Your Promise is the Truth, and the Meeting with You is the Truth, and Paradise is the Truth, and the (Hell) Fire is the Truth, and the Hour is the Truth. O Allah! I surrender myself to You, and I believe in You and I depend upon You, and I repent to You and with You (Your evidences) I stand against my opponents, and to you I leave the judgment (for those who refuse my message). O Allah! Forgive me my sins that I did in the past or will do in the future, and also the sins I did in secret or in public. You are my only Allah (Whom I worship) and there is no other Allah for me (i.e. I worship none but You). (Al-Bukhari)

Everything in the heavens and everything in the earth belongs to Allah. All matters return to Allah. (Qur'an, 3:109)

Elaborate processes taking place in the bodies of living things are impressive examples that help us to grasp Allah's might. For instance, at every moment, your kidneys filter your blood and extricate those harmful molecules to be excreted from the body. This screening and elimination process, which can be carried out by a single kidney cell, can only be accomplished by a giant haemodialyser (artificial kidney). A haemodialyser was consciously designed by scientists. A kidney, however, does not sense, or have a decision-making centre, nor the faculty of thought. In other words, an unconscious kidney cell can accomplish tasks that otherwise demand an elaborate thinking process.

It is possible to encounter millions of such examples in living beings. Molecules, composed of unconscious matter, perform tasks so remarkable they would otherwise suggest consciousness. The consciousness apparent in these cases though is, of course, of Allah's infinite wisdom and knowledge. It is Allah (swt) Who designed the kidney cells, as well as the molecules discussed, and Who orders them to accomplish their respective tasks. In the Qur'an, Allah (swt) informs us that He constantly sends down "commands" to the beings He created:

It is Allah Who created the seven heavens and of the earth the same number, the Command descending down through all of them, so that you might know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things in His knowledge. (Sura at-Talaq: 12)

Fully aware of this fact, The Prophet (saas) used to say in the morning: "O Allah, by Thee we come to the morning, by Thee we come to the evening, by Thee are we resurrected." In the evening he would say: "O Allah, by Thee we come to the evening, by Thee we die, and to Thee are we resurrected." (Abu Dawud)

Clearly, Allah (swt), Who created everything in the universe, is surely able to bring the dead to life. Of this fact, Allah (swt) states the following:

Do they not see that Allah-He Who created the heavens and the earth and was not wearied by creating them-has the power to bring the dead to life? Yes indeed! He has power over all things. (Sura al-Ahqaf: 33)

THE ONLY GUIDE IS THE QUR'AN

THE ONLY GUIDE IS THE QUR'AN

Alif Lam Ra. This is a Book We have sent down to you so that you can bring mankind from the darkness to the light, by the permission of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. (Surah Ibrahim: 1)

Allah sent down the Qur'an for people to reflect upon, so that they can know that He is the only God, to learn how to worship Him, and to become heedful. The Qur'an, our only guide, provides us with explanations for everything we need, shows us the path which pleases Allah, and gives the good news of the great consequences of surrendering as a servant to Him:

... We have sent down the Book to you making all things clear and as guidance and mercy and good news for the Muslims. (Surat an-Nahl: 89)

The Qur'an is the book in truth Allah sent to His servants. It is an admonition, a healing and a mercy for believers. Believers who can grasp this important reality reflect deeply on every verse of the Qur'an, and spend all their lives in compliance with it. Allah provides the answer of any question they seek in the Qur'an:

We have brought them a Book elucidating everything with knowledge, as guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Surat al-A'raf: 52)

Since the Qur'an explains everything relevant to being a servant to Allah, man is responsible for living by the Qur'an, observing its limits and complying with its commands. On the Day of Reckoning, people will be questioned based on this book alone.

Therefore, never forget that the way you conduct yourself, your thoughts and decisions, in brief, your entire way of life, should be in compliance only with the Qur'an, and not with what the majority of people want. Living by the Qur'an is the unique way to salvation.

"Am I to desire someone other than Allah as a judge when it is He Who has sent down the Book to you clarifying everything?" Those We have given the Book know it has been sent down from your Lord with truth, so on no account be among the doubters. (Qur'an, 6:114)

Moreover, it is necessary to read and comprehend the Qur'an in order to live by the religion revealed in it, even though those around you may be far from complying with it. The majority of people might have never read the Qur'an. Among those who are familiar with the Qur'an, on the other hand, there may be those who only memorize verses in Arabic without reflecting on their meaning. They may even consider the Qur'an as a kind of amulet (Surely Allah is beyond all that which they falsely ascribe to Him) and thus keep it on the upper shelves of closets. But if what you want to accomplish is salvation, you need to comply with Allah's commands, not those of the majority of people. You need to read the admonitions Allah has sent down and know by heart His commands. The reason why the Qur'an was revealed is made clear in the following verses:

This is a communication to be transmitted to mankind so that they may be warned by it and so that they will know that He is One God and so that people of intelligence will pay heed. (Surah Ibrahim: 52)

It is a Book We have sent down to you, full of blessing, so let people of intelligence ponder its Signs and take heed. (Surah Sâd: 29)

As is seen in the above quoted verses, Allah informs us that only the people of intelligence, who have the faith described in the Qur'an, can take heed. The Qur'an is made easy for us to reflect and take advice:

"Am I to desire someone other than Allah as a judge when it is He Who has sent down the Book to you clarifying everything?" Those We have given the Book know it has been sent down from your Lord with truth, so on no account be among the doubters. (Surat al-An'am: 114)

In this way We have sent it down as Clear Signs. Allah guides anyone He wills. (Surat al-Hajj: 16)

Aside from that stated in these verses, there is yet another fact we need to keep in mind: the Qur'an is a guide for believers whereas it may misguide disbelievers. Those who do not believe that they will be gathered in the presence of their Lord on the Day of Judgment and that the Qur'an is the book in truth sent by the Lord, fail to grasp the divine purpose of its verses. They remain deaf and blind towards them. This condition is related in the Qur'an as follows:

When you recite the Qur'an, We place an obscuring veil between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter. We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. When you mention your Lord alone in the Qur'an, they turn their backs and run away. (Surat al-Isra': 45-46)

Undoubtedly, this attitude of the disbelievers results from their insincerity and their inclination to follow their whims and desires. Examples of this inherent lack of understanding among the disbelievers are as follows:

Those are the Signs of the Wise Book-guidance and mercy for the good-doers... (Qur'an, 31:2-3)

We have only appointed angels as masters of the Fire and We have only specified their number as a trial for those who are disbelievers; so that those who were given the Book might gain in certainty, and those who believe might increase in their faith, and both those who were given the Book and the believers might have no doubt; and so that those with sickness in their hearts and the disbelievers might say, "What did Allah intend by this example?" In this way Allah misguides those He wills and guides those He wills. No one knows the legions of your Lord but Him. This is nothing but a reminder to all human beings. (Surat al-Muddaththir: 31)

Believers, on the other hand, are of an entirely different state of mind. As soon as they hear Allah's verses, they conform to this most beautiful message, and thus, attain salvation both in this world and beyond. The attitude typical of a believer towards Allah's signs is related in the Qur'an as follows:

Allah has sent down the Supreme Discourse, a Book consistent in its frequent repetitions. The skins of those who fear their Lord tremble at it and then their skins and hearts yield softly to the remembrance of Allah. That is Allah's guidance by which He guides whoever He wills. And no one can guide those whom Allah misguides. (Surat az-Zumar: 23)

Allah has informed us that believers with sincere faith will have the faculty to grasp the Qur'an as the book in truth. Only disbelievers harbour doubts about its justness:

… and so that those who have been given knowledge will know it is the truth from their Lord and believe in it and their hearts will be humbled to Him. Allah guides those who believe to a straight path. But those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt of it until the Hour comes on them suddenly or the punishment of a desolate Day arrives. (Surat al-Hajj: 54-55)

People will be judged according to the Qur'an on the Day of Judgment. Allah reveals this truth in the following verse;

So hold fast to what has been revealed to you. You are on a straight path. It is certainly a reminder to you and to your people and you will be questioned. (Surat az-Zukhruf: 43-44)

That the majority of people are far removed from the Qur'an, and that they have almost abandoned it, should not deceive you. That is because, as people regard a lifespan of 60-70 years as guaranteed, they tend to wait for the later years of their lives as the appropriate time to follow the Qur'an. They wrongly conclude that living by the religion would deprive them of the pleasures of youth. By this insincere reasoning, however, they prepare a bitter end for themselves.

The sole guide that explains for you how to be a servant to Allah is the Qur'an. You must structure your life according to its commands. That is because, on the Day of Judgment, believers and disbelievers alike, will be judged according to their obedience to the Qur'an. You can only hope to attain Paradise and deliverance from eternal punishment provided that you sincerely carry out what the Qur'an commands.