ESSENCE OF ISLAM
Discover God through His Signs
EVERYTHING in the universe—the sun, the moon, the stars—have all completely subjugated themselves to God’s will; they cannot make the slightest deviation from the path that God has ordained for them. Similarly, all other elements in nature function in obedience to the laws of nature laid down for them by the Creator. The entire universe has surrendered to God, the Lord of the Universe.
But there is a difference between the status of man and that of the physical world. The physical world has been given no option but to submit to God, whereas man has been given free will, so that he may opt for either good or bad ways. To this end he has been given a thinking faculty, and a conscience with which to make moral judgements for himself. He has the ability to accept and follow certain principles in life or refuse to do so. He is not bound by fixed laws like all other created beings. He has been given freedom of thought, option and action.
It is through this freedom of choice that man is being tested. But after being given a thinking faculty, a conscience and an ability to judge between good and bad, man was not just left to his own resources. God did not leave man in a world where there was no way to find the Truth. Divine provision for him went much further. To see how God gave His guidelines to humankind, we have to go right back to the beginning of creation. God created Adam, the first man—whom He had made not just an ordinary mortal but also a prophet—and taught him everything that He wanted from man, so that human beings would not be left without proper direction or guidance. From time to time thereafter, God sent prophets to the world—the last of these being the Prophet Muhammad—so that human beings, who tended to stray, could be recalled to the path of virtue.
Belief in God
“Islam” is an Arabic word which means “submission, surrender and
obedience to God.”
Suppose we placed a pebble on a potter’s wheel, and then spin the wheel around very fast. The pebble would, of course, fly off, even though a potter’s wheel can hardly reach a speed of 25 miles an hour. Now, just reflect for a moment on the fact that the Earth we live on is also revolving, but at a much faster rate than the potter’s wheel. Yet we do not fly off. The Earth spins continuously on its axis at a speed of 1000 miles an hour—much faster than the average passenger plane— yet we move around on its surface, and live our daily lives without any fear of being thrown off like the pebble from the potter’s wheel. What a miracle this is! The explanation scientists give us is that the Earth pulls us with great force from underneath, while the pressure of the atmosphere from above pushes us firmly to the ground. A force attracting us from below, and a five hundred mile thick blanket of air enveloping us from above are miracles enough in themselves, and to say that they explain our not flying off into space is to lend even greater credence to the miraculous nature of our entire world.
Everything in this world is, in fact, a miracle. Just think what happens when we put tiny seeds into the ground. The soil in which they are planted is uniform in constitution, but they bring forth a vast array of plants—radishes, carrots, turnips, guavas, mangoes, mustard plants—everything from the humblest blade of grass to the mightiest oak! Each plant has its distinct appearance, taste and fragrance, and, according to its species, gives certain benefits to humankind.
God did not just leave man in a world where there was no way to find the truth. Divine provision for him went much further than that. God created Adam, the first man—whom He had made not just an ordinary mortal but also a prophet— and taught him everything that He wanted from man.
On all sides of us a whole world of miraculous diversity and proportions stretches out before our eyes. Moreover, at every instant, a great variety of life forms are continually coming into existence, quite unaided by man. Yet, if all of the human beings in this world were to come together, they would not be able to create even one tiny grain of sand! This amounts to a miracle of such amazing proportions that words fail us when we have to describe it. When we try to do so, we only degrade it, for we are unable to do justice to it with mere human words. All we can do is look on in wonder, and ask ourselves: “Besides God, who could have made manifest such a miracle?”
Miracles All Around Us
Everything in this world is made up of atoms. In its final analysis,
every object is a collection of these tiny particles. Yet, by some strange
miracle, when these atoms come together in certain proportions,
they form the dazzling globe of the sun, and when the same atoms
accumulate elsewhere in different proportions, they flow in a cascade as a river, in yet other places, they take the form of subtle breezes or
are fashioned into fertile soil. All these things may be made up of the
same atoms, but the nature and properties of each separate object are
widely different.
This miraculous world provides man with endless resources which he can put to good use if he learns how to tap them. Massive supplies of whatever he needs in life are constantly being accumulated, and man himself has to do very little in order to avail of them. Take, for instance, the food that he eats. He has but to stretch out his hand for the valuable nourishment which, as part of the order of the cosmos, has been made available to him. Once he has it in his possession, all he has to move are his hands and his jaws so that the food can reach his stomach. Then, without any further effort on his part, the food is absorbed by the body and is turned into flesh, blood, bones, nails, hair and other parts of the human body.
With the minimum of effort, he has his clothes, houses, furniture, machines, vehicles and all the other components and accessories of his civilization. Are such occurrences not sufficient to prove that there is indeed a Maker and a Master of this world?
Where food keeps the human body going, petroleum, another great earthly phenomenon, keeps his activities going. All man has to do is to extract it from the ground, refine it, put it into his machines and, astonishingly, this liquid fuel keeps the entire mechanism of his civilization running smoothly. Countless resources of this type have been created in this world, and there is enough of everything here to meet man’s needs. Man’s part in bringing these things into being, or in changing them into some useful form, is a relatively small one. And so, with the minimum of effort, he has his clothes, houses, furniture, machines, vehicles and all the other components and accessories of his civilization. Are such occurrences not sufficient to prove that there is indeed a Maker and a Master of this world?
The Earth rotates unceasingly in two ways—on its own axis, and in orbit around the sun. But it does not create any noise in the process. A tree goes to work in the way of a great factory, but it does not emit any smoke. Daily, innumerable creatures are dying in the sea, but they do not pollute the water. The universe has been running in accordance with the Divine order for billions of years without ever having to reorganize itself, for everything about the way it is organized is perfect.
There are countless stars and planets moving around in space. They keep to the same speed, never lagging behind, and never exceeding their set pace. All these are miracles of the highest order. They are far more wonderful than anything that man can create, and they happen every instant in this world of ours. What further proof do we need that the power of a Great God lies behind this world?
Signs of God
One who has found God has found everything. After the discovery of
God, no further discovery remains to be made. God, for him, becomes a
treasure which he cherishes, and it is to Him then that he has recourse
for all his worldly and eternal needs.
When we look at the different life forms, we witness an astonishing spectacle. Certain material objects come together in one body, and there comes into being a creature like a fish swimming through water, or a bird soaring in the skies. Of the great variety of creatures which abound on Earth, the one of greatest interest to us is Man. In ways that are a mystery to us, he is moulded into a wellproportioned form. The bones within him take on the meaningful shape of a skeleton, which is covered with flesh and sealed in by a layer of skin, out of which sprout hair and nails. Blood courses through channels within this frame. All of this adds up to a human being who walks about, who holds things in his hands, who hears, smells, tastes, who has a mind which remembers things, accumulates information, analyzes it and then expresses it in speech and in writing.
One who has found God has found everything. After the discovery of God, no further discovery remains to be made. God, for him, becomes a treasure which he cherishes, and it is to Him then that he has recourse for all his worldly and eternal needs.
The formation of such an amazing being from inert matter is more than a miracle. The particles of which a man is composed are the same as that of earth and stone. But have we ever heard a piece of earth talking, or seen a piece of stone walking around? The word ‘miraculous’ is barely adequate to describe the capabilities of man. But what else is there to this walking, talking, thinking, feeling man which distinguishes him from earth and stone? This factor—life—is still a mystery to us. There must indeed be a superior Being who has imbued inert matter with this quality, thus accomplishing a unique feat of creation.
Man has only to think of the nature of his own being to understand the nature of God. The self, the ego in man, has an individuality of its own, which is quite distinct from that of others of his kind living here on this Earth. The ego in man is absolutely sure of its own existence. It is the part of man which thinks, feels, forms opinions, has intentions and puts them into practice. It also decides for itself which course of action to adopt. Every human being is thus a separate personality with a will and power of his own. Since our experience of such a being is an everyday matter, what is astonishing about the existence of God, who also is a being wielding personal power, although on a scale far greater than ourselves? Believing in God is a very similar mental process to believing in one’s own self.
People demand some miraculous proof before they will believe in the truth of God and His message. But what further proof do they require when they have the miracle of the whole of the universe which has been functioning perfectly for millions of years on the vastest of scales?
People demand some miraculous proof before they will believe in the truth of God and His message. But what further proof do they require when they have the miracle of the whole of the universe which has been functioning perfectly for millions of years on the greatest of scales? If the doubter is not prepared to accept such a great miracle, then how is he going to shed his doubts when he sees lesser miracles? In truth, man has been provided with everything that he needs to enable him to believe in God, and then to place himself at His service. If in spite of this he does not believe in God, and fails to acknowledge God’s power and perfection, it is he himself and not anyone else who is to blame.
Discovery of God
God’s world is a collection of atoms. In its elemental form, it all consists
of one and the same type of inert matter; but God has moulded this
matter into countless diverse forms: light, heat, greenery, flowing water
and so on. He has also invested lifeless matter with the properties of
colour, taste and smell; and everywhere, He has set things in motion,
having carefully controlled this motion by gravity. Discovering the God
who has made such a world is much more than just acquiring a dry
creed. It means filling one’s heart and soul with the radiant glow of
Divine light and opening one’s mind to incredible beauty and delicacy.
When we eat delicious fruits, this gives us a great sense of enjoyment. When we hear beautiful music, we are entranced by it. When a child is born to a couple, their joy knows no bounds. Then what of our experience of God, who is the source of all beauty, joy and virtue? On discovering Him, can one remain unmoved? This is something which is hardly imaginable, for such a sublime experience—like coming close to a source of dazzling radiance—must surely leave its mark on one. Having endowed all things with their unique qualities, God Himself must have qualities that His discoverers may savour. To discover Him, therefore, is to experience Him like a fragrance in the nostrils, a taste which excites the palate; a texture which is a joy to caress; a melody which touches the heart. To come close to Him is to live in an everlasting garden of brilliant colours and delicate fragrances. It is to hear music so enchanting that one wishes it would last forever.
The Creator of all light, God Himself is the most resplendent of all beings. He is the light of the Heavens and of the Earth, shedding His radiance on all who discover Him. His is the greatest treasure-house of true wisdom. He is the greatest repository of true strength. His discoverers are so fortified by His strength and so enlightened by His wisdom that no flood or hurricane can carry them away. They cannot, once having known Him, do other than evolve into superior human beings.