Article appeared Friday, May 18th, 2012 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (229)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

In a kingdom, who is it that deserves the kings favor a person who is loyal and faithful to the king or a person who is disloyal, unfaithful and treacherous? What is the difference between these two types of subjects? Being part of the kingdom, each enjoys benefits of the land the first demonstrates gratefulness by being loyal and faithful; while the second ungratefulness by being disloyal, unfaithful and a traitor. Does gratefulness only come from the heart? Or is it also based on intelligence and understanding? The grateful person focuses on the source of benefits while the ungrateful and unfaithful seeks benefits in everything around him/her he/she feels that benefits can be sought from the king, as well as the kings adversaries, the kings other subjects or any other thing seemingly endowed with power. To the ungrateful person, it is the benefit that is of primary importance, not the king. He/she does whatever it takes to gain benefit from anyone or anything without discrimination. On the kings part, if the king were compassionate and did not want to sentence anyone to death because of disloyalty, unfaithfulness or treachery would it help to proclaim a law? Could the law simply be a warning against disloyalty, unfaithfulness or treachery? If we think of the earth to be like a kingdom, who is the king? The most recent Revelation, the Quran, guides us and proclaims who the king of the universe is. Verily, your Allah is One! Lord of the heavens and of the earth and all between them and Lord of every point at the rising of the sun! [37.4 37.5] Modern science tells us that the sun has two movements, one relative that caused by the earths rotation and the other absolute, i.e. the suns movement through the Milky Way {1} as our Solar System keeps expanding. Whatever point the sun is at, our Creator and Lord causes the movement and is in total control at each point. So, what kind of loyalty and faithfulness does our Creator expect from us? Jesus (pbuh) guides us in the New Testament of the Bible: And Jesus answered him, It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve. [Luke 4:8, ESV] {2} The purpose of creation is confirmed in the most recent Revelation, the Quran: I have only created Jinns [15.27] and men that they may serve Me. [51.56] Our lives and everything else in the universe belong to the Creator. We are living in the Kingdom of our Creator and enjoying all benefits given by Him. We owe our existence, our sustenance, our blessings and our successes to Him. He is the Originator and Source of everything. Being so, how can one be loyal to the Creator and faithfully serve Him? And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? [Deuteronomy 10:12 13, NIV] {3} "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. [Matthew 22:36 - 38, NIV] {4} And there is the type of man who gives his life to earn the pleasure of Allah; and Allah is full of kindness to (His) devotees. [2.207]

O you people, adore your Guardian-Lord who created you and those who came before you that you may have the chance to learn righteousness. [2.21] Is it right that we adore our Creator, seek His Pleasure and are grateful in return for the joy of existence? Given that the Creator is our Source, our Provider, our Protector and our destination would it be wise to look for additional things that may have power over our lives? These are among the (precepts of) wisdom that your Lord Has Revealed to you. Take not with Allah another object of worship lest you should be thrown into Hell blameworthy and rejected. [17.39] In case there is a tendency to take our Creators warning lightly, Allah warns, "Did you then think that We have created you in jest and that you would not be brought back to Us (for account)?" [23.115] He Who created Death and Life that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving. [67.2] What kind of company should a person loyal to the Creator keep? Whom should a believer associate with? O you who believe take not for friends unbelievers rather than believers: do you wish to offer Allah an open proof against yourselves? The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the fire: no helper will you find for them. [4.144 4.145]

5.55 Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Apostle and the (fellowship of) believers those who establish regular prayers and regular charity and they bow down humbly (in worship). 5.56 As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah His Apostle and the (fellowship of) believers it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.
For those who prefer friends from the unbelievers, Allah asks, those who take for friends unbelievers rather than believers: is it honor they seek among them? Nay, all honor is with Allah. [4.139] Specifically,

5.57 O you who believe, take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport whether among those who received the Scripture before you or among those who reject faith; but fear Allah if you have Faith (indeed). 5.58 When you proclaim your call to prayer they take it (but) as mockery and sport; that is because they are a people without understanding.
To recipients of previous scriptures,

5.59 Say: "O People of the Book, do you disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe in Allah and the Revelation that has come to us and that which came before (us) and (perhaps) that most of you are rebellious and disobedient?"
-----{Notes}: {1} http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502092145.htm {2} http://bible.cc/luke/4-8.htm {3} http://bible.cc/deuteronomy/10-12.htm {4} http://bible.cc/matthew/22-36.htm