Article appeared Friday, September 19th, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The e!elation "#4$% yo&s&' mahb&b&l (slam, )h*

(s the use of intelligence re+&ired to establish the tr&th o' words written down, A !ery long
+&estion- To attempt an answer, we co&ld start by e.amining the +&estion itsel'/ The +&estion
has three phrases use of intelligence, establish the truth and words written down/ 0et1s 'irst
loo2 at the ob3ect phrase 4 words written down/ (n o&r day5to5day li!es, we come across many
words that are written down, e.g., in newspapers, in boo2s, in maga6ines, in ad!ertisements and
in scienti'ic 3o&rnals/ 7hat co&ld be the p&rpose o' the words that we 'ind, (n addition to the
meaning o' the words, there has to be a p&rpose, i.e., why were the words written,
There co&ld be many possible reasons behind the written word/ For e.ample, one reason co&ld
be simply to present 'acts, i.e., 'acts 'or the reader to e!al&ate8 or the p&rpose co&ld be to
instr&ct or g&ide, to in'orm or to enlighten, to con!ince, or to entertain/ 9o&ld the p&rpose also
be to misg&ide, to politically moti!ate, to spread r&mors, to present a 'alse or moti!ated image o'
a sit&ation, So sho&ld the meaning o' words also be e!al&ated against the possible p&rpose,
:ow, Is the use of intelligence required for such an evaluation?
(n what ways can we respond to the meaning o' partic&lar words, 7e can emotionally respond
by re3ecting the words without wanting to 2now the meaning/ To 3&sti'y o&r emotional response,
we may o''er e.c&ses/ (n s&ch cases, intelligence is &sed only to 'ind an appropriate e.c&se/ (n
contrast, an intelligent approach wo&ld be to e!al&ate both the meaning and determine the
p&rpose behind the words/ 7hen e.amining the words, it is &p to the indi!id&al to decide
whether the concept behind the words con!eys or re'lects the tr&th/ 7ords by themsel!es ha!e
no power, it is only h&man intelligence that can attach meaning or re'lect on the signi'icance o'
the words/ (' the signi'icance a''ects o&r li'e and o&r '&t&re, we are 'ree to choose and alter o&r
thin2ing and attit&de accordingly/
S&ch &se o' intelligence is only possible by h&man beings who ha!e the blessings o' an
analytical ability/ No other creation has s&ch ability/ (' h&man beings chose only to emotionally
respond and not to &se their special analytical intelligence what does it imply, The most recent
e!elation, the ;&r1an sadly points o&t/
Or do you think that most of them listen or use their reasoning? They are only li2e
cattle8 rather they are more astray in their way/ <2$/44=
So i' h&man beings re'&se to &se their gi!en analytical intelligence, in the eyes o' the 9reator,
they are worse than the cattle that :e has created- 7hy, (t is ob!io&s that cattle do not ha!e
analytical intelligence/ For e.ample, co&ld a >cow? wor2 o&t that it has been created and be
grate'&l to the 9reator, And i' a being that has s&ch ability clearly chooses not to >thin2?, i.e., in
e''ect, be like a cow, how sho&ld the @i!er o' this ability respond, To help &nderstand the
p&rpose o' gi!ing h&man beings analytical intelligence, o&r 9reator as2s in the ;&r1an,
(t is 7e 7ho ha!e created yo&A why will you then not witness the Truth? <$B/$C=
The s&bse+&ent Derses in this chapter, i.e., 9hapter $B titled >The (ne!itable E!ent? or >The
(ne!itable *ay o' F&dgment? gi!es e.amples o' how we can start to apply o&r intelligence/
*o yo& then see "or re'lect%, The h&man seed that yo& throw o&t, is it yo& who ha!e
created it or are 7e the 9reators, <$B/$G 4 $B/$9=
So, where e.actly does the engaged sperm that starts the process o' birth, to p&t together an
indi!id&al with a &ni+&e personality, come 'rom, 9an the sperm create, Hr can randomness
promote ordered growth and indi!id&ality, As another e.ample,
See "re'lect on% the seed that yo& sow in the gro&nd, Is it you that cause it to grow or
are 7e the 9a&se, <$B/B# 4 $B/B4=
:ow does the seed grow and become !egetation that s&pports h&man li'e in a !ariety o' ways,
*o the growing plants 2now that they are to pro!ide 'ood and n&trients as well as satis'y other
p&rposes, To help &s re'lect, we may 'orm&late +&estions related to the 'ollowing Derse,
IAnd "'&rther% do yo& see the earth barren and li'eless b&t when 7e po&r down rain
on it, it is stirred "to li'e%, it swells and it po&rs 'orth e!ery 2ind o' bea&ti'&l growth "in
pairs%/ <22/$=
:ow come all types o' plants ha!e pairs, i.e., male and 'emale, :ow does the same earth
prod&ce so many di''erent !arieties o' !egetation, 'lowers, 'r&its, etc.? So, the +&estion is sho&ld
we &se o&r intelligence to ponder on what the ;&r1an says, or sho&ld we 'ind emotional e.c&ses
'or not reading and re'lecting, Allah gi!es the 'ollowing e.ample o' a type o' e.c&se that we &se
'or not pondering on the words written/
10.38 Or do they say (about the Prophet, pbuh) that, "He forged it"? ay (or
!ha""e#ge), "$ri#g the# a urah (!hapter) "i%e it a#d !a"" (to your assista#!e)
&ho'e(er you !a# besides )""ah, (to test) if you spea% the truth*"
:&man beings cannot create the 2nowledge gi!en in the ;&r1an, neither can they p&t together
s&ch Derses/ )rophet J&hammad himsel' had had no 'ormal ed&cation/ There'ore, Allah as2s
&s to test o&r hypothesis "that a h&man being can write s&ch a chapter%,
>And i' yo& are in do&bt as to what 7e ha!e e!ealed 'rom time to time to H&r ser!ant
")rophet J&hammad% then prod&ce "originate% a S&rah li2e those gi!en8 and call yo&r
witnesses or helpers "i' there are any% besides Allah i' yo&r "do&bts% are tr&e/ <2/2#=
10.3+ ,ay, rather they de#y %#o&"edge that they !a##ot !reate e(e# before
i#terpretatio# (of the %#o&"edge) has rea!hed the'. -hus did peop"e before de#y
.e(e"atio#. Find out and reflect on what was the end of those who did wrong!
Among people,
10./0 Of the' there are so'e &ho be"ie(e i# it (.e(e"atio#) a#d so'e &ho do
#ot0 your 1ord %#o&s best those &ho are out for 'is!hief.
10./1 2f they !harge you (O, 3uha''ad) &ith fa"sehood, the# say4 "5or 'e are
'y deeds a#d for you are your deeds* 6ou are free fro' respo#sibi"ity for &hat 2
do a#d 2 a' free fro' respo#sibi"ity for &hat you do*"
Each h&man being has been gi!en the &se o' intelligence and 'ree5will/ Each is responsible only
'or hisKher own response to the 9reator/ Allah gi!es e.amples o' non5intelligent emotional
responses,
10./7 )'o#g the' are so'e &ho (prete#d to) "iste# to you (O, Prophet). $ut you
!a##ot 'a%e the deaf to hear as they will not use reason!
10./3 )#d a'o#g the' are so'e &ho "oo% at you. $ut !a# you guide the b"i#d
as they &i"" #ot (e(a"uate &hat they) see?
Hn the *ay o' F&dgment,
10.// 8eri"y )""ah &i"" #ot dea" u#9ust"y &ith 'a# i# the "east4 it is 'a# that
&ro#gs his o&# sou" (by #ot usi#g his:her i#te""ige#!e).