Friday, January 21, 2022

The Big Questions: Who Made Us?

 


At some point in our lives, everybody asks the big questions: “Who made us,” and “Why are we here?”

So who did make us?  Most of us have been brought up more on science than religion, and to believe in the Big Bang and evolution more than God.  But which makes more sense?  And is there any reason why the theories of science and creationism cannot coexist?

The Big Bang may explain the origin of the universe, but it doesn’t explain the origin of the primordial dust cloud.  This dust cloud (which, according to the theory, drew together, compacted and then exploded) had to come from somewhere.  After all, it contained enough matter to form not just our galaxy, but the billion other galaxies in the known universe.  So where did that come form?  Who, or what, created the primordial dust cloud?

Similarly, evolution may explain the fossil record, but it falls far short of explaining the quintessential essence of human life—the soul.  We all have one.  We feel its presence, we speak of its existence and at times pray for its salvation.  But only the religious can explain where it came from.  The theory of natural selection can explain many of the material aspects of living things, but it fails to explain the human soul.

Furthermore, anyone who studies the complexities of life and the universe cannot help but witness the signature of the Creator.[1]  Whether or not people recognize these signs is another matter—as the old saying goes, denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.  (Get it? Denial, spelled “de Nile” … the river Ni … oh, never mind.) The point is that if we see a painting, we know there is a painter.  If we see a sculpture, we know there’s a sculptor; a pot, a potter.  So when we view creation, shouldn’t we know there’s a Creator?

The concept that the universe exploded and then developed in balanced perfection through random events and natural selection is little different from the proposal that, by dropping bombs into a junkyard, sooner or later one of them will blow everything together into a perfect Mercedes.

If there is one thing we know for certain, it is that without a controlling influence, all systems degenerate into chaos.  The theories of the Big Bang and evolution propose the exact opposite, however—that chaos fostered perfection.  Would it not be more reasonable to conclude that the Big Bang and evolution were controlled events? Controlled, that is, by the Creator?

The Bedouin of Arabia tell the tale of a nomad finding an exquisite palace at an oasis in the middle of an otherwise barren desert.  When he asks how it was built, the owner tells him it was formed by the forces of nature.  The wind shaped the rocks and blew them to the edge of this oasis, and then tumbled them together into the shape of the palace.

Then it blew sand and rain into the cracks to cement them together.  Next, it blew strands of sheep’s wool together into rugs and tapestries, stray wood together into furniture, doors, windowsills and trim, and positioned them in the palace at just the right locations.

Lightning strikes melted sand into sheets of glass and blasted them into the window-frames, and smelted black sand into steel and shaped it into the fence and gate with perfect alignment and symmetry.  The process took billions of years and only happened at this one place on earth—purely through coincidence.
When we finish rolling our eyes, we get the point.  Obviously, the palace was built by design, not by happenstance.  To what (or more to the point, to Whom), then, should we attribute the origin of items of infinitely greater complexity, such as our universe and ourselves?

Another argument to dismiss the concept of Creationism focuses upon what people perceive to be the imperfections of creation.These are the “How can there be a God if such-and-such happened?”  arguments.The issue under discussion could be anything from a natural disaster to birth defects, from genocide to grandma’s cancer.That’s not the point.  The point is that denying God based upon what we perceive to be injustices of life presumes that a divine being would not have designed our lives to be anything other than perfect, and would have established justice on Earth.

We can just as easily propose that God did not design life on Earth to be paradise, but rather a test, the punishment or rewards of which are to be had in the next life, which is where God establishes His ultimate justice.  In support of this concept we can well ask who suffered more injustices in their worldly lives than God’s favorites, which is to say the prophets?

And who do we expect to occupy the highest stations in paradise, if not those who maintain true faith in the face of worldly adversity? So suffering in this worldly life does not necessarily translate into God’s disfavor, and a blissful worldly life does not necessarily translate into beatitude in the hereafter.
I would hope that, by this line of reasoning, we can agree upon the answer to the first “big question.”  Who made us? Can we agree that if we are creation, God is the Creator?

If we can’t agree on this point, there probably isn’t much point in continuing.  However, for those who do agree, let’s move on to “big question” number two—why are we here? What, in other words, is the purpose of life?

The first of the two big questions in life is, “Who made us?” We addressed that question in the previous article and (hopefully) settled upon “God” as the answer.  As we are creation, God is the Creator.

Now, let us turn to the second “big question,” which is, “Why are we here?”

Well, why are we here?  To amass fame and fortune?  To make music and babies?  To be the richest man or woman in the graveyard for, as we are jokingly told, “He who dies with the most toys wins?”

No, there must be more to life than that, so let’s think about this.  To begin with, look around you.  Unless you live in a cave, you are surrounded by things we humans have made with our own hands.  Now, why did we make those things?  The answer, of course, is that we make things to perform some specific function for us.  In short, we make things to serve us.  So by extension, why did God make us, if not to serve Him?

If we acknowledge our Creator, and that He created humankind to serve Him, the next question is, “How?  How do we serve Him?”  No doubt, this question is best answered by the One who made us.  If He created us to serve Him, then He expects us to function in a particular manner, if we are to achieve our purpose.  But how can we know what that manner is? How can we know what God expects from us?

Well, consider this: God gave us light, by which we can find our way.  Even at night, we have the moon for light and the stars for navigation.  God gave other animals guidance systems best suited for their conditions and needs.  Migrating birds can navigate, even on overcast days, by how light is polarized as it passes through the clouds.

Whales migrate by “reading” the Earth’s magnetic fields.  Salmon return from the open ocean to spawn at the exact spot of their birth by smell, if that can be imagined.  Fish sense distant movements through pressure receptors that line their bodies.  Bats and blind river dolphins “see” by sonar.  Certain marine organisms (the electric eel being a high-voltage example) generate and “read” magnetic fields, allowing them to “see” in muddy waters, or in the blackness of ocean depths.  Insects communicate by pheromones.

Plants sense sunlight and grow towards it (phototrophism); their roots sense gravity and grow into the earth (geotrophism).  In short, God has gifted every element of His creation with guidance.  Can we seriously believe he would not give us guidance on the one most important aspect of our existence, namely our raison d’etre—our reason for being? That he would not give us the tools by which to achieve salvation?
And would this guidance not be .  .  .  revelation?

Think of it this way: Every product has specifications and rules.  For more complex products, whose specifications and rules are not intuitive, we rely upon owner’s manuals.  These manuals are written by the one who knows the product best, which is to say the manufacturer.  A typical owner’s manual begins with warnings about improper use and the hazardous consequences thereof, moves on to a description of how to use the product properly and the benefits to be gained thereby, and provides product specifications and a troubleshooting guide whereby we can correct product malfunctions.

Now, how is that different from revelation?

Revelation tells us what to do, what not to do and why, tells us what God expects of us, and shows us how to correct our deficiencies.  Revelation is the ultimate user’s manual, provided as guidance to the one who will use us—ourselves.

In the world we know, products that meet or exceed specifications are considered successes whereas those that don’t are … hmm … let’s think about this.  Any product that fails to meet factory specifications is either repaired or, if hopeless, recycled.  In other words, destroyed.  Ouch.  Suddenly this discussion turns scary-serious.  Because in this discussion, we are the product—the product of creation.

But let’s pause for a moment and consider how we interact with the various items that fill our lives.  As long as they do what we want, we’re happy with them.  But when they fail us, we get rid of them.  Some are returned to the store, some donated to charity, but eventually they all end up in the garbage, which gets … buried or burned.  Similarly, an underperforming employee gets … fired.  Now, stop for a minute and think about that word.  Where did that euphemism for the punishment due to an underperformer come from?  Hmm … the person who believes the lessons of this life translate into lessons about religion could have a field day with this.

But that doesn’t mean these analogies are invalid.  Just the opposite, we should remember that both Old and New Testaments are filled with analogies, and Jesus Christ taught using parables.

So perhaps we had better take this seriously.

No, I stand corrected.  Most definitely we should take this seriously.  Nobody ever considered the difference between heavenly delights and the tortures of hellfire a laughing matter.

In the previous two parts of this series, we answered the two “big questions.”  Who made us?  God.  Why are we here?  To serve and worship Him.  A third question naturally arose: “If our Creator made us to serve and worship Him, how do we do that?” In the previous article I suggested that the only way we can serve our Creator is through obeying His mandates, as conveyed through revelation.

But many people would question my assertion: Why does mankind need revelation?  Isn’t it enough just to be good?  Isn’t it enough for each of us to worship God in our own way?

Regarding the need for revelation, I would make the following points: In the first article of this series I pointed out that life is full of injustices, but our Creator is fair and just and He establishes justice not in this life, but in the afterlife.  However, justice cannot be established without four things—a court (i.e., the Day of Judgment); a judge (i.e., the Creator); witnesses (i.e., men and women, angels, elements of creation); and a book of laws upon which to judge (i.e., revelation).

Now, how can our Creator establish justice if He did not hold humankind to certain laws during their livetimes?  It’s not possible.  In that scenario, instead of justice, God would be dealing out injustice, for He would be punishing people for transgressions they had no way of knowing were crimes.
 

Why else do we need revelation?  To begin with, without guidance mankind cannot even agree on social and economic issues, politics, laws, etc.  So how can we ever agree on God?  Secondly, nobody writes the user manual better than the one who made the product.

God is the Creator, we are creation, and nobody knows the overall scheme of creation better than the Creator.  Are employees allowed to design their own job descriptions, duties and compensation packages as they see fit?  Are we citizens allowed to write our own laws?  No?  Well then, why should we be allowed to write our own religions?  If history has taught us anything, it is the tragedies that result when mankind follows its caprice.  How many who have claimed to banner of free thought have designed religions that committed themselves and their followers to nightmares on Earth and damnation in the hereafter?

So why isn’t it enough just to be good?  And why isn’t it enough for each of us to worship God in our own way?  To begin with, peoples’ definitions of “good” differ.  For some it is high morals and clean living, for others it is madness and mayhem.

Similarly, concepts of how to serve and worship our Creator differ as well.  More importantly and to the point, nobody can walk into a store or a restaurant and pay with a different currency than the merchant accepts.  So it is with religion.  If people want God to accept their servitude and worship, they have to pay in the currency God demands.  And that currency is obedience to His revelation.
 

Imagine raising children in a home in which you have established “house rules.” Then, one day, one of your children tells you he or she has changed the rules, and is going to do things differently.  How would you respond?  More than likely, with the words, “You can take your new rules and go to Hell!” Well, think about it.  We are God’s creation, living in His universe under His rules, and “go to Hell” is very likely what God will say to any who presume to override His laws with their own.

Sincerity becomes an issue at this point.  We should recognize that all pleasure is a gift from our Creator, and deserving of thanks.  If given a gift, who uses the gift before giving thanks?  And yet, many of us enjoy God’s gifts for a lifetime and never give thanks.  Or give it late.  The English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, spoke of the irony of the distressed human appeal in The Cry of the Human:

And lips say “God be pitiful,”

Who ne’er said, “God be praised.”

Should we not show good manners and thank our Creator for His gifts now, and subsequently for the rest of our lives?  Don’t we owe Him that?

You answered “Yes.” You must have.  Nobody will have read this far without being in agreement, but here’s the problem: Many of you answered “Yes,” knowing full well that your heart and mind does not wholly agree with the religions of your exposure.  You agree we were created by a Creator.  You struggle to understand Him.

And you yearn to serve and worship Him in the manner He prescribes.  But you don’t know how, and you don’t know where to look for the answers.  And that, unfortunately, is not a subject that can be answered in an article.  Unfortunately, that has to be addressed in a book, or maybe even in a series of books.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Global Visa Consultants

Office 210, 2nd Floor, Landmark Plaza
Jail Road,Lahore 54000 Pakistan.
T: +92 42 357 12 553
M: +92 311 176 2324
E: globalvisa30@gmail.com
URL: www.globalvisaconsultant.com
URL: www.globalevisaservices.com
E: globalvisaconsultant1@gmail.com

Recent Comments

Labels

100. Surah Al-Adiyat 101. Surah Al-Qari'ah 102. Surah At-Takathur 103. Surah Al-Asr 104. Surah Al-Humazah 105. Surah Al-Fil 106. Surah Quraish 107. Surah Al-Maun 108. Surah Al-Kauthar 110. Surah An-Nasr 111. Surah Al-Lahab 112. Surah Al-Ikhlas 113. Surah Al-Falaq 114. Surah An-Nas 4 Qul 4 Qul Tarjuma ke sath 55. Surah Ar-Rahman 56. Surah Al-Waqiah 57. Surah Al-Hadid 58. Surah Al-Mujadilah 59. Surah Al-Hashr 6 Facts About Dome of Masjid e Nabawi 6 Kalima 60. Surah Al-Mumtahanah 61. Surah As-Saff 62. Surah Al-Jumua 63. Surah Al-Munafiqoon 64. Surah At-Taghabun 65. Surah At-Talaq 66. Surah At-Tahrim 67. Surah Al-Mulk 68. Surah Al-Qalam 69. Surah Al-Haqqah 7 Hadiths About Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain (RA) 70. Surah Al-Ma'arij 71. Surah Nuh 72. Surah Al-Jinn 73. Surah Al-Muzzammil 74. Surah Al-Muddaththir 75. Surah Al-Qiyamah 76. Surah Al-Insan 77. Surah Al-Mursalaat 78. Surah An-Naba 79. Surah An-Naziat 80. Surah Abasa 81. Surah At-Takwir 82. Surah Al-Infitaar 84. Surah Al-Inshiqaq 86. Surah At-Tariq 87. Surah Al-Ala 88. Surah Al-Ghaashiyah 89. Surah Al-Fajr 90. Surah Al-Balad 92. Surah Al-Lail 93. Surah Ad-Duha 94. Surah Al-Inshirah 95. Surah At-Tin 96. Surah Al-Alaq 97. Surah Al-Qadr 98. Surah Al-Bayyinah 99. Surah Al-Zilzal A Muslim View on Respecting Life A Reminder For All The Worlds – Quran Actions that put a person beyond the pale of Islam Adhkaar on Friday Advice for New Muslims Ahad Nama Aisha Bint Abu Bakr (R.A) Al-Fatiha Al-Masjid an-Nabawi Ayatul Kursi Ayatul Kursi Benefits Belief in Angels Benefits And Power of Reciting 4 Qul of Quran Benefits of Ayatul Kursi Benefits of Darood e Akbar Benefits of Surah Al-Jumah Benefits of Surah Al-Kahf Benefits of Surah Al-Mulk Benefits of Surah Ar-Rahman Benefits of Surah Fajr Benefits of Surah Fath Benefits of Surah Jinn Benefits of Surah Muhammad Benefits of Surah Muzzamil Benefits of Surah Naba Benefits of Surah Nooh Benefits of Surah Qaf Benefits of Surah Sajdah Benefits of Surah Taghabun Benefits of Surah Tariq Benefits of Surah Ya-Seen Benefits of Surat Al-Falaq Benefits of Surat Al-Fatiha Benefits of Surat Al-Kafirun Benefits of Surat An-Nas Best Dua For Travelling – To Have Safe Journey Brief History and Biography of Muhammad Burial: What to do Causes of Inheritance Charon Qul Cure of Magic Cure with Manzil Daily Morning Azkar Dalail al-khayrat Dalail al-Khayrat Manzil 1 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 2 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 3 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 4 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 5 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 6 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 7 Dalail Al-Khayrat Manzil 8 Dalail al-khyrat Benefits Darood e Akbar Darood e Akbar Benefits Darood e Akbar in Islam Darood Mustaghas Death Difference Between Rasool and Nabi Dua e Hajat Benefits Dua e Manzil Dua for Laylatul Qadr That Every Muslim Should Recite Dua Syed-ul-istighfar Dua-e-Akasha Dua-e-Aman Dua-e-Hajat Dua-e-kanoot Duas Manzil Durood Kibrit Ahmar Durood-e-ibrahimi durood-e-taaj Durood-e-Tanjeena Elderly Care Eman Mufassil Eman Mujamal Embracing ISLAM Fasting in Islam Festival of The Sacrifice Fifth Kalma Istaghfar First Kalima Tayyab FLIGHT JANAZAH FOCUS ON YOUR CHARACTER Fourth Kalima Tauheed Funeral Rites and Regulations in Islam Grand Intercession of the Prophet MuHammad Halal vs Haram History History of Islam HOW TO CONVERT TO ISLAM AND BECOME A MUSLIM How to Perform Hajj Impediments of Inheritance Importance And Major Events Of Dhu al-Qidah Islamic Month Importance And Major Events Of Shawwal Islamic Month Introduction to Islam Introduction to Islam in Spanish Is it a punishment or a trial Is Life Insurance Haram or Halal In Islam? Janaza Prayer Justice and Merits of Islam in the Distribution of Inheritance Kalima La Mujer en el Islam Manzil Manzil Dua Manzil Dua Benefits Manzil Dua Cure Manzil Dua in Islam Manzil Dua Islam Maqbool Duain Maqbool Qurani Duain Masnoon Dua Masnoon Duain Masnoon Qurani Duain Most Powerful Darood e Akbar Mount Paran MUHAMMAD (PBUH) IN THE PARSI SCRIPTURES Never Shed Your Leaves Questions about Black Stone Qul Al-Falaq Qul Al-Ikhlas Qul Al-Kafirun Qul An-Nas Quotes And Life of Zainab Bint Ali (RA) Qurani Surah Benefits Qurani Waza Qurani Wazaif Qurani Wazaif Collection Qurani Wazaif Selection Ramadan 'Eed Al-Fitr READING FOR FRIDAY READING FOR MONDAY READING FOR SATURDAY READING FOR SUNDAY READING FOR THURSDAY READING FOR TUESDAY READING FOR WEDNESDAY Refutation of Allegations Raised about the Distribution of Inheritance in Islam regard to issues of shirk and kufr Ruling on one who apostatises repeatedly Salatul Hajat Science Proves Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah Prevents Brain Damage in New Borns Second Kalma Shaadat Sixth Kalima Rud-A-Kuffer Story of the Prophet Musa (AS) Study of Quran Summary of Juz 1 Surah Al-Jumah Surah Al-Jumah Benefits Surah Al-Kahf Surah Al-Kahf Benefits Surah Al-Mulk Surah Al-Mulk Benefits Surah Fajr Surah Fajr Benefits Surah Fath Surah Fath Benefits Surah Jinn Surah Jinn Benefits Surah Muhammad Surah Muhammad Benefits Surah Muzzamil Surah Muzzamil Benefits Surah Naba Surah Naba Benefits Surah Nooh Surah Nooh Benefits Surah Qaf Surah Qaf Benefits Surah Sajdah Surah Taghabun Surah Taghabun Benefits Surah Tariq Surah Tariq Benefits Surah Yaseen tarjuma ke sath Surat Al Kahf Tasbih – How to recite Salatul Tasbih & its benifits The Big Questions: Who Made Us? The Finality of Prophethood The Full and Complete Isra and Miraj Story The Fundamentals of Islamic Belief The Importance of Distributing Inheritance The Life of this World is Fleeting Enjoyment The Miracle of Islamic Science The Miracles of Islam The Night Journey! The Prayer Of Need The Punishment of Being Sinful The Purpose of Creation The Purpose of Life: Reason and Revelation The Qur'an and Scientific Advancement THE SPIRIT OF RAMADAN The Wisdom Behind Prescribing Inheritance Third Kalma Tamjeed Universal Lessons of Hajj Virtues of Al-Fatihah Virtues of Fasting in the Summer Waldain Ke Huqooq - Maa Baap Ke Huqooq Wazaif Collection Wazaif e Ghawsia Wazaif of Week Wazaif Selection Welcome Aboard Fly Air Janazah What is Islamic studies? What One Must Know before Hajj – The Fiqh Provisions of a Pilgrim WHAT TO DO UPON A DEATH When Mecca Build Why are Christians donating towards The Qur'an Project? Why Did God Create? Women Zakat