Article appeared Friday, September 9th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (194)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

If an up-to-date manual is released for a product, what kind of new information is the manual likely to have? Could the new information be feedback on in-service use? Similarly, if created human beings could be considered a product would up-to-date manuals be useful? Can each successive Divine Book of apparently competing religions be looked upon as an update of the previous manual? For example, why are the Psalms, the Old Testament and the New Testament put together in a volume commonly known as The Bible? The most recent Divine Book the Quran is however separated and generally not looked upon as following the same logic of an updated manual. Turning to the Quran, however, let us find what it says about itself: This Qur'an is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it and a fuller explanation of the Book wherein there is no doubt from the Lord of the Worlds. [10.37] Fuller explanation of which Book? The phrase also indicates a common Book from where all Revelations have been extracted. So from which Book have all Revelations been taken from? And verily it is in the Mother of the Book in Our Presence high (in dignity) full of wisdom. [43.4] So the Mother of the Book or Mother Book is with our Creator, the Lord of the Worlds from where all Revelations, throughout the ages, have been taken. Being the most recent Revelation, the Quran carries a fuller explanation from the main Book with our Creator. As the Prophet at the time of Revelation spoke Arabic, the Quran was converted to Arabic so that he would understand the language. By the Book that makes things clear, We have made it a Qur'an (a reading or recital) in Arabic that you (O, Muhammad) may be able to understand. [43.2 -43.3] What should a human beings attitude be to the Words of the Manuals as Revealed by our Creator? Say you: "We believe in Allah and the Revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the Tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord we make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah." [2.136] Logically, if there is one common Creator for all humanity, all manuals should carry the same message. Should it be surprising then that each Revealed Book sets forth the same first Commandment, i.e. that there is exclusively one Creator? Why then, indeed, would our Creator need to repeatedly send updated Manuals? Would an updated manual contain a trouble shooting section? Since the manual deals with the human condition, would such a section contain solutions to misconceptions or ills that may have crept in? Whenever a new Revelation appeared, what was the attitude of those who had previously received Revelation? Did they accept the new revelation as a Divine Decree to correct their misconceptions or did they look for ways to discredit the Prophet involved and distort the words of the new revelation? The Quran asks us to seriously consider this question, as the question is relevant today as it was during the time of progressing Revelation. Have you not turned your vision to those who were (previously) given a portion of the Book? They traffic in error and wish that you should lose the right path. [4.44]

The imagery produced by the phrase traffic in error is telling. It implies debate and discussion on misconceptions rather than sincere attempts to find the right path. The remaining part of the Verse implies that they not only understand the right path but become jealous of those following it. Our Creator, however, reassures those on the right path:

4.45 But Allah has full knowledge of your enemies: Allah is enough for a Protector and Allah is enough for a Helper.
Allah gives examples of the ways in which the Words of Revelation (collected as the Quran) were distorted for the purpose of disobedience at the time.

4.46 Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places and say: "We hear and we disobey"; and "Hear what is not heard": and "Ra`ina"; with a twist of their tongues and a slander to faith. If only they had said: "We hear and we obey"; and "Do hear"; and "Do look at us": it would have been better for them and more proper; but Allah has cursed them for their unbelief; and but few of them will believe.
Being Most Merciful, our Creator renews His Invitation to return to the right path to all those who have received Revelation from the Book with Him:

4.47 O you people of the Book! Believe in what We have (most recently) revealed confirming what was (previously) with you before We change the face and fame of some (of you) beyond all recognition and turn them hind wards or curse them as We cursed the Sabbath-breakers{1}: for the decision of Allah must be carried out.
Just as one surrenders their personal wisdom to that of a manufacturers manual, one must surrender to the wisdom of Revelation, i.e. if one believes that he/she has been created. If not, it implies that we prefer our own wisdom, i.e. we put ourselves up as partners to our Creator by implying that we know better than our Creator.

4.48 Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him; but He forgives anything else to whom He pleases; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin most heinous indeed.
In addition to preferring ones own intellect or wisdom, are there other things one would surrender to in preference to our Creator? Qutb (1999, p.145) offers an answer: Distortion of religious statements so that they may be brought in line with peoples desires is a phenomenon common to any group of clergy who lose their way and who look at their religious knowledge as a profession in the service of the powerful, and who try at the same time to appease those elements of the masses wishing to release themselves from the discipline of religion. {2} ----{Notes}: {1} Study Verses 2.65 2.66 and 16.124. {2} Qutb, S. (1999). In the Shade of Quran. Translated by M.A. Salahi and A. A. Shamis, Vol.3, Markfield, Leicester and Nairobi, Kenya: The Islamic Foundation.