Why did God make the Universe so BIG?

Have you ever thought about how big the universe is? I mean it is HUGE. Imagine you are travelling at the speed of light, at 300,000km/sec. That means you'd circle the earth 7.5 times in one second! Now imagine going at this speed for about 15 billion years. Okay, well now you have only crossed half the distance of the universe!

There are more galaxies in the universe then there are the number of neurons in our brains. And there are millions and billions of stars per galaxy depending on its size. To put it another way, if you gathered up all the human beings who have ever lived since the time of Adam, and you gave each person their very own galaxy...you'd still have billions of galaxies left over. Now that's a pretty large piece of real estate for each person! I am not suggesting each Believer will have his very own galaxy - especially since the Qur'an clearly states heaven will turn into another heaven on the Day of Judgement. I am however trying to illustrate, by way of comparison, God does mean exactly what He says when He promises each Believer a garden as large as the heavens. But what's more...the universe we see is only the first or lowest level of heaven. There are six more heavens above this one. The virtual infinity of God is staggering.

And I think that's one of the reasons God has made the universe so large. It is to show He is speaking the truth in the Qur'an when He says He is infinite in bounty. He wants us to get a glimpse of the understanding of what He means when He says He's infinite. I am certain the first level of heaven, or the universe we see, is still miniscule in comparison to the sum total of all of God's creation.

There is another reason still why God made the universe as large as it is, and the earth the size it is. God made the universe so immense...simply to do justice to the intellect He gave man. Think about it. If the universe was small, say just the size of our earth and the stars were just jewels encrusted in our sky which was only a canopy....if that was all there was, well...eventually humans wouldn't buy it. Just like the movie, 'The Truman Show.' It simply wouldn't do justice to our intellect. God gave man the intellect to peer into the very beginnings of the universe, and the cognitive capability to comprehend the structure, formation and evolution of the universe. So far, our intellectual limit seems to be the comprehension that something came from nothing in the event known as the Big Bang.

He also made the earth the size it is so we can easily navigate it, at a speed and distance, according to whatever level of our technology. So, for most of the history of man...although we didn't understand the structure of the universe, at the same time, we didn't yet develop transportation and communication technologies that would make the earth a 'global village'. Back then, the earth was a big place, and much of it remained unexplored. So even if we thought the sky was only a canopy with encrusted jewels, the earth was big enough to effectively seem relatively infinite. In other words, God's home for us remained 'infinite' according to our relative development levels of science and technology...so our minds never felt anything was 'fake'.

There is another reason still why God made the earth so big and beautiful. It is to demonstrate His capability and creativity...so there is no doubt in our mind He truly is capable of providing whatever we want for those striving to be close to Him in our next life in heaven, that He is fully capable of delivering His promise. Just look at God's beauty in our earth. The breath taking views of mountains and valleys, all the wonderful plants, flowers and trees, the magnificent animals on both land and sea...both in the present and the past. Can anyone deny God's artistry?

At the same time...He has made volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail storms, tsunamis, floods, meteor impacts, and the heat of the sun itself, to demonstrate He is fully capable of severely punishing...that it is easy for Him to bring the punishing fire of Hell into being.

That is God, there is no God but Him.

Why should we be mindful of God lying, sitting and standing?

Allah instructs us in the Qur'an the true Believers are those who are mindful of God as much as possible - they remember Him lying, sitting and standing. So the question is why does God want us to be mindful of Him at the highest level possible? Well first of all, to be mindful simply means to remember God, to keep him at least in the back of your mind if not the forefront when you are doing a task or engaged in a conversation.

Now, let's look at some of the reasons why.

Consider we wouldn't even be alive if God didn't exist. And if God ceased to exist (which is an impossibility), then we too would also cease to exist along with everything else. This is because God is both the Creator and the Sustainer of His creation. So if God created us, and He sustains us...right through each and every one of our breaths...well, don't you think we ought to be thinking about him lying, sitting and standing?

Let's not take this lightly. Let me put this in perspective. How much do we think about our upcoming exam? How much do we think about our upcoming job interview, our big sales meeting, our meeting with our boss, or even a movie we recently saw? An awful lot don't we? And yet, these things pale in utter insignificance in the face of the importance and gravity of what God does for us in each and every single moment of every day. The Qur'an says (paraphrased), 'if you tried to count God's favours, you could never count them all'.

Do you want to know what the real question is? How can we be so deluded as to not think about God as often as possible...that is, when we are lying, sitting and standing?

By being mindful of God, it keeps us more aligned with God's attributes, which is our natural disposition if we allowed since He breathed our souls into us from His very spirit. God says to hold tight to His rope. He also says to take refuge in Him from the temptations of Satan. How else do we do this except by being mindful of God, by remembering Him. Human beings are capable of only one thought at any given time...so if we are thinking of Allah, then it is impossible to be tempted by Satan at that particular point in time. So the remembrance of Allah, by consequence, encourages us to behave in ways that are more in line with, and thus express, Allah's qualities.

Can there be any better qualities than Allah's?

What happens when you make a dua (prayer)?

We all make duas. Many of us make duas many times per day. But what exactly is a dua or prayer?

A dua is a specific request to God.

And what are you actually asking God to do when you make a specific request? It's an important question and deserves consideration.

When you make a dua...what you are really doing is asking God to change the normal course of events, into another course of events in such a way that the dua comes true. In other words, you are asking God to intervene in the natural laws He has set up for mankind here on earth. And to be more specific, you are asking God to use His forces of the Unseen to make your dua come true.

So when viewed from this perspective, when you are making a dua, you are really saying..."God, recruit your forces of the Unseen, which only you know, to help make my specific request come true."

Carrying this line of reasoning further...what then are God's forces of the Unseen? Well we know angels are a big of part of that. And Jinn too. And there are likely all types of other forces we have not been made aware of. Some examples of the use of angels in the Qur'an include:

1. God sent thousands of angels down to help the Prophet (pbuh) and the Believers against the disbelievers during the battle of badr. The much smaller force of believers triumphed against the much larger force as a result.
2. There are 8 angels that hold up God's throne.
3. We each have 2 recording angels and 2 guardian angels.
4. On the Day of Judgement, each of us will have 2 angels assigned to us, one to lead us on and the other to bear witness.
5. The angel of death will take our soul away when we die.
6. The archangel Gabriel is generally given the honour of transmitting God's messages to the Prophets.

So we can see from these examples God employes angels to do His bidding. Angels also have 2, 3 or 4 pairs of wings implying there are different types or classes of angels.

In some instances, God also employs Jinn to do His bidding. We know Solomon had mastery over the Jinn by God's leave. There were Jinn who dove for him, built all kinds of palaces, cauldrons and many types of fineries. However, unlike angels who are made specifically to obey God, Jinn are given free will, and hence seem to be reluctant when God specifically forces them to obey Him. For example, when the Jinn found out sometime after Solomon's death that he had passed away, they lamented doing, what they considered demeaning work, unnecessarily longer than they had to.

So by and large, in my opinion, when you make a dua, you are really asking God to send down angels and other unseen forces to intercede in the normal course of events to somehow make things happen according to your own specific request.

But now, here's the really important part. God has said in the Qur'an that He has made it His duty to help the Believers. If this is so, and it must be so because God does not break His promise, it is reasonable to conclude that one of the key ways God achieves this (although if God wanted He could simply say "Be" and it is) is by sending the angels down to the Believers just as he did during the battle of badr.

Now I want the reader to contemplate something. Doesn't it make sense the greater the belief of the Believer the more God will help him? So if the Believer only believes a little, God will send only a little help. It could be by instructing only one angel to help only a little for example. Now if the Believer is strong in his belief and trust in God, then God would help him more (e.g. by sending many angels with each given large help tasks). Doesn't that make sense?

Now can anyone have a stronger and truer faith in God than the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or the previous messengers? I think not. And since the messengers had the highest and purest faith, they received the highest level of help from Allah. This is one of the reasons why the Prophet (pbuh) succeeded in his mission.

There is a lesson here for all of us. I think it is obvious is it not? If we want God's help, I mean truly want it, we have to truly earn it. And we truly earn it by striving to attain the highest level of pure faith possible. It's not easy, it doesn't occur over night...it can take years.

It is in fact, a life long journey, but the only journey that has true meaning.

Why I'm Muslim Part 2; the Prophet (pbuh) could not have authored the Qur'an

There is no way the prophet (pbuh) could have authored the Qur'an. It's an impossibility. It must have been sent down by God.

Have you ever tried to write an entire page perfectly without a single error? Exceedingly difficult isn't it?

Okay now try and write an entire book about 400 pages long with not one single edit required. The whole book must be gramatically and linguistically correct right off the bat. Impossible isn't it? I mean really, think about it.

Okay, now write the one and same book over 23 years and fake a trance right before you write each new section.

Okay, now fake the trance so that it could initiate at any time and place...you could be driving your car, having your coffee with some friends, over breakfast. And never ever forget to fake the trance prior to the recitation of a new section. However, if you ever recite a previously revealed section make sure YOU DO NOT FAKE A TRANCE. And make sure you get the TRANCE ON/TRANCE OFF switch correct each and every time over 23 years or else you'll be caught and likely killed because you are a proven imposter.

Okay, now write the entire book...but wait...instead of writing it, memorize it instead and only verbally recite each section as and when it comes to you.

Okay, now make sure you never ever contradict yourself throughout any of your verbal recitations over the 23 years.

Okay, now also inspire yourself to compose profound wisdoms.

Okay, now get people to recite various parts of it, and you must mentally double check it only off memory, and never ever make a mistake double checking it or else others who have memorized the same parts would catch your errors; you would then be branded an imposter and likely killed.

Okay, now make sure the 400 page verbal novel you have recited flawlessly, without errors, in piecemeal over 23 years, without any grammatical errors, without ever making a mistake on the TRANCE ON/TRANCE OFF switch, always correctly double checking each recitation of each and all memorizers...

...is also a literary masterpiece and has caused people to be moved to tears and change their time honoured way of life and set off the formation of one of the greatest empires in the history of mankind.

Oh and one more thing...you're illiterate and it was your very first book.

What is the matter with people? Can they not see the Qur'an, in the way it was revealed, could not have been authored by the prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It could only have been authored by God Himself. The prophet (pbuh) is a true Messenger and the Qur'an is God's final revelation.

We should be studying the Qur'an day and night...for the benefit of our own souls.

Free Will vs Predestination

So God has given us free will. But He knows the future. Hmmm....there's a problem here isn't there? Or is there? Many people have attempted to come to grips with this problem. Some have made up theories such as God knows the general future but not the exact future. This is clearly not the case. Consider 57:22-25 which definitively states our exact futures were preordained.

At the same time, as I write this post, I clearly feel I have free will. I can sip on my cup of tea or decide to get up and leave this post. From my point of view right now...it's completely up to me. God also says 'He does not change a condition of a people unless they first change it for themselves'. Again, fully supporting free will. And just to be clear, whenever we refer to free will for human beings, it means limited free will. After all, I can't very well split the moon or cause the sun to rise from the west instead of the east. So it certainly seems, that we as human beings, have free will. If we didn't, on what basis could God even judge us?

At the same time, the Qur'an clearly states God has set the future before He brought creation into being. So where does this leave us? Well first of all, let's understand the only reason the future, the present and the past exist, is because time exists. And the only reason time exists is because God created time itself. And if God created time, then it must mean God stands outside of time. Yes, just think about that one. So if God stands outside of time it must also mean that for God there is no distinction betweeen the future, present or the past. It's all the same to God. This is part of what is meant by God stating that He is all knowing.

So now, it would seem the only option that is left, considering God has predetermined our future, and that He has also given us free will...as difficult as it is to accept...is that they both exist together. Yes that's right...you heard me. Free will and predestination co-exist. In fact, it is the inevitable outcome of Creation by an omniscient Being.

You see the issue all along has been the wording...it isn't so much free will vs. predestination, rather it should be stated...free will and predestination. Consider them opposite sides of the same coin. So again, how is that possible? Well simple really. God knows the future because He stands outside of time and observes all of time at once. We don't. From His point of view it is predetermined. From our point of view it isn't.

Let's take an example. Let's say you travel to the future two years from now strictly as an observer with no interaction with the environment and without affecting the environment even through the observation of it. You find out many things...like who your best friend marries, what job he takes. You come back to the present but you know the future. Does this mean your friend no longer has freedom of choice, that he no longer has free will just because you went to the future and know it? Of course he still has freedom of choice from his point of view, while at the same time, you know the future from your point of view. As I say to my in-laws...it's all relative.

Here's another way to look at it. God created all the heavens, the universe, the earth, all the creatures on it including man. Do we know how God managed to create all that from nothing? We don't have a clue...but it's God...He's capable of doing anything. Okay, so why can God do anything, yet He can't create existence in such a way where He knows the future and still gives us free will? I mean it's God isn't it? If there's someone who can do that...it has to be God.

Let's look at it from the point of view of physics...and specifically the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. It states that the smaller the mass of an object and the faster its speed, the greater the uncertainty of its location at a given time. So electrons for example that travel really fast, and are really really small...well we have no idea where they exactly are in their orbit around a proton, nucleus or molecule at any given time. Hence, the uncertainty.

And considering that electron transfer is the basis of chemical reactions between atoms when molecular bonds are formed...including the neurochemical basis of thought along our neural pathways. So from our point of view, we don't know what we're going to do or think in the future. The uncertainty is built into the system that allows us to have freedom of thought. However the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle does not apply to God. He knows exactly where the electrons are...and therefore knows what we are going to think and do.

Hence, the reconciliation between Free Will and Predestination.

The Soul and the Body

What is a soul? What is a body? What is the purpose of each?

The Qur'an says God breathed from His spirit into us. This means that we all have a little bit of God's spirit in us...and I believe this is our soul. So in other words, the soul is the individualized form of God's spirit in each of us.

The soul however is lucid, it does not have a form. It needs a body to express itself. The function of the body is only to express the qualities of our soul. Since the soul is breathed into us from God Himself, it must inherently be good. Can God breath something into us from Himself which is anything but good? Think about this...it's important.

Remember Adam was in heaven along with his mate, and the two of them were happy and content. They did not naturally commit sin or were evil. It was only Satan that tempted them...and they listened to his temptation. But without Satan, they were without sin. So this means our natural disposition without Satan is to be good. And what is good? It is to manifest the attributes of God, because God gave us some of His own spirit...so it is easy for us to do this, it is in fact our natural state, provided we can shed the yoke of Satan's temptations.

The body is presented with all kinds of opportunities for the soul to express the natural goodness of God. But the body itself cannot be good, nor can it be bad. Thus, our challenge as individuals is to recognize that we have daily opportunities, endless opportunities to express God's attributes through our daily actions. Our soul is given the opportunity to express God's attributes of love, compassion, forgiveness, selflessness, charity, creativity, honesty, integrity, mercy...through the transactions of our daily live as presented to our bodies.

When viewed from this perspective, the purpose of life is not to acquire...not to acquire wealth, not to acquire pleasure, not to acquire emotional and mental things. It is in fact, to go through whatever we face, as opportunities to manifest God's attributes as given to us by God Himself by way of our soul. After all, how could our souls be given this opportunity without the body?

The Qur'an speaks of wronging our own soul. What does this mean? It means we decide to manifest qualities that are opposite of God's...and this means we are putting our soul in a state which wrongs its very nature. We manifest selfishness, greed, lust, envy...we all know the seven deadly sins. We do this because we are tempted by Satan to lead us away from God's qualities. Fundamentally speaking, our test is really to avoid the temptations of Satan, and to manifest the natural state of God's spirit, which He has breathed into us. Our souls are inherently good, we just need to give ourselves a chance to let that out.

The Old Man in the Café

I remember last summer sitting down in a café, enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee, reflecting on life…when I noticed, at the far end of the café, an old man sitting with a handicapped man. I can only imagine he must have been his son. What caught my eye wasn’t the handicapped man per se; it was how the old man took care of his son. The old man didn’t know the rest of the world existed; all his attention was on the well being of his son.

He talked to his son, even though his son didn’t answer back.

He helped his son with a napkin to wipe his mouth, even though his son didn’t reply with a thank you.

He helped his son up from his chair, and took the trouble to put the chair back in its proper spot, even though he had to help his son make his way round the table.

He guided his son, through the double doors that led out of the café, even though his briefcase was left unattended at their table.

And, from a distance in the parking lot, I noticed how he helped his son into their car, securely closing the car door behind him.

At first, I thought to myself, what an onerous life this must be for the old man. To do this, day in and day out; it must have been tiring and prevented him from doing so many other things in life. But then, the Qur’an inspired me to look at things differently. It wasn’t any particular verse or verses per se; it was just the overall spirit of what the Qur’an conveys.

I thought, how can this disabled man, who was very likely born with this disability, possibly be destined for anywhere but heaven in the life to come? And, I thought about all the good deeds the old man accumulated on every act of service to his son. Who knows what sins the old man might have done in his lifetime, and how these deeds may shift the balance to heaven in God’s eyes, the most Graceful, the most Merciful.

When you really look at it, his handicapped son wasn’t a misfortune for the old man, but in fact a blessing. The boy was guaranteed heaven because of the disability, and the old man was blessed with endless opportunities to take care of his son, for the sake of Allah, and gather good deeds. How, in this world, we look for opportunities to do good deeds, and how, the old man, was given an endless bounty of opportunities to do good deeds because of his blessed son.

When I see a parent now, with a disabled child, I no longer view the parent as being dealt with misfortune; I now see both being blessed because of the child, as part of God’s sublime mercy.