Quran Garden

Session 12

Chapter 1

Verses 2 & 3

A continuation

God created heavens and earth, air and water, and all life's necessities before He created us.  He deposited sustenance for life on earth until the Day of Resurrection.  All these bounties were already here to welcome and cradle man when he was created, which merits our gratefulness. 

Likewise, God created Paradise before He created Adam, peace be upon him, so that Adam may not be exhausted or miserable.  He immediately found food, drink, life's necessities, and enjoyment.  And, when Adam and Eve descended to earth, the bounties had already preceded them.  They found food, drink, and all the requirements for life.  If these bounties did not exist, rather were created –even shortly– afterward, then man would have suffered and may have perished while waiting for them.

The divine grant also cradled each of us from the moment of our creation.  The fetus finds a womb prepared for its reception and sustenance for the whole duration of the pregnancy.  At the time of birth, God places milk in the breast of the mother, which emerges at the time of hunger, ceases when the baby had its fill, and then stops completely when the period of suckling is over.  The newborn finds parents who provide for and nurture him or her until he or she is able to self-sustain.  All this happens before a person reaches the age of religious duty and obligation, and before they have the ability to say the phrase الحمد لله ("all praise is due to God").  As you see, the blessings always precede and welcome the one who is blessed.  Therefore, we must always express gratitude for all God's bounties.

There are countless things that we are unable to provide ourselves with without God's blessings.  The sun extends us life and warmth without any effort or work on our part.  Rain comes down, and water springs out of the ground for our benefit.  God provided us with night and day so we can sleep, rest and then strive for a better life.  Since we did not create any of these bounties that are constantly at our service, then isn't it befitting that we say الحمد لله (Al-Hamdu lil Allah)?  God prepared and subjected the universe for your comfort, and this obligates praise.

All life on earth and all the signs that God placed in the universe are here to point out that there is a greater power.  The sun, moon, stars, and earth transcend our capabilities.  All around you, crops grow from the ground and, despite being sown in one soil and watered by the same water, each has its own color, shape, smell, and taste that differs from the next.  All these signs, ever-changing and moving right before your eyes, invite you towards their study and provide you with proofs of the existence of an innovative Creator.

Despite the recent advances of our knowledge in all sciences, no one can claim that he or she has created the sun or given the earth its soil or atmosphere.  No one can claim to have created him or herself or anyone else.  And, since no person, or group, can claim to be the creator of the universe, the matter is settled by default to the One Who has claimed and provided proof of it:  God Almighty.  All praise be to Him, because He has instilled within us our inquisitive nature and then supported it with rational, intellectual evidence through His signs in the universe.   

Despite all this, we tend to praise the creation and forget the Creator! When, for example, you see a beautiful flower or an attractive gem, you tend to say, "What a beautiful flower!" and "What a fabulous gem!"  But the object you just praised did not grant itself beauty: the gem has no power in the delicate arrangement of its crystals.  It is God Who has instilled order and beauty in everything.  So let's give credit where credit is due and say الحمد لله to Whom created in this world that which reminds us about His greatness.

Now, let's take a look at another key bounty that obliges our gratitude:  the bounty of God's message to humanity.   This message, delivered through the prophets, taught us that it is Him, the Almighty, Who created.  The beauty, grandeur, and precision of creation indicated to the thoughtful mind that there is a greater power but left the mind unable to say who that power is or what the Creator might want from us.  This is why God sent His messengers.  They helped us understand that the Creator is Allah, and helped us bridge the gap where our intellect has reached its limit in inquiring about Him.  This bounty certainly merits our deepest gratitude and praise.

Furthermore, God's messages provided legislation to guard our way of life.  Allah showed us the right path and how to distance ourselves from corruption.  As we look around, we find injustice in every human-made system.  In communist countries, for example, power and luxury are the monopolies of their respective central committees, while the rest of the population leads a miserable deprived life.  The situation is not much different in capitalist systems, where capitalists exploit resources, reap the benefits, and give the bare minimum to others.  On the other hand, God does not discriminate against any of us, nor does He prefer anyone over the other except by our piety and good deeds.  He taught us that the proper way of life rests in constraining our desires in exchange for justice in this world and immense reward in the hereafter. 

The laws set by people are based on self-interest and, throughout time, people exploited each other because they wanted what others had, whether it was wealth, treasure or natural resources. God, on the other hand, does not need anything that we possess.  To Him belong the depositories of everything, as He states in this verse:

And there is not a thing but We have the vast treasures of it; We do not send it down but according to a proper and prescribed measure. (15:21)

Hence, servitude to God always grants you and does not take from you.   

More importantly, God loves when you ask from His bounties and seek His help.  Through this, He guards you against humiliation and exploitation in this world.  Let's look at an example of this from our daily life. If you have a need from your boss or a person in authority, he or she, after many requests, may grant you an appointment of a specific duration.  During the meeting with you, he or she may feel irritated by your presence or your needs and may hasten to stand up to end the discussion.  God's door, on the other hand, is always open.  You can stand before Him in prayer whenever you desire.  Raise your hands in supplication any time you like, and ask whatever you wish, for God grants you what you want if it is in your best interest.  And He withholds from you when it is to your detriment.  God wants you always to seek Him, as He says in the following verse:

Your Lord says, "Call on Me, and I will answer you; those who are too proud to serve Me will enter Hell humiliated." (40:60)

And, in another verse:

When My servants ask you about Me, I am indeed nearmost. I answer the supplicant's call when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly. (2:186)

God knows what you conceal within yourself, so He repeatedly gives you without asking.  His grants and favors upon us warrant praise and their withholding from us also warrants praise.  God relates in a sacred narration, "Whoever is too preoccupied by My remembrance to ask My favors, I shall give them the best I give those who ask."

God's blessings never cease, and His treasures never run out.  Every time you ask Him, He has more and more to offer.  A poet once wrote:

It is sufficient pride for me that I am a servant who is

welcomed to be before my Lord without an appointment

although He is in His divine sanctuary,

I can meet Him whenever and wherever I wish.