Knowledge

Cont’d from page 1

These may not always come from entirely logical debate; they may emanate from visual experience of stability, synchronisation, splendour and equilibrium in nature. The Quran says these are perceptible proofs of the Creator.

[6:99] He is the One who sends down from the sky water, whereby we produce all kinds of plants. We produce from the green material multitudes of complex grains, palm trees with hanging clusters, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranate; fruits that are similar, yet dissimilar. Note their fruits as they grow and ripen. These are signs for people who believe.

With a God-directed evolutionary procedure, the earth became a suitable habitat for humans and animals to exist and multiply. Since humans and nature have both been created by One and the Same God, there is no inconsistency between them. In the radiance of Divine Guidance, we can use the signs within nature for the growth of our knowledge.

Crucial  Advice
[17:36] You shall not accept any information, unless you verify it for yourself. I have given you the hearing, the eyesight, and the brain, and you are responsible for using them.

The brain has reference to intelligence, and with our ears and eyes, forms the resources and conduits for the acquisition of knowledge. The brain gives us the ability to sense, imagine, appreciate, figure out, envision, absorb, conserve, prepare, conduct and evaluate.
The Quran also indicates another way to attain knowledge. When Cain killed Abel, he did not know what to do with the body.

[5:31] GOD then sent a raven to scratch the soil, to teach him how to bury his brother's corpse. He said, “Woe to me; I failed to be as intelligent as this raven, and bury my brother's corpse.” He became ridden

with remorse.

By observing, he deduced that the cadaver had to be buried. However, for us, observation alone is not adequate, though we may learn a lot through it.  This has to be followed and completed by sound interpretation to draw the acceptable end and make  accurate use of what we observe.  If we follow or do something without the necessary knowledge we may wrong or harm ourselves or others.  This is why the Quran frequently accentuates pondering and reflecting over myriad topics and signs in the universe.

[30:8] Why do they not reflect on themselves? GOD did not create the heavens and the earth, and everything between them, except for a specific purpose, and for a specific life span. However, most people, with regard to meeting their Lord, are disbelievers.

[20:114] Most Exalted is GOD, the only true King. Do not rush into uttering the Quran before it is revealed to you, and say, “My Lord, increase my knowledge.”

Alim

* * * * *

[2:32] They said, "Be You glorified, we have no knowledge, except that which You have taught us. You are the Omniscient, Most Wise."

[6:82] Those who believe, and do not pollute their belief with idol worship, have deserved the perfect security, and they are truly guided.

 

Marvels of GOD

Part 1: Which of your Lord’s marvels can you deny?

[2:2] This scripture is infallible; a beacon for the righteous.

This verse itself explains the objective of Quran.  And if I don’t study Quran and just recite it in Arabic then how can it become a beacon for me? I wish to highlight a few important points mentioned in Quran, which would prove that Quran is revealed from God without any doubt.  In sura 55 God has questioned us 31 times “Which of your Lord’s Marvels can you deny?”  Apart from the marvels mentioned in sura 55, there are many more which we can use to convince people in the light of modern education and science. Let us analyze a few of them.

Astronomy: The creation of the universe is explained by the astrophysicist in a widely accepted phenomenon, popularly known as the “Big Bang.” According to their findings and research for decades, they concluded that the whole universe was one big mass. Then there was a ‘Big Bang’ which resulted in the formation of Galaxies, stars, planets, the sun, the moon etc. This theory was revealed a few hundreds of years ago. Whereas we find it in the Holy Quran 1400 years ago.

[21:30] Do the unbelievers not realize that the heaven and the earth used to be one solid mass that we exploded into existence? And from water we made all living things. Would they believe?

Further in early times it was believed that the earth was flat. Though the earliest evidence of a spherical Earth comes from ancient Greek sources, there is no account of how the spherical shape of the Earth was discovered. The first direct demonstration of Earth’s spherical shape came in the form of the first circumnavigation in history, an expedition captained by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1519. Whereas we find it in the Quran 1400 years ago.

Cont'd on page 3