Muslims & The Straight Path [Published 2010]
Part - 2-D
QTHE GTRAT SECRET
We have seen from Gita and Upanishads
till now that it is the self-imposed duty of the Manifest Self (Paramatma
or the Highest Spirit) to lead all creations towards worship of the Absolute
God. The Manifest Self framed rules and regulations for man to follow; the
Manifest Self sent Prophets and appointed messengers and when need be, the Devatas
came to take birth in human form (referred to as the ‘Rule of God’ by Jesus);
in short, the Manifest Self showed and lead the way to the worship of Absolute
God. We have also seen how the subject moves from First Person to Third Person
in Gita and Upanishads.
Let us try to find if the same
arrangement exists in Quran as well. If the same arrangement exists, where the
First Person doing the talking is showing the way to the worship of the Third
Person – the Absolute God – Muslims will have to believe that Gita and Quran
are from the same source and more importantly that a Manifest Self was created
by the Absolute God and from it emerged the Devatas and from them the
rest of creations.
Let us see the verse that we have
already mentioned earlier:
(This is) God’s Colouring
and who is better than God in Colouring; while Him (alone) do We worship.
See for yourself. God’s colouring is
being talked about and the one who is doing the talking in Quran in First
Person is talking of someone else in Third Person by the word ‘Him’, whom even
the Manifest Self worships.
It
is to be clarified that the presence of a Manifest Self or the enhanced role of
Ahlul-bayt in their Noor or Light state in managing the affairs
of this Creation should not be confused with the duality of the Creator. Quran
says that life and death is courtesy the Creator, who is One, but at the same
time, death is attributed to the angel of death and at another instance this
work has been attributed to the angels accompanying the angel of death. If the
angel is powerful enough to give death, this does not mean that the angel will
become God.
Fact is that the presence of Devatas (Noor) and the
Manifest Self only strengthens the Might of Absolute God. The might of a ruler
is seen by the might of his forces and their commanders. If angels are the
forces and the Devatas and all powerful Manifest Self are their
commanders, and they appear to be as powerful as God, so much so that a lot
many people confused them to be God, we can only guess the real might of the
Absolute God, who is Creator of such powerful commanders and foot soldiers. It
has been said time and again that our capabilities are insufficient to fathom
the true might of the UnManifest Absolute God. If there remains any doubt, the
Manifest Self itself is confirming that ‘We’ too worship that Absolute
All-Powerful, All-Pervading, UnManifest God.
A very interesting example is from
Chapter Al-Hajj (verse 16) that we have given earlier:
And thus have We sent it
down, as signs manifest, and that verily God guideth whomsoever He intendeth.
It is clear that one who sent the
Manifest Signs to earth is the Manifest
Self in First Person (see the word ‘We’) and this has been done because God in
Third Person intended so.
Wherever there is talk of sending of
signs, it has been given in First Person:
And verily We sent down
unto thee clear signs, but none disbelieveth in them but the perverse.
Or:
And when he cometh to know
any of Our signs he taketh it in jest; These shall have a disgracing
chastisement.
But the subject continues
to return to the God in Third Person, who is the ultimate aim of all worships.
Intend they that they put
out the Light of God with (the blow of) their mouths, and disdaineth God save
that He perfecteth His Light, though may detest it the infidels.
You are requested to read the entire
Quran to see how this shift from First Person to Third Person and back is
present all through. Absolute God in Third Person is being described as the
One, the Needless, the Lord of the Dawn, Lord of the people, King of the people
and God of the people. Surah Al-Falaq also gives a hint that He is also the
creator of evil. If evil or forces of zulmat (darkness) are the creation
of God (whose most manifest proof is Satan), there must be forces of good too
created by God (whose greatest champions are the forces of light or Noor;
the Devatas of the Upanishads, Vedas and Gita). We say this because
Quran has repeatedly talked about Noor (forces of light) and Zulmat
(forces of darkness) and all the commentators agree that Noor and
Zulmat are not the physical day and night.
Question arises is that if God is
being referred to in Third Person by words like 'He', 'His' and 'Him', then who
is doing the talking in Quran. Surely, Prophet Mohammad is not doing the
talking as he is referred to in Second Person by words like 'You', 'Your'. Is
this pattern not similar to what we saw in Gita?
Muslims believe Quran to be the
composition by God. If that is so, the God must talk about Him in First Person.
But that is not so. God (Allah) is being described as ‘He’ in Third Person.
Even that could be acceptable, considering that Quran was to be revealed on
Mohammad and when recited by Mohammad and the rest of humanity, God becomes an
entity in Third Person. But what logic will you give to explain the fact that
the verses of Quran sometimes speak of God in Third Person and at other times
talk of the creator in First Person with sentences like ‘We sent the
messengers’, ‘We created Adam’ and so on. As you read, you will find that there
is a definite pattern behind usage of Third Person and First Person, something
that the commentators have not been able to understand till date.
Can there be error in the work of
God? Surely, no! Can God be blamed for forgetfulness? Surely, no! You cannot
say that owing to the fact that there are several thousand verses God forgot
that He talked in Third Person in the earlier verse and used First Person at
another instance. As you proceed with reading, you will find that there are
cases where First Person and Third Person have been used in one sentence alone.
For instance, verses like ‘We created you so that you worship Him (Allah)’ and
many other similar verses are there which prove our logic that the Manifest
Self created Adam and the rest of beings and also framed the rules of the
Straight Path, sent Messengers and revealed books like Quran and others, so
that greater number of people come to the worship of God. Naturally, the forces
of zulmat, also creation of God, are constantly working to lead mankind
away from the worship of God, as has been said in Quran itself in the dialogue
between Satan and God, and the role of the Manifest Self is to show the way to
obedience and worship. Cognizing this relationship between man and his self
with the Manifest Self and further the relationship of Manifest Self with the
Absolute God and then acting in right earnest, refraining from wrong, elevates
a person to an extent that his self becomes one with the Manifest Self. That
level of spirituality is salvation or moksha or nijaat.
The most interesting
example which in most clear words describes the true relationship of the
Manifest Self, which sent the Prophets and was responsible for revelation of
Quran, is present in Chapter Az-Zukhruf (Ornaments of Gold), which clearly
state that even those who have revealed the Quran and are calling themselves as
‘We’ will have to return to their God and hence it is wrong to assign a
partnership of these ‘We’ with God as they are just the servants. See for
yourself (verse 3 onwards):
Verily, We have made it an
Arabic Quran that ye may understand.
And verily it is in the
Mother-Book (which is) with Us, Most Exalted (it is), full of Wisdom.
What! Shall We then turn
away from you the Reminder wholly for ye are a person extravagant?
And how many did We send of
Our prophets among those gone before.
And there came not unto
them a prophet but at him they used to mock.
Then We did destroy those
mightier than these in strength, and hath gone (such) examples among those gone
before.
And if thou shouldst ask
them: “Who created the heaven and the earth?” Certainly would they say:
“Created them the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing,
He Who made for you the
earth (as) a cradle and hath made therein ways for you that ye might be guided
aright.
And He Who sendeth down
water from the heavens in a measure; then raise We with it a county which is
dead (dried), even so shall ye be brought forth (from your graves on the Day of
Resurrection).
And He who created pairs in
all things and made for you of the ships and the cattle that ye may ride on,
That ye may mount on their backs, then remember ye the bounty of your Lord, and
when ye mount on it and say ye: Hallowed is He Who subjected this unto us, and
we (by ourselves) were not able to attain this,”
And verily We, unto our Lord,
shall return,
And (yet) they assign unto
(some) of His servants a partnership with Him; Verily man is an open ingrate!
It has been clearly said that the
Manifest Self too has to return to its Lord and it is wrong to assign any
partnership of the Manifest Self with God and those who are doing so are on the
wrong. In fact, the Manifest Self has called itself the servant of God. Just
ponder, where do we stand?
Those
expert on Quran say that the shift from First Person to Third Person is purely
to enhance emphasis and give few examples from then Arabic language to show
that similar pattern had been followed by a few poets of Arabic as well. We
have several reasons to contradict this view.
It is possible that Satan, who has always weaved a web
so as to distract the human beings from the Straight Path might have influenced
a few poets to write poetry in similar pattern so as to confuse the later day
commentators of Quran. But how will you explain the fact that the pattern
followed by Quran in Arabic is exactly the same as the pattern followed by Gita
in Sanskrit. Or for that matter, how will you explain when the First Person
‘We’ talks of worshipping God in Third Person. Even in the aforementioned
verses, the Manifest Self describes its role in the creation claiming that ‘we’
sent the prophets, ‘we’ destroyed the mighty, while ‘He’ sent down the water in
the form of rain ‘we’ raised a county and after saying all this clarifies that
“Verily We, unto our Lord, shall return,” and goes on to say that despite this
some people assign partnership of ‘His servants’ with him. Then, such men are
ridiculed by the line, “Verily man is an open ingrate!” We ask the commentators
who claim that shift from ‘We’ to ‘He’ has been done merely to enhance emphasis
how will they explain when God says that He is the servant of God or when God
says that He has to return to God. After all, they claim that the usage of ‘We’
is for God only!
Despite such vivid examples telling
the exact relationship of God and the Manifest Self, we fail to understand how
all the ‘experts’ on Quran till date have not unearthed the ‘secret’. The only
reason that comes to mind is that Satan has said clearly that he would sit on
the Straight Path and divert pursuers of truth from this path. Each time
scholars sat to understand the Quran, their understanding and reasoning
capabilities were misguided from true path by Satan.
Forces of zulmat too are
creation of Manifest Self, as are the forces of Noor or guidance. These
two forces are constantly at work and are directly related to our self within
our body.
Verse 32 still confirms that the
Manifest Self enjoys a very high position:
What! Do they distribute
the mercy of Thy Lord? (It is) We Who did distribute among them (even) their
livelihood in the life of this world, and We did raise some of them above the
others in rank, so that some of them may take the others in subjection; and the
mercy of thy Lord is better than whatever they hoard.
It is clearly said that ‘We’
distribute the mercy of ‘Thy Lord’. Unfortunately, we couldn’t understand till
now!
Verse 33-35 say:
And were it not that all
people had been of one (evil) way of life, We would certainly have provided
those who disbelieve in the Beneficent God, (To make) for their houses, roofs
of silver and the stairs on which they ascend,
And the doors of their
houses, and the couches on which they recline,
And ornaments of gold; But
all these are only the provisions of the life of this world;
And the hereafter unto thy
Lord is for the pious ones.
And verse 36 says:
And whosoever is blinded
against the remembrance of the Beneficent (God), for him We appoint a satan and
he shall be his close companion.
Manifest Self is even powerful over
Satan; this gives credence to our belief that even Satan has been created by
the Manifest Self for a particular purpose. If there would have been no Satan,
there would have been no Straight Path and no test for us all. Noor (or Devatas)
and Satan are torchbearers of two opposite paths, both created by the Manifest
Self.
Now see verse 37 onwards:
And verily (the satans)
turn them away from the (right) path, and deem they that they are guided
aright.
Until when cometh he unto Us, he would say: “(O’ Satan!) would that between me
and thee there were the distance of two Easts!” (What) an evil companion is
(Satan)
And never shall it profit
you on this day, since ye did injustice, that ye be partners in the
chastisement.
What! Canst thou then make the deaf hear or guide the blind and him who is
manifestly astray?
Even if We take thee away
then verily shall We exact retribution from them,
Or We shall show thee that
which We have promised them for verily We are over them (fully) Powerful.
Therefore, hold thou fast what hath been revealed unto thee, Verily, thou art
on the Right Path.
Verse 45 is even clearer:
And ask thou those of Our
apostles We sent before thee: Did We appoint besides the Beneficent God any
gods to be worshipped?
Can there be a better example? Why
couldn't we understand till now? Manifest Self sent the prophets and makes it
clear that it didn’t appoint any other god but the Beneficent God to be
worshipped. But people got astray and handed over their self to the forces of
Darkness.
It is clear that if a human
being should strive for self-building he must build his human-self (and align
it with the forces of light or Noor) and not his animal or physical-self
(forces of darkness or zulmat). The aims of prophets had been to
strengthen the human beings in their endeavors for perfecting their human
selves. The Prophet said to the human beings:
Don’t forget that your self is your human-self; in case you
sacrificed your human-self for the sake of whims and passions of your
animal-self; you will inflict upon yourself a terrible loss.
Commander of the Faithful Ali
said:
Self is like a precious jewel, whoever strives for his protection,
he will help him attaining exalted positions, and whoever acted negligently in
his protection he shall pull him towards humiliation.
Gharar al-Hukm, p-226
And said:
Whoever knows the worth of his self, will never allow himself to
be indulging into passing worldly amusements and shameful deeds.
Gharar al-Hukm, p-669
And said:
Whoever discovers the nobility of self shall guard him against
lowness of passions and false desires.
Gharar al-Hukm, p-710
How unfortunate and losers are
those who have sacrificed their heavenly-self, prosperity, and human perfection
for the sake of passions and desires of their animal existence? They have
exchanged their human self with their animalistic pleasures.
The Commander of the Faithful
Ali has said:
This world is not a place of permanent settlement, it is passage,
a road on which you are passing. There are two kinds of people here: those who
have sold their souls for eternal damnation, the other type are those who have
purchased their souls and freed them from damnation.
Nahjul Balaghah, SMA
Jafri p-543 [Tr]
At another place he said:
Whoever becomes involved into world’s allurements, thus giving up
his gains from his immortal life in the Next World – has indeed been cheated.
Gharar al-Hukm, vol.
I, p-88
And said:
Whoever succeeds in recognizing his self – his affairs will be
improved.
Gharar al-Hukm, p-628
If
you see, Quran and traditions of Prophet Mohammad and Ali are saying exactly
what Gita and Upanishads are saying in regard to the self and the two paths
that it can choose; that is, to get aligned with the forces of Noor or with the
forces of darkness.
Let us now return to our study of
Quran once again. As you see more examples, you will find that there is a
definite pattern in Quran as regards to the use of First Person and Third
Person.
Even Chapter Ad-Dukhan (The Smoke)
propagates the same relationship. Verse 3 onwards says:
Verily We sent it down on a
Blessed Night – verily We have ever been warning –
Therein are made distinct
all wise affairs,
(Becoming) a command from
unto Us;
Verily, We are the senders
(of mercy and peace).
A mercy from Thy Lord;
Verily, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
The Lord of the heavens and
the earth and whatever is between them two, if ye be sure in faith.
There is no god but He; He giveth life and causeth death; your Lord and the
Lord of your fathers of yore.
Al-Jasiyah (The Kneeling) even
confirms that those meant by ‘We’ were merely reciting the signs of God
(referred to in Third Person as ‘He’) and that these ‘signs’ have been there
both in the heaven and on earth. See verse 3 onwards:
Verily in the heavens and
the earth are Signs for the believers.
And in your (own) creation,
and what He scattered in the earth, of the animals, are signs for a people sure
in faith,
And in the alteration of
the night and the day, and what God sendeth down from heaven, of the
sustenance, and (in His) giving life thereby to the earth after its death, and
(in) the changing of the winds, are signs for a people who understand.
These are the signs of God
recite We unto thee with truth. Then in what (other) argument after (rejecting)
God and His signs, would they believe.
Surah Al-Bayyinah (The Clear
Evidence) refers to the God in Third Person and even says that there will be a
time when Clear Evidence will come and the divisions among the people who were
given the Book will disappear; and then those who will disbelieve will be
destined for a great punishment.
Those who disbelieved from
among the people of the Book and the polytheists could not have separated
themselves (from the falsehood) until came unto them the Clear Evidence,
(In the) Apostle from God
reciting (unto them) the Purified Scripture,
Wherein are the decrees
(correct and) strong.
Nor were divided those who were
given the Book but after had come unto them the Clear Evidence.
Yet was not enjoined on
them but that they should worship God (alone) in perfect sincerity, in religion
(only) unto Him (Allah), and that they give away the poor-rate, and that, is
the religion (correct and) strong.
Verily those who disbelieve from among the people of the Book and the
polytheists shall be in the fire of hell, to abide therein. And it is they who
are the worst of creatures.
Verily, those who believe
and do good deeds, it is they who are the best of creatures.
Their recompense unto their
Lord shall be gardens everlasting, ‘neath which flow rivers, to abide therein
for ever. Well pleased is God with them and they are well-pleased with Him;
That is for him who feareth his Lord.
See how God (Allah) is being talked
about in Third Person. ‘Unto Him’ one should focus worship; God (Allah in Third
Person) is pleased with such people and so on.
Now see Al-Qadr (the Grandeur)
In the name of God the
Beneficent the Merciful
Verily, We sent it (The
Quran) down in the Night of ‘Qadr’!
What can make thee know
what the Night of ‘Qadr’ is?
The Night of ‘Qadr’ is
better than a thousand month!
The Angels and the Spirit
descend therein by the permission of their Lord, with (decrees) of all affairs
Peace is (the whole Night)!
Till the breaking of the dawn!
‘We’ and not ‘He’ sent the Quran so
that people turn towards worship of ‘Him’ – the Allah. ‘We’ is the Manifest
Self of God, creation of highest level of none else but God, one that is the
creator of rest of creation including the human beings.
Those who believe that by 'spirit'
angel Gabriel is meant are on the wrong. This is firstly because angels have
been collectively described already and there is separate mention of the Spirit
descending on earth, by the permission of God. Moreover, there is a tradition
related to Imam Ali in Bihar-al-Anwar, in which Ali has categorically stated
that Gabriel is not meant when spirit has been talked about.
A very interesting example is Al-Alaq
(The Clot) which refers to the God in Third Person all through but when talking
of the disobedient, it says ‘We shall surely drag him by the forelock’, thereby
confirming that the Manifest Self will give punishment to those who do not
worship the Absolute God.
In the name of God the
Beneficent the Merciful
Read thou! (O’ Our Apostle
Mohammad!) In the name of thy Lord [Third Person] Who created (Every thing in
the Universe)
He [Third Person] created
man from a clot!
Recite (Thou O’ Our Apostle
Mohammad!) And thy Lord [Third Person] is the Most Honourable!
(He) Who [Third Person]
taught (to write) with the Pen,
(He) taught man what he
knew not!
Nay! Verily man is wont to
rebel!
As he deemeth himself
needless!
Verily unto thy Lord
(alone) [Third Person] is the return!
Hast thou seen the man who
forbiddeth?
A servant when he prayeth?
Hast thou seen if he were
rightly guided?
Or enjoined piety?
Hast thou seen if he
belieth the Truth and turneth (his) back?
Knowest he not that God
[Third Person] seeth?
Nay! (let him beware!) if
he desisteth not, We [First Person] shall surely drag him by the forelock!
Isn’t it clear? ‘He’ is the Lord and
if you belie the Truth ‘We’ will drag you by the forelock. The message is clear
and visible!
Another clear example is At-Tin (The
Fig), where ‘We’ created the man and ‘God (Allah)’ in Third Person is the judge
of all – even the judges. There is an Upanishad which says that the Manifest
Self further created more beings because it wanted that there should be greater
number of people worshiping the Lord of the Manifest Self – the Absolute God.
In the name of God the
Beneficent the Merciful
By the Fig and the Olive!
By the
And by this City (declared)
Inviolate!
Indeed We [First Person]
created man in the best structure.
Then We [First Person]
reverted him to the lowest of the low,
Save those who believe and
do good deeds, for them shall be a recompense incessant.
(O’ man!) What then can
make thee belie after this the Final Judgment?
What! Is not God [Third
Person] the Judge of the judges?
God is said to be the Judge of the
judges. And the talk is of Final Judgment. Is it not clear that judges on the
day of Final Judgment will be certain beings other than God and God is the
judge of those judges? No doubt, the Manifest Self will be the judge and God
the judge of Manifest Self.
Upanishads have said clearly that the
creation proceeded from the Manifest Self and the God became the Creator of all
because He is the creator of the Manifest Self itself. It is the Manifest Self
who created man in the best structure but reverted those to the lowest of the
low who belied and did wrong deeds. It is the Manifest Self which will give the
final verdict on the Day of Judgment.
We can go on citing this change from
First Person to Third Person and vice versa Surah (Chapter) after Surah
(Chapter) in the Quran. What’s more, at all times the worship is upheld of God
in Third Person where as wherever sending the Messengers, giving the punishment
or similar things are mentioned, First Person is used. Yes, there are times
when creation is talked about in First Person at one place and in Third Person
on other occasions. We have already given the reason for this and only one
example will suffice our point. At a place in Quran, even the present
commentators, who were never able to understand what is being talked about,
translate a verse as ‘No doubt, we too give birth and death’. If it was the God
who was doing the talking then why use the word ‘too’?
Let us see whether the same pattern
exists in longer surahs of Quran as well. We begin with Surah Al-Hajj (The
Pilgrimage). The Surah begins with referring to God in Third Person by saying:
O’ ye People! Fear ye your
Lord! Verily, the quake of the Hour (of Doom) is a thing tremendous!
But in the fifth verse itself, First
Person is used when it is said:
O’ people! If ye be in
doubt about (your) rising again (resurrection), then (reflect ye that) verily
We created you from dust, then from sperm, then from a clot, then from a lump
of flesh, formed and (sometimes) part unformed that we may manifest (our power)
unto you, and We cause to stay in the womb what We will until an appointed
term, then We bring ye forth as babes, then (foster you) that ye reach your
maturity; and of you is he who is caused to die, and of you is he who is brought
back to the feeblesh (state of) old age that he knoweth not aught after knowing
(much), and ye behold the earth dried, dead, but when send We down on it water,
it is stirred (to life) and swelleth up and produceth every kind of attractive
herbage (in pairs).
And in the next verse itself (verse
6), God is again mentioned in Third Person, when it is said:
This is because Verily God,
He is the Reality, and because verily He giveth life unto the dead, and because
verily He, over all things hath power.
Verse 7 and 8 talks of God in Third
Person but verse 9 again talks in First Person:
7:
And that the Hour (of
Resurrection) is coming there is no doubt therein and that God will raise up
those in the graves
8:
And among the people there is he who
disputeth about God without knowledge and without any guidance and without any
enlightening book,
Verse 9 is even more important as it
refers to God in Third Person and also talks of ‘We’ in First Person:
Turn away haughtily that he
may beguile (others) from the way of God; For him in this world is disgrace and
We shall make him taste on the Day of Judgment the punishment of the burning
(Hell fire).
And subject returns to God in Third
Person in verse 10:
(And unto him will be
said): “This is for what sent before thy two hands, and that (verily) God is
not unjust to His servants.
Likewise see verses 14 and 16:
14:
Verily God will admit those
who believe and do good deeds, into gardens ‘neath which flow rivers; Verily
God doeth what He intendeth.
16:
And thus have We sent it
down, as signs manifest, and that verily God guideth whomsoever He intendeth.
Here too, First Person and Third
Person have been used in the same verse. Manifest Self sends down manifest
signs on earth for guidance of mankind. They may be in form of book or revered
men.
Also see verses 23 to 26 which start
with talking about God in Third Person and when the subject comes of sending
Prophets or guiding them or making of the Mosque on earth, First Person is
used.
23:
Verily, God will admit those who believe
and do good deeds, into gardens ‘neath which flow rivers, adorned shall they be
therein with bracelets of gold and with pearls; and their raiment therein shall
be of silk.
24:
For they (in this life) are
guided unto goodly words, and they are guided unto the path of the Praised One
[Third Person].
25:
Verily, those who disbelieve and
obstruct (people) from the way of God and from the Sacred Mosque
(Masjidil-Haram) which We have made alike; for the dweller therein as well as
the stranger; and whoever doth intend to wrong therein unjustly, We will make
him taste of a grievous chastisement.
26:
And (remember O; Our
Apostle Mohammad!) when We fixed for Abraham the place for the House, (saying):
“Associate thou not with Me aught, and cleanse My House for those who make the
circuits and stand in prayer, and bow and prostrate themselves (unto Me)
And verse 31 clearly states that God
is One and nothing should be associated with Him:
Being upright for God, not
associating (anything) with Him; whosoever associateth with God, is like that
which hath fallen from heaven and (a vulture) bird snatched it away or the wind
wafted it to a distant abyss.
See how the subject was of
associating anything with God; therefore, it was but necessary that the true
position of the Signs of God is clarified. Verse 32 clarifies that signs are to
be respected while God has to be worshipped. It is nearly the same thing that
That (shall be so); And
whoever respecteth the signs of God verily it is (the reflection) of the piety
of the hearts.
When talking of formulating the
rituals, First Person is used thereby suggesting that the rituals have been
formulated by the Manifest Self so that mankind comes to the worship of God (in
Third Person). See verse 34 and 35, which vividly describe this through the
repeated change in Person:
Unto every people We have
prescribed a rite (or devotion) that they may mention the name of God on what
He hath provided them of the cattle quadrupeds, (as their sustenance) so your
God is One God, so unto Him submit ye (all) yourselves; and thou (O’ Our
Apostle Mohammad!) give glad tidings unto the humble ones,
Who, when God is mentioned,
get thrilled their hearts (with awe for His Glory); and the steadfast on what
befalleth them, and the establishers of prayer and of what We have provided
them with they spend (benevolently).
Is it not clear again? We provided
you with things that you need so that you bow down to the glory of God.
Likewise, verse 36 says that ‘We’ - the Manifest Self - made various things as signs of ‘God’.
And the camels We have made
them for you among the signs of God, for you in them is good; so mention the
name of God on them (when they are drawn) in rows (to be sacrificed); and when
fall they down (sacrificed), on their sides, eat of them and feed the contented
(poor ones) and the beggar; thus have We subjugated them unto you that happily
ye may give thanks.
Hope you are noting the change from
First Person to Third Person and vice versa. See verse 41:
Those, if We establish them
in the earth, will establish prayer and pay the poor-rate and enjoin good and
forbid evil; and unto God (alone) is the sequel of (all) affairs.
Messengers were sent by the Manifest
Self and also wrath sent by it. See verse 42:
And if they belie thee (O’ Our
Apostle Mohammad) then indeed have belied before thee the people of Noah and
‘Ad and Thamood (the prophets sent unto them),
And 45:
So how many of towns We did
destroy while they were unjust, and (their walls) have fallen down over their
roofs, and (how many a) well abandoned and (even) lofty castles (ruined).
And see verse 51, where it is clearly
said that the punishment will be given by the Manifest Self for disobeying it,
in regard to commands related to the worship of the Absolute God:
And those who strive to invalidate
Our signs they shall be the inmates of the flaming (Hell) fire.
Verse 52 too clearly tells shows the
role of Manifest Self and God:
And We sent not before thee
(O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!) any apostle or prophet, but when he recited (the message)
the Satan did cast his recitation (to create error); But annulleth God that
which the Satan casteth, then God doth establish His signs; And verily God is
All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Is it not a clear example? Manifest
Self had sent all the apostles or prophets prior to Mohammad but Satan
misguided humanity time and again. God is the creator of Satan as well and
therefore He has the power to put an end to the mischief of Satan and allow the
truth to prevail regarding God’s own signs (that includes the Manifest Self).
Now see how the subject returns from
Third Person to First Person when talking of prescribing the religious rites
and then returns to Third Person.
66:
And He it is who hath
brought you to life (for the first time), then He will cause you to die, then
bring you to life (again); Verily man is ungrateful.
The process of rebirth is being
talked about. Muslims are of the opinion that bringing to life again is
reference to the Day of Judgment. However, the very next verse (no. 67) talks
of ‘unto every people’ thereby confirming that during all the births at all
times, the rites of devotion were framed by none but the Manifest Self:
Unto every people have We
prescribed the rites of devotion which they observe, so they should dispute not
with thee about the affair, and call thou unto thy Lord; Verily, thou art on
the Right way.
68:
And if they dispute with
thee, say thou: “God knoweth best what ye do.
Let us see another Chapter
(Ash-Shuara). Verse 4 says:
If We will, We can send
down upon them from the heaven a sign that their necks get bent unto it.
And the very next verses (5 to 9)
talk of God in Third Person. Even here when there is talk of the bounties that
grow on earth, 'We' in First Person has been used. Note the repeated shift from
First Person to Third and back to First:
And there cometh not unto
them of a reminder from the Beneficent (God) [Third Person] afresh, save they,
from it, turn aside.
And indeed they belied it:
but soon shall come unto them the tidings of what they mock (at).
What! See they not unto the
earth, how many of every noble kind We [First Person] have caused to grow in
it?
Verily in that there is a
sign; but most of them believe not.
Verily thy Lord, [Third
Person], certainly is He [Third Person] the Al-Mighty, the All-Merciful.
The fact that revelations to Prophets
were given by the Manifest Self is said in verse 52:
And revealed We unto Moses
(saying): “Go thou forth with My servants by night, for verily ye will be
pursued.
And even punishment is given by the
Manifest Self. See verse 57-59:
So We turned them out of
the gardens and the springs
And treasures and goodly
dwelling,
Thus (did We punish them)
and We made the children of
Now see 63-68:
Then revealed We unto Moses
saying: “Strike thou the sea with thy staff”; then it clave asunder and each
part (of the water stood) like a huge mountain.
Then We drew near the
others
And saved We Moses and
those with him all of them.
Then We drowned the others.
Verily in this is a sure
sign; but most of them believe not.
And verily thy Lord,
certainly He [Third Person] is the All-Mighty, the All-Merciful.
How the Manifest Self has at all
times remained engaged in leading us to the worship of God is apparent in the
aforementioned example.
Even Noah was made the Prophet by
this Manifest Self so as to restore people to the worship of the Absolute God.
Verse 119-122 talk of this but towards the end the subject once again returns
to God in Third Person:
So We delivered him (Noah)
and those with him in the laden
Then drowned We the rest
afterwards.
Verily in this is a sign;
but most of them believe not.
Verily thy Lord, certainly
He is the All-Mighty, the All-Merciful.
Even Hud was the Prophet from the
same source that is doing the talking in Quran and the end of these lines
return to God in Third Person. Verse 138-140 say:
And We are not those who
would be punished
So they belied him (Hud),
then We destroyed them; Verily in this is a sign; but most of them believe not.
And verily thy Lord,
certainly He is the All-Mighty, the All-Merciful.
Deliverance to
So, We did deliver him (
172:
Then We destroyed the
others.
173:
And We showered down, upon
them, and evil was the rain on those (who were) warned (but heeded not).
174:
Verily in this is a sign,
but most of them believe not.
175:
And verily thy Lord, certainly He is
the All-Mighty, the All-Merciful.
If you recall,
Even Spirit was sent down by the
Manifest Self. Verse 198-202 say:
And if We had sent it (the
spirit) down unto any of the outlanders,
(And) then had he recited
it unto them, they would have believed not in it.
Thus We caused it passing
into the hearts of the guilty (ones).
They will believe not in it
till they see the grievous chastisement,
And it shall come upon them
of a sudden, while they perceive not,
That none of the
chastisement and punishment given by Manifest Self was without reason is given
in 208-213. It is also clarified that the Manifest Self is never unjust.
Manifest Self will definitely chastise those people who associate others with
God:
We destroyed not any town
but it had its warners,
To Remind (them); and never
are We unjust.
And came not with it, the
devils,
It behoveth them not, nor
they can do it.
Verily they, (even) from
hearing it, are far removed.
So call thou not with God
another god, lest thou be of the chastised ones.
The Manifest Self, doing the talking
with 'We' is furious at people who identify others with 'God'. It says it was
not unjust when it gave punishments but ‘We’ were left with no choice when they
started associating others with God.
The word Devata is derived
from root word deepan meaning 'illuminator'. Noor too means the
same. There is a Chapter in the Quran by the name An-Noor (The Light). It
begins with the book being sent down by the Manifest Self. Verse 1 says:
(This) ‘Sura which WE have
sent down, and which We have ordained; and We have sent down therein clear
signs, that ye may take heed.
Verse 10 of this Chapter is very
important as the subject returns to God in Third Person and says that the
Manifest Self (‘We’) would have ruined the beings for not obeying to its
command regarding the worship of God and if this didn't happen, it is because
of God's grace and mercy:
And had it not been God’s grace upon
you and His mercy – and that God is Oft-Returning, All-Wise (ye had been ruined
indeed).
And verse 34 says that admonitions to
the pious ones as well as descriptive signs are sent for our own betterment:
And indeed sent We down
unto you signs descriptive and an instance from those who have passed away
before you, and an admonition unto the pious ones.
And verse 42 returns to God:
God’s is the kingdom of the heavens
and the earth, and unto God is the ultimate return.
And see verse 46 as proof of our
claim, which talks of both First Person and Third Person and even confirms that
the signs of God will come down from the heavens:
Indeed We have sent down
signs explanatory; and God guideth whomsoever He willeth unto the right way.
Gita says that to an extent the
Manifest Self too can be worshipped but cites the worship of the Absolute as
the best of worships. The same is said in verse 55:
God hath promised unto
those of you who believe and do good deeds that He will certainly appoint them
successors in the earth as He appointed successors those before them, and that
certainly He shall establish for them their religion which He hath chosen for
them, and that certainly He will, after their fear, in exchange give them
security; They shall worship Me; and associating not with Me aught (anything);
and whosoever disbelieveth after this, these! They are the wicked ones.
And the chapter ends with talking of
God’s kingdom, telling to those who worship the Manifest Self in clear words
that everything belongs to God. See verse 64:
Beware! Verily God’s is
whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth; Knoweth He indeed your state; and
on the day on which they are returned unto Him, then He will inform them of
what they did; and God of everything is well aware.
These are the words of the Manifest
Self, which revealed the Quran.
Before we sign off on this chapter,
let us see a few more examples to further understand the real role of Absolute
God and the Manifest Self.
The very first lines of Surah
Al-Baqarah (The Cow) tell that the book is meant to serve as a guide for all
and clarifies that ‘We’ the Manifest Self has revealed it.
This is the Book, there is
no doubt in it, (it is) a guidance for the pious, (ones)
Who believe in the unseen
and establish the prayers and of what We have provided them with, they give (in
the way of their Lord),
And who believe in that
which hath been sent down unto thee (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad) and that which
hath been sent down (unto the other apostles) before thee, and of the hereafter
they are sure
These are the ones on the
guidance from their Lord, and these are the ones who shall be the successful
ones.
Verily (as for) those who
disbelieve, alike is it for them, thou warneth them or warneth them not; (for)
they will not believe.
God hath sealed up their
hearts and their hearing and upon their sight is a covering; and for them is a
great chastisement.
See how subject starts with ‘We’ the
First Person and talks of Lord and God in Third Person.
Now see who else but the Manifest
Self is asking all mankind to worship the God in verse 21 onward:
O Mankind! Worship ye
(only) your Lord [Third Person], Who created you those before you, happily ye
may guard (yourselves against evil),
Who made the earth a bed
(resting place) for you and the sky a structure and causeth water to descend
from heaven and thereby produceth fruits for your sustenance; set ye not
therefore equals to God [Third Person] while ye already know
If ye be in doubt about
what We [First Person] have sent down unto Our [First Person] Servant
(Mohammad) produce ye then a surah (chapter) like unto it and call ye your
witnesses other than God [Third Person], if ye be truthful.
If just words like ‘God’ had been
used in Third Person, you could have said that it is the God who is talking
about Himself and using the word ‘God’ but what logic will you give when words
like ‘He’ are used.
In creation of Adam though, Manifest Self is clearly stating the conversation
of God with Adam, thereby confirming that God is not just a mute spectator in
seeing Manifest Self do its job. You have seen earlier that it was said that 'He'
will be the judge of the judges on the Day of Judgment. See verse 30 onwards:
(Recollect O’ Our Apostle
Mohammad) When said thy Lord unto the angels: ‘Verily I (intend to) appoint a
vicegerent in the earth’ they said, “Wilt Thou (O’ our Lord!) appoint therein
one who will cause mischief and shed blood, while we celebrate by Thy praise
and hallow Thee alone?” Said (the Lord to the angels) “Verily,I know what ye
know not.”
And He taught Adam the
Names, all of them, and then set them unto the angels and said, “Declare ye
unto Me the names of these if ye be truthful.”
They said: “Glory be to
Thee (O’ Lord!) we have no knowledge save what Thou hast taught us; Verily,
Thou, Thou (alone) art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”
Said He “O’ Adam! Inform
thou unto them their names,” and when he had informed unto them their name;
Said (the Lord): “Said I
not unto you that verily, I know the secrets of the heavens and the earth and
know that which ye declare and that which ye conceal?”
These verses are very important. God
said to the angels that if they are truthful then recount the names. The angels
were not able to recount the names, thus proving that they were not truthful to
the level of perfection. This proves that the level of Ahlul-bayt, who
have been identified as truthful and pure, enjoy a far greater position that
the angels. More so, when Satan refused to bow in front of Adam, God
said: ‘Have you become of the Aalin?’ (meaning ‘the great ones’). Who
were these ‘great ones’ prior to the creation of Adam?
At another instance, God asked all of
us in Quran to ‘be with the Truthful ones’. If angels are not truthful, who are
those who are truthful? This open question is also for those Muslims who say
that it is the angels who are meant when ‘Noor’ is being talked about. Not only
are they ignoring the various sayings of Prophet Mohammad calling himself as
first of the Noor, but also refuting God’s verdict in the sense that
even Adam was proved to be more truthful than the angels, lest alone Prophet
Mohammad.
Did you understand what is being
revealed? Fact is that the word of God has been altered and misinterpreted
deliberately in the past and Quran is witness to it. Today, we have ceased to
use our brains to sieve out truth from falsehood. See verse 75:
Do ye (O’ believers in God)
then hope, that they will believe in you? While a party of them used to hear
the word of God and then (knowingly) altered it after they had understood it
and they know (This).
These indeed are the ‘Kafirs’.
Even the books that were given to
Moses and Jesus were from the Manifest Self. See verse 87, which confirms that
all the Messengers were from the same source:
And most certainly We gave
Moses the scripture and We caused him to be succeeded with apostles; We gave
Jesus, the son of Mary, clear evidences and aided him with the Holy Spirit.
What! (and yet) whenever (thereafter) an apostle came unto you with that which
your selves desired not, swelled ye with pride, some (of the apostles) ye
belied (as imposters) and some ye slew.
Since these books had the source in
the same Manifest Self, these books are also referred to as the Books from God.
You have seen earlier that Quran has also talked of giving Part of the Book to
Jews. The same Manifest Self was responsible for revelation at all times and in
all corners of the world. This Manifest Self is nothing but the manifest power
of God and therefore everything that it does; it ascribes it to the God.
It was the Manifest Self which took
oaths and made covenants. See verse 93:
And remember when We made a
covenant with you and raised the ‘Tur’ above you (saying), “Hold fast by that
which We have given you and hearken ye (Our Word) said they, “We have hearkened
and disobeyed”; They were made to imbibe (deep) (the love of) the calf into
their hearts for their wrong belief; Say (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad), “Vile is
that which your belief bideth you if ye be (true) believers”.
It is interesting to note that there
is a sermon of Imam Ali in which he tells that it was he (Ali) who raised the
'Tur' above the people.
Verse 106 too is talking of the role
of Manifest Self in this creation but wants all to come to the worship of
Absolute God.
Whatever We abrogate of a
sign or We bypass it We bring (in its place) one better than it or its like;
Knowest thou not that God over all things is Powerful!
And see what Manifest Self says about
those who prevent people from remembering God in mosques, lest alone bring down
the mosques, in verse 114 onwards:
And who is more unjust than
he who preventeth the Mosques of God of His name being remembered therein and
striveth to ruin them? It is not (fit) for such (men) to enter them but in
fear; for them is disgrace in this world and a greater punishment in the
hereafter.
And God’s is the East and
the West, therefore whithersoever ye turn ye find the face of God; Verily God
is All-Pervading, and All-Knowing.
Verse 130 confirms that Abraham had
been chosen by ‘We’ – the Manifest Self:
And who turneth away from the creed
of Abraham but (one) who debaseth his self; And indeed We have chosen him in
this world; and verily in the hereafter he is of the righteous ones.
That even the Manifest Self worships
the God is said clearly in 138 onwards. We invite all those who still maintain
that the shift in First Person and Third Person is only due to the needs of
Arabic language. "Him (alone) do We worship" shows that the Manifest
Self too worships the Absolute God. We have said earlier that the Upanishads
maintain that God entrusted rest of creations to Manifest Self only after the
Manifest Self had got indulged in intense worship. Also, it has been said at a
place that the Manifest Self created more beings because it wanted more
worshippers for Its creator - the God.
Verse 142 onwards state that the
command for change of Qiblah for Muslims was also from the Manifest Self which
wanted to test the followers of Prophet Mohammad:
The fools among men will
say, “What hath turned them from their Qiblah towards which they were at (here
before); “Say (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!), God’s is the East and the West, He
guideth whomsoever He pleaseth to the Right Path.”
And thus have We made you a
group of middling stand that ye may be witnesses over mankind and the Prophet
be witness over you; And we did not fix the ‘Qiblah’ towards which thou wert
at, but that We might distinguish him who followeth the Prophet, from him that
turneth back upon his heels; and this was surely a hard thing for any except
for those whom God hath guided;
And God would not make
futile your faith (in Him); verily God unto mankind is Affectionate (and)
Merciful.
In verse 160 of Chapter al-Baqarah
too, ‘I’ is used and it is preceded by mention of God [in Third Person] – both
in the verse previous to it and after it. Can any Muslim explain why this has
been done without resorting to our explanation? See verse 160 along with its
previous and succeeding verse:
Verily, those that conceal
what We have sent of (Our) manifest evidences and guidance, after what We have
(so) clearly shown for mankind in the Book, (they are) those that God doth
curse them and (also) curse them (all) those who curse (such ones).
Except those who turn
(repentant) and amend (themselves) and make manifest (The Truth), these it is
unto whom I turn (mercifully) and I am the Oft-returning (to mercy), the
All-merciful.
Verily those who disbelieve
and die while they are disbelievers, on them shall be the curse of God, and
(of) the angels and (of) mankind all together.
If you recall,
O ye who believe! Eat of
the good things We [First Person] have provided you with and thank God [Third
Person] if Him [Third Person] it is ye worship.
There is even a place where Manifest
Self has used word ‘Me’ for itself though just in the preceding verse it was
talking of God in Third Person with words like ‘Him’ used for God. See 185
first and then 186:
The month of Ramadhan that
in which was sent down the Quran a Guidance for mankind and Clear Evidence of
guidance and Discrimination (for the Right and the Wrong); So whosoever of you
witnesseth the month, he shall fast therein; and whosoever is ill or on a
journey (he shall fast) the same number of other days; God desireth ease for
you and He desireth not for you hardship that ye shall complete the
(prescribed) number (of days) and that ye may glorify God for his guiding you
and that ye may be thankful (to Him).
And when My servants ask
thee about Me, then (say unto them) verily I am nigh; I answer the prayer of
the supplicant when he beseecheth unto Me, so let them hearken unto Me and
believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.
Note, it has not been said that
‘worship me’. What is being said is ‘believe in Me’ and ‘hearken unto Me’. It
has also been clarified that the prayers are answered by the Manifest Self when
somebody worships the God and seeks from Him. Manifest Self is the one that
leads on the right path - the path that leads to the worship of God.
There is another point that we wish
to highlight. Verse 194 says:
and fear God, and know that
God is (always) with the pious ones.
And 197 says “fear Me” in First
Person.
… and whatever good ye do,
God knoweth it; so make provision (for your journey) and verily the best
provision is piety; and fear Me O ye people of understanding.
We
have to fear Manifest Self that ceaselessly tries to take the people towards
the worship of the Absolute God, and follow the path of piety. Those who are
pious need not fear. No doubt, the Manifest Self will be bestowing punishment
to the disbelievers if they do not fulfill what is desired of them. In such a
case, intercession will be possible only from the ‘Judge of the judges’ – the
Absolute God. Howsoever, it has already been clarified that the Manifest Self
is not unjust in bestowing punishments.
Verse
254 confirms that the Manifest Self which has bestowed the good things will
listen to no bargaining, no friendship and no intercession, if people were
disbelievers. This is so because punishing the disbelievers is true justice:
O’ ye who believe! Spend (in alms) out of what We have provided
you with ere the day cometh wherein there shall be no bargaining, nor
friendship, nor intercession; and those who disbelieve they are the unjust.
There are certain
sects who believe that they will not face punishment for their misdeeds as
timely intercession will save them. Such intercession or any kind of friendship
is denied. Their disbelief
is because the Satan is ceaselessly working to lead us astray. Again right
guidance is being given and people are being warned to be aware of Satan in 208
and 209:
O ye who believe! Enter ye
all into submission (to God) wholly and follow not the footsteps of Satan; for,
verily, he is to you an Open Enemy.
But if ye slip after that
which hath come unto you of the clear signs then know ye that God is Mighty,
Wise.
If we read verse 243 to 245, the
arrangement has been repeated, thereby confirming that while God is above all,
Manifest Self sends signs and rehearse them.
Didst thou not see those
who went forth from their homes, and they were in thousands, for fear of death;
then God said unto them,
‘Die ye!’ (and they died) and thereafter He restored them to life; verily, God
is gracious unto them but most men thank (Him) not.
And it is God who returns manifold if
someone gives an iota of offering to Him. See verse 245:
Who is he that will lend
unto God a fair loan; verily, he will multiply it unto him manifold; for it is
God that holdeth and extendeth and unto Him shall ye be returned.
And there can be no better verse to
clear all doubts but 252 which says:
These are the signs of God with truth
do We rehearse them unto thee (O’ Our Apostle Mohammad!); and verily, thou art
(one) of (our) apostles.
Verse 269 talks about wisdom that God
gives to whoever He wills. It is a gift of God but only those who are
themselves wise will understand it:
He granteth wisdom to whomsoever He
willeth, and he who hath been granted wisdom hath been given abundant good; and
none shall mind it save those endowed with wisdom.
In verse 146 again the subject of
Manifest Self giving the scripture to Prophets all across the world is being
talked about:
Those unto whom We have
given the Scripture recognize him (even) as they recognize their own children;
but verily some of them do conceal the truth though they know it.
It is the Truth from thy
Lord so be thou not of those who doubt.
Hope the truth is finally out!
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