CULTURE OF ISLAM

060 Is This What We Are Created For?

Imtiaz Muhsin 20-Jan-12

The main objective of these talks (and therefore the scripts of these talks), is to stimulate thinking. Sensible, rational and logical thinking. So, my message, think, think & think! Be sensible, be rational and be logical.

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

Please Note
1. I have had the great privilege, (since Aug 2010), of presenting talks on the weekly Radio Program Culture of Islam [Every Friday 8 to 8.30 pm, Radio Sri Lanka - FM 97.4] 2. Since these are Radio Talks, I refer to, or address the audience as listeners 3. I am well aware that the audience to these talks would consist of people belonging to a variety of faiths. So as to make people of all faiths feel included, I very often use words and names that are common to all religions. 4. For these reasons, I use the name GOD, as well as Abraham, Moses, Jesus etc as well as the names Allah, Ibrahim (Alaihis Salaam), Moosa (Alaihis Salaam), Easa (Alaihis Salaam) etc 5. Muslims by habit usually say Sallallahu Alaihiwasallam, when the name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, and Alaihis Salaam' when the name of a Prophet is mentioned. However, in these series of talks I have reduced the use of these prayers & sayings to the bare minimum. 6. Muslims, also by habit, use a number of Arabic prayers or sayings, such as Alhamdulillah, Insha Allah and so on. Again, I have reduced the use of these prayers or sayings to the bare minimum. 7. Sometimes I have to write Arabic words in the English script. I have devised my own way of writing Arabic in English, as follows;

th TH

s Ss SW

DHL DHZ

H h

Gh GH

Information on these talks along with all download links can be found on my on my Blog (http://imtiazm.wordpress.com/) The dates or the schedules of these talks can be viewed on the Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/ImtiazMuhsin786) The Scripts of these talks can be downloaded from www.ScribD.com (www.ScribD.com Author Imtiaz Muhsin) The audio files of these talks can be downloaded from YouTube (YouTube Channel Imtiaz Muhsin) The YouTube Link to this talk is at

All Praise and Thanks is due to Allah and Allah alone Alhamdulillah! P.S. Picture on cover is that of a Mosque from the Kurnegala District in Sri Lanka

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

060 Is This What We Are Created For?

Dear Friends, I greet you all with Assalamu Alaikum which, I am sure you would recognize as the greeting of a Muslim, and means Peace be upon you! or Peace unto You! This is the 7th Talk or episode in the Series Knowing God Muslims identify God as Allah, and I prefer to refer to God as Allah Taaalah, which means Allah the most exalted, thus the title of this series is Knowing Allah Taaalah Today I wanted to talk on the intriguing topic about our creation, and then to explore through reasoning, what could possibly be the objective or objectives. I wanted to treat this exercise as an interesting learning process, even look on it as an interesting voyage of discovery. My methodology was to be in four steps. 1. Look around, make observations, 2. Apply some use some logic and reasoning to what I have been observing, and try to work out what appears to be, or the apparent reasons or the objectives of what I am seeing 3. Now try to identify the many Aayaths in the Holy Quran that describes what I have seen or observed, and then 4. See if these Aayaths of the Holy Quran actually gives us new perspectives or enlightening views. (Note what we refer to as the verses in the Holy Quran is known as the Aayaths in Arabic, and the word Aayath means Signs) If Allah Taaalah is our creator and if the Holy Quran is the book of guidance revealed by Him, then what we read in the Holy Quran should wow us Insha Allah! Is it that my reasoning is just mundane, and is the reasoning in the Holy Quran enlightening? So in other words the steps would be observing, reasoning, referring to the Signs or the Aayath on the Holy Quran and then seeing whether my perspectives have been enhanced. Have I become more knowledgeable? Well that is what I want to find out an enlightened view, of why we have been created. Interesting, challenging, enlightening and the cost of this course only time, seeking and reflecting in other words, no material costs it is free!! Now when I embarked on this exercise, I thought I could cover it in one program. But then there are so many phenomena that we see, so many Aayaths that describe these phenomena, and the views being extolled in the Holy Quran does give us new insights. I must share these with you. But then again, there is so much of material, and it is so very interesting. I have thus decided to cover this topic in a series of talks.

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

This is where things get a little complicated, but then I am sure that my listeners would have the wherewithal to comprehend. Firstly, the title of this weekly radio program is The Culture of Islam The series that I am now covering is titled Knowing God or Knowing Allah I prefer to use the title Knowing Allah Taaalah or Knowing Allah the most exalted I am now creating a new sub series titled Is this what we are created for? a simpler title would be Why are we on Earth? and now I am covering this sub series in a series of episodes, viz; 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. What do we see, on Earth? Who are we? Where do we fit in? Our special benefits, on Earth What makes us stand out? What makes us special? Who is really in charge? What does God or Allah tell us about Himself? Our special faculties how they should be used, how they should not be used. The two paths.

Actually, I am very excited. There are many stages. 1. The process of thinking out this topic, 2. Then realizing that there are many factors that deserve or need exploring, I call them sub topics 3. Maybe each subtopic could or even would become a topic, 4. Then searching the Holy Quran for references or for explanations to what we are seeing, 5. Then relating these Aayaths to my observations, 6. Then trying to work out the message in these Aayaths 7. Then finally, realizing how these Aayaths of the Quran is actually pointing out to us new perspectives. It really is very exciting. It really is an interesting learning experience. It really is a true voyage of discovery. It is a learning experience and a voyage of discovery that I can share with everyone that makes it even more exciting Alhamdulillah! Today my talk would be a sort of a review a sort of a walkthrough of all these 8 sub topics, and then maybe I could treat each subtopic as a topic of my future talks Insha Allah which would mean that I would have to research and collect material, for maybe another 8 talks again Insha Allah! Now to begin our journey, let us look at this Earth, our Planet. Or better still, let us view the Universe. We can view the Universe in many planes every one of them exudes breathtaking beauty beauty that we say, makes us want to set aside our problems, take some time and watch this beauty it is a beauty that drives us to meditate. Like good Music can set a mood, the beauty of the Universe at every plane is a beauty that opens up or we could say opens up deep inside us the yearning to watch, to drink in deeply and to set our minds to meditative mode or contemplative mode?

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

Does not this factor itself about the Universe not make us think that we are in an environment that creates a yearning in us to meditate, to be contemplative so should it not be that we should drop our worries, take some time and spend it contemplating the Universe. Delving a little more into this observation that just looking at the universe itself, generates deep within us the feeling to meditate it is just not the observing or the seeing, but alos the hearing. At times that I feel very stressed, I try to take some time and go the beach, sit on the rocks and watch the waves breaking in the reef and on the shore. It takes maybe around 15 minutes of quiet listening, and then I find myself relaxing. The stresses go to the background and the sound or the rhythm of the sound of the waves, the sound of the wind, the sound of the few birds flying around altogether sort of seeps into my mind. It is very soothing. Once I wnt ot my Doctor who checked my pressure and told me it was high. The thought of the sound of the waves crossed my mind. I told my Doctor Insha Allah, I shall return in a few days, then again Insha Allah, my blood pressure would be normal. I then spent around 40 minutes every evening sitting on the rocks at the beach, listening to the waves and the other sounds actually I could feel my stresses, my pressures maybe even my blood pressure reducing. I then visited my Doctor he again checked my blood pressure he said it was normal and wanted to know what medicine I was taking. When I described to him my course of medication he agreed that this could work, but then people are not inclined to take this course of action. Anyway, the sounds of running water say a flowing river. Then the sight of a waterfall and even the sounds! Even sitting under a tree! We know that Lord Buddha sat under a Bo tree when meditating. Anyone who has been to a quiet environment and then sat under a Bo tree would realize the soothing effect of the sound of the wind playing through the leaves of the Bo tree as well as the cool shade it provides. So let us the Universe. Let us begin from the highest planes, the planes of the stars. The stars the beauty of them. The arrangement, the movements, the precise predictability but then so many factors, so many elements. Then let us view the elements or the celestial bodies that are in our solar system firstly the Sun its beauty, its terrifying environment we can feel its effects even though we are more than 93 M miles away. The huge huge amounts of benefits it provides to the Earth every second actually every milli second. Then we observe the Moon the beauty it is silverfish light light reflected from the Sun. the indescribable beauty of the Moon. Then we come down to the level of our atmosphere and the space between the sky and the Earth. A beautiful blue sky. Even the clouds in it are beautiful. The colors sweeping across the morning sky and the evening sky are really sights to behold. The colors of the sky reflecting off the sea, a lagoon or some other body of water is a panorama, the beauty of which we want to drink in. When rain clouds gather even sky turns a lead color and even this lead color draws out the beauty of nature. Especially when part of the sky is laden with rain clouds and the sun shines as well, then trees and greenery looks even greener there is a sort of a glow everywhere sometimes even a rainbow. The space between the Sky and the Earth though it looks just blank there are a numerous waves of energy.

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

Radio waves, Micrwaves, Ultra Violet Rays, rays the visible light spectrum, then infra red rays, Xrays, Gamma Rays etc. What about this strange but taken for granted force that we call gravity and even air pressure. What about the composition of this air itself. We also have sound waves, heat rays, Magnetic fields and I am sure many other energies and powers that we still do not know anything about. The Earth has been described as a blanket of life 1.5 kms thick! Imagine the entire Earth, is actually a blanket of life We have microbes in the atmosphere maybe up to a height of 1 Km then we have life on land, and even underground. This life flows. Every living organism dies, and out of its material rises other organisms too complicated to track but then we see life generates life, we could also say death generates life! Every facet in this Universe exudes beauty proclaims beauty. Exudes order, systems, processes, working together, working in tandem and we must admit in the workings there are no seams or no boundaries that show us where one system or process ends and the other system or process takes over. If we were to take time to meditate then it would be obvious to us that every facet of this Universe ahs a designer, a creator, a controller, a sustainer, a planner, a coordinator and so on and that, that is God or Allah Taaalah. Inna Fee KhalQis Samaa Waathi Wal Ardhli Wakh thilaafil Laiyli Wan Nahaari La Aayaathil Oolil albaab. Now let us get on to the next sub topic. 2. Who are we? Where do we fit in? Let me elaborate. In this beautiful Universe, this elaborately designed, constructed and run Universe we are on this beautiful Planet this Planet Earth simply throbbing with life life within life within life life flowing and ebbing. Systems within systems within systems! Systems and process magically working together. And we, the species that we refer to as Mankind are here. So, who are we, why are we here, how do we fit in. Out of all the species of life we see on Earth, which also includes all the species of life in the Oceans Mankind is the only animal or organism that can appreciate the beauty and the systems as well as the planning or the workings of the systems does that not make us stand out! Now, to answer these many questions as well as all the other many questions that arise out of these questions, we should try to compare all other creation with mankind now how do we do that what is it we have in common that we could use as a factor for comparison? It can be a little perplexing to find some factor that can be compared from amongst the stars, the planets, the sun, the moon, earth, the different or the variety of energies, the systems and processes through which they all work and are even synchronized, then, all living matter and even the physiologies of all these living organisms and finally taking mankind, trying to identify his role, and his physiology.

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

How do we get this common factor which we could use as a comparison factor? Some weeks ago, I covered a topic on Ilm or knowledge I would like to use this factor the factor of knowledge displayed by all these elements, as the common factor and then try to work out what is different in man from all these other elements of the Universe. I will try to keep this explanation as short and as brief as possible. We see behavioral patterns in all the elements or ingredients that make up the Universe. The makeup as well as the movements of the stars, the zodiacal signs, the sun, the moon, the Earth all shows precision (mathematical precision) - as well as dynamism (mathematical dynamism) it is obvious that all these celestial bodies possess programmed knowledge. We then observe the energies and the forces, especially those in our atmosphere, and again we see precision, mathematical precision we are amazed we call them laws we have Newtons Laws, Einsteins Laws, Keplers Laws, Planks constant (also referred to as a Universal constant) and so on. Do not all these energies and forces heat, light, sound, radio waves, microwaves, magnetism and even gravity clearly display what we could call programmed knowledge? The we view all living organisms, we first view their physiologies or the workings (the inner workings) of their cells, their tissues and their organs how they work as organs and how they work as a team along with all other organs does not all this working and behavioral patterns of all these cells, tissues and organs clearly demonstrate programmed knowledge? Now we get on to another facet we look at the behavioral patterns of all organisms the knowledge components and compare this with the behavioral patterns of man his knowledge component. When we look at all organisms we can see that each organism behaves differently or we could say in a specific manner according to the environment or the situation. What we wold see is that all organisms or all animals display a huge amount of programmed knowledge. Some animals appear to be having only programmed knowledge, some others may display say 75% programmed knowledge and 25 % learned knowedge. The example I spoke about was that of the birds birds appear to be possessing a large amount of programmed knowledge. The Bird knows how to fly, it knows how to find food, it knows how to recognize its food, it knows how to locate its nest even in a jungle, it knows when to migrate, where to migrate, the migratory routes, the new landscapes in the new lands, it knows how to build its nest, it knows the courting rituals, it knows to incubate the eggs ans well as to protect and feed its young and so on. Almost every knowledge is programmed knowledge only very little is learnt knowledge. Now we come to the case of man well he only possesses learned or learnt knowledge. Thus he learns in his environment thus the different languages, the different cultures. This observation that everything, simply everything in this Universe appears to be programmed except man! Everything has or possesses programmed knowledge and display predictable behavioral patterns. Man, on the other hand, has two compartments of knowledge, firstly the physiology, obviously programmed knowledge and the second the outward knowledge obviously has to be learnt.

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

Now the big question the whole world, everything on it seems to be programmed except the behavior of man that he has to learn. Would we put a living organism that has no knowledge into an elaborately programmed environment? Would we?? So, there is a big message Man has to program himself he has to observe his environment and wisely decide what he wishes to observe, what he wishes to contemplate about, what he wishes to build as his knowledge, what he wishes to work on as his convictions and then what theme he wishes to follow in life that is basically what is happening to all mankind that includes you and me. (16:78) Allah has brought you forth from your mothers wombs when you knew nothing, and He made for you ears, eyes and hearts, so that you may be grateful. Now we come to the next sub topic, which is 3. Our benefits on Earth When we look around, we suddenly realize that everything on this Earth or even on this Universe is for our benefit. Through the arrangement of the stars we navigate at least we did, till we discovered Magnetism and invented the Compass. Through the arrangement of the Stars we call them the zodiacal signs, we know the month and the seasons. Through the workings of the Sun and the Moon, we know the date of the Lunar Month as well as the time. No animal or other organism learns this or is able to plan for these phases. There are some animals that make us of the phases of the Moon, the tides etc for amny purposes even for laying of eggs, coming on to land, gong back to the sea etc but no other animal plans events or activities by calculating the phases of the Moon or the movement of the Sun. Then on Earth we see this Food Chain we have the primary producers the trees and then different levels on the Food Chain basically food moves from the herbivores to the carnivores. Man does not fit in to this food chain. He is neither a hunter nor the hunted. Man is too clever for that. Man Farms. Man Shepherds Cattle. Hunting is for sport. Being hunted is the plight of those who make mistakes, and is rare. It is not surprising to find that Man now documents shark attacks it is so rare that it makes news!

60 Is This What We Are Created For?

Some of the Aayaths in the Holy Quran are indeed revealing; 2:29a 14:33a 14:33b 16:12 It is He who created for you all that the earth contains; And He has subjugated for you the sun and the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses; and the night and the day hath he (also) made subject to you. He has subjugated for you the day and the night and the sun and the moon, and the stars (too) are subservient by His command And (He subjugated to you) whatever He created for you on the earth having varied colors. Surely, in that, there is a sign for a people who do Zikr Huwallazee KhalaQalakum Fil Ardhli Jameeghan Wa Sakhkhara lakumush Shamsa Wal Qamara Dhaai baiyn Wa Sakhkhara lakumul Laiyla Wan NaHaar Wasakhkhara lakumul Laiyla Wan NaHaar Wash Shamsa Wal Qamar Wan Nujoomu Musakhkharaathun bi AmriHi Wamaa Zaraa lakum Fil Ardhli Mukhthalifan Alwaanuhoo Inna Fee Zaalika La Aayaathal LiQauwmin Yazzakkaroon

16:13 16:13

So now we ask the other questions that arise from these points; We looked at the Earth, we looked at the other animals and we try to work out as to where we fit in in to this rather complex system, and we find that we stand out we are special. Then we look a little further and we find that everything on this Universe appears to be serving us. There is some very important factor or factors, those of great consequence, that we are deriving benefit from every element in this Universe. Now in Sub topic 4 we try to look at ourselves and try to see what is special in us, and we see two things our minds and our hands. We have special very advanced tools to think our brains and our minds and special advanced tools to do our hands. We have hands other animals have legs, fins, wings only the primates share hands with us. Now the question why were we granted these faculties and facilities? In Sub topic No 5 we try to work out as to who actually is in charge. We try to work out as why it is we cannot see Him. We try to work out as to whether there is some way in which we could experience Him! The we progress to Sub Topic 6 where we now go through some of the Aayaths of the Holy Quran where God, or Allah Taaalah describes Himself very enlightening Then in Sub topic 7 we now try to work out what God, or Allah Taaalah expects from us.

The purpose of our creation

The Earth is special Our place on Earth is special. Everything on Earth appears to be serving us making us very very special. The we also observe that we possess or are blessed with very special faculties and tools Then we reason out as to who is in charge

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What He would have created us for and then finally in sub Topic 8 we reason out what He wants for us and what He does not want for us, or in other words, what e wants us to do or want He does not want us to do. Allah Taaalah describes it as the tow paths so let us try to reason out these two contrasting paths. Insha Allah, I hope that all of you enjoyed listening to this talk as much as I enjoyed preparing for it as well as presenting it to you. Insha Allah next week I hope to talk on the sub Topic What we see on Earth May Allah Taaala guide us all and accept us all. Jazza Kalla Khairan! Assalamu Alaikum

Imtiaz Muhsin Colombo Sri Lanka crescent786@hotmail.com

You Tube Channel - HaneefanMusliman

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60 Is This What We Are Created For?

Series 2 The Talks numbered 054 to 071 is under a series titled Knowing Allah Taaalah or Knowing GOD The details of the scripts of these 16 Episodes (Talks) are as follows;
Talk No Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Talk Number & Title 054 Ilm Knowing Allah 055 Rationality - The Foundation of Islam 056 Is Man Special? 057 Ar Rahmaan - The Beneficent 058 Nature or GOD? 059 Our Relationship with GOD! Sub Series: 060 Is this what we are created for? (Is this what we are created for? Part 1) Sub Series: 061 What do we see on Earth (Is this what we are created for? Part 2) Sub Series: 062 Who are WE? Where do we fit in? (Is this what we are created for? Part 3) Sub Series: 063 Our benefits on Earth (Is this what we are created for? Part 4) Sub Series: 066 What makes us 'Stand Out'? What makes us 'Special'? (Is this what we are created for? Part 5) Sub Series: 067 Who is in charge? (Is this what we are created for? Part 6) Sub Series: 068 What ALLAH Teaches Us, About Himself (Is this what we are created for? Part 7) Sub Series: 069 Our Special Faculties How they should be used, How they should not be used! (Is this what we are created for? Part 8) Sub Series: 070 The TWO Paths 071 Is this what we are created for? A review of Parts 1 to 8 from the Sub Series Is this what we are created for? Date Broadcast Dec 9th 2011 Dec 16h 2011 Dec 23th 2011 Dec 30th 2011 Jan 6th 2012 Jan 13th 2012 Jan 20th 2012 Jan 27th 2012 Feb 3rd 2012 Feb 10th 2012 Feb 17th 2012 Feb 24th 2012 Mar 2nd 2012 Details of Picture on Cover Wellawatte Jummah Mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka Parasangaswewa Mosque (a remote village) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka Mutwal Jummah Mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka The Akbar Mosque in Slave Island, Colombo, Sri Lanka Mosque in Matara, from the Southern Province of Sri Lanka Beach Mosque at Kalmunaikudi in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka A Mosque in the Kurnegala District, Sri Lanka Maradana Jummah Mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka Colpetty Jummah Mosque, in Colombo, Sri Lanka The Jummah Mosque at Natpidimunnai, in the Ampara District, Sri Lanka The Devatagaha Mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka A Mosque in a rural village in the Ampara District, in Sri Lanka The Jummah Mosque in Oluvil a village in the Ampara District, Sri Lanka The Dhanakawewa Jummah Mosque in a remote village in the Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka Mosque at Madhavakulam in the Puttlam District, Sri Lanka A Mosque by a river in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka

Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10

Episode 11

Episode 12

Episode 13

Episode 14

Mar 9th 2012 Mar 16th 2012 Mar 23rd 2012

Episode 15 Episode 16

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60 Is This What We Are Created For?