Quran Garden

Session 347

Chapter 3

Verse 18

a continuation

God bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and those who have knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

(Chapter 3: Verse 18)

In the previous session, we reviewed the case for "there is no god but Him." Now, let's examine the most beautiful phrase in this verse; God says: 'upholding justice.' Allah, with all His majesty and power, can rule anyway He sees fit.  He can be a tyrant, and no one would be able to interject.  He can be an oppressor, and no one would be able to stop Him.  Yet, Allah gives you the ultimate piece of mind and assures you that he runs the affairs of the universe based on justice and mercy. 

Another beautiful side of the phrase 'upholding justice,' is that in the Arabic origin, it is mentioned in the singular form.  What does that mean? It means that God bears witness that there is no God but Him; He rules justly.  The angles and those who have knowledge only came afterward, confirming God's oneness and justice.  Allah was the Creator before He created anything. He was the all-merciful before the existence of those who seek His forgiveness.  Likewise, Allah was just even before He created anyone to rule over. 

Allah created people and distributed different talents and abilities amongst them.  No single person has all the talents needed to thrive.  We all need one another.  If you have a special skill that I do not possess, then I am forced to seek your help.  Likewise, you would seek my advice in matters I excel at.  There are people in your community who perfected the craft of agriculture to produce enough food for themselves and meet the needs of others.  Some people plant cotton, others who harvest it, others who spin it, and manufacture it into clothes.  This sort of cooperation builds societies and progress, and this is part of God's justice.

There is deep integration between all people on earth, even when they do not like each other.  Take a moment to think about the people who live far away from you across the globe, most likely, they are working and doing something that makes your life better and more comfortable.  This should fill your heart with love and appreciation to your fellow man.  God says:

O Humankind! We created you from a male and female and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one most mindful of God. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (49:13)

Quite often, the talents of others benefit you more than it benefits them.  A saying goes: 'The door of the carpenter is always broken.' When a person asked, "why do you think that is?" a wise person replied,"because it is the only door the carpenter will get paid for fixing" Again, this should fill your heart with love and appreciation for others instead of envy and hatred.  It is part of God's justice. 

It is interesting to note that the verse that started with 'God bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and those who have knowledge, upholding justice,' ends with "There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise." As if God is telling us: if the testimony of the self for the self, the testimony of the angels, and the testimony of the scholars are upheld, then the logical conclusion is -without any doubt- 'There is no god but Him.'

Rest assured that since God is One, you will not need the help of anyone else; you can rely on Him alone.  He is 'the Almighty' that cannot be overcome.  Our beloved Prophet, peacebe upon him, said: "If you ask, then ask Allah alone; and if you seek help, then seek it from Allah alone.  Rest assured that if the entire world were to come together to benefit you with something, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to conspire together to harm you, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted, and the ink has dried."

This sometimes goes against our human logic.  If I am in trouble and I seek refuge with someone influential, that is good.  But isn't it better to seek refuge with twenty additional people? Doesn't that offer me more protection? We answer that when it comes to God, the word 'alone' holds an entirely different meaning.  We seek Allah, and Allah alone, because He is the Creator, the Possessor of All Power, the Provider, the All-Capable, and the Almighty that cannot be overcome.  We seek God alone because none other than can genuinely help. 

Our Lord is 'the All-Wise.'  What is wisdom? It is to place each matter in its rightful place and give it its rightful measure.  It is translated from the Arabic origin: 'Hikma.' The word 'Hikma حكمة' originated from the 'bridle' which is the piece of leather and iron placed in a horse's mouth so the rider can control and aim the animal towards the desired destination.  Without it, the animal may stray from the rider's goal.  Allah, the all-Wise, is the one who identifies for each creation its bounds and mission.  Who is better than your Creator, the One who knows you best, in determining your goal in life?  Allah takes the utmost care of His creation.  If you are patient over hardships, God will enlighten you with knowledge and amaze you with His wisdom in running the affairs of the universe.

Let's pause and think about the beauty of our Lord.  Long before you were born, Allah prepared a universe to welcome you and support all your basic needs.  Allah, the One, the All-Powerful, created you from nothing.  He kept all the essentials of life under His control.  The sun, the moon, the rain and the wind serve all of us justly.  Your organs work for you tirelessly form the time you are born, well before you learned about their function.  He gave you means to work and earn.  Through His ultimate wisdom, He assigned your goals in life.  Allah gave you a thinking mind, sent you Prophets and messengers, revealed the Quran for you, and laid before you the consequences, so you can freely choose what you want for yourself.  Allah guaranteed for you all the necessities of life, yet, He did not force you to guarantee Him His due right.  You have full control of your beliefs and actions.  The scale of justice is in His Hands, so no one can tip it against you, even an atom's weight. Isn't that the epitome of justice?

God bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and those who have knowledge, upholding justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All-Wise.

(Chapter 3: Verse 18)