Pick-Up 061: The Miracle (4)
Peace be upon you, dear friends,
I have no idea how long this series is going to be. This might be the last one…or there actually might be a couple more coming your way.
Here is the thing, I am not claiming in any way to be an expert of any sort on this subject. (I’m sure you know this already and I’m just stating the obvious here!) I am as I always say/write “just sharing things as I learn them”. There is of course knowledge that was acquired through years of reading and studying the book to a certain degree (as it wasn’t exhaustive nor would it ever be for anyone I believe. We’re on a continuous journey to discovering its miracles. Reading the book from cover to cover is very possible, in a few sessions even but in order to actually grasp all the wisdom and meaning it contains within it even a lifetime won’t be enough. Lifetimes were spent already in studying the Quran. Generations of scholars worked for centuries on extracting its jewels and continue to do so to this day.) And so yeh! I was saying there is some truth to the “as I learn them” given the fact that there are discoveries I encountered and became aware of only recently like the mind-blowing facts in this video [clickable link].
I think this series is important because it would, hopefully, allow you to understand where I’m coming from or at least get introduced to some facts about the book that we hold as holy and on which the faith of Islam is based.
The word “Islam” إسلام in Arabic is derived from the word استسلام which means to submit. Unlike Christianity, Judaism, or Buddhism named after a person (Christ, Judah, Buddha), Islam is a disposition. Our narrative is as follows: we believe that all creation is submitting to God willingly or unwillingly. God created the universe and its laws. Everything within this universe is dependent on the different laws of time/space, of biology/physics for example. The Quran states in chapter 3 verse 83:
“أَفَغَيْرَ دِينِ اللَّهِ يَبْغُونَ وَلَهُ أَسْلَمَ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ طَوْعًا وَكَرْهًا وَإِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُونَ”
'“Are they seeking a religion other than that of Allah1, and to Him whosoever is in the heavens and the earth has submitted willingly and unwillingly. To Him they shall be returned.”
In addition to that, we believe that this creation does praise God in ways we can’t comprehend. We find in chapter 17 verse 44:
تُسَبِّحُ لَهُ السَّماواتُ السَّبعُ وَالأَرضُ وَمَن فيهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن مِن شَيءٍ إِلّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمدِهِ وَلٰكِن لا تَفقَهونَ تَسبيحَهُم ۗ إِنَّهُ كانَ حَليمًا غَفورًا
“The seven heavens, the earth, and all those in them glorify Him. There is not a single thing that does not glorify His praises—but you ˹simply˺ cannot comprehend their glorification. He is indeed Most Forbearing, All-Forgiving.”
We also believe that all prophets and messengers (Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jesus, Mohamed…) peace and blessings be upon them all, were Muslims and they preached one message which is that of Islam; to believe and worship One God and not associate partners with Him, and by that they were the first amongst their nations to submit their will to their Creator. The Islam we have today as a religion is that same message in its complete and final legislative form.
Another side to this message can be seen as follows. It states not to blindly follow the religion of our parents and forefathers and by that make the same mistake of those ancient nations to whom prophets were sent to and have seen signs for the truthfulness of the message and yet disbelieved. The “just believe” discourse isn’t compelling anyway. The Quran continuously reminds us to ponder and think and reason.
For every sincere individual looking for the Truth whatever that might be, we believe it is highly recommended to first make a supplication, in any way the person deems appropriate, which consists of simply sincerely asking God for guidance. Even an atheist could state “Please God, if You’re there, guide me to the Truth”.
“And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."“ [40:60]
As I’ve stated in a previous post, I highly recommend checking the videos [clickable link] of Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan on YouTube who specializes in the miraculous linguistic side of the Quran…aaaand of course, it’s in English. I also recommend that you check the book that initiated this series “Structure and Qur'anic Interpretation: A Study of Symmetry and Coherence in Islam's Holy Text” by Ramond Farrin. And last but not least, read the Quran with an open heart. Ask for a copy from a mosque near you or an Islamic center or simply access it on your phone by downloading a free app.
Much LOVE.
▶️ The Sphere of YouTube
To get an idea about the precision by which this Book was preserved, take a look at this video. It is one of my favorites on the platform. It gets to me every time. Here is a link to understand the meaning it’s Surat Fatir Chapter 35 verses 1-14.
💭 This Week’s Quote
“God has the picture. We only have a pixel.”
― Hamza A. Tzortzis.
Thanks for Reading!
Thoughts and feedback on the newsletter or on anything covered within are always welcome, just hit reply. Hope you enjoyed this. As always, I appreciate you.
Stay curious and have a great week. 🤟
Meriem.
Photo by Mubereek
Allah in Arabic is linguistically related to the Hebrew words El (Elohim), Elah and the Aramaic word ܐܲܠܵܗܵܐ (ʼAlâhâ) for God.