MAN AND GOD
Living with Conviction
ANTHROPOLOGY is a discipline which deals with the study of man. It has studied man in detail since ancient times. Of the many things these studies reveal, one important thing is that the concept of God is interwoven very deeply in human nature. Every man and woman is born with the concept of God. Consciously or unconsciously one is compelled to lead one's life with this concept.
Studies show that God is a necessity for man. Man being an explanation seeking being, he wants to explain his existence and the world around him but, owing to his limitations he feels himself helpless. This feeling of helplessness can be overcome only by accepting a limitless Being like God. Experience shows that every person lives a life of unfulfilled desires. It is God alone who provides hope for their fulfilment. Man, owing to his peculiar nature, wants to lead his life in conviction. And there is no other source of this conviction save that of God.
Man requires a goal for his activities in order that he may continue his journey with satisfaction and a sense of fulfilment. Study shows that all the human beings believe in God in one way or the other. Even the apparent atheists, when faced with some crisis, call out to God instinctively. In this matter there is no known exception of any person.
Every human being is born with the concept of God. Consciously or unconsciously he is compelled to lead his life with this concept.
Now the question arises as to why then these believers in God do not find the result which is expected from such belief. Why even the believers in God are deprived of divine inspiration? They do not enjoy peace of mind. Even those who have put up boards in their homes and offices with such wordings as: “We trust in God” are deprived of God’s blessing, which should have come to them because of trusting in God in the real sense. These believers in God feel that they have not been able to establish communion with God. Despite belief in God, people’s lives are bereft of divine blessings.
The reason is that people usually associate themselves with some or the other non-God. Although they utter such words as ‘they believe in God’ but in practice they have associated themselves with some or the other non-god. At times some living or dead human being is given the pedestal of divinity (godhead), while some believe in the concepts of nature worship. Some, under the influence of humanism have accorded the seat of God to man, what is called ‘transfer of seat from God to Man’ in the jargon of humanism, and yet others have discovered the law of nature as an alternative to God. Some believe in the monistic concept of God, according to which God is a vague spirit, rather than a Being with whom contact may be established.
The solution to this problem is that everyone should re-examine this entire matter. If a person is serious, he will certainly reach the conclusion that he has to discover the system of thought in which he may find the concept of God in its pure form. This is the problem facing all of human kind. Every person believes, ideologically, in one god or the other. But so far as the result of such belief is concerned, it is not forthcoming. Every person, from his own personal experience can understand that this problem is not one of lack of belief but it is one of lack of result of belief in God. This is a universal truth which anyone can understand from their own personal experience.
Man, owing to his peculiar nature, wants to lead his life in conviction. And there is no other source of this conviction save that of God.
A number of scholars have carried out research regarding this issue and have tried to find the answer. One of these being a highly educated Bengali scholar, Dr. Nishikant Chattopadhyaye. He related his findings at great length in one of his lectures delivered in Hyderabad (Deccan) in 1904. This lecture has now been published in the form of a booklet. That is, in this matter, the actual problem is that all the religions revealed before the 7th century AD., gave the concept of one God but in later times their original text could not be preserved by their followers. In every religion the concept of God became subject to human interpolations. Hence the original teaching regarding the concept of God could not be preserved.
Islam came to the world in the first quarter of the seventh century. Although Islam too was a religion like other religions, the distinctive feature of Islam is that its original text , the Quran was fully preserved.
According to the Quran, the sacred book of God, God is one. He alone is the Creator and the Lord of man and the universe. He is sustainer of the entire universe. God is a living being. He sees and hears. At every moment and at every place it is possible for man to contact God directly, without the need for any intermediary. God Almighty can compensate for all shortcomings in man. God will come to man’s rescue in both pre-death and post-death period. God is a limitless source of solace and peace. God in every matter provides guidance to man through His prophets.
God being the Creator and sustainer of man knows man's constitution in the full sense. He is aware of human requirements to the full extent. That is why God alone can understand the needs of human beings and He alone can provide for all his needs. This One God alone can be the God of man. All other supposed beings do not have the capability of fulfilling the human requirement.
Man in every age has been inherently desirous of a concept of God. Religions in every age have furnished man with knowledge about God in response to the urge of his nature. Since in ancient times the method of writing and copying manuscripts was far from flawless, religious books could not be preserved in their original or pristine form. Finally in the beginning of the 7th century the Quran was revealed. Owing to the meticulous arrangements made for its preservation, it became possible that the Quran remained fully preserved in its original form.
Easy translations in several languages are available for people to go through the Quran which has answers to many questions which arise in the minds regarding our life on earth and the concept of God and His creation plan.