Article appeared Friday, May 5th, 2017 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (475) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

How much information or knowledge can Google access? Where did all this knowledge
originate from? From computers? Or from the human brain? What does this imply? Does this
imply that all the knowledge that exists comes from the human brain? If so, then, why do we
have to learn or what is learning?

Essentially, we have to match knowledge or information to questions. This is just like when one
uses the Google search engine. Can Google help a person who does not have a question or a
query? When a question or query keyword/s is entered, Google displays the website links with
matching knowledge or information. When we check the links and find the information we were
looking for, we become wiser the knowledge found has helped answer a question/query!

To learn, this is exactly what must go on in the human brain. We do with Google what we should
be doing in our own brain asking questions, guessing possible answers and arriving at the
best possible answer. How can one arrive at the best possible answer or an answer that works
best? To answer this question, all we need to do is look at how humans invented new things.
How did Edison come up with the then longest burning light bulb?
Edison and his team of researchers in Edison's laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J., tested
more than 3,000 designs for bulbs between 1878 and 1880. {1}

The question is, where did the 3,000 designs for testing bulbs come from? These were all
guesses from the team members brains and then tested. So, each guess was tested till the
right design was found! Is it a wonder that the Quran reveals,
And He taught Adam the nature (names and characteristics) of all things; then He
placed them before the angels and said, "Tell Me the nature of these if you are right."
They said, "Glory to You; of knowledge we have none save that You have taught us: in
truth it is You who are perfect in knowledge and wisdom." [2.31 2.32]

What does He taught Adam mean? God not only loaded the first prototype human with all the
names (and natures) of all things, he also tested whether Adam could successfully bring out the
names when asked. He also clarified that the angels could not answer, i.e., the Verses show
why a new creation was started. Humans can match knowledge with questions and thus not
only learn the truth, but also test and testify to the truth using this process as was
demonstrated by questioning Adam. Given this ability, can and should humans then bear
testimony to the truth and reality of God their Maker and the Teacher? This ability puts
humans at the pinnacle of all creation. So, after having tested Adam, what did God do?

18.50 Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam". They bowed down,
all except Satan. He was one of the Jinns [15.27] and he broke the Command of
his Lord. Will you then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me?
And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!
God made the angels show respect to this new creation. Satan, another creation of God [15.27],
however, rejected Gods command giving emotional logic.
(Satan) argued, "I am better than he. You created me from fire and him You created
from clay." [38.76]

Satan overlooked Gods Wisdom and Purpose. He emotionally rejected Gods command he
could not bear the fact that the new creation could be better than him. He and his descendents
continue to misguide humans with emotional logic logic that can lead to envy, jealousy,
suspicion, mistrust, arrogance and disobedience to Gods purpose.
18.51 I did not make them (angels and jinn) to witness the creation of the
heavens and the earth or (even) to the creation of themselves; nor is it for Me to
take as helpers such as lead (men) astray!
How can humans be helpers to God? God has given humans knowledge so that they can
independently testify to the truth and reality of God and His creation. They can recognize God
for who He is and be witnesses. Can it be an honor to be witnesses to the Creator of the
heavens, the earth and everything in it? Through the question and answer searching process,
humans can learn the truth about creation, thus coming out from the darkness of knowing
nothing, to the realization of the existence and reality of God. By offering a counter emotional
logic and rejecting Gods command, Satan posed himself as equal or a partner to God. Those
who do not question their thoughts (to find the truth) and simply follow Satans emotional logic
[114.4, 114.5, 7.20] effectively take him as a partner to God.

18.52 And (warn of the Judgment) Day when He will say, "Call on those whom
you thought to be My partners"; they (the rebels) will call on them but they
(partners) will not respond; and We shall make for them (the rebels among jinn
and men) a place of common perdition (eternal damnation and punishment).

18.53 And the Sinful (rebels, criminals) will see the Fire and become
apprehensive that they are to be placed there; no means will they find to turn
away from there.

18.54 We have explained in detail in this Qur'an, for the benefit of mankind, every
kind of similitude (example): but man is, in most things, contentious (prone to
argue and dispute).
It is open to humans to ask the right questions to arrive at the truth from the answers given in
the Quran. If we do not want to accept the honor to act as witnesses to Gods reality, would He
have any other use for us?

18.55 And what is preventing men from believing now that Guidance has come
to them and from praying for forgiveness from their Lord but that (they repeat)
the ways of the forefathers (those who similarly denied their Lord) or the
punishment be (similarly) brought in front of them?
Do we not question the ways of our parents and ancestors? Has God not independently given
knowledge and ability to question? We need to work out how to be witnesses, and fulfill our
individual purpose using the gift of knowledge.

18.56 We only send the Apostles to give glad tidings and to give warning; but the
Unbelievers dispute with vain arguments in order to weaken the truth and they
treat My Verses as jest as do the fact that they are warned!
God selects messengers from those who seek the truth, to warn and guide humans as to the
purpose of their creation. How will God react to those who repeatedly reject the truth?

18.57 And who is more unjust than one who is (repeatedly) reminded of the
Verses of his Lord (through prayers and other invitations) but turns away from
them and forgets the (rebellious deeds) which his hands have sent forth? Verily
We have set veils over their hearts lest they should understand this and over their
ears deafness. If you call them to guidance even then will they never accept it.
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{Notes}:
{1} http://www.livescience.com/43424-who-invented-the-light-bulb.html