The Anvil of Truth: 11/29/20

Sam Shamoun "Revisiting the Issue of Allah’s Divine Corporation"

The resurrection in the hereafter is described in the Quran as a physical reality. Many arguments are given, which are beyond the scope of this article.

The Quran also says the resurrection is a moral necessity that will allow the judgement in truth of the creatures endowed with freewill and moral responsibility 10:4. Our activities are not confined only to the physical world but have tangible, physical effects in the hereafter which is shaped and formed with our current deeds.

The Quran uses the reality of man's development from lifeless matter, foetus in the womb, child, youth, old age and death to point how the process of change from one state to another is evolutionary as well as retrogressive, similarly to the cycle of the universe till the Resurrection; birth, degeneration, destruction and rebirth 22:5. There is continuity, coherence and progression in divine creation. It then gives the reason why this evolutionary cycle of life has been decreed

22:6"This is because Allah is the Truth"

Allah is the supreme embodiement of Truth and all truth originates from Him

3:60"The truth is from your Lord, so be not of the doubters".

This is among the finest Quranic expressions, using from/min to describe God's relation with Truth. It denotes origin and starting point. When the purest truth is from Allah, how could He then indulge in vain and puposeless activities? Everything Allah creates therefore stems from an inner purpose based on Truth, and He is the Ultimate Truth

22:62,45:22"And Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth and that every soul may be rewarded for what it has earned and they shall not be wronged".

Falsehood, or a system devoid of higher purpose is bound to cease and perish, nor can it be the origin of things 34:49. Divine creation obeys to higher laws in which no human could have had a hand in

23:71"And should the truth follow their low desires, surely the heavens and the earth and all those who are therein would have perished".

That depiction of the purpose and meaning of the universe, and the place it ultimately leads to, is treated by the Quran like such an undeniable truth, observable within and outside of man, that any other system is deemed intellectually inconceivable

7:185"Have they, then, never considered [God's] mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth, and all the things that God has created, and [asked themselves] whether, perchance, the end of their own term might already have drawn nigh? In what other tiding, then, will they, after this, believe?".

When everything in the observable or intellectually conceivable universe is obviously caused as well as interdependant, it must have had a beginning and will eventually end. This leads us to predicate the existence of an Independant Primary Cause which is beyond the limits of our experience and the needs of the universe it created. The absence of external needs necessitates that creation must be for a higher purpose that does not affect the Primary Cause. When falsehood appears in that system, it is an anomaly that disrupts the truth. And since truth is never fully restored in this world, and falsehood always remains in conflict with it, then there must come a place where the conflict will end and only truth remains. As the above verse says, no other tiding is possible given God's dominion over all things.

The creation of the universe was therefore not the outcome of chance, nor the result of a purposeless activity from a superior Being

38:27"And We did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them in vain; that is the opinion of those who disbelieve".

The universe's creation was not done for mere amusement 44:38-40. Its creation is for a higher purpose that shall fully unfold once this world ceases to exist and another world is ushered where the Creator imposes perfect justice. The Self-Sufficient created a system that does neither add nor increase in His glory, no matter the outcome. It is for our own sake to give us the opportunity of spiritual betterment and consequent reward 67:2. That is why Man cannot be left unaccountable for rejecting the evidence that surrounds him and that attests to a higher purpose of existence, nor for being ungrateful to God's mercy by turning the world into a place of oppression and injustice 11:7. On the other hand he cannot be left unrewarded when he fulfills the upright role for which he was created, and recognizing the supreme Creator's work. If such a day of retribution does not come and this world continues without end or ends abruptly such that neither its pious are fully recognized nor the evil ones justly punished, then this means that its Creator is one that indulges in falsehood and purposeless activities. Like a spectator, He is witnessing a drama of the oppression and the oppressed, and when gets bored, dismantles this world. He might as well leave this drama continue unabated forever.

Being the Self-Sufficient above all the needs of the worlds, if God's wish was to "indulge in a pastime", meaning to satisfy a hyptothetical need, He would have found it within Himself without any necessity to create this universe, the heavens and all that inhabit it

21:16-17"And we did not create the heaven and the earth and what is between them for play. Had We wished to make a diversion, We would have made it from our side/presence/LADUNNA: by no means would We do (it)".

LADUNNA is composed of LADUN, pointing to an entity, place or time and NA means Us. The passage excludes any kind of created entity whether in the heavens or the earth, as capable of satisfying God's need for amusement. That is why such amusement can only exist within God. The end of the verse also shows that the Creator's absolute uniqueness and independance of any need reaches such extent, that even though amusement could be found within His own self, and thus answering his need for entertainement without compromising His unity and self-sufficiency, it remains out of the question. This is because the mere existence of a "need" contradicts Allah's supreme essence.

The passage speaks of people that deny the resurrection and ensuing moral accountability. The implication of that position is a situation as the one described earlier, with God indulging in purposeless activities just for the sake of entertainement. But when Allah's Self-sufficiency contradicts that notion, and that such hypothetical need could be found within His own self, then that very universe would not even exist in the first place.

The reality however is that the sentient beings -men and jinn- are referred to as the 2 weighty things who shall be attended to 55:31, pointing to their central role in the higher purpose of creation. This universe is running its course leading to an appointed time where these 2 weightiest issues will be dealt with. As the prophet Solomon states when speaking of the higher realities of the universe, in a context where great stress is laid on the necessity of spritiual improvement

Prov3:19"The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with discernment".

The very ability to speak with soundness and clarity, the utmost evidence of a conscious and intelligent aptitude, is proof for a purposeful universe 51:23. When intelligent minds speak and act to express a purpose, then this universe which is the manifestation of God's creative speech, must also be an expression of purpose.

Further reading on the subject;

Our universe was and is continuously created with wisdom and purpose. Such wisdom and purpose are always tied to God's mercy; from the alternation of the day and night providing us with periods of rest and activity 30:23, down to the very clothes we wear which the Quran refers to as "coming down from heaven", everything around us is filled with obvious signs of His power, providence and wisdom. The vastness and complexity of the universe are among the evidences put at mankind's disposal, of the might and all encompassing knowledge of the supreme Creator, as well as the relative insignificance of the human being from the point of view of creation and consequent resurrection

40:57,79:27,65:12"It is Allah Who has created the seven heavens and the earth and from the later the like thereof. His Command descends between them at all times that you may know that Allah is Omnipotent over all things and His Omniscience encompasses surrounds all things"

The Quran treats contemplation on that amazing creation as a means by which one may worship the Creator

3:190-1"Verily in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day, there are signs for the possessors of intellects. Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and mediate on the creation of the heavens and the earth, (seriously saying) 'Our Lord! You have not created (all) this in vain! Glory be to you! Save us then from the torment of the Fire'".

Besides size and complexity, beauty itself is a factor the Quran stresses as an equally important sign pointing to the Creator. Evidently, things could have looked much different than they do and yet even the most common things like an ant or the moon, when observed closely fill us with awe.

Each of God's attributes manifests itself in some way in our world, to provide mankind with indications of a superior being. If we take His attribute of power for instance, among the most compelling and mind-blowing manifestations of it is the physical universe, unceasingly amazing and confusing the greatest minds that ever lived the deeper they observe and ponder upon it

67:3-4"Who created the seven heavens one above another; you see no incongruity in the creation of the Beneficent Allah; then look again, can you see any disorder? Then turn back the eye again and again; your look shall come back to you confused while it is fatigued".

The discovery of countless worlds beyond our solar system, all stranger than the other in terms of their inner conditions, enhance even further the significance of the signs of nature man is repeatedly told to ponder upon, testifying to God's bounty. When one sees how improbable it is for life to be sustained in this seemingly boundless universe, and yet how flourishing it is in our world, how could one negate intent and purpose in creation? And when one adds the element of ease and all encompassing control over originating and sustaining the universe, then how could someone argue that our relative insignificance entails disinterest from the Creator? The more we look into the universe, the more there is in fact indication that we are not insignificant.

Looking closer to us is the moon. It controls the length of the day and ocean tides, which affect the biological cycles of lifeforms on our planet. The moon also contributes to Earth's climate by stabilizing Earth's spin axis, offering an ideal environment for life to develop and evolve. The size ratio between the earth and its satellite is unique from all the worlds observed until now, and it is this ratio that allows these vital phenomena to occur

25:2"It is He who has created all things and ordained them in due proportions".

The self-evident truth in the cosmos of intelligent design is among the major arguments stressed by the messengers. Casting doubt on this clear truth is at odds with human nature 14:10"Their messengers said, "Can there be doubt about Allah, Creator of the heavens and earth?". The passage continues, saying that this reality is self evident to the extent that one can literally see God's imprint in the universe 14:19"Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth?"

The existence of a Creator is now clearer than it ever was. In this age we live in, miracles in the sense of occurrences that bend the expected laws of nature are obsolete. Although the general scenery of creation described in the Quran as a sign to reflect upon is enough to alert the conscious heart to the miracles surrounding us, the advanced tools at our disposal have magnified these miracles to an unprecedented degree, ironically the very tools of those who are often the first to deny God's existence. Those whose minds are bent at denying it are left with nothing more than engaging in sophistry, pushing the boundaries of probabilities to unreasonable extent so as to allow for the most infinitesimal chance for doubt.

In the meantime, anywhere mankind concentrates its most advanced scientific observation, the more the signature of an intelligent design is apparent. This reality applies to the vastness of the universe down to machine like programming of the DNA. An entity capable of initiating massively complex information must have preceded all things. That entity must, as a consequence be transcendental ie beyond matter, as well as unbound by time and space which both had a beginning.

There is an impressive amount of theories to explain the great mystery of how the very first gene and self replicating molecule originated, among them one that focuses on montmorillonite clay. This abundant, inorganic blend of minerals is known to be a chemical catalyst, the crucial precursor to RNA formation, as well as a means by which chemical reactions can be confined and protected until the possible development of cellular membranes. But until now science has been unable to test and repeat any of those suggestions, including the clay model, to produce the first living cell. Even on a theoretical level, the attempts to explain the pathway from non-living to living matter have so far not achieved the states of complexity that are anywhere near that of the simplest known living systems. In fact some have began arguing that the "p-value" (calculated probability for a hypothesis to be true) for nature to produce the complexity of the genetic code is so small that it should be soundly rejected by science. The only counter to this inevitable conclusion is the multiverse theory, the existence of an infinite number of unseen, untestable entities, which is actually just a way of conceding that the only alternative to obvious reality is utter absurdity. Only intelligent minds can produce significant levels of functional information. Since even the simplest lifeforms require high levels of information, the scientific evidence for intelligent design becomes impressive. Even then, one still has to explain how does intelligent design initiate an information without any previous examples, references, experiences. This, the Quran answers through the phrase

2:117"badeeu/Innovator and initiator of the heavens and the earth".

The connotation of the word is that, contrary to all creative endeavours, He creates without any blueprint, preexisting inspiration, experience. He does so through His word "and if HE decreed an order done, He only says be and it is". This is why God is the "best of creators".

This vast universe is a highly complex entity that will keep on evading man's grasp despite his ability to observe it and physically test it. Its complexity is such that God even swears by

91:5"the building of it"

as denoted with the impersonal "ma". That complexity however does not entail difficulty to Allah, who brought it to existence through His creative word "Be". Neither did the process tire Him in the least. If that is true, as repeatedly affirmed in the Quran, then how relatively insignificant is man's initial creation 79:27?

These allusions to difficulty and simplicity are all from the human being's viewpoint. The idolaters ackowledged God as the Originator of the Cosmos, and yet denied the concept of resurrection of that same universe, more particularily of mankind. This denial was rooted in the argument of difficulty, complexity

17:49-51"And they say, "When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we [truly] be resurrected as a new creation?" Say, "Be you stones or iron or whatever you think is harder to bring to life".

But if, as they thought, God was able to originate creation, then it logically follows it should be easier to repeat that task 30:27. This is clearly speaking from their perspective as is the case in 17:49-51, using an imperfect example that denotes mutability to God; a hard task becoming easier the second time. The Quran denies elsewhere the flawed logical deduction from the point of view of God's might

50:15"Were We then fatigued with the first creation? Yet are they in doubt with regard to a new creation".

This is the correct logical way to look at creation vs re-creation from the angle of difficulty. It wasnt hard the first time, why will it be the second time

46:33"Have they not considered that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and was not tired by their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes indeed, He has surely power over all things".

Again

31:28"Neither your creation nor your raising is anything but as a single soul"

Clearly both creation and re-creation are as easy to Allah, the Supreme.

The verse 30:27 ends by stating that the loftiest example/mathal is with Allah. This is because the previously mentioned example that implies mutability from the human perspective, was an imperfect simile, adressed to imperfect minds that can never grasp the true extent of the divine. No wordly process can accurately describe God's attributes of might and creation. He may give us examples to illustrate how His attributes manifest in our world, but these examples are bound to be deficient, none of them can even come close to describing God's reality

42:11"nothing is like a likeness of Him".

Man's own conscience, his self-reproaching, chiding inner self, his quest for justice and his awareness of good and evil 75:1-15,91:8 should be a more than enough rational evidence for the necessity of a day of perfect, complete, moral and material justice

16:39"So that He might make manifest to them that about which they differ, and that those who disbelieve might know that they were liars".

That perspective constitutes the inner/abstract evidence of an intelligent design, in contrast to the outer/physical evidence depicted above.

If within the microcosm of his own self, his own nature demands moral equity and justice, reward and punishment, how may one imagine that the macrocosm with all its majesty be deprived of a great just tribunal? And if one knows that this justice cannot be met totally and perfectly in any other way than at the hands of a perfect judge able to restore the balance of justice, and that this judge cannot be found in this world, then no sensible man can deny that there must exist a place where these demands will be fulfilled, leading to the inevitable gathering of all morally accountable entities before their Creator 10:4.

That is the underlying wisdom behind the oath sworn in 95:1-8; The 2 places most associated with the prophets, testify to mankind having been created in the best of molds, one that can rise to the highest spiritual rank, that of a prophet of God. This sense of morality which is the special feature of man logically implies that it should be found to perfection in the One who originally instilled them. And thus man's very nature is what testifies to the existence of the Wisest of all Judges and of a day of ultimate justice. The HB refers to that concept with the following

Prov20:27"Man's soul is the Lord's lamp, which searches out all the innermost parts".

Something inside of man acts like a lamp to help him discern right from wrong among his impulses and desires.
Therefore, unless one comes to believe in the absurd idea that a rational being like man has stumbled into an irrational system of the universe and a moral being like man has happened to be born in a world which basically has nothing to do with morality, he cannot deny the life hereafter

75:14-5"man is evidence against himself, Though he puts forth his excuses".

This is the underlying idea behind the oaths in 75:1-2,91:7-10.

Even at a superficial, strictly physical sense, mankind overwhelmingly seeks perpetuality, biological or material, while disliking perdition and mortality. This tendency, well illustrated in Adam and Eve's failure at the garden where Iblis played precisely upon their desire for immortality to make them err, also provides hints and indications, within man himself for a Hereafter and everlasting life.
God does not indulge in vain and purposeless activites 21:16-18,23:115 as already stated above, and there is therefore no rationality in denying the Hereafter. Those who do so have distorted their own nature and common sense 83:12 and are following base desires to continue roaming this world at will 75:5.

Living a life where misdeeds do not always have consequences if one is able to outsmart the system, and where one does not have to morally answer for the way in which he makes use of his advantages, is an attractive idea. It appeals to man's base desire and hasty nature. But the reality is that man owns nothing, that whatever he has came by way of a trust and will one day return to the true owner. The judge will then assess the manner in which His trustee made use of what came under his dominion

14:32-33,17:70,14:34"And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them; most surely man is very unjust, very ungrateful".

So with the privilege of vicegerency on Earth comes the accountability for good and evil actions

75:36"Does man think that he is to be left to wander without an aim?".

This mercy of God is repeatedly treated as unavoidably leading to a court of justice

27:83-90,50:6-11,78:6-17,102:8"Then, on that Day, you shall certainly be called to account for the blessings and comforts of life".

The Hereafter is therefore a direct consequence of the perfect attributes of the creator, including Him being Al-Rahman (the Most Gracious) and Al-Rahim (the Ever Merciful), bringing about a day to judge between the good and the evil

6:12"He will certainly gather you together on the day of Resurrection, the coming of which is beyond any doubt whatever".

The notion of freedom without responsibility is the negation of divine justice and wisdom, a slander against Allah

39:9,38:28,32:15-20,45:21,68:35-36"Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin? What has happened to you? How do you judge?" 55:60"Is the reward of goodness aught but goodness?" 95:8"Is not Allah the best of the Judges?" 4:147"Why should Allah chastise you if you are grateful and believe? And Allah is the Multiplier of rewards, Knowing".

Or as stated in the Hebrew Bible

Ezek18:30,Prov24:12"Is it not so that He Who counts hearts understands, and He Who guards your soul knows, and He will requite a man according to his deed?"

None except those who lack understanding of the ultimate spiritual realities refuse that concept

Prov28:5"Men of evil do not understand judgment, but those who seek the Lord understand everything".

It is considered by the Prophet Solomon as the greatest evil to think that the ultimate end for all of humanity is the same, regardless of each individual's spiritual condition and deeds Ecc9:2-3. The idea flows throughout the Hebrew Bible, that the deeds, good or bad, will eventually meet their corresponding consequences

Ecc3:16-17"I saw under the sun, [in] the place of justice, there is wickedness, and [in] the place of righteousness, there is wickedness. I said to myself, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every deed there".

Accountability and a perfect seperation between good and evil is a natural consequence of the order of a universe whose basis is the Truth.

And so the righteous, throughout the Quran, are spoken of as the "inheritors" of the Paradise because just as it is fair and expected for the rightful heir to receive his due in this world, and to deprive him of it would be a great crime and injustice, so too are the righteous to receive their due share in the hereafter, of the payment they have been promised in exchange of leading a certain way of life.
Therefore there must be a place where Truth will manifest itself in absolute sovereignty and since it isnt in our world the existence of another place where Truth can demonstrate itself fully is necessary

14:48"On the day when the earth shall be changed into a different earth".

It is among the most repeated promises in the Quran, that judgement will be perfect and all dues given accordingly

40:20"And Allah judges with the truth" 53:31"that He may reward those who do evil according to what they do, and (that) He may reward those who do good with goodness" 4:123"(This) shall not be in accordance with your vain desires nor in accordance with the vain desires of the followers of the Book; whoever does evil, he shall be requited with it, and besides Allah he will find for himself neither a guardian nor a helper".

The Quran repeatedly treats this reality as self-evident and a natural demand of human reason, no one can deny the Day of Judgement on the basis of reason and rationality. In the Hebrew Bible, the prophet Malachi lamented to his people who had lost that reality from sight, thinking that because the wicked prospers, and the righteous are afflicted and stumble then it means the former are God's favored, and if it isnt the case then it means God's judgement is defective

Malachi2:17"You have wearied the Lord with your words, and you say, "How have we wearied [Him]?"-By your saying, "Every evildoer is good in the Lord's sight, and He desires them," or, "Where is the God of judgment?""

They thus reasonnned that it is useless to worship and dedicate themselves to God, and turned to other deities

Mal3:14-15"You have said, "It is futile to serve God, and what profit do we get for keeping His charge and for going about in anxious worry because of the Lord of Hosts?" And now we praise the bold transgressors. Yea, those who work wickedness are built up. Yea, they tempt God, and they have, nevertheless, escaped".

The Anvil of Truth

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Sam Shamoun "A MONK WONDERS: WHO DOES ALLAH PRAY TO?"

Sam Shamoun "Revisiting the Issue of Allah’s Divine Corporation"