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“And Our Commandment is but one, as the twinkling of an eye.” [Qur’an 54:50]
“In time We shall make them fully understand Our messages [through what they perceive] in the utmost horizons [of the universe] and within themselves, so that it will become clear unto them that this [revelation] is indeed the truth. [Still,] is it not enough [for them to know] that thy Sustainer is witness unto everything?”[Qur’an 41:53]
“They know but the outer surface of this world’s life, whereas of the ultimate things they are utterly unaware.”[Qur’an 30:7]
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Every other Prophet was sent only to his people, whereas I have been sent to all mankind.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said “I did not see any evil but I warned you about it, and I did not see any good but I guided you to it” it was the prophets (saws) role to see and discover the evil present in creation and in the actions of man, and Jinn, then to warn his Ummah (people) about them, and it was his role to see and discover the good present in creation and the actions of man, and Jinn, then to guide His Ummah to it, it was also his role to be conscious of Allah so He could see His signs in the Heavens and the Earth for us, He (saws) earned His (saws) rank with Allah before our creation so His (saws) life was for Allah and Allah sent him for our sake. In this way because the prophet gave up His (saws) self for Allah, He was the one who solely looked after the needs of the Ummah because His character was capable of fulfilling this role fully, Allah almost making it impermissible for us to have tawakul (reliance) on anything other than His prophet (saws).
We see the extent of this responsibility in the special rules that only the prophets were commanded to follow, because of this Allah honoured them by calling them His Rahma (mercy) for mankind, a state of existence that only a prophet is capable of living.
“It is not conceivable that a human being unto whom Allah had granted revelation, and sound judgment, and prophethood, should thereafter have said unto people, “Worship me beside Allah”; but rather [did he exhort them], “Become men of God by spreading the knowledge of the divine revelation, and by your own deep study [thereof].”(3:79)
Creation is a metaphor for Allah’s attributes, and an expression of His Will, “and in all that Allah has created in the heavens and the earth, are signs for those who are conscious (of him). ” (Al Qur’an 10:6-7), This metaphor for his attributes includes the Angels, Jinns and Humans, along with the rest of His creatures, man is capable of seeing Allah though that metaphor by understanding creation and what is in it, “And to Allah are the Highest similitudes”(16:60).
The prophet (saws) said human perfection lies in man’s ability to worship Allah as if we are seeing him, and if we can’t see him (see His qualities) then know that he sees you.
He is the creator of the Universe and through His creation everything we know occurs, but He created the Universe to represent His judgments so by understanding why things have occurred man can perceive Allah in creation, because both good and evil befall his creatures through what they have earned from their own actions man can put together this picture from his own experiences in life, “Wherever you may be, death will overtake you – even though you be in towers raised high. Yet, when a good thing happens to them, some [people] say, This is from Allah, whereas when evil befalls them, they say, This is from thee [O fellowman]! Say: All is from Allah. What, then, is amiss with these people that they are in no wise near to grasping the truth of what they are told?” (4:78).
Allah gives man good in life but evil comes into our life through our own actions, “Whatever good happens to thee is from Allah; and whatever evil befalls thee is from thyself (not your fellow man). AND WE have sent thee [O Muhammad] as an apostle unto all mankind: and none can bear witness [to it, the responsibility and task] as Allah does.” (4:79)
When Allah gave the prophet (saws) his mission He revealed to Mankind through Him knowledge about all areas of life and creation to help the Prophet (saws) in his work. Allah then said about what He granted His Messenger (saws), “We have explained in detail in this Qur’an, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude”(18:54), this is so the Ummah of Muhammad (saws) can contemplate and draw knowledge by way of analogy to life from the similitude’s in the Quran about creation Allah had revealed, these examples are intended to help us in Life until the day of judgment.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “I was informed by the heavenly hosts of angels that the most dignified among my followers are people who rejoice in public when they ponder the vastness of Allah’s all-encompassing mercy and compassion, and they weep privately when they contemplate rigorous punishment He reserved for the sinners and the deniers of the truth. They sit in His blessed mosques morning and evening worshipping Him and celebrating His praises inwardly, and they implore Him with their tongues outwardly with reverence and awe. They pray to Him with their hands raised as well as lowered, and they yearn for Him unceasingly. They take little from people, and yet, it bears heavily on their hearts.
They walk barefooted, humble, unpretentious, and unnoticed, just like ants, without finery; and they are free of self-adulation. They walk with dignity and serenity, and they rise to the nearness of their Lord through their link to His messenger (saws). They wear the garment of good conduct and follow the clear proof. They read the Qur’an regularly, take their daily guidance from it, and they happily make the necessary personal sacrifices to meet its requirements. Almighty Allah has surrounded them with distinguished witnessing angels, and faithful guardians, and He has illumined their faces with effulgence as a sign of His blessings upon them and as a demonstration of His satisfaction with them. When they look at His servants, they anticipate promising signs. They often contemplate the vastness of Allah’s creation.
Their bodies dwell on earth, and their eyes are anchored upon the heavens. Their feet stand on earth, and their hearts dwell in the heavens. They breath on earth, and yet, their spirits are connected to the divine Throne. Their souls live in this world, and their thoughts are focused on the hereafter. They only worry about what may come. Their graves are in this world, and their ranks are exalted in Allah’s sight.” God’s messenger (saws) then recited: “Such is the reward of one who reveres My Majesty, and fears My warning.” (Qur’an, 14:14) (Hilyat-ul Awliya Wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya By Imam Abu Na’im al-Asfahani)
If the Qur’an is read, studied, understood and perceived we would find in it, beside guidance, knowledge about the laws of science such as physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology and geology, there are almost 750 verses in the Qur’an encouraging and guiding people to contemplate Allah’s creation, pointing to specific aspects of science so we can study the universe.
“Say: “Roam the earth and observe how the creation was initiated.” (29:20)
“behold, there are messages indeed for people who think!” (30:21)
“behold, there are messages indeed for all who are possessed of [innate] knowledge!” (30:22)
“behold, there are messages indeed for people who [are willing to] listen!” (30:23)
“behold, there are messages indeed for people who use their reason!” (30:24)
The word signs and messages, usually translated from the Arabic word Ayat, means there is information to be learnt by looking at these things, the context of the verse tells us how this information is gained and what is meant by the word Ayat in this specific case, because at times it refers to science at other times it means to gain wisdom from something, and at other times it means spiritual signs we perceive inwardly.
If the verse is referring to the creation of man then Allah is asking man to study the world and discover that knowledge through scientific means, but as Allah sent revelation to the prophets and they learnt about all his different Ayat (signs) through Maarifa (gnosis) Allah often asks man to gain that knowledge through these means, which is the meaning behind the story of al Khidr (as) and Musa (as) in the Quran mentioned in surah al kahf (18), Musa (as) received revelations from Allah while al Khidr (as) received knowledge through Maarifa (gnosis), yet He (ra) was considered more knowledgable than the prophet (as) because it takes an immense amount of knowledge to see and understand the universe through this manner, this is because al Khidr was capable of putting together the metaphors and smilies Allah had placed in the Universe for us from his knowledge of life and understand them, these are Allah’s Ayat (signs) in life, while Musa (Moses) Allah was still teaching, and so He sent him to al Khidr (ra) to learn this from him.
In regards to science the Prophet (saws) said, “The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets” (Ahmad, Abu Dawwud, Tirmidhi and others).
The nature of many verses in the Quran encourage us to understand their depths, in relation to our own understanding of life and Allah’s creation, this is the conversation Allah is having with each person to help them develop and complete the picture of life He is teaching them, the Messenger of Allah, upon him be peace, said, ‘one who travels a path seeking sacred knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to the Garden’, meaning to perform the actions of it’s people, this is it’s path in life.
And he, upon him be peace, said, ‘the angels lower their wings for the seeker of sacred knowledge, pleased with what he is doing.’ And he, upon him be peace, said, ‘attending the gatherings of sacred knowledge is greater than the performance of a thousand prayer cycles, visiting a thousand sick people, and attending a thousand funerals’, this it’s magnitude, And he, upon him be peace, said, ‘Allah undertakes responsibility for the sustenance of the seeker of knowledge. This responsibility is a special responsibility beyond His general responsibility for all creatures on the earth as expressed in His words “There is not a creature on the earth but that Allah bears its sustenance”’(11:6).
‘Its meaning is ‘increase in ease and removal of hardships in the seeking and acquiring provision’. In a long Hadith, the Messenger, upon him be peace, said, ‘it, that is, sacred knowledge, is inspired in the felicitous and prevented from the wretched’.
“The scholars that embody their knowledge, are the medium between the Messenger of Allah (saws) and the Muslims. Allah said in reference to the excellence of the scholars: “Allah bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and the people of knowledge, upholding justice”. (3:18) Allah associated them with His angels in bearing witness to His Oneness and maintaining His justice on earth.
Allah, Exalted be He, said: “are they the same – those who know and those who do not know?”(39:9)
“They are not equal either in this world nor the Hereafter, rather Allah has preferred the people of knowledge over those who do not know by many degrees, as He, Exalted be He, has said: “Allah will raise in rank those of you who believe and those that have been given knowledge”.(58:11) What is meant here is that those who have knowledge will be raised above those who believe (but do not have knowledge). The Messenger of Allah, upon him be peace, said, ‘the preference of the scholar over the worshipper (abid) is like my preference over the lowest of my companions’. In another version, it has been said ‘like the moon on the night when it is full over the rest of the planets” (which look like normal stars).
“The scholar who does not act upon his knowledge is stripped of this status. He should not be misled by what has been mentioned by Allah and his Messenger, upon him be peace, regarding the excellence of knowledge and delude himself into thinking that he is included in that solely by knowledge without action. The Messenger of Allah, upon him be peace, said, ‘learn what you will, for, by Allah, it will not be accepted from you until you act upon it.’ And he, upon him be peace, said, ‘one who increases in knowledge and does not increase in guidance increases in nothing but distance from Allah.’ Knowledge only gains that high rank with Allah when it benefits the servants of Allah. When a scholar does not derive benefit from his knowledge, how can others derive benefit from it? So recognise the loss of excellence that will befall one who has knowledge but does not act upon it.
The Messenger, upon him be peace, said, ‘the person most severely punished on the Day of Judgement will be the scholar whom Allah did not benefit by his knowledge.’ For that reason, the Messenger of Allah, upon him be peace, used to seek refuge from knowledge that does not benefit and from a heart that does not feel humility. The scholar that does not act upon his knowledge has nothing but the empty shell and mere image of knowledge, devoid of its true meaning and reality. Some of the righteous predecessors may Allah’s mercy be upon them, said, ‘knowledge invites to action. Either he answers or it leaves, meaning ‘its spirit, light and blessing goes and only the outer form remains (empty words). This does not go, but rather stays as evidence against the blameworthy scholar.’”
If the scholar teaches his knowledge to people and they derive benefit from him, then he is like a burning candle that illuminates for the people. Allah, Exalted be He, has said: “Do you order people to devoutness and forget yourselves when you recite the Book, will you not use your intellects?” (2:44)
Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) reported, that the Messenger of Allah (saws) advised a group of his companions: “When you pass by the meadows of Paradise indulge freely in it!” They said: “O Messenger of Allah! What are the meadows of Paradise?” He said: “The circles of ‘Ilm (knowledge)” (At-Tabarani). This similitude the prophet (saws) employed is real, and not an empty metaphor, because He (saws) said the Angels lower their wings for any person seeking knowledge, the effect of this can be perceived from the atmosphere in gatherings where knowledge is sought and learned, they are unlike any other place, so the prophet (saws) was revealing to us the reality that exists in the unseen part of our world that brings about this atmosphere we perceive when learning.