Article appeared Friday, May 12th, 2017 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (476) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Has God given us any personal favors that we enjoy? For example, is there anything that we
like doing and derive pleasure and satisfaction? However, is this the only favor of God has
bestowed? Can we think of anything that God has had to do to provide whatever we need from
birth onwards?

For example, as we are individually unique, did He have to create a DNA blueprint for us? With
the unique design of each individual, He gave us existence. In the Quran, He gives us an
overall idea of this.
But He fashioned you in due proportion and breathed into you something of His Spirit.
And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding):
little thanks do you give! [32.9]

What should we be grateful about? Whom should we thank? What do the ability to hear, see
and feel intelligently allow each human being to do? Being coordinated by the Spirit added, do
these abilities place humans above the rest of the creation? In addition, has He created for us a
place to stay?
Who has made the earth your couch and the heaven your canopy; and sent down rain
from the heavens; and brought out from there fruits for your sustenance; then set not up
rivals to God when you know (the truth). [2.22]

Can anyone/anything become a rival to God? As we go through our daily life, to fulfill our needs,
we have taken up the habit of approaching God as well as getting lucky charms, amulets, going
to religious sages, getting religious inscriptions doing whatever we think might work! In doing
so, we effectively make the other things (i.e., created things) equal to God as we imagine that
these things/persons have some sort of power. So, the question is do we need to intelligently
work out who holds the power over our life God or the other things?

Does being unique mean that each of us has been made with individual importance?
We have honored the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea;
given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favors
above a great part of Our Creation. [17.70]

What special favors?

And He gives you of all that you ask for. But if you count the favors of Allah never will
you be able to number them: verily man is given up to injustice and ingratitude. [14.34]

With all these favors, God asks,

And who is more unjust than one who is (repeatedly) reminded of the Verses of his
Lord (through prayers and invitations from others) but turns away from them and
forgets the (repeated demonstration of ingratitude) which his hands have done? Verily
We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this and over their ears
deafness. If you call them to guidance even then will they never accept it. [18.57]

During the five canonical prayers, Muslims are required to repeat verses from the Quran and
take lesson. The question is do we try to understand, derive lessons and apply to our daily life?
If we do not take lesson, is it turning a deaf ear to the Verses that have been revealed by God
as guidance and as commandments? We generally focus on ourselves and our needs,
however, momentarily, is it possible to turn our focus to God? If we did, a mental exercise could
be to think from Gods point of view. In doing so, what thoughts or questions would arise? Can
questions like, who am I? Why did God put in the effort to create me for what purpose? Does
He want something from me? Can questions like this result from the mental exercise?

It is when one starts asking such questions that the guidance and commands given in the
verses of the Quran can start making sense. The purpose of our time on earth is to discover the
truth and reality of God through His favors; turn our thoughts to Him, follow guidance and act as
witness to His Reality by sharing our experiences with others. By sharing experiences that
effectively show the characteristics of God, we effectively become witnesses to His Truth. Those
who claim to be Muslim, therefore, have the following responsibility.
Thus have We made of you an Ummah (Muslim nation) justly balanced that you might
be witnesses over the (other) nations and the Apostle (Prophet Muhammad, pbuh) a
witness over yourselves [2.143]

Turning to God is never too late as,

18.58 But your Lord is Most Forgiving, Full of Mercy. If He were to call them
(humans) to (immediate) account for what they have earned then surely He would
have hastened their Punishment: but they have their appointed time beyond
which they will find no refuge.
The time allotted for each nation to turn to God and bear witness is fixed. The time permitted on
earth for each individual on earth is also fixed. What happened to nations who persisted in
following worldly pursuits while ignoring God and His Purpose?

18.59 Such were the populations We destroyed when they committed iniquities;
but We fixed an appointed time for their destruction.
Generations before you We destroyed when they did wrong: their Apostles came to
them with Clear Signs but they would not believe! Thus do We punish those who sin!
Then We made you heirs in the land after them to see how you would behave! [10.13
10.14]

Being among the living, it is now our turn to do justice to Him. God therefore asks,
Why were there not among the generations before you persons with balanced good
sense prohibiting (men) from mischief in the earth except a few among them whom We
saved (from harm)? But the wrongdoers pursued the enjoyment of the good things of life
(favors) which were given them but persisted in sin. [11.116]

The question is where do we individually stand with God, our Lord and Creator? Have we
worked out who He is and are prepared to share the truth with others, i.e., act as witnesses just
as we promise when we take the oath {1} as Muslims?
Know therefore that there is no god but Allah and ask forgiveness for the fault and for
the men and women who believe: for Allah knows how you move about and how you
dwell in your homes. [47.19]

God Himself bears witness.

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels and those endued with
knowledge standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the
Wise. [3.18]
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{Notes}:
{1} http://muslimconverts.com/howtoconvert/