Quran Garden

Session 522

Chapter 3

Verse 190

Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day there are signs for the people who possess understanding.  (Chapter 3: Verse 190)

God wants the tree of faith to have strong roots in the human soul.  When a person is amazed by this universe, with its flawless pillarless sky hovering above, tantalizing stars, and a stable, generous earth, shouldn't he or she think about who created it?  If you wake up from sleep and find a large table with delicious food next to your bed, wouldn't you stop and ask, "What is the story?  Who brought this?" before taking your first bite?

How about someone who opened their eyes and found an orderly universe providing all the essentials and luxuries of life?  As intelligent humans, we need not wait for a heavenly messenger to guide us to the true path of the Creator.  Instead, with our innate nature, we must realize that there is a magnificent founder.  We previously gave the example of a man whose plane crashed in the desert.  He spent days searching for food and water with no living creature as far as the eyes could see.  If he falls asleep and wakes up with a bottle of cold water right next to him, wouldn't he immediately look around to see who brought it?  Wouldn't his mind race about the provider before reaching out to drink?  This thought may even override the feelings of thirst for at least a few minutes. 

Similarly, you are born into this beautiful universe that no human has ever claimed to create.  The more we explore, the more fascinating order and precision we discover.  Has any scientist or explorer said: I created all of this or even some of it?  No, not at all.  So the One who says, "I am the Creator" should be accepted as such until another comes, objects, and provides proof.  But this has never happened, despite the presence of atheists and those who deny God.  He says,

Who has created the heavens and the earth?  Who is sending the water from the sky to bring to life those beautiful gardens of yours?  You could never make their trees grow.  Is there another god besides Allah?  No indeed, but they are people who equate others with Him!  (27:60)

As if the Almighty is saying: If I am not the One who created, then who?  No one dares to claim the creation of the universe to themselves because even disbelievers and atheists are incapable of creating the simplest item from nothing.  A perfect example is a crystal drinking glass.  It is an unnecessary item that contributes to the ease of life.  It took humanity millennia to create this glass; we used to drink with our hands or from leather pouches because no trees or mines produced cups.  This basic item required the development of several fields of knowledge and materials.  Chemistry and physics had to advance to take sand, melt it, mix it with other elements, and then shape it under intense heat in special ovens to produce crystal glass in the shape of a cup.  How many trials and errors did it take?  How many scientists, equations, and factories?  All for a small cup that we can do without.  We ask, what type of knowledge and power is required to create a beautiful and perfectly functioning universe?

Thus, questions like "Who has created the heavens and the earth?  Who is sending the water from the sky in order to bring to life those beautiful gardens of yours?" are not meant to start a debate but are asked because there is only one answer.  Go ahead, stumble through logic, science, and philosophy; ultimately, you will find nothing but Allah. 

Note that Allah did not only ask about the provider of the necessities of life, such as the earth, food, and water, but He also mentioned luxuries that please the senses, such as greenery, flowers, and fruits.  Many people do not possess food-producing land, but everyone can enjoy nature's beauty.  A beautiful garden extends its splendor, fragrance, and sounds to all passersby. 

Thus, when you think about God's blessings, you should not only look at the food that fills your stomach but also consider the trees that shade you from the sun, produce medicine for illness, and wood for construction.  God says,

It is He who sends down water from the sky.  With it We produce the shoots of each plant, then bring greenery from it, and from that We bring out grains, one riding on the other in close-packed rows.  From the date palm come clusters of low-hanging dates, and there are gardens of vines, olives, and pomegranates, alike yet different.  Watch their fruits as they grow and ripen!  In all this, there are signs for those who believe.  (6:99)

And in another chapter,

It is He who produces fire for you out of the green tree- lo and behold!- and from this you kindle fire.  Does He who created the heavens and earth not have the power to create the same again?  Yes indeed!  He is the Creator, the All-Knowing. (36:80-81)

The vast majority of people are oblivious to their Lord's blessings, which go far deeper than trees and livestock.  He says,

Who is it that made the earth a stable place to live?  Who made rivers ?ow through it?  Who set immovable mountains on it and created a barrier between the fresh and salt water?  Is it another god beside God?  No!  But most of them do not know.  (27:61)

The Almighty clarifies the reason for the presence of these magnificent mountains in another chapter of the Quran:

He placed firmly embedded mountains on it, towering over it, and blessed it and measured out its nourishment in it, laid out for those who seek it – all in four days.  (41:10)

God determined the blessings that lie within the mountains.  We know that our sustenance comes from crops that grow on fertile land.  The best plots are found in valleys between two mountains.  Why?  Because mountains significantly impact the amount of rainfall.  When wind encounters a mountain range, it is forced to rise over this obstacle.  As the air travels up the windward side of a mountain, it cools and condenses into rain-producing clouds.  When rain flows down the slopes, it carries topsoil that enriches the valley below.  Thus, mountains are storehouses of sustenance.  God's grace made them solid so they can withstand millennia of weather and rain with minimal erosion.  In fact, as decades pass, the fertile lands expand because more and more topsoil is added, raising the valley's level and widening its arable area.  Mountains sustain life.  One of the events of the Day of Judgment marking the end of life on earth is God blowing the mountains into dust.  God asks,

Say, "How can you disregard the One who created the earth in two Days?  How can you set up other gods as His equals?  He is the Lord of all the worlds!" (41:9)