The meaning of “symmetry”
in Webster’s dictionary is:
“Balanced proportion, beauty of form arising from
balanced proportions, the property of remaining invariant under
certain changes.”
The meaning of equality is: “like in quality, nature, or
status.” There is equality and symmetry all through the Quran.
There is symmetry between the flies and the humans, among messengers,
messengers and their followers, male and female, heaven and hell
etc. When God speaks of Heaven, usually the next verse is balanced
with discussion of Hell and vice versa. The same is true of day
and night, the sun and the moon and so on.
God puts the believers and the messengers on the same level:
“The messenger has believed in what was sent
down to him from his Lord, and so did the believers. They believe
in God, His Angels, His scripture, and His messengers: They make
no distinction among any of His messengers” [2:285].
Abraham is on the same level as the other believers:
“Peace be upon Abraham… we thus reward
the righteous… He is one of our believing servants”
[37:109, 110, 111].
Moses and Aaron are also put on the same level as the other righteous
believers:
“Peace be upon Moses and Aaron…. We
thus reward the righteous…. Both of them were among our righteous
servants” [37:120, 121, 122].
Muhammad is put on the same level as other Messengers:
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Muhammad was no more than
a messenger like the messengers before him… [3:144].
God puts Muhammad and his followers on the same level. God tells
Muhammad: Say, ‘This is my path: I invite to God, on the
basis of a clear proof, and so do those who follow me…’
[12:108]. We too must not elevate the messengers above righteous
believers.
Jesus is put on the same level as the righteous: He will speak
to the people from the crib, as well as an adult; he will be one
of the righteous [3:46]. The following verses put husband and
wife on the same level: …You commit no error by mutually
agreeing to any adjustments to the dowry. God is Omniscient, Most
Wise [4:24]. Note that the dowry adjustment is made after mutual
agreement.
The following verse demonstrate equality between male and female:
“Their Lord responded to them: ‘I never fail to
reward any worker among you for any work you do, be you male or
female—you are equal to one another….” [3:195].
There is also a parallel between the bad men and bad women and the
good men and the good women: The bad woman for the bad men and
the bad men for the bad women, the good women for the good men,
and the good men for the good women. [24:26]. The following
verse shows the parallel between men and women: The submitting
men, the submitting women, the believing men, the believing women,
the obedient men, the obedient women, the truthful men, the truthful
women, the steadfast men, the steadfast women, the reverent men,
the reverent women, the charitable men, the charitable women, the
fasting men, |
the fasting women, the
chaste men, the chaste women, and the men who commemorate God frequently,
and the commemorating women; God has prepared for them forgiveness
and a great recompense [33:35].
God spreads human beings through joining male and female; they
are equally responsible:
O people observe your Lord; the One who created you
from one being, and created from it its mate, then spread from the
two many men and women…. [4:1].
On the subject of idol worship, God brings the idol to the level
of a fly, telling us that both are helpless.
O people, here is a parable that you must ponder
carefully: the idols you set up beside God can never create a fly,
even if they banded together to do so. Furthermore, if the fly steals
anything from them, they cannot recover it; weak is the pursuer
and the pursued [22:73].
God tells us that the believers and those who are well founded
in knowledge believe in the Quran and what was revealed before the
Quran, putting both groups on the same level:
As for those among them who are well founded in knowledge
and the believers, they believe in what was revealed to you, and
in what was revealed before you… [4:162].
God in His infinite grace has made Submission a symmetrical state.
"You shall remember Me, that I may remember
you, and be thankful to Me; do not be unappreciative" [2:152].
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