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The Book of Certainty.
By
Javid Zafar Qureshi.
About fifty thousand years have passed since Homo Sapiens arrived on Earth. So says the Science of Fossils with Certainty. With increasing evidence due to collection of Data preserved in Earth, we can recall with certainty nearly the whole story of this species called Adam on Earth. Thus it has become possible today, for US to see US. Where have WE come from, and where are WE going? This Recording in the Earth forms the Book of enough Certainty to satisfy us, seeking the ground reality of Living.
Till today the Reading is not complete. Our Mind sifts this Evidence in the Earth, and slowly we puzzle it out to extend the story being revealed back in Time. This Science is hard work. But what we see is Certain Evidence, and what it implies is a Certain Story. We call it the Evolution of Life. The Earth has its Imprint thus acting as a Book of Record. All that appeared and roamed on Earth is recorded as fossils of selected individuals representing their Species. Applying Dating procedures to them we can ascertain their Time Period of existence on Earth. There seems to be this Time “Period” for every Creature that came and went, slotted among the Periods of other creatures. This grand design in Time on Earth is the Evolution of Life. We are at the forefront of Time as it unravels on Earth, called the Present.
This Present marks the boundary between Past which has both Certainty and a Story, and the Future which has neither a story nor certainty. We can say that the Present is a Window where the Future is turning into Past. Unknown is turning into Known. Uncertainty is turning into Certainty. The past Story is growing and continuing. Some people call the unknown or the uncertain by the name of “Ghaib”. They also claim to be able to ascertain a Certain Story in this Ghaib. –But How?
By looking at this Evolution of Life on Earth we can decipher a Property of Creation which we can call “Periodicity”. Every act of Creation is both a Process and a Period. We can call it a Stage. Like the hatching of a chicken in twenty one days, is both a process and a period. This Stage leads to another stage called the life on earth of the chicken. Again this can be called a stage, being both a process and a period. But we cannot see the third stage of an individual in the past evolution. For example I cannot see as how I as an individual Neanderthal Man of the past genus am now an individual of the Adam Man. I cannot see beyond Death.
So it looks like this. The Present is a window of Action, on Opportunities and Situations presented Now, coming to us from the Uncertain Future. No amount of wishing can change what is about to appear in the Present. That is the Destiny of each of US. If the Earth can be seen as a Book of Certainty, so can the Life Record of each of US. We Taste Time in the form of Events. Each of us is a Unique story of Events recorded in our Past. It will complete on our Death in this Earth. We are all awaiting the Two three letter Words,--‘The End’—to Appear in Time, to mark the closure of this Volume called our ‘Book of Life on Earth’.
If we agree that this is the State of Reality in which we all are, then what options do we have for the Present? We have of course our Wishes, about What We Want to be presented to us Now. Secondly how we want to Act towards these. We process our Past and form an opinion about our Future. Nearly always we consider only the Goods we have received to enjoy this World. We are desperate to increase these in our Future. Very seldom do we consider the Improvements in ourselves as a Processor of Events, which Life has made as a gift from Destiny.
And how do we treat these gifts? Those of us in majority have no Time to contemplate. They see all the good things they receive as their good luck. Finders are keepers they say. But some of us have Time to contemplate. They are satisfied with the goods they have received in this world and have Time to contemplate on the Past. Both on their own Past and on the Past of their Evolution of Life in this World. They are called the Gifted ones because they have discovered their Gifts. In the sense that they discover how they have been favoured all along to achieve the Pinnacle of the Evolution in Earth. Thus they turn their attention to this Force Driving their Evolution. They find this Force heaping gifts on them in their Evolution in this World. They find this Force in their Personal Past also, acting in the same way of Developing them. Naturally they consider this Force as residing in their Future driving their Destiny. Invisible and Uncertain to look at, but ‘His’ Handiwork appears Certain in their Past.
From ‘Force’ to ‘Him’ is a giant leap which needs to be explained. The Creator in the Evolution appears as a single mighty Force. But a detailed perusal brings us to view this Force as a hidden Personality. What does the eye see when viewing Life? :-
Life -> Time -> Changes -> Processes -> Selection -> Likes.
Life needs Time to unfold. Time consists of Changes. Changes in a particular order form a Process. Like the chicken forming in an egg. Some Processes are Selected over others. Example is the dying out of some Species. Selection indicates the Likes of the driving Force. So we can conclude that a Force having Likes is running Life. Likes and dislikes are the Hall Mark of a Personality. While Life produces Individual Personalities. We can call the Individuals as Entities. They are each conscious of what constitutes “Me” and not “Me”. So the Products of Life are Individual Living Personalities. The Creator of Life is also seen as an Individual Eternal Living Personality having Likes and Dislikes.
What ever is being said or being written down is called Bayan. It requires an innate Intelligence to Recognise many Arranged Orders forming a Picture. It then captures this Picture and produces through Language a Speech or Writing called Bayan. We have thus reproduced the Reality of Life in Bayan in this paper. If you are Deaf, then you are Dumb. Hearing is a primary sense endowed to us at birth. We are taught and so we learn after birth, Speech in a Language. That takes us two years to accomplish. It further takes us six years to learn reading and writing. Our way of living is evolving into complexity. So our Understanding and Language is also keeping pace processing the Reality around us.
A word about Intelligence. In Arabic ‘Aql’ is also the name of a device used to hobbling the camel. Say a car lock in modern times. The function is the same. The primary use of this word is for Intelligence, where it functions as a means of Capturing a Force for Personal Use. This Force may be Knowledge, [Data or a Law] where Intelligence then converts it to Understanding. We then apply Names to the new Processes we have thus discovered in our thinking out the Reality around us.
We are conscious about the various types of knowledge existing. We divide them into Useful, Useless and Evil. We must guard ourselves against the latter two. Concentrate on the useful type of knowledge. Similarly there are three sources of knowledge. The first and foremost source is ‘from within your self’. Then there is History as a source. Thirdly the Sciences, they produce the technical knowledge. The latter two are easily accessed, but the source of ‘within your self’ needs some explanation.
Our Research efforts in Science produce new solutions as extensions into our knowledge bank. These new breakthroughs are Original in nature. Where do they come from? Various great Thinkers have given us insight into their ‘Capture’ of their original Ideas and Solutions. They seem to come as a package of gift from within ourselves. Fully thought out in every detail. They are Communications from the Divine to your inner Self and from there to your Conscious. In Arabic this is called ‘Wahee’. No need to be disturbed, as this word is also involved in helping out the honey bee collect honey.
This turning Inward [within one self] is a method which was used in the Past to increase one’s knowledge. In Arabic this is called the Law of Hanifa. It is considered the Primary trait of Bani Adam, called Contemplation. Prophet Abraham is recorded as using this to communicate with God. The communications between the two are considered as Certain and Documented. Thus is recorded the first discourse of Man with God as ‘Wahee’. Man thus receives Guidance and Training from God Direct. That is, if you seek ‘Him’.
We have reasoned using Facts that have happened and are happening to build a Story of Reality on Earth. Thus we have maintained the Rigor of Certainty in our discussions. We have shown the Imprint of Evolution of Life that has made us till Today. We have shown the Direction in this Evolution indicating the presence of a Force or Personality, driving this Evolution through applying Selection. We have shown evidence of Guidance and Training through ‘Wahee’ to People who Seek. We have also shown evidence of this ‘Wahee’ to People who Seek a Relationship with this Personality through a method called the Law of Hanifa. That is by contemplating about Him Inwardly, by being alone, and talking to Him, and thinking about Him.
Now a Relationship is an affair of the Heart. It is Emotion and not Reason. It resides in the Emotional Centre of the Man’s Psyche. If it is disturbed the Man goes to pieces. That is why the religion and its Paraphernalia is so sensitive to change. But we can see a slow change in it through Time. We keep on adding paraphernalia on top of religion through time. We see that all recorded births of Religions have taken place suddenly as it were, through one Man. We call them Prophets. We see Miracles around these Prophets. We see a Peak in Morality around him and his followers. Slowly his ‘Way’ changes in Time by the followers of the Path. They keep adding Paraphernalia on top of the followed Path. As if it helps them through perceived assurances of ‘correct results’. Years pass and a time comes when you can see that the current way is not producing any Morality. The Original simple Way without any Paraphernalia is totally Obscured. Morality has to be sought through ‘other means’. We Pray for a Saviour. Or seek Personal Guidance through the Law of Hanifa.
At this juncture a question comes to mind. What is the total true religion from God? What does He wants or expects from Us. What has He asked from Us. And what can we infer He likes from Us. Starting from small things will lead us to the big things. In the domain of behaviour with each other He likes a Person who does not Cheat others. It may be simple Adulteration or short measure to looting people or Countries. He likes a person who tells the truth even at his material cost. All this comes from a person’s temperament. The way he is made. In some cases the Person does all above due to spiritual reasons. This works also and we see the person becoming better tempered in time. This is true religion from God.
Coming to the big things we can see that Madhzab or Religious Drill is after all only a drill. A soldier good in Drill does not necessarily become a good warrior. But he does become a better warrior with the drill. A good warrior is intrinsically a good warrior. But with the drill he becomes a superb warrior. Similarly the Momin needs Madhzab as a drill. But he has other means of advancement also. One is that he does Tafakur [contemplates in spare time]. The subjects for Tafakur are from the Cosmos to the Earth. Secondly he seeks guidance from Quran. Thirdly he Seeks Him [Allah] in the Hanif Way. He concentrates his efforts Focusing on Him alone. What he does not do is to focus on People. If he seeks the Path of the Prophet, the Prophet appears to him as a power. The man starts becoming Power oriented, and thus becomes arrogant and world hungry. But if he Seeks Him, then the Prophet appears as a Human like onto him. A person enacting Taqdeer. He starts really admiring the Prophet for the Infinite love for Allah in his heart. A real love for him emanates. This brings out real love from Allah for that Person. This argument is subtle but true. The above method works beautifully. Follow the Madhzab as a Law, but Seek the Path of Musteqeem from Him. He will guide and train you.
Each Person has been created for a special Task. When he starts working on it, everything is made easy for him to achieve that task. Each person is Unique. His Path to God is unique. His likes and dislikes are unique [Personality]. So the Guidance from God to him is unique. Do not compare yourself with others. Do not be disappointed with what you receive. But abide with your Lord in Comfort without Fear. The majority around you will be without such Guidance. Seek people like yourself, and appreciate and respect them. If you are Selected for guidance, you are an incredibly lucky Person. To keep yourself lucky do the following:-
1. Be diligent in Salat, Saum and Zakat. Give in Charity as much as you can.
2. Be Social and help people in resolving their problems. Love youngsters needing love. Be kind to old people.
3. Regularly study Quran asking for Guidance.
4. Keep your Focus on the Deen Hanifa. After Death you will find your Rabb focusing on you as Zul Jalal wal Ikram.
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