Article appeared Friday, November 4th, 2011 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (202)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

We do many things each day of our lives. Are there intentions behind the things we do? Do these intentions demonstrate trust? Where, possibly, can trust be placed? Options for placement of trust are in: 1. the thing itself 2. ourselves or our abilities 3. our Creator, His Abilities and His Pleasure Let us examine what placing trust in any of these three alternatives can mean. As an example of the first alternative, when trying to make money, can one put their trust in the money itself? If we trust money, it means money itself has highest priority. How or the means of making money become less important nothing else matters. For the second alternative, placing trust in ourselves can mean placing ourselves above others and other considerations. The self or ego assumes the highest importance nothing else matters. Alternatively, if we trust our Creator, what can it mean? It means we seek to please our Creator in what we do, put in our best efforts and trust Him to give the best outcome. To help understand, let us turn to a previous Revelation, the Bible, to find guidance. Consider Prophet Davids prayer to the Almighty. O Sovereign Lord, you alone are my hope. I've trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. [NLT, Psalm 71:5] {1} Further, Jeremiah 17 gives a reason. But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. [NLT, Jeremiah 17:7] {2} And an analogy of the strength of character of those who do trust the Creator: They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. [NLT, Jeremiah 17:8] {3} If we trust our Creator and have His Support, is there anything that can bring us down or harm us? On the other hand, is there anything that we cannot achieve with His Help? Consider the following quotes by unknown authors: Trust in yourself and you are doomed to disappointment...but trust in GOD, and you are never to be confounded in time or eternity. {4} Figure out what God has entrusted to you and do lots of that. We don't just trust in God, He trusts us too. {4} The second quote implies that we have not been created for fun we have also been given responsibilities. Our Creator trusts us to carry out our individual responsibilities! The most recent Revelation, the Quran, reminds us that we are personally accountable to the Almighty for each thing we do with the opportunities given. O mankind! Do your duty to your Lord and fear (the coming of) a Day when no father can avail aught for his son nor can a son avail aught for his father. Verily the promise of Allah is true: let not then the present life deceive you nor let the Chief Deceiver (Satan) deceive you about Allah. [31.33] Allah, our Almighty Creator, completes the picture in the following Verse of the Quran. To you (Muhammad) We sent the Scripture in truth confirming the scripture that came before it and guarding it in safety;... To each among you have We prescribed a Law (that given to Moses) and an Open Way (that given to Jesus). If Allah had so willed He would

have made you a single people but (His plan is) to test you in what He has given (each of you individually): so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to Allah; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which you dispute. [5.48] The goal of each human being should be to find ways to please its Maker. We can start by sincerely saying to our Creator, I want to please you please guide me! If we read Revelation with sincerity, He will Guide us. Being unique, each of us has to find individually what may please Him. When we leave our homes each morning and go out to do things with the intention of pleasing our Creator, there are certain things that are forbidden.

4.94 O you, who believe! When you go out in the cause of Allah investigate carefully and say not to anyone who offers you a salutation: "You are not a believer!" from a desire to covet the perishable goods of this life: remember with Allahs pleasure are profits and spoils abundant. (Remember) you yourselves were like this before Allah conferred on you His Favors: therefore carefully investigate (the facts) for Allah is well aware of all that you do.
We are all equally created and have equal rights given by Allah. It is only Allah who knows when a person has received Guidance. We are therefore forbidden to call anyone a disbeliever.

4.95 Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah, with their goods and their persons. Allah has granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than those who sit (at home): to all has Allah promised good; but those who strive and fight has He distinguished above those who sit by a special reward. 4.96 Ranks specially bestowed with Forgiveness and Mercy. For Allah is OftForgiving Most Merciful. 4.97 When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls they say: "In what (plight) were you?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (from evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell what an evil refuge!
In the company we keep, the jobs that we do, if we cannot avoid evil, it is better to move away to places where we can do most good.

4.98 Except those who are (really) weak and oppressed men women and children who have no means in their power to direct their way. 4.99 For these there is hope that Allah will forgive: for Allah does blot out (sins) and forgives again and again.
----{Notes}: {1} http://bible.cc/psalms/71-5.htm {2} http://bible.cc/jeremiah/17-7.htm {3} http://bible.cc/jeremiah/17-8.htm {4} http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Trust_In_God