Article appeared Friday, January 8th, 2016 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (409)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

We may sometimes look into the mirror while getting ready for the day. During such times or at
other times, do we ask ourselves any questions? For example, Who am I? or/and, Where did I
come from?; How was I made? Or even, Why was I made?
As we are not able to create ourselves, it is apparent that some external agency, an agency that
is able to conceive, design and also create human beings is involved. Would the external
agency be creating humans for a purpose or would creation be without a purpose?
Are such questions important? Should one be asking such questions and looking for answers?
How would you classify a person who doesnt have any questions? Essentially, the overarching
question would be: is our life purpose driven or is it without a purpose?
Now, how and where could answers be found? One way could be to analyse the situation and
look for comparable analogies. We could then refer to literature, in particular the Holy Scriptures
to look for confirmation of our analogies or guesses. Lets consider the question, Is there a
purpose for creation? After examining comparable analogies, let us look for confirmation in the
Holy Quran. In the Quran we find the following Verse.
Have you not considered that Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth? If He so
wills He can do away with you and put (in your place) a new creation? [14.19]
What could the phrase in truth mean? Could it mean the truth of who the Creator is, i.e., He has
unseen qualities of being able to conceive, design and create? It is only with a demonstration
that the qualities of the Creator can be established. For example, lets imagine that there is an
artist; however, he has never produced any artwork. Could the truth of the artists skill be
established? Can the person be called an artist? Similarly, how would the Creator establish His
Truth?
Not for (idle) sport (or play) did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is
between! [21.16]
How or who would be in a position to witness the Creators truth? Can inanimate objects or
beings without a questioning ability, i.e., beings without knowledge and analytical intelligence
appreciate who the Creator is? Therefore, what kind of creature would the Creator need to
witness and establish His truth?
It is He Who brought you out from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing;
then He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affections: that you may give
thanks (to Allah). [16.78]
A human therefore has the ability to analyze a favor or blessing and demonstrate gratitude. The
human has the ability to observe things using hearing and sight. He/she can analyze what is
observed using intelligence and finally be grateful using his/her affections. Gratitude establishes
the truth of the Creator as the Giver and Originator of favors and blessings.
Moving on to the other questions, i.e., Who am I? We find the following Verses in the Quran:
And your creation or your resurrection will not be but as an individual soul: for Allah is
He Who hears and sees (all things). [31.28]

The Creator has individually put us together complete with an individual soul.
It is Allah Who has made for you the earth as a resting place and the sky as a canopy
and has given you shapes and made your shapes beautiful and has provided for you
Sustenance of things pure and good such is Allah your Lord. So Glory to Allah the Lord
of the Worlds! [40.64]
He has made each of us beautiful. How did He make us? (How was I made?)

15.26 We created man from sounding clay from an altered black mud molded
into shape;
As pointed out {1}, the Composition of the Human Body,
Almost 99% of the mass of the human body is made up of six elements: oxygen,
carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus {1}
Would these elements be found in mud {2}? As pointed out, mud has been altered to be used
as the basic construction material for humans. It is interesting to see that mud is used as a
construction material for buildings {3} and also for beauty treatment {4} of human beings, e.g.,
face packs.

15.27 And the Jinn race We had created before from the fire of a scorching
wind.
Before creating humans, Allah created the Jinn race.
And He created Jinns from fire free of smoke: [55.15]
Satan is a Jinn. He was created before humans.
Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": they bowed down except Iblis. He
was one of the Jinns and he disobayed the Command of his Lord [18.50]
To launch a new race with analytical intelligence to witness the truth of the Creator by being
grateful, Allah created Adam, the first human being:

15.28 Behold! Your Lord said to the angels: "I am about to create man from
sounding clay from mud molded into shape;
Human beings have the ability to independently witness the truth of the Creator and be grateful
using their free will. This places them in a superior position to the rest of the creation as it fulfills
the purpose of creating the universe, i.e., to establish His truth. Each human has the capacity to
use his/her intelligence and be grateful. Therefore,

15.29 When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of
My spirit (created soul) fall down in prostration to him.
The angels are programmed beings. They are created only to follow orders as given by the
Creator. They do not have analytical intelligence or a free will of their own.

15.30 So the angels prostrated themselves all of them together:

-------{Notes}:
{1} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composition_of_the_human_body
{2} http://kremesti.com/water/silt_clay_mud.htm
{3} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud
{4} http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-mud.htm