Recently I delivered a khutbah (Friday prayer sermon) in which the focus was the powerful, yet controversial Qur'anic verses which reads "To God belongs the East and the West, therefore, where ever you turn, you encounter the face of God. Indeed, God is the Expansive, the Knowledgeable."
The context of this ayah addresses the human tendency to create categorizing, labeling, and that such labeling has no impact on the Divine Being (Allah, Subhaanahu wa ta'alaa). He is not limited by the limitations we create. He is not "Our God" to the exclusion of others. The guidance of Allah can be encountered by any, regardless of their location, background or (artificial) label.(#.1)
While this article largely ignores the theological discussion surrounding the verse in question(#2) , studying this verse has prompted me to ponder upon the presence of Allah in my own life, and-likewise- I invite our readers to think about the same question.
Some people, in particular Prophets of the past, and present day saints, have encounters that impact both themselves and those around them(#3) . Due to the presence of such accounts in scriptures, this is what a goodly number of religious people desire to experience, and are left wondering if God truly cares, when such miracles have not happened.
Others think of God as the miracle worker. In the USA there are a number of Television preachers who solicit donations from viewers, promising a heavy payout, selling an illusion to desperate (and usually poor) people.
Allah can be truly experienced, as the above ayah mentions. His presence is in his replacing one situation with a better situation, with His turning grief into joy, His placing a mind and a conscious in us, in saving us from the accident, in His putting the right answers in your mind when they had been absent beforehand. His presence is known when we look at a beautiful sunrise, a full moon in a clear night, even in pets who show affection to us.
His presence is in the loved ones around us, in the prayers we offer, the supplications we make, and in the words of remembrance of Him that we recite.(#4)
A "miracle" can happen, however that is not the point. "Miracles" can likewise emerge from tricks, gadgets we are unaware of, and even from demonic forces!(#5)
The presence of God -when truly experienced- should give us strength, drive, determination, a moral compass, emotional and spiritual maturity.
It is not an overnight experience, but it can happen. And we can benefit from it.
May we all be able to experience God.
Endnotes
(1) The ayah under discussion is 2:115, but for context I would suggest vv.105-120.
(2) The controversy, particularly in the modern period, revolves around the term "face of God" (Wajh Allah). Some Muslim groups have chosen to be open to a literal reading of that expression, but with the caveat that while it is real, its nature is unknown to us. Quranic expressions such as "His Throne" "the hand of Allah", and the like have received similar treatment. However, it has been almost universally understood that these expressions are metaphorical in nature, and need not be viewed with a literal interpretation. I understand the term "face of Allah" to refer to His presence, and this is the view expressed by the majority of commentators. This controversy cannot be adequately addressed in an end note, however on related topic, see our reflections on the throne verse http://shamsuddinwaheed.blogspot.com/2008/01/divine-throne-examination-of-ayatul.html
(3) The term "saints" can admittedly be problematic for Muslim readers. The word 'Awliyaa" (singular Wali) is typically translated as "saints" or "allies (of God)" does not quite have the same religious/cultural implications as the term "saint" in Catholicism. Nor do we limit the possibility of God's direct interaction to saints. An important Quranic reference to examine on the subject of God's direct communication with humans can be found in Q 42:51.
(4) See Q 2:185, which shows that even a verbal affirmation of the Divine is sufficient to generate a real presence of Allah.
(5) The Qur'an repeatedly states that "miracles" ( as popularly understood) do not constitute a strong evidence at all. Indeed, it presents itself as a text with rational arguments and evidences of its claims.
1 comment:
You know, Waheed, this article presents the most stark differentiation between what I believe about the Face of Allah and what you believe.
You say that Allah is the Creator of all things, but you don't seem to believe it! The Face of Allah is found both in what is good and what is not. You say "His putting the right answers in your mind", but what about the wrong answers in your mind. That is not Allah's doing? You mention a beautiful sunrise, but is not a hurricane or flood which destroys countless homes and kills enumerable people also His face? His presences is in the loved ones around us, you say, but not in those who are evil and bring us harm? Are the "demonic forces" not part of Allah's creation? All manners of cruelty: assault, rape, murder, warfare; all manners of misfortune: famine, disease, tragic accidents; not the Face of Allah?
Perhaps sugar-coating Allah's creation might be justified when teaching children who are too young to deal with the harsh realities of life, but once we become adults, we need to face these realities.
You may wish to "experience God", but you should be careful what you wish for. Common experience tells us that He is not the benevolent being that Muslims wish to imagine.
I believe that God created everything in the world. Do you?
Indeed, "where ever you turn, you encounter the face of God"; not just those places where you are happy to encounter His face!
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