Article appeared Friday, May 31st, 2013 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (280)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Do we accept that the universe and everything in it has been created? If we do, has the Creator gone to the trouble of making the entire universe and mankind just for fun? Or does He have a purpose and a plan for mankind? How can one answer these questions? One way could be to generate other questions while studying similar situations. Imagine that you set up a school and work very hard to produce good human beings. How would you feel if those graduating denied the fact that you are the founder of the school or denied your contribution to their development? How would you feel if the graduates felt they were self-made and that they alone deserve the credit for their status as graduates? How would you feel about such graduates? Comparing this analogy with the creation of human beings, can we work out what the Creators purpose could be? What could His intelligent creation possibly give Him in return? Another way could be to look through world scriptures for answers. Looking through the Bible, we find, And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. [1 Chronicles, 28:9, NIV] {1} What has the Creator done for human beings? Turning to the most recent revelation, the Quran, we find, It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place and the sky as a canopy and has given you shapes and made your shapes beautiful and has provided for you sustenance of things pure and good such is Allah your Lord. So Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds! [40.64] The credit for whatever we have, including our beauty and intelligence, belongs to the Creator. So who should we express our profound sense of gratitude to? It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that you may express your gratitude (to Allah). [16.78] Having done so much for human beings, what should be appropriate behavior towards the Creator? The Creators purpose and plan is simply to test our response to Him. As pointed out in the Quran, O you people! Adore your Guardian-Lord who created you and those who came before you that you may have the chance to learn righteousness. [2.21] The job of each human being is to use his/her intelligence to recognize and acknowledge in return the contribution of the Creator and adore Him. Earth is a simply a testing ground to gather proof of righteousness and proof of ungratefulness. As pointed out in the Bible, For the Lord will carry out his plan decisively, bringing it to completion on the earth. [Romans 9:28, ISV] {2} In addition to logical analysis and support provided by scriptures the Creator has sent messengers to demonstrate how to interact with Him. He provides various tests as a part of His Plan to separate those who actually believe from those who just provide lip service. Do men think that they will be left alone on saying "We believe" and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false. [29.2-3] What are examples of such tests? Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil) but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. [2.155]

Along with tests, the Creator has sent prophets from time to time. What was their purpose?

7.94 And We did not send a prophet to a town but We seized its people with distress and affliction in order that they might humble themselves (towards the Creator).
The Bible enlightens us to the purpose. They brought warning sent by the Creator. Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the LORD your God. Then the LORD will relent and not bring the disaster He has pronounced against you. [Jeremiah 26:13, NIV] {3} Subsequently, to confirm disbelief already demonstrated, as a further test, the condition of the people was changed to affluence and prosperity perchance individuals demonstrate gratitude.

7.95 Then We changed their suffering into prosperity until they grew and multiplied and began to say: "Our fathers (too) were touched by suffering and affluence."...Behold! We called them to account all of a sudden while they realized not (their peril).
Having destroyed a community for their repeated demonstration of ungratefulness and disbelief, Allah asks, Does it not teach them a lesson how many generations We destroyed before them in whose dwellings they (now) go to and fro? Verily in that are Signs: do they not then contemplate? [32.26]

7.96 If the people of the towns had but believed and feared Allah We should indeed have opened out to them (all kinds of) blessings from heaven and earth; but they rejected (the truth) and We brought them to book for their misdeeds. 7.97 Did the people of the towns feel secure against the coming of our wrath by night while they were asleep? 7.98 Or else did they feel secure against its coming in broad daylight while they played about (care-free)? 7.99 Did they then fell secure against the plan of Allah? But no one should feel secure from the plan of Allah except those (doomed) to ruin! 7.100 To those who inherit the earth in succession to its (previous) possessors is it not a guiding (lesson) that if We so willed We could punish them (too) for their sins and seal up their hearts so that they could not hear? 7.101 Such were the towns whose story We (thus) relate to you: there came indeed to them their apostles with clear Signs: but they would not believe what they had rejected before. Thus does Allah seal up the hearts of those who reject faith. 7.102 Most of them We found not men (true) to their covenant: but most of them We found rebellious and disobedient.
-----{Notes}: {1} http://biblehub.com/1_chronicles/28-9.htm {2} http://biblehub.com/romans/9-28.htm {3} http://biblehub.com/jeremiah/26-13.htm