Part Two
11- Associating partners with God (shirk) is like falling from the sky - 22:31
12- How can God be called "The Believer"? 59:23
12- How can God be called "The Believer"? 59:23
13- Who dictates the terms of a loan agreement? 2:282
14- The father of Jesus 6:101
15- Those who put all their trust in God 22:15
16- The bee inspired by God 16:68-69
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11- Associating partners with God (shirk) is like falling from the sky. - 22:31
Be monotheist for God, associating none with Him. Whoever associates others with God will be as though he has fallen down from the sky, then to be snatched up by the birds or to be blown away by the wind to a remote place. 22:31
The allegory given in this verse is of those who set up partners with God being likened to having fallen down from the sky and being snatched by birds. The allegory used in this verse contains very interesting and precise information:
1- A person falling from the sky is in what is known as 'free fall'. A fall such as free fall is indeed a great fall since the full force of gravity takes control. This allegory informs us that whoever sets up partners with God has fallen the greatest fall (loss).
2- Since free fall is a state where there is no resistance to the force of gravity, it produces weightlessness, or 'zero-G'. The state of weightlessness, and no resistance, portrays the state of a person with no protection and thus in a totally vulnerable state.
3- The words "to be snatched up by the birds" indicate that anyone who has the tendency to set up partners with God, will be easy prey to the devils and their idolatrous invitations. The allegory here portrays the devils as the snatching birds.
4- The weight of a person on the ground is supported by the earth below his feet, but a person in 'free fall' has no support whatsoever for his plunging body, and is heading towards assured death. This is also the case of he who sets up partners with God. He would have no support whatsoever from God, this is because setting up partners with God (shirk) is the only unforgivable sin (4:48). As a result, such a person is heading for assured damnation. In contrast, God always supports the genuine believers to lead them out of the darkness into the light.
He is the One who supports you, as well as His angels, to bring you out of the darkness and into the light. He is Merciful towards the believers. 33:43
12- How can God be called "The Believer"? 59:23
He is God; the One besides whom there is no other god. The King, the Holy, the Peace, the 'Mu'min' (Believer), the All-Encompassing, the Dignified, the Powerful, the Proud. Glory to God, far above whatever they associate with Him. 59:23
The above verse provides several names for God, one of those is the "Mu’min", which literally means "The Believer".
The Quranic definition of a believer is one who believes in God, the angels, the messengers of God and the Scriptures of God (2:185). God is the One who created the angels, the messengers and the Scriptures, so how can the description of "Believer" be applicable to God when He created everything?
1- As mentioned, the definition of belief (Iman) is to have faith in the existence of God, the angels, the messengers and the Scriptures of God.
2- Among humans, there are believers and also disbelievers. When we focus on the believers we find that the most sincere believers will still have a minute element of doubt in their hearts. This is due to the fact that the human cannot see God with his eyes.
The Quran relates the story of Abraham when he asked God to show him a sign, then God asked Abraham: "Have you not believed?" and Abraham replied: "Yes, but so that my heart is reassured." 2:260
We also have the example of Moses when he asked to see God for the same reason and God told him:
"You cannot see Me, but look at the mountain; if it stays in its place, then you will see Me." Then when his Lord manifested Himself to the mountain, He caused it to crumble, and Moses dropped down unconscious. When he came to, he said, "Glory to You. I repent to You, and I am the first of the believers." 7:143
3- Even though Abraham and Moses were very sincere prophets of God, they still had a tiny element of doubt simply because they could not see God with their own eyes. These Quranic examples tell us that there will always be a small element of doubt in the hearts of the most sincere believers.
4- Due to this element of doubt, no human being can be called a 'perfect believer' in an absolute sense.
5- The following Quranic verse goes a long way in highlighting the connection between doubt and belief:
He had no authority over them for any purpose other than for Us to distinguish those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. Your Lord is Guardian over all things. 34:21
We note in the words above that God used "doubt" as an antonym for "belief". We also know that all humans will have a degree of doubt, be it small or large, therefore, no human can be called a believer in an absolute sense.
In contrast, God does not have any doubt whatsoever in anything since God is Lord and Creator of all things. As far as God is concerned all matters are absolute certainty, and for that we can say that God is the Only One who can be called the true and perfect "Believer".
13- Who dictates the terms of a loan agreement? 2:282
O you who believe, if you transact a loan for a specified term, you shall write it down. A scribe shall write equitably in your presence. No scribe shall refuse to write. As God has taught him, so he should write. Let the one whom the debt falls on dictates to him. 2:282
In 2:282, we read about the rules of lending money. One of the rules is that if a loan is contracted between two individuals, the borrower is the one who dictates the terms of the loan. This may seem contrary to common practice; it is normal to see the lender as the one who dictates the terms and not the borrower, but God's wisdom is unequalled.
God decrees that since the lender is the one who is always in a stronger position, then the borrower should be the one who dictates the terms for the following reasons:
1- On the one hand, if the lender is left to dictate his terms he may impose unfair terms, which the borrower may have to accept due to his dire need for the money. This would result in a case of 'Riba' (usury).
2- However, if the borrower writes the terms, he will not write terms which are unfair to the lender because if he does, the lender (who is not in financial difficulty) will simply refuse to lend the money, as a result, the borrower will get nothing. Rather, the borrower will need to write fair terms for the lender to be willing to part with his money, but without writing unfair or exploitive terms. This rule will insure that fair terms will be written for both parties.
14- The father of Jesus 6:101
The Originator of the heavens and the earth: How can He have a son when He did not have a consort? He created all things and He is Knowledgeable of all things. 6:101
In the above verse, God answers a specific rationale and exposes the claim that was derived from that rationale.
The rationale is that every born child must have a father and a mother. From this rationale, the church clergy went on to claim that since Jesus did not have a human father, then his father is God.
To analyse this claim, we need to focus on the three parties in the triangle: Father, Mother, Son. If the rationale states that the 2 parties (mother and son) cannot exist on their own, then the rationale must be applied to all parties of the triangle and not to only two parties of the three.
The implication of the above is that it is necessary to say that for every father to have a child, he must also have a mate (mother) who is third party in the triangle. Equally, for every mother to have a child she must have a mate (father). The 3 sided triangle must be maintained in its entirety and not only for two of the three parties.
The church insist on one application of the triangle, that for every son born to a mother, he must also have a father. From that they conclude that since Jesus had no human father, then his father is God in Heaven.
In reply, God says: "How can He (God) have a son when He did not have a consort?"
What God is saying to the promoters of the "son of god" doctrine is the following:
If you insist that all 3 parties of the triangle must exist and not only 2 out of 3, then how was it possible for the father (God) to have a son without having a wife?
So unless the church clergy state that Mary was the wife of God, then the words in 6:101 provide an absolute rebuttal of the claim that the father of Jesus is God.
In addition the following Quranic words about Adam, which are also endorsed in the Bible, give extra evidence that God was never the father of Jesus:
The example of Jesus with God is like the example of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, "Be", and he was. 3:59
The creation of Adam speaks of a triangle that is not only missing a mother, or a father, but missing both, so let the church work that one out!
15- Those who put all their trust in God 22:15
Whoever thinks that God will not support him in this world and in the Hereafter, let him extend a 'sababan' (path) to the sky, then sever all else. Then let him see if his action removes what aggravates him. 22:15
The Arabic word 'sababan' has been used in the Quran to mean a path (see 18:85 and 40:36), or a connection (see 2:166). The glorious words in 22:15 provide a great test for all people with regards to how much they trust and depend on God. God invites anyone who doubts God's support in this life or the Hereafter, to turn to the sky (in prayer to God) establishing a path to God, then sever his dependence on anything and anyone else. He can then see if this action removes what has been aggravating him or not.
The genuine believers put all their trust and dependence on God alone. They have a firm conviction that He alone has absolute authority over all that happens to them. As per 22:15, such trust will indeed be rewarded by God.
Your Lord inspired the bee: "Build homes on the mountains and the trees and in what they construct. Then eat from all the fruits and follow the paths of your Lord which have been made easy for you to follow." From their bellies comes a drink of different colours wherein there is healing for the people. In that is a sign for people who reflect. 16:68-69
In verse 16:69 God commands the bees to eat from the fruits rather than from the flowers. The anti-Quran snipers regard this verse as an example of what they claim to be scientific errors. The analysis below will God willing address this matter and determine whether this verse indeed contains scientific errors.
A quick reference to the science of botany tells us that flowers and fruits are the same thing, but at different stages of development. Flowers are at the stage of pollen dispersal while fruits are at the stage of seed dispersal.
Each fruit starts with a flower. Then four separate events take place in sequence. They are pollination, fertilization, growth and development, and finally, ripening.
Second: In addition to the above information, the words in the 2 verses include yet another accurate piece of scientific information.
Third: The words "eat from all the fruits" contain yet a third example of the utmost precision that is evident throughout the Quran.
16- The bee inspired by God 16:68-69
First: It is common knowledge that bees collect nectar and pollen from various flowers. However, in the Quran we read what may initially seem to be incorrect information:
Your Lord inspired the bee: "Build homes on the mountains and the trees and in what they construct. Then eat from all the fruits and follow the paths of your Lord which have been made easy for you to follow." From their bellies comes a drink of different colours wherein there is healing for the people. In that is a sign for people who reflect. 16:68-69
In verse 16:69 God commands the bees to eat from the fruits rather than from the flowers. The anti-Quran snipers regard this verse as an example of what they claim to be scientific errors. The analysis below will God willing address this matter and determine whether this verse indeed contains scientific errors.
A quick reference to the science of botany tells us that flowers and fruits are the same thing, but at different stages of development. Flowers are at the stage of pollen dispersal while fruits are at the stage of seed dispersal.
Each fruit starts with a flower. Then four separate events take place in sequence. They are pollination, fertilization, growth and development, and finally, ripening.
Bees do not only eat from flowers, they eat from fruits as well (see pictures below).
Therefore, God's choice of the word "fruit" (which includes the flower stage) is more accurate since it includes all stages up to the ripening fruit stage. If instead God said "then eat from all the flowers", this would not include any of the stages beyond the flower stage.
Therefore, God's choice of the word "fruit" (which includes the flower stage) is more accurate since it includes all stages up to the ripening fruit stage. If instead God said "then eat from all the flowers", this would not include any of the stages beyond the flower stage.
In other words:
- The flower stage is one of the stages of the fruit formation.
- The fruit is not one of the stages of the flower formation.
Second: In addition to the above information, the words in the 2 verses include yet another accurate piece of scientific information.
The Arabic words 'kuli' (eat), 'isluki' (follow) and 'butooniha' (their bellies) are all worded in the feminine gender. It is interesting to know that only the female bees produce honey. They do so by collecting nectar, then storing it in their honey-stomach, which is different from their food stomach. Back at the hive, other female worker bees chew the nectar until it turns into honey.
Third: The words "eat from all the fruits" contain yet a third example of the utmost precision that is evident throughout the Quran.
We know that bees collect nectar and pollen from flowers and not from fruits.
Had God used the word 'collect', then the matching word to use would have been 'flowers'. But since the word "eat" was used, the correct word to use is "fruits".
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