Article appeared Friday, July 24th, 2015 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (386)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

What is life? This is an important question that not only should each ask, but also answer for
himself/herself. So, how can one look for an answer? There are many people and philosophers
who have proposed answers. For example, the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813
1855) commented on the value of life,
Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.{1}
Similarly, the American President Abraham Lincoln (18091865) pointed out,
In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.{2}
The Italian Poet Cesare Pavese (19081950) talked about special moments in each persons
life,
We do not remember days, we remember moments.{3}
Kierkegaard {1} suggests that life exists and should be fully taken advantage of by experiencing
it while Lincoln {2} talks about living life fully and Pavese {3} places emphasis on the moments
experienced. All three quotations imply that there is an intrinsic value in life, i.e., it should be
experienced, it should be lived fully and that the moments in it are a treasure. None of the
quotations however addresses why or how life carries the value as it does. Experiencing life can
be likened to experiencing the quality of an expensive car, the quality of a painting, the quality of
a brand product, etc. In each case, the quality indicates or points to the nature and skill of the
maker the manufacturer of the car, the artist who drew the painting and the producer of the
brand product. Equally, what does the quality of life point to? Does it point to the nature and skill
of the Creator? If yes, then all three quotations can be placed in context as life, opportunities
and moments are gifts from the Creator to humans whom He has lovingly created.
While the Big Bang theory {4} confirms that the universe came into existence from nothing, the
Quran gives the following Verse regarding the first moments of creation,
Then He directed Himself to the heaven while it was smoke and said to it and to the
earth: "Come together willingly or unwillingly." They said, "We do come (together) in
willing obedience." [41.11]
So, initially, solid matter was put together from smoke like particles and then the Big Bang
expansion commenced. Regardless of how matter was initially put together, it is significant that
everything, including each moment, is created from nothing. So the quality of life that we
individually experience has been created from nothing for humans to experience and derive
satisfaction and pleasure. Therefore, as we experience life, we are actually sampling the Skill,
Power and Care of the Creator. Just as driving a Mercedes Benz would be an opportunity to feel
the skill of the manufacturer, life is an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the attributes of the
Creator and give Him recognition in awe, gratitude and adoration.
The events that take place in our lives acquaint us to His Power and how He delivers justice and
rewards those who take the trouble to recognize Him. As an illustration of His Power and Justice
we turn to Chapter 12 of the Quran, to the part where the half-brothers of Joseph have just
explained to their father, Jacob, why the Azeez of Egypt had detained their brother Benjamin.

12.83 Jacob said, "Rather your souls have motivated you to a story (good
enough) for you. So patience is most fitting (for me). Perhaps Allah will bring
them (back) to me all together (in the end). Indeed it is He who has full Knowledge
(of the affair) and is Wise."
Jacob, the father, does not believe the explanation given by the brothers, the reason being that
they already had a poor track record with losing Joseph many years ago. They had previously
spun a tale regarding how they had lost Joseph. So, regardless of what they did to both
brothers, Jacob firmly believed that Allah would again unite him with his missing sons.

12.84 And he turned away from them and said, "How great is my grief for
Joseph!" And his eyes became white with sorrow and he fell into silent
melancholy.
Jacob tried to keep his grief to himself. He did not want the brothers (sons from the other wife)
to see how saddened he was with the loss of Joseph, and now of Benjamin.

12.85 They said, "By Allah! You will never cease to remember Joseph until you
reach the last extremity of illness or until you die!"
12.86 He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah and I know
from Allah that which you know not.
As Jacob recognized Allah for Who He is, all thoughts and conversations were directed to Him.
Allah guided him on all matters. So, as he had put his trust in Allah alone, he felt that Joseph
was still alive and that they would recover Benjamin as well.

12.87 "O my sons go and enquire about Joseph and his brother and never give
up hope of Allah's Soothing Mercy. Truly, no one despairs of Allah's Soothing
Mercy except those who have no faith."
Jacobs trust in Allahs Wisdom, Power and Mercy was well founded as the brothers were soon
to discover. The brothers returned to the Azeez who had detained Benjamin and asked for more
food supplies. They begged Azeez to be charitable as they did not have adequate goods to
barter for the grain that they were asking for.

12.88 Then when they came (back) into (Joseph's) presence they said, "O Azeez!
Adversity has touched us and our family; we have come with goods poor in
quality, but give us full measure and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the
charitable."
As they were asking the Azeez to be charitable, on his part, he decided to ask about the
injustice they had done to Joseph and to Benjamin (while laying blame on ignorance).

12.89 He said: "Do you know what you did with Joseph and his brother when
you were of the ignorant?"
As no one other than Joseph himself could ask such a question, they asked,

12.90 They said, "Are you indeed Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph and this is my
brother. Allah has indeed been gracious to us (all). Observe, he who fears Allah
and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those
who do right."
At this point, Joseph asks the brothers to witness the Wisdom and Power of Allah together with
how He rewards those who recognize Him. From being sold as a slave, Allah had raised the
status of Joseph to be Azeez. Yet, with all the injustices done, Joseph seeks forgiveness for his
brothers.

12.91 They said, "By Allah, indeed has Allah preferred you above us and we
certainly have been guilty of sin!"
12.92 He said, "No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you and
He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy! "
-------{Notes}:
{1} http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/s/sorenkierk414008
{2} http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/abrahamlin137180.html?src=t_life
{3} http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/cesarepave109425.html?src=t_life
{4} http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/origins-universe-article/