Quran Garden

Session 289

Chapter 2

Verse 260

a continuation

And when Abraham said: "My Lord, show me how You will restore life to the dead!" God said: "Why? Do you not believe?" Abraham said: "Yes, but that my heart may be at peace." He said: "Then take four birds of different kinds, and tame them to yourself to know them fully. Then chop them into pieces, mix them, and put on every one of the hills a piece from each.  Then summon them, and they will come to you walking in haste. And know that God is Almighty and All-Wise.” (Chapter 2: Verse 260)

In the previous few verses, Allah gave us one example after another of stories of life, death, and resurrection.  The last example was a physical experiment to reassure the heart of our beloved Prophet Abraham.  Why such an emphasis on resurrection? Because those who lived in the era of Prophet Muhammad’s call to Islam were skeptical about the afterlife.  Listen to their words as narrated in the Quran:

they say, ‘What? When we die and turn to dust and bones, shall we really be resurrected? (23:82)

And in another chapter:

He draws comparisons for Us, and forgets his own creation. He says, ‘Who shall revive the bones when they have decayed?’ Say, ‘He who created them in the first place will give them life again: He has full knowledge of every act of creation. (36:78-79)

God is the originator of life, and He is the Resurrector.  He says:

He is the One who originates creation and will do it again- this is even easier for Him. He is above all comparison in the heavens and earth; He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (30:27)

God Almighty can start creation from nothing without an example, then, restore it after everything perishes.  To revive after death is certainly easier than to create from scratch.  To Allah, it is a simple matter of “Be,” and it becomes.  Even for us humans, once you make something like a chair, it only becomes easier and easier to make other chairs.

The issue of resurrection is central to Islamic creed because it is directly related to the Last Day and, and more importantly, to accountability for one’s actions.  When you have faith in the Last Day, you watch over your actions to ensure your salvation.  When you know that you will face your Creator and be questioned about your deeds, you become aware of the consequences of your decisions.  There is no escaping death, resurrection, or meeting God.  This inevitable moment of accountability should be ever present in your mind. 

But what exactly is your responsibility in life? God says:

To Thamud, We sent their brother Salih. He said, ‘My people, worship Allah! You have no god apart from Him. He brought you into being from the earth and made you thrive in it. So ask His forgiveness and then repent to Him. My Lord is Close and Quick to Respond (11:61)

Allah wants you to be his successor on earth; in order to be a worthy successor, you need to thrive using your talents.  Allah distributed different talents and abilities amongst people.  No single person has all the talents.  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 help in matters I excel at.  This sort of cooperation builds societies and progress.

On the other hand, if each one of us possessed all talents, we would fight.   For this reason, there is no real progress in a society unless talents are diverse and complementary.  Thus, you should never look down on a hard working person, even if his or her job is less than socially admirable. 

Take the example of a wealthy doctor who is highly respected within the community.  He has a mansion and a fleet of luxury cars.  He comes home late at night to find that the master bathroom has flooded and the bedroom reeks of sewage.  This doctor calls the local plumber to come and fix the toilet urgently.  But the plumber declines because he does not work weekends.  The respected doctor would plead with the plumber and offer to pay him extra and to pick him up from his house personally.  Suddenly, the plumber is the most important person in the world.  Similarly, if the minister of health does not show to his or her job for three months, people would hardly notice.  But if the garbage man does not show up for one week, the whole neighborhood would be miserable.  

God presents life as a system based on social and economic issues.  Why? Because man is firstly occupied with his or her own survival, then by the survival of the family and society.  We preserve our life through work and sustenance and preserve humankind through marriage.  Allah highly appreciates your work and asks you to extend the preservation of life to the less fortunate, the weak and the overwhelmed by life’s circumstances.   He says:

If you give charity openly, it is good, but if you keep it secret and give to the needy in private, that is better for you, and it will atone for some of your bad deeds: God is well aware of all that you do. (2:217)

and in another verse:

Who will give God a good loan, which He will increase for him many times over? It is God who withholds and God who gives abundantly, and it is to Him that you will return. (2:245)

God explains: some of you are deprived, and some are capable; I will take care of the deprived by borrowing from the capable.  Always keep in mind that strength, ability, wealth, poverty, and weakness are all circumstances that are subject to change.  When a rich person sees a poor person, he or she should remember that wealth is not inherent or guaranteed.  Wealth, health and ability are all gifts from God that may be taken away at any moment.  Those who are less fortunate around you are your wake-up call.  When you see a blind man, you suddenly become aware of your eyes and instinctively rub them to make sure they are OK.  When you see a woman going into a dialysis center, you start thinking about your kidneys.    

Allah does not abandon the poor or the disabled.  He, the All-Wise, safeguards their basic needs and security by asking their more able brothers and sisters to help.