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Article appeared Friday, February 22nd, 2019 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (560) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD


What is true is true. What is false is false. Both exist. However, if one wants the truth to
be established, i.e., the truth be recognized, known and accepted, over and above
falsehood, how can it be done? Could one way be that witnesses testify to the truth, like
in a court? If so, how can witnesses discover or find the truth? One way would be to act
like a detective or a researcher looking for the truth through forming of a hypothesis,
collection of evidence, analysis, i.e., comparison between good and bad data, and
coming to a conclusion. A testimony can then be proclaimed and if necessary,
documented.

To understand and to be able to differentiate and isolate the truth, falsehood must also
exist side by side. If only truth existed everywhere, could truth be understood or
established? If a painter wanted to be known as a great painter, what would he/she need
to do? Especially, if he has no existing painting what steps would he/she need to take?
The first would be to craft all kinds of paintings. Then he/she would need people who are
able to study art. This could be art fans, art lovers, art critiques, or simply art observers.
If these people could also compare with poor art samples, they would then be able to
testify to the skill and difference of the painter. Paintings also need a place to be
viewed, e.g., art galleries or display places – where people stay/view for a short period of
time.

Can we apply this analogy to the Creator and our brief sojourn on earth? Can we turn
our thoughts to Him to ask similar questions? Before the Big Bang, before the universe
came into being, God and His Abilities/Attributes were unknown. If He wanted to be
known, what would He have to do? He created the universe and the earth with myriad of
beautiful things and systems. Just like the artist has art fans, He then needed beings
who would be able to observe and appreciate parts of His creation and subsequently
testify to His existence and truth. Just like the art gallery, the Creator has put human
beings temporarily on earth. Once the stipulated time on earth is finished for all, on the
Day of Judgment those who witnessed the truth of God and those who did not will be
separated. The revealed Holy Scripture, the Qur’an carries the following Verse,
“And from each people shall We draw a witness and We shall say: "Produce
your Proof": then shall they know that the Truth is in God (alone) and the (lies)
which they invented will leave them in the lurch."” [28.75]

Does our individual sojourn on earth have a purpose? The purpose is to establish the
truth of God in our own environments using the skills that He has given. Each person
has been individually created with his or her own environment and a unique set of skills.
So each person must observe, analyze and appreciate what God has done for him/her
and witness His existence and reality. Each of us will have to produce proof that we
fulfilled our purpose by accepting and establishing the Reality of God during our days on
earth. As time on earth is very short compared to the life after death perceptions of time
will change. The following Verses present a scenario of what will transpire when we are
raised from our graves to face God on the Day of Judgment.

23.112 “He will say, "What number of years did you stay on earth?"”
23.113 “They will say, "We stayed a day or part of a day: but ask those who
keep account."”

23.114 “He will say, "You stayed not but a little if you had only known!”
Essentially, we will begin to realize the time spent on earth was a small fraction of the
time we will be in the life after death – this would be our main and eternal life. We will
then be questioned about whether we fulfilled our purpose of establishing the truth.

23.115 “Did you then think that We had created you in jest and that you
would not be brought back to Us (for account)?”
Those who were exclusively distracted with worldly goods and pleasure pursuits, and did
not carry out their duties of acknowledging God would be in serious trouble. Each of us
has a very serious purpose – to establish the reality of God, which in fact is a very
honorable duty. If we have ignored this duty and just taken the pleasure out the
blessings that God created for us, and only asked God for more and more, we would be
in serious trouble.

23.116 “Therefore exalted be God, the King, the Reality; there is no god but
He, the Lord of the Throne of Honor!”
God created each individually and put us on earth with free will and knowledge
processing abilities with the task of establishing His reality. Who else but God can create
knowledge and give us knowledge processing abilities through the skills of reading and
writing?
“Read, in the name of your Lord and Cherisher Who created – created man out
of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim (His Reality)! Indeed, your Lord is
Most Bountiful. He Who taught (the use of) the Pen. Taught man that which he
knew not.” [96.1 – 96.5]

He provides all that we need to proclaim His Reality. If our activities were targeted to
please God, is He likely to decrease our blessings?

23.117 “If anyone invokes besides Allah any other god he has no authority
thereof; and his reckoning will be only with his Lord! And verily the
Unbelievers will fail to win through!”
If anyone has preferred self, self-desires, occult, other created things and beings over
God, he/she has then failed to grasp the truth, i.e., who God is, and failed his/her
purpose of creation. During the time on earth, it is never to late to turn to God and start
fulfilling his/her purpose. If one wishes to do so, he/she may start with the following
prayer.

23.118 “So say, “O my Lord! Grant me forgiveness and mercy! For You are
the Best of those who show mercy!””
May our Lord and Most Merciful Creator, guide us, forgive us and help us fulfill our
purpose. May He be pleased with us when we face Him on the Day of Judgment.

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