Some people reject God because they can find no evidence for Him
which satisfies both their hearts and minds simultaneously. Then
there are others who accept God on the basis of emotional or
irrational reasons which satisfy their hearts, but leave their
minds unsure. These two groups of people have never found a
satisfying answer to the question of their relationship with God.
Then there are yet others who have found the correct path which
God intended for us: to accept Him and His message to us using
our minds first and foremost, and the heart follows easily and
naturally as a consequence.
Instead of searching for the answer, there are also some people
who chose to simply brush the question aside and ignore it
unfortunately. This is the easy way out of what appears to be a
very difficult, mysterious question which may seem to have no
final solution. Most of these people are unaware of a very
powerful message which completely and unequivocally establishes
the correct path to God. This message squares with both the mind
and the heart, and it has no equal since it comes to us straight
from God Himself.
The message comes in the form of a book. In fact, God has given
us several Books of guidance through the years, but each one was
ultimately corrupted and changed by dishonest people. Each Book
essentially contained the same fundamental message as the
previous Books. Mankind was expected to guard these Books from
harm, but unfortunately failed to live up to this expectation.
Slowly but surely, each Book was edited and tampered with,
destroying its authenticity. This is partly why God kept sending
us more revelations.
However, almost 1400 years ago, God sent us another Book with
the same basic message as the earlier ones, but with a small but
very important difference. This time, God decreed that this Book
would be the last Book sent down to us because God would protect
it Himself. Regarding this Final Book, God said,
"Behold, it is We
Ourselves who have bestowed from on high this reminder: and
behold, it is We who shall truly guard it" [Chapter 15, verse
9]
Today, if we compare the 114 chapters in every copy of this Final
Book with each other, we will find they match perfectly word for
word - from the oldest copies made 1300-plus years ago to the
ones printed just a few hours ago. No human hand has changed it.
The rational person has every right to be doubtful, of course,
if he or she has never read this book. For such people, here is a
small sample of what the Final Book contains. Suppose we wanted
to ask God several questions about Him and about ourselves. Short
of Him speaking to us directly (such a privilege has been granted
to only one person out of all humanity), the Book has the best
answers one can find. It is on the strength of these answers that
an honest person may be struck with the conviction that the Final
Book is from none other than God Almighty. Again, here is only a
small part of the information one might find.
1. On The
Nature of God
Who
is God? God explains in His Final Book that it is quite simply
impossible for us to completely understand Him. We cannot
pinpoint a definition of the Creator,
"Glory to the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth - the
Sustainer, in almightiness enthroned - from all that they may
attribute to Him by way of definition" [43:82]
Our
inability to completely understand God does not mean that He is
completely remote from us. In spite of our limited understanding,
we are all quite capable of turning to God, and He is not unaware
of our efforts,
"...and unto thy Sustainer turn with love."
[94:8]
"Behold, for those who stand in awe of God although He is
beyond the reach of their perception, there is forgiveness in
store and a great reward" [67:12]
God
has not left mankind entirely in the dark regarding His Nature.
He refers to Himself by approximately 100 names in various places
throughout the Final Book. Each name is a descriptive attribute
of God, and they are all meant to help us understand the Creator.
To gain this understanding involves simply thinking about God and
reflecting on His names, and this type of awareness is a central
pillar of faith (i.e. when one actively remembers God and is
conscious of Him). A second benefit of these names is that some
of them provide mankind with ideals to try to attain. For
example, since God is the Most Forgiving, Most Patient, and Most
Knowledgeable, we should each strive to be forgiving, patient,
and knowledgeable (educated in our case).
Of
all His attributes, God emphasizes a single one above all others
in His Final Book: that HE IS ONE. God is not two, three, four,
or more beings. There is only one deity, and He is God,
"Say: `He is God, Unique
God the Eternal, the Independent.
He begets not, and neither is He begotten.
And there is nothing that could be compared
to Him.'" [112:1-4]
In
other places of the Final Book, God emphasizes His Greatness and
the impossibility of fully grasping Him by using the plural sense
of pronouns for Himself - but He is strictly One and Unique with
no other partners or deities.
After this aspect of Unity, God chose to emphasize two of His
other names more often than the rest in the Final Book: "the
Most Merciful, the One who acts Mercifully." In fact, each
chapter but one in the whole Book starts with, "In the Name of
God, the Most Merciful, the One who Acts Mercifully." These
two names cannot be emphasized enough. They are meant to stress
we should not let our sins keep us from coming back to God and
calling to Him at all times, in joy or sadness. The Creator is
more aware of our imperfections than we are, and so when we
stumble and feel bad, God is far more likely to be kind than
angry.
The
Last Messenger and Prophet of God (i.e. the person whom God chose
to deliver the Final Book to the rest of mankind) commented on
God's mercy by informing us that,
"When God decreed the Creation He pledged
Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: `My
mercy prevails over my wrath.'" - the Last Messenger
"God
says: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with Him when He
makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I
make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in
an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than
it. And if he draws near to Me a hand's span, I draw near to
him an arm's length; and if he draws near to Me an arm's
length, I draw near to him a fathom's length. And if he comes
to Me walking, I go to him with speed." - the Last Messenger
2. The
Nature of Man
Who are we, and
what makes us different from all other things? We are creations
of God, along with the rest of the universe. We are human beings,
all descendants of a common ancestry well known to most of us:
Adam and Eve. Humanity, however, is distinct from the rest of the
universe in a very fundamental way according to the Final Book,
"Verily,
We did offer the trust to the heavens and the earth, and the
mountains: but they refused to bear it because they were afraid
of it. Yet man took it up - for verily he has always been prone
to be most wicked, most foolish." [33:72]
Over the years, many scholars of the Book have tried to
understand exactly what God meant by "the trust". The most
convincing argument (based on other parts of the Book, and on
certain statements of the Last Messenger) is that it refers to
our ability to make decisions both freely and intelligently. In
other words, our uniqueness as human beings stems from two gifts
given to us by God:
-
our ability to freely choose between actions (good and evil)
-
our ability to intelligently weigh and make those choices
The
price of these gifts is a tremendous amount of responsibility on
our part; the responsibility not to abuse our gifts by rejecting
God or by hurting each other unnecessarily.
The blessings of these two gifts are immeasurable, especially
when God reminds us that He could have decided things otherwise
by depriving us of either gift,
"Now
had it been Our will [that men should not be able to discern
between right and wrong], We could surely have deprived them of
their sight, so that they would stray forever from the [right]
way: for how could they have had insight [into what is true]?
And had it been Our will [that they should not be free to
choose between right and wrong], We could surely have
transformed them [rooted] in their places, so that they would
not be able to move forward, and could not turn back."
[36:66-67]
However, God did NOT will this, and as a result we are blessed
with will and reason. The Final Book clearly warns against
abusing these blessings, either by neglecting ourselves when we
don't think wisely, or by hurting others when we deny them the
right to choose,
"Verily, the vilest of all creatures in the
sight of God are those deaf, those dumb ones who do not use
their reason." [8:22]
"There
shall be no coercion in matters of faith. Distinct has now
become the right way from error: hence he who rejects evil and
believes in God has indeed taken hold of a support most
unfailing, which shall never give way: for God is All-Hearing,
All-Knowing." [2:256]
In
spite of mankind's free will and reason, God warns us in His Book
always to remember that these gifts are limited after all. The
Final Word lies with Him in all matters. However, this is not to
say that men's destinies are arbitrary - not at all. We are able
to make decisions that affect our lives, but at the same time,
God is also making decisions about us and for us,
"And had thy Sustainer so willed, all those who
live on earth would surely have attained to faith, all of them:
do you then think that you could compel people to believe,
notwithstanding that no human being can ever attain to faith
otherwise than by God's leave, and [that] it is He who lays the
loathsome evil [of disbelief] upon those who will not use their
reason." [10:99-100]
"...Verily, God does
not change men's condition unless they change their inner
selves..." [13:11]
3. Free Will
and Reason Applied
Has God given
mankind a clear path to Him? In essence, every rational reader
would like to know if they can trust the authenticity of the
Final Book. It is perfectly natural to feel that way; after all,
this is the outcome of our God-given gift of reason. However, our
own skeptical minds are the keys here: the Final Book, according
to God, is addressed to people who think, pure and simple,
"...In this, behold, there are messages indeed
for people who think." [39:42]
"Thus
clearly do We spell out these messages unto people who use
their reason." [30:28]
No
one but God can make a human being believe in the Truth of the
Final Book, but that human being has to read it with an open
mind, applying his or her powers of reason. The price of limited
free will is that we must choose to be guided. Those people who
do search for the Truth with an open mind and heart may find that
the Final Book, while vast, is surprisingly clear,
"Nay, but this [divine writ] consists of
messages self-evident in the breasts of those who have been
given knowledge - and none could knowingly reject Our messages
unless it be such as would do wrong [to themselves]." [29:49]
"This
divine writ - let there be no doubt about it - is a guidance
for all the God-conscious..." [2:2]
The
guidance of the Final Book is available to anyone who goes in
search of it,
"[O
men!] We have now bestowed upon you from on high a divine writ
containing all that you ought to bear in mind: will you not,
then, use your reason?" [21:10]
One
of the most interesting aspects of the authenticity of the Final
Book is the quantity of scientifically accurate statements in it
- on subjects not even dreamed of 1300 years ago. A sample of
these includes the following:
a large explosion marking the start of creation (Big Bang)
[21:30]
the initial smokey (nebulous) nature of the skies [41:11]
the expansion of the universe [51:41]
the presence of a huge amount of time before mankind appeared
[76:1]
the existence of sun and moon orbits [21;33]
the finite sun and moon lifetimes [13:2]
the final destination of the sun (Solar Apex) [36:38]
the origin of all life based in water [21:30]
In
fact, God states that the amazing beauty and intricacy of the
natural world around us, as well as our own complex biological
makeup, will ultimately lead us to Him as we grow in
understanding,
"In time, We shall make them fully understand
Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost
horizons [of the universe] and within themselves, so that it
will become clear unto them this [revelation] is indeed the
truth. Is it not enough that thy Sustainer is witness unto
everything?" [41:53]
4. The
Presence of Evil
Why does God allow
men and women to be hurt? There are some people who use the
presence of suffering and evil in this world as grounds to lose
hope and perhaps even to reject God. However, according to the
Final Book, the limited free will and reason of human beings
destroys that argument. We are responsible for what we do, and
must bear the consequences - that is the liability or price of
freedom. The evil that we do and suffer from is chosen by us and
not by God,
"...God wills no wrong to His creation." [3:108]
However, God also guarantees us that aside from our own evil
actions and their effects, God Himself will put us through some
trials and tribulations here on earth - but the key is they will
never be more than we can handle, and they may even be good for
us,
"If misfortune touches you [know that] similar
misfortune has touched [other] people as well; for it is by
turns that We apportion unto men such days [of fortune and
misfortune]: and [this] to the end that God might mark out
those who have attained to faith, and choose from among you
such as [with their lives] bear witness to the truth - since
God does not love evildoers - and that God might render pure of
all dross those who have attained to faith, and bring to nought
those who deny the truth. Do you think that you could enter
Paradise unless God takes cognizance of your having striven
hard [in His cause], and takes cognizance of your being patient
in adversity?" [3:140-142]
"God
does not burden any human being with more than he is well able
to bear: in his favour shall be whatever good he does, and
against him whatever evil he does..." [2:286]
An
integral part of our being aware of God is hope and patience in
times of hardship. In fact, the loss of hope is actually one of
the symptoms of rejection of God,
"[Prophet Abraham] exclaimed, `And who - other than those who
have utterly lost their way - could ever abandon the hope of
his Sustainer's grace?'" [15:56]
The
greatest source of hope is that God shall allow those people who
accept Him to enter Paradise and, more importantly, to be close
to Him. The Final Book contains many references on Paradise, and
also on Hell, the destination of those people who knowingly
reject God. Paradise is quite literally a place of indescribable
joy, whereas Hell is its indescribable opposite (both places are
given only partial descriptions in the Book). While the
inhabitants of Paradise are permanent dwellers, the inmates of
Hell are not necessarily imprisoned there forever; there are some
who shall ultimately be freed,
"[But] verily, as for those who attain to faith
and do righteous deeds - the gardens of Paradise will be there
to welcome them; therein will they abide, [and] never will they
desire any change therefrom." [18:107-108]
"And
whoever rebels against God and His Apostle and transgresses His
bounds, him will He commit unto fire, therein to abide; and
shameful suffering awaits him." [4:14]
"There
shall come out of Hell-fire he who has said `There is no deity
except God' and who has in his heart goodness weighing a
barley-corn; then there shall come out of Hell-fire he who has
said `There is no deity except God' and who has in his heart
goodness weighing a grain of wheat; then there shall come out
of Hell-fire he who has said `There is no deity except God' and
who has in his heart goodness weighing an atom." - the Last
Messenger
5. This
Life and the Next
What is the end
to men's lives? There are two parts to men's lives: the part
here on earth, and the part in the Hereafter. The dividing line
between the two is known as death, followed by the Day of
Judgement or Resurrection. As far as death is concerned,
everyone must go through it, but on Judgement Day people will
be sorted out from each other into different categories,
"Every
human being is bound to taste death: but only on the Day of
Resurrection will you be requited in full [for what you have
done]..." [3:185]
Resurrection Day will actually be a huge period of time (not a
regular 24-hour day) in which every single human will be
resurrected and judged by God on his or her beliefs and deeds.
No human being - not even any Prophet - knows when this Day
will come, for this is knowledge known only to God. The Final
Book does describe it in several passages as a giant disaster
on many scales (physical and ecological among others), and the
Last Messenger was told of some of its foreshadowing signs
which he communicated to us.
6.
Messengers and Prophets
Who delivered
God's Message to mankind? God has sent us many `reminders' of
Him and of our obligations to Him over the centuries,
culminating in the Final Book almost 1400 years ago. Every one
of those `reminders' was delivered to us via a selected human
being, one who was strong enough to deliver God's message to
his people. These human beings are called the Prophets. They
were not supernatural or immortal or different in any way from
other human beings except that they were entrusted by God to
speak in His Name,
"For [even] before thy time, [O Prophet], we never sent [as
Our messengers] any but [mortal] men, whom We inspired -
hence [tell the deniers of the truth] `If you do not know
this, ask the followers of earlier revelation' - and neither
did We endow them with bodies that ate no food, nor were they
immortal." [21:7-8]
Some of the Prophets were allowed to perform supernatural
miracles but only with God's permission (i.e. if He willed it).
However, the Final Book stresses that every Prophet is no more
than a servant of God - they do not have a share in His
Divinity.
There is also a small group of Prophets who were also
Messengers. Every Prophet has called his people to the Truth,
but Messengers were additionally given a rejuvenated Message
from God to convey. Every Messenger is a Prophet, but not every
Prophet is a Messenger. There have been many Prophets, of which
here are the names of a few mentioned in the Book: Adam, Noah,
Abraham, Lot, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron,
Elijah, Elias, David, Solomon, Jonah, Job, Zacharias, John,
Jesus, and, of course, the Last Messenger.
7.
Eternal Salvation
Are certain
people arbitrarily guaranteed the Favor of God, while others
are excluded? The Mercy of God is not restricted arbitrarily to
any one peoples. Everyone and anyone is free to accept the path
to God using their own free will and reason,
"And they claim, `None shall ever enter Paradise unless he be
a Jew' - or `a Christian'. Such are their wishful beliefs!
Say [to them, O Prophet]: `Produce an evidence for what you
are claiming, if what you say is true!' Yea, indeed: everyone
who surrenders his whole being unto God, and is a doer of
good, shall have his reward with his Sustainer, and all such
need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve."
[2:111-112]
The consequence of this is responsibility - everyone will be
held accountable on the Day of Judgement. Some of us may be
uncomfortable with this, but it is simply the price of freedom,
"It may not accord with your wishful thinking - nor with the
wishful thinking of the followers of earlier revelation -
[that] he who does evil shall be requited for it, and shall
find none to protect him from God, and none to bring him
succor, whereas anyone - be it man or woman - who does good
deeds and is a believer, shall enter paradise, and shall not
be wronged by as much as [would fill] the groove of a
date-stone." [4:123-124]
8.
Forgiveness of God
If we sin, what should we expect from God? If we subsequently
feel guilty and repent after doing something evil, God wants us
to expect Him to be forgiving, forgiving, and more forgiving.
However, there is one sin which God will not forgive:
worshipping anything besides Him (unless the person realizes
his or her error and returns to worshipping the One God),
"Verily God does not forgive the ascribing of
divinity to anything beside Him, although He forgives any
lesser sin to whomever He wills: for he who ascribes divinity
to anything beside God has indeed contrived an awesome sin."
[4:48]
"Say, `O you servants of Mine who
have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of
God's Mercy: behold, God forgives all sins - for verily, He
alone is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.'" [39:53]
Again, the most common phrase in the Final Book
is "In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the One who Acts
Mercifully."
The Last Messenger commented on God's
forgiveness on many occasions as in the following case,
"God
has said, `O son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and ask
of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I
shall not mind. O son of Adam, were your sins to reach the
clouds of the sky and were you then to ask forgiveness of Me,
I would forgive you. O son of Adam, were you to come to Me
with sins nearly as great as the earth and were you then to
face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you
forgiveness nearly as great as it [i.e. the earth]'". - the
Last Messenger
9. The
Straight Way
What is the name for the way of life described in the Final
Book? It is Islam, and it means "self-surrender [to God]". Any
man or woman who accepts Islam is a Muslim. The Final Book is
called the Qur'an (meaning "the Recitation"), and it is
addressed to all of mankind in spite of being revealed in
Arabic, the language of its Messenger and his people: Muhammad
bin Abd-Allah. Muhammad is the Last Prophet and Messenger of
God as the Qur'an says,
"[And know, O believers, that] Muhammad is not the father of
any one of your men, but is God's Apostle and the Seal of all
the Prophets..." [33:40]
And God
has revealed to us His proper name, and it is
ALLAH.
The Qur'an contains a great deal of guidance and information
for anyone looking for final answers. The information given in
this small essay is only the tip of the tip of the iceberg.
There is no substitute for reading the Qur'an itself in its
entirety - it is the closest we can come to having God speak to
us directly and personally here on Earth. The Qur'an answers
many questions which are commonly asked by today's men and
women. Its scope is wide: from fundamental issues such as the
nature of the Creator and mankind's limited free will and
reason, to the more mundane such as marriage laws and whom to
give charity to. Islam as described in the Qur'an is vastly and
almost completely different than Islam as understood by most
non-Muslims and even a few Muslims. The negative image of Islam
today is an incredibly misleading deception. It is based on the
moral weakness of some people who claim to be Muslims, and also
on the unawareness of non-Muslims. Behind this image is the
presence of a Truth which answers the fundamental questions we
have, and which can reunite us with God. It is there for us to
listen to, or to ignore.
And
Allah Knows Best.
"And [know that] We have not created the
heavens and the earth and all that is between them in mere
idle play..." [21:16]
"Will they not, then, try to understand this
Qur'an? Had it issued from any but God, they would surely
have found in it many an inner contradiction!" [4:82]
"We did not bestow the Qur'an on thee from
on high to make thee unhappy." [20:2]
"[O men!] We have now bestowed upon you from
on high a divine writ containing all that you ought to bear
in mind: will you not, then, use your reason?" [21:10]
"...so remember Me, and I shall remember
you; and be grateful to Me, and deny Me not." [2:152]
"Verily, those who attain to faith and do
righteous deeds will the Most Gracious endow with love."
[19:96]
"Say [O Prophet]: `If you love God, follow
me, [and] God will love you and forgive you your sins; for
God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.'" [3:31]
"Say: `If all the sea were ink for my Sustainer's words, the
sea would indeed be exhausted ere my Sustainer's words are
exhausted! And [thus it would be] if we were to add to it sea
upon sea.'" [18:109]