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Humans are familiar with comfort and
distress since the inception of life. Striving to ward off the effects of being
in the grip of inconsistent emotions, they desire to unearth the reasons that
cause them. They become incapable of taking initiatives as the urge to remain
in the constant state of ease, also brings along the fear of losing it. Hence,
they set off in pursuit of a power that can ensure them a peaceful life, and it
leads them to the unraveling of the hidden faculties. The Quran refers to this
quest of reality as, 'those who believe
in ghaib,' and explains in various other verses the countless attributes of God
that promises a life devoid of fear.
An individual cannot remain oblivious of
the states of grief and comfort unless they believe in ghaib (unseen). As the
ghaib is reigned by God, the most Benevolent and Magnificent, the believer is
certain that goodness and betterment will be conferred upon them.
"It is not (possible) for a human
being that God speaks to him except by way of revelation, or from behind a
curtain, or that He sends a messenger, and He reveals, with His permission,
what He wills. Surely, He is All-High, All-Wise." (Quran, 42:51)
It is the heart that perceives the
'message'. The Quran refers to this as follows,
"The heart did not err in what it
saw." (Quran, 53:11)
These verses determine the reach of
human senses. When the senses affix themselves onto a certain point, this
affixation is termed as an object, and objects contain shapes and dimensions.
Therefore, the senses assume this object as an entity separate from themselves.
One can only see things, if they assume that the object they are viewing is not
a part of them. This style of perception is illustrated in all the activities
of our lives.
When we distinguish something as an
object, we are in fact referring to the images within us as external objects.
The senses declare their existence and refer to themselves as an, 'I'. In
reality, this 'I' is nothing but a void in its clear and pristine form. The
senses are in actuality pointing towards a sketch devoid of colour. However,
when the senses begin to focus on the colours and elements within the 'I', they
proclaim as, "I did this or that - look at the moon in the distance -
those are stars - look at where I am pointing - they are celestial bodies.''
Thus, all through this process, the senses are constantly experiencing their
own movement between proximity and distance. This method of perception is the
macrocosmic way of seeing things. In other words, the senses declare themselves
as the 'I' in the individual and keep recurring through the indicators.
"There has come upon man a period
of time when he was not worth mentioning." (Quran, 76:1)
There had been a time, when the senses
of Insan were non-recursive.
This brings forth two dimensions that
join into a unit.
1) Senses
2) Recurrence
of senses
The Holy Quran sheds light on it as
follows,
"(O' God!) You make the night enter
into the day, and make the day enter into the night; and You bring the living
out from the dead, and bring the dead out from the living." (Quran, 3:27)
God has defined the rules of the
universal system through this verse. The day and night refer to the
classification of senses. They are in contrast with each other due to spatiotemporal
constraints. These constraints are vital during the day and remain latent
throughout the night.
As example, when Zaid sees himself
conversing with a distant friend in his dream, he does not feel the interspace,
as distance becomes irrelevant in such dreams. Likewise, Zaid goes to sleep at
1 0' Clock, and sees himself travelling to places. He rests at periodical
intervals during the journey and then finally comes home after spending a great
deal of time. As he wakes up from the dream, he sees that the clock shows the
same time. Time is immeasurable in such dreams.
The dreams define the faculties of the
night, wherein space becomes inconsequential, as contrary to the day. The day
and night vary due to time and space, but they are parallel in nature otherwise.
The night is the faculty of Kitab al-Mubeen (al-lawh al-mahfooz) and that of
day is Kitab al-M arqoom. The similarities in them are witnessed in the
manifestations of nature.
Let us consider that Zaid and Mahmood are
both sitting opposite to each other. Their source of vision is the light of a
lamp. It means the light that is moving around from Zaid to Mahmood or from
Mahmood to Zaid is one. But, despite the light being same, their observations
differ. Why? This is because, as their ways of perception are not alike, both
consider themselves as separate entities. The angle of vision that Zaid
perceives of this light will be termed as Zaid's perception. Similarly, the
angle of vision that Mahmood perceives of this light will be called as Mahmood'
s perception. This unravels the law of manifestation that it is one's angle of
vision which projects itself as change in dimension, whereas in actuality,
light is dimensionless.
Each self or individual is connected to
God. It is explained in the Quran as, 'We are closer to him than his jugular
vein.' It is worthy to note that God has used the word 'We' in this verse. This
has been used to highlight the association that God has with every individual
and therefore, it makes everyone distinct.
It is important to comprehend that the
light is unchangeable. The difference in perceptions is due to the individual
interpretations that leave a distinct impression in their respective lives.
This state is termed as martaba in spirituality.
The word mechanism can help explain the
meaning of martaba. The names vary from specie to specie, but the mechanism
that works in every species is uniform. As example, Zaid and Mahmood are
labeled as a part of the human race, whereas mango and almond are labeled as
trees but the light that shapes the features of these different species is one
and the same. The said mechanism or martaba consists of black dots that serves
as the basis of this universe. These black dots are called Tajjali (One of the
highest stages of the Divine light).
The movement of a body is in coherence
with information, as it is information that steers life. For instance,
innumerable provisions that lay beneath the earth rise to the surface after
they receive information in the guise of rain. This display of resources demonstrates
that everything within the earth is encased and is under a systematized motion.
However, these resources remain latent to the consciousness until they are
visible on the exterior surface.
Every existence on this planet begins
from either a sperm or a seed. The seed inside the earth or a sperm inside a
womb is a record of life. The sperm though invisible to the naked eye, contains
an entire being within it. In the same manner, the record of a tree is embedded
within a seed. Being in different planes of intellect, an enlightened soul
observes the tree in a seed with all its components, whereas a common person
tends to observe it only when the seed unfolds or there is expansion in its
space and it enlarges. The Quran mentioned the record of life as follows:
"And what may let you know what
Sijjin is? A register inscribed." (Quran, 83:8-9)
"And what may let you know what
Illiyyun is? A register inscribed, attended by those who are blessed with
nearness to God." (Quran, 83:19-21)
"Surely God is the one who splits
the grain and the date-stone. He brings forth the living from the dead, and He
is the One who brings forth the dead from the living. That is God! To where,
then, are you being turned away?" (Quran, 6:95)
Going back to the example of rain, when
the message descends from the hidden realm to the consciousness, it manifests
life on earth. That is because every existence has two folds. One facet lies on
earth, and the other is in water that descends from sky. When both proportions
merge, the object appears. Before rainfall, the information (movement) in water
remains frozen and concealed in the clouds. At this point, the energy present
within and around the cloud compress each other and result in
The sperm is the initial stage of a
physical body, be it in animals, mountains or plants. And like everything else,
it transpires into three forms.
1. Gas 2.
Liquid 3. Solid
Primarily, a sperm is in a gaseous
state. After the increase in energy, the gas turns into liquid, and then
changes into a solid form after it takes root inside the womb. This is how
everything grows. This process is reversed when the body is buried after death.
After a lapse of time, the dead body in the grave vanishes, leaving behind
clay.
"We have created man from an extract of clay.
Then we made him a sperm-drop in a firm resting place. Then we turned the
spermdrop into a clot, then we turned the clot into a fetus-lump, then we
turned the fetus lump into bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh;
thereafter We developed it into another creature. So, glorious is God, the Best
of the creators." (Quran, 23:12-14)
Water is a space that gives birth to
plants, animals, mountains and everything else. Space denotes capacity and
intermittence; it is the movement in the objects that alters their states as
they step into one form or the other.
Example: A person sits with their feet
parallel to each other. After a while they move and change their posture. Now
these are two different ways of sitting down. Between these two states, there
lies an intermittence, which we call space. But what is a space? Every
posture, and the subsequent changes in them are considered as spaces, and their
classification is established on movement.
In the beginning of the universe, God
addressed the creations and said, "Alastubirabbikum ". This command
created an awareness of space in the beings. They heard the voice of God,
witnessed Him, and acknowledged His sovereignty and rule in intervals. It
reveals that all the senses are imbedded in 'Alastubirabbikum' in entirety, but
due to restricted consciousness, they were activated successively. The
faculties of hearing, seeing, perceiving, and speaking are stages of space, and
the space signifies the level of awareness. It is a common observation that
some people grasp the meaning at the very first instance, and others need a
detailed explanation to understand the same. They all comprehend the message,
but the difference lies in the levels of their intellect and the time taken to
understand.
Everything in the universe is
transiting from one movement to another, and the lapse in which the movement
occurs is called Time. A space is birthed out of another space as a child moves
on in their life. Their birth, infancy, childhood, and young and old ages are
all diverse spaces with distinct proportions. Hence, they do not overlap with
each other. The duration of these phases is called Time.
Dear readers, please read the underlined
paragraph more than once. Write down whatever these lines have inspired you in
points and number them. Once done, phrase them together and read it thoroughly.
By the will of God, the wisdom hidden within it will dawn upon you.
Movement comes from a source, which
after driving life returns to its place of origin. When an object moves, a
force from the opposite direction resists it. Without this resistance, an
object or body will enter into a new zone. For example, in the case of the
Bermuda Triangle, the material body disappears into it for it cannot resist its
magnetism.
Another example is that of a spinning
top. When it is thrown on to the ground, it tries to enter into it. But the
force of earth pushes it outward. These forces of attraction and repulsion are
responsible for the spinning top staying on the surface of the earth. If the
force of the earth did not repel it, the spinning top would enter into another
zone.
The law of movement is established on
the forces of attraction and repulsion. It applies in the mechanics of every
entity. For example, the contraction and expansion of the heart is driven by
the forces of attraction and repulsion respectively. Another example is the
repulsion of night is day and vice versa. If this law did not exist between the
two, the day and night would merge into each other and become extinct.
Movement can also be called speed. It is
the speed that formulates classifications between entities. Speed can be
defined as energy. When energy travels inwards, it is repelled by the inner
space. If this action does not take place, one would not be able to describe
speed. Likewise, movement is only believed to be a movement when forces are
applied against each other. The invisible entity that propels the force is
called 'space'.
Example: When an individual walks,
their feet push the ground backwards and the ground in tum pushes them forward.
Once one lifts their leg, the weight of the leg shifts into a void and becomes free
from gravitational forces to a certain extent. But in the very next moment,
gravity pulls the leg back on to the ground, and the person moves forward and
takes another step.
It is speed that helps us determine the
pace of movement, and this can be explained through the process of breathing.
When an individual inhales, the act of inhalation gives birth to space and the
pace of breathing is called, time. If the cycle of breathing breaks in between,
time will not manifest for that individual. Here, the question arises: if
movement is considered time, then what is time?
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says, "God
and I are companions in time." God says,
"There has come upon a period of
time in which he was nothing worth mentioning. We have created man from a mixed
sperm-drop to put him to test; then We made him able to hear, able to see. We
have shown him the way to be either grateful or ungrateful."
(Quran, 75:1-3)
When God decides to manifest anything,
He commands, "Be!" and it becomes. Thus, time is the will of God, and
the will of God states that an individual should spend their life with
gratitude through thick and thin.
Life is defined as movement, and it is
projected in all the things we do, such as, eating, sleeping, standing,
walking, talking, blinking, and thinking. It propels an individual to muse over
what movement is, from where it comes and how it is perceived, manifested, and
to where it eventually disappears.
"He is the first and the last, and
the manifest and the hidden, and He is all knowing about everything. He is the
one who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He positioned
Himself on the Throne. He knows whatever goes into the earth, and whatever
comes out from it, and whatever descends from the sky, and whatever ascends
thereto. He is with you wherever you are, and God is watchful of whatever you
do. To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and to God all
matters are returned." (Quran, 76:3-5)
Dear readers, the Quran says, "God
is with you, wherever you are, and He is watchful of whatever you do."
In the 'Message of the Day', movement is
explained through various angles. Read it with concentration and contemplate.
By the will of God, this exercise will help your minds soar into new horizons.
If you find difficulty in comprehending any part of the article, you may write
to us.
ALLAH HAFIZ
JAN 2019-QSM
