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A
COMPARISON BETWEEN THE QURAN
AND
MODERN CIVILIZATION FROM DIFFERENT
VIEWPOINTS
A
parable to understand the
fundamental differences between
the Quranic wisdom and human
philosophy:
Once,
a religious and skilful, renowned
ruler wanted to write the Quran
as beautifully as required by the
sacredness of its meanings and the
miraculousness of its wording. He
wanted to do this so that he might
adorn its wonderful words in a
worthy array. So, the artist ruler
wrote out the Quran in a truly
wonderful fashion. In writing it
out, he used all kinds of precious
jewels. In order to point out the
variety of its truths, he wrote some
of its letters in diamonds and
emeralds, and some in pearls and
agate, and others in brilliants and
coral, while others he wrote in gold
and silver. Also, he adorned and
decorated it in such a way that
everyone, those who knew how to read
and those who did not, were full of
admiration and astonishment when
they saw it. Especially in the
judgment of the people of truth,
since the outer beauty was an
indication to the brilliant beauty
and striking adornment within, that
Quran became a most precious
artwork.
Then
the ruler showed the artistically
wrought and bejeweled Quran to a
foreign philosopher and a Muslim
scholar. In order to test them and
for reward, he commanded them; ‘Each
of you write a work about the wisdom
of this!’ First the philosopher,
then the scholar, composed a book
about it. However, the philosopher’s
book discussed only the shapes and
decorations of the letters and the
relationships between them, and the
properties of the jewels and the way
they were used. He did not make any
observations at all about the
meaning. He was not even aware that
the embellished Quran was an
invaluable, book having depths of
meaning. He rather looked on it as
an ornamented art-object. He was
well-informed about engineering and
chemistry. He had also a great
ability to describe things and much
knowledge about jewelry. So he
composed his book according to these
skills.
As
for the Muslim scholar, on seeing
the book, he understood that it was
the Clear Book, the Wise Quran.
So, he-this truth-loving
person-neither paid any attention to
its outward ornamentation nor busied
himself with the decorations of the
letters. He was rather engaged in
something else which was millions of
times more exalted, more valuable,
more worthy of respect, more useful
and more comprehensive than the
issues with which the other man was
occupied. Therefore he composed an
interpretation in which he described
the sacred truths and secret lights
behind the veil of decorations.
Both
men-the foreign philosopher and
Muslim scholar- presented their
works to the renowned ruler. The
ruler first took the book of the
philosopher, and saw that conceited
man had worked very hard but not
written anything about the true
wisdom of the bejeweled Quran. He
had not understood its meaning at
all, and holding that book, which is
a source of truths, to consist in
meaningless decorations, showed
disrespect for it. Therefore, the
wise ruler refused his book.
Then,
the ruler looked through the book of
the truth-loving, meticulous
scholar, and seeing that it was a
very beautiful and useful
interpretation, a wise and
illuminating composition,
congratulated him. It was pure
wisdom and the one who wrote it was
a real scholar, a genuine sage. The
other man was an impertinent
artificer not knowing his place.
Then, he willed that, as reward, for
each letter of his work should be
given ten pieces of gold out of his
inexhaustible treasury.
Now,
if you have understood the meaning
of the parable, reflect upon its
real meaning:
The
embellished Quran is this
artistically fashioned universe. The
ruler is the Eternal Sovereign. As
for the two men, one represents the
line of philosophy and philosophers,
the other, the way of the Quran
and its students. Indeed, the wise
Quran is the most exalted
expander, a most eloquent translator
of this macro-Quran of the
universe. It is the Criterion, which
instructs the jinn and men in the
signs of creation-Divine laws of the
creation and operation of the
universe-inscribed by the Pen of
Power on the sheets of the universe
and pages of time. It looks upon
creatures, each of which is a
meaningful letter, as bearing the
meaning of another, that is, on
account of their Maker, and remarks,
‘How beautifully they have been
made, and how meaningfully they
point to the beauty and grace of the
Maker.’ Thus, it shows the real
beauty of the universe. As for
philosophy, it is absorbed in the
design and decorations of the ‘letters’
of creation and, in bewilderment, it
has lost the way to truth. While it
ought to look upon the letters of
this macro-book as bearing the
meaning of another, that is, on
account of God, it does the reverse.
It looks upon them as signifying
themselves, that is, on account of
themselves, and remarks: ‘How
beautiful they are’, not ‘How
beautifully they have been made!’
By doing so, it insults the creation
and causes it to complain about
itself. In truth, materialistic
philosophy is a falsehood bearing no
truths, and an insult to the
creation.
A
comparison between the Quran and
modern civilization and philosophy
with
respect to the moral training each
affords to human personal life
A
sincere student of modern
civilization and philosophy is a
Pharaoh-like tyrant, but one who
abuses himself so far as to bow in
worship before the meanest thing to
serve his interest. That materialist
student is also a stubborn,
misleading one: unyielding but so
wretched as to accept endless
degradation for the sake of a single
pleasure; unbending but so mean as
to kiss the feet of devilish people
for the sake of some base advantage.
That student is conceited and
domineering, but since he can find
no point of support in his heart, he
is an utterly impotent vainglorious
tyrant. That student is also a
self-centered egoist, who strives to
gratify his material, carnal desires
and pursues his personal interests
after certain national interests.
As
for the sincere student of the
wisdom of the Quran, he is a
worshipping servant of God, but one
who does not degrade himself to bow
in worship even before the greatest
of the created. He is a dignified
servant who does not regard as the
goal of worship a thing of even the
greatest benefit like Paradise.
Also, he is a modest student, one
mild and gentle, but he does not
lower himself voluntarily before
anybody other than his Creator
beyond what He has permitted. He is
also weak and in want, and aware of
his weakness and neediness. Yet he
is independent of others, owing to
the spiritual wealth which his
Munificent Owner has provided for
him, and he is powerful as he relies
on the infinite Power of his Master.
He acts and strives purely for God’s
sake, for God’s pleasure, and to
be equipped with virtues.
The
training the Quran and philosophy
give may be understood through this
comparison of the two students.
A
comparison between the Quran and
modern civilization with
respect to human social life
According
to modern civilization:
The point of support in
social life is force or
power. Force calls for
aggression.
The aim of life is held to
be the realization of
self-interests. Seeking the
gratification of
self-interests causes
fighting for material
resources.
Conflict is the principle of
relationship in life.
Conflict brings strife.
The bond between communities
is racism and negative
nationalism. Racism feeds by
swallowing others and
therefore paves the way for
aggression.
The fruits it produces are
the gratification of carnal
desires and multiplication
of human needs.
It
is because of those principles of
modern civilization that despite all
its advantages and positive aspects,
only twenty percent of mankind are
superficially contented while the
other eighty percent are in hardship
and misery.
As
for the wisdom of the Quran,
It accepts right, not force,
as the point of support in
social life. Right calls for
unity.
It holds, in place of the
realization of
self-interests, virtues, and
God’s approval as the aim
in life. Virtues bring
mutual support and
solidarity. The principle of
mutual assistance means
coming to the aid of one
another.
Instead of conflict, it
takes mutual assistance as
the principle of
relationship in life.
It accepts, not racism and
negative nationalism, but
the ties of religion,
profession and citizenship,
as the bonds between
communities. Religion
secures brotherhood and
mutual attraction.
Its aim is to put a barrier
against the illicit attacks
of lusts, to urge the soul
to ennoble and satisfy its
lofty aspirations, to
encourage man to human
perfections and so make him
truly human. Restraining the
carnal self and urging the
soul to perfections bring
happiness in this world and
the next.
Thus,
despite its borrowings from the
previous Divine religions and
especially from the guidance of the
Quran, which accounts for its
agreeable aspects, modern
civilization is the losing side in
the view of the truth in its
controversy against the Quran.
Another
comparison
The
laws and principles of the Quran
are beyond time and space, therefore
they never become out of date like
those of modern civilization.
Examples:
Despite all its charity
foundations, institutions of
intellectual and moral training,
and severe disciplines and laws
and regulations, modern
civilization has not been able
to contend with the Quran on
the following two matters and
has been defeated:
The
Quran decrees:
Perform the prescribed
prayer, and pay the zakat.
(2:43)…
God has made trading
lawful and usury unlawful.
(2:275)
As
was explained in Signs of (the
Quran’s) Miraculousness,
the cause of all revolutions and
social upheavals, and the root
of all moral failings, are these
two attitudes or approaches.
I don’t care if others die
of hunger so longer as my
own stomach is full.
You must bear the costs of
my ease-you must work so
that I may eat.
A
peaceful social life depends on
the balance between the elite
and common people or the rich
and the poor. This balance is
based on care and compassion on
the part of the elite, and
respect and obedience on the
part of the latter.
Nevertheless, the first attitude
(Let others die of hunger so
long as I am well-fed) has
driven the rich to wrongdoing,
usurpation, immorality and
mercilessness, while the second
one (You toil so that I may be
at ease) has led the poor to
hatred, grudges, envy and
conflict with the rich. As this
conflict has destroyed social
peace of mankind for the last
two or three centuries, so too,
as the result of the century-old
struggle between labor and
capital, those famous upheavals
have taken place in Europe. So,
despite all its charitable
societies, institutions of moral
training and severe laws and
regulations, modern civilization
has succeeded in neither
reconciling these two social
classes nor healing those two
severe wounds of human life,
whereas the Quran eradicates
the first attitude through the
obligation of zakat and heals
the wound caused by it, and
eradicates the second through
the prohibition of all
interest-bearing transactions.
Indeed, the relevant verses of
the Quran stand at the door
of the world and turn away
interest. ‘In order to close
the doors to social conflicts
and struggles, close the doors
of banks or houses of interest,’
it decrees to mankind, and
orders its students not to enter
through them.
A
comparison between the Quran and
modern civilization with
respect to bringing happiness to men
and women
Together
with severely prohibiting
idol-worship, the Quran also
condemns the ‘worship’ of
images, which can be a sort of
imitation of idol-worship. In an
attempt to contest with the Quran,
modern civilization, by contrast,
regards sculpture and making
pictures of living beings, which the
Quran condemns, as one of its
virtues. Whereas, forms with or
without shadows (sculptures and
pictures of living beings) are each
either a petrified tyranny (tyranny
represented in stone) or embodied
ostentation or embodied caprice,
which urge people to tyranny,
ostentation and capriciousness.
Also,
out of compassion, the Quran
orders women to wear the veil of
modesty in order to maintain respect
for them, and so that they who are
mines of compassion will not be
abased under the foot of low
desires, nor become the worthless
means of exciting lusts. However,
modern civilization has drawn women
out of their homes, torn aside their
veils and led mankind astray into
corruption. Whereas, family life is
based on mutual love and respect
between man and woman, both modestly
dressed; modern civilization has
destroyed sincere love and respect,
and poisoned the family life.
Sculptures and pictures, especially
obscene ones, have a great share in
this moral corruption and spiritual
degeneration. Just as to look at the
corpse of a beautiful woman
deserving of compassion with lust
and desire destroys morality, so too
looking lustfully at pictures of
living women, which are like little
corpses, troubles and diverts
elevated human feelings, shaking and
destroying them.
Thus,
besides serving to secure the
happiness of mankind in this world,
the Quranic commandments also
serve their eternal happiness. You
can compare other subjects with
those mentioned.
As
modern civilization stands defeated
before the Quran’s rules and
principles concerning social life
and mankind, and is bankrupt before
the Quran’s miraculous content,
the European philosophy and
scientism, which is the spirit of
that civilization, is helpless in
the face of the miraculousness of
the Quran’s wisdom.
The
Quran and modern science and
philosophy in viewing the universe
Philosophy
and sciences view existence as
permanent and discuss the nature and
qualities of creatures in detail.
They do not mention their duties
towards their Creator; if these are
mentioned, it is very brief. It is
as if philosophy and science discuss
only the designs and letters of the
book of the universe but attach no
importance to its meaning. As for
the Quran, it views existence as
transient, moving, illusory,
unstable and changing, and therefore
mentions the nature and outward,
physical qualities of creatures
quite briefly. By contrast, it
elaborates the duties of worship
with which their Creator has charged
them, and the ways they manifest His
Names and their submission to the
Divine laws of the creation and
operation of the universe. Thus, in
order to distinguish which is pure
truth, we should see the differences
between human philosophy and Quranic
wisdom related to summarizing and
elaborating.
However
unmoving, constant and static your
body outwardly appears, it is in a
continuous movement and change in
essence and inwardly, and without
any pause it comes to a final stop
to be revived again at a determined
time. Likewise, being a huge body
appearing to be constant and static,
the world is unceasingly rolling or
revolving in continuous changes and
upheavals. Time is the dial of the
world, with its two ‘hands’ of
night and day showing the passage of
its seconds, and its ‘hands’ of
years and centuries, showing the
passage of its minutes and hours.
Time plunges the world into the
waves of decay and, leaving the past
and future to non-existence, allows
existence for the present only. As
with respect to time, the world is
also changing and unstable with
respect to space. For the atmosphere
changes speedily, filling with and
being cleared of the clouds a few
times a day and displaying the
changes of weather, thus
corresponding to the passage of
seconds in time. And the earth,
which is the floor of the house of
the world, undergoes continuous
changes through the cycles of life
and death and in vegetation and
animals, and like the hand showing
the passage of minutes, demonstrates
the transience of the world. Like
its surface, the inside of the
earth, where convulsions and
upheavals cause great changes like
earthquakes, the emergence of
mountains in some places and
subsidence in others, also shows,
like the hour hand of a clock, the
mortality of the world. As for the
sky, which is the roof the world,
through the like movements of
heavenly bodies, the appearance of
comets and falling stars, and the
solar and lunar eclipses, it
demonstrates that it is not stable
either, going to a final ruin.
However slow-like the passage of
weeks-are the changes in it, they
also show that the world is mortal
and moves to its inevitable end.
Thus,
all the ‘pillars’ on which the
world was built are continually
shaking it. That shaking world
considered with respect to its
Maker, whose movements and changes
are like the movements of the Pen of
the Divine Power writing the
missives of the Eternally
Besought-of-All, all the
transformations taking place in the
world are like ever-renewed or
ever-polished mirrors which reflect
the manifestations of Divine Names
in all different qualities. However,
when considered with respect to
itself and being a material, created
entity, the world continually
convulses and moves to decay and
death. Although it moves like a
flowing water, heedlessness has
frozen it and (philosophical)
naturalism has solidified it, making
it a veil to conceal and forget the
afterlife. The defective philosophy,
nourished by modern scientific
thought and supported by the
alluring amusements of corrupt
modern civilization and the
intoxicating desires it arouses in
people, makes the world more turbid
and increases its solidity, causing
people to completely forget the
Creator and the afterlife.
The
Quran removes heedlessness which
gives rise to naturalism
Whereas, through its verses
like,
The
Calamity! What is the
calamity? (al-Qari‘a,101.1-2)
When
the inevitable event befalls
(al-Waqi‘a, 56.1), and
By
the Mount, and a Scripture
inscribed (al-Tur, 56.1-2),
The
Quran shatters this world and
cards it like cotton or wool.
Through its statements like,
Have
they not considered the
dominion and inner aspect of
the heavens and the earth?
(al-A‘raf, 7.185)
Have
they not then observed the
sky above them, how We have
constructed it? (Qaf, 50.6)
Did
not those who do not believe
know that the heavens and
the earth were of one piece,
then We parted them? (al-Anbiya’,
21.30)
It
gives that world a transparency
and removes its turbidity.
Through its bright,
light-diffusing ‘stars’
like,
God
is the Light of the heavens
and the earth (al-Nur,
24.35) and
The
life of this world is but a
play and amusement (al-An‘am,
6.32)
It
melts that solid world.
Through its threatening verses
which recall death, such as,
When
the sun is folded up (al-Takwir,
81.1).
When
the heaven is cleft asunder
(al-Infitar, 82.1).
When
the heaven is split asunder
(al-Inshiqaq, 84.1).
The
Trumpet is blown, and all
who are in the heavens and
who are on the earth fall
down senseless, save those
whom God wills (al-Zumar,
39.68).
It
utterly destroys the delusion that
the world is eternal.
And through its thunder-like
blasts like,
He
knows all that enters the
earth and all that emerges
therefrom and all that comes
down from the heaven and all
that ascends therein, and He
is with you wherever you may
be. God sees all that you do
(al-Hadid, 57.4).
Say:
‘Praise be to God, Who
will show you His signs, so
that you shall know them.
Your Lord is not unaware of
what you do’ (al-Naml,
27.93).
It
removes heedlessness which gives
rise to naturalism.
Thus,
the verses of the Quran which are
concerned with the universe follow
that principle the aspects of which
have been mentioned above. They
unveil the reality of the world and
display it as it is. By showing the
ugly face of the world, it turns man
away from it, and by pointing out
its beautiful face which is turned
toward the Maker, it turns man’s
face toward it. It instructs mankind
in true wisdom and teaches them the
meanings of the book of the universe
with little attention to its letters
and decorations. Unlike corrupt,
senseless philosophy, it does not
give itself over to what is ugly
and, causing people to forget the
meaning, lead them to waste their
time on meaningless things, in
pre-occupation with the decorations
of the letters.
Why
does the wise Quran not speak
of beings in the same way as
science and materialistic or
naturalistic philosophy? It
mentions some matters very
briefly, and some others it
seems to speak of in a simple
and superficial way that is easy
for the common people to
understand and does not weary
their minds.
Scientism
and materialistic philosophy have
strayed from the path of truth. As
for the Quran, it is not a book
of science that it should speak of
cosmological matters elaborately.
Its purpose in mentioning certain
facts of creation is rather to make
known the Divine Essence, Attributes
and Names, by explaining the meaning
of the book of the universe, to make
known its Creator. Therefore, it
considers the creation not for its
own sake, but for the sake of
knowledge of its Creator. In
addition, science, besides
considering the creation only for
its own sake, addresses particularly
those specialized in it. The Quran,
however, addresses the whole of
mankind. Since it uses creation as
evidence and proof to guide mankind,
and the majority of mankind are
common people, the evidence should
be manifest and obvious in order to
be understood by the common people
easily. Guidance requires that
things of little importance should
be touched on only and the subtle
points be made understandable by
means of parables. In order not to
mislead people into errors, it
should not change things which in
their view are obvious in a way
which will be of no use or may even
be harmful to them.
For
example, the Quran speaks of the
sun as a ‘moving lamp’ because
it does not mention the sun for its
own sake, but because the sun is the
‘mainstay’ of the order and the
center of the system in the
universe. Order and system are two
means of obtaining the knowledge of
the Creator. When the Quran says,
And the sun runs its course, (36:38)
it suggests the well-ordered
disposition of Divine Power in the
revolutions of winter and summer,
and day and night, and therefore
implies the majesty of the Maker.
Thus, whatever the reality of this
‘running’ is, it does not harm
the intended meaning, which is the
observed order woven into the
structure of the universe.
The
Quran also says: And He made the
sun as a lamp (78:13) By depicting
the sun as a ‘lamp,’ the Quran
calls to mind that the world is like
a palace, the contents of which are
the decorations, provisions and
other necessities prepared for man
and for other living creatures, with
the sun like a lamp to illuminate
it. Therefore it implies the mercy
and bounty of the Creator.
Now
consider how science and
materialistic philosophy deal with
the sun: The sun is an enormous mass
of burning gases. It causes the
planets which have been flung off
from it to revolve around it. It is
of such and such size, and it is of
such and such qualities... It gives
to the spirit no perfection of
knowledge apart from a terrible
dread and bewilderment. It does not
approach the matter as the Qur’an
does. From this comparison, you can
judge the value of the merely
scientific and philosophical way of
thinking, the former being outwardly
splendid but inwardly hollow. So do
not be taken in by the outward worth
of scientific descriptions and so
become disrespectful towards the
most miraculous style of the Qur’an!
O
God! Make of the Quran for us
and for all who copy it a cure
for all our sickness; a
companion to us and to them in
life and after death; a friend
in the world, a confidant in the
grave, and an intercessor on the
Day of Judgment. Make it a light
on the (Bridge of) Sirat, a veil
and a screen from Hellfire, a
friend in Paradise, and a guide
and a leader to all good deeds,
by Your grace, munificence,
beneficence, and mercy, O Most
Munificent of the Munificent and
Most Merciful of the Merciful!
Amen.
O
God! Bestow blessings and peace
on him to whom You sent the wise
Quran, the Criterion of Truth
and Falsehood, and on all his
family and Companions! Amen!
The
Quran’s wisdom and human
philosophies
A
most true evidence for the nobility
of the wise Quran, the clearest
proof its truth and a most powerful
sign of its miracluousness, is this:
The
Quran contains and explains all
the degrees of manifestation of
Divine Unity in all its varieties
(Unity of Divine Being, Unity of
Divine Attributes, Unity of Divine
Names, Unity of Divine acts,
affirming His ‘positive’
Attributes and affirming Him to be
free of any kind of defects and
shortcomings, etc.) and with all the
requirements of these degrees and
varieties, and never detracts from
the balance among them. It also
maintains the equilibrium among the
elevated Divine truths. Moreover, it
contains all the commandments and
principles required by all of the
Divine Names and maintains exact,
sensitive relationships among them.
Also, it holds together all the acts
and functions of God’s Divinity
and Lordship with perfect balance
(not attaching more importance to
some exclusively). Thus, this
containing, maintaining and holding
with balance is a matchless virtue
and characteristic, which is not to
be found in the works of even the
greatest minds among mankind. It is
to be found in neither the works of
saints who have penetrated the inner
realities of things, nor the books
of the ‘Illuminists’ who
discerned the inner aspects of
things and events, nor the products
of the knowledge of wholly purified
scholars who have penetrated the
world of the Unseen. It is as if,
according to the principle of the
division of labor, each group have
been devoted to one of the branches
of the mighty tree of truth, busied
with only its leaves and fruits in
unawareness or neglect of the
others.
The
absolute, unlimited truth cannot be
comprehended by restricted minds and
visions. It can be comprehended only
by the vision of the Qur’an which
is universal and all-encompassing.
The others no matter if they also
benefit from the Qur’an, cannot
comprehend the universal truth in
its entirety, with their limited
minds, restricted to only a few
parts of it and wholly absorbed in
them. They frequently go to
extremes, dwelling on one or two
points more than the others, thus
destroying the balance and accurate
relations among the truths. We will
try to approach this point with a
parable, which is as follows:
A
parable to understand the Qur’an’s
and human philosophy’s approach to
existence
Suppose
there were some treasure under the
sea, full of numerous jewels of
every kind. Divers plunge into the
sea to search for those jewels but
since their eyes are closed, they
try to find them with dexterous use
of their hands. One of them seizes a
somewhat big diamond and concludes
that the treasures consist of that
diamond only. When he hears of other
jewels from his friends, he thinks
that they are facets or
embellishments of that diamond.
Another one finds a round ruby and
still another, a square amber, and
so on. Each of them assumes that the
treasure consists of what he has
found only, the others being its
parts, facets or embellishments.
This
kind of thought and attitude
destroys the balance and accurate
relations among truths, and even
changes the color of many of them.
One is compelled to make forced
interpretations and detailed
explanations in order to see the
true color of truths or show them to
others. Some even go so far as to
deny or falsify them. Those who make
a careful study of the books of the
‘Illuminists’ and the works of
the Sufi masters who rely on their
visions and illuminations without
weighing them on the scales of the
Quran and the Sunna of the
Prophet, will undoubtedly confirm
this judgment of ours. Although
these have benefited from the Quran
and generally been taught by it,
their teachings have certain
shortcomings and are defective
because they are not the Quran
itself. The verses of the Quran,
which is the ocean of truths,
encompass and see the whole of the
treasure and describe the jewels in
so harmonious and balanced a way
that they show their beauty
perfectly.
For
example, just as the Quran sees
and shows the grandeur of Divine
Lordship expressed by the verses,
The whole earth is His handful on
the Day of the destruction of this
world and building of the next, and
the heavens are rolled up in His
Right Hand (al-Zumar, 39.67) and The
day when We shall roll up the
heavens like a scroll rolled up for
books (al-Anbiya’, 21.104), so too
it sees and shows the
all-encompassing Mercy expressed by
these: God, nothing on the earth or
in the heavens is hidden from Him.
He it is Who shapes you in the wombs
as He pleases (Al ‘Imran, 3.5-6);
Not a moving creature but He grasps
it by the forelock (Hud, 11.56), and
How many a moving creature there is
that bears not its own provision.
God provides for it and for you (al-Ankabut,
29.60).
Also,
just as it sees and points out the
vast extent of the creativity
expressed by (He) has created the
heavens and the earth and made the
darkness and the light (al-An‘am,
6.1), so too it sees and shows the
comprehensive Divine disposal of
things and His encompassing Lordship
by He creates you and what you do
(al-Saffat, 37.96). It sees and
shows the mighty truth expressed by
He gives life to the earth after its
death (al-Rum, 30.50) and the truth
concerning His munificence,
expressed by Your Lord has inspired
the bee (al-Nahl, 16.68), and the
great truth concerning His
Sovereignty and command, expressed
by The sun and the moon and the
stars subservient by His command
(al-‘Araf, 7.54).
The
Quran sees and shows the truth of
compassion and administration
expressed by Do they not observe the
birds above them in ranks, spreading
their wings and closing them? None
uphold them save the Most Merficul;
indeed He sees all things (al-Mulk,
67.19), and the vast truth expressed
by His Seat includes the heavens and
the earth, and he is never weary of
preserving them (al-Baqara, 2.255),
and the truth concerning His
overseeing, expressed by He is with
you wheresoever you may be (al-Hadid,
57.4), and the all-embracing truth
expressed by He is the First and the
Last and the Outward and the Inward,
and He knows all things (al-Hadid,
57.3), and His being nearer to
beings than themselves, expressed by
Truly, We have created man and know
what his soul whispers to him; We
are nearer to him than his jugular
vein (Qaf, 50.16), and the elevated
truth expressed by The angels and
the Spirit ascend to Him in a day
the span of which is fifty thousand
years (al-Ma‘arij, 70.4), and the
all-encompassing truth expressed by
God enjoins justice and absolute
kindness, and giving to kinsfolk,
and forbids all shameful deeds, and
things abominable to sound
conscience, and injustice and
rebellion (al-Nahl, 16.90).
In
short, the Quran sees and shows
in detail all the truths concerning
this world and the next, pertaining
to knowledge and practice, and each
of the six pillars of faith. It also
points out purposefully and
earnestly each of the five pillars
of Islam, and all the other
principles of securing the happiness
in both worlds. It preserves the
exact balance and maintains the
accurate relationship and proportion
among them. The subtlety and beauty
originating from the harmony of the
entirety of those truths give rise
to a form of the Quran’s
miraculousness.
It
is because of this mighty truth that
although the scholars of theology
are the students of the Quran and
have written numerous volumes on the
pillars of faith, since like the Mu‘tazilites
a certain portion of them have
preferred reason over transmitted
knowledge originating from Divine
Revelations, they have not been able
to explain them as effectively as
even ten verses of the Quran. It
is simply as though they have dug
tunnels under the mountains as far
as the end of the world to obtain
and convey water. They have gone
along with the chains of cause and
effect as far as the beginning of
time and then, cutting the chains,
jumped over to eternity to obtain
the knowledge of God, which is the
water of life for people, and prove
the existence of the Necessarily
Existent One. As for the Quranic
verses, each can extract ‘water’
from every place like the staff of
Moses, opening up a window from
everything and making known the
Majestic Maker. It is also due to
this reality that since the leaders
of all the heretical groups who have
delved into the inner nature of
things, who, not following the Sunna
of the Prophet, upon him be peace
and blessings, but relying instead
on their visions, have returned from
half way and formed different sects,
they have been unable to preserve
the proportion and balance of
truths, and so fallen into heresy
and misguidance and caused the
deviation of certain groups of
people. Thus, their disability also
demonstrates the miraculousness of
the Quran.
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