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We were talking about what you learned from your teacher in Damascus over more than a couple of decades, I think 26 years or something where you were privy to a lot of information that he was passed on from generations on the Quran, and the various texts and the idea of our relationship with God and this life and of course, the Hereafter. And I find that fascinating that the verse that we’re discussing at the moment about where we’re Allah tells us that He created us so that we can worship Him because so much thought required to it. And so we’re breaking it down into three categories. The first one is creation. And then the next one is Jim and man. And the third one is the idea of worship. So those are the three categories. So we’ve, we’ve talked about creation and how we we first and foremost, accept that. That God is perfection, and God has created everything in his perfect wisdom. And therefore when we are told to worship Him, which we’ll come to what that means and how that is meant to be. played out in this life. That there is a there is a perfection to even that to even even the various courses of life that we go through good, bad, ugly, however we want to define them. There’s perfection to it. So that’s that was the first part that we discussed in the previous episode. What’s the next category?
So the second x that we need to explore, to understand diverse correctly is the question of these the two categories of beings that are judged at the end and these are the genes and the humans versus we very explicit. The verse is not only created Jean, Jean and men so that they were only for them to worship me. So what is his concept of gin? Or even men on this question of the doclet being judged, so being held accountable for choices?
And also, the question is, what is it that’s in us as men created beings? And of course for the gene as well? What is it that in us, that qualifies us to be able to do this full time worshipping of God? So if we were created only to worship Him then there must be a tremendous definition of the word worship in order for us to be partaking in it on a on a full time basis.
This is the first really concept that we need to dig into right? Let’s concentrate on concept of gene and humans, because the person of all time who reads this verse will not pay so much attention to the first category. It’s not it’s not a very objective approach. Because you remember that the deep impression in many people in front of this verse is to find that maybe God would have created just worship just for that just to worship great years and to bow down to him and he gets pleasure from it. Right?
Yeah, that could be someone’s very ill advised knee jerk reaction I understand.
Why yes, because you are maturing your concepts okay. But what you notice also is the person who is accusing to being a little bit narcissistic is having exactly the same narcissism because when you read the verse and you’re totally uninterested by the gene category, only focusing on the human category on your own category, because it decided in the other category, you ignore it, isn’t it? The proof over hidden narcissism that? Yeah, so whatever the sounds, really the true state of mind and the concepts of the reader, as we have shown in the beginning of discussion. So in the name of free thinking and scientific objectivity the person ignores and even if a person does not admit it, because it ignores the question of the kind of contempt considering the preceding remarks shows how inadequate it is to approach a question, while neglecting one of its fundamental elements. The point of this discussion really is to invite people who listen to unnecessary development of their concepts about the two categories of being detached, and to do this in a meta mythologically and with objectivity.
A lot of people are uncomfortable trying to explore the idea of gym because it freaks them out. They don’t want to talk about it. And so, it inevitably always comes back to just them human beings being created and the question sort of remaining, just bear Yes, but
being freaked out by your question doesn’t make it right to ignore it. Okay, if you want to proceed in the understanding of physics, you might be very scared of radioactivity that you have to face it right. So now how can we understand because our creator in this class is pointing very specifically to these two categories? Okay. So if, if our understanding we’re just ignoring one, we cannot really address that.
We can’t go into this deep dive as we’d like to
so in order to try to clarify this question, we need to focus our thoughts on the Creator itself, and its creation. So each one is unique. And thus necessarily everything he creates, is in contrast to the absolute divine attributes is creation is composite. Right? And is not unique. So, these truth allows us to understand why the creation is multiple and varied. This variety in the index accretion necessarily implies the existence of levels and of progressive degrees in the creation, right? So there’s a hierarchy of the lowest to the highest Okay, from thinking creatures to non thinking creatures, right from creatures that are judged to creatures that are not judged on the zero judgment. So
can we define this as a hierarchy or is it not? Okay, and who’s at the top of the food chain?
So humans have a tendency to think that everything was made for them, right? So they think they’re at the top of the food chain. There’s really nothing in the Quran that is really saying that, okay, so let’s suspend
the question. Okay.
We know the creation is yaki and he’s a developmental own possibilities. The Gene and the humans in the category of thinking creatures that face detriment
because we’re able to think our way through life because this is the will of Allah. Okay. This is the fact that we were given the thinking capabilities and therefore we will be questioned on those thinking capabilities, but
the question is really to understand what these two categories are. So once we understand that the gene and the humans belong to the category of thinking creatures that will be judged. And we first put these two categories into the context of creation. There is a first paradox that appears okay. Why should it be extraordinary, that they are required to worship the Creator required to the entire creation, from the smallest components of matter to the angels themselves? Worship God is everything this taunting phrases of guises of God and His worship? So, why? Why would it be pointed that I created only insinuates that the worship
makes a very good question so why would God ask that? Or why would God say to in this verse, that I’ve only created men and jinn to worship when in fact, all of creation is worshiping God but is it because we are the only two of the thinking in the category of thinking so because we’re thinking we have a choice? And so oftentimes, people will take the choice not to worship God? Correct? Is that where the test lies?
This is why the visitors went okay. So this information that everything is worshiping the creator is everywhere in the Quran. Surah Surah 17 verse 44. We have the seven heavens and the earth and all that is in praise Him. And there is not a thing that does not proclaim His praise. And I can go on and on,
right, so it confirms that that would include men and jinn. So it means that okay, but then, yeah, yeah. Right.
Up to this point, we have taken really a minimalist, very concise approach to tackle the question of the creation and the responsible creatures, but we have enough material and clarification, you know, to, to make a considerable progress in our understanding of these words. I have not created G and men except to worship me. So how would you have been if we had really immersed ourselves in these two questions? We’ve just scratched the surface, right? Right. There is a mystery really of the possibility for these two categories to make choices, that goes against the will of Allah knowingly or unknowingly. And to, to face a judgement, okay? And this is a great mystery. Because this order, this creation, Allah is an Mohammed is dominating by his wheel everything riding can interfere, and he’s not reacting to anything. He knows everything in advance. So what is his mystery?
And why? A huge mystery.
So the point is not to enter in this discussion right now. Okay, but to be aware, this very verse, when he says that I only created Gina needs and humans so that they worship Me. When we understand the paradox in which thinking creatures that are in this creation, it opens doors. And finally, we we understand that this is an answer to very deep questions related to
the lobby, but I still am a bit unclear on what that exact answer is. So we’re, we’re being we’re being told that we are we’ve been created for this purpose of just worshipping God. Meanwhile, we’re the only jinn and and humans are the only in the category of thinking so they can do anything that they want because they’re able to think, whereas the other creation don’t have a choice. They’re not necessarily thinking beings.
So understanding this question again, this is not the place to do it. This question that are very fundamental, high, okay. The point is really to elevate ourselves at least one degree to more clarity on the meaning of diverse Okay, let’s
let’s keep going until we get to that clarity.
So this brief approach of these two axes of creation and leads us to really the first x which is diversity, the question of worship, right, which is really at the heart of the difficulty of understanding that we mentioned at the beginning of this discussion, only to worship but what does it mean? Yeah, right. But in fact, you can see that this difficulty of understanding and triggered by the word worship you can easily surmount this problem with this difficulty by a simple reformulation of the verse, okay? reformulating versus truthfulness is a way to shed the light on one of the aspects of the verse. The verse is packed with a lot of meanings. If you reformulate it, you just make apparent one aspect of it. Okay, we will go through several reformulation of the verse so that we can see several of the aspects of the verse that could be hidden to us if we don’t do this exercise,
are we at the worship category? So can you just sum up the second category which is the jinn and the humans? So you said those are the two creations of the second category. And the summary of what we’re to determine from that category is
getting clear on what gene and means and their place. In the creation is to make a sensitive to the fact that if Allah tells us in the Quran that he created or tells us and other creatures to the Quran, this is addressed to the universities if he tells us that he created these two categories only to worship him, it means it really reinforces the need for us to have answers of what is worshiping or what are we doing here? Because it opens our eyes to the fact that since all creation is worshiping Him, what is about these two categories that is so different, and there is a possibility not to do it. What is it
so the fact that we’re given a choice is the actual thing to ponder is that that could also be a trap, or it could be dangerous for us.
Again, if everything is worshiping Him, what is mystery, saying that specifically on these two categories, saying that the only meant to worship but opening the door that something else could be done is just
which gives which gives the devil an entry point, if he should obviously find those openings. He can take them
once again is that I have created men only so that the introduction of the second category is a way for us human to take back. Thinking of placing the creation, we are not the epitome of everything. We have been created along with a gene for the same purpose
Okay. Says narcissistic of us everything is done because of us or by us or because of what we are
to be put back in place with openings in understanding what is worship. That we should really pick up. So I think this minimum understanding or trying to understand you know, some concepts about creation and incent gene, we can now go into the question of worship. Okay, and this question of worship, as I was saying, is the core difficulty in understanding diverse because the concept of worshipping is very poor, in our minds in general.
Absolutely. Because when I read the verse that says
that I’ve only created men and jinn and men to worship me. I’m actually,
for a long time I was thinking, so this is constant prayer. I’m gonna be in a state of constant prayer all the time just worshiping in beseeching besieging my lord.
It’s like the antique antique approach of religion.
And that was when I was first learning. I mean, obviously, I’ve evolved and the thinking does develop over time.
It’s very hard for us to understand that we have a relationship with the Divinity with our Creator, that is a personal relation. It’s a relation of the heart. Right when this idea did not exist, for example, for the Romans, the Greeks, okay. What they had is an auto Praxis what is working. You live in Athena. Athena is the goddess of Athena. So you need to pay respect to Athena and to practice the rituals. Right? You worship Athena? Because this day you need to do that and you have little thing in your house where you build some things and etc. So basically, whatever is in your heart, whatever you believe in Athena or not, nobody cares. You need to practice the ritual of worship. Usually, sometimes is reduced to that. So if I’m Muslim, worshipping means I will obey you know, the five angles of Islam, so I I will do my salah, etc, I will I will follow the rituals and this is my worshipping.
There is no there’s no concept of heart connection in that form of ritualistic worshipping and that’s what we are not to do that is to make it so ritualistic that we are completely devoid of a heart connection
in order to understand the rules we need to clear up what we’re shipping is okay. Right, because many of you got the wrong idea. It’s not following your practice only. So, if we unpack this worshipping concept, we can reformulate the verse, slightly different way. It will make appear certain aspects of the verse that maybe escaped us and will help us in understanding the verse. Okay. So, of course, the verse in itself is the words of Allah. It contains so many aspects that we would just address a few of them, because only he knows how many aspects there is. Okay. So the first one formulation of the verse, this this first revelation wouldn’t be enough in itself, to make all confusion disappear, and to set up for satisfy people’s heart. Okay. Let’s, let’s see that we have not created gene and men to worship other than me. Right. Okay. Okay. So now the question is, is worship of other than Allah? Is it a marginal Christian phenomenon and an exceptional case in the world now? So is it limited, worshipping other than the Creator? Is it limited? This question of worshiping something, someone other than the Creator? Is it limited to a small number of beings? And would be that not worth mentioning? Or is it a really large number of humans? And who knows about the number of units are worshipping many things other than their Creator? Yeah. In fact, this tragic reality. Still today concerns almost half of humanity, if not more, right. So consequently, there is it is an extremely, extremely serious question. Yeah, that truly merits this Quranic warning.
That don’t worship anything.
Only created men and men so that they worship somebody
other than me. Yeah. Yeah. So they don’t worship others other than me. Wow. Yeah. Which means don’t don’t give that level of security warning. Right, exactly. But don’t don’t give that level of, of divinity to anything. And oftentimes, we see people I mean, on a day to day basis that are desperate for something whether it’s a material thing that they want to acquire or whether it’s a relationship or whether it’s a human being you know, so there are these daily worships going on on a day to day basis, which we have to be mindful of as to where our heart still remains. Whilst we’re in the pursuit of gaining in this world which is not a crime or sin. We should be attaining success of every kind in this in this life. But always be mindful of where our heart connection is.
Because what is the Divinity when we say La ilaha illallah there is no divinity no God except Allah. What do we mean when we say there’s no ILA there’s no divinity what is the Divinity if you can get this concept from the Quran, divinity, for human or for drink, Rowley is anything on which you count for your life. You think that without say this the support of this thing you can live, it can be health. It can be money, right? It can be fame, it can be someone that you just
can’t you just make it your focal point and that claims
on this thing more than anything and you think that your life cannot exist without it. This is your ILA happen when we say there’s no ILA.
Yeah, but, but how can we, for example, health is a very good example. If we, if one doesn’t have their health, then they have nothing and they feel like they’re just losing grip on life.
Don’t pick your health, your Illa realize that your health is coming from Allah, your Creator.
So I pass the worry of the health and worrying more about your connection with God who can give you
exactly all that and as you go to the doctor, etc, but never forget that health is not your God. Yeah, okay. Yeah, it can be taken away. It can be put
back for no reason. By the way, a lot of people often do everything right and and they can
you perceive, but there’s always a reason. By him just doesn’t do anything. Without reason. It is all part of an order. He has everything under control.
But my point is that even help, no matter how perfectly you are at taking care of yourself, you know, is in the end in the hands of God’s blessing. It’s a blessing. Yes. And he can take it and he can give it
everything you have is a gift. And there was absolutely no mean no power, no strength without if it’s not by him, okay? Because everything again is under his control, right.
So instead of focusing on I must get more money for example, or I must, you know, when must whatever attain, you know, the next level in their job, for example, their career, you know, climb up the, you know, the realm of of success. All that becomes such an obsession for so, so many of us that what your point is, is that it almost becomes a point of worship, rather than us keeping our focus on the most, and the only point of worship which is God who can give us all of these things and more as who is the master of all of these things. So he controls all of these things for us. Yes, in our lives,
yes. And again, the striving to to have a comfortable life or to be successful, your job, etc. It is part of the excellence that Allah is pleased with,
right so we must commit to the excellence and
again, the effort we put our heart into our Creator and the efforts in pleasing him is to be as excellent as possible. Now if the fruits of our effort is denied to us, we are not supposed to crumble, and to say, Oh, I did everything right. And I have a cancer for example. It is not your health is a gift from your Creator,
right and so we must put our trust in God in order for us to get through our
trials where we are. Of course, of course,
we’re told in the Quran, that this this life is a test and our solution to those tests is to hold on to the rope of God and to not let go Hold on tight to God.
Exactly. And so before we close this conversation, because we will go for more reformulations let’s just address one more a second reformulation because it complements the first one and shed light on another aspect of the verse. The secondary population will be I have not created Jane and men so that they take certain ones among them as good apart from me. Because
we often do that people often do that where they take you know, some sort of a someone they idolize, you know, someone that they really look up to and and they start following their instructions are their example rather than really understanding what God wants from them. And that’s how we find people get lost in life, because they’ve been focusing on the wrong track.
So you did not create gene and men so that they lose themselves and suffer humiliation and disgrace under the tyranny of the misleading so called divinity of some of them, the others, nor that some of them take others in slavery, for example. Okay. So the point of life is not to be under the thumb of other humans is a great news that he only created us, so that we worship Him.
Now we look at it as good news. Whereas before we one could have been very confused as to why God would even say that so now it’s good news because then we’re not under the thumb of tyranny. We’re not following the winds. And let’s, shall we say, trends of what this world brings about, you know, we we know better than that. We know that some trends and some popularities and whatnot aren’t for us, and we can take a pass on this.
So Toba, nine, verse 31. There is a verse that is usually translated into the mighty way. But let me try or they have taken their spiritual leaders and their monks as Lord and the son of Mary apart from Allah. And they were commanded to worship but one unique divinity and there is no divinity or deity except the one who is utterly remote. It is limitless glory from anything to read, ascribe a share of his divinity. Okay. So this again addresses, you know, this tendency to take other humans or even as, as long as you know, yeah. There’s another another verse in Psalm 30. For those 14 and the day he will gather them all together to do just what we asked the angels was it you that they used to worship and the angel we answer? Limitless Are you in your glory? You are outwardly your protector apart from them? No, rather they were serving the gin. Most of them believed in them.
Which is remarkable because in today’s world, you do see people doing all sorts of crazy things are calling and invoking upon spirits and they’re invoking upon, you know, what they believe to be angels or what they believe to be dead people that had maybe some sort of, you know, a claim when they were alive. And, and we realize that we’re just muddying the waters or just kind of wasting our time because in the end, we could go straight to the boss of all of these things, or the boss of all of these people and just just go direct and get, you know, have the conversation that we want and invoke what it is that we’re asking for. Yes.
