{"id":137010,"date":"2019-12-31T02:56:28","date_gmt":"2019-12-31T02:56:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=137010"},"modified":"2019-12-31T02:56:31","modified_gmt":"2019-12-31T02:56:31","slug":"reading-the-signs-of-allah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=137010","title":{"rendered":"Reading the signs of Allah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Spahic Omer<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing Almighty Allah communicated\nto mankind through their final messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon\nhim), were the words \u0153Read! In the name of your Lord who has created (all that\nexists)\u009d (al-\u02dcAlaq, 1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the first verse (ayah<\/em>) of\nthe surah<\/em> or chapter al-\u02dcAlaq<\/em> (the Clot). The surah<\/em> ends\nwith the words \u0153Fall prostrate and draw near (to Allah)!\u009d (al-\u02dcAlaq, 19).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This means that the beginning, as well as the total dynamism and disposition, of life should be anchored in a vibrant culture of reading and everything that goes with it such as exploring, researching, questioning, discovering and innovating. The process applies as much to individuals and their personal development as to communities and their collective cultural and civilisational consciousness and evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The net results of such processes should be in support of attaining, internalising and applying the truth. They should help a person understand himself, life and his Creator better. They should make him draw closer to his Creator and Master, and make him submit his total being to His Will, with the prostration representing the ultimate sign of such an advancement and conformity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Life between reading and submission  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mans life purpose and mission reside and\nunfold between the parameters of the heavenly instructions to read \u201c as the\nfirst word of the surah al-\u02dcAlaq<\/em> \u201c and to humbly submit and prostrate to\nAllah and so, constantly draw closer to Him \u201c as the last two words (instructions)\nof the same surah<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading leads to knowledge and wisdom,\nwhich in turn lead to certainty and the truth. Reading enlightens. It is\nbelieving, and believing is doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading is intangible and intellectual. Its\nresults need to be transported into the realm of palpable realities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading is to be an act of devotion. At the\nsame time, it is to lead to the sphere of supreme and ultimate devotion,\nequating itself with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a sequential order, man is created to\nread, know and worship his Creator. He is created to acknowledge and follow the\ntruth. He is to become its epitome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No form of devotion is acceptable without\nreading and knowledge, just as reading and knowledge without devotion are\nuntenable. The truth is the life force of all life dimensions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is life, and life is the truth.\nIn the midst of both of them, man as Allahs vicegerent on earth has been\nthrust. His life is an embodiment of meaning, import and accountability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading here means reciting, studying, internalising, interpreting and applying the signs (ayat<\/em>) of Almighty Allah. Doing so connotes the foundation of all knowledge and wisdom. It is the soul of culture and civilisation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading the revelation and creation <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those signs (ayat<\/em>) are to be found\nat two levels: the level of revelation and the level of creation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That also means that there are two books of\nsigns to be read: the book of revelation, which is the Holy Quran; and the\n\u0153book of creation\u009d, which is the universe with all its proceedings and\nphenomena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two books could further be named al-Quran\nal-tadwini<\/em> (the Quran or scripture revealed to the Prophet Muhammad) and al-quran\nal-takwini <\/em>(the ontological \u0153quran\u009d or \u0153scripture\u009d whose pages and lines\nare the worlds of animate and inanimate beings, occurrences and affairs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both books are replete with signs (ayat<\/em>)\nwhich attest to and authenticate the omnipresence, omnipotence and benevolence\nof the Creator and Sustainer of man and the universe. They are the media\nthrough which Almighty Allah speaks and conveys the truth about Himself, man\nand life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why the verses or sentences of the\nrevealed Quran are called ayat<\/em> or signs, and all natural phenomena and\nevents, big or small, are also called ayat<\/em> or signs. The contents of the\ntwo books are more than just symbols and orations. They are not goals in\nthemselves. Rather, they are sources of active communication, whereby Allah\nreveals Himself and thus helps man come to terms with the absolute truth and\nembrace the right course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is manifested so vividly in every\ntier of the orb of revelation and of that of creation, as much in the minutest\nand least notable as in the grandest and most sophisticated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading the signs (ayat<\/em>) from the\ntwo books leads one to the same conclusions and results. The two readings complement\none another. The truth disclosed within one reading is the same as the one disclosed\nwithin the other, only in different ways and with different levels of\nintensity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The revelation first, the creation second<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the first book to be read and internalised is the revelation or the revealed Quran. Only then can the second reading be successfully undertaken. Reading productively the \u0153book\u009d of creation is conditioned by the former.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the case because in reading the\ncreation man is given more freedom and authority, which if manipulated and mishandled\ncan become deceptive and dangerous. In such a situation, the revelation serves\nto man as inspiration, orientation and frame of reference. From it he departs\nand to it he returns for support and validation of his actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading the creation without revelation is\nperilous and misleading. The furthermost that such can lead man to is the\nthreshold of the truth, never the truth itself. That is why science alone as\nmuch guides as misguides, and as much enlightens as obscures and confuses. Science\nis indeed important and dominant, but by no means invincible and absolute. It\nis mighty, but not almighty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, human reason has its limitations\nand weaknesses. In areas where they overpower it, human reason takes a back\nseat, allowing the revelation to take over. In those areas, human reason still\nplays a role, but it remains second best. It plays second fiddle to the\nrevelation.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whereas reading the revelation only without\nreading the creation is incomplete. It is only a partial activity. Doing so can\nbe as damaging for mans total wellbeing as the earlier scenario. Surely,\nreading the revelation one-dimensionally and ineffectively, without relating it\nto the miracle of life, cannot give man all the answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It follows that mans assignment on earth is but to read the signs and act upon them. That is to be done in myriads of contexts and at myriads of levels. In the process, man is to constantly improve his living conditions and his overall terrestrial stature, encompassing his physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual dimensions. The final results of those pursuits are what we call cultures and civilisations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In passing, man himself is an amalgam of infinite\nsigns. As such, he is the greatest sign of all. He is a microcosm. All his\nreadings should start first and foremost with the self and its intricate\nrelationships with the rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading versus<\/em> misreading <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mans life is tantamount either to the reading\nor the misreading of the signs (ayat<\/em>) of Allah. Reading translates\nitself into the domain of existential successes, while misreading leads to\nexistential failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a person performs his\nreligious rites and rituals as a result of his reading and understanding of\npertinent signs (ayat<\/em>) especially in the revealed Quran, which pertain\nto those rites and rituals and to his personal character and life as the object\nof the signs or ayat<\/em> in question. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, a believer does not just believe,\nin the sense that he blindly and irrationally accepts, or simply supposes or\nthinks that something is true or real. Instead, he confidently knows based on\nthe abundance of revealed and created signs and so, exhibits firm faith that\nsomething is true or real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nor does a believer do good deeds merely\nbecause he has to, or because everybody around him does so, or simply because\nsuch became part of his daily, often senseless, routines. On the contrary, he\ndoes his good deeds because he wants to endorse practically his true knowledge\nand faith. He wants to substantiate the truth at all levels of his existence and\nto become an integral part thereof, one way or another. He wants to live and be\nthe truth. He himself and his life pattern want to become one of the signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This behavioural paradigm is in response to\na number of injunctions of the Holy Quran to the effect that knowledge ought\nto precede every conceptual and actual activity, such as: \u0153Know therefore that there is no god but Allah\u00a6\u009d (Muhammad, 19); and\n\u0153Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual\nboasting, and competition in wealth and children\u00a6\u009d (al-Hadid, 20).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accordingly, no sound faith is possible without sound knowledge,\nand no Islam as a way of life is likely without a synthesis of both of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, believers are often comprehensively described as those who \u0153believe\nin the signs (ayat<\/em>) of their Lord\u009d (al-Muminun, 58), and those who\n\u0153believe with certainty in Our signs (ayat<\/em>)\u009d (al-Sajdah, 24). Most\ncommentators of the Quran agree that the word \u0153signs (ayat<\/em>)\u009d in these\nand similar verses are wide-ranging and include both the revealed and created\nsigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allah moreover portrays believers and their\naffirmative relationship with His signs as follows: \u0153Who, when reminded about the signs of their Lord, do not turn a\nblind eye and a deaf ear to them\u009d (al-Furqan, 73).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On account of this, belief (faith) is\ncalled iman<\/em>. From iman<\/em>s root word the words amn<\/em>\n(security) and amanah<\/em> (trust) are also derived. There is a close\nrelationship between the three terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is to say that believers are so strong\nand confident in their creed and conduct \u201c based on their reading of signs – that\nsuch a state becomes a source of security (amn<\/em>) not only to their own\nselves, but also to their surroundings. Consequently, they become worthy of\nbeing honoured with the miracle of life and earth stewardship as heavenly\ntrusts (amanah<\/em>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because they are at peace with their own\nsouls, believers likewise easily establish peace with Heaven, the order of\nnature and other people. It is no accident, therefore, that while a believer is\ncalled mumin<\/em> (an embodiment of faith, safety, security, peace and\ntrust), Allah too is called Mumin<\/em> (the source and bestower of all\nfaith, safety, security, peace and trust).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parenthetically, Jibril or Gabriel as an\narchangel and the angel of revelation who acts as intermediary between Allah\nand man and was the bearer of revelation (revealed signs) to Prophet Muhammad\n(peace and blessings be upon him) \u201c and to other prophets \u201c was called, due to\nthe significance of his tasks, al-amin<\/em> (the trusted one). For obvious\nreasons, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was also nicknamed al-amin<\/em>\n(the trusted one). And Makkah, as the first physical context where the first\nphase of Islam and the Prophets honourable mission unfolded, was called al-balad\nal-amin<\/em> (the city of security). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these worldly and other worldly systems were put in place and were set in motion only with one objective: to produce and sustain the people of iman<\/em>, amn<\/em> and amanah<\/em>, that is, believers. Unquestionably, a believer: his life, property, blood and dignity, signifies the holiest thing and the greatest sanctity on earth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, a believer is the most expressive\nand persuasive sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, whatever else man does on\nearth as part of his vicegerency mission should be seen only through the prism\nof reading \u201c or misreading \u201c signs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, science with all its branches\nis an attempt to read and benefit from signs in nature (natural sciences), man and\nlife (humanities, social sciences and formal sciences). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, education with all its teaching,\nlearning and research components is also all about understanding, imparting and\nwidening knowledge about signs and the truth. It is about challenging the\nlimits of the known and a potential liberation from it. It is a\nmulti-dimensional task. It is most challenging and hence, most rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to their creativity predilection, art\nand architecture are not only to subsist for the sake of reading and\nimplementing the available signs, but also for generating their own man-made\nsigns. The latter is to seamlessly integrate itself with the former, and to\nrender them more unequivocal and more potent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same holds true as regards economics,\nlaw, technology, culture, etc. Hence, in Islam there is no separation between\nreligion and state, and between the physical and metaphysical realms.\nIntegration is the only way forward. The unity of purpose, mission and goal is\nthe only solution. Just as man as a being is indivisible, his functions and\nobjectives are not divisible either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffice it to say that all the problems that\nbeset man at any plane of his existence are nothing but a form of misreading\nsigns. Indeed, spiritual illiteracy is the ultimate bane of mans life. It is\nlikewise one of the biggest crimes in the sight of Allah. The conventional\nliteracy is not necessarily the redeemer, for outright ignorance, backwardness and\nfabrications are sometimes enforced in its name.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allah says: \u0153Certainly, We have destined many Jinns and human beings for Hell. Those\nare the ones who have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes\nwith which they do not see, they have ears with which they do not hear. They\nare like animals, or even worse than them, because they are those who are\nheedless\u009d (al-Araf, 179).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also: \u0153Do they not travel through the land so that their hearts\n(and mind) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly\nit is not their eyes that are blind but their hearts which are in their\nbreasts\u009d (al-Hajj, 46).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual illiterates neither appreciate nor enjoy life. Only those\nwho understand life and know exactly how to live it, can do so. Living life\nwithout knowing it and without knowing the self \u201c being essentially blind, deaf\nand dumb – is a perennially painful experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, most people are stressed out, depressed and demotivated.\nTrue happiness is becoming exceedingly elusive and hard to come by. People are\nmost of the time impatient, tense and worried. As al-Khidr said to Prophet Musa\n(Moses) when they were on their epic journey \u201c thus acquainting him with a\nforemost principle of life: \u0153And how can you have patience about (be at peace\nand bear with) a thing which you know not?\u009d (al-Kahf, 68).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As another example, Allah says about Prophet \u02dcIsa (Jesus) and his\nmother Maryam (Mary): \u0153And We made the son of Mary and his mother as a sign\n(for mankind)\u00a6\u009d (al-Muminun, 50).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means that all the ideological fallacies surrounding the lives\nand personalities of Jesus and his mother denote the failures of people to\nproperly read and comprehend them as Allahs sign (ayah<\/em>) to mankind.\nSince that was an immense sign, the consequences of the misreading became\ncorrespondingly immense and dire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The absurdity of misreading and rejecting signs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once misread, the signs (ayat<\/em>) of Allah are rejected next.\nThis causes an absurd situation. An act of ignorance, instead of pushing for\nknowledge and annulling the ignorance scourge, leads to haughtiness and\nrejection of that which is unknown but positively exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, how logical is it to regard as untrue and simply reject that\nwhich is unknown, but only because of limited and flawed measures? Resorting to\nsuch a thinking and behaviour is a fallacy. Just as it is fair that believers\nthink and act based on sound knowledge and wisdom alone \u201c as explained earlier\n\u201c the same in equal measure should apply to nonbelievers and their non-belief\nas well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One wonders, therefore, how wise on the part of nonbelievers it is to reject the existence of Allah as the Creator when only tiny portions of man, earth, life and universe are known to them. What do they base their non-belief on? How do they rationalise it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is ludicrous to deny the existence of the Creator in an\nenvironment of the prevalent ignorance concerning His creation. Believing that\nAllah is non-existent is supposed to be \u0153the truth\u009d, but the truth is not compatible,\nnor associable, with ignorance. You never prove or disprove the truth with\nignorance. Only knowledge (wisdom) and the truth can forge a harmonious\nrelationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, you cannot neutralise the light of the sun by shutting yourself up in a dark room and adamantly denying that the light exists. Nor can you undermine the credibility of the truth by living in, and shouting from, a cocoon of your personal selfish thought and vested interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is owing to this that nonbelievers will be charged on the Day of\nJudgment with the offences of misreading signs and rejecting them merely\nbecause they did not encompass them with their limited knowledge. In other\nwords, they will be charged with the abuses of their reason and other faculties\nof theirs, and with the reckless rejection of the all-pervading and definite signs of their Creator. All that\nspelled the root cause of their misfortune. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will be told: \u0153Did you deny and reject My signs without even comprehending them\n(without encompassing them with your knowledge)? Or what exactly did you do?\u009d\n(al-Naml, 84).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also: \u0153Did messengers not come to you from among yourselves,\nreciting to you the signs of your Lord and warning you of the coming of this\nDay of yours?\u009d (al-Zumar, 71).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonbelievers conduct is accurately summarised in these Quranic words:\n\u0153And how many signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by? Yet they turn\n(their faces) away from them (arrogantly paying no attention to them)!\u009d (Yusuf,\n105).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They will admit on the Day of Judgment: \u0153Had we only listened or\nused our intelligence, we would have not been among the inmates of the blazing\nfire\u009d (al-Mulk, 10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonbelievers failed to heed the first command of Allah to humankind: \u0153Read! In the name of your Lord who has created (all that exists)\u009d (al-\u02dcAlaq, 1).***<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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