Article appeared Friday, July 26th, 2013 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (288)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Is there any favor or blessing that man can deny? For example, if we turn to the Quran, the most recent Revelation, we find: And (moreover) He has put affection between their hearts: not (even) if you spend all that is in the earth could you have produced that affection but Allah has done it: for He is Exalted in Might, Wise. [8.63] The Verse talks about a blessing affection; and then it challenges the creation of affection. In how many types of relationships is affection demonstrated? For example, we see affection between brothers and sisters, between friends, between parents and their children, to name just a few types of relationships. What would happen if there was no love and affection, i.e. can you imagine a world without affection? If you subtract the quality of affection from all the different kinds of relationships, what would life be like? So, not only has our Creator created the need for affection, He allows us blessings and enjoyment through affection! Now, in return for lovingly and wisely giving us the quality of affection, how should one react and respond to the Creator? Secondly, the Verse challenges that all of mankind together with all the resources on earth would not be able to create the quality of affection. What does this imply? Suppose that a robot was being manufactured. First of all, could the manufacturer independently invent the concept of affection? Secondly, if he did think of such a concept, could he together with all the robot manufacturers in the world create this quality in a robot? But our Creator has done it. Having done so, what kind of attributes should we credit our Creator with? Can we say that He is most Merciful, Wise and Powerful He not only has He thought up the quality of affection, He designed the functioning of affection and implemented it in a variety of human relationships all to the benefit of human beings! So our Creator has bestowed on us the quality of affection as a part of His Purposeful Design. Why? Why has the Creator gone to the trouble of adding affection to each human being? Another relevant Verse from the Quran enlightens us: It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and (then) He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that you may give thanks (to Allah). [16.78] What kind of gratitude should we demonstrate towards our Creator? Jesus (pbuh) guides us in the Bible as to the most important commandment: The most important one, answered Jesus, is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with your entire mind and with all your strength. [Mark 12:29 30, NIV] {1} In addition to Mark 12, this commandment appears in a number of places in the Bible, e.g. in Matthew 22:37, Luke 10:27, and in a number of chapters in Deuteronomy. In fact, this commandment is linked to the purpose of our creation and our temporary time on earth. The LORD your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul. [Deuteronomy 13:3, NLT] {2} Is it then not just and proper that using our intelligence we should adore and love our Creator to the best of our ability? What might happen if we dont fulfill the purpose of our creation? The purpose of Revelation provided through all the prophets in all the ages, has just been to enlighten us to the fact that we are currently being tested and what would happen if we dont fulfill the purpose of our individual creation. The Quran enlightens us to the fact that given this commandment in Deuteronomy, some people of Moses (pbuh) properly guide/preach others to the truth.

Of the people of Moses there is a section who guide and do justice in the light of truth. [7.159] The Creator enlightens us as to how He interacted with the people of Moses, i.e. the Children of Israel (the descendents of Prophet Jacob) in order that they not only learn wisdom, but be organized to guide others as witnesses to the truth. He also tells us what He did to those who repeatedly disobeyed.

7.160 We divided them into twelve tribes or nations. We directed Moses by inspiration when his (thirsty) people asked him for water: "Strike the rock with your staff": out of it there gushed forth twelve springs: each group knew its own place for water. We gave them the shade of clouds and sent down to them manna and quails (saying): "Eat of the good things We have provided for you": (but they rebelled): to Us they did no harm but they harmed their own souls.
How did the Children of Israel respond to the Creators special care? Unfortunately some responded with sinful disobedience.

7.161 And remember it was said to them: "Dwell in this town and eat therein as you wish but say the word of humility and enter the gate in a posture of humility ; We shall forgive you your faults; We shall increase (the portion of) those who do good." 7.162 But the transgressors among them changed the Word from that which had been given them; so We sent on them a plague from heaven for that they repeatedly transgressed.
Some even went as far as misinterpreting and changing the Words of the Revelation /Commandments. What did the Creator do to the people of a fishing town who were sinfully disobedient?

7.163 Ask them concerning the town standing close by the sea. Behold! they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath. For on the day of their Sabbath their fish did come to them openly holding up their heads but on the day they had no Sabbath they came not: thus did We make a trial of them for they were given to transgression.
The fish only appearing on the Day of Sabbath was among the tests designed by the Creator. Unfortunately, they repeatedly disobeyed despite repeated warnings given by the preachers of the truth.

7.164 When some of them said: "why do you preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?" Said the preachers: "to discharge our duty to your Lord and perchance they may fear him." 7.165 When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them We rescued those who forbade evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to (repeated) transgression. 7.166 When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibition We said to them: "Be you apes despised and rejected."
----{Notes}: {1} http://biblehub.com/mark/12-29.htm {2} http://biblehub.com/deuteronomy/13-3.htm