REFLECTIONS ON THE DIVINE DIRECTIVE:
“READ”
ABDEL WAHAB YAHIA
In the Name of Allah the Compassionate the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all creatures, and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the leader of the pious believers, our Messenger Muhammad son of Abdullah, and upon his family and his companions.
The close observer of the descending arrangement of the Glorious Quran’s verses which were revealed upon Allah's Messenger (pbuh) will find a matter of utmost importance to man, whom Allah has distinguished by thought, mind, cognition, and choice. We will find the first command that was revealed upon Allah's Messenger (pbuh) was “Read”. Allah says: "Read! In the name of your Lord and Cherisher, Who created, Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful, He Who taught (the use of) the Pen, Taught man that which he knew not." (Clot 1:5), Allah's guiding directive to read is a call for man to acquire science and knowledge, to attain the laws of science related to the universe that Allah has subjugated for man, along with knowledge of man’s path in his worldly life, to prepare himself for the Last Day.
Eternity is either a perpetual paradise or an everlasting scorching fire, as the journey of man on this earth is bounded by Allah's saying in the Star chapter: "That man can have nothing but what he strives for; That (the fruit of) his striving will soon come in sight; Then will he be rewarded with a reward complete; That to your Lord is the final Goal" (Star 39:42). This is the journey of humans on this impermanent earth, on the road to the life of eternity in the house of hereafter. From this standpoint, the importance of Allah's directive "Read" emerges, since all humanity’s approaches to advancement and progress are through science and knowledge. Judaism and Christianity, in addition to their books the "Torah" and the "Bible", were supported by tangible materialistic miracles, e.g., the miraculous birth of Jesus (pbuh), as well as all his other miracles.
Nevertheless, miracles are proofs only against those who witnessed them, and this is not the case for those who did not. Bearing this in mind, Judaism was revealed exclusively to the sons of Israel, and Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Bible states this fact in the New Testament in the Gospel of Matthew, Book 10:5: "These Twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them, saying, go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
All religions and Prophets of Allah preceding Islam were meant only to address specific people and places; they were not sent to the whole world. Hence, a miracle was demonstrated for a specific people at a specific time and place. Although Allah's miracles were demonstrated numerously, most people did not believe. Because of this, the message of Muhammad (pbuh) is meant for the human heart and mind, for all peoples and nations of the world, as based on the following Quranic verses: "We have not sent you but as a universal (Messenger) to men, giving them glad tidings, and warning them, but most men understand not". (Saba'a: 28), "We sent you not, but as a mercy for all creatures". (Prophets: 107),
"Say: 'O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He that gives both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believed in Allah and His Words: follow him that (so) you may be guided.'" (A'araf: 158)
The message of Islam is represented by the miraculous Quran, which speaks to the heart, mind, and conscience and is based on choice. Just as the Messenger Muhammad (pbuh) sent messages to the world's leaders of his time—such as Heraclius of the Roman Empire, the Negus of Abyssinia, and the King of Persia—inviting them to read and believe, as mentioned in history reference books. We have neither seen Allah's Messengers nor witnessed their miracles. There-fore, how have some people become Jews today? And how have some others become Christians? And how have others become Muslims? Now, all those who haven't seen the messengers and haven't witnessed their miracles—those Jews, Christians, and Muslims—have become as they are through reading books: the Torah, the Bible, and the Glorious Quran. Since reading is facilitated for all people, in all languages, we can thus evaluate the importance of Allah's order that was revealed upon Muhammad the Messenger of Islam and to all people: "Read".
"Read", reflect and choose. All matters are left for you and your choice. The Glorious Quran says: "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things". (Cow: 256), "…nor obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds. Say, 'The Truth is from your Lord': Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it)…" (The Cave: 28–29),
" (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto you, full of blessings, that they may reflect on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition." (Saad: 29)
Subsequently, Islam offers its doctrines to all peoples around the world and speaks to the human mind, inviting it to reason, consider, and choose. Whatever man chooses through his mind and accepts is purely his responsibility. Just as man is created, so is his mind. The concern of the unseen after resurrection is not within the boundaries and capacity of the human mind. If this is the case, how can man receive religion? Religion, in its essence, is related to the life of man in preparing for the Last Day; nevertheless, this is reckoned by his belief, as his behavior is related to the beliefs he has chosen.
In view of that, if man behaves in this world through divine doctrines, the question is: From where did he receive these doctrines? What are his authentic sources from which he has received his doctrines? In essence, the mind is limited and relative. Thus, there must be a supreme source from which man receives this knowledge, because the mind is limited and relative. This necessitates delivery of religious knowledge to man from the Absolute Truth, since religion is concerned with man's destiny after death and resurrection. As a result, the Absolute Truth must be absolute and not subject to change, modification, omissions or elimination.
While the relative cannot modify the Absolute, and the Absolute Truth is Allah, the Exalted and Glorified, for there is no Absolute save Him. Hence, it is necessary that man receives the Absolute Truth from Allah, the Absolute Himself, and there is no Absolute save Allah. However, when we read that Allah, exalted and glorified, is described as receiving knowledge from another source (e.g., as in the Torah), this cannot be the Deity. In that case, how could the Torah illustrate the Absolute Creator as having received knowledge from another source? For anyone who could access the same knowledge from this source would become knowledgeable like the Deity. The Torah mentions that Adam reached the knowledge source—the tree of knowledge—in Paradise and became knowledgeable like God, and also mentions how God feared that Adam would reach the Tree of Life and live forever like Him, so God safeguarded the tree of life.
Let's read what the Torah states in the Book of Genesis, 3:22–24: "And the Lord God said, 'Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever': therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the Garden of Eden the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
This means that the God in the Torah is afraid of Adam becoming knowledgeable and everlasting like Himself. Is this a source from which man can receive reliable truth? The Message of the Glorious Quran, revealed to Muhammad (pbuh), speaks to the mind and seeks proofs: "And they say: 'None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.' Those are their (vain) desires. Say: 'Produce your proof if you are truthful.'" (Cow: 111)
Man's mind is a bridgehead that receives the message, thinks, reasons, and acts upon its findings. "The (material) things which you are given are but the conveniences of this life and the glitter thereof; but that which is with Allah is better and more enduring: will you not then be wise?" (Qasas: 60) Because of this, Allah has challenged all mankind to bring forth one Surah (chapter) like those in the Quran; this challenge still exists to this moment, to all humanity, as Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, says in the Cow Surah:
"And if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Surah like it; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true. But if you cannot—and of a surety you cannot—then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, which is prepared for those who reject Faith." (Cow: 23–24) If man abandons his mind, he has nullified and abandoned his existence. Allah the Glorified and Exalted says in the Glorious Quran: "Many are the Jinn and men We have made for Hell: they have hearts with which they understand not, eyes with which they see not, and ears with which they hear not. They are like cattle—nay, more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning)." (A'araf: 179)
Man has abandoned the means of knowledge that Allah has bestowed upon him, so he is ordained to Hell. Thus, Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says in the Glorious Quran: "And pursue not that of which you have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing, or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)." (Al-Isra': 36)
This means man should not follow what he has no knowledge of. Almighty Allah has equipped us with all necessary means to access knowledge through a cognitively thorough and reasoning process.
Hence, Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, says in Surah Al-Mulk, mentioning those who have abandoned their means of knowledge that they lament: "They will say: 'Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we should not (now) be among the Companions of the Blazing Fire!' They will then confess their sins: but far will be (Forgiveness) from the Companions of the Blazing Fire!" (Al-Mulk: 10–11)
Finally, Allah speaks on the virtue of knowledge: "…for Allah has sent down to you the Book and Wisdom and taught you what you knew not (before): and great is the Grace of Allah unto you." (Al-Nisa': 113). And He also says: "…Those who truly fear Allah, among His Servants, are those who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving." (Fatir: 28). "O my Lord! Advance me in knowledge." (Taha: 114), "Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah…" (Muhammad: 19)
These are but quick and simple illustrations on the divine directive "Read". Thus, learn, know and choose, for your fate is your choice.
