Quran- a book of knowledge

                 

Quran contains knowledge of this whole universe. This fact has been elaborated in my article ‘Quranic Knowledge and its Comprehensiveness’  dt. 22-09-11. A question is raised if Quran contains knowledge of whole universe, why almost all discoveries and inventions are being made by the non-Muslims who are ignorant of Quran and Quranic knowledge and why Muslims stand nowhere in the field of science and discoveries. Another related question is if Quran is embodiment of knowledge of this universe, why scientific inventions and discoveries- as we know them today- were not made by the Muslims during the period when Quran was being revealed. In the succeeding lines, we would mainly respond to these two questions.

No doubt Quran has contained knowledge of universe (knowledge is what is about Allah's Qualities and actions- Allah's actions and Qualities include all physical and social laws). But reading and thinking over Quran is not the only way of obtaining knowledge of universe. The knowledge of universe may also be obtained through other ways like research, logic, observation and experimentation etc.

Quran says:

“He causes to grow for you thereby the crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and from all the fruits. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.  And He has subjected for you the night and day and the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason. And whatsoever He hath created for you in the earth of divers hues, lo! therein is indeed a portent for people who take heed” (al-nahl-11-13).

In these above mentioned verses, Allah, mentioning His various creations, states that there are signs in all that is created by Allah for people (Muslims or non-Muslims) who think, pay heed and use reason. In other words, Allah is saying that people may get knowledge through reasoning, research, logic, observation and experimentation. In short, knowledge of universe may be obtained either through Quran or through reasoning and experimentation without Quran. But it may please be appreciated if people want to obtain knowledge through Quran, even then they would have to use reasoning, logic, research, observation and experimentation.

Quran says:

“And those who, when they are reminded of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat” (al-furqan-73).

In this verse, Allah states about the Muslims that when they are reminded of Allah’s ‘ayat’/ signs, they do not take such ‘ayat’ without giving thinking about them. In other words, Muslims are those who give thinking to Allah’s signs. Similarly Quran says:

“We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Qur'an, in order that they may be made thinking, but it only increases their flight [from the Truth] (al-isra-41).

In this verse too, Allah states that He has mentioned various facts in Quran so that people may give thinking to them. In short there are so many verses in Quran which say that lesson may be got from the Quranic verses only after giving due thinking to the verses. In other words, even if knowledge of universe is intended to be obtained through Quran, it has to be obtained through giving due thinking to Quranic verses.

Now question arises if knowledge of universe is to be obtained (whether through Quran or without Quran) on the basis of  reasoning, thinking, and experimentation, then what the difference is between getting knowledge through Quran and without Quran. Actually Quran cuts too short a way to reaching a fact. Without Quran, we have to examine many wrong hypothesis before reaching to a true one; in this a lot of time and energy is consumed before reaching to a truth which is mentioned in Quran. If we pick up the truth from the Quran and examine it through reasoning and experimentation, we will be able to avoid lot of wastage of time and energy which we, otherwise, consume in examining wrong ideas.

In this age, Muslims are not making discoveries and inventions because they are not giving due thinking to Quran. Non-Muslims are making inventions and discoveries without Quran; but, of course, non-Muslims are doing so at the cost of lots of resources and lot of time.

Now we come to the second question i.e. why Muslims did not make discoveries during period of revelation of Quran, if Quran is embodiment of knowledge of universe.

Actually Allah has contained His knowledge in Quran. Allah says about His knowledge that: “….and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills”. People cannot get any knowledge out of Allah’s knowledge without Allah’s Will. Allah exposes only that much knowledge to the people in an age /period, which is the requirement of that age/ period. Our Nabi (s.a.w.w) states “Quran’s ‘ajaib’-treasures- would never be exhausted”. This process of exposing the Quran’s treasures will continue till qiyamah and even after that. Whenever Allah exposes His Knowledge contained in Quran in any age/period, He does so through our Nabi (s.a.w.w) who is embodiment of whole Quranic knowledge. In short, Quran contains knowledge of universe, but whole knowledge of Quran is not exposed in any single age/ period. In every age only that much knowledge is exposed which is the requirement of that age. That is why all discoveries and inventions were not made during the age/ period of our Nabi (s.a.w.w).

رحمتہ ۱للعلمين ﷺ

According to one ‘rawayat’, Allah has kept the person of our Nabi ﷺ with five ‘pardas’; it means the inner self of our Nabi ﷺ has been blessed with five categories/ levels of knowledge. We have already seen in the article ‘Quranic Knowledge and its Levels’  dt: 22-09-2011 that Quran has been revealed with five levels. Before getting a little idea about the depth of ‘rehma’ flowing from the person of our Nabi ﷺ, it is pertinent to reiterate in the following the levels of Quranic knowledge already described in above mentioned article.

According to the ‘rawayat’ “Allah has revealed Quran with five levels”. While substantiating this ‘rawayat’ on the basis of Quran, we may infer that these levels of understanding of Quranic knowledge are vertical and can be accessed only one after the other. Access to each of these levels is associated with a certain level of spiritual elevation.

The first level of understanding of Quranic knowledge is ‘kitaab-e-mastoora’. Quran has been called by this name many times: “And [by] a Book inscribed (mastoor)” (al-toor-2); “And there is no city but that We will destroy it before the Day of Resurrection or punish it with a severe punishment. That has ever been in the Book inscribed -mastoora” (Isra-58). This is in the Book inscribed (al-ahzaab-6). At this level, one can have access to the grammatical meanings of Quran’s written words. This is the level of Quranic knowledge pertaining to facts and events apparently described in the Quran. This is the level of Quranic knowledge associated with common Muslims/ ‘muttaqeen’. “This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah” (al-baqra-2). 

The second level of access to Quranic knowledge is ‘kitab-e-mubeen’. At this level of Quranic knowledge, access is granted to facts and events described by inference, not apparently described, in the Quran. At this level, Quranic knowledge pertaining to natural laws (physical and social) relating to this world is accessed to. Quran says: “everything unseen in the sky and earth has been described in “kitab-e-mubeen” (al-naml-75). Every ‘khabar’ relating to this world has also been mentioned in the ‘kitab-e-mubeen’. “And no moist or dry [thing] (in the darkness of earth) but that it is[written] in a ‘kitab-e-mubeen’ (al-anam-59). “And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage. All is in a “kitab-e-mubeen” (hud-6). This is the level of Quranic knowledge/ information relating to both changeable and unchanged destiny of every person/ mankind; but the person having access to this level can’t differenciate between changeable and unchanged destiny. This level of Quranic knowledge/ information is associated with ‘mumineen’.

Both levels of Quranic knowledge/information described above can be accessed by non-Muslims as well; in Quran, non-Muslims have not been excluded from having access to these both levels. But they have been excluded explicitly from having access to the third level of Quranic knowledge/ information.

The third level of Quranic knowledge is called ‘kitab-e-maknoon’. This level is different from the second level in some aspects. For instance, this is the level of Quranic knowledge, which non-Muslims cannot have access to. “Indeed, it is a noble Qur'an. In a ‘kitab-e-maknoon’. None touch it except the purified” (al-waqiah-77-79). It means non-Muslims cannot be first recipient of Quranic knowledge of ‘kitab-e-maknoon’. However they can receive this knowledge from its Muslim recipients.

Another difference as compared to second level is that the third level pertains to unchanged destiny of persons/mankind. “Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the ‘ummul kitab’ (al-ra,ad-39). Out of two types of destiny-changeable and unchanged- Allah eliminates the changeable one (depending upon His Will and actions of the concerned people) and the unchanged destiny may be accessed to at the third level of Quranic knowledge/information. This level of Quranic understanding is associated with ‘mutahharin’/purified.

The fourth level is ‘kitab-ul-hakim’. Quranic verses have been described as “ the signs of the Wise Book (kitab-ul-hakim)” [al-luqman-2). This level provides rationale of all natural laws working in this world; and rationale of all events happening in this world. This level pertains to knowledge as to why natural laws and events are like as they exist. This level of Quranic knowledge is associated with ‘muhsaneen’.

The fifth level is ‘ummul kitab’. Quran has been called by this name in al-imran-7 which states: “It is He who has sent down to you, [Muhammad (saw)], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise/ ‘muhkamat’ - they are the foundation of the Book/ummul kitab”. Sura zu khraf-2-4 states: “By the ‘kitab-e-mubeen’. Indeed, We have made it an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand. And indeed it is, in ‘ummul kitab’ with Us, exalted and full of wisdom”. This level of Quranic knowledge provides the Basic Principles from which natural laws and events originate. Al-imran-7 also states that these Basic Principles are found in the verses which are ‘muhkamat’/precise. There are two kinds of verses in the Quran; firstly those which are ‘mutashabihat’-these are not so precise/easy to understand; secondly those which are ‘muhkamat’- these are precise/easy to understand in nature. The Basic Principles which are origin of natural laws and events happening in this world are to be discovered out of Quranic verses which are precise in nature. This fifth level of Quranic knowledge is associated with ‘mutwaqqalin’.

‘Lohe Mahfooz’ is just a compilation of all these five levels of Quranic knowledge/ information.

Now we can imagine -though only a little bit -comprehensiveness of knowledge being imparted through Quran. Actually these five levels of Quranic knowledge are what are imbedded in the inner-self of the person of our Nabi ﷺ; actually the five ‘pardas’ with the inner-self of our Nabi ﷺ described in the ‘rawayat’ mentioned in the opening para, are these five levels of Quranic knowledge. In other words, Quranic knowledge is the inner-self of our Nabi ﷺ. In the article ‘ Ilham- a function of human mind (2) dt: 31-01-2015, we have seen that “all knowledge and skills a  particular man can achieve  exist in that man's mind, and can be obtained by understanding and manipulating the relevant stimuli to be generated in the mind”. 

 Our Nabi ﷺ is the embodiment of whole knowledge contained in the Quran, and it is the duty of our Nabi ﷺ to teach this knowledge to humanity. Quran says:

“……… And We revealed to you the ‘zikr’ that you may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought” (al-nahl-44).

In this verse, it is stated what zikr- Quran and Sunnah- have been revealed to our Nabi ﷺ, it is the duty of our Nabi ﷺ to clarify/ teach that ‘zikr’ to the people. In other words, our Nabi ﷺ clarifies/teaches that ‘zikr’ to the people. It may please be noted that ‘wahi’ related to ‘sunnah’ is not revealed in the form of words like Quran; sunnah is revealed in the form of Allah’s Ideas which are clarified by the Nabi ﷺ through his actions/statements (sunnah) [for details please see my article ‘wahi, intuition and their implications’]. It may please be noted that in this verse word ‘people’ has been used. It means our Nabi ﷺ  teaches  Quran and ‘Sunnah’ not only to the Muslims but also to the non-Muslims (as has been stated above, non-Muslims can also avail Quranic knowledge up to the second level). In other words, our Nabi ﷺ teaches knowledge of everything contained in this world to the Muslims, and also to the non-Muslims to the extent of the second level of Quranic knowledge.

Now we can imagine though a little bit what is the scope of ‘rehma’ flowing from the person of our Nabi ﷺ; that is why our Nabi ﷺ has been called  ‘ﷺ للعلمين ۱  رحمتہ’.

Interaction between Social Laws and Physical Laws

       

We have already seen in the article ‘Social Laws- existence in pairs’ dated. 16-11-2011 that, in view of the Quran, both physical laws and social laws are natural laws and both these natural laws are developed and regulated by Allah.  There is an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws.

It is commonly believed that natural laws are only physical laws e.g. mechanical, chemical, biological laws. These laws are termed as natural laws because human intervention is not involved in developing these laws. As against natural laws, social laws (e.g. socio-politico-economic laws) are described as man-made laws. But actually, in view of Quran, these social laws are also natural laws. Quran has given certain social laws. Allah has devised such social laws for mankind which have been given an option to adopt or not to adopt such social laws; all the rest is with Allah. If mankind adopts such social laws as enshrined in Quran, Allah generates positive social consequences; otherwise negative social consequences are unleashed by Allah. In both forms-positive and negative forms- social laws are Allah's laws and as such are natural laws. The man-made social laws are in fact negative consequences/ implications generated by Allah as a result of  avoiding/neglecting Quranic/ natural social laws. In other words, all social laws are as much natural laws as physical laws are: social laws are either recommended by Allah or are negative social consequences generated by Allah due to avoiding recommended social laws.

Both social laws and physical laws are regulated by Allah. Social laws are always regulated by Allah on the basis of human actions/ activities but physical laws may also be regulated by Allah on the basis of human actions/ activities. Actually there is an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws. When required social laws/practices are adopted, corresponding physical laws are brought at the disposal of the relevant people to make use of those physical laws.  For instance, when we collect water at a certain place and make this water fall from a certain height on a turbine, that turbine start rotating and consequently electricity is produced. In this process of electricity production, social activities are confined to collection of water; to make water move in a direction from where it may fall; and putting turbine and related machines in functional condition and at the proper place. The remaining part of this process of electricity production is related to working of physical laws. The water falls on the turbine from the height under a physical law which is called Gravity; the turbine rotate under a physical law; the related machines operate under physical law; electricity is produced from water under physical law. In other words, when required social action/ activity is done by humans; when required social law is implemented by people, relevant physical laws are brought at their disposal. By undertaking required social conduct/ actions/ practices, people may be enabled to get relevant physical laws in operation and make use of those physical laws. But it does not mean physical laws cannot be operated without human actions; surely all physical laws can be and are operated without human actions as they are operated on the basis of human effort/ action. For instance, water will fall from the height under physical law even if no human action is involved; similarly all physical laws will be operated also without human actions. Allah regulates physical laws with and without  basis of human actions/ practices. There is an interaction between required social laws and physical laws. One such interaction we see on the eve of ‘ghazwa e badr’.

For ‘ghazwa e badr’ the Muslims made available maximum resources out of resources which they had. They provided for 70 camels, two horses, 313 men infantry and cavalry as against non-Muslims’ 950 men infantry and cavalry, 170 camels and 100 horses. It means the Muslims had provided the required minimum military strength. Though non-Muslims far exceeded the Muslims in military strength, but the Muslims decided to fight the non-Muslims with whatever minimum strength they (muslims) had mustered. It was this social conduct of the Muslims, which had made angels come down to add to the military strength of the Muslims. If Muslims had not provided for maximum resources out of what they had; if the Muslims had not taken decision to fight the non-Muslims despite non-Muslims’ superior military strength; if Muslims had not provided for minimum required military strength to fight the non-Muslims, angels might have not been brought down to add to military strength of the Muslims. Coming of angels to add to physical/ military strength of the Muslims is a physical law; this physical law was got operated only after the Muslims followed the required social law/conduct/ action.

Because physical laws are regulated by Allah, it means if any human practice/ activity/ action can get physical law in operation and enable human beings to make use of such physical law, such human practice/ activity/ action would be in line with the revealed knowledge (which encourages and tells us how to make use of all physical forces). It means there exists an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws. It does not mean humans always use physical laws for the good; humans may use physical laws for the bad as well. But what mechanism/ activity/ practice makes human enabled to make use of physical law is always in line with the revealed knowledge. In other words, if Muslims’ conduct/ practices/ actions in social fields become in line with the revealed knowledge i.e. Quran and Sunnah, all corresponding physical forces working in this universe would be brought at their disposal.

We may conclude that social laws are as much natural laws as physical laws are. Allah regulates both social laws and physical laws. Social laws are always regulated by Allah on the basis of the relevant  people’s actions, but physical laws are regulated by Allah with and without people’s actions are involved. When social laws/practices as recommended in the revealed knowledge are followed, corresponding physical laws are brought at the disposal of relevant people so that they may make use of them. There is an interaction between recommended social laws and physical laws.

Social Laws, Physical Laws and Miracles

       

We have already seen in the articles ‘Principles of Conquest of Natural Systems’  and ‘Process of Creation and Conquest of Nature’  and many other articles on this subject that natural laws are mainly two types i.e. physical laws and social laws. Both types of laws are regulated by Allah. Regulation of Physical laws may be or may not be related to human actions/inactions; but regulation of social laws is always related to actions/ inactions of the relevant people. Both physical laws and social laws are fixed and unchangeable. As both types of laws are acts of Allah and Allah’s sunnah/ acts are based on fixed principles, and as such are unchangeable, physical and social laws are fixed. “And the ‘amr’ of Allah is a decree determined” (al-ahzab-38). “and you will not find in Our way/ sunnah any alteration” (Isra-77).

Social laws are operated on the basis of fixed principles which are relating to conduct of the relevant people; similarly physical laws are operated through fixed principles.

Miracle is not something operating outside the ambit of principles of social laws or physical laws. I mean whenever a miracle happens, it does not violate the operational conditionality attached with such social law or physical law. For instance, social law operates on the basis of operational conditionality related to conduct of the relevant people; if people use to act in a certain way, they pass through certain social conditions; if the way of action is changed, social conditions would be changed accordingly. We would not find a single miracle which would have changed social conditions of the people without people changing their conduct. In fact, miracles have nothing to do with social matters. We cannot find a single miracle in the history which has changed people’s social conditions. Actually miracles which we find in the history are related to physical laws only; they are not related to social laws. Social laws are regulated by Allah on the basis of social conduct of the relevant people. Every prophet has worked hard to change conduct of the people so that social conditions of the people might have been changed. No prophet has taken resort to miracle to change social conditions of the people without people changing their conduct. Change in the conduct of the people is reflected through the institutions established by the people. As establishment of institutions is an eventual/gradual process which cannot be brought about overnight, change in the conduct of the people cannot be brought about overnight. Social laws have never been  subjected to a process called miracle. Sending down angels during ‘ghazwa e badr’ was not a social event; it was an event related to physical law (the angels added to physical power of the Muslims. This miracle occurred only after the Muslims adopted 'tawakkal' along with required action. It may please be noted that Muslims undertook this war after getting minimum required strength; it implies that minimum required strength is necessary to undertake war).

We can find many examples in the history that Physical laws have been subjected to miracles. In fact, miracles are initiated only in relation to physical laws; miracles are not initiated in relation to social laws. As mentioned earlier, physical laws are regulated by Allah on the basis of fixed principles; it means miracles cannot violate the principles which are the basis of physical laws; miracles are initiated on the basis of fixed principles of physical laws. Miracles are no exception to physical laws. Now the question arises if miracles do not violate principles of physical laws, why they are called miracle and how they are different from normal operation of physical laws.

 Actually miracles are initiated only to strengthen faith of the people into Omnipotent Allah; miracles are initiated when there are no resources available to the people to obtain the desired result which is brought about through that miracle. In this way, an unexpected happening like miracle strengthens the people’s faith in Allah’s Omnipotence. The question is if resources are not available, how the desired results are brought about through miracle without violating principles of physical laws. One answer is that missing resources may be made available through the future technology which is made available to bring about the desired result. This was what happened in case of our Nabi’s (saww) ‘journey of meraj’. As we have described in the article ‘Concept of Time and Meraj’, in the age of our Nabi (saww), technology was not advanced enough to manufacture a vehicle to travel in future time. But when Allah desired  His Prophet to travel in future time, Allah arranged for vehicle from future time ; burraq’ was a future technology transport which was carried by Gabriel (a.s) to our Nabi (saww) from the future time. This vehicle enabled our Nabi (saww) to travel through seven skies into future time; ‘burraq’ was arranged so that our Nabi’s (saww) travel to future time may be conducted without violating principles of physical laws. Otherwise, if violation of principles of physical laws would be  desirable, there was no need to arrange for ‘burraq’; our Nabi (Saww) may be made travel into future time without ‘burraq’.

We may conclude that both social laws and physical laws have fixed principles which are unchangeable. Miracles do not violate fixed principles working in this universe. Miracles are not related to social laws which are regulated by Allah on the basis of conduct of the relevant people. Miracles are related to physical laws which are not related to conduct of the people. However miracles do not violate principles of physical laws either; miracles operate keeping within ambit of principles of physical laws.