A Brief Reflection on Surah Al-Hijr (15) and Hubristic Doubt

In the surah Al-Hijr (the Stone), God highlights a kind of doubt which is rooted in hubris.  After explaining the origin of the universe and how disbelievers doubt it is created by God, even if God “opened a gateway into Heaven for them and they rose through it, higher and higher, they would still say, ‘Our eyes are hallucinating. We are bewitched.’” (15:14-15), because their hearts, out of hubris, are not attuned to Truth, then we have the story of creation of human beings and how another “doubt” (Satan’s doubt), out of the disposition of hubris, creates the cosmic war. 

What is interesting is that in both these cases the root of problem is not an innocent intellectual doubt, which is always legitimized in the Quran, but it is a kind dispositional doubt that creates a hiatus in the individual and cosmic soul/body: it is a doubt based on “I am better”, doubt based on “separation and disconnection”, doubt out of the illusion of autonomy.  

In the first case, a variation of disbelieves’ doubt is based on a blunt belief that brute and dead proximate causes should explain everything, otherwise we would violate the law of sufficient reason: nothing is without reason.  This identification of “reason” with causal law-like connections between material and phenomenal objects is rooted in a disposition of the soul, which translates itself into a presupposition: there is no God; don’t believe it under any condition; there is only interaction of objects (atoms, particles); and whatever cannot be inferred from the witness of our senses is not true.  This whole dispositional doubt is based on a despair and seeing our being here as a chance event, which turns into an ethical downfall.

The second doubt, the Satan’s doubt is purely based on hubris.  Surah Al-Hijr continues:

“We created man out of dried clay formed from dark mud– the jinn We created before, from the fire of scorching wind.  Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I will create a mortal out of dried clay, formed from dark mud.  When I have fashioned him and breathed My spirit into him, bow down before him,’ and the angels all did so.  But not Iblis: he refused to bow down like the others.  God said, ‘Iblis, why did you not bow down like the others?’ and he answered, ‘I will not bow to a mortal You created from dried clay, formed from dark mud.’  ‘Get out of here!’ said God. ‘You are an outcast, rejected until the Day of Judgement.’  Iblis said, ‘My Lord, give me respite until the Day when they are raised from the dead.’  ‘You have respite,’ said God, ‘until the Day of the Appointed Time.’  Iblis then said to God, ‘Because You have put me in the wrong, I will lure mankind on earth and put them in the wrong, all except Your devoted servants.’ God said, ‘[Devotion] is a straight path to Me: you will have no power over My servants, only over the ones who go astray and follow you.” (15:26-42)

Satan thinks because it is made of fire (a jinn, not angel), it is better than human beings.  Iblis (Satan) doubts God’s wisdom, after God breathes God’s spirit into human being, and calls itself better than human beings.  In the Quran, as I discussed in “Reflections on Some Verses of the Quran”, God takes charge for everything, good and evil, belief and disbelief, in the sense that God could stop evil and disbelief but is not willing to do so.  God could illuminate Satan about the truth and convince Satan to bow down to Adam, but God didn’t do that.  So, Satan says: “Because You have put me in the wrong, I will lure mankind on earth and put them in the wrong.”  The Quran repeatedly expresses that if God wanted there would be no dispute and disagreement and no disbelief and evil, but God treats us as those whom God’s spirit of wisdom is already breathed into.  God wants our maturity to arrive to the fact that, while we exist as independent beings with freedom of the will, we ought to purify ourselves with knowing our shadows and dissolve the doubts that are rooted in the permeation of lie and hubris in our souls.  Not strange that after showing this ethical corruption appears in disbelief and disconnect from God and consequently to ethical downfall in the story of Abraham and Lot, God states:

“We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them without a true purpose: the Hour will certainly come, so [Prophet] bear with them graciously.  Your Lord is the All Knowing Creator.  We have given you the seven oft-recited verses.” (15:85-87)

[Surah “The Opening”:

1 In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy!

2 Praise belongs to God,

Lord (The Arabic root r–b–b has connotations of caring and nurturing in addition to lordship, and this should be borne in mind wherever the term occurs and is rendered ‘lord’.) of the Worlds, (Al-alamin in Arabic means all the worlds, of mankind, angels, animals, plants, this world, the next, and so forth.)

3 the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy,

4 Master of the Day of Judgement.

5 It is You we worship; it is You we ask for help.

6 Guide us to the straight path:

7 the path of those You have blessed, those who incur no anger (Note that the verb here is not attributed to God)

And who have not gone astray.]

And then the surah continues:

“…and the whole glorious Quran. Do not look longingly at the good things We have given some to enjoy. Do not grieve over the [disbelievers], but lower your wings over the believers and say, ‘I am here to give plain warning,’ like the [warning] We have sent down for those who divide themselves into bands 91 and abuse the Quran––by your Lord, We will question them all about their deeds. 94 So proclaim openly what you have been commanded [to say], and ignore the idolaters.  We are enough for you against all those who ridicule your message, who set up another god beside God– they will come to know.  We are well aware that your heart is weighed down by what they say.  Celebrate the glory of your Lord and be among those who bow down to Him: worship your Lord until what is certain comes to you.” (15:88-98)

 

And this is the purpose of the creation of the universe and human beings.  We are part of the divine cosmic endeavor and war for truth: the straight path to God without doubt.  First and foremost, this “war” is spiritual.  And it doesn’t mean killing intellectual doubts but arriving at certainty through reflection and wisdom.  However, there are other kinds of “doubt”, such as the doubt of Satan and those whose soul and body is tainted with hubris, those who set intellectual and phenomenal knowledge as the only knowledge, who won’t be able to see the truth, unless they purify themselves through ethical-spiritual practices and remove the sickness of their hearts.

A Brief Reflection on the Relation Between Sin, Ignorance, Despair, and Mercy in the Surah Joseph in the Quran

“Say, ‘[God says], My servants who have harmed yourselves by your own excess, do not despair of God’s mercy.  God forgives all sins: He is truly the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” (39:53)

“Later, when they presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his parents to him– he said, ‘Welcome to Egypt: you will all be safe here, God willing’– and took them up to [his] throne. They all bowed down before him and he said, ‘Father, this is the fulfilment of that dream I had long ago. My Lord has made it come true and has been gracious to me– He released me from prison and He brought you here from the desert– after Satan sowed discord between me and my brothers. My Lord is most subtle in achieving what He will; He is the All Knowing, the Truly Wise.  My Lord! You have given me authority; You have taught me something about the interpretation of dreams; Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Let me die in true devotion to You. Join me with the righteous.’” (12:99-101)

In the following verses from the surah Joseph (12), there are five lessons that have occupied my mind:

1)     The first verses of the surah Joseph emphasize “understanding”:

“In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy

Alif Lam Ra

These are the verses of the Scripture that makes things clear––We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran so that you [people] may understand.”

Now consider the fact that so many of Muslims read the Quran in Arabic and don’t try to understand its meaning and ponder it, even if they don’t know Arabic, because we think the language of scripture is miraculous.  Was this really God’s intention in revealing the Quran or God wanted us to understand the content?

2)    Joseph is considered the model of innocence and decency.  I envy his purity of heart and untainted soul.  However, he says: “I do not pretend to be blameless, for man’s very soul incites him to evil unless my Lord shows mercy: He is most forgiving, most merciful.’” (12:53):

“When he reached maturity, We gave him judgement and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good. The woman in whose house he was living tried to seduce him: she bolted the doors and said, ‘Come to me,’ and he replied, ‘God forbid! My master has been good to me; wrongdoers never prosper.’ She made for him, and he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord– We did this in order to keep evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants.” (12:22-24)

“The king said, ‘Bring him to me,’ but when the messenger came to fetch Joseph, he said, ‘Go back to your master and ask him about what happened to those women who cut their hands– my Lord knows all about their treachery.’ The king asked the women, ‘What happened when you tried to seduce Joseph?’ They said, ‘God forbid! We know nothing bad of him!’ and the governor’s wife said, ‘Now the truth is out: it was I who tried to seduce him– he is an honest man.’ [Joseph said, ‘This was] for my master to know that I did not betray him behind his back: God does not guide the mischief of the treacherous. I do not pretend to be blameless, for man’s very soul incites him to evil unless my Lord shows mercy: He is most forgiving, most merciful.’” (12:50-53)

3)    Joseph let his half-brother Benjamin know that he is Benjamin’s brother and does something strange: he places the drinking-cup in his brother’s pack.  He obviously did something wrong but for some good reason.  But first he secured the brother so that his mischief doesn’t harm his soul.  The Quran concludes: “In this way, We devised a plan for Joseph– if God had not willed it so, he could not have detained his brother as a penalty under the king’s law– We raise the rank of whoever We will. Above everyone who has knowledge there is the One who is all knowing.”

“Then, when they presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his brother apart and said, ‘I am your brother, so do not be saddened by their past actions,’ and, once he had given them their provisions, he placed the drinking-cup in his brother’s pack. A man called out, ‘People of the caravan! You are thieves!’ and they turned and said, ‘What have you lost?’ They replied, ‘The king’s drinking-cup is missing,’ and, ‘Whoever returns it will get a camel-load [of grain],’ and, ‘I give you my word.’ They said, ‘By God! You must know that we did not come to make mischief in your land: we are no thieves.’ They asked them, ‘And if we find that you are lying, what penalty shall we apply to you?’ and they answered, ‘The penalty will be [the enslavement of] the person in whose bag the cup is found: this is how we punish wrongdoers.’ [Joseph] began by searching their bags, then his brother’s, and he pulled it out from his brother’s bag. In this way, We devised a plan for Joseph– if God had not willed it so, he could not have detained his brother as a penalty under the king’s law– We raise the rank of whoever We will. Above everyone who has knowledge there is the One who is all knowing.” (12:69-76)

I thought about it for a while.  I have a theory or hypothesis: whatever we do affects us deeply in soul and body.  The goal and purpose of life is arriving at oneness of thoughts, words, deeds, heart, body and soul through faith in God.  However, this story says this is not a linear line.  Joseph had to violate a simple ethical practice, to frame his brother whom he loves up stealing the cup, in order to keep him with himself and this way bring the whole family back to Egypt.  First, he secures the brother and let him know so that he doesn’t feel shame.  But then he lies.  God says “above everyone who has knowledge there is One who is all knowing.”  Basically, God says the story of ethics is not linear and what you think you know about ethics is not comparable with what God knows.  This story is no legitimization for mischief and lying.  But it surely justifies some circumstantial white lies or mischief.  It is though difficult to keep the boundary; one might easily find it convenient to go about doing it every day, and this is not what God wants. 

4)    Joseph’s brothers had done the worst thing that one can imagine, short of killing.  However, their father says: “My sons, go and seek news of Joseph and his brother and do not despair of God’s mercy– only disbelievers despair of God’s mercy.’” (12:87) Despair of God’s mercy is a sign of disbelief and a seduction of Satan.  In a sense, the ultimate evil is despair of God. 

“Their father said, ‘No! Your souls have prompted you to do wrong! But it is best to be patient: may God bring all of them  back to me– He alone is the All Knowing, the All Wise,’ and he turned away from them, saying, ‘Alas for Joseph!’ His eyes went white with grief and he was filled with sorrow.  They said, ‘By God! You will ruin your health if you do not stop thinking of Joseph, or even die.’  He said, ‘I plead my grief and sorrow before God. I have knowledge from God that you do not have.  My sons, go and seek news of Joseph and his brother and do not despair of God’s mercy– only disbelievers despair of God’s mercy.’” (12:83-87)

5)    There are two general lessons in these verses:

5-1)          It seems to me, the Quran’s realism dismantles thinking in terms of totality.  For example, God’s commandment about not lying, cheating, killing, not committing adultery, etc. now is clear to us that rationally and with good justification are inviolable.  If it is the case that the way we conduct our thought-words-deeds affects the state of our body and soul in minute detail, and ethics and spirituality have intimate relationship, then all ethical commandment of God are inviolable, due to the effect of fragmentation of our conscience upon our body-soul.  However, the surah Joseph asks us to think differently: it is almost impossible for us not to make any mistake.  As Joseph says: I do not pretend to be blameless, for man’s very soul incites him to evil unless my Lord shows mercy: He is most forgiving, most merciful.’” (12:53) Of course this is not a license to go for mistakes, but to show that toxic guilt and despair are a work of Satan.  Proper guilt awakens us to our mistakes and God seeks to teach us a spiritual-rational-conceptual grasp of good and evil.  For example, I had this absolute principle that “ends don’t justify means”.  While there are so many good reasons for this principle, in terms of the effects of “means” that we use to achieve our goals on our body and soul and consequently on the goal itself, the Quran as always gives us a realistic sense about this principle.  We should not violate God’s boundaries and ethics.  We can’t kill people indiscriminately for the cause of God; this is oxymoron.  However, some small deviation, depending on its spiritual weight and contextual reasons are justified and God will forgive us for those mistakes.  For example, Joseph’s mischief to keep his brother is a minor misdeed for a good reason.  

“Then, when they presented themselves before Joseph, they said, ‘Mighty governor, misfortune has afflicted us and our family. We have brought only a little merchandise, but give us full measure. Be charitable to us: God rewards the charitable.’ He said, ‘Do you now realize what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant (jaheloon)?’  and they cried, ‘Could it be that you are Joseph?’ He said, ‘I am Joseph. This is my brother. God has been gracious to us: God does not deny anyone who is mindful of God and steadfast in adversity the rewards of those who do good.’  They said, ‘By God! God really did favor you over all of us and we were in the wrong!’  but he said, ‘You will hear no reproaches today. May God forgive you: He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.  Take my shirt and lay it over my father’s face: he will recover his sight. Then bring your whole family back to me.’” (12:88-92)

5-2)        Joseph’s brothers commit a horrendous sin and Joseph calls them “ignorant” and forgives them.  Surah Joseph (12) has so many elements that I didn’t discuss, such as the points about dreams, dreaming the future, interpretation of dreams, and God’s wisdom and foreknowledge.  In this short note, I just wish to highlight God’s great mercifulness and forgiveness, if we bring faith in God.  What is strange in the story of Joseph is that all wrong doers after admitting they have done wrong and learned their lessons were forgiven: the governor’s wife who wanted to seduce Joseph and framed him up to stay in prison for years said, ‘Now the truth is out: it was I who tried to seduce him– he is an honest man’ and was forgiven.  The brothers who throw their little brother in the well and lied to their fathers, when realized they did wrong and were ignorant, were forgiven.  The Joseph also admits that he was not blameless and even lied and deceptively put the cup in his brother’s bag to keep him by himself was forgiven.  It seems that in the surah Joseph, God wants to remind us that the story of good and evil, the story of ethics is not a linear one.  And God is the most forgiving if we realize our mistakes and make amends, and in this way God will restore the oneness of our thoughts, words, deeds, heart, body, and soul, if we learn our lessons and change our ways, in a word, if we genuinely repent.

The surah ends with these touching words of wisdom:

“Later, when the caravan departed, their father said, ‘You may think I am senile but I can smell Joseph,’ 95but [people] said, ‘By God! You are still lost in that old illusion of yours!’  Then, when the bearer of good news came and placed the shirt on to Jacob’s face, his eyesight returned and he said, ‘Did I not tell you that I have knowledge from God that you do not have?’  The [brothers] said, ‘Father, ask God to forgive our sins– we were truly in the wrong.’  He replied, ‘I shall ask my Lord to forgive you: He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’”  (12:94-97)

“Later, when they presented themselves before Joseph, he drew his parents to him– he said, ‘Welcome to Egypt: you will all be safe here, God willing’– and took them up to [his] throne. They all bowed down before him and he said, ‘Father, this is the fulfilment of that dream I had long ago. My Lord has made it come true and has been gracious to me– He released me from prison and He brought you here from the desert– after Satan sowed discord between me and my brothers. My Lord is most subtle in achieving what He will; He is the All Knowing, the Truly Wise.  My Lord! You have given me authority; You have taught me something about the interpretation of dreams; Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Let me die in true devotion to You. Join me with the righteous.’” (12:99-101)

“This account is part of what was beyond your knowledge [Muhammad]. We revealed it to you: you were not present with Joseph’s brothers when they made their treacherous plans.  However eagerly you may want them to, most men will not believe.  You ask no reward from them for this: it is a reminder for all people 105 and there are many signs in the heavens and the earth that they pass by and give no heed to– most of them will only believe in God while also joining others with Him.  Are they so sure that an overwhelming punishment from God will not fall on them, or that the Last Hour will not come upon them suddenly when they least expect it?  Say, ‘This is my way: based on clear evidence, I, and all who follow me, call [people] to God– glory be to God!– I do not join others with Him.’” (12:102-108)

“All the messengers We sent before you [Muhammad] were men to whom We made revelations, men chosen from the people of their towns. Have the [disbelievers] not travelled through the land and seen the end of those who went before them? For those who are mindful of God, the Home in the Hereafter is better. Do you [people] not use your reason?  When the messengers lost all hope and realized that they had been dismissed as liars, Our help came to them: We saved whoever We pleased, but Our punishment will not be turned away from guilty people.  There is a lesson in the stories of such people for those who understand. This revelation is no fabrication: it is a confirmation of the truth of what was sent before it; an explanation of everything; a guide and a blessing for those who believe.” (12:109-111)

Reflections on the Surah Hud Part II 

God-Consciousness: the Unity of Faith and Ethics

“[Prophet], keep up the prayer at both ends of the day, and during parts of the night, for good things drive bad away– this is a reminder for those who are aware.  Be steadfast: God does not let the rewards of those who do good go to waste.  If only there had been, among the generations before your time, people with a remnant of good sense, to forbid corruption on the earth! We saved only a few of them, while the unjust pursued the enjoyment of plenty, and persisted in sin.  Your Lord would not destroy any town without cause if its people were acting righteously.” (11:114-119) 

[I wrote the following while listening to this music and I suggest to read it while listening to it:]

Introduction

In the previous reflection, I briefly discussed the structure of the surah Hud:

1)     It starts from a praise of God and declaration of Quran’s truth and the fact that we are from God and will return to God. 

2)    It shows signs of God’s creation and power both within us and in the universe.

3)    It discusses an argument about the Day of Resurrection and compares it with general ungratefulness of most human beings.

4)    And then engages with a complex argument:

4-1) “So [Prophet] are you going to [literally “perhaps you will”] abandon some part of what is revealed to you, and let your heart be oppressed by it, because they say, ‘Why is no treasure sent down to him? Why has no angel come with him?’  You are only there to warn; it is God who is in charge of everything.” (11:12)

4-2) “If they say, ‘He has invented it himself,’ say, ‘Then produce ten invented surahs like it, and call in whoever you can beside God, if you are truthful.’  If they do not answer you, then you will all know that it is sent down containing knowledge from God, and that there is no god but Him. Then will you submit to Him?”

4-3) “If any desire [only] the life of this world with all its finery, We shall repay them in full in this life for their deeds– they will be given no less–but such people will have nothing in the Hereafter but the Fire: their work here will be fruitless and their deeds futile.”

4-4) “Can they be compared to those who have clear proof from their Lord, recited by a witness [angel Gabriel] from Him, and before it the Book of Moses, as a guide and mercy? These people believe in it, whereas those groups that deny its truth are promised the Fire.” (11:17)

4-5) And this complex argument with diverse premises comes to its clear conclusion: “So, have no doubt about it [Prophet]: it is the Truth from your Lord, though most people do not believe so.” (11:17)

I ended the previous reflection with the following interval and the ending of the surah Hud (11): 

“Who could do more wrong than someone who invents lies about God? Such people will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say, ‘These are the ones that lied about their Lord.’ God’s rejection is the due of those who do such wrong, who hinder others from God’s path, trying to make it crooked, and deny the life to come.  They will not escape on earth, and there will be no one other than God to protect them. Their punishment will be doubled. They could not hear, and they did not see.  It is they who will have lost their souls, and what they invented will have deserted them.  There is no doubt they will be the ones to lose most in the life to come.  But those who believed, did good deeds, and humbled themselves before their Lord will be companions in Paradise and there they will stay.  These two groups are like the blind and the deaf as compared with those who can see and hear well: can they be alike? How can you not take heed?”  (11:18-24)

Punishment

The idea of “punishment” to our modern ears sounds unpleasant, with the habit of concealing our punitive society from sight while implementing mass incarcerations and class wars in duplicity.  We frown at “punishment” and react most harshly when the going gets tough (in sledgehammer reactions and wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, for example).  The word “punishment” scares us, because we want absolute “forgiveness”—but we want it just for “us” not “others”.   

This duplicity of modernists is one of the barriers for them to connect with the Quran.  I was one of them; however, God showed mercy to me and through God’s grace I learned to relate to the Quran differently.  The Quran is the last Scripture sent by God to us: Mohammad is the end of prophecy.  In this last book, God clearly and with simple words explains how things will unfold.  “Punishment” is an external consequence of an internal unfolding —it is an elemental instruction embedded in our freedom of the will.  "Punishment" can be understood as retribution, equal pay for wrongdoing.  But this is not what the Quran means.  The point is to leave marks at the discipline of body/soul for restoration of our oneness.  For example, if my son does something wrong, in the past the "punishment" might have been some slap, but now we know a time-out or even five minutes meditation, as "punishment" might have more disciplinary power.  The same goes with our prison system.  A criminal has to be "punished" for restoration, not retribution.  And if we find ways that they change for good, not for closure of our revengeful feelings, we have to use those methods as "punishment".  But in any case, we can't just let go of major wrongdoings as a gesture of "forgiveness".  It doesn't serve anyone, including the guilty.

God is forgiving as long as we are ready to change our ways, but if we don’t and it passes a certain limit, God will not be willing to restore us to our oneness, because that would turn us into an automaton, not the growth of a free will.  And also it neither helps us (restore the harm) nor others (to heal their harm): So meeting the consequences of actions differentiates the individuation of those who sought and could change and those who didn’t seek and couldn’t.  My hypothesis is that this is the internal setting for the growth of beings like us who can have a conversation with God.  The message for this internal growth is clear: God-consciousness, which unifies one’s thoughts, words, deeds, heart, body, and soul.  When we deny the existence of God or spiritual oneness in any sense, when we become materialist and physicalist, we cut the ethical off from the spiritual.  Its mechanism is something like this: 

Through disconnection of the ethical from God and the heaven, we fall into variations of hedonism and humanism, at best.  Our modern ears can’t substitute anything else for the contingency of our lives.  If there is only this world and no necessary divine Law governs our lives, if we are the result of random selections and genes, then survival is the only clue to ethics, now egotistic, then altruistic, no matter what, the telos (aim=purpose) and the kernel of this ethical behavior is pleasure at the disposal of survival.

We might manage to develop the seemingly best practical reason and live long.  What we lose is the meaning of life.  Life as such has no universal meaning for any modernist and postmodernist, from Chomsky to Foucault.  This loss of meaning, no matter how well and long we live registers itself in our body and soul.  This is a common-sense clue: our body is extremely receptive to the world, biosphere, rays of light, drops of water, and intractable rays and particles.  A major difference between us, human beings, and other living beings is that we “think”, and what we think, the way we think, the way we perceive our existence in the world, the way we act based on seeing ourselves contingent (accidental) or essential, it all affect our psychosomatic disposition in minute details.  If I see myself as merely a natural animal and a contingent bubble in the universe, the internal and external arrangement of my cells and the actions emanating from them--which are mutually cause and effect of my self-interpretation—will be qualitatively different from a person who believes one’s ethical comportment is related to the spiritual realm and God.  In this context, “punishment” follows the law of karma.  For God, punishment is not retribution and revenge.  If we read the Quran closely, we see that ethically God repeatedly prioritizes forgiveness to lex talianis (quesas, eye for eye) [1]:

“Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry; respond to their Lord; keep up the prayer; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation; give to others out of what We have provided for them; and defend themselves when they are oppressed. Let harm be requited by an equal harm, though anyone who forgives and puts things right will have his reward from God Himself—He does not like those who do wrong. There is no cause to act against anyone who defends himself after being wronged, but there is cause to act against those who oppress people and transgress in the land against all justice—they will have an agonizing torment—though if a person is patient and forgives, this is one of the greatest things. (42: 36-43)

But in cases when aggression exceeds all limits, God permits us to fight against oppression and persecution.  As well, God's punishment is tied to the scale of our actions, and in the Quran God repeatedly reminds us that God is forgiving, provided we change our ways.  And if we continue our wrongdoing, the Quran also repeatedly reminds us that "we do wrong to ourselves not God".

The Quran holds that believing in God [Tien (heaven), Dao (heavenly Way) in Taoism and Confucianism, Nirvana (our inner being is attuned to the otherworldly harmony) in Buddhism] has immediate practical ramifications in our body and soul.  It stays in and develops by it.  The belief in God that doesn’t translates itself into good deeds is not a real belief.  A good deed that doesn’t root in a belief in our essential existence and interconnection between our inner and outer world, between our ethics and the universe and God, doesn’t escape nihilism and despair.

In this sense, Marx and Mill, Nietzsche and Foucault, Hume, Russell, Quine, and Chomsky are nihilist, even if they managed to live well and long.  Their psychosomatic constitution works at the level of “alienation” and “disconnection” from the “spiritual-universe-God”, because their ethics is disconnected from spirit, from the universe and heaven, from God and spiritual essence of our existence.  Because they take our existence here accidental, a matter of chance.  Because they are ‘externalists’ and even if they call themselves balanced between the external and internal forces of our existence, or like Chomsky believe in innate moral codes in our biological constitution, they have already cut off the divine umbilical cord from our ethical practices and entrapped the ethical in our biology or material condition of our existence.

“Punishment” (oghoubat) in the Quran should be understood in this sense: there is no other way but God, and every other way that detaches our ethics from the divine defiles our inner self (fitrat), and “punishment” is immediate ramification of our own doing.  The system is set in a way that whatever we do, through the divine law, comes back to us.

This interconnection between “belief” and “deeds”, between “ethics” and “heaven” is the subject of the Quran.  I will explore the second half of the surah Hud (11) in this light.

God-Consciousness [Taqwa]: The Unity of Faith & Ethics

In the first half of surah Hud (previous reflection), God affirms that the Quran is the Truth from God and reassures the prophet on his mission, with the above interval, the surah moves to show how the faith in God or lack thereof among people of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu’ayb, and Moses was intertwined with their ethical path:

1)     Noah: “We sent Noah to his people to say, ‘I have come to you to give a clear warning: worship no one but God. I fear you will have torment on a painful Day.’” (11:26) 

I wish to make this connection clear: worshipping anything but God, worshipping one’s autonomy and ethical system as god and punishment=consequence come together, because those who don’t believe in internal connection between our ethics and heaven, despite best intentions, one way or another end up to hedonistic nihilism, either in the name of power or humanism.  Marx and Chomsky, Mill and Nietzsche, Russell and Quine, are some examples of this state of falling into nihilism, even though in ethical sense each one differs from the other but all share one common thread: the delusion of metaphysical autonomous subject, the disconnection between the ethical and universe, and that our existence here is accidental [2].

“But the prominent disbelievers among his people said, ‘We can see that you are nothing but a mortal like ourselves, and it is clear to see that only the vilest among us follow you. We cannot see how you are any better than we are. In fact, we think you are a liar.’" (11:27)

Obviously, the vilest, those of little value, didn’t fit the elitist life style of Noah’s people.  There ought to be a connection between worshipping something besides God and this aristocratic value system.  Noah responds:

“My people, who could help me against God if I drove the faithful away? Will you not take heed?  I am not telling you that I hold God’s treasures, or have any knowledge of what is hidden, or that I am an angel. Nor do I say that God will not grant any good to those who are despised in your eyes: God Himself knows best what is in their souls. If I did this I would be one of the wrongdoers.’" (11:30-31)

Here, we see a connection between those whom the aristocrats and elitists call “vile” and “despised” and God’s will to grant those as good, because God doesn’t judge people based on externals but “what is in their souls”.  There ought to be a connection between worshipping nothing but God and this forgiving eye to see the good of people as what is in their soul, their righteousness and virtues, rather than their posts and positions.

After flood, when “Noah called out to his Lord, saying, ‘My Lord, my son was one of my family, though Your promise is true, and You are the most just of all judges.’  God said, ‘Noah, he was not one of your family. What he did was not right. Do not ask Me for things you know nothing about. I am warning you not to be foolish.’” (11:45-6)

There ought to be a connection between worshipping only the ineffable and invisible God and doing the right thing.  So, if I say I worship God but kill people indiscriminately or lie or irreverently kill animals, or cheat and be unjust, that belief is a façade, which seeks to make God’s path crooked. 

“And [after flood] it was said, ‘Noah, descend in peace from Us, with blessings on you and on some of the communities that will spring from those who are with you. There will be others We will allow to enjoy life for a time, but then a painful punishment from Us will afflict them.’  These accounts are part of what was beyond your knowledge [Muhammad]. We revealed them to you. Neither you nor your people knew them before now, so be patient: the future belongs to those who are aware of God.” (11:48-9)

One can see here that God corrects the story of Noah’s Covenant: there was no promise to stop all afflictions in this covenant.  Punishment and wrongdoing come together as consequence of actions, and God’s omniscience sees that next generations will forget the message and God, and will fall into worshipping their whims, which always ends up in wrongdoing.

2)    Hud: “These were the Ad: they rejected their Lord’s signs, disobeyed His messengers, and followed the command of every obstinate tyrant. They were rejected in this life and so they shall be on the Day of Judgement.” (11:59-50)

Obviously and clearly, a line is drawn between rejecting God’s signs and following the command of every obstinate tyrant.  Indeed, one may argue that the reason that the surah Hud takes its name from Hud the prophet of Ad is that here we have a clear indication of one of the major meanings of “Do not worship any god by God”: following tyrants is one of the signs that we have abandoned worshipping God.  And this is another point in which the relation between ‘belief or faith’ and ‘ethics’ is highlighted.  Now, one may ask: what about those who seemingly believe in God, and fanatically and zealously so, and follow tyrants such as the Kings and powers of the time?  The answer is clear: if we understand the internal reciprocation and mutual connection of a genuine faith in ineffable God and ethics, we realize that we can’t say we have faith in one and only God and follow tyrants or do unethical and unjust acts.  These are oxymoron and antithetical.

3)    Salih: “To the Thamud, We sent their brother, Salih. He said, ‘My people, worship God. You have no god other than Him. It was He who brought you into being from the earth and made you inhabit it, so ask forgiveness from Him, and turn back to Him: my Lord is near, and ready to answer.’  They said, ‘Salih, we used to have such great hope in you. Will you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped?  We are in grave doubt about what you are asking us to do.’  He said, ‘My people, just think: if I did have clear proof from my Lord, and if He had given me mercy of His own, who could protect me from God if I disobeyed Him? You would only make my loss greater.  My people, this camel belongs to God, a sign for you, so leave it to pasture on God’s earth and do not harm it, or you will soon be punished.’  But they hamstrung it, so he said, ‘Enjoy life for another three days: this warning will not prove false.’ And so, when Our command was fulfilled, by Our mercy We saved Salih and his fellow believers from the disgrace of that day. [Prophet], it is your Lord who is the Strong, the Mighty One.  The blast struck the evildoers and they lay dead in their homes, as though they had never lived and flourished there. Yes, the Thamud denied their Lord– so away with the Thamud!” (11:61-68)

This is another example of interconnection between believing in one God who goes beyond ancestor worship and following their gods, and action=ethics of the care for all living beings.  The symbol here is an animal, a camel.  One might ask, why the surah says: “this camel belongs to God, a sign for you, so leave it to pasture on God’s earth and do not harm it, or you will soon be punished.’”  Why should God punish human beings for killing a camel?  What is the relation between animals and deity?  We know well the answer now, on the brink of 6^th mass extinction in 2016.  We know well now that we, Anthropocene, are responsible for the extinction of 20% of species on this planet and consequently put our own existence in danger of annihilation. 

My argument is that “punishment” in the Quran means this: the ramification of our actions that comes back to us AND this reception of punishment for some is a mercy to human beings to learn and change their direction.

4)    Lot: “And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was anxious for them, feeling powerless to protect them, and said, ‘This is a truly terrible day!’  His people came rushing towards him; they used to commit foul deeds. He said, ‘My people, here are my daughters. [Some commentators interpret this to refer to the daughters of his people, rather than the prophet’s own daughters.] They are more wholesome for you, so have some fear of God and do not disgrace me with my guests. Is there not a single right-minded man among you?’  They said, ‘You know very well that we have no right to your daughters. You know very well what we want.’  He said, ‘If only I had the strength to stop you or could rely on strong support!’  They [the messengers] said, ‘Lot, we are your Lord’s messengers. They will not reach you. Leave with your household in the dead of night, and let none of you turn back.  Only your wife will suffer the fate that befalls the others. Their appointed time is the morning: is the morning not near?’  And so when what We had ordained came about, We turned their town upside down and rained down stones of baked clay on it, layer upon layer, marked from your Lord. It is not far from the evildoers.” (11:77-83)

Here we have debauchery, rape, aggression, homosexuality as a social dominant behavior.  After the lesson of interrelation between faith in one ineffable God and reverence towards animals, we ought to learn reverence towards sexual desire by putting sexual desires on their right footings.  Homosexuality as a social norm, as an aggressive behavior and transgression, ought to be abandoned.  What we see now in the West, is not simple security of individual sexual orientation, but through this very legitimization we have sexual debauchery and falling [3].  Pride in homosexuality is a sign of gender confusion and state of falling in hedonism; it unleashes desires to whatever actions that intensify pleasure.  It is a sign of communities drowned in the principle of pleasure, whatever gives pleasure, from homosexuality, bisexuality, sadomasochism, to violent sodomies, to bestiality, to raping children, is contagiously spread; it is a sign that internally our body/soul is afflicted and God’s warnings came true.  

5)    Shu’ayb: “And to Midian, We sent their brother Shu’ayb. He said, ‘My people, worship God. You have no god other than Him. Do not give short measure nor short weight. I see you are prospering, but I fear you will have torment on an overwhelming Day. My people, in fairness, give full measure and weight. Do not withhold from people things that are rightly theirs, and do not spread corruption in the land. What lasts with God is best for you, if you are believers: I am not your keeper.’  They said, ‘Shu’ayb, does your prayer tell you that we should abandon what our forefathers worshipped and refrain from doing whatever we please with our own property? Indeed, you are a tolerant and sensible man.’ He answered, ‘My people, can you not see? What if I am acting on clear evidence from my Lord? He Himself has given me good provision: I do not want to do what I am forbidding you to do, I only want to put things right as far as I can. I cannot succeed without God’s help: I trust in Him, and always turn to Him.  My people, do not let your opposition to me bring upon you a similar fate to the peoples of Noah or Hud or Salih; the people of Lot are not far away from you.  Ask forgiveness from your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance: my Lord is merciful and most loving.’  They said, ‘Shu’ayb, we do not understand much of what you say, and we find you very weak in our midst. But for your family, we would have stoned you, for you have no great status among us.’  He said, ‘My people, is my family stronger in your estimation than God? And have you put Him behind you? My Lord surrounds everything you do.  My people, do whatever is within your power, and I will do likewise. Soon you will know who will receive a disgraceful punishment and who is a liar. Watch out, and so will I.’  When what We had ordained came about, in Our mercy We saved Shu’ayb and his fellow believers, but a mighty blast struck the wrongdoers. By morning they lay dead in their homes, as if they had never lived and flourished there. Yes, away with the people of Midian, just like the Thamud!” (11:84-95)

In this story, we have the interconnection between faith in the ineffable God and fairness, giving full measure and weight, honesty in trades and bargains.  Prima facie, this might look an external relation, to warn those who cheat and violate full measure with the fear of God, but the subtle story in the Quran is that this violation first and foremost is a violation from within: the one who cheats and lies, knows that s/he does so.  The breach is inside, the punishment as well comes from inside to be rectified by God from outside, unless one changes one’s way and repent AND do good.  This is restoration of the body/soul through faith and ethical behavior, and punishing one group of incorrigible corruptors as a mercy for others to learn and change their ways.  [We should not imitate God in this regard (punishment), because simply we are not God, we ought only to follow God’s ethical/spiritual lessons and commands in the Quran.]

6)    Moses: “We also sent Moses, with Our signs and clear authority, to Pharaoh and his supporters, but they followed Pharaoh’s orders, and Pharaoh’s orders were misguided.  He will be at the forefront of his people on the Day of Resurrection, leading them down towards the Fire. What a foul drinking place to be led to!  They were pursued by God’s rejection in this life and will be on the Day of Resurrection, too. What a foul gift to be given!” (11:96-99)

The story of Pharaoh, is the story of tyrants and demagogues with their innumerous followers, the story of Hitlers, Stalins, false prophets, and now Trump (2016).  They will lead their followers to ultimate inward breakdown, and outward punishment.  One more time, it reminds us of this verse: “Do not follow blindly what you do not know to be true: ears, eyes, and heart, you will be questioned about all these.” (17:36)

Conclusion

“We relate to you [Muhammad] such accounts of earlier towns: some of them are still standing; some have been mown down; We did not wrong them; they wronged themselves. Their gods, which they called on beside God, were no use to them when what your Lord had ordained came about; they only increased their ruin.  Such is the punishment of your Lord for towns in the midst of their sins: His punishment is terrible and severe.  There truly is a sign in this for anyone who fears the punishment of the Hereafter. That is a Day in which all people will be gathered together, a Day for all to see.  We are delaying it only for a specified period, and when that Day comes, no soul will speak except by His permission, and some of them will be wretched and some happy.  The wretched ones will be in the Fire, sighing and groaning, there to remain for as long as the heavens and earth endure, unless your Lord wills otherwise: your Lord carries out whatever He wills. As for those who have been blessed, they will be in Paradise, there to remain as long as the heavens and earth endure, unless your Lord wills otherwise– an unceasing gift [Literally ‘uninterrupted giving’].” (11:100-108)

After the surah shows how the faith in God or lack thereof among people of Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, Shu’ayb, and Moses was intertwined with their ethical path: elitism and sinful life of Noah’s people, following the command of every obstinate tyrant of Hud’s people, irreverence and cruelty towards animals by Salih's people, pervasive aggressive homosexual practices of the people of Lot, cheating and injustice of Shu’ayb people, and blindly following Pharaoh in the story of Moses, God emphasizes the inner meaning of their punishment: “We did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.”  The inner clock registers conflicts within our conscience and implodes our body and soul into torturous fragments.  This analogy might remind some of "suicide bombing" but the Quran rejects acts of excess and aggression, suicide and killing people indiscriminately.  The point of this analogy is to show that when the body/soul corrupts, we have lost the merit to be saved.  God’s punishment is this losing touch with God and consequently with ourselves and with our very conscience (fitrat).  The surah Hud continues:  

“[Prophet], have no doubt about what these people worship: it is merely what their fathers worshipped before them, and We shall certainly give them their share in full, without any reduction. We gave Moses the Scripture before you, but differences arose about it and if it had not been for a prior word from your Lord, a decision would already have been made between them, though they are in grave doubt about it.  Your Lord will give everyone full due for whatever they have done: He is aware of everything they do.  So, keep to the right course as you have been commanded, together with those who have turned to God with you. Do not overstep the limits, for He sees everything you do.  Do not rely on those who do evil, or the Fire may touch you, and then you will have no one to protect you from God, nor will you be helped.” (11:108-113)

This is a dire warning.  God asks us not to follow our forefathers blindly.  Our forefathers might have even been guided once in the past by a prophet, for example Moses, Jesus, or Mohammad, but then “differences arose” and deviations and distortions would mislead our forefathers again!  We must be constantly vigilant.  There is no other way.  But what is the way out?  God alludes to it: taking the right course as commanded and not relying on those who do evil.  If we don’t delude and lull our conscience for the pleasures of the world or the fear of rejection by our forefathers and their followers, and our own social norms and peer pressures, our inner clock knows very well who are evildoers and what is the right course.  It is demanding; one ought to listen carefully to the inner voice and to the deeds not words, and be courageous and put one’s trust exclusively in God and take the right ethical course of action together with those who have turned to God.

The vigilant way out again is highlighted in the ending of surah:

“[Prophet], keep up the prayer at both ends of the day, and during parts of the night, for good things drive bad away– this is a reminder for those who are aware.  Be steadfast: God does not let the rewards of those who do good go to waste.  If only there had been, among the generations before your time, people with a remnant of good sense, to forbid corruption on the earth! We saved only a few of them, while the unjust pursued the enjoyment of plenty, and persisted in sin.  Your Lord would not destroy any town without cause if its people were acting righteously." (11:114-9)  

The guideline is clear: Disbelief in God and corruption on the earth come together.  The way out is to do the good that a good sense can show us:

1)     Reject aristocratic and class hierarchical value systems based on power, money, blood or caste nobility, and replace them with the measure of virtue: oneness in thoughts, words, deeds, heart, body, and soul, in one word: God-consciousness (taqwa).  This is what God calls the measure of ranking between humans: “People, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful [atqakom: righteous] of Him: God is all knowing, all aware.” (49:13)

2)    Forbid corruption on the earth: obstinate tyrants, irreverence towards animals, sexual perversion and excess, cheating and unjust dealings, and blindly following what we don’t know to be true, our forefathers, and social dictum.

3)    Reconnecting our ethics, our comportment in the world, with God, the universe, the heavens, the spiritual.  In a word to taqwa, to be righteous and mindful of God constantly so that it becomes our internal disposition: oneness of thoughts, words, deeds, heart, body, and soul, and to see and desire God everywhere.

We can see the relation between faith, worshipping God, and our everyday behavior (ethics) in these verses.  The worship is not for God, it is the internal compass set in us by God for guidance.  When we lose this internal conscience of God, we follow our desires and henceforth fall into variations of hedonism and will-to-power.

 Then the surah expresses an important notion:

“If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single community, but they continue to have their differences– except those on whom your Lord has mercy– for He created them to be this way, and the word of your Lord is final: ‘I shall definitely fill Hell with both jinn and men.’” (11:118-9)

The view that God has created diversity for good reasons can be found also in other places in the Quran:

“To each community among you has been prescribed a Law and a way of life. If God had so willed He would have made you a single people, but His plan is to test you in what He has given you: so, strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which you differ." (5:48)

“These are the revelations of God, which We recite to you with the truth, and you truly are one of the messengers. We favored some of these messengers above others.  God spoke to some; others He raised in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit.  If God has so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs.  But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved.  If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will.” (2:252)

From these verses, it is obvious that God creates the condition of evolution for a being who has freedom of the will, not for an automaton.  The external diversity [different religions and ways of life] calls for internal growth in “all virtues”.  If there were no internal awareness and choice to be honed, no external diversity could serve us.  However, one might ask why does God say for “He created them to be this way”?  The Quran declares everything, good and bad, is from God.  This is called God’s predestination and omniscience.  The deficiency and evil are required for the growth to perfection by doing good (righteousness, taqwa).  In “Reflections on Some Verses of The Quran”, I have discussed God’s predestination and problem of evil in the Quran [4].

The surah ends in this transparent way:

“So [Muhammad], We have told you the stories of the prophets to make your heart firm and in these accounts truth has come to you, as well as lessons and reminders for the believers.  Say to those who do not believe, ‘Do whatever you can: we too are doing what we can,’ and ‘Wait: we too are waiting.’  All that is hidden in the heavens and earth belongs to God, and all authority [or all things] goes back to Him. So [Prophet], worship Him, and put your trust in Him: your Lord is never unaware of what you [people] are doing.” (11:114-123)

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[1] “Far better and more lasting is what God will give to those who believe and trust in their Lord; who shun great sins and gross indecencies; who forgive when they are angry; respond to their Lord; keep up the prayer; conduct their affairs by mutual consultation; give to others out of what We have provided for them; and defend themselves when they are oppressed. Let harm be requited by an equal harm, though anyone who forgives and puts things right will have his reward from God Himself—He does not like those who do wrong. There is no cause to act against anyone who defends himself after being wronged, but there is cause to act against those who oppress people and transgress in the land against all justice—they will have an agonizing torment—though if a person is patient and forgives, this is one of the greatest things. (42: 36-43)

"Who speaks better than someone who calls people to God, does what is right, and says, ‘I am one of those devoted to God’?  Good and evil cannot be equal. [Prophet], repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend, but only those who are steadfast in patience, only those who are blessed with great righteousness, will attain to such goodness.  If a prompting from Satan should stir you, seek refuge with God: He is the All Hearing and the All Knowing." (41:33-35)

"Those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them, secretly and publicly, and repel evil with good, for those will have the good end." (13:22)

"Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured and they repel evil with good, and they spend from what We have provided them." (28:54)

"Repel evil with what is better. We are most knowing of what they describe." (23:96)

"They are those who spend in charity during ease and hardship and who restrain their anger and pardon the people, for God loves those who are good." (3:134)

[2] Reflection on Chomskyan Nihilism: http://philosophyweeklyreflections.blogspot.com/2016/10/reflections-on-chomskyan-nihilism-ilove.html

[3]  Homosexuality, Nihilism, and Religion: http://philosophyweeklyreflections.blogspot.com/2016/06/homosexuality-nihilism-and-religion.html

[4] A Philosophical Reflection on Some Verses of the Quran: http://philosophyweeklyreflections.blogspot.com/2016/07/a-philosophicalreflection-on-some.html

The Problem of Evil:

I tackled the way the Quran has addressed the problem of evil. This is from my "Reflections on Some Verses of the Quran."

"The first point is the evolution of a rational divine self to be worthy of conversing with God, a being who has freedom of the will. God doesn't want to create a perfect automaton, but one who can earn his or her perfection.

In the Quran God says: “To each community among you has been prescribed a Law and a way of life. If God had so willed He would have made you a single people, but His plan is to test you in what He has given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which you differ. (5:48)

“These are the revelations of God, which We recite to you with the truth, and you truly are one of the messengers. We favored some of these messengers above others. God spoke to some; others He raised in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the holy spirit. If God has so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will” (2:252).

Or: “You [Prophet] cannot guide everyone you love to the truth; it is God who guides whoever He will: He knows best those who will follow guidance” (28:56).

Or: “So where are you going? This is a message for all people; for those who wish to take the straight path. But you will only wish to do so by the will of God, the Lord of all people.” (81:26).

Or: “Say, ‘Only what God has decreed will happen to us. He is our Master: let the believers put their trust in God’” (9:63).
Or: “God controls the outcome of all events” (22:41).

And this one:
“No misfortune can happen, either in the earth or in yourselves, that was not set down in writing before We brought it into being––that is easy for God–– so you need not grieve for what you miss or gloat over what you gain. God does not love the conceited, the boastful” (57:22-24).

Let’s use this thought experiment: Imagine we want to save an endangered species, and so we create a special habitat for them to be secured from excessive danger. We know that these animals will deteriorate if we turn them into pets. They have to move and have a natural life style, thus we let some of the predators in to stimulate them to be active for survival. Some of them may die due to their frail predisposition, but based on our probabilistic calculations, we know the species as a whole will flourish and survive. In this thought experiment, though the analogy is barely similar to our love relationship with God, we can see that the predator (evil or Satan) is used as the condition of survival and growth of a species. In our thought experiment, we are the master of process and know the outcome, and in this process the species will prosper and flourish. And it doesn’t mean that the predator and the endangered species are the same, on the contrary, the ultimate goal is to save the endangered species from the domination of predators.

In Surah 41: (Made Distinct) the Quran says: “Good and evil cannot be equal. Repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend, but only those who are steadfast in patience, only those who are blessed with great righteousness, will attain to such goodness” (41: 34). This is an example of how, despite the fact that good and evil are separate, in repelling evil with good, we grow and purify ourselves from evil by doing good.

Obviously, the Quran is saying that even if good and evil are separate, God has complete knowledge about how things will unfold and through affliction and reward, God examines us and lets us grow. What is the direction of cultivation? Worshipping God and having God-consciousness. What is the point of having God-consciousness? Overcoming duality, by arriving at home in loving God, because our disposition is divine. We learn to repel evil from our divine constitution by worshipping God and doing good, and arriving at the beginning and the end, which is the love of God, but meanwhile we mature into absorbing the intrinsic value of having a divine self, the intrinsic value of being moral, and the intrinsic value of being ethically creative: “Keep up the prayer at both ends of the day, and during parts of the night, for good things drive bad away—this is a reminder for those who are aware” (11:114). And human beings desire the process and the end for its intrinsic value, and this is possible only through earning it: “God would never change a favor It had conferred on a people unless they changed what was within themselves.” (8:53)

In relation to the mastery of God over good and evil, over the outcome of events, and God’s acknowledgement that everything from light to darkness, from being to nothing, everything is under God’s control, I came across a strange point. Psychological well-being, to be at the service of love, truth, and justice, according to Parker Palmer, Carl Rogers, and Carl Jung, we have to let go of our defenses and acknowledge ALL of our experiences, good and bad, light and dark. In the Quran, indeed God sets an example for us. God doesn't bring excuses, doesn't say that God couldn't stop Satan, for example, and Satan is responsible for evil, or disobedience could ever exist without God's preordain. God takes charge of everything. And this is the place where also one might fall astray, because one might think there is no line between good and evil, but God's point is exactly the reverse: God allows things unfold in the way they are, through disobedience and fall, darkness and light, to teach us the difference between good and evil. God is the greatest teacher."