Class 1-Know Your Lord
Class 1
Know Your Lord
By Pondering Over His Creations
Know Your Lord
Who do you Worship? Who do Bow to? Who do you Prostrate to? Now the answer to all of them is Allah but then what else do we know about Allah? Now think if we know more about Him then how much would enjoy our ibaadah, we wouldn’t do it just because it is fard but becuase we would want to.
The greatest, most excellent and most honourable knowledge is that of Allaah, Most High, His Names, Attributes, and Actions, the knowledge of His deen and of His Messenger (Peace be upon him) with love and magnification, being pleased with it all.
The ranks of people with respect to this knowledge varies to a great extent. Some people know of Allaah by virtue of His Generosity, Bounties, and Favors, others know of Him through His Forgiveness, Clemency, and Pardoning, others through His Knowledge and Wisdom, others recognize Him by His Might and Majesty, others by His Mercy, Goodness, Kindness, and Courtesy, others by His Subduing and Sovereignty, and others by the fact that He answers their supplications, and fulfills their needs, and relieves their grief.
The one who is most comprehensive in his knowledge of Allaah, knows of Him by means of His own Words. He knows a Rabb to whom belongs the Most Majestic and Perfect Attributes. Far is He removed from having anything comparable to Him or any equal; free from all kinds of defects and imperfections; qualified with every beautiful Name and every perfect Attribute; Doer of what He intends (wills); Above everything [istawaa (ascended) upon the ‘arsh above the seven heavens] and with everything [He encompasses everything with His Knowledge, Ability, Authority, and so forth from the meanings of His ruboobiyyah, while He is the Most High, above everything]; the One who is Able to do everything; the One Who manages the affairs of everything. He commands and forbids. He speaks the legislative and universal words. He is Greater than everything, and He is the Most Beautiful. the Most Merciful, the All-Able, the All-Wise.
How do we Learn about our Lord
The scholars have mentioned that there are two ways from Quran & Sunnah to learn about Allah: –
1. Asma was Siffaat (His Names & Attributes).
2. Pondering over His Creations. (We will learn about Asma was Siffaat in tomorrow’s class).
Pondering over Allah’s signs in the universe Verily, the signs of Allah in the universe never manifest themselves clear except to those who posses pious hearts that constantly remember their Lord. This is because these hearts are introduced and connected with the marvelous universe through the Qur’an. This kind of connection exhorts the human heart to ponder over the visible book of Allah (i.e. the universe). The Qur’an establishes the connection between knowledge and the people who posses insight. Therefore, it is stated in the Qur’an that the ones who find guidance in the signs of universe are a certain category of people as in the words of Allah:“Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding. Those who remember Allâh (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire”. [3:190-191]
Allah also says in the Quran – Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the earth, are indeed Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs, etc.) for people of understanding.” [Al-Baqara 2:164]
The people mentioned in the above verse(s) are the ones who really benefit from the signs of the universe. This is because they do not restrict their thinking to the apparent scenes or views they see but they extend this by thinking in the Maker and the Might through which He created this. They perfectly utilize their senses [sight, hearing, and intellect] to reach this conclusion along with the help of the Qur’anic verses that enable such senses acquire this knowledge which is the best ever. Allah Almighty says about His signs in the universe:
“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may find tranquility in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect. And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. And among His Signs is the sleep that you take by night and by day, and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who listen. And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, by way of fear and hope, and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who understand“. [30:12-24]
The signs of Allah are only revealed to those who have intellect which leads to knowing the truth [Allah]. However, the disbelievers do not put what they see in the universe beyond the realm of watching—i.e. they do not think about the Maker and the Creator. They even do not realize the wisdom behind this creation as in the words of Allah: “They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world“. [30:7]
Therefore, such category of people does not heed or benefit from the signs of Allah in the universe since they do not put it to the Qur’anic perspective: “Say: “Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth,” but neither Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) nor warners benefit those who believe not” [Qur’an 10:101] Hence, the Qur’an denies and condemns the act of the disbelievers who renounce pondering over the sigs of Allah: “Do they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all things that Allâh has created, and that it may be that the end of their lives is near. In what message after this will they then believe?” [7: 185]
Question then is that how much time do you spend in knowing Allah? When observing his creation, do you recognize the power that created this creation and holds it together? Do you recognize who controls your affairs? Do you spend enough time reading Quran? More than that do you then spend time pondering over the verses of Quran? The noble Qur’an is the most evident witness on the greatness and will of Allah since it includes the news of all creations and unveils the facts that humans ignore.
Here, we will point out one of the miracles mentioned in the noble Qur’an:
– Exploring the deep seas, marine geologists discovered that all the details pertaining to the descriptions of the seas are stated in the Qur’anic verse in which Allah Almighty says:
Or [they are] like darknesses within an unfathomable sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds – darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light – for him there is no light. [Al-Noor: 40].
Professor Shridar, one of the greatest marine geologists in West Germany commented on the above verse saying: this is a fact which has been proved through building dozens of arsenals and taking pictures through satellites. These words can never be of humans.
Professor Dorgaro, a marine geologist, explained the scientific authenticity of the above verse saying: “man in the past could not dive more than 20 meters beneath the sea without the help of equipments. However, in the present, we use modern equipments to dive 200 meters beneath the deep sea where we find great darkness as it was perfectly described in the noble verse “unfathomable sea”. Marine researches explained the meaning of the saying of Allah “darknesses, some of them upon others”; it is known that the rainbow colors are seven, including red, yellow, blue, green, orange…etc. when we go deeper towards the bottom of the sea, each of these colors disappear gradually and each leaves darkness. The red disappears, then the orange, yellow and finally blue at 200 meters deep. Each of these colors disappears leaving darkness until it reaches its highest degree at the depth of 200 meters. As for the saying of Allah “waves, upon which are waves”, it was scientifically proved that the bottom and top of the seas are separated by numerous waves which are placed above each other. This is as if the bottom of the sea is bordered by waves which are invisible to us while that on its top are visible, so they are like waves upon waves as stated in the verse. That is why Professor Dorgaro asserted that these verses can never be of humans.
“This is Allah!! If you still do not know Him,
• Ponder over His signs and creations;
• Think of the heavens and how they are erected;
• How He stretched the earth beneath your feet;
• Think who controls your breath in ever inhale and exhale.
• He is Allah the One and the Ever-Sustainer.