A A Vahab
Tel: ++91- 495-2331188, Mobile: ++91-9847325244.
Fax: ++91-495-2765922, Email: aavahab@gmail.com
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The fundamental theory of
Defining Psychopotics
Scope of Psychophotics
“And on Allah is the responsibility to explain straight path” (16:9)
“Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright” (20:50)
“Who has created (everything) and then proportioned it, and Who has measured and then guided”. (87:2-3)
“The seven heavens and the earth and all beings therein declare His Glory. There is not a thing but celebrates His praise. And yet you understand not how they declare His glory. Verily He is oft-forbearing, Most forgiving” (17:44).
“Each one knows its own prayer and praise” (24:41)
"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses: no choice do they have (in the matter). Glorified is Allah, and exalted above all that they associate (as partners with Him)". (28:68)
But the human mind has not been given the capacity to bear the power of the Almighty Creator. See the Quranic ayah:
“And when Moses came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him, he said “O my Lord show me (yourself) that I may look upon you”. Allah said “You cannot see me, but look upon the mountain. If it still remains in its place, then you shall see Me”. So when his Lord appeared to the mountain He made it collapse to dust; and Moses fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses he said “Glory is to You. I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers” (7:143)
Ahmed Musliar Abdul Vahab known A.A. Vahab, born 18 August 1956 hails from Kaniyapuram, Trivandrum District, Kerala. Son of the eminent Islamic scholar Ahmed Musliar and Khadeeja Beevi, he started education in the village school and got Masters in Arabic language and literature from Kerala University and M. Phil in Quranic psychology from the University of Calicut. He has further read for an M.A. in Psychology from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu.
Orator, socio-political and educational activist, Mr. Vahab is with rich experience in different fields like teaching, administration, guidance and counselling, and research studies. He has worked in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, State of Qatar, United Arab Emirates and India. He has participated in many regional, national and international seminars and presented research papers on Psychology, Eschatology and Physics. He has been indulging himself in research in the interdisciplinary field of the Quran and modern science for the past 30 years. Reflections of science in Quran – Surah Ar-rahman (Malayalam-1986), An Introduction to Islamic Psychology (English-1996), Man and Universe (Malayalam-2006), The General Theory of Hi-photicity (English & Malayalam -2006), Development Ways and Resources (Malayalam-2009) etc. and the scores of articles to his credit are the outcome of his research.
Mr. Vahab is currently residing at Kinassery in Calicut, South India, with his wife R. Beegum, daughter of the late Nalakath Kalathigal Abdurahman Kutty, and four children Huda Jumana, Fida Lubana, Hiba Nabiha and Hasin Mahsool.
Mr. Vahab can be contacted atTel: ++91- 495-2331188, Mobile: ++91-9847325244.
Fax: ++91-495-2765922, Email: aavahab@gmail.com
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The fundamental theory of
Psychophotics
Defining Psychopotics
The Greek word psycho is derived from psyche which means soul or mind. The word photics is derived from photo which means light or radiant energy. Photics thus is the science of light. We add psycho to photics to suggest the mind of light and to introduce it as a branch of psychology associated with physics dealing with the study of the behavior of light. Hence Psychophotics can be defined as a study concerning the attributes of the Omnipresent Supreme Light and the behavior of photo energy which constitutes the entire facts and objects of the universes. Here physics and psychology combine together as Psychophotics to explain the universe and life. Thus, in a sense, Psychophotics is an attempt to translate in terms of human understanding what is conveyed by the universe and life.
Scope of Psychophotics
According to the General Theory of Hi-photicity any manifestation in the universe is activity. The term behavior is a collective name for all activities. So it includes not only the cognitive and affective activities of living organisms but all manifestations of the nonliving organisms too. Billions of multi-dimensional modes of characteristics function in the universe, both in waves and particles, visible or invisible. So the scope of Psychophotics is very vast and wide. It studies, describes and explains the attributes of the Omnipresent Almighty Supreme Light Existing as the Ultimate Reality of the universes, and the behavior of photo energy derived from the Supreme Light which forms the entire facts and materials of the universes through radiation, everything that comes to the understanding of human beings. This understanding, in other words, can be termed as human knowledge. Knowledge, the very basis of any existence in the universe, is thus the main area of study in Psycophotics. Thus all branches of all sciences come under the purview of Psychophotics.
The Way of Knowledge
When we hear the word ‘knowledge’ we get an overall idea at once. But when we go deeper, the concept becomes complex and incomprehensible. What is knowledge? Is there anybody other than human being in the universe that has got the ability of acquiring knowledge? How does a human being acquire knowledge? Where is knowledge preserved? How does the knowledge of a human being influence his activities? These are questions that deserve out attention in this context. Finding satisfactory answers to these questions is very difficult.
Knowledge is a noun derived form the verb ‘know’. ‘To know’ means, ‘to recognize as something previously known’ or ‘to be aware of the truth or factuality’. To recognize something or understand the truth, we must have satisfactory proof or evidence with us. The Quran explains that Allah has taken Himself the duty to guide His creatures:
“Truly on Us is (to give) guidance” (92:12) “And on Allah is the responsibility to explain straight path” (16:9)
“Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright” (20:50)
“Who has created (everything) and then proportioned it, and Who has measured and then guided”. (87:2-3)
“The seven heavens and the earth and all beings therein declare His Glory. There is not a thing but celebrates His praise. And yet you understand not how they declare His glory. Verily He is oft-forbearing, Most forgiving” (17:44).
“Each one knows its own prayer and praise” (24:41)
From these references we find the presence of a material mind in inanimate things. In all living organisms except human being, life also contributes to constitute the mind. Human being has the blessing of soul with matter and life to constitute the mind. Here the word ‘mind’ is used to refer to the essence or self of a person. Necessary awareness has been given to this ‘self’ for the realization of its self. We shall call it, in other words, ‘knowledge.’ This knowledge is also a creation of God coming from the energy reservoir as invisible photo energy waves as in the case of particles. It is a power and does not manifest like particles but exits in combination with particles. So the atomic constitution of the non-living and the living organisms differs in many ways. Human being has got the power of the soul and hence his structure is more complicated than the other living organisms. Mind, life and soul are different types of invisible powers that exit in combination with human body.
The Quran introduces the Omnipresent Supreme Light by a personal name 'Allah'. The Arabic word Allah is the combination of Al+Ilah. Al is a noun prefix in Arabic functioning the same way as the definite article 'the' in English suggesting the same meaning. Ilah is a singular noun derived from 'Aliha' or 'Laha'. Aliha literally means ‘tahayyara’ i.e. ‘to be at a loss or to know nothing’. Laha literally means ‘Ihtajaba’ i.e. to be veiled or to become invisible. So the very word Allah suggests that nobody is able to understand the Supreme Being perfectly, Who is Highly Exalted and Supreme and never subject to the limiting or confining ways of any understanding. That's why once Prophet Mohammed (S.A.) said: "Do not think about the Essence of Allah, but think about His Creations." It is the only way we have to understand the existence of such a Supreme Reality. It is for this purpose that the Quran introduces Allah to us in terms of His different attributes.
Through the Attributes of Allah we can learn about His position and how He deals with the universe and the human life. When we go deeper in to the significance of the Divine Attributes, such an effort will surely reshape our concept of God. Among His Attributes are that He is the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful towards His creatures. His Blessings are being constantly brought upon His creatures and nobody can enumerate the bounties of Allah by way of limiting or confining them to a fixed number. He is the Ultimate Reality, the Originator and Creator of the Universes and everything else. There is no other deity except Him, The Light of the Universe, the Sovereign Lord, the Flawless and the Holy One, Dispenser of peace and tranquility, Guardian, Lord of all, All powerful and the Supreme and the Most Exalted, the One Who gives different shapes and forms to His creations. He has Full Sovereignty and Perfect Authority over all. He is the most selfless Benefactor and the most generous and the most merciful Sustainer of His Creatures. He is the most willing Acceptant of repentance from wrong doers and the Most Forgiving to them. He is the wisest Controller of the whole system of the universes and the affairs of all creations. He is the Everlasting Fount of life, the Divine Spirit of all souls, the Greatest Consciousness and the Ultimate Source of all energy, the Greatest and the most Exalted Who has no partner or rival in anything. Good or bad, nothing takes place in human being or in the universes without His permission and help. He keeps Himself fully abreast of everything concerning His creations. He is highly watchful of His Creations and is the Closest to them. He is the first (nothing is before Him), and the last, (Nothing is after Him) and the Evident (Nothing is evident to human mind than Him when mind searches out the origin) and the Immanent (nothing is Immanent within us than Him) and He has full knowledge of all things. He is the Supreme Savior, Punisher and the Best Judge Who does anything only in complete justice. Even an atom weight injustice will not happen from Him. He thoroughly scrutinizes all intentions, acts and deeds of human being. As He is extremely tolerant He allows every chance to the wrong doers to reform themselves. When we understand the Attributes of Allah, we recognize that even the smallest unit of a particle won’t be able to function in even the shortest fraction of time without the permission and help of the Omnipresent Supreme Light.
Any manifestation in the universe is activity. Activity is creation; destruction is also a form of creation. No amount of energy or particle can neither be created nor be destroyed. All manifest here by the radiation from the great energy reservoir controlled by the Supreme Creator.
"Allah has created you and what you make". (37:96)"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses: no choice do they have (in the matter). Glorified is Allah, and exalted above all that they associate (as partners with Him)". (28:68)
The Quran makes it absolutely clear that the actions of human beings are the creation of God. He creates and chooses everything. No choice has been given to anybody in the matter. If anybody claims that he could cerate anything, it is nothing but a false claim. We have already explained how God regulates and manages the affairs of creation.
Usually we perceive knowledge through our senses. Even we perceive things from outside find that a lot of inner processes are involved in it and it needs a lot of efforts to explain it. Sometimes we may get ideas from inside without any stimulus from outside. We must have some sort of inspiration to activate our senses. When we go deeper in to it we will understand that the perception through the external stimuli has only a secondary level importance. Different people watching the same incident will have different perceptions. It is our daily experience. In a case what one understands is the essence of his self. It may change after sometime, and there might further complications as well. So we have to conclude that what we presently think of or what we have in our consciousness is our self. This consciousness or knowledge comes from an energy reservoir. We have no control over that. The All Knowing Lord controls and masterminds it in line with His total plan for this universal life, according to the belief of each individual.
The Quran cites a beautiful example from a great incident which changed the history of the world.
"(And remember) when Allah showed them to you as few in your dream, if We had shown them to you as many, you would surely, have been discouraged, and you would surely, have disputed in making a decision. But Allah saved (you). He is the knower of what is in the breasts. And (remember) when you met He showed them to you as few in your eyes and He made you appear as few in their eyes, so that Allah might accomplish a matter already ordained and to Allah return all matters (for decision)" (8: 43-44).
Here the reference is to the battle of Badr. On the eve of the battle of Badr, Prophet Mohammad (S.A.) had a dream in which Allah showed him the number of the enemies as very few. The Prophet conveyed this message to the followers to encourage them. Again when Allah showed them in the actual battle field, the number of enemies was quite small. On the other side, Allah showed to the eyes of the enemies the number of Muslims as very few. The Quran offers no further explanation about their reactions. The reality was that the number of disbelievers was almost 1000 while the number of Muslims was 313. Both groups felt that the enemies were few in number. Here we see the secret of life that how events are taking place. Sometimes the factual situation might be one and people might get another impression or feeling. Allah explains that He did this only to accomplish a matter already ordained by Him. The Prophet, his followers and the others knew this only after revealing the news through revelation. People from either side took part in the battle and some died before this verse was revealed. In this instance, those who died did so with the understanding or impression that the enemies were few in number. But the factual situation was different. The lesson we get from this incident is this: whatever be the fact that exists outside, the impression one gets in his awareness (knowledge) is the fact that concerns him.
Thus knowledge is a power coming to everybody and everything, time to time, from the great energy reservoir through the invisible hi-phtocity. The formation of ideas, the result of all experiments and studies happen only in this way. Human being is able to understand anything only through the chemical process taking place inside his self. Prophets preached, teachers taught, books were read and understood and information collected, all through senses. But before everything there should be the Will. This method is adopted by the Creator not only in His case but also in the case of His creations.
“But you shall not will except as Allah Wills, the Cherisher of the Worlds” (81:29).The same process happens in the cases of motivations, emotions, feelings, sentiments, attention, thinking, reasoning, memory, remembrance, forgetting etc. All these facts exist in creatures in combination with the matter with its specific nature in the form of invisible power. The Quran introduces the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible as lights (5:44, 46) and the Quran itself as a light descended (4:174), having weight (73:5), to the heart of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.) (26:192-194). It is kept in the Preserved Tablet (85:22 - which we have already explained as the great energy reservoir). The Quran makes another surprising remark in this connection:
“Had we sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely, have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables, which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect (59:21)
Imam Ahmed reports on the authority of Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah said: When Allah created the earth and fixed it with mountains; angels were astonished seeing the mountains and asked Allah whether anything was stronger than the mountains among His creatures. Allah replied: Yes, iron. The angels asked if anything was stronger. Allah replied: Yes, fire. Again the angels asked if anything was stronger. Allah replied: Yes, wind. The angels repeated the question as regards to wind. Allah replied: Yes, son of Adam (Human being).
The Quranic ayah and the sayings of the Messenger of Allah give us the message about the capacity of human mind to receive the flow of energy at a much higher rate than in the case of the mountains, iron, fire and wind. This is because human beings carry life and soul with their body.But the human mind has not been given the capacity to bear the power of the Almighty Creator. See the Quranic ayah:
“And when Moses came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him, he said “O my Lord show me (yourself) that I may look upon you”. Allah said “You cannot see me, but look upon the mountain. If it still remains in its place, then you shall see Me”. So when his Lord appeared to the mountain He made it collapse to dust; and Moses fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses he said “Glory is to You. I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers” (7:143)
That Allah appeared on the mountain cannot be taken literally except as a way of showing how impossible an experience it would be to a human being. It could have been just like the tip of one’s little finger compared with the rest of one’s body as explained by the Prophet (S.A.) when he recited this verse, according to a hadith quoted by Tirmidi.
The message here is clear: We have no capacity to understand the Creator in full. What does Moses’ fainting and falling unconscious suggest? When our thoughts reach a stage of a very high altitude, the flow of energy to our mind will be proportionately higher and much more than the capacity it is designed for. So, no wonder, it loses its consciousness. This might let us say that the consciousness one carries is the essence of his self. It is the awareness, in other word the ‘knowledge’ he possesses.
When we discuss the phenomenon called 'Knowledge' in physical terms, we understand that it is a form of light as explained above. It constitutes the image of knowledge in mind. It is not a very direct experience to mind. It is another wonderful aspect in human life. When we see an incident or an object or our body itself, we perceive only its image in our mind. That image is not a part or quality of that object or incident. The object or incident has no power for the creation of image in the mind as we have seen in the case of the visual experience of the Prophet and his companions in the battle field of Badr. It is not just the case of the visual experience alone. This mystery exists in all our sensory perceptions beyond our understanding. According to the Quran everything manifest in the universe is the transference of image from the Book of Decrees.
"No calamity befalls on the earth or in you but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees before we bring it into existence. Verily, it is easy for Allah." (57:22)
"He knows that which goes in to the earth and that which comes from it and that which descends from the heaven and that which ascends to it. And He is the Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving. Those who disbelieve say: The Hour will not come to us. "Say: Yes, by my Lord, the All Knower of the Unseen, it will come to you. Not even the weight of an atom or less than that or greater escapes His Knowledge in the heavens or in the earth but it is in a Clear Book" (34:2-3).
"You neither do any deed nor recite any portion of the Quran, nor you (O mankind) do any deed, but we are witness thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in the heaven. And not what is less than that or what is greater than that but is recorded in a Clear Record." (10:61).
"He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six days and rose over the throne (of authority). He Knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, and what descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And he is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah is the All-seer of what you do. To Him belongs the dominion of the heaven and the earth. And to Allah return all matters." (57:4- 5)
The verses above clearly show that everything, facts and objects, appearing in the universe, had been recorded in the Book of Decrees (Preserved Tablet) before manifesting it in the form of matter. In another Quranic ayah discussed already, we found that the treasures of everything are with God. He sends down anything only in due and ascertainable measures (15:21). Knowledge, a power manifested here through matter, also is kept in the energy reservoir. Therefore we conclude that Knowledge is the ever changing hi-photic transimage transmitted in to the mind by means of the radiation of invisible hiphoticity from the great energy reservoir that exists beyond the boundary of the universes. We further conclude that knowledge exists in combination with matter and that we can see only its means and effects. A person’s knowledge is his own personal experience which is finally controlled by the Supreme Light. He or anybody else has no control over it. By receiving the radiation in the same density and velocity people get understanding of common images of ideas. Social awareness has been created in this way. These images include right and wrong or truth and falsehood /illusion depending upon the faith of individuals, groups, and societies.
In this way, God works in human beings through His process of creation. The believers will have their share and the disbelievers will have theirs. As Allah is the sole Owner of Knowledge, He alone Knows what to send, to whom and when. Nobody will get anything from Him except what He Wills and sends to him.
“…He knows what happens to them (His creatures) and behind them. And they will never compass anything of his knowledge except that which He Wills…” (2:255).
Freewill
The question of freewill has been a topic of fierce intellectual battle and intense arguments among scholars over the many unknown centuries in the past. We find a number of eminent philosophers, thinkers, theologians and scientists to have made their share of contributions to the discussion of the subject. Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Rene Descartes, David Hume, Thomas Aquinas, Herbert Spencer, John Dewey, Schopenhauer, Baruch Spinoza, Immanuel Kant, William James, William Wund, William McDougall, Walter Bowers, Howieson, Woodworth, William Hamilton, E.B. Tichener, J.B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Kurt Lewin, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Abraham Maslov, Cavlar Rogers, Roll May, Gordon All port, Edward Toleman and Jean Piaget are but a few among them to mention. Many Judeo – Christian scholars and theologians, Hindu philosophers and Islamic philosophers of the Middle Age and thinkers like Al-Kindi, Farabi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn al Hazan, Ibn Sina, Imam Razi and Al Gazzali also have made noteworthy contributions in this connection through their invaluable views observations on the subject.
We can identify among these thoughts two different schools. The doctrine that holds the extreme view about the free will of human mind is called libertarianism. The traditional doctrine that human action is not left freely but it happens as the result of some other influences beyond the control of the individual has been termed determinism. An act of absolute freewill in itself is cause, and not an effect. It is beyond the law of causality. The determinists hold the view that every action must be preceded by a cause and must be a part of the unbroken chain of causation that ultimately leads back to the Original Cause i.e. God. An uncaused act negates any rational order and makes the universe seem irrational. The validity of freewill has an important role in human life. The denial of the ability to choose a course of action would seem to negate the possibility of any moral judgment. A person without any free will is not responsible for his actions and cannot be subjected to any moral judgment If absolute freewill is allowed, it will ultimately lead to the negation of the divine course of action in human life. Hence many scholars have taken a great variety of positions ranging from absolute determinism to absolute libertarianism to solve the problem. The view in this connection of the Franco-Roman Catholic prelate Jacques Bossuet was greatly appreciated by many scholars. He observed that freewill and the divine foreknowledge are certain truths that must be accepted even though they are not logically explainable. Thus we find that the question of freewill has never been satisfactorily solved in a scientific manner.
Nowadays when we discuss the question of freewill, we will be forced to go very deep into subjects like Nuclear Physics, Biotechnology, Teleology, Psychology and Psychophysiology etc. in order to get valuable information that help resolve the question. As explained before, unfortunately, studies in these sciences face serious complications that remain unresolved.
Here let us first consider what Quran says on this issue. Human being, according to the Quran, is the vicegerent of God and his life is the ever continuing wonderful incident through different stages originated from the Supreme Light and finally joins or reaches the same Supreme Light. According to the Quran, it is the life mission of human being destined by the Almighty God (84:6). The first part of life on earth is for him a trial. He has been given a freewill and freedom to choose between good and evil at this stage.
“And it is He Who has made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above others that He may try you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely your Lord is Swift in retribution, and certainly He is oft-forgiving Most Merciful” (6:165).
“Verily, we have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that we may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds”.(18:7).
“Blessed is He in whose Hand is the dominion; and He is able to do all things. Who has created death and life that He may test you, which of you is best in deed? And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving” (67:1-2).
After giving awareness as to what is right and what is wrong to human beings, Allah gave to all provisions according to His plan and the freedom of choice i.e. the free will to choose and to act.
"And say: The truth is from your Lord. Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve…" (18:29).
"Verily We showed him the way he be grateful or ungrateful" (76:3).
“If anyone believes in Allah, He guides his heart (aright). And Allah is the All-knower of everything” (64:11).
"Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and in Hereafter. Allah will cause to go astray those who do wrong. Allah does what he wills" (14:27).
“And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (God), We appoint for him Satan (an evil one) to be an intimate companion to him” (43:36).
“About the (evil one) it is decreed that whosoever follows him, he will mislead him, and will drive him to the torment of the fire”. (22:4).
It is the substance of what is meant by free will and freedom of choice. When we hear about free will and freedom of choice we might think that we can will anything we like. No, we can’t. Will or Intention is among the affairs of God. He has given us a chance to intend and select within what He has given us. Satanic activities or evils are the purposeful creation of God as He has created good to implement the test in the life of human beings. All that is good will be right as well in accordance with the nature that Allah has created for life. Likewise all that is evil or bad is wrong in accordance with the same nature. It is the system of the Almighty Allah. There is no compulsion on human beings within the system. As Allah is the best in everything He advises human beings for his own good to believe in Him by following the nature created for him. Human beings can not change the creation of Allah. That is the straight system (religion). But most men know not (30:30). Choice or the right to select is allowed in belief only. If anybody believes in the truth through evidence provided to him, Allah will guide him to the straight path and the angels that inspire good things will be appointed as his companion. If anybody neglects or disbelieves the truth, Allah will cause him to go astray and evil inspiring Satan will be appointed as his companion. The power of good and the power of evil are represented by Angels and Satan. However, they have no power or authority over human beings except so far what the Creator permits. These positive and negative powers will function depending upon the kind of submission a human being chooses to make. In either cases, things happen only the way Allah has designed or planned, as explained earlier, in the process of creation. No cause will create any effect. Cause and effect are purposeful creations of Almighty Allah in accordance with His total plan of life in the universe.
An important feature of awareness is that the concern or consciousness about need will be more acute than the consciousness about the available provisions. It is to create the consciousness to seek help. Seeking help is called prayer. Prayer is worship. When the need for prayer arises, it can be made either to the All Powerful Creator or anybody else. No compulsion will be imposed in this regard. All are free here; nobody has any power over others in this respect. If any body obeys the natural inclination of his mind and prays to the Creator, he does the right thing. Because the ultimate source of all help is the Creator and nobody else. All other sources are agencies. If anybody denies this fact and relies on these agencies, he is in the wrong. This choice is a matter of an individual's discretion and belief. So he is solely responsible for the prayer and whatever activities that followed. Things work in this way in every situation.
According to modern scientists, brain plays a centrally important role in acquiring knowledge. They have identified and labeled various parts of the brain explaining their respective functions. The word that refers to mind in the context of the Quran and the Prophetic sayings is nafs. The mind functions together with the body and is ever changing in nature. Naturally the inspiration or innate awareness pertaining to the right and the wrong comes to us in each and every fraction of time in all affairs we are involved in. The Quran considers heart as the very centre of the mind. The Quran makes many explicit references to this fact. And there are quite a number of the sayings of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.) in this regard.
“And truly this (Quran) is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds; with it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth to your heart that you may admonish” (26:192-194).
"Have they not traveled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear? Verily it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind". (22:46).
On the basis of these we are persuaded to think that the function of mind takes place through the chemical process in human heart. What we experience as instincts, feelings, emotions, thinking, reasoning and memory etc are, no doubt, the effects of the chemical process inside our bodies. However, we do not have a complete understanding of what elements cause what behavior etc.
In order to carry out the test man has been bestowed with a mind with certain peculiar states. They are:
1) The Lower Mind: (Annafsul Ammarah) - A mind, which is prone to evil (12:53). The nature of this mind is almost like the nature of animals, desirous of satisfying all carnal and biological needs without any moral judgment. Hence the negative power of evil is dominantly functional here.
2) The Critical Mind: (Annafsul Lawwamah) – This is the self-reproaching mind (75:2). This state is fully conscious of what is right and what is wrong. Whenever the desires at the lower level exceed the limit of morality, this mind criticizes it and resists evil. So there will always be a conflict between the lower mind and the critical mind. Whenever the lower mind overcomes, man commits mistakes and evils. And the critical mind tries to make him repent and ask for God’s Grace and pardon. The positive persuasive power of angels functions in this state.
3) The Satisfied Mind: (Annafsul Mutumainnah) - A state that has achieved total rest and satisfaction (89:27). Its nature meets with all the requirements of the standard model of personality expected by the Creator from an individual for the fulfillment of his delegation, in other words, for his self realization. Whenever the critical mind overcomes the evil tendency of the lower mind the satisfied mind will be active and at large. In each and every issue in a man's life these three states of mind will have different levels of involvement.
The pristine and unadulterated human mind has a natural awareness about his Lord, the creator. All his duty is to submit himself willingly to the will of his Lord. The Quran describes as the best mould the mind that has faith in God, and is innocent, pure and true inclined to righteousness and virtue, and with the true understanding about his own position in relation to the universe (7:173, 30:30, 95:4). These are all the innate and the inborn behavioral qualities of a human being that manifest themselves without prior training or experience. In the technical terms of psychology we can call them instincts. Human mind has been created in proportion and has been given the clear guidance as to what is right and what is wrong for him. "And indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered), and indeed he fails who corrupts his own self (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true faith of monotheistic idea)" (91: 7-10).
Human mind is understood to be functioning in certain clear levels: the conscious, the unconscious and the subconscious are the different functionally understood levels of the mind. The conscious mind commonly works in a method of stimulus response relation. Human being is morally responsible only for his actions done by him in the conscious level of his mind.
"….And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful" (33:5).
The Prophet said: "All sons of Adam will commit mistakes; the good among them are those who repent".
On another occasion the Prophet said: "Allah has forgiven to the people for all their bad actions done by mistake, forgetfulness or under compulsion".
"All evil thoughts of human beings will be forgiven by Allah until they talk or act accordingly". So goes another saying reported from the Prophet (S.A.).
The message here is quite clear: the power for intention descends on human heart. The function of the conscious level of the mind is mainly linked with the critical mind. Then restlessness and being very cautious and watchful or vigilant will be among the important behavioral features of this mind. The free will of a human individual functions in this state of mind. All decisions of a human being originate from here. The lower mind and the satisfied mind work in accordance with their pre-determined behavior. So the free will can not function in these two states of mind. The function of the critical mind depends upon the faith of the individual. It has the characteristics of the dual readiness: one inclining towards the behavior of the lower mind (slipping away from the basic nature) and the second to rise up to the nature of satisfied mind. If the individual is an accepter of the Supreme Power as his Lord and the Ultimate Reality of his life and the universe in accordance with the implanted nature of his mind, the angels will help him understand the reality and take the right decision. If the individual is a denier of the Supreme Reality as his Lord rejecting the true nature of his mind, Satan will hinder him from understanding the reality inspiring him with illusions that lead him to the wrong decision. Here the critical mind is the deciding factor. Human being's moral responsibility is tied to this state of mind. This behavior has been destined to be the critical mind for self realization of the individual by using his own free will. Hence, whatever decision one takes, he is responsible for that. In both these two cases, activities manifest through body only by means of the radiation of hi-photicity. The variation of its density and velocity decides the nature of the behavior manifested.
A very important aspect we have to examine in this connection is that even if a strong believer takes the right decision with all precautions and good intentions, sometimes he may meet with bad or evil result. Why does it happen so? It is not the intention itself that produces the result. Intention is only a manifestation of or bonding and releasing of energy. It radiates to other level of energy reservoir immediately after the manifestation. One's life is not a private affair to him alone; but it is interlinked with many other lives and aspects. God's creation happens in accordance with His universal plan. If anybody finds an attempt is a failure or unsuccessful in his judgment, sometimes the same might be good for him, in another aspect, or on another occasion in future. And things might have been destined so because God is the All knower and we human beings know very little.
"...Perhaps you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows and you know not." (2:216).
Human beings are liable to commit mistakes. They might forget things and might be under compulsions and pressures of various kinds. He has been created with all these characteristics for living on earth. God Almighty has done it purposefully in His process of creation. Human beings are responsible for their intentions only. The words of the Prophet suggest this very clearly: "All deeds will be considered only by their intentions." Besides, Almighty Allah has proclaimed forgiveness for all unintentional acts. Even intentional acts will be granted forgiveness if any body sincerely repents.
It is our every day experience that we fail to fulfill or realize all our ambitions even if we have at our disposal all necessary resources. Sometimes we achieve something without any considerable effort. On certain other occasions, though we work hard and as perfectly as humanly possible, yet the result will be negative and fatally disastrous. Hence when we find things functioning properly we need not think that it is because of our efforts. It is nothing but the Mercy of God Almighty, although we feel, in our cognition, that the external factors that became congenial have been so helpful for the success of our efforts. When we find such a perfect suitability of our efforts and the external factors and conditions, our minds become peaceful and experience satisfaction. Satisfaction of the mind is the real comfort and happiness. Once the Prophet said, "Increase of wealth is not prosperity. Prosperity of mind is the real prosperity". According to the Quran, only the remembrance of the reality and the truth will provide one with such calmness of mind:
"Those who believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (13:28).
All other experiences of satisfaction are of a very transitory and temporal nature and an individual is let to enjoy it only by the mercy of God. After the time or period specified for that they will again relapse to restlessness and eventually will end up in the eternal torment in the hell in the life after death.
The subconscious mind works in between the conscious and the unconscious levels. The experience we have in dream is one of a sub conscious level understanding. Here we perceive feelings without the medium of our sensory organs. We cannot decide what type of dream we are going to have. The process of dream is a truth. What we see in the dream can be true or false. When we have a dream, we experience it as we experience a real thing in the conscious level of our mind. For example, if we feel in dream that somebody is beating us, we will experience its pain. But in reality nobody might be beating us. This subconscious level awareness of human mind is clear testimony for us to understand the idea of the experience after death. Nobody can decide with his freewill to stop having dreams or choose the kind of dream he wants to have. Likewise, life after death experience that all of us will have also is beyond our control. All we can do is to believe in the Ultimate Reality in line with the innate and pristine nature of our mind and rely on Him for his Mercy for a peaceful life here and in the Hereafter.
We do not have much knowledge about the unconscious level of the mind. Most of the activities inside our body happen without the information about them ever occurring to us in our cognition. Only when we are in the conscious level of our mind we can explain things. This is true even in the case of other levels of the mind. It is among the inevitable limitations that human beings are heir to. Only conscious level activities are considered legal or holding any significance in this world because freewill has the power to function only in this level.
Each creature or object or fact has its own nature and has the capacity to bear it. Whatever power we possess we are not stocking it in our body. As body is perpetually changing, any power we need comes to us from time to time from the energy reservoir. Once a particular action is carried out, the power we had for the purpose does not continue to exist with us. The sexual activity of a human individual is the best example that illustrates this point.
“On no soul does God place a burden greater than it could bear” (2:286)”
“… And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another” (6:164)
It is a natural truth that nobody can bear the burden of others or no particle can bear the mass of another particle. This burden or weight each gets through the process of creation. A doubt may be raised here. Some say that they bear the burden of others, for example: a mother bears the burden of her children. The answer here is quite simple: if anybody feels that he is bearing the burden of others, it is to be understood that that particular burden is an inalienable or inseparable portion of his life inevitable for the fulfillment of his delegation on earth as a human being. We have to look upon the miseries of the followers as the burden a sincere leader is destined to bear.
“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He is anxious over you, for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind and merciful” (9:128).
Mankind has taken origin but from one and the only source:
“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord Who created you from a single soul. And from him He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (reverence) the wombs (that before you) surely Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you” (4:1).
Because of this peculiar way of creation described here, mankind is a family from the beginning to the end. Although each is accountable for everything individually, for the purpose of life, human beings have been bonded together with some sort of sentiments and feelings. Therefore, there isn’t any private affair for an individual which is absolutely his own and has nothing to do with the other members of the society. Family and social life function in the world in this way. The proportion of feelings is decided by the Creator in accordance with the capacity given to each one. This issue is highly complex. We come across many examples in our daily life that elucidate this fact. Sometimes we may be intensely sorrowful about some incidents that happened to others even when we do not have any direct connection with them while some others might be able to look upon the same issue in a very detached way and feel it only very mildly. All these happen only in accordance with the plan of the Creator. So if ever anybody makes any claim to the effect that he is bearing the burden of others, it needn’t be taken in the literal sense as there is, in fact, no provision for that in the nature of this universe. He can, at the most, only claim that God Almighty blessed him by giving him an opportunity to do good for others by bearing the feeling of burden of others for the fulfillment of his delegation. Hence, instead of complaining, he has to be thankful to Allah for that opportunity. It is the right behavior expected of him as a vicegerent of the Almighty Lord on the earth.
"On no soul Allah places a burden greater than it can bear" (2:286).
No burden or responsibility of life will be put on anybody beyond the capacity given to him by God. This awareness will help human being to overcome any difficulty he is faced with in life. When accepts and complies with this natural truth, Allah will empower him with greater faith and courage. It is the promise of the Merciful and Almighty God.
"While as for those who accept guidance, He increases the (light of) guidance, and bestows on them their piety and restraint (from evil)" (47:17)
"And remember! Your Lord Caused to be declared (publicly) "If you are grateful I will add more (favors) unto you. But if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed" (14:7)
"And God advances in guidance those who seek guidance and the righteous and good deeds that last are best in the eyes of your Lord, for reward and for the eventual returns" (19:76).
"On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Gracious (Allah) will bestow love" (19:96)
Whatever a man does in the course of a lifetime, he will have an appointed time and a measure of provisions on this earth determined in advance. He will have to meet with the consequences of his belief (acceptance of the natural truth) or refusing to do so in the Hereafter. The distribution of worldly provisions is done according to the will and plan of Allah, the Almighty, the All knowing, and it is not necessarily dependent on the faith or its absence in the case of an individual human being.
“Do they not see that Allah enlarges the provisions for whom He Wills and restricts (it for whom He wills)? Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who believe”. (30:37)
All created things, facts, objects, matter, feelings or sentiments, have their own nature as we have explained already. Each has its own weight and other properties.
“And among His signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy, verily in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect. And among his signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. And among His signs is your sleep by night and by day and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily in that are indeed signs for a people who listen. And among His signs is that He shows you the lightning, for fear and for hope and He sends down water from the sky and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily in that are indeed signs for people who understand. And among His signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by his Command. Then afterwards when He will call you by a single call, behold you will come out from earth (i.e. from your graves for reckoning and re-compose). To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him. And He it is who originates the creation, then he will repeat it and this is most easy for Him. To Him belongs the loftiest similitude (i.e. none has the right to be worshiped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) in the heavens and on the earth. And He is the Almighty, the All-wise (30:21-27).
"Say: “It is He who has created you and endowed you with hearing (ears) and seeing (eyes) and hearts: little thanks it is you give". (67:23)
"We have created you; then why do you believe not? Then what do you think (about) the semen that you discharge. Is it you who create it (i.e. make this semen into a perfect human being) or are We the Creator? We have decreed death to you (as your lot) and we are not outstripped as to transfiguring you and creating you in (forms) that you know not. And indeed, you have already known the first form of creation, why then do you not remember? Then tell Me about the seed that you sow in the ground. Is it you that make it grow, or are we who cause it to grow? Were it Our will, We could crumble it to dry pieces and you would be left in wonderment (saying): “we are indeed left with debts (for nothing).” "Nay, but we are deprived". Then what do you think about the water that you drink? Is it you who cause it to come down from the rain-clouds or we who does so? If We had willed, We verily could have made it salty (and undrinkable). Why then do you not give thanks (to Allah)? Then what do you think about the fire that you kindle? Is it you who makes the tree (which feeds the fire) to grow or are We who makes it grow?" (56:57-71).
The Quran makes it quite clear that everything created in the universe, visible as well as the invisible, is the testimony to existence of the Supreme Being, the Almighty Creator. In the verses cited above the Quran talks about a few of the divine creations. But the same is applicable to everything in the universe. Nothing is left out or excluded from the purview of these verses. Among such examples that elucidate the nature and ingenuity of divine creation the creation of men and women in pairs, love or sexual feelings, mercy, differences in languages, diversification of complexions, alternation of night and day, the phenomenon of sleep, human efforts for obtaining livelihood, fear, hope, lightning, rainfall, dead land, living earth (vegetation), existence of heavens and the earth, the balancing of the earth, unfaltering movements of the heavenly bodies including the earth, the origin of creation, its recurrence, knowledge, listening, understanding, reflecting, reasoning, ears, eyes, hearts, semen, seeds, cultivation, clouds, salty water and fire. In the long history of man on earth, he has, time and again, been convinced about the significance of all these as potential signs that make him think fundamentally and search out the truth about his own position in the universe.
What the Quran asks us is this: Aren’t all these signs enough for human beings to find out and make the right conclusion as to the supreme and infallible plan behind the universe and the sovereignty over it of the One and Only Creator, the All-wise and All knowing? If there were more than one power to mastermind and control the universe, shall the universe continue to exist like this? Can anybody serious about things reject these facts? Then why are you reluctant to accept the words of the Creator who categorically declares that He is the Only One Who has created everything and that He has created the whole system of life and that as part of that system there is a life in the hereafter to come. He has further made it clear that those who reject this truth will be throne to the hellfire for experiencing the painful doom and that those who believe and obey Him will be blessed with a never-ending life in paradise, underneath which rivers flow. He hasn’t forced anybody to believe in Him. Rather, he has given every human mind the right kind of intellect and understanding that persuades him to accept reason and realize reality through visible and clear evidences and signs. The Quran repeatedly warns that if anybody rejects the existence of the One and Only God and His orders, he will be punished. Every single and minute deed, activity, disposition and attitude of human being is being recorded for the purpose. This also is some sort of transference of images from us to another level of the great energy reservoir.
“Every soul shall have a taste of death, and we shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned” (21:35)
“Verily We give life to the dead and We record that which they sent before (them), and their traces and all things we have recorded with numbers (as a record) in Clear Book”. (36:12)
The final judgment will be quite meticulous that nothing will be left out, neither the number of the deeds of each individual nor even the magnitude and weight of each of the deeds. Everything will be recorded in due course and will be presented as evidence for the final judgment.
“And We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least...” (21:47)
“And the weighing on that day (the Day of Resurrection) will be the true (weighing). As for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy, they will be successful and prosperous. And as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be light, they are those who will lose their own selves (by entering Hell) because they wrongfully treated our signs.” (7: 8-9)
“The unbelievers say: ‘The Hour (of resurrection) will never come to us’. “Say, ‘Nay, by my Lord, the All knower of the Unseen, it will surely come to you.’ Not even the weight of an atom or less than that or greater in the heavens or in the earth escapes His knowledge, but is in a Clear Book.” (34:3)
The weight of an atom is a common knowledge today. But at the time when the Quran was revealed, nobody was able even to think of it. The reference to the weight less than that of an atom made in this verse at a point in history when even the concept of atom was yet to be formed is ample proof to the divine character of the Quranic statements.
The lightest of all atoms, hydrogen, has a diameter of 1 x 10-8 cm (0.00000001 cm) and weighs 1.7 x 10 -24 (the fraction of a gram represented by 17 preceded by 23 zeros and a decimal point). A single drop of water contains more than a million million billion atoms. What so ever we did in our life and how much atoms did we employ for the purpose, it had reached us as invisible energy. The same will have surely returned to the energy reservoir in due course. Everything has been recorded quite efficiently without anything being left out. So it is not a big deal for the Creator to calculate the total and bring out the net figures as to the noble and evil deeds of each individual. So everything created here, fact, object, or even a feeling, will have its own weight. Nothing created here is in vain. Therefore every human being is accountable for his acts and deeds.
As the universes and all that exist in them are the ever changing temporary manifestations of the invisible hi-phoiticity held together by its infinite radiation, human being also is necessarily an indivisible part of this flow. In this wonderful and unexplainable display all that he possesses is the consciousness or the awareness of the self. If an individual gets lost that consciousness, he no longer exists in this universe with an individuality of his own even if his body functions perfectly in appearance. The only freedom or choice or free will he has been given is directly related to the question whether he believes in the truth of the nature, i.e. the existence of the One and Only Supreme Power, the Lord, Sustainer and God of everything or does he reject the whole thing as nonsense. Nobody can ignore this as unimportant or irrelevant. Anything that anybody gets here on earth is liable to perpetual change. Nothing has a nature of permanence. Every individual will meet with death one day. As when he realizes that his own life is joining this flow, he will not be able to do anything except to accept it and experience it. Every individual is to face it helplessly. It is the unchangeable nature destined to human being. After death he will be resurrected and will be presented before the Almighty Creator for a judgment regarding the use of his freewill. Then the Almighty Lord will give a final verdict on him in accordance with his attitude to the ultimate Truth, his acceptance or rejection, and the deeds following that attitude. All disbelievers, hypocrites and doubters will meet with the painful penalty for their abject failure in this life.
Intelligence
Intelligence is defined as the metal capacity or mental energy available with an individual to enable him in adjusting with the situation to face new challenges as effectively as possible. There are a number of theories in the world of modern psychology that tries to deal with this phenomenon in various angles. Important among them are unitary theory, multi-factor theory, group factor theory, Spearmen's two factor theory, Vernon's hierarchical theory etc. All such theories explain things with the assumption that human beings possess almost a complete freewill. Hence they explain it as the capacity of an individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, to deal effectively with his environment, to undertake activities that are difficult, complex and abstract and which are helpful for winning his goal, etc. Psychologists suppose that they can reach conclusions regarding intelligence based on their observations of the performance or behavior of the individual concerned preferably in comparison with others of his own group. But they seem to have left out something vitally important as in the case of our physicists whose thoughts on the origin of the universe and life have become handicapped in certain respects on account of similar negligence.
As the first stage of everything in the universe was invisible, those who approach things in the materialistic perspective will have to start their studies and observations from the stage that was visible or verifiable to them. The case of those who believe in the existence of the One Dimensional Supreme Light is entirely different. They look upon everything as the manifestation of the Supreme Light. Naturally they derive their conclusions to anything based on that. These two approaches are clearly discernible regarding everything in the universe. It is necessary to point out here that the majority of those who claim to believe in the Almighty God call Him into consideration only in spiritual matters and prayers. Very few among the believers are aware of the Supreme Energy's interference in all manifestations of the universe. Therefore the definitions given to the phenomenon of intelligence by modern psychologists and by the Quran will be found quite different from each other.
The word the Quran uses for intelligence is 'Aql'. Literally the word Aql (imsak) means detains, restrain, check etc. Aql is derived from Iqal (which means the bridle of camel or horse). Arabs were familiar with the word and its usage. Here the question is what is the relationship between the word intelligence and detention? Human beings cannot create knowledge, desire, attitude, interest or anything of the kind. It is the nature destined to human mind that these things spring up in it without any moral judgment. This takes place in the lower mind. It is the duty of the critical mind to judge them and restrain or detain the morally evil tendencies among them. The Quran explains the matter very clearly.
"And as for him who feared the position of (standing before) his lord and restrained (his) mind from impure evil desires and lust, Verily Paradise will be his abode" (79:40, 41).
This capacity of the critical mind to keep in detention the evil desires is called intelligence. One gets this power through the radiation of hi-photicity depending upon his faith. In reality, it is the power of freewill functioning in human beings. Thus, according to the Quranic definition, intelligence is the capacity of the critical mind of human being formed by the radiation of hi-photicity form the energy reservoir to empower the individual for arresting all intentions and desires of his lower mind which surpasses all restraints and limits of morality or the divinely set norms of monotheism. The individual is not the owner of this ability. But he will have the feeling that the ability is his own. So the individual is responsible for the success and failure of the employment of his intelligence.
In the materialistic point of view, a person who gains name, fame, money and position will be looked upon as an intelligent person. Merit is also considered as the basis of intelligence. But in truth good opportunity is the mother of merit. Chance exists beyond the control of human being. Majority of the people neglect or overlook this fact. But in the view of the Quran, only those who recognize the One and Only Supreme Power as God and win in the Hereafter life can be looked upon as intelligent.
"They indeed are losers who denied their meeting with Allah until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is on them, and they say, "Alas for us that we gave no thought to it." While they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear. And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But better is the house in the Hereafter for those who are righteous. Will you not be using your intelligence?" (6:31, 32)
"They (the disbelievers) will say (when they are thrown into the hellfire) "Had we but listened or used our intelligence; we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing fire" (67:10).
According to the Quran, life has two stages: one is the temporary material life in this world and the other the everlasting life in the hereafter. Whatever anybody gets here is only temporal and transitory. Those who give too much importance to this temporal life neglecting the guidance of the Almighty Lord, all that he has achieved will be lost and won’t offer him any help when he surrenders to death and further, he will be thrown to painful and disastrous experience in the hell in the Hereafter life as he denied the Truth of life. As for the believer, even if he has nothing of any merit or value or anything worth mentioning, Allah will gift him paradise for his perennial abode to dwell in there forever in reward for his sincere faith in the Truth. Then who is more intelligent? Anybody can judge it for himself.
The Concept of Development
People as well as nations talk a great deal about developments in the modern world. All the same we don’t find anybody presenting an ideal and comprehensive plan or model for development. Many an eminent person could be seen introducing projects and trying to implement them. That, unfortunately, the majority fails to attain the goal is a miserable fact. We know that development is for the satisfaction of citizens. If enough food, dress, house, vehicle, education, health, occupation etc are given to all people, will it provide satisfaction to human mind? It goes without saying that increase in the availability or supply of provisions on earth will not necessarily result in better satisfaction to human mind. We have already explained how the feeling of satisfaction is nurtured in human mind.
Putting it in physical terms, development takes place on the earth through the increase in the quantity of matter. Matter is, in fact, created by the radiation of hi-photicity and the flow of hi-photicity is controlled by the Creator. Nobody can create or destroy even an atom. Without anybody's request, development takes place in the universes even in the shortest fraction of every second. This is planned, designed and implemented by the All Knowing Creator.
The Quran declares it clearly while talking about the divine policy of the distribution of provisions to all including human beings.
“And no moving creature is on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows the time and place of its definite abode and its temporary deposit. All is in a clear Record (the Book of Decrees, the energy reservoir)” (11:6)
“How many are the creatures that carry not their own provision. Allah provides for them and for you And He is the All-Hearer and the All-Knower” (29:60).
“O mankind! Remember the grace of Allah upon you. Is there any Creator other than Allah, to give you provision from heaven and earth? There is no God but He, How then are you turning away (from the truth)?” (35:3)
“Say: Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living and who is it that rules and regulates all affairs? They will soon say “God.” Say: Will you not then show piety (to Him)? Such is Allah, your real Cherisher and Sustainer. Apart from truth what (remains) but error? How then are you turned away?” (10:31-32)
The verses cited above give the message that whatever faculties and capacities a human being possesses to seek provisions or anything else of his requirements, all that he comes by is only endowed to him by God. The government of the whole creation and its maintenance and sustenance is in the hands of God. How futile then would it be to neglect the truth and to go after illusion such as somebody other than Allah? Can anybody other than Allah organize and manage everything with the sort of perfection it is being done now? We have already explained how Allah provides for everything and everybody through His process of creation. The distribution of provisions is carried out in a system based on the absolute wisdom of the Almighty.
“Do they not see that Allah enlarges the provision for whom He wills and restricts (it for whom He wills). Verily in that are indeed signs for a people who believe” (30:37)
“And if Allah were to enlarge the Provision for His servants, they would indeed transgress beyond all bounds through the earth. But He sends (it) down in due measure as He wills. Verily He is, in respect of His slaves, the well – Aware, the All-seer (of things that benefit them)” (42:27)
The Quran here makes it clear leaving no room for any confusion that provisions are send down by the Almighty God in due measure to whom He wills. He enlarges it to whom He wills and restricts it to whom He wills. But we have no knowledge about the secret of Allah’s Will. The believers know one thing when God says as He Wills it means as He thinks best because God is well-acquainted with His slaves, watchful and merciful to them. Whatever He does, He does considering life as a whole with both the stages, here and in the hereafter. In the Quranic point of view, life extends to the hereafter world also and is not just the life here alone. When we talk about development, the major issue is whether we have a materialistic view of the whole issue or do we have a holistic approach to life with both the worlds in mind. Thus the Quran says:
“Whosoever desires the tilth of the Hereafter, We give increase in his tilth and whosoever desires the tilth of this world, we grant somewhat thereof, but he has no share or lot in the Hereafter” (42:20).
Any concept of development that overlooks the idea of the hereafter life will not be acceptable to the Almighty Allah. But, as part of his strategy, He will grant provisions and opportunities to those who exclusively on that also. However, in the final evaluation they will fail as they have denied the truth of life. So the Quran advices the believers:
“And strain not your eyes in longing for the things we have given for enjoyment to various groups of them (disbelievers), the splendor of the life of this world, through which we test them. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting” (20:131).
“So let not their wealth or their children amaze you. In reality, God’s plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers” (9:55).
Here the Quran further makes it clear that the distribution of provisions in this world is not based on anybody’s belief or disbelief. But it is purely according to and depending upon Allah’s plans and designs. Whatever anybody gets as a provision here is a test for him. Those who get good provisions and live with that overlooking the instructions of the Great Provider will, in the end, find the same provisions becoming a curse and punishment for them. While those believers who live according to the instructions of the Creator weather they get provisions enlarged or controlled will be blessed with satisfaction in this worldly life and, in the end, will be rewarded with the never- ending peaceful life in paradise in the hereafter world. This is in reward for their acceptance of the truth and patience over the decisions of their Lord in this world.
As explained before, any manifestation in the universe including human being is the creation of God, the sole owner of everything. If a human being rejects or neglects this ultimate truth using his freewill, which is also a gift of God to him, it only means that he is guided only by illusion and will not be able to find out the truth of life. Whenever such people get something or make any achievement, they might think that they have done so just because of their own merit. Such people will behave in such a way to satisfy their whims and fancies without caring in the least for the reality or the truth. That they will fail in their life here and in the hereafter is definite. The Quran delineates a very illustrative episode from history in this regard:
“Qarun was, doubtless, of the people of Moses; but he behaved arrogantly towards them: such were the treasures we had bestowed on him, that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men: behold, his people said to him: “exult not, for God loves not those who exult (in riches). But seek with that (wealth) which God has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as God has been good to you and seek not mischief in the land. Verily God likes not those who do mischief”. He said: “This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess”. Did he not know that God had destroyed, before him generations which were superior to him in strength and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected? But the criminals will not be questioned of their sins (because God knows them well, so they will be punished without being called to account). So he went forth among his people in the (pride of his worldly) glitter, those who were desirous of the life of the world, said: “Ah! Would that we had the like of what Qarun has been given, verily he is the owner of a great fortune. But those who had been granted (True) knowledge said: “Alas! For you the reward of God (in the Hereafter) is best for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except those who are patiently following (the truth). Then We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place, then he had no group or party to help him against God, nor was he one of those who could save themselves. And those who had desired (for a position like) his position the day before, began to say: “Know you not that it is God who enlarges the provision or restricts it, to any of His slaves He wills, Had it not been that God was gracious to us, He could have caused the earth to sallow us up (also). Know you not that the disbelievers will never be successful. That home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or mischief on earth. And the End is (best) for the righteous” (28:76-83).
Qarun has been rightly identified with the Korah of the English Bible. God gave immense wealth to him. But he behaved impudently and neglected the advice of the good people. He argued that all his wealth had been given to him because of his great merits. Thus when Korah denied the truth, his illusory notions persuaded him to argue in that defiant manner. People with a materialistic outlook towards life wished to get similar to the blessings and the positions of Korah. But people with the right perspective towards life tried to correct them and advised them to be realistic. But as when Allah’s punishment came, Korah could do nothing but surrender to it helplessly. The majority of the people in the present world think the way Korah did in the past. Their outlook towards life is too materialistic. Whenever they gain something, they suppose that they have got it because of their skill and cleverness. But the truth, however, is very different. This we understood while we discussed the process of creation. They overestimate their own skills and abilities because of the rule of illusion over them. Unfortunately they do not understand this (43:36-37). They continue in this accursed state because of their disbelief in the reality of the life and the universe.
The Quran further points out that seeking forgiveness of the Almighty Allah and turning to Him in repentance is the key to bringing development in human life.
“And (commanding you); ‘Seek the forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace. But if you turned away, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day” (11:3).
“And O my people, Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away in sin.” (11:52)
“Thus I Said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord. He is Oft-forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance; and give you increase in wealth and children and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers” (71:10)
Allah offers increase in wealth, children and other enjoyment to those who are seeking forgiveness and turn in repentance to Him. The question here is that how does seeking forgiveness and repentance bring any kind of development in human life? Herein lie some of the secrets of Allah’s rules and ways. What happens when we offer prayer? Like all other manifestations and incidents, prayer also is the combining and breaking process of energy. So prayer itself cannot bring development. After manifesting prayer, the energy radiates to the energy reservoir surrounded by the Supreme Light.
“…To Him mount up (all) the goodly words. It is He who exalts each deed of righteousness ...” (35:10)
“He manages and regulates (every) affair from the heaven to the earth. Then it (affair) will go up to Him….” (32:5)
Prayers are good words and deeds. Allah will exalt each one of the good words and deeds. For development, Allah has to send down energy in another form as the nature of prayer and development differ from each other. So prayer is a deal between the Creator and His creations. Allah instructed human beings to pray to Him.
“And your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (prayer). But those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation” (40:60)
The mental inclination for prayer is an innate and natural tendency not only in human beings but in all living and non living organisms also.
“Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise…” (24:41)
The acceptance of prayer depends upon the wisdom of the Creator. Whatever He does, He does only in accordance with His universal plan of life. That’s why, at certain times, we do not get responses for our prayers the way we expect. There is absolutely no need to be desperate over such situations and experiences. Allah has made it clear that He does only the best to His creatures. He knows and we do not know. It is the reality. Allah will be pleased with His slaves only when they believe in this reality.
“If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief of His slaves, and if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. In the end, to your Lord is your return and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily He is the All-knower of that which is in breasts (39:7).
Why does the Quran advise the human beings to seek forgiveness of Allah and turn in repentance to Him so repeatedly? It is the nature of human mind to forget the reality of life and to be attracted to the splendor of the worldly pleasures. Whenever they turn away form the remembrance of the Merciful Creator, the satanic delusions tempt them to find enjoyment in that. This makes him commit mistakes and get involved in sinful ways. Thus seeking forgiveness of Allah and turning in repentance to Him is extremely essential for maintaining the purity and sanctity of the true and genuine human nature. All developmental concepts that ignore the value of morality of monotheism are false and anti-natural. Such ideas originate from the delusions of the disbelieving minds. Those who try to implement programs and projects based on such concepts of development, even if they find success in their efforts to certain extend, they will surely meet with failure before long and their lives are doomed.
Hunger, poverty, disease, loss of wealth and lives; accidents and natural calamities etc. are inevitabilities of this worldly life in accordance with the plan of the Creator (2:155). He created all these phenomena as causes for creating sorrow in human mind. Sorrow generates pain. We are familiar with different kinds of pain. But nobody can fully explain it. One's pain is his personal experience. Others are unable to understand its magnitude, but can have some sort of sensation about it. Both these sensations are awareness happening though the process of creation. It will have different depths or levels according to the density and velocity variation of hi-photicity flow to both of them. Whatever may be the cause of an individual's experience, it is a purposeful creation destined for him alone. When we take an account of all sensations finally, we find that pain is the only one sensation very difficult to overcome. It is the nature given to it. The phenomenon of pain has been created in such a design that it functions as a sort of training for human being. Through pain the Creator makes us conscious of our helplessness in order to seek help from Him through prayer which keeps us very close to Him. This closeness to the Creator provides a human being with the sense of security and the power of creativity. So pain is a caution and a guard for the safety of human life. Comfort and joy may often lead one to hesitation. This is the positive approach of the believer towards pain and he knows that there will be a benefit in every deed of creation of the merciful Creator. But disbelievers, deniers and the suspicious persons will have a vehemently negative approach towards pain.
In the Quranic point of view, cause and effect are purposeful creations. No cause will create an effect even if we may feel or wish so. In certain cases we might find perfect causality while in many other cases we may not understand the real cause. Some secrets of creations have been hidden behind this. So we can't completely rely on causality to find out the ultimate truth. If we try to get more about what cause made an effect, we might find the presence of another cause for the immediate cause. This search will take us to the first and original cause. There we find that the Supreme Light is the greatest cause of all causes. Everything originates from this Cause. It is the nature of all the universes. The case of development also is the same. It functions in the same way. Nobody knows what will happen to him and to the world around him in the next moment. Whatever he possesses is not his own, he has only a temporary ownership on that. It is the reality. Those who neglect this reality and dwells in the illusion of their mind will surely meet with failure in the end. The way of the dealings of the Creator has not been disclosed to us in full. The more we try to understand, the more we realize that human knowledge is very limited. We understand only what the Creator permits us to understand. Human being has no knowledge about the ultimate purpose of life. But our life is a reality. Everybody wants to succeed in life. This is what human mind is naturally inspired with. The only way to understand the truth of life is to search for it through the available knowledge. Any sincere attempt to do so will take a person to the awareness of the existence of the only one Creator. Then human being has no other way except to believe in Him and submit to Him in prayers. Then He guides him as to what to do and how to manage with the available resources etc. Any attempt in life overlooking His overall control over things in every step will meet with failure eventually. The success in life is dependent on one’s awareness of or interest in understanding the truth correctly. Everything else will have been done or looked into by the Creator without fail. He is the unending or infinite source of Mercy. We are all in need of it. So let us get back to the origin sincerely and let the circuit be complete. In that state, life will flow satisfactorily in an undisturbed way. If anybody finds dissatisfaction in any matter, he must know that the original life circuit is not complete. Let those who understand this, try to explain it to others as part of his duty of faith.
Summary of the Theory
1) Psychophotics is concerned with describing the attributes of the Omnipresent Supreme Light and the behaviour of photo energy which constitutes the entire facts and objects of the universes. Here physics and psychology combine together as Psychophotics to explain the universe and life. Then Psychophotics becomes the translation of the universe and life. Finally everything comes to the understanding of human being. This understanding in other words could be called knowledge. Knowledge is the essence of any existence of the universe which is the main study area of Psycophotics. So all branches of sciences come under the purview of Psychophotics.
2) Knowledge is the ever-changing hiphotic transimage that the mind receives through the radiation of invisible hiphoticity from the great energy reservoir existing beyond the boundary of the universes. Knowledge exists in combination with matter. We can see its means and effects only. One's knowledge is his own personal experience which is finally controlled by the Supreme Light. Neither he nor any body else has any control on it. By receiving the radiation in the same density and velocity, people get an understanding of common images of ideas. Social awareness also has been created in this way. These images include right and wrong or truth and false (illusion) that depend upon the faith of individuals, groups, and societies.
3) Intelligence is the capacity constituted in the critical mind of human being by the radiation of hi-photicity form the energy reservoir to empower the individual for arresting all intentions and desires of his lower mind which exceed the limits of the morality of monotheism. The individual is not the owner of this ability. But it enables him to consider the ability as his own. So the individual is responsible for the success and failure of the utilization of his intelligence.
4) Life, mind and soul are various manifestations of energy bond powers combined with material body. All these (matter, mind life and soul) are formed from Hi-Photicity. Hi-Photicity originates from the ever exploding energy reservoir controlled by the Supreme Light. Finally the behavior pattern of everything in the universes is decided by the Supreme Light beyond the boundaries of the universes.
5) As the universes and everything that exists in them are the ever changing temporary manifestations of invisible hi-phoiticity combined by its radiation, Human being is an indivisible part of this flow. What he possesses in this wonderful display is only the consciousness or self awareness. If anybody loses it, he is fully lost and he doesn’t exist except for his body that might still be functioning. The only freedom of choice or free will he has been given is pertaining to whether he can believe in the truth of the nature, i.e. the existence of the only one Supreme Power as the God, Lord and Sustainer of everything or to reject the idea as a whole. This freewill is the capacity of intelligence. Nobody can escape from this. Whatever anybody gets here on the earth is subject perpetual changes. Nothing will exist in a permanent state. Everyone and everything will meet with death one day. When man realizes that his own life joins this flow, he will not be able to do anything except to experience it helplessly. It is the unchangeable nature destined for human being to undergo. Following death, he will be resurrected and will be brought before the Almighty Creator for the judgment regarding the use of his freewill (intelligence) and the Final verdict from the Almighty Lord will come based on his belief or rejection of the truth. That occasion, all disbelievers, hypocrites and doubters will meet with the painful and disastrous failure of their life and will have to face consequences thereof.
A. A. Vahab
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Freewill
The question of freewill has been a topic of fierce intellectual battle and intense arguments among scholars over the many unknown centuries in the past. We find a number of eminent philosophers, thinkers, theologians and scientists to have made their share of contributions to the discussion of the subject. Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Rene Descartes, David Hume, Thomas Aquinas, Herbert Spencer, John Dewey, Schopenhauer, Baruch Spinoza, Immanuel Kant, William James, William Wund, William McDougall, Walter Bowers, Howieson, Woodworth, William Hamilton, E.B. Tichener, J.B. Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Kurt Lewin, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Abraham Maslov, Cavlar Rogers, Roll May, Gordon All port, Edward Toleman and Jean Piaget are but a few among them to mention. Many Judeo – Christian scholars and theologians, Hindu philosophers and Islamic philosophers of the Middle Age and thinkers like Al-Kindi, Farabi, Ibn Rushd, Ibn al Hazan, Ibn Sina, Imam Razi and Al Gazzali also have made noteworthy contributions in this connection through their invaluable views observations on the subject.
We can identify among these thoughts two different schools. The doctrine that holds the extreme view about the free will of human mind is called libertarianism. The traditional doctrine that human action is not left freely but it happens as the result of some other influences beyond the control of the individual has been termed determinism. An act of absolute freewill in itself is cause, and not an effect. It is beyond the law of causality. The determinists hold the view that every action must be preceded by a cause and must be a part of the unbroken chain of causation that ultimately leads back to the Original Cause i.e. God. An uncaused act negates any rational order and makes the universe seem irrational. The validity of freewill has an important role in human life. The denial of the ability to choose a course of action would seem to negate the possibility of any moral judgment. A person without any free will is not responsible for his actions and cannot be subjected to any moral judgment If absolute freewill is allowed, it will ultimately lead to the negation of the divine course of action in human life. Hence many scholars have taken a great variety of positions ranging from absolute determinism to absolute libertarianism to solve the problem. The view in this connection of the Franco-Roman Catholic prelate Jacques Bossuet was greatly appreciated by many scholars. He observed that freewill and the divine foreknowledge are certain truths that must be accepted even though they are not logically explainable. Thus we find that the question of freewill has never been satisfactorily solved in a scientific manner.
Nowadays when we discuss the question of freewill, we will be forced to go very deep into subjects like Nuclear Physics, Biotechnology, Teleology, Psychology and Psychophysiology etc. in order to get valuable information that help resolve the question. As explained before, unfortunately, studies in these sciences face serious complications that remain unresolved.
Here let us first consider what Quran says on this issue. Human being, according to the Quran, is the vicegerent of God and his life is the ever continuing wonderful incident through different stages originated from the Supreme Light and finally joins or reaches the same Supreme Light. According to the Quran, it is the life mission of human being destined by the Almighty God (84:6). The first part of life on earth is for him a trial. He has been given a freewill and freedom to choose between good and evil at this stage.
“And it is He Who has made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth. And He has raised you in ranks, some above others that He may try you in that which He has bestowed on you. Surely your Lord is Swift in retribution, and certainly He is oft-forgiving Most Merciful” (6:165).
“Verily, we have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that we may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds”.(18:7).
“Blessed is He in whose Hand is the dominion; and He is able to do all things. Who has created death and life that He may test you, which of you is best in deed? And He is the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving” (67:1-2).
After giving awareness as to what is right and what is wrong to human beings, Allah gave to all provisions according to His plan and the freedom of choice i.e. the free will to choose and to act.
"And say: The truth is from your Lord. Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve…" (18:29).
"Verily We showed him the way he be grateful or ungrateful" (76:3).
“If anyone believes in Allah, He guides his heart (aright). And Allah is the All-knower of everything” (64:11).
"Allah will keep firm those who believe with the word that stands firm in this world and in Hereafter. Allah will cause to go astray those who do wrong. Allah does what he wills" (14:27).
“And whosoever turns away from the remembrance of the Most Gracious (God), We appoint for him Satan (an evil one) to be an intimate companion to him” (43:36).
“About the (evil one) it is decreed that whosoever follows him, he will mislead him, and will drive him to the torment of the fire”. (22:4).
It is the substance of what is meant by free will and freedom of choice. When we hear about free will and freedom of choice we might think that we can will anything we like. No, we can’t. Will or Intention is among the affairs of God. He has given us a chance to intend and select within what He has given us. Satanic activities or evils are the purposeful creation of God as He has created good to implement the test in the life of human beings. All that is good will be right as well in accordance with the nature that Allah has created for life. Likewise all that is evil or bad is wrong in accordance with the same nature. It is the system of the Almighty Allah. There is no compulsion on human beings within the system. As Allah is the best in everything He advises human beings for his own good to believe in Him by following the nature created for him. Human beings can not change the creation of Allah. That is the straight system (religion). But most men know not (30:30). Choice or the right to select is allowed in belief only. If anybody believes in the truth through evidence provided to him, Allah will guide him to the straight path and the angels that inspire good things will be appointed as his companion. If anybody neglects or disbelieves the truth, Allah will cause him to go astray and evil inspiring Satan will be appointed as his companion. The power of good and the power of evil are represented by Angels and Satan. However, they have no power or authority over human beings except so far what the Creator permits. These positive and negative powers will function depending upon the kind of submission a human being chooses to make. In either cases, things happen only the way Allah has designed or planned, as explained earlier, in the process of creation. No cause will create any effect. Cause and effect are purposeful creations of Almighty Allah in accordance with His total plan of life in the universe.
An important feature of awareness is that the concern or consciousness about need will be more acute than the consciousness about the available provisions. It is to create the consciousness to seek help. Seeking help is called prayer. Prayer is worship. When the need for prayer arises, it can be made either to the All Powerful Creator or anybody else. No compulsion will be imposed in this regard. All are free here; nobody has any power over others in this respect. If any body obeys the natural inclination of his mind and prays to the Creator, he does the right thing. Because the ultimate source of all help is the Creator and nobody else. All other sources are agencies. If anybody denies this fact and relies on these agencies, he is in the wrong. This choice is a matter of an individual's discretion and belief. So he is solely responsible for the prayer and whatever activities that followed. Things work in this way in every situation.
According to modern scientists, brain plays a centrally important role in acquiring knowledge. They have identified and labeled various parts of the brain explaining their respective functions. The word that refers to mind in the context of the Quran and the Prophetic sayings is nafs. The mind functions together with the body and is ever changing in nature. Naturally the inspiration or innate awareness pertaining to the right and the wrong comes to us in each and every fraction of time in all affairs we are involved in. The Quran considers heart as the very centre of the mind. The Quran makes many explicit references to this fact. And there are quite a number of the sayings of Prophet Mohammad (S.A.) in this regard.
“And truly this (Quran) is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds; with it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth to your heart that you may admonish” (26:192-194).
"Have they not traveled through the land, and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear? Verily it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind". (22:46).
On the basis of these we are persuaded to think that the function of mind takes place through the chemical process in human heart. What we experience as instincts, feelings, emotions, thinking, reasoning and memory etc are, no doubt, the effects of the chemical process inside our bodies. However, we do not have a complete understanding of what elements cause what behavior etc.
In order to carry out the test man has been bestowed with a mind with certain peculiar states. They are:
1) The Lower Mind: (Annafsul Ammarah) - A mind, which is prone to evil (12:53). The nature of this mind is almost like the nature of animals, desirous of satisfying all carnal and biological needs without any moral judgment. Hence the negative power of evil is dominantly functional here.
2) The Critical Mind: (Annafsul Lawwamah) – This is the self-reproaching mind (75:2). This state is fully conscious of what is right and what is wrong. Whenever the desires at the lower level exceed the limit of morality, this mind criticizes it and resists evil. So there will always be a conflict between the lower mind and the critical mind. Whenever the lower mind overcomes, man commits mistakes and evils. And the critical mind tries to make him repent and ask for God’s Grace and pardon. The positive persuasive power of angels functions in this state.
3) The Satisfied Mind: (Annafsul Mutumainnah) - A state that has achieved total rest and satisfaction (89:27). Its nature meets with all the requirements of the standard model of personality expected by the Creator from an individual for the fulfillment of his delegation, in other words, for his self realization. Whenever the critical mind overcomes the evil tendency of the lower mind the satisfied mind will be active and at large. In each and every issue in a man's life these three states of mind will have different levels of involvement.
The pristine and unadulterated human mind has a natural awareness about his Lord, the creator. All his duty is to submit himself willingly to the will of his Lord. The Quran describes as the best mould the mind that has faith in God, and is innocent, pure and true inclined to righteousness and virtue, and with the true understanding about his own position in relation to the universe (7:173, 30:30, 95:4). These are all the innate and the inborn behavioral qualities of a human being that manifest themselves without prior training or experience. In the technical terms of psychology we can call them instincts. Human mind has been created in proportion and has been given the clear guidance as to what is right and what is wrong for him. "And indeed he succeeds who purifies his own self (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered), and indeed he fails who corrupts his own self (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true faith of monotheistic idea)" (91: 7-10).
Human mind is understood to be functioning in certain clear levels: the conscious, the unconscious and the subconscious are the different functionally understood levels of the mind. The conscious mind commonly works in a method of stimulus response relation. Human being is morally responsible only for his actions done by him in the conscious level of his mind.
"….And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful" (33:5).
The Prophet said: "All sons of Adam will commit mistakes; the good among them are those who repent".
On another occasion the Prophet said: "Allah has forgiven to the people for all their bad actions done by mistake, forgetfulness or under compulsion".
"All evil thoughts of human beings will be forgiven by Allah until they talk or act accordingly". So goes another saying reported from the Prophet (S.A.).
The message here is quite clear: the power for intention descends on human heart. The function of the conscious level of the mind is mainly linked with the critical mind. Then restlessness and being very cautious and watchful or vigilant will be among the important behavioral features of this mind. The free will of a human individual functions in this state of mind. All decisions of a human being originate from here. The lower mind and the satisfied mind work in accordance with their pre-determined behavior. So the free will can not function in these two states of mind. The function of the critical mind depends upon the faith of the individual. It has the characteristics of the dual readiness: one inclining towards the behavior of the lower mind (slipping away from the basic nature) and the second to rise up to the nature of satisfied mind. If the individual is an accepter of the Supreme Power as his Lord and the Ultimate Reality of his life and the universe in accordance with the implanted nature of his mind, the angels will help him understand the reality and take the right decision. If the individual is a denier of the Supreme Reality as his Lord rejecting the true nature of his mind, Satan will hinder him from understanding the reality inspiring him with illusions that lead him to the wrong decision. Here the critical mind is the deciding factor. Human being's moral responsibility is tied to this state of mind. This behavior has been destined to be the critical mind for self realization of the individual by using his own free will. Hence, whatever decision one takes, he is responsible for that. In both these two cases, activities manifest through body only by means of the radiation of hi-photicity. The variation of its density and velocity decides the nature of the behavior manifested.
A very important aspect we have to examine in this connection is that even if a strong believer takes the right decision with all precautions and good intentions, sometimes he may meet with bad or evil result. Why does it happen so? It is not the intention itself that produces the result. Intention is only a manifestation of or bonding and releasing of energy. It radiates to other level of energy reservoir immediately after the manifestation. One's life is not a private affair to him alone; but it is interlinked with many other lives and aspects. God's creation happens in accordance with His universal plan. If anybody finds an attempt is a failure or unsuccessful in his judgment, sometimes the same might be good for him, in another aspect, or on another occasion in future. And things might have been destined so because God is the All knower and we human beings know very little.
"...Perhaps you dislike a thing which is good for you and that you love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knows and you know not." (2:216).
Human beings are liable to commit mistakes. They might forget things and might be under compulsions and pressures of various kinds. He has been created with all these characteristics for living on earth. God Almighty has done it purposefully in His process of creation. Human beings are responsible for their intentions only. The words of the Prophet suggest this very clearly: "All deeds will be considered only by their intentions." Besides, Almighty Allah has proclaimed forgiveness for all unintentional acts. Even intentional acts will be granted forgiveness if any body sincerely repents.
It is our every day experience that we fail to fulfill or realize all our ambitions even if we have at our disposal all necessary resources. Sometimes we achieve something without any considerable effort. On certain other occasions, though we work hard and as perfectly as humanly possible, yet the result will be negative and fatally disastrous. Hence when we find things functioning properly we need not think that it is because of our efforts. It is nothing but the Mercy of God Almighty, although we feel, in our cognition, that the external factors that became congenial have been so helpful for the success of our efforts. When we find such a perfect suitability of our efforts and the external factors and conditions, our minds become peaceful and experience satisfaction. Satisfaction of the mind is the real comfort and happiness. Once the Prophet said, "Increase of wealth is not prosperity. Prosperity of mind is the real prosperity". According to the Quran, only the remembrance of the reality and the truth will provide one with such calmness of mind:
"Those who believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest" (13:28).
All other experiences of satisfaction are of a very transitory and temporal nature and an individual is let to enjoy it only by the mercy of God. After the time or period specified for that they will again relapse to restlessness and eventually will end up in the eternal torment in the hell in the life after death.
The subconscious mind works in between the conscious and the unconscious levels. The experience we have in dream is one of a sub conscious level understanding. Here we perceive feelings without the medium of our sensory organs. We cannot decide what type of dream we are going to have. The process of dream is a truth. What we see in the dream can be true or false. When we have a dream, we experience it as we experience a real thing in the conscious level of our mind. For example, if we feel in dream that somebody is beating us, we will experience its pain. But in reality nobody might be beating us. This subconscious level awareness of human mind is clear testimony for us to understand the idea of the experience after death. Nobody can decide with his freewill to stop having dreams or choose the kind of dream he wants to have. Likewise, life after death experience that all of us will have also is beyond our control. All we can do is to believe in the Ultimate Reality in line with the innate and pristine nature of our mind and rely on Him for his Mercy for a peaceful life here and in the Hereafter.
We do not have much knowledge about the unconscious level of the mind. Most of the activities inside our body happen without the information about them ever occurring to us in our cognition. Only when we are in the conscious level of our mind we can explain things. This is true even in the case of other levels of the mind. It is among the inevitable limitations that human beings are heir to. Only conscious level activities are considered legal or holding any significance in this world because freewill has the power to function only in this level.
Each creature or object or fact has its own nature and has the capacity to bear it. Whatever power we possess we are not stocking it in our body. As body is perpetually changing, any power we need comes to us from time to time from the energy reservoir. Once a particular action is carried out, the power we had for the purpose does not continue to exist with us. The sexual activity of a human individual is the best example that illustrates this point.
“On no soul does God place a burden greater than it could bear” (2:286)”
“… And no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another” (6:164)
It is a natural truth that nobody can bear the burden of others or no particle can bear the mass of another particle. This burden or weight each gets through the process of creation. A doubt may be raised here. Some say that they bear the burden of others, for example: a mother bears the burden of her children. The answer here is quite simple: if anybody feels that he is bearing the burden of others, it is to be understood that that particular burden is an inalienable or inseparable portion of his life inevitable for the fulfillment of his delegation on earth as a human being. We have to look upon the miseries of the followers as the burden a sincere leader is destined to bear.
“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He is anxious over you, for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind and merciful” (9:128).
Mankind has taken origin but from one and the only source:
“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord Who created you from a single soul. And from him He created his mate, and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights) and (reverence) the wombs (that before you) surely Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you” (4:1).
Because of this peculiar way of creation described here, mankind is a family from the beginning to the end. Although each is accountable for everything individually, for the purpose of life, human beings have been bonded together with some sort of sentiments and feelings. Therefore, there isn’t any private affair for an individual which is absolutely his own and has nothing to do with the other members of the society. Family and social life function in the world in this way. The proportion of feelings is decided by the Creator in accordance with the capacity given to each one. This issue is highly complex. We come across many examples in our daily life that elucidate this fact. Sometimes we may be intensely sorrowful about some incidents that happened to others even when we do not have any direct connection with them while some others might be able to look upon the same issue in a very detached way and feel it only very mildly. All these happen only in accordance with the plan of the Creator. So if ever anybody makes any claim to the effect that he is bearing the burden of others, it needn’t be taken in the literal sense as there is, in fact, no provision for that in the nature of this universe. He can, at the most, only claim that God Almighty blessed him by giving him an opportunity to do good for others by bearing the feeling of burden of others for the fulfillment of his delegation. Hence, instead of complaining, he has to be thankful to Allah for that opportunity. It is the right behavior expected of him as a vicegerent of the Almighty Lord on the earth.
"On no soul Allah places a burden greater than it can bear" (2:286).
No burden or responsibility of life will be put on anybody beyond the capacity given to him by God. This awareness will help human being to overcome any difficulty he is faced with in life. When accepts and complies with this natural truth, Allah will empower him with greater faith and courage. It is the promise of the Merciful and Almighty God.
"While as for those who accept guidance, He increases the (light of) guidance, and bestows on them their piety and restraint (from evil)" (47:17)
"And remember! Your Lord Caused to be declared (publicly) "If you are grateful I will add more (favors) unto you. But if you show ingratitude, truly My punishment is terrible indeed" (14:7)
"And God advances in guidance those who seek guidance and the righteous and good deeds that last are best in the eyes of your Lord, for reward and for the eventual returns" (19:76).
"On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Gracious (Allah) will bestow love" (19:96)
Whatever a man does in the course of a lifetime, he will have an appointed time and a measure of provisions on this earth determined in advance. He will have to meet with the consequences of his belief (acceptance of the natural truth) or refusing to do so in the Hereafter. The distribution of worldly provisions is done according to the will and plan of Allah, the Almighty, the All knowing, and it is not necessarily dependent on the faith or its absence in the case of an individual human being.
“Do they not see that Allah enlarges the provisions for whom He Wills and restricts (it for whom He wills)? Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who believe”. (30:37)
All created things, facts, objects, matter, feelings or sentiments, have their own nature as we have explained already. Each has its own weight and other properties.
“And among His signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy, verily in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect. And among his signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of your languages and colors. Verily in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. And among His signs is your sleep by night and by day and your seeking of His Bounty. Verily in that are indeed signs for a people who listen. And among His signs is that He shows you the lightning, for fear and for hope and He sends down water from the sky and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily in that are indeed signs for people who understand. And among His signs is that the heaven and the earth stand by his Command. Then afterwards when He will call you by a single call, behold you will come out from earth (i.e. from your graves for reckoning and re-compose). To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him. And He it is who originates the creation, then he will repeat it and this is most easy for Him. To Him belongs the loftiest similitude (i.e. none has the right to be worshiped but He, and there is nothing comparable unto Him) in the heavens and on the earth. And He is the Almighty, the All-wise (30:21-27).
"Say: “It is He who has created you and endowed you with hearing (ears) and seeing (eyes) and hearts: little thanks it is you give". (67:23)
"We have created you; then why do you believe not? Then what do you think (about) the semen that you discharge. Is it you who create it (i.e. make this semen into a perfect human being) or are We the Creator? We have decreed death to you (as your lot) and we are not outstripped as to transfiguring you and creating you in (forms) that you know not. And indeed, you have already known the first form of creation, why then do you not remember? Then tell Me about the seed that you sow in the ground. Is it you that make it grow, or are we who cause it to grow? Were it Our will, We could crumble it to dry pieces and you would be left in wonderment (saying): “we are indeed left with debts (for nothing).” "Nay, but we are deprived". Then what do you think about the water that you drink? Is it you who cause it to come down from the rain-clouds or we who does so? If We had willed, We verily could have made it salty (and undrinkable). Why then do you not give thanks (to Allah)? Then what do you think about the fire that you kindle? Is it you who makes the tree (which feeds the fire) to grow or are We who makes it grow?" (56:57-71).
The Quran makes it quite clear that everything created in the universe, visible as well as the invisible, is the testimony to existence of the Supreme Being, the Almighty Creator. In the verses cited above the Quran talks about a few of the divine creations. But the same is applicable to everything in the universe. Nothing is left out or excluded from the purview of these verses. Among such examples that elucidate the nature and ingenuity of divine creation the creation of men and women in pairs, love or sexual feelings, mercy, differences in languages, diversification of complexions, alternation of night and day, the phenomenon of sleep, human efforts for obtaining livelihood, fear, hope, lightning, rainfall, dead land, living earth (vegetation), existence of heavens and the earth, the balancing of the earth, unfaltering movements of the heavenly bodies including the earth, the origin of creation, its recurrence, knowledge, listening, understanding, reflecting, reasoning, ears, eyes, hearts, semen, seeds, cultivation, clouds, salty water and fire. In the long history of man on earth, he has, time and again, been convinced about the significance of all these as potential signs that make him think fundamentally and search out the truth about his own position in the universe.
What the Quran asks us is this: Aren’t all these signs enough for human beings to find out and make the right conclusion as to the supreme and infallible plan behind the universe and the sovereignty over it of the One and Only Creator, the All-wise and All knowing? If there were more than one power to mastermind and control the universe, shall the universe continue to exist like this? Can anybody serious about things reject these facts? Then why are you reluctant to accept the words of the Creator who categorically declares that He is the Only One Who has created everything and that He has created the whole system of life and that as part of that system there is a life in the hereafter to come. He has further made it clear that those who reject this truth will be throne to the hellfire for experiencing the painful doom and that those who believe and obey Him will be blessed with a never-ending life in paradise, underneath which rivers flow. He hasn’t forced anybody to believe in Him. Rather, he has given every human mind the right kind of intellect and understanding that persuades him to accept reason and realize reality through visible and clear evidences and signs. The Quran repeatedly warns that if anybody rejects the existence of the One and Only God and His orders, he will be punished. Every single and minute deed, activity, disposition and attitude of human being is being recorded for the purpose. This also is some sort of transference of images from us to another level of the great energy reservoir.
“Every soul shall have a taste of death, and we shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to Us you will be returned” (21:35)
“Verily We give life to the dead and We record that which they sent before (them), and their traces and all things we have recorded with numbers (as a record) in Clear Book”. (36:12)
The final judgment will be quite meticulous that nothing will be left out, neither the number of the deeds of each individual nor even the magnitude and weight of each of the deeds. Everything will be recorded in due course and will be presented as evidence for the final judgment.
“And We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least...” (21:47)
“And the weighing on that day (the Day of Resurrection) will be the true (weighing). As for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy, they will be successful and prosperous. And as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be light, they are those who will lose their own selves (by entering Hell) because they wrongfully treated our signs.” (7: 8-9)
“The unbelievers say: ‘The Hour (of resurrection) will never come to us’. “Say, ‘Nay, by my Lord, the All knower of the Unseen, it will surely come to you.’ Not even the weight of an atom or less than that or greater in the heavens or in the earth escapes His knowledge, but is in a Clear Book.” (34:3)
The weight of an atom is a common knowledge today. But at the time when the Quran was revealed, nobody was able even to think of it. The reference to the weight less than that of an atom made in this verse at a point in history when even the concept of atom was yet to be formed is ample proof to the divine character of the Quranic statements.
The lightest of all atoms, hydrogen, has a diameter of 1 x 10-8 cm (0.00000001 cm) and weighs 1.7 x 10 -24 (the fraction of a gram represented by 17 preceded by 23 zeros and a decimal point). A single drop of water contains more than a million million billion atoms. What so ever we did in our life and how much atoms did we employ for the purpose, it had reached us as invisible energy. The same will have surely returned to the energy reservoir in due course. Everything has been recorded quite efficiently without anything being left out. So it is not a big deal for the Creator to calculate the total and bring out the net figures as to the noble and evil deeds of each individual. So everything created here, fact, object, or even a feeling, will have its own weight. Nothing created here is in vain. Therefore every human being is accountable for his acts and deeds.
As the universes and all that exist in them are the ever changing temporary manifestations of the invisible hi-phoiticity held together by its infinite radiation, human being also is necessarily an indivisible part of this flow. In this wonderful and unexplainable display all that he possesses is the consciousness or the awareness of the self. If an individual gets lost that consciousness, he no longer exists in this universe with an individuality of his own even if his body functions perfectly in appearance. The only freedom or choice or free will he has been given is directly related to the question whether he believes in the truth of the nature, i.e. the existence of the One and Only Supreme Power, the Lord, Sustainer and God of everything or does he reject the whole thing as nonsense. Nobody can ignore this as unimportant or irrelevant. Anything that anybody gets here on earth is liable to perpetual change. Nothing has a nature of permanence. Every individual will meet with death one day. As when he realizes that his own life is joining this flow, he will not be able to do anything except to accept it and experience it. Every individual is to face it helplessly. It is the unchangeable nature destined to human being. After death he will be resurrected and will be presented before the Almighty Creator for a judgment regarding the use of his freewill. Then the Almighty Lord will give a final verdict on him in accordance with his attitude to the ultimate Truth, his acceptance or rejection, and the deeds following that attitude. All disbelievers, hypocrites and doubters will meet with the painful penalty for their abject failure in this life.
Intelligence
Intelligence is defined as the metal capacity or mental energy available with an individual to enable him in adjusting with the situation to face new challenges as effectively as possible. There are a number of theories in the world of modern psychology that tries to deal with this phenomenon in various angles. Important among them are unitary theory, multi-factor theory, group factor theory, Spearmen's two factor theory, Vernon's hierarchical theory etc. All such theories explain things with the assumption that human beings possess almost a complete freewill. Hence they explain it as the capacity of an individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, to deal effectively with his environment, to undertake activities that are difficult, complex and abstract and which are helpful for winning his goal, etc. Psychologists suppose that they can reach conclusions regarding intelligence based on their observations of the performance or behavior of the individual concerned preferably in comparison with others of his own group. But they seem to have left out something vitally important as in the case of our physicists whose thoughts on the origin of the universe and life have become handicapped in certain respects on account of similar negligence.
As the first stage of everything in the universe was invisible, those who approach things in the materialistic perspective will have to start their studies and observations from the stage that was visible or verifiable to them. The case of those who believe in the existence of the One Dimensional Supreme Light is entirely different. They look upon everything as the manifestation of the Supreme Light. Naturally they derive their conclusions to anything based on that. These two approaches are clearly discernible regarding everything in the universe. It is necessary to point out here that the majority of those who claim to believe in the Almighty God call Him into consideration only in spiritual matters and prayers. Very few among the believers are aware of the Supreme Energy's interference in all manifestations of the universe. Therefore the definitions given to the phenomenon of intelligence by modern psychologists and by the Quran will be found quite different from each other.
The word the Quran uses for intelligence is 'Aql'. Literally the word Aql (imsak) means detains, restrain, check etc. Aql is derived from Iqal (which means the bridle of camel or horse). Arabs were familiar with the word and its usage. Here the question is what is the relationship between the word intelligence and detention? Human beings cannot create knowledge, desire, attitude, interest or anything of the kind. It is the nature destined to human mind that these things spring up in it without any moral judgment. This takes place in the lower mind. It is the duty of the critical mind to judge them and restrain or detain the morally evil tendencies among them. The Quran explains the matter very clearly.
"And as for him who feared the position of (standing before) his lord and restrained (his) mind from impure evil desires and lust, Verily Paradise will be his abode" (79:40, 41).
This capacity of the critical mind to keep in detention the evil desires is called intelligence. One gets this power through the radiation of hi-photicity depending upon his faith. In reality, it is the power of freewill functioning in human beings. Thus, according to the Quranic definition, intelligence is the capacity of the critical mind of human being formed by the radiation of hi-photicity form the energy reservoir to empower the individual for arresting all intentions and desires of his lower mind which surpasses all restraints and limits of morality or the divinely set norms of monotheism. The individual is not the owner of this ability. But he will have the feeling that the ability is his own. So the individual is responsible for the success and failure of the employment of his intelligence.
In the materialistic point of view, a person who gains name, fame, money and position will be looked upon as an intelligent person. Merit is also considered as the basis of intelligence. But in truth good opportunity is the mother of merit. Chance exists beyond the control of human being. Majority of the people neglect or overlook this fact. But in the view of the Quran, only those who recognize the One and Only Supreme Power as God and win in the Hereafter life can be looked upon as intelligent.
"They indeed are losers who denied their meeting with Allah until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is on them, and they say, "Alas for us that we gave no thought to it." While they will bear their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear. And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But better is the house in the Hereafter for those who are righteous. Will you not be using your intelligence?" (6:31, 32)
"They (the disbelievers) will say (when they are thrown into the hellfire) "Had we but listened or used our intelligence; we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing fire" (67:10).
According to the Quran, life has two stages: one is the temporary material life in this world and the other the everlasting life in the hereafter. Whatever anybody gets here is only temporal and transitory. Those who give too much importance to this temporal life neglecting the guidance of the Almighty Lord, all that he has achieved will be lost and won’t offer him any help when he surrenders to death and further, he will be thrown to painful and disastrous experience in the hell in the Hereafter life as he denied the Truth of life. As for the believer, even if he has nothing of any merit or value or anything worth mentioning, Allah will gift him paradise for his perennial abode to dwell in there forever in reward for his sincere faith in the Truth. Then who is more intelligent? Anybody can judge it for himself.
The Concept of Development
People as well as nations talk a great deal about developments in the modern world. All the same we don’t find anybody presenting an ideal and comprehensive plan or model for development. Many an eminent person could be seen introducing projects and trying to implement them. That, unfortunately, the majority fails to attain the goal is a miserable fact. We know that development is for the satisfaction of citizens. If enough food, dress, house, vehicle, education, health, occupation etc are given to all people, will it provide satisfaction to human mind? It goes without saying that increase in the availability or supply of provisions on earth will not necessarily result in better satisfaction to human mind. We have already explained how the feeling of satisfaction is nurtured in human mind.
Putting it in physical terms, development takes place on the earth through the increase in the quantity of matter. Matter is, in fact, created by the radiation of hi-photicity and the flow of hi-photicity is controlled by the Creator. Nobody can create or destroy even an atom. Without anybody's request, development takes place in the universes even in the shortest fraction of every second. This is planned, designed and implemented by the All Knowing Creator.
The Quran declares it clearly while talking about the divine policy of the distribution of provisions to all including human beings.
“And no moving creature is on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows the time and place of its definite abode and its temporary deposit. All is in a clear Record (the Book of Decrees, the energy reservoir)” (11:6)
“How many are the creatures that carry not their own provision. Allah provides for them and for you And He is the All-Hearer and the All-Knower” (29:60).
“O mankind! Remember the grace of Allah upon you. Is there any Creator other than Allah, to give you provision from heaven and earth? There is no God but He, How then are you turning away (from the truth)?” (35:3)
“Say: Who is it that sustains you (in life) from the sky and from the earth or who is it that has power over hearing and sight? And who is it that brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living and who is it that rules and regulates all affairs? They will soon say “God.” Say: Will you not then show piety (to Him)? Such is Allah, your real Cherisher and Sustainer. Apart from truth what (remains) but error? How then are you turned away?” (10:31-32)
The verses cited above give the message that whatever faculties and capacities a human being possesses to seek provisions or anything else of his requirements, all that he comes by is only endowed to him by God. The government of the whole creation and its maintenance and sustenance is in the hands of God. How futile then would it be to neglect the truth and to go after illusion such as somebody other than Allah? Can anybody other than Allah organize and manage everything with the sort of perfection it is being done now? We have already explained how Allah provides for everything and everybody through His process of creation. The distribution of provisions is carried out in a system based on the absolute wisdom of the Almighty.
“Do they not see that Allah enlarges the provision for whom He wills and restricts (it for whom He wills). Verily in that are indeed signs for a people who believe” (30:37)
“And if Allah were to enlarge the Provision for His servants, they would indeed transgress beyond all bounds through the earth. But He sends (it) down in due measure as He wills. Verily He is, in respect of His slaves, the well – Aware, the All-seer (of things that benefit them)” (42:27)
The Quran here makes it clear leaving no room for any confusion that provisions are send down by the Almighty God in due measure to whom He wills. He enlarges it to whom He wills and restricts it to whom He wills. But we have no knowledge about the secret of Allah’s Will. The believers know one thing when God says as He Wills it means as He thinks best because God is well-acquainted with His slaves, watchful and merciful to them. Whatever He does, He does considering life as a whole with both the stages, here and in the hereafter. In the Quranic point of view, life extends to the hereafter world also and is not just the life here alone. When we talk about development, the major issue is whether we have a materialistic view of the whole issue or do we have a holistic approach to life with both the worlds in mind. Thus the Quran says:
“Whosoever desires the tilth of the Hereafter, We give increase in his tilth and whosoever desires the tilth of this world, we grant somewhat thereof, but he has no share or lot in the Hereafter” (42:20).
Any concept of development that overlooks the idea of the hereafter life will not be acceptable to the Almighty Allah. But, as part of his strategy, He will grant provisions and opportunities to those who exclusively on that also. However, in the final evaluation they will fail as they have denied the truth of life. So the Quran advices the believers:
“And strain not your eyes in longing for the things we have given for enjoyment to various groups of them (disbelievers), the splendor of the life of this world, through which we test them. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting” (20:131).
“So let not their wealth or their children amaze you. In reality, God’s plan is to punish them with these things in the life of this world, and that their souls shall depart while they are disbelievers” (9:55).
Here the Quran further makes it clear that the distribution of provisions in this world is not based on anybody’s belief or disbelief. But it is purely according to and depending upon Allah’s plans and designs. Whatever anybody gets as a provision here is a test for him. Those who get good provisions and live with that overlooking the instructions of the Great Provider will, in the end, find the same provisions becoming a curse and punishment for them. While those believers who live according to the instructions of the Creator weather they get provisions enlarged or controlled will be blessed with satisfaction in this worldly life and, in the end, will be rewarded with the never- ending peaceful life in paradise in the hereafter world. This is in reward for their acceptance of the truth and patience over the decisions of their Lord in this world.
As explained before, any manifestation in the universe including human being is the creation of God, the sole owner of everything. If a human being rejects or neglects this ultimate truth using his freewill, which is also a gift of God to him, it only means that he is guided only by illusion and will not be able to find out the truth of life. Whenever such people get something or make any achievement, they might think that they have done so just because of their own merit. Such people will behave in such a way to satisfy their whims and fancies without caring in the least for the reality or the truth. That they will fail in their life here and in the hereafter is definite. The Quran delineates a very illustrative episode from history in this regard:
“Qarun was, doubtless, of the people of Moses; but he behaved arrogantly towards them: such were the treasures we had bestowed on him, that their very keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men: behold, his people said to him: “exult not, for God loves not those who exult (in riches). But seek with that (wealth) which God has bestowed on you, the home of the Hereafter, and forget not your portion of lawful enjoyment in this world; and do good as God has been good to you and seek not mischief in the land. Verily God likes not those who do mischief”. He said: “This has been given to me only because of the knowledge I possess”. Did he not know that God had destroyed, before him generations which were superior to him in strength and greater in the amount (of riches) they had collected? But the criminals will not be questioned of their sins (because God knows them well, so they will be punished without being called to account). So he went forth among his people in the (pride of his worldly) glitter, those who were desirous of the life of the world, said: “Ah! Would that we had the like of what Qarun has been given, verily he is the owner of a great fortune. But those who had been granted (True) knowledge said: “Alas! For you the reward of God (in the Hereafter) is best for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except those who are patiently following (the truth). Then We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place, then he had no group or party to help him against God, nor was he one of those who could save themselves. And those who had desired (for a position like) his position the day before, began to say: “Know you not that it is God who enlarges the provision or restricts it, to any of His slaves He wills, Had it not been that God was gracious to us, He could have caused the earth to sallow us up (also). Know you not that the disbelievers will never be successful. That home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or mischief on earth. And the End is (best) for the righteous” (28:76-83).
Qarun has been rightly identified with the Korah of the English Bible. God gave immense wealth to him. But he behaved impudently and neglected the advice of the good people. He argued that all his wealth had been given to him because of his great merits. Thus when Korah denied the truth, his illusory notions persuaded him to argue in that defiant manner. People with a materialistic outlook towards life wished to get similar to the blessings and the positions of Korah. But people with the right perspective towards life tried to correct them and advised them to be realistic. But as when Allah’s punishment came, Korah could do nothing but surrender to it helplessly. The majority of the people in the present world think the way Korah did in the past. Their outlook towards life is too materialistic. Whenever they gain something, they suppose that they have got it because of their skill and cleverness. But the truth, however, is very different. This we understood while we discussed the process of creation. They overestimate their own skills and abilities because of the rule of illusion over them. Unfortunately they do not understand this (43:36-37). They continue in this accursed state because of their disbelief in the reality of the life and the universe.
The Quran further points out that seeking forgiveness of the Almighty Allah and turning to Him in repentance is the key to bringing development in human life.
“And (commanding you); ‘Seek the forgiveness of your Lord and turn to Him in repentance that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace. But if you turned away, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day” (11:3).
“And O my people, Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him. He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away in sin.” (11:52)
“Thus I Said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord. He is Oft-forgiving. He will send rain to you in abundance; and give you increase in wealth and children and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers” (71:10)
Allah offers increase in wealth, children and other enjoyment to those who are seeking forgiveness and turn in repentance to Him. The question here is that how does seeking forgiveness and repentance bring any kind of development in human life? Herein lie some of the secrets of Allah’s rules and ways. What happens when we offer prayer? Like all other manifestations and incidents, prayer also is the combining and breaking process of energy. So prayer itself cannot bring development. After manifesting prayer, the energy radiates to the energy reservoir surrounded by the Supreme Light.
“…To Him mount up (all) the goodly words. It is He who exalts each deed of righteousness ...” (35:10)
“He manages and regulates (every) affair from the heaven to the earth. Then it (affair) will go up to Him….” (32:5)
Prayers are good words and deeds. Allah will exalt each one of the good words and deeds. For development, Allah has to send down energy in another form as the nature of prayer and development differ from each other. So prayer is a deal between the Creator and His creations. Allah instructed human beings to pray to Him.
“And your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (prayer). But those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation” (40:60)
The mental inclination for prayer is an innate and natural tendency not only in human beings but in all living and non living organisms also.
“Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise…” (24:41)
The acceptance of prayer depends upon the wisdom of the Creator. Whatever He does, He does only in accordance with His universal plan of life. That’s why, at certain times, we do not get responses for our prayers the way we expect. There is absolutely no need to be desperate over such situations and experiences. Allah has made it clear that He does only the best to His creatures. He knows and we do not know. It is the reality. Allah will be pleased with His slaves only when they believe in this reality.
“If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief of His slaves, and if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. In the end, to your Lord is your return and He will inform you what you used to do. Verily He is the All-knower of that which is in breasts (39:7).
Why does the Quran advise the human beings to seek forgiveness of Allah and turn in repentance to Him so repeatedly? It is the nature of human mind to forget the reality of life and to be attracted to the splendor of the worldly pleasures. Whenever they turn away form the remembrance of the Merciful Creator, the satanic delusions tempt them to find enjoyment in that. This makes him commit mistakes and get involved in sinful ways. Thus seeking forgiveness of Allah and turning in repentance to Him is extremely essential for maintaining the purity and sanctity of the true and genuine human nature. All developmental concepts that ignore the value of morality of monotheism are false and anti-natural. Such ideas originate from the delusions of the disbelieving minds. Those who try to implement programs and projects based on such concepts of development, even if they find success in their efforts to certain extend, they will surely meet with failure before long and their lives are doomed.
Hunger, poverty, disease, loss of wealth and lives; accidents and natural calamities etc. are inevitabilities of this worldly life in accordance with the plan of the Creator (2:155). He created all these phenomena as causes for creating sorrow in human mind. Sorrow generates pain. We are familiar with different kinds of pain. But nobody can fully explain it. One's pain is his personal experience. Others are unable to understand its magnitude, but can have some sort of sensation about it. Both these sensations are awareness happening though the process of creation. It will have different depths or levels according to the density and velocity variation of hi-photicity flow to both of them. Whatever may be the cause of an individual's experience, it is a purposeful creation destined for him alone. When we take an account of all sensations finally, we find that pain is the only one sensation very difficult to overcome. It is the nature given to it. The phenomenon of pain has been created in such a design that it functions as a sort of training for human being. Through pain the Creator makes us conscious of our helplessness in order to seek help from Him through prayer which keeps us very close to Him. This closeness to the Creator provides a human being with the sense of security and the power of creativity. So pain is a caution and a guard for the safety of human life. Comfort and joy may often lead one to hesitation. This is the positive approach of the believer towards pain and he knows that there will be a benefit in every deed of creation of the merciful Creator. But disbelievers, deniers and the suspicious persons will have a vehemently negative approach towards pain.
In the Quranic point of view, cause and effect are purposeful creations. No cause will create an effect even if we may feel or wish so. In certain cases we might find perfect causality while in many other cases we may not understand the real cause. Some secrets of creations have been hidden behind this. So we can't completely rely on causality to find out the ultimate truth. If we try to get more about what cause made an effect, we might find the presence of another cause for the immediate cause. This search will take us to the first and original cause. There we find that the Supreme Light is the greatest cause of all causes. Everything originates from this Cause. It is the nature of all the universes. The case of development also is the same. It functions in the same way. Nobody knows what will happen to him and to the world around him in the next moment. Whatever he possesses is not his own, he has only a temporary ownership on that. It is the reality. Those who neglect this reality and dwells in the illusion of their mind will surely meet with failure in the end. The way of the dealings of the Creator has not been disclosed to us in full. The more we try to understand, the more we realize that human knowledge is very limited. We understand only what the Creator permits us to understand. Human being has no knowledge about the ultimate purpose of life. But our life is a reality. Everybody wants to succeed in life. This is what human mind is naturally inspired with. The only way to understand the truth of life is to search for it through the available knowledge. Any sincere attempt to do so will take a person to the awareness of the existence of the only one Creator. Then human being has no other way except to believe in Him and submit to Him in prayers. Then He guides him as to what to do and how to manage with the available resources etc. Any attempt in life overlooking His overall control over things in every step will meet with failure eventually. The success in life is dependent on one’s awareness of or interest in understanding the truth correctly. Everything else will have been done or looked into by the Creator without fail. He is the unending or infinite source of Mercy. We are all in need of it. So let us get back to the origin sincerely and let the circuit be complete. In that state, life will flow satisfactorily in an undisturbed way. If anybody finds dissatisfaction in any matter, he must know that the original life circuit is not complete. Let those who understand this, try to explain it to others as part of his duty of faith.
Summary of the Theory
1) Psychophotics is concerned with describing the attributes of the Omnipresent Supreme Light and the behaviour of photo energy which constitutes the entire facts and objects of the universes. Here physics and psychology combine together as Psychophotics to explain the universe and life. Then Psychophotics becomes the translation of the universe and life. Finally everything comes to the understanding of human being. This understanding in other words could be called knowledge. Knowledge is the essence of any existence of the universe which is the main study area of Psycophotics. So all branches of sciences come under the purview of Psychophotics.
2) Knowledge is the ever-changing hiphotic transimage that the mind receives through the radiation of invisible hiphoticity from the great energy reservoir existing beyond the boundary of the universes. Knowledge exists in combination with matter. We can see its means and effects only. One's knowledge is his own personal experience which is finally controlled by the Supreme Light. Neither he nor any body else has any control on it. By receiving the radiation in the same density and velocity, people get an understanding of common images of ideas. Social awareness also has been created in this way. These images include right and wrong or truth and false (illusion) that depend upon the faith of individuals, groups, and societies.
3) Intelligence is the capacity constituted in the critical mind of human being by the radiation of hi-photicity form the energy reservoir to empower the individual for arresting all intentions and desires of his lower mind which exceed the limits of the morality of monotheism. The individual is not the owner of this ability. But it enables him to consider the ability as his own. So the individual is responsible for the success and failure of the utilization of his intelligence.
4) Life, mind and soul are various manifestations of energy bond powers combined with material body. All these (matter, mind life and soul) are formed from Hi-Photicity. Hi-Photicity originates from the ever exploding energy reservoir controlled by the Supreme Light. Finally the behavior pattern of everything in the universes is decided by the Supreme Light beyond the boundaries of the universes.
5) As the universes and everything that exists in them are the ever changing temporary manifestations of invisible hi-phoiticity combined by its radiation, Human being is an indivisible part of this flow. What he possesses in this wonderful display is only the consciousness or self awareness. If anybody loses it, he is fully lost and he doesn’t exist except for his body that might still be functioning. The only freedom of choice or free will he has been given is pertaining to whether he can believe in the truth of the nature, i.e. the existence of the only one Supreme Power as the God, Lord and Sustainer of everything or to reject the idea as a whole. This freewill is the capacity of intelligence. Nobody can escape from this. Whatever anybody gets here on the earth is subject perpetual changes. Nothing will exist in a permanent state. Everyone and everything will meet with death one day. When man realizes that his own life joins this flow, he will not be able to do anything except to experience it helplessly. It is the unchangeable nature destined for human being to undergo. Following death, he will be resurrected and will be brought before the Almighty Creator for the judgment regarding the use of his freewill (intelligence) and the Final verdict from the Almighty Lord will come based on his belief or rejection of the truth. That occasion, all disbelievers, hypocrites and doubters will meet with the painful and disastrous failure of their life and will have to face consequences thereof.
A. A. Vahab
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