Calling Jesus

Whether taken literally or figuratively, second coming of Jesus is associated with good things. Some scholars also claim that, based on their analysis of the relevant hadith on the issue, there is always a "messiah of the time" aside from the Messiah expected to come towards the very end of time. Still, these minor messiahs are also heralds of happiness after times of peril.

This belief on the second coming of Jesus near the end of time is common among Christians and Muslims. In order to accelerate the emergence of the unparalleled good due to the Messiah, some of these believers think that those evil events prior to Jesus must happen; so, they are in a way happy to see heartbreaking news from around the world. But is it really the evil events that are calling Jesus or the utter need of humanity and the readiness of the believers to work alongside him that are preparing his coming?

I am holding the idea that life is not a mathematical equation that you can force no matter what. Rather, life is the spirit of the mathematics of destiny, and so, it is the latter option above that is welcoming Jesus back to among us. Therefore, if we are feeling that it is the right time for Jesus to come, or at least the right time for the emergence of the messiah of the time, then we must prepare ourselves for this unique guest:

“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24/42-44)

Then the question is how we can prepare ourselves for this awesome occasion in human history. On this, I caught a brief elixir, which can be condensed into a single action:

"Certainly, the time of prayer shall come and then Jesus (peace be upon him) son of Mary would descend and would lead them." (Sahih Muslim, 2897)

Prophet Muhammad pbuh tells that in the time of the AntiChrist, Jesus's descent is going to happen not during a war or alike, but rather when people are gathered for prayer. Especially in the Islamic creed, the five daily prayers are the pillar of everything else, and the Quran repeatedly instructs the believers to improve and establish their prayers, not just to do them. Therefore, the state that is most welcoming for the Jesus is when people are coming together under the umbrella of prayer.

Similar meaning can be extracted from the following Quranic verses:

"And from wherever you go out [for prayer], turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you [believers] may be, turn your faces toward it in order that the people will not have any argument against you, except for those of them who commit wrong; so fear them not but fear Me. And [it is] so I may complete My favor upon you and that you may be guided. Just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know. So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me. O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient." (Baqara 2/150-153)

So, come on let's pray together as a single family. 

Let's help each other overcome the obstacles that inhibit concentration and dedication in our prayers.

Let's stay awake in unison during the darkness.

Let's love each other for facilitating a real presence with God.

And let's wait...

Experimenting With Faith

Faith is said to be a matter of faith! Whether you believe or not depends on your choice. And whether you believe or not, you can find justifications, and even rational support, for your choice. When we specifically talk about believing in God or not, we see countless accounts of people who explain how their point of view makes complete sense and how the other view is totally irrational. Here, I would like to venture into providing a rational and scientific basis for belief in God. In doing so, however, I am going to try to be fair in terms of appreciating the leaps of faith and solid scientific knowledge.

Let me warn you that what I am going to do is not listing a chain of scientific facts about the evolution of the universe and showing how miraculous it is for life to exist at all. Although such miraculousness is the case according to our current knowledge, that approach is subject to a person's ability to feel wonder and to experience awe. A person devoid of those qualities, or someone who does not/cannot appreciate them, cannot find the matters of faith plausible through this method. In fact, one motivation for the theory of parallel universes is claiming life as coincidental. Therefore, I am going to follow a more fundamental route, and go philosophical.

Controlled experiments are the foundations of science. In a controlled experiment, factors that are known to contribute to a specified end are kept constant all but one. Therefore, the resultant change in the end are proven to be due to that one parameter that was changed. Then, looking at the proportionality of the cause-effect, a mathematical relationship is developed. Now, can we extend this method to proving the existence of God?

First let's ponder what this means! If we were to make a controlled experiment to prove the existence of God, we would have to first decide whether God's existence is a cause or a result. If it is the first, then we can turn on and off God, and look at the result. If things go awkward in the universe, then we can decide that God exists. Wait a second! If we can turn on/off God, then He is not God. Plus, if we are turning him on/off, we are already accepting his existence! On the other hand, if we cannot turn Him on or off, then we cannot prove His existence for sure!

Then, let's look at the second avenue in the controlled experiment approach. If God's existence is a result, then we must be able to populate a list of causes for His existence, and each of those causes must be proven to be effective. That means, by turning on and off those causes, we watch whether God disappears or not, and so, we know for sure how, when and in what amount God exists. But wait! If we are controlling God's existence, then He is not really God. If we cannot control His existence, then we cannot test it?

If you are careful enough, you might notice a flaw in the above thinking. God's existence and His effectiveness on the universe are two different things. The experiments above are based on checking God's existence by looking at His effects on the universe. But a god that exists and is not related to the universe could both exist and be out of our ability to test. Therefore our inability to test his abilities cannot be a measure of his existence. Well, that makes sense but, one, why should we care for such a god who has nothing to do with us, two, that god's inability to interfere with or execute the universe is proof that he is not actually god. By definition, God must be infinite and unbounded. So, if there is God, He must be also powerful and governing over everything. In fact, the same line of thought can lead to the conclusion that if God exists, He must also be the source of every different aspect of the universe (i.e. beauty, life, power, order, perfectness, etc.) and must possess that aspect infinitely.

In short, the controlled experiment approach shows that it is beyond our ability to test God's existence experimentally. But Quran invites us to think exactly on this point:

"Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe." (Anbiya 21/22) 

So, what does this mean? If we cannot do physical experiments, then we can make thought experiments perhaps. That is we can use mathematical and rational thinking to proceed in our quest. In fact, that is exactly what we did above when considering a controlled experiment on God. So, we just need to broaden our perspective and enrich our question set.

In mathematics, there is the existence and uniqueness theorem. Given a problem, how do we know that there exists at least one solution to it? Furthermore, can we show that this solution is unique? These questions are very useful for our journey, because we are looking at finding rational grounds for the existence and uniqueness of God.

Looking at the mathematical answers to the above questions on existence and uniqueness, you will quickly realize that they rely on the presumption of an existing continuity over a given margin. This presumption translates to "it exists because it exists"! That is there must be an assumption as the foundation to build upon. Having presumptions may sound unscientific, but science and mathematics are based on unprovable axioms at the fundamental level. We accept them simply because 1) we haven't seen them invalid, and 2) the more we use them the more we can explain the universe. Conservation of energy and second law of thermodynamics (entropy) are among such useful presumptions.

This observation of ours overlaps with what we concluded after the controlled experiment endeavor. If we assume God as infinite and omnipotent, then this assumption is useful for explaining further things, but we cannot prove it. This may sound unacceptable, but otherwise cannot be proven either! That is one cannot prove God's nonexistence and/or a limit to his attributes. Rather, one can assume such limits or the nonexistence, and build upon those assumptions, but they are as irrational as the previous case at the foundation. So, the only thing to do is to look at the consequences. And that is exactly what the above verse invites us to do.

So, at this point, I would like to introduce another verse that is to be contemplated in conjunction with the verse above. For convenience, I am giving them both here:

"Allah presents an example: a slave owned by quarreling partners and another belonging exclusively to one man - are they equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah ! But most of them do not know." (Zumer 39/29)

"Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah, they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah, Lord of the Throne, above what they describe." (Anbiya 21/22) 

Now, let's put these verses in perspective with a mathematical theorem on convergence:

Let A and B functions defined in the same domain, and for all points, A(x)>B(x). Then, if B diverges, A diverges too.

The analogy between this theorem and the above verses tells that if the coexistence of independent powers in a small affair is leading to turmoil, bigger turmoil would result in a bigger affair. In other words, gods with infinite power and each independent of others would mean terror and destruction. Conversely, entities without independence and infinite power cannot be god, and therefore be subject to control of an infinite entity, thereby mediating the establishment of order. In short, the order that we see around us and the existence of laws governing the universe implies a power that is unbounded and unparalleled, so that other finite and bounded powers can function in an order:

Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Self Sufficient. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent." (Ikhlas 112)

Another analogy can be established for the case of resurrection:

"Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop - then at once he is a clear adversary? And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, "Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?" Say, "He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing." [It is] He who made for you from the green tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He, who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is so]; and He is the Knowing Creator." (Yasin 36/77-81)

Now consider the following mathematical statement:

Let A and B functions defined in the same domain, and for all points, A(x)>B(x). Then, if A converges, B converges too.

Creation of heavens and earth, and the first creation of mankind are already great tasks that have been accomplished, as we see. This reality points at the fact that the person who made all this is powerful to do something much smaller. That is God is powerful to give life to the dead. If He is powerful to do it, and if He has promised it, He will definitely do it.

"So exalted is He in whose hand is the realm of all things, and to Him you will be returned." (Yasin 36/83)

Considering the above discussion, you can see that faith presents a consistent set of ideas that can explain the existence and answer our questions on life. Although these explanations can be rationally acceptable, there are still two major issues: irrationality and validity.

When we look at the human life at the individual or social level, we see implications of the emotional or irrational aspects of humanity. These may be sometimes nice but sometimes very hard to bear. Such instances of irrationality make life difficult for the rational thought. Understanding something does not necessarily mean being happy with it. And it is not always possible to see the big picture over an event, leaving us even devoid of a rational answer! Then, what to do in case of an irrational appearance with an unacceptable situation? How does faith address this issue? What does God tell us?

Answer: patience! Patience is an irrational answer that burns us inside out. It, in one respect, means waiting, and in another, means conserving your state despite adversities.

"Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near." (Baqara 2/214)

"And whoever desires the reward of this world - We will give him thereof; and whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter - We will give him thereof. And we will reward the grateful. And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many devout. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast. And their words were not but that they said, "Our Lord, forgive us our sins and the excess [committed] in our affairs and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people." So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the good reward of the Hereafter. And Allah loves the doers of good." (Ali Imran 3/145-148)

Second, something making sense rationally does not necessarily mean physical existence. So, faith requires you to act upon it, just like an engineer designing a vehicle according to the scientific observations. If you believe, you must take risks and act according to your faith, then you can prove to yourself physically whether your faith was not only rationally but also physically correct. The ultimate test in this regard is dying, of course, and this proof is exclusively yours to see.

Note: As a continuation to this discussion, you can read Reading Quran in an Age of Ego and Shoulder to Shoulder with David.

Adjusting Your Voice

If you are a believer and if you were addressing the prophet Muhammad pbuh in person, you would be careful about your words, your voice level and your attitudes in general. You would exhibit the highest standards of respect you could afford. In fact, this is exactly what is told in the Quran, too:

"O you who have believed, do not put [yourselves] before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah . Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing. O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not. Indeed, those who lower their voices before the Messenger of Allah - they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for righteousness. For them is forgiveness and great reward." (49/1-3)

But there are a few problems in digesting these verses. First, the prophet passed away about 14 centuries ago, and so, this order of God "seems to be" inapplicable for us who are living today! Given that the Quran has validity until the end of time, why has God placed such an injunction in the Quran? Second, even if you lived in his time, why would you raise your voice to a man who is known to be kind and reasonable? Third, why is lowering your voice so difficult so that it is becoming a test of righteousness?

If you dig into the occasion of revelation of this verse, you see an argument between Abu Bakr and Umar, the first two caliphs. This argument takes place in the presence of the prophet, and it relates to a business that concerns the prophet himself primarily and ultimately. The two friends of the prophet get into an argument on such an issue, and their argument exacerbates, involving high voice speeches.

If we suffice with this explanation, there is practically no lesson for us today, because the prophet is not with us physically. There must be other lessons that are valid even today! To discover one of those, let's make an imaginary time travel to the prophet's time, and develop empathy.

Assume that you and the prophet have diverged on an issue, about which there is no clear revelation from God. And you know for sure, by experience, that the suggestion of the prophet is not the rational choice (examples of this is the artificial fertilization of the date trees or the positioning of the army before the battle of Badr). What are you going to do? Are you going to insist on your opinion and try to prove the prophet's wrong? And if you do so, with what kind of attitude would you do that? Let's say, out of respect, you did not pursue your idea and went with that of the prophet. Later on, it was seen that your opinion was right, and there are losses due to not following it. How would you feel about the situation?

The verses of the Quran given above implies that such things are possible. Furthermore, with the passage of time and change of geographical,cultural,technological conditions, today, we may face situations, about which there are no clear boundaries or criteria in the Quran and the prophet's comments thereof do not corner with our experiences. What to do then?

In such cases, traditional approach is the conservative approach, and it refuses to open up or accept any new avenues of thought. People with such attitude go with what was available 14 centuries ago. If needed to silence objections, they put forward the above verses as evidence that you should stop talking on a matter about which the prophet opined otherwise. However, that is not what the Quran tells!

Quran tells us to keep our respect and lower our voices, but it doesn't tell us to quit the discussion. Let's ponder over what it means to lower our voice in today's context.

You are in a situation where 1- there is no clear prohibition or boundary in the Quran, 2- the comments/suggestions/prohibitions of the prophet, although true of their time, are not reflective of the modern findings on the same issue. Then, of course, as a person of knowledge and thinking, you would like to start a discussion and raise your point rationally. In doing so, the proper manner is not to start loud public discussions, and criticize the prophet for what he did or what he said. Rather, in such cases, contextualizing the acts and words of the prophet to enable empathy and understanding, and then establishing your opinion based on modern information and on principles from Quran and Sunna, and finally stating that this is what you think is pleasing to God seems to be the proper way.

If you ask why this is a challenge of righteousness, there are two main factors: ego and the society. Human ego is vulnerable to exert itself beyond limits especially in cases that give the feeling of victory. The exhilaration may suppress self-control, and you may find yourself at an improper place, well ahead of what you initially intended for. So, an attention to the ego factor is essential in starting discussions of this nature, and that is why lowering your voice is a challenge of righteousness.

Second reason why lowering your voice is a challenge is the society. More often than not, society presents a conservative character in new matters. In fact, cultural biases also lead to improper practices that may also abuse religion as a support. In such cases, when you come forward claiming that the religion actually does not favor the practice of the society or it does not reject a practice that is found outrageous according to traditions, you receive a great backlash, and you feel an urge to raise your voice against the bigotry. But when doing so, unknowingly or inadvertently you may denigrate the prophet himself. That is not the purpose, and should not be the case even if indirectly. But still, you have to fight against the bigotry and explain your view. That is why lowering your voice is a challenge of righteousness.

God knows best...

Oh Allah! Make us a reason of happiness and honor for Your last messenger Muhammad.

Are Non-Muslims Going to Hell?

Let me tell you the last sentence of this blog right off the bat: Are Muslims going to heaven for sure? You may wonder how we are going to go from the title to that last sentence. Then, read along.

First, I would like share with you the classical stance on this matter, next, we are going to do some critical thinking, and then, we are going to do some reading of the Quranic verses on the issue, and last, we are going to do some more critical thinking and fair judgment.

Classical view says that one must be Muslim in order to go to heaven. If a person has not heard of Islam at all, then that person may be forgiven, but today in the age of information and internet, there is no excuse for not knowing or hearing. So, everybody is responsible. Even if the non-Muslim person is a good one with all  kinds of angel-like deeds, he or she receives the return for those benevolent actions in this worldly life, so there is no good waiting for them in the hereafter but hell. The only exception to this situation is if those non-Muslims have a faith that is the same as Muslims, even if they don't live like a Muslim, then there is salvation for them.

As will become more clear later on, this kind of understanding has taken root during the periods when people of different religions interacted in large part through wars. In such times, there is a need for motivation. What can be a better motivation then religion, especially in matters of life and death? However, as we come towards the recent centuries, the dominance of the Muslims dwindled, and non-Muslims gained superiority. Then, a generalization spread over the minds, claiming that all non-Muslims are rich and very comfortable in this life, living without troubles. So, having received the returns for their good deeds, if any, the hereafter belonged solely to the Muslims. You can easily see that the believers' minds that couldn't make sense of "having the truth but being losers" were trying to find peace by formulating a guarantee for the afterlife.

So, all of this is understandable from psychological and sociological perspectives. But, is this view compatible with what God says in the Quran? The brief answer to these questions is yo! That is, yes, there are some verses that are proposed as support for this view, but no, they cannot be interpreted as a general prescription for hell to all non-Muslims. With that, let's start reading some of the Quranic verses on the issue:

And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in Allah and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them, [being] humbly submissive to Allah. They do not exchange the verses of Allah for a small price. Those will have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in account. (3/199)

A faction of the people of the Scripture wish they could mislead you. But they do not mislead except themselves, and they perceive [it] not. (3/69)

They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and prostrating [in prayer].They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous.And whatever good they do - never will it be removed from them. And Allah is Knowing of the righteous.(3/113-115)

 

"And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it." But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. And wretched is that which they purchased." (3/187)

Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam... (3/19)

"And among the People of the Scripture is he who, if you entrust him with a great amount [of wealth], he will return it to you. And among them is he who, if you entrust him with a [single] silver coin, he will not return it to you unless you are constantly standing over him [demanding it]. That is because they say, "There is no blame upon us concerning the unlearned." And they speak untruth about Allah while they know [it]. But yes, whoever fulfills his commitment and fears Allah - then indeed, Allah loves those who fear Him. Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment. And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, "This is from Allah," but it is not from Allah . And they speak untruth about Allah while they know.(3/75-78)

But those firm in knowledge among them and the believers believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you. And the establishers of prayer [especially] and the givers of zakah (almsgiving) and the believers in Allah and the Last Day - those We will give a great reward. (4/162)

And when it is recited to them, they say, "We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, [even] before it, Muslims [submitting to Allah ]." (28/53)

"... Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." (5/48) 

And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him." (29/46)

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. (60/8)

There are a lot more verses regarding the "people of the book", i.e. the members of the previously revealed religions. Although they form only a part of the non-Muslim population, the Quranic verses state a clear perspective on the issue: "people are judged according to their actions and intentions, not according to their identities or what comes out of their tongues." What's more, the same criteria is valid for the Muslims, too. That is, Allah tells in the Quran that being Muslim as an identity is not enough without proper actions:

"Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars." (29/2-3)

"And those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do." (29/7)

"And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah," but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allah, they consider the trial of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allah . But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, "Indeed, We were with you." Is not Allah most knowing of what is within the breasts of all creatures? And Allah will surely make evident those who believe, and He will surely make evident the hypocrites." (29/10-11)

"And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers.They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not." (2/8-9)

"And of the people is he whose speech pleases you in worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to what is in his heart, yet he is the fiercest of opponents. And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption." (2/204-205)

"But the hypocrites say, "We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger, and we obey"; then a party of them turns away after that. And those are not believers." (24/47)

"The believers are only the ones who have believed in Allah and His Messenger and then doubt not but strive with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah. It is those who are the truthful." (49/15)

"And it is not your wealth or your children that bring you nearer to Us in position, but it is [by being] one who has believed and done righteousness. For them there will be the double reward for what they did, and they will be in the upper chambers [of Paradise], safe [and secure]. And the ones who strive against Our verses to cause [them] failure - those will be brought into the punishment [to remain]." (34/37-38)

"... And he will have failed who carries injustice.But he who does of righteous deeds while he is a believer - he will neither fear injustice nor deprivation." (20/111-112) 

 On top of all these, let's note that the believers who are going to enter paradise are those who have the sensitivity for fulfilling what is pleasing to God and for avoiding what He is displeased of. These believers carry the fear of failing while still on the way and not accomplishing what is expected of them. In other words, instead of a certainty of destination, the true believers embrace an uncertainty of their own end. And those who are sure of their ultimate end are either complete losers or they are risking dire losses in the future:

"Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah ? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people." (7/99)

"Indeed, those who fear their Lord unseen will have forgiveness and great reward." (67/12)

"But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter]." (39/73)

So, if both Muslims and Non-Muslims are judged according to their deeds and intentions, and if the proper attitude is to beware self-corruption and avoiding certainty of destination, who can dare to announce who is going where? That's why, instead of bothering about the end of non-Muslims, Muslims must ask themselves "Are Muslims going to heaven for sure?".