To Praise or not to Praise the Messenger

It is one of the pillars of faith in Islam to believe in all of the messengers and prophets sent by Allah. Being the last of the line of messengers, Muhammad pbuh also brought the final revelation to guide humanity until the end of time. All of these select people were enabled by God to work extraordinary things as a confirmation of their divine authority. However, throughout the life of Muhammad and especially during the period in which Quran was revealed, two major principles were meticulously observed: human essence of the messenger and the authority of the mind. I would like to use these principles to reflect on the situation of religious leaders in our times. But first, let's set up the background.

The first of these principles is the emphasis on the human essence of the prophet. It is the nature of people to exalt things beyond what they truly are. Having seen the miracles in the hands of the prophet, and witnessing the divine words coming through him, people around Muhammad and also all the people to follow in later times are prone to exalting him beyond human. So, either through events in his life or through some corrective verses in the Quran, this point was firmly made clear by God in the minds of the people surrounding Muhammad pbuh. In fact, although humanity always managed to revert to idolatry or to deify the saint people before or after Islam, Muhammad himself was never deified by his followers, and I think this is an unnoticed miracle of his.

The second principle observed in the beginning of Islam was to convince people about the greatest miracle and the greatest tool to reach truth. The greatest miracle of Muhammad is not the extraordinary events he showed but the book he brought from God. A book is not exciting enough for people, but in reality, what makes a human human is their intellect and reason guiding their will power. A conviction about truth can be achieved by a book telling the truth and a mind contemplating it. So, we humans are ultimately left to our minds as a sign of God.

Both of these principles are built into the verse below from the chapter Al-Imran:

"It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied." Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?" (Quran 3/79-80)

In order to employ these principles on the situation of the religious leaders of our times, I am going to first build a fictitious story. Let's imagine that during the life of the prophet, some people thought that it is through this holy man that people find guidance, and so, if they respect him and recognize him as a great man, they can find the path of God. With this thinking, they embark on a zealous effort to advertise the qualities of the holy man and to explain him everywhere. As a result, many people in the vicinity or in distant places get to know the messenger, and start praising him. Since this step is treated as a precursor to the real guidance, the initial people who started the action are happy with this situation. Seeing them happy, the people who just got to know the messenger think that recognizing and praising the messenger is the ultimate point.

If you carefully and sensitively ponder on the above story, you will see the seeds of idolatry, for one of the claims of idolatry is that the idols intercede with God and they help people get close to God. Therefore, unaware of what they have done, the friends of the messenger would have started a path of misguidance with their very hands. Let's continue our fictitious story for more lessons.

Following their admiration, the newly converts flock to see the man of God, and upon their arrival to the city but before they see the messenger, everybody sees other groups who have overcome long distances just to taste a few minutes of presence with the holy man. So, words get exchanged about the holiness of the messenger, and stories of his miracles are circulated from tongue to tongue, and an aurora of admiration settles on the entire city with all the visitors in it. The local merchants, poets, etc. join the effort, further exalting the messenger. At this point, if the messenger, too, were to think that this much focus on him is good, because people acknowledging him as an extraordinary, heavenly being is a step of guidance, he would ruin not only himself but also all those people around him. Remember the above verse, and also add the following verse in to your perspective:

"Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me." Say, "Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?" " (Quran 6/50)

Now we can come to our day. Today, around the world, there are many scholars or religious leaders who are striving to spread the message of God. In fact this is a duty on all believers, but these people turn out to be more skilled and more successful at that. If you consider that contemplating about the truth and explaining it is very difficult whereas praising a human is so much more easy, it shouldn't be that difficult for you to guess that the people around those scholars and leaders are prone to the mistake told in our fictitious story. Furthermore, if those scholars and leaders cannot properly interpret this situation and take counteraction, they are running a risk of paving a path contrary to their aim. Plus, the presence of a crowd praising one person is inflammable for human ego.

In short, to conserve the purity of our faiths and intentions, to protect the people who are showing the path of God from going astray, and to preserve the authenticity of the divine message we want to spread, the believers must educate themselves with the proper manners of appreciation and with ways to avoid the infiltration of idolatry into their deeds. Furthermore, we believers must inculcate critical thinking into the minds of our generations as an integral part of proper faith.

Some Water From Space

Water is the essence of life, as we know it. That's why in the space explorations, discovery of water is considered as a cue for the presence of life on a heavenly object.

"Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?" (Quran 21/30)

As seen in the above verse, the presumed link between life and water is also supported by the divine revelation. But still, the vastness of the space, the rarity of earth-like conditions and the lack of water on potential-earths (at least until so far) arises the question "are we alone?". I believe that the answer to that question can be found in the light of another verse:

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason." (Quran 2/164)

In the Arabic original of the part "of rain", we read "min maa'in". There are two serious clues that can be found in this phrase. First, min means from/of in English. In any event, it refers to "a part of something". This means that some of the water that is in the heavens has been sent down to earth. Therefore, much more water must be present elsewhere other than earth. And the presence of that water raises the prospects of finding life as we know on other places in the universe.

Second clue from the phrase "min maa'in" comes from the uncertainty in the phrase. A corresponding example in English would be the difference between "the water" and "water". If the former was used in the verse, we would definitely think that water as we know it is referred to. Instead, a general form is preferred. This generality can comprise many concepts including, but not limited to, different forms of water (ice-liquid-vapor), different liquids that could harbor life. So, we are clearly told about the descending of some of this "water" to earth and most of it remaining in the heavens.

Another independent clue to the same end is from the account of the Great Flood in the Quran:

"Then We opened the gates of the heaven with rain pouring down. And caused the earth to burst with springs, and the waters met for a matter already predestined." (Quran 54/11-12)

In the translations, the word for water is given in the plural form, whereas it is actually in the singular form. This has been a concern in the exegesis of this verse, but I am not going to go into that. However, I think that the singular use of water could mean that "the same body of water that was split to two reunited during the flood." In fact, the verse in the chapter Al-Anbiya quoted above (21/30) supports the idea of a single body of water, since heavens and earth were once one! So there is water in outer space!

 On a second level, the uncertainty about water is again present in the first verse here, although in the second verse, the use of water comes with the article of definiteness, "the water". Then we can certainly think of other possibilities about the exact identity of this water pouring down on earth. So, referring to the first verse about the opening of the gates of heaven, it is possible to imagine a heavenly source of water coming down on earth, triggering the flood events.

A third comment about the water coming down on earth is the depiction of the water: "maa'in munhamir". Although it is translated as rain pouring down, the original Quranic words are not exactly those. Rather they mean a water that is flowing very fast and abundantly. It is a violent burst of water from heaven! What could that be? God knows best, but it is possible that a meteorite loaded with enough water-ice entered the atmosphere; and as it was heated up due to the shock waves, the cold ice in it boiled and assumed the munhamir state, that is violently roaring and flowing down on earth like a heavy rain.

When you consider all of the above, there are enough clues to have confidence about the existence of water elsewhere in the universe.

The Miracle of Mind

Studying the wonders of the human body, the mind is, without a doubt, an unparalleled edifice. It is strange, though, that when people were given a messenger from God, they would constantly ask for miracles that would override their minds! Given that the mind itself is a miracle, asking for something else to override it, surely, is an ignorance towards it. In fact, there have been many believers in the past who believed in the divine call without needing a miracle, but simply by using their rational and conscious minds.

Here, I want to focus on the example of Abraham pbuh, because he played on both sides of the story. That is, first, he searched for God using his rational mind, then he was appointed by God a messenger who could work miracles. Let's start by reading from the Quran his search for his Creator:

And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith]. So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star. He said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "I like not those that disappear." And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray." And when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my lord; this is greater." But when it set, he said, "O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah. Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah ." (Quran 6/75-79)

As you may realize, Abraham performed controlled experiments based on observations. Thus, he was verifying his theory about god. At each step, he had a condition for veracity. And when the theory failed, instead of exhibiting an emotional but irrational attachment to his failed theory, Abraham was brave enough to compose a newer version, and then was bold enough to put it to test. This passion of his for the truth took him out of layers of darkness that his people were in to the infinite light of God. And all this was not due to a miracle that would invalidate the mind, but rather a journey that would endorse the mind as the most powerful tool to reach God. This last point can be seen at least at two points in his life.

First, after he himself acquired a conviction of faith, he wanted to change the minds of his people. So he plotted a "game" in his mind that could show people the irrationality of the idol worshiping. Let's follow the story from the Quran:

And We had certainly given Abraham his sound judgement before, and We were of him well-Knowing. When he said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoted?" They said, "We found our fathers worshippers of them." He said, "You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error." They said, "Have you come to us with truth, or are you of those who jest?" He said, "[No], rather, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth who created them, and I, to that, am of those who testify. And [I swear] by Allah, I will surely plan against your idols after you have turned and gone away." So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question]. They said, "Who has done this to our gods? Indeed, he is of the wrongdoers." They said, "We heard a young man mention them who is called Abraham." They said, "Then bring him before the eyes of the people that they may testify." They said, "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?" He said, "Rather, this - the largest of them - did it, so ask them, if they should [be able to] speak." So they returned to [blaming] themselves and said [to each other], "Indeed, you are the wrongdoers." (Quran 21/51-64)

As seen, the game plotted by Abraham to trigger a rational and conscious thought in the idol worshipers works at first. But, after this initial moment of victory of reason, the disbelievers suppress their minds, and they continue in their bigotry. But that is not our focus here; rather we want to look at how the use of mind and rational thought was endorsed by God through the life story of Abraham, and was used as an invitation for other people.

The second, and a stronger event in the life of Abraham occurs when he faces the ruler of his time who claims to be god. Inviting him to believe in the true, one God, Abraham uses rational speech. But before that event, we need to see another special and private event, when Abraham asks God to show a sign of resurrection after death:

And [mention] when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." [ Allah ] said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but [I ask] only that my heart may be satisfied." [ Allah ] said, "Take four birds and commit them to yourself. Then [after slaughtering them] put on each hill a portion of them; then call them - they will come [flying] to you in haste. And know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." (Quran 2/260)

So, this event is a fresh and a most convincing evidence for the power and will of God. So, Abraham uses it as his first argument to convince that ruler. But it doesn't work, since the ruler says that he can also kill someone, causing death, or forgive someone, hence giving life. Upon this, Abraham takes off his strongest weapon, that is his rational argument that he himself was guided upon:

Have you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord [merely] because Allah had given him kingship? When Abraham said, "My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death," he said, "I give life and cause death." Abraham said, "Indeed, Allah brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west." So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (Quran 2/258)

Having seen the example of Abraham, we can we can trace the same line of thought in the teachings of Jesus pbuh and Muhammad pbuh. Jesus himself was "word of God" (Quran 3/45, 4/171), and the first thing he did among people was preaching rational and conscious arguments, not miracles! Similarly, when Muhammad started his ministry among people, not only he used rational and conscious arguments but also his greatest miracle was the word of God, Quran.

What do these tell us, the believers far far away from the messengers in the past and extremely close to the end of time? Perhaps one answer is that instead of looking forward to miraculous events performed by God in order to guide people, we should inculcate rational and conscious thought among ourselves and among people, since it is the tool endorsed by God. That tool, as observed in history, has the most permanent effects in the minds as compared to miracles. And for the same reason, it is the same tool that is going to be targeted by Antichrist to create conflict and evil among people. If we don't want to fall prey to such assaults, we must equip ourselves with enough conviction in our minds, and develop conscious behaviors in our lives.

Good Friday and Easter

Understanding the name "Good Friday" is not easy for a non-Christian. Nevertheless, the events surrounding it are noteworthy for all who believe in one God and the life after death.

Good Friday refers to the Friday when, according to Christian sources, Jesus (pbuh) was crucified. Before going any further, let's see why such an event took place in the place. In doing so, I am going to take the Quran and the Bible as my reference to stitch a plausible and rational story.

Around the time when Jesus's mother, Mary, was born, the Jewish community was in expectation of a new messenger of God that would bring prosperity to the Jews and revive their faith. However, the expected birth brought a female, and not a male. This was very disappointing, because messengers were all male. So, with Mary not fitting the bill by virtue of being a female, attentions were up again for someone else. However, unbeknownst to the people, the expected person was to come from Mary. And God's plan was to prepare people for the drastic changes approaching them.

According to that plan, when Mary was admitted to the temple as a devotee, fruits of all seasons would come to her as a miracle, and this would perplex people. They could not explain how fruits of winter would be available in summer and vice versa. But, there they were for Mary. Extremely deterministic and rule-based mind of the Jews was shaken by this miracle being revealed on a female. However, these events were also preparation for Mary, herself, for what was to come upon her.

Later on, when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told about her pregnancy for Jesus, son of Mary, she was shocked, because that was impossible, given that she had never been with a man for such an end. But the angel told her that "when God wills something, it suffices Him to say 'be', and it 'is'." Such was the start of Mary's pregnancy for Jesus. But of course, people didn't know it.

And she hid it, and she secluded away from people as the birth neared. After Jesus was born, both she and the Jewish minds were shocked by the miraculous birth of Jesus and his brief talk when he was a baby, again as a miracle. Had it not been for this miracle, they could have stoned Mary for adultery, as their law told.

As Jesus grew, he learned about the divine books revealed before, and he was given wisdom from God. In his young age, energized by the divine wisdom and guidance, he challenged the Jewish rabbis, and accused them of distorting the message revealed by God. These distortions were enabled by two major factors. One, the rabbis kept the scripture only to themselves in the temple. So, it was not available to people. This meant that the public were at the mercy of their religious leaders. If they skipped or hid something from the divine revelation, it did not reach people. What is more serious, jurisdictions were made in the name of God by these religious leaders. So, what they said was the law, and was regarded as the divine will.

The second factor that enabled the distortion of the divine message by the religious leaders was the genius of the Jewish people. Genetically speaking, they represent an intelligent progeny in the human race. So, when it came to interpreting the divine words to justify what they wanted, they didn't have a hard time.

And it was these two factors what drove Jesus furious, who was also a Jew. He called people to be humans when understanding and interpreting the revelation. That is, he reminded people of their hearts besides their minds. Thus, was seeded a spirit of combining the mind and the heart. Thanks to his ministry, the inherent mercy in the divine message found representation in real life. But that did not make everyone happy.

Emergence of a human-centered interpretation of the divine words removed the rabbis and the temple from being the focus of religious life. So, those who lost their authorities tried to entice the Roman rulers against Jesus. They spread the rumor that Jesus was claiming to be the king of the Jews, and so, was a threat to the Roman dominion.

At first, the Roman governors did not see the case as a substantiated crime. So they dropped the case. But the Jewish rabbis' and a group of Jews' rage and hatred did not diminish. They insisted on the punishment of Jesus by the Romans. In order to re-establish order and calm the upheavals, at last the Romans opened the way for Jesus's crucifixion.

Although the Quran and Bible diverge on the exact event of crucifixion, the common belief is that Jesus was taken to heaven after this event. And that marks the Good Friday. What makes this name incomprehensible from the non-Christian perspective is that the killing of Jesus by people is referred to as something good. I am not going to go into further discussion on this, because that is not my intention here. Rather, I want to proceed to the Sunday following the Good Friday: Easter.

From the New Testament, we learn that Jesus reappeared to his followers on the Easter Sunday, and stayed with them for a while. During this time, he not only continued his teachings but also gave orders for his message to be spread to others. Plus, just like Jesus pbuh healed people as a miracle, his disciples were enabled by God to heal people miraculously, as a sign of their truthfulness.

Here, we conclude the brief explanation of the Good Friday and Easter. Now, what is the take home message for us today?

Near the end of time, we are told that Jesus is going to descend from the heavens. Considering what he did before, we can see what he might do upon his second coming. For example, in the Islamic tradition, we are told that Jesus is going to serve in the Muslim nation. So, it is possible that he is going to challenge the religious authorities who are distorting the divine message by their interpretations or by keeping people from reaching and reading the word of God themselves. It is possible that he is going to call the believers to true faith by making them  face their merciless, and so Godless, acts in the name of God. Again, it is possible that he is going to show people wisdom that is going to contain both the mind and the heart and will awaken people from consumerism.

And most importantly, Jesus's second coming may seed the resurrection of a body of true believers, who might have been killed dramatically due to hatred, rage and blind faith of others. By virtue of being fatherless, Jesus may work out of a governmental or political circle. By virtue of his healing power over the possessed ones, he may open the eyes of those who have been blinded by the Anti-Christ. And, similar to the three days between the Good Friday and Easter, all these may come to pass only three "days" after the death of the body of true believers. Just like those three days during which Zachariah could not do his ministry but which were mere a sign for the birth of John the Baptist; the one who cleanses people for the arrival of the Messiah.

A New Super Hero: Abstract Man

Abstract man might be the funniest thing you have ever heard. Given that super powers reveal themselves through solid action in the real world, what in the world an abstract man can achieve?

Before we go into any discussion, I would like to take you to a journey in time. Until 20-30 years ago, stories involving the super heroes would depict them as not only super but also humble. They would not ask for any return for the good they would do. This meant they did not expect a fame nor a recognition as "the only man". They simply did what was needed to be done.

But, fast forward, if you look at the recent stories, we see the super heroes in fight of ego. Their selfless actions are portrayed as show of power and ego. And if another super hero dares to help, which means a sharing of the fame and an implied insufficiency on the former's side, a stern fight breaks out.

You might think that this is only happening in movies but actually the same change is happening in the social life. In the old times, the selfless people or the generous people who did ordinary or extraordinary good for the sake of others did that for its own sake. Many of these actions were linked to those people's fidelity to the good will of God. But as we come to our time, we see such people being advertised in the media, we see such organizations advertising themselves through the good actions they do or organize, etc. In short, any good action is tied with a fame and a motivation to highlight a name.

Even the humblest of such endeavors fall prey to the notion that "they want to hide their personal identities to avoid arrogance and pride but want to give credit to a social movement or to a leader." As such, instead of idolizing their selves, unintentionally they are putting up those leaders or those social movements as idols between God and people. It feels as if all good is from those leaders or from those groups of people. However this is not what God wants from us, in my opinion.

Not at least in this time near the end of times. How do I know this? From the practice of God, Himself, and from the words of His messenger, Muhammad pbuh.

The practice of God since the beginning of humanity is that He introduces Himself through words but even that does not happen constantly. For example, every sunshine, every flower, every buzz of bees etc. etc. are all blessings of God but we don't see Him every time requiring our praise and thanks for the continuity of these blessings. Instead, He reminds Himself from time to time. However, if an individual want to get in a more frequent and direct touch with Him, He responds in a very rich manner unlike the public one:

Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "

To see the praising of anonymity in the Prophet's words, let's read from a hadith about the end of time:

Jabir b. 'Abdullah reported:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: A section of my people will not cease fighting for the Truth and will prevail till the Day of Resurrection. He said: Jesus son of Mary would then descend and their (Muslims') commander would invite him to come and lead them in prayer, but he would say: No, some amongst you are commanders over some (amongst you). This is the honour from Allah for this Ummah. (Müslim, İman 71(156))

There are two points that need attention. One, the identity of the leaders of that praiseworthy group are anonymous. They don't stick out of the people. How do we know this? From the use of the vague term "some". This means that among that group, the function of leadership is fulfilled by some individuals but, actually any other would and could replace those leaders. So it is not that the leaders are praised extremely, as is the case happening in our societies. In other words, if you see a group of Muslims who are constantly portraying their leaders and who are seeking media appearance, they are in a wrong direction by virtue of the seed of idolatry growing in them. This notion is actually confirmed by the reluctance of the Messiah to accept the position of leadership. And that is the second point of attention.

"Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment, and they are [rightly] guided." (Quran 36/21)

So, we see that doing super actions but persisting on anonymity, not seeking public acclaim be it for the self, social group or a leader, is crucial in serving the religion of God especially near the end of time. Thus our new super hero concept: Abstract Man.

Abstract Man is any man. It is you, me, us... Anyone and everyone who can do a good for another person that couldn't do it for themselves. Absence of a person in flesh and bone to thank is the ground on which individuals can meet their Lord. Preparing that ground and doing this only for the sake of God is the super power. Exercising the will not to blur that meeting is the super power.

In fact, one of the scholars of the last century, Said Nursi pointed at this fact, too, when he was promoting the concept of şahs-ı manevi (abstract persona), when he was intentionally or unintentionally avoiding seeing people and instead directing them to read and contemplate his written work, Risale-i Nur, when he was avoiding any photography. Last but not the least, in the same line, his destiny was so that his grave is unknown.

So, be super, be a super conductor of goodness and support the appearance and hiding of supers, and most importantly be invisible.