The surah then returns to citing more of God's favors to mankind. "Allah sendeth down water from the sky and therewith reviveth the earth after her death. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for a folk who hear " (65). As a result of this process, cereal, crops, and fruits of different kinds grow out of soil, manure, and fertilizing substances. Who controls and regulates the relationship between such paradoxes? "And lo! in the cattle there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from betwixt the refuse and the blood, pure milk palatable to the drinkers "(66). Cows do not manufacture the milk they produce, nor is a cow's body the real or ultimate source of her milk. Likewise, chickens lay eggs without having any idea of what minerals and other nutrients are contained therein. All this begs the question: Who is behind this grand and marvelous design? Who makes it all work in such harmony, compatibility, efficiency, and balance? The answer is God Almighty, yet, alas, how few of us appreciate this tremendous fact or reciprocate it with any real show of obedience and gratitude to Him. Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali [ 1917 - 1996 ] Excerpt from " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an " Reflection and commentary by Imam Dr Yusuf Kavakci
On Materialists, secularists, agnostics.....from Abu Jahl to Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hichen...
MATERIALISTS, SECULARISTS, and animists do not believe in divine revelation. The Arabs of Makkah were idol-worshipers who did not believe in a life to come. When the Prophet told them that he had received divine revelation which taught that the physical, as well as the metaphysical, world was bigger and more sophisticated than they had come to realize, they turned against him. The Qur'an advised them to refer to the Israelites and the Christians, earlier recipients of divine revelation whom the Qur'an refers to as 'People of the Book' and learn from their experience. This leaves us wondering as to what happened to the revelations which Moses and Jesus had brought to their respective followers? The Old and New Testaments contain statements which are strange and inaccurate. Who, for instance , can believe the Old Testament account that God grew jealous of Adam after he had eaten from the tree of knowledge, and , fearing that he would eat from the tree of eternity and become His contender for power, had him expelled from the Garden of Eden and sent down a s a punishment for him and his offspring? Is it conceivable that God 'killed His only son, Jesus, or allowed him to be killed as atonement for Adam's sin and to facilitate his salvation? These and other myths are among some of the many fabrications which are to be found in the Old and New Testaments, books claimed to be the words of God, such that whoever rejects them " shall never enter the "Kingdom of God" ! The reason that the Qur'an referred the Arabs of Makkah to the People of the Book was only because these had had experience of divine revelation, and not in order for them to learn from their scriptures. Indeed , the Quran corrected certain claims of earlier scriptures: By Allah, We verily sent messengers unto the nations before thee, but the devil made their deeds fairseeming unto them. So he is their patron this day, and theirs will be a painful doom. (63) And We have revealed the Scripture unto thee only that thou mayst explain unto them that wherein they differ, and (as) a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe. (64) the Qur'an is an elucidation if the truth propounded by earlier revelation and a means of salvation for man's soul and sanity. The revelation brought by Muhammad purified and and reconciled man's thinking with earlier religious thought and closed the gap between purely materialistic belief and the belief in the unknown. The surah defines Muhammad's mission thus: "We have revealed unto thee the Remembrance that thou mayst explain to mankind that which hath been revealed for them, and that haply they may reflect. "(44) . Reflection is a healthy function of a sound and vigorous mind, and rational thinking is an essential feature of a sensible mentality. Any system of religious belief which does not address man's rational faculties, or is not in tune with the requirement, or is not in tune with the requirements and limits of human nature, can claim no divine origins. Allah hath said: Choose not two Gods. There is only One God. So of Me, Me only, be in awe. (51) Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth, and religion is His for ever. Will ye then fear any other than Allah? (52) Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali [ 1917 - 1996 ] Reflection and commentary by Imam Dr Yusuf Ziya Kavakci part 5..
Of God's favors, cosmology,disbelievers and skeptics......
The surah goes on to detail other divine favors of God to humans: He it is Who sendeth down water from the sky, whence ye have drink, and whence are trees on which ye send your beasts to pasture. (10) Therewith He causeth crops to grow for you, and the olive and the date-palm and grapes and all kinds of fruit. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect. (11) What causes the rain to fall, and the earth to produce plants, crops and flowers which blossom and appear in such amazing beautiful colors? It never ceases to amaze me how, from the same soil and using the same rain water, different varieties of plants and crops grow to provide food and nourishment for animals and humans alike whilst thick forests and expansive plains exist side by side. How does all this come about, and what power lies behind it all? He hath constrained the night and the day and the sun and the moon to be of service unto you, and the stars are made subservient by His command. Lo! herein indeed are portents for people who have sense. (12) The planet on which we live, and which sustains us, is but a speck in a vast complex universe with countless planets and stars, and we are but a mere drop in an infinite ocean! Although our universe is undoubtedly vast, the power of its Creator is even more immense and awe-inspiring. Nevertheless, despite these overwhelming realities, there are in every generation , people who remain ignorant of God and/or who imagine Him to be apiece of rock or a plank of wood and worship Him as such. Is He then Who createth as him who createth not? Will ye not then remember? (17) And if ye would count the favour of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful. (18) And Allah knoweth that which ye keep hidden and that which ye proclaim. (19) Those unto whom they cry beside Allah created naught, but are themselves created. (20) (They are) dead, not living. And they know not when they will be raised. (21) This surah is also known by the title of "al- Ni'mah", meaning "bounties" or "favors", as it calls on man to remember and value an impressive host of gifts and blessings which God has provided to humans for their use and benefit. As noted earlier, the evidence for God's power and sovereignty as manifested in the wonders of the silent physical world is supported by that which is eloquently articulated in the Qur'an. The two are complementary and used interchangeably to lead mankind to the universal truth and acquaint them with God Almighty. Nonetheless, and despite the signs, skeptics and disbelievers have existed throughout human history. They have slandered God's prophets and branded them liars, rejecting belief in life after death. "And they swear by Allah their most binding oaths (that) Allah will not raise up him who dieth. Nay, but it is a promise (binding) upon Him in truth, but most of mankind know not "(38). The truth is that this life, with all its enjoyments, is transient and will be followed by an external and far richer one. This was the message that no Messenger had ever failed to convey to his people. And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired - Ask the followers of the Remembrance if ye know not! - (43) With clear proofs and writings; and We have revealed unto thee the Remembrance that thou mayst explain to mankind that which hath been revealed for them, and that haply they may reflect. (44) Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali [ 1917 - 1996 ] Reflection and commentary by Imam Dr Yusuf Ziya Kavakci part4....
On thinkers, philosophers, leaders and scholars....... AT THE BEGINNING of the surah, revelation is referred to as 'the spirit' because of its capacity to revive and rejuvenate nations and individuals. He sendeth down the angels with the Spirit of His command unto whom He will of His bondmen, (saying): Warn mankind that there is no God save Me, so keep your duty unto Me. (2) Elsewhere in the Qur'an, Allah has stated: "And thus have We inspired in thee (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. Thou knewest not what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith. But We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our bondmen. And lo! thou verily dost guide unto a right path, (ash-Shura: 52). It is this spirit of the Qur'an which inspired the Arabs and transformed them from a nation of marauding tribes, with a marginal place in history, into a dynamic and vigorous social force that went to lead the world. The surah then takes up the discourse along two main themes, one dealing with revelation and the other with the wonders of nature and the physical world, alternating between them to convey to humankind instructions, explanations, examples, and evidence for the existense of God and His grace to humankind. In the first theme, we are told of the two different responses given by man to the Qur'anic statement that, by, by His will, God: "sendeth down the angels with the Spirit of His command unto whom He will of His bondmen,"[2]. The first response is that of the rejectionists and the hopelessly lost people for: ..when it is said unto them: What hath your Lord revealed? they say: (Mere) fables of the men of old, (24) That they may bear their burdens undiminished on the Day of Resurrection, with somewhat of the burdens of those whom they mislead without knowledge. Ah! evil is that which they bear! (25) In everyday society this kind of rebuttal normally comes from the elite or the leaders and opinion-formers who influence the masses and mislead them. The Prophet is reported to have said: "Whoever advocates a wrong or misleading idea shall bear the accumulative burden of all those who are influenced by it." The responsibility for disseminating false and insiduous ideas among common people should not simply stop at the act of promoting and spreading such information without an examination of or care for its repercussions. Philosophers, thinkers, and writers must be prepared to bear the burden resulting from the effect which their ideas may have on other individuals and on society as a whole. [ by their commission or omission....this addition is not Ghazali's, this is my perception of the ayat which is congruent with Ghazali's, I think. I am just calling a spade a spade and not as polite. Ulama', scholars , thinkers, leaders, shakers and movers of society, parliementarians need to take serious notice that staying in the sideline as just observers is tantamount to guilt. God-given wisdom and knowledge are not free. with it come responsibility and accountability. It not just about taking home that fat paycheque at the end of every month! 'Ulul amri' is a gift with awesome responsibility! Otherwise, if you guys are not up to it, choose to be the 'proverbial' Pak Mat Nyadap...the village idiot. It is definitely a million times better at Yaumiddin. No excess baggage! ] On the other hand, people themselves should also think critically and be ever vigilant and discerning with regard to the principles and odeas they choose to accept and believe in. In other words, they should not allow themselves to be led like sheep. The surah says: Then on the Day of Resurrection He will disgrace them and will say: Where are My partners, for whose sake ye opposed (My Guidance)? Those who have been given knowledge will say: Disgrace this day and evil are upon the disbelievers, (27) Whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging themselves. Then will they make full submission (saying): We used not to do any wrong. Nay! Surely Allah is Knower of what ye used to do. (28) In contrast to this attitude verse 30 points to the stance of the God-fearing, who display a much more intellligent, considered, and sensible response. And it is said unto those who ward off (evil): What hath your Lord revealed? They say: Good. For those who do good in this world there is a good (reward) and the home of the Hereafter will be better. Pleasant indeed will be the home of those who ward off (evil) - (30) The surah goes on to elaborate further on the qualities of these people stating: "Those whom the angels cause to die (when they are) good. They say: Peace be unto you! Enter the Garden because of what ye used to do "(32). The verse is referring to people who will have striven to keep their hearts clean and their lives pure and devoted to the cause of Allah, seeking to serve Him to the best of their ability and do good till the moment of death overcomes them. Faith and righteousness require cultivation and caring, and are strenghtened by incentives and discipline, and with the exercise, application, and enhancement of a host of human instincts, talents, habits, and skills. The surah then turns to the second theme, that of the physical world and the clear effects of God's hand in its structure and existence: He hath created the heavens and the earth with truth. High be He Exalted above all that they associate (with Him). (3) He hath created man from a drop of fluid, yet behold! he is an open opponent. (4) Man's intranssigence is indeed bewildering. No other creature is so well aware of its weakness and frailties, yet dares to challenge the authority of God and deny His grace and favor. The surah illustrates this by pointing to one of the great favors of God to humankind in the verse: "And the cattle hath He created, whence ye have warm clothing and uses, and whereof ye eat; (5) And wherein is beauty for you, when ye bring them home, and when ye take them out to pasture "(6). Profiling the relationship between humans and animals, the Qur'an present a picture that is free of dominance and exploitation. Man, as the master and keeper of animals, is taught to live in harmony with them and treat them with respect. The human and animal roles in this world are complementary and interdependent. Animals are a source of comfort for humans, and should be treated with care and kindness for they are a blessing and a gift from God. Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali [ 1917 - 1996 ] " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an " Reflection and commentary by Imam Dr Yusuf Ziya Kavakci:- part 3...
