Topics
The
importance of the study of the universe can be judged from the fact that in the
Holy Quran there are 150 verses on topics such as ablution, salaat, fasting,
zakaat ['tax Muslims must pay on their wealth for social and religious welfare
works'], Hajj, and the issues of divorce and loans etc., whereas, there are 756
verses on the study of the universe and the formulas for its conquest. The Holy
Quran teaches us to benefit from the minerals within the earth and the
treasures within mountains. The Holy Quran claims that it contains everything,
from the smallest to the largest, in detail. But when the Muslims reduced this
book to merely a means of achieving their purpose and merely a means of
deliverance from calamities and misfortunes, they deprived [themselves] of the
secrets of the universe contained within it and of the formulas of the conquest
of the universe. The Holy Quran claims that religion has been perfected. That
is, the laws and principles of the social, intellectual, moral, and spiritual
progress of humankind have been expounded upon and written down in the Wise
Quran. The Holy Quran is the inheritance of humankind. The Holy Quran guides
whichever nation from among humankind desires to benefit from this inheritance.
Allah
the Exalted has stated,
"We have sent down iron, and have placed
many benefits in it for mankind."
[Holv Quran ch57;v25]
The
nation that reflected upon the declaration of the Holy Quran and started to
struggle [accordingly] became successful and continues to be successful even
today. When the Europeans busied themselves in the search for iron, copper, and
[other] treasures buried within the earth, according to laws of nature, the
treasures of the earth themselves started to reveal their benefits to them. And
they became successful in producing inventions made of iron, copper, and
compounds made of the various metals, and thus stood out among the nations of
the world. Flying in the air became for them a routine of life. To float on the
surface of rivers and oceans, and to move about thousands upon thousands of
tons of cargo from one place to the other became for them a very ordinary
thing. Because of their intellectual inquiries, distances grew smaller and
smaller. News of the world started to travel from one corner of the earth to
the other. The invention of steam established the system of trains. As gas and
petroleum came out of the earth, motor cars started to run on the ground. Under
the system of wireless communication, people living in faraway places,
relatives, and dear friends, came closer to each other. Gaining awareness of
the
weather and
climate system, they made revelations which enabled Allah's creatures to remain
protected from heavenly calamities.
All of
this happened because their intellectuals and thinkers, after the study of
heavenly scripture, used its laws and verse' to improve their own life and the
life of humankind.
The Holy Quran loudly declares,
"Quran is a book containing the formulas
of the conquest [of the universe]. To gain
distinction among the nations of the world,
reflect upon it, learn it and understand it. How
many blessings of your I Lord shall you people
deny?"
[Holy Quran]
To
understand Allah Almighty's grandeur, His eminence and Hiss creative powers,
reflect upon his creation and His system of sustaining the universe
['Rabboobiyat'].
The
light of inventions, progress, and education and skill, which is spread in the
West today, once shone from the Fast, and when eastern nations, in general, and
Muslims, in particular, severed their relation with this light of education and
skill, education and skill also cut off their relationship with the Muslims.
Allah
the Exalted states:
"The nations that do not try to change their
fate; Allah does not bring about change in them either."
[Holy Quran ch13:v11]
Reflecting
upon this expansive system of Allah, one can see that this world of fragrance
and beauty is composed of two worlds. And each individual from among the
creatures that dwell within these worlds possesses four eyes, two brains, two
noses, four ears, four hands and four feet. Each individual from among these
creatures is bound in six directions. Each individual has two sides: One solid,
the other ethereal. There is one space to live in, whereas there is no end to
time. Space gives the person the awareness of being [or the awareness of his
existence] while time gives him the awareness that he is made up of 60,000
senses. And when a nation attempts to gain awareness of these senses, Allah the
Exalted opens up the doors of progress and constructiveness upon it. Scientific
knowledge and bright prospects of progress and inventions are revealed to his
mind. And then this nation, having dominated the earth and
space, becomes
the crown of nations, whereas, the nation deprived of inquisitiveness, inquiry,
reflection and intellect lives its life as a slave, and is disgraced upon the
earth.
KHWAJA SHAMS-UD-DEEN AZEEMI
Science has made immense progress, yet many believe that, even with all of the modern tools at our disposal, human beings function at no more than 10% of their mental capacity. This leads to the question of what exactly it is that comprises the remaining 90%. Yet another question that arises is this: If it has taken man four and a half billion years to be able to apply only 10% of his ability, how long will it take for him to make use of the remaining 90%?
