Article appeared Friday, November 15th, 2019 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (596) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

All around us and in our bodies there are processes or systems that function, seemingly,
by themselves. Do we reflect on how? To understand, we may compare man-made
processes or systems. For example, lets reflect on the man-made plumbing system of
the house that we live in. Have we ever thought of how water arrives in the taps of our
bathrooms? Is it just because we turn the tap? Or does a plumbing system have to be
designed to make the water flow? Does water have to be first lifted up to the top of the
building and kept ready? Where does this water come from? How is it then lifted? Are
pumps involved? Do the pumps need electricity to lift the water up? If we investigate we
would discover that for water to come out timely and adequately a substantial effort has
gone into designing, planning, implementing while ensuring a regular supply of water
and electricity. Alternatively, the nature of the effort might be realized when the water
runs out or the plumbing system breaks down. We may then realize that systems or
processes have to be put together by careful design – they do not come into existence
randomly or by themselves!

Do we have a system similar to plumbing in our bodies? Are veins similar to pipes and
blood similar to water flowing in the pipes? If so, what is it that makes the blood flow in
the veins? If we assume that it is the heart, where does the heart get the energy to pump
the blood? If energy comes from the food that we digest, how and why does the heart
stop pumping when we die – our bodies should still have energy left over from the last
meal ingested? If we consider the science/physics behind our vascular system we would
find that our bodies have 60,000 miles {1} of blood vessels. How strong does the heart
have to be to pump the blood such a distance? Do the muscles that surround the veins
help in the task of circulation? Can this complex vascular system have come about by
itself? Reflecting on this question, could we run away from the fact that not unlike the
plumbing system of a house, the vascular system of our bodies has also had to be
planned, designed, implemented and requires regular maintenance? If we reflect on the
complexity and power of the system, what could be said about the planner, designer,
implementer and maintainer behind the system? Would we agree that the vascular
system is far superior to anything a human being could design? Could we conclude that
we are witnessing the handiwork of a Supreme Being and that the human vascular
system is a “Sign” of His Existence?

Having worked this out, we must also realize that it is only human beings that can work
out the meaning behind a Sign – essentially by asking a series of probing questions.
Could this ability to reflect be a reason behind the creation of humans? To work out the
answer to this question, let us try to logically link the following three Verses from the
Holy Scripture, the Qur’an:
“And how many Signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by? Yet they
turn away from them!” [12.105]

“Relate to them the story of the man to whom We sent our Signs but he passed
them by: so Satan followed him up and he went astray.” [7.175]
 “And among His Signs He shows you the lightning by way both of fear and of
hope and He sends down rain from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after
it is dead: verily in that are Signs for those who can use reason.” [30.24]

What can we conclude from studying the three verses, 12.105, 7.175 and 30.24? For
each of the Verses, let us formulate a question. As sample questions for the Verses, for
12.105 can we ask, do we reflect on the Signs we are able to observe, or do we ignore
thinking about them? For 7.175, are Signs for our benefit, also do things happen in our
life that we can classify as a personal Sign? And lastly, when we see the growing
vegetation after a rainfall, do we consider acknowledging and thanking the Supreme
Being behind it all? Should we reflect on consequences of not thinking about the
Supreme Being called God and avoid being witness to His reality? In addition what may
happen if we also ignore His commandments? Let us study the following history from the
Qur’an; with the question in mind, what might God do if we do not reflect, i.e., effectively
rejecting His Blessings and disobeying His commandments?

26.176 “The Companions of the Wood rejected the apostles.”

26.177 “Behold Shuaib said to them, "Will you not fear (God)?"”

26.178 “I am to you an apostle worthy of all trust.”

26.179 “So fear God and obey me.”

26.180 “No reward do I ask of you for it: my reward is only from the Lord of
the Worlds.”
The story of Prophet Shuaib is also mentioned in relation to the people of Midian {2}, as
their brother [7.85]. The Companions of the Woods could be a group who in addition to
their corrupt ways used the shelter of the forest to hide and ambush travelers to rob
them. Prophet Shuaib also guided this group and relayed the commandments of God.

26.181 “Give just measure and cause no loss (to others).”

26.182 “And weigh with scales true and upright.”

26.183 “And withhold not things justly due to men nor do evil in the land
working mischief.”
In addition to rules of just transactions, God is forbidding evil acts such as robbery,
grabbing people’s properties, creating fear and panic in society, not returning things due
to the rightful owners, etc. Shuaib reminds that these commandments are from God, the
one who destroyed previous nations because of their disobedience.

26.184 “And fear Him Who created you and (Who created) the generations
before (you).”

26.185 “They responded, "You are only one of those bewitched!"”

26.186 “You are no more than a mortal like us and indeed we think you are
a liar!”
26.187 “Now cause a piece of the sky to fall on us if you are truthful!”
Rather than reflect on what the prophet preached, they ridiculed and abused him. Out of
conceit they asked him to show a miracle. Unlike other prophets, Shuaib did not, in turn,
ask God to produce the miracle. Rather,

26.188 “He said, "My Lord knows best what you do."”
As belief is about reflecting on God’s blessings, and not about the prophet, Shuaib left it
to God to judge them.

26.189 “But they rejected him. Then the punishment of a day of

overshadowing gloom seized them and that was the Penalty of a Great
Day.”

26.190 “Verily in that is a Sign: but most of them do not believe.”

Which Sign of God will make us reflect and believe?

26.191 “And verily your Lord is He. The Exalted in Might Most Merciful.”
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{Notes}:
{1} https://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/parts/facts-about-the-human-body.htm
{2} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuaib