Quran Garden

Session 411

Chapter 3

Verse 83

Do they seek a religion other than God's, while to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?! (Chapter 3:Verse 83)

Why do people seek a path other than God's when all other paths are full of bias and discrimination? We are God's trustees in the universe, and He made everything subservient to us.  Close your eyes for a moment and think about the different types of creation at your service.  Livestock bend to your will, so does the earth and all the plants it produces.  The sun rises and provides you with light and warmth, and the stars help you navigate all corners of the planet.  We dig mines to extract metals and energy while the oceans provide us with rain and food.  The oxygen we breathe and the medicines we take are the products of forests.  Even your body parts do whatever you want.  Thus, every type of creation, as far as the eye can see, was created to serve you whether you are a believer in God or not. 

Have you ever heard the sun saying, "I will not shine on earth today?" or "I will only give my warmth to the believers in God?" Has the air ever revolted and said, "This person is corrupt and no longer deserves to breathe, so I will not allow him the benefit?"

Some people object and say, "Many animals are not tame, and some may even attack humans.  We had droughts where the earth did not produce anything, and our livestock died of thirst!" We answer that wild animals, droughts, and disasters should serve as a wake-up call that it is not your strength or intelligence that controls nature; rather, it must be something more powerful than you that makes animals, rain, and the soil subservient to you.  God says:

Have they not seen how We created for them, by Our own handiwork, livestock which are under their control? And made them tame for them, so that some can be used for riding, some for food, some for other benefits, and some for drink? Will they not give thanks? (36:71-73)

Here is another point to ponder.  Everything in life has a task.  For example, with a leather cushion and a silver bridle, you can use a horse to fulfill its task as a ride.  Yet on another day, you can use the horse to carry your belongings to the market; and if you pay close attention, you will find that the same horse you are riding is fertilizing the earth with its droppings.  Hence, this horse has fulfilled its task as a ride, a hauler, and a fertilizer, all with silent obedience to make your life easier. 

Inanimate objects serve the plants and provide them with food and energy.  Likewise, plants serve the animals as food and shelter, while you stand at the apex as the master of creation with everything at your service.  Which begs the question, who do you serve? What is your task?  Some people are quick to answer, "I serve no one.  I am the master of my own destiny."  But that is not true.  You did not create the sun, earth, plants, and animals.  You don't control your time and place of birth or death.  You did not make livestock subservient to you because, if that were the case, then why can you tame a dog but not a wolf? Even your body parts may stop serving you with age or after an accident. 

So isn't it logical to wonder about the force that brought you to life and made you king?  Once you answer this question, you will figure out who to serve and where to turn for guidance about your task in life. 

Let's start by asking: if everything in the universe serves you, is it appropriate for you to follow another human or a man-made system? Of course not, because that does not befit your status.  It would be best if you searched for a boss who suits your authority and position.  Allah asks,

Do they seek a religion other than God's, while to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?! (Chapter 3: Verse 83)

Allah is your Creator, and He takes care of His creation regardless of their faith.  If you work hard and use the means at your disposal, you will benefit.  For example, a hard-working farmer will reap great crops from the earth even if he is a disbeliever.  A lazy believing farmer, on the other hand, will harvest nothing.  All these material blessings are Allah's gifts of lordship, and they are available to everyone.  As for Allah's gifts of divinity, they are more precious and only available to the believers who follow His path and respond to the call of the messengers.

Let's take a moment to examine what happens when people function outside of God's teachings.  For millennia, the environment was a self-sustaining, peaceful, and thriving place.  Take a look around you today; wherever you see pollution and the destruction of nature, you see human greed.  Why do we suffer from food shortages but not air shortages? Because food production and distribution are controlled by our lust for profit and power, while air and wind are not.  We have intervened in freshwater management and, as a result, polluted and exhausted much of the supply.  In fact, corruption is often proportional to the extent of human intervention.  When modern governments want to preserve the beauty and resources of an area, they declare it a natural protected zone.  In other words, they set laws to keep human and commercial activities out because such activities equal corruption. 

Here you may ask, does that mean that we should just sit around and do nothing?  Should we bring progress and innovation to a halt? Of course not.  We should work with God's creation according to God's teachings.  If you keep the creator's instructions in mind as you work, then everything will thrive.  Just as the sun fulfills its duty, you too are required to perform your duty and obey God in all your actions.   He says:

He erected heaven and established the balance; that you should not violate the harmony and balance.  And observe the balance with full equity, and do not fall short in it.  (55:7-9)

Everything managed by Allah functions like clockwork; and if you want your life to run in similar harmony and precision, then you need to align your actions with God's teachings just as the heavens and earth do.  Let your Creator be the standard for your deeds.  Haven't we learned enough from our own mistakes that caused corruption and conflict?