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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 I 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 .ord 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 ['Rabbaabiyat'].
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%?
