Quran Garden

Session 8

Chapter 1

Verse 1

 In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent. 

(Chapter 1: Verse 1)

From the first time it was revealed, and through its first words, the Quran has been connected with the name of God.  In fact, the first words revealed to Prophet Muhammad were "Read! In the name of your Lord Who created" (96:01).  And, just as the Quran began its universal mission in the name of God, we should also begin reciting it in the same way.

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was in the cave of حراء (Hira) when Gabriel, the angel responsible for delivering the Quran, came to him for their first meeting. 

The first word of God was "Read!"

The command "read" requires the person to either have memorized something or have something written in front of them.  But, at that moment, the Prophet had neither.  In fact, even if Muhammad had a book before him, it would have been pointless since he could not read nor write.

When Gabriel delivered God's command, "Read," the Prophet, being aware of his limitations, replied with "I cannot read."  Gabriel repeated, "Read," but the Prophet replied once more, "I cannot read."  The opponents of Islam picked out this point to question, "How is it possible that God, the All-Capable, commands His unlearned Messenger to read, and he replies with 'I cannot read'? Aren't God's command and wish such that He says to an object 'Be' and it becomes?"

We reply that God communicated through His command and wish, which are such that He says to an object "Be" and it becomes, while the Prophet answered back through his human nature, saying that he was unable to read even one word.  However, it was God's power, through the heavenly revelation of the Quran, that would transform this illiterate man into a teacher for entire humankind until the Day of Resurrection.  And, while every person can learn from another human being, Muhammad, peace be upon him, was taught by God.  He became a teacher for the greatest scholars of humankind, who took knowledge and wisdom from him.  So, when the Prophet said, "I cannot read," the answer came from God in the very next verse:

Read! In the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a blood clot. (96:1-2)

This meant that God, Who created from nothing, would make you, Muhammad, able to read and deliver to people a message the likes of which the world's civilizations will fail to produce until the Day of Judgment.  God Almighty continued:

Read, for your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught by the pen. (96:3-4)

Note that God in this verse used the formula of emphasis "Most Generous." When another person teaches you, learning occurs through the mere generosity of God because He made it possible for you to learn from your peer.  But if God Himself is the One Who is teaching you, Muhammad, then He is the "Most Generous" because He elevated you to the highest level.

God wants us to know that the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not recite the Quran because he had learned reading; rather, he recited it in God's name.  And, as long as he recited in the name of God, then it does not matter whether he was an educated man or not because God taught him above the standards of the entire humanity.

Likewise, we should begin reading the Quran with the name of God because He is the One Who allowed us to access its treasures through its revelation and recital. He says:

Say: "If God had so wished, I would not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. I lived a whole lifetime among you before it came to me.  Will you not use your intellect?" (10:16)

Here you may wonder, is the recital of the Quran the only task we are required to begin with God's name?  No: we are asked to begin every act in the name of God to honor His favors and bounties upon us in this universe.  For example, when we farm the land, we should begin with God's name because we did not create the land that we cultivate or the seed we sow, nor have we poured down rain for the plants to grow.  In fact, the farmer who plows and plants can be completely ignorant about the composition of the soil, the substances within each seed, and the effect of water on their interaction.  Our role in this scenario is limited to using our intellect and capabilities -which God created- to work these ingredients -which are also created by God- until the plants grow.   We have no power to coerce the earth to yield crops: it is beyond our capability to create a single seed or bring down rain.  Hence, when you begin your work with the name of God, you acknowledge that He is the One Who has subjected to you the earth, the seeds, and the water.  In essence, you are declaring that these elements function in the name of their Creator.

God has subjected the entire universe to our benefit.  Sadly, we are often under the misconception that we have power and autonomy in this world.  Moreover, and due to the reliability and monotony by which everything functions for us, we fall under the false impression that the physical laws of cause and effect and action and reaction are inherent properties of nature and independent of their Creator.  However, the truth is quite different.  God allows these laws to function and serve us but, if He wills, He can stop them at any time.  For example, God has subjugated some animals to our advantage, but not others.  A child can lead a domesticated camel or an enormous elephant, but even a strong man cannot domesticate a small snake.  If taming an animal were done through our own powers -such as our physical and intellectual advantages- then we should easily be able to domesticate a small snake or an insect.  God presents us these animals as proof, so we can realize that He has subjugated what He willed and did not subjugate what He did not will, as stated in this verse: 

Do they not see the cattle, among the things We have fashioned by Our power, which they own and whom We made subservient to them, so that some of them they ride and some they eat? (36:71-72)

You can now appreciate that the submissiveness of livestock is through their subjugation by God, not through our abilities.

Let's look at another example.  While scientists explain how clouds form and rain falls through the laws of physics in the atmosphere, God Almighty wants to draw our attention towards a higher power.  When there are droughts, we should realize that this is not only happening through the procedures of the universe, but also through the will of the Creator.  If the universe functioned exclusively according to its procedures, then what makes them ineffective at times? Conditions may be perfect for rain, and the forecast may call for plenty, yet no rain comes.  It is the will of God that is above the laws of the universe.  Therefore, everything in the world is in His name.  He is the One Who gives and withholds even in the matters where we have been given freedom of choice, as stated in the following verse: 

To God belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates whatsoever He wills, bestows daughters on whomsoever He will, and gives sons to whom He chooses.  On some, He bestows both sons and daughters, and some He leaves barren. He is all-knowing and all-powerful. (42:49-50)

This last example comes from a situation that many of us may have experienced in life: conceiving a child.  A perfectly healthy married couple may not conceive children despite continually trying.  The man and woman may have all the required health attributes to conceive, and all the physical conditions may have been met for pregnancy, yet they fail.  Why? Because conditions do not create a human being: God does.  If He wills, He allows the laws that regulate human reproduction to work and, if He wills, He stops them.  The lesson to take is that, while we live our lives through causes and effects, we should always keep in mind that the laws by which the world functions do not govern God, instead it is Him Who creates and controls them.  Hence, everything and every action should begin with God's name.