Praise be to Allah [Azza Wa Jal] who shows the ways of guidance to His servants in every age with the universal message He has sent, and peace be upon our Prophet who shows the ways of making the universal message of the Qur'an dominant on earth with his Sunnah, and Peace be upon my brothers and sisters who strive to convey the message of the Qur'an to all people. Dear brothers and sisters, under the main title of "The Universal Message of the Qur'an", in this issue we will focus on the sub-heading "Man's Need for Revelation".
First of all, it should be known that the earth has never been destroyed by a natural phenomenon, or by the attack of animals, or anything like that. The day mankind abandoned the revelation sent by Allah [Azza Wa Jal] and the system of life based on the revelation, the earth began to be destroyed and man lost his way. Man wanted to be free and live according to his ego, even though he lived in Allah's world, used the body He gave him, lived on the oxygen Allah gave him, and was fed with the food He gave him, and thus lost his identity. When man abandoned the revelation, he also lost his identity, followed his ego's desires, forgot his servitude, started to transgress his limits and started to create ideologies, some of them forgot their servitude and tried to become gods, and some of them forgot their human dignity and became servants of false gods. When man abandoned the revelation, he was leſt alone with his ego, Satan and other humans, and neither reason nor science nor human beings could show man the right path. Human desires have led civilizations into a bad state and created societal problems.
HUMANITY'S NEED FOR REVELATION
Throughout history, human beings have mostly accepted Allah and even the angels, while denying prophets, books and the Hereaſter. Why does a person who accepts God deny the prophets and books sent by God, i.e. revelation? Because man does not have to change his life by accepting Allah, but he knows very well that he will have to change his life if he accepts the Hereaſter, the Prophets and the Book. He expects that the Book and the Prophet will make some things obligatory and some things forbidden for them. Those who do not want this and want to live according to their ego have chosen to deny the Hereaſter, the Prophets and the Book. In fact, this situation continues today. Today's name for this is Deism. Deists, like the polytheists of the past, accept the existence of Allah but believe that Allah does not send prophets and books, thus avoiding living according to revelation and instead live according to their ego. Another version of Deism, Secularism, accepts Allah, the Prophet and the book, but they too avoid revelation by saying "Religion cannot interfere with the state" and thus they can run the state as they wish. Secularism is actually a plan of the rulers to get rid of religion. Through secularism, secularists are able to escape from religion and its provisions, they can free themselves from all constraints, they can rule the state as they wish, they can establish dictatorships if necessary, and they can commit atrocities as they wish and no one can say, "What you are doing is haram” since the state is secular.
Deists: "God did not send a prophet or a book"; and Secularists: "Religion cannot interfere with the state", they remove Allah and revelation from their lives and try to be free. What they call religion is Allah. How can a human being say to his Lord and Creator, "You cannot interfere with the state"? Those who do not even mix Allah with the state mix people, and those who do not want to obey Allah obey people. Those who say, "Religion cannot interfere with the state" are daring to limit the authority of Allah, who is the owner of everything, the creator and ruler of the entire universe and people, and the provider of their sustenance. This is man overstepping his limit and becoming a taghut. Who is man to dare to limit the authority of Allah? Secularists and deists who claim to accept the Prophet and the Book are practically no different. In the end, both of them do not follow revelation and want to be free in Allah's world.
In reality, the cause of both Atheism and Deism is secularism. It would have been possible to make the society accept secularism or to make them compatible with the secular system by making some of them atheists and some of them Deists. In other words, only Atheists and Deists could accept the secular system wholeheartedly. Because it would not be possible for those who belonged to a religion and wanted to live that religion to accept secularism wholeheartedly. Therefore, secular states, through the education system and lifestyle they have created, have led some of the society to Atheism and some to Deism. This is a conscious plan. However, although the rulers of secular states are very happy with this situation, they deceive the public and make it sound as if they are disturbed by the increase in Atheism and Deism, and try to make it seem as if the secular system has no influence or share in bringing about this situation.
Secularism is responsible for the proliferation of Atheism, Deism, Agnosticism (the philosophical view that neither the existence nor the non-existence of God can be proven), Apatheism (the philosophical view that does not care about the existence or non-existence of God), the proliferation of sins and crimes, the transformation of man into a being of low value and the proliferation of civilizational problems. Secularism, which excludes religion from social life and confines it to the church or mosque, has paved the way for the emergence of all the philosophical views mentioned above. In addition to these philosophical views, it also gave rise to Capitalism, Socialism and Fascism. However, since these are beyond the scope of our current topic, we will not go into these issues.
Secularism has led some people to Atheism, some to Deism, some to Agnosticism and some to Apatheism. All these isms are the result of secularism. Those who have been driven away from religion by secularism have deviated into different philosophical views, all of which are disbelief. When the secular system excluded Allah from life, some people chose the path of total denial of the Creator, i.e. Atheism, and completely excluded Allah from their lives, some became Agnostics, not wanting to see the evidence that proves Allah, some became Agnostics, some said, "Forget it! Don't think about Allah, enjoy yourself!" and prefer not to think about Allah, some have become Apatheists, and some have chosen the path of Deism in order not to fall into the ignorance of saying, "This perfect universe and all these wonderful beings happened by themselves," and by saying, "Allah exists, but He did not send a prophet or a book," they have tried not to make themselves look like complete non-believers and to obtain the freedom to live according to their own minds. However, it is a fact that this freedom has brought them nothing but evil, dehumanized them and caused them to do what animals do not do. The human being who shuns obedience to Allah and His revelation has obeyed his ego, Satan and human beings, and has not been free. It is a fact that utmost freedom is possible by submitting to Allah and the revelation He has sent. For the one who submits to Allah is freed from submission to Satan, the nafs and people, and thus attains true freedom.
In fact, Deism is less contradictory or, in other words, less wrong than secularism. This is because secularists say that they accept the prophet and the book, but they do not follow the book and the prophet, and even say that "religion cannot interfere in our state and religion cannot be taken as a reference in state administration". In this way, they act as if they do not honor Allah and the religion He sent, which they claim to believe in. Deists, on the other hand, do not accept the book and the prophet and therefore do not follow them. This view is more consistent than that of the secularists. Because deists do not obey because they do not believe in the prophet and the book, and they want to say, "If we believed that Allah had sent a prophet and a book, we would obey Him". In this respect, secularism is more inconsistent and in greater contradiction than Deism. This is because secularists both say that they accept the book and the prophet and at the same time they fall into a great contradiction by saying "religion cannot interfere with the state". However, shouldn't those who accept the prophet and the book, and admit that religion is valid until the Day of Judgment, also accept the obligation to follow religion in the life of society and the state?
In addition, throughout history, many people who accepted the existence of Allah have made other beings partners of Allah, deified them and worshipped them. Why did mankind deify inanimate beings such as stars and idols that have no power or strength? Because he knows very well that they will not interfere with him, that they will not intervene in his life by sending books and prophets, that they will not prescribe obligations and prohibitions, and that they will not recreate him aſter his death and call him to account. In other words, man wants to live as he wants and to be free, and for this purpose he creates deities who will not interfere with him, who will not send him books and prophets.
Those who avoid living according to revelation think that life according to revelation will be difficult. But Allah does not want difficulty for His servants, He wants ease. The Holy Qur'an states: "Allah wishes ease for you, He does not wish hardship for you."1 In fact, living according to the nafs causes one to be exposed to many calamities, while living according to the revelation protects one from these calamities. It is easier to live according to the revelation, that is, to live as a Muslim, than to live according to the nafs, or to live as a disbeliever or a fascist. Islam makes life easier, not harder. Living Islamically preserves one's dignity, while living according to the nafs causes one's dignity to be trampled underfoot.
In the face of all these facts, man still wants to avoid revelation in order to live according to his ego. For this reason, I would like to explain man's need for revelation and some of the evidences for this in bullet points:
- Man is in need of revelation because the intellect and knowledge given to man are not sufficient for him to find the truth in the field of guidance. Allah [Azza Wa Jal]: "Read in the name of your Lord, the Creator. He created man from al-'alak."2 By reminding that He created man from alak, the embryo formed from the union of sperm and egg, He wants to remind man of his limit. The sperm and the egg are formed in the body by eating things that come from the earth. Therefore, man is actually created from clay. However, when man forgets this fact, he begins to overstep his boundaries, and when he gains power, he starts to say, "What I say goes," and becomes Pharaoh and Nimrod. In this state, man thinks that he does not need Allah [Azza Wa Jal]. The Holy Quran: "Nay! Indeed, it is because man thinks himself to be self-sufficient that he becomes angry."3 When man thinks that he is self-sufficient, he forgets that he was created from mud and sperm and thinks that he does not need Allah, a prophet or a message from Allah. Man's self-sufficiency stems from the fact that he was given reason, knowledge and power. Man did not understand that these were given to him for a test and he lost the test. However, these are not things that can save man from being in need of Allah. It is not possible for man to decipher man and his soul, which is a very complex being. The Holy Qur'an: "They ask you about the soul, say: the soul is of the work of my Lord. You have been given little knowledge."4 The Qur'an states that human beings cannot have enough knowledge about the soul. Therefore, the human soul can only be tamed, transformed into a civilized and perfect being, and made worthy of being Allah's caliph through revelation from its creator.
Some western philosophers: "God is dead. We killed him". In other words, they thought that they no longer needed God and a message from him, that science would guide them, and they planned to create a society in the way science said. However, the task of science is to make life easier for human beings with its inventions, not to make human beings human beings. Allah has leſt the advancement of science to man, but He has taken upon Himself the discipline of the human soul and the humanization of man. That is why the Holy Qur'an states: "Surely it is Our duty to guide to the right path."5 Because man has been created as Allah's vicegerent and representative and he is being tested. Therefore, he needs to be guided.
It is not possible for the intellect to solve every issue; mankind could not understand many issues yesterday, cannot understand them today and will not be able to understand them tomorrow. Even in the realm of mater, man cannot be one hundred percent accurate and reach absolute truths, so how can he reach absolute truths in the realm of meaning, in the realm of guidance? Which human opinion, which philosophy, which belief is correct, which civilization, which laws are in accordance with the human nature? It is not possible for man to understand this with reason. There are millions of paths in front of man. Reason has produced all these paths. Since there is only one truth, all the others are wrong. This means that the mind can produce millions of wrong paths. Which one is right, which one is in accordance with the purpose of creation, which one has a good end, which one leads to the abyss? It is oſten not possible to know these things. Since Allah [Azza Wa Jal] knows that man needs revelation, He takes it upon Himself to show the right path. This is a great mercy for humanity.
Reason is the first of the spiritual lights given to man. The second is revelation. As revelation cannot be utilized without reason, reason will be useless without revelation. Because the intellect cannot encompass all people and the entre universe and cannot know the future. Therefore, it cannot put forward principles suitable for all people, the whole universe and the years to come. This is why there is a need for knowledge and principles of civilization from Allah, who knows all people, all beings and the future. Man who does not accept the revelation, or who accepts it but does not follow it, will deprive himself of that great source of knowledge, will be condemned to his own barren knowledge, and will wreak havoc on the earth and man. The Holy Qur'an: "When it is said to them, 'Do not make mischief in the earth,' they say, 'We are only reformers. Beware! They are the mischief-makers themselves. But they do not realize it."6
- Even if the intellect solves some issues and discovers some truths, it remains under the pressure of the ego, the devil and the environment and cannot resist them. Therefore, what the intellect says is not done. Therefore, man needs revelation. To be able to resist all these gravitational pulls and to be able to rise is only possible by being connected to a solid source like revelation. Otherwise, man cannot escape these three gravitational pulls. Those who do not surrender to revelation surrender to their ego, the devils and humans and lose their humanity. The Holy Qur'an: "Verily, We created man in the most beautiful form. Then We turned him down to the lowest of the low."7 In another verse, when describing the final destination of those who do not follow the revelation: "They are only like animals. They are even more confused and inferior in their ways."8 A being created in the most beautiful form can turn into the most despicable being. There are situations today where animals do not do what humans do. If Allah created an animal female, it lives its life as female; if Allah created it male, it lives its life as male. Man, on the other hand, tries to become a woman when he is a man and a man when he is a woman. No matter how wild the animal is, it kills one or two people. Man, on the other hand, can kill millions. The human being who moves away from revelation can be lower than an animal.
Why have those who say, "God is dead, we killed him," and those who say, "Science guides us," built distilleries? Yet reason and science say that drinking is bad and harmful. Did reason or science make them build the distilleries or was it their ego? Reason says that interest is harmful to the economy, and economic experts explain the harm of interest. So why is interest allowed in spite of this? Reason says that there should be a boundary between men and women, that women should dress in a way that does not provoke men, otherwise lust will be aroused, adultery will occur, many fights and even murders will take place, human dignity will be trampled underfoot and man will become a being who thinks only of his lust. When reason says this, why is it not followed? In fact, reason sees all haram as wrong, but man obeys his ego, Satan and the people around him. This means that the intellect under their influence cannot find the truth or follow the truth. Therefore, in order to resist the ego, the devil and the people, a holy source is needed. That source, which he believes to be holy, should make some things obligatory and some things forbidden. Otherwise, man will follow his nafs in many maters and will not do what he should do and will do what he should not do.
It is obvious that the society created by those who say "reason and science are enough for us" has become a society in which the level of morality has fallen, unrest and unhappiness have spread, all kinds of sins and crimes have multiplied, and people have drifted away from humanity. Those who saw themselves as unnecessary to Allah and said, "We can draw our own path, we can lay down the principles of civilization, we don't need a message from Allah" have created such a society that it has begun to serve servants, to obey servants rather than Allah, and to worship the desires of the ego. Thus, human honor and dignity were lost. The understanding of morality and honor became very weak, human dignity was trampled underfoot, divorces and suicides increased, injustice and cruelty multiplied, parents started to be thrown out on the streets, drug and alcohol use spread, crimes such as theſt, adultery, murder and terrorism multiplied, and prisons were overflowing.
- The mission given to man in the life of the world requires that he be given a book and sent a guide. Man was created as Allah's caliph on earth, i.e. Allah's vicegerent and representative, and is tasked with realizing the civilization that Allah wants on earth. The Holy Quran: "When your Lord said to the angels: 'Surely I will create a caliph on earth'."9 The Caliph is the being who represents Allah on earth and is tasked with creating a society in Allah's world as He desires. The fulfillment of this duty can only be possible if Allah sends revelation to man and teaches him his duty. The sending of every book and prophet is for the creation of a human model, a civilization and a society on earth that is shaped according to revelation.
- It is only by sending revelation that man can be free and attain the greatest freedom he can attain. Because the more man obeys revelation and the more he serves Allah, the freer he will be against his ego, the devil and people. Otherwise, man who does not obey Allah will obey his ego, the devil and people and lose his freedom. When this being, who was created by Allah as a caliph, gets power and authority, he starts to claim deity by saying "I don't need a message, my will will be done on earth". He says, "I am free," but he cannot be free. Punishment is in the form of deeds; the person who says "I am free" becomes a servant of his ego, Satan, people and leaders.
- The fact that no creature has been leſt adriſt, that all of them have been assigned a way of life and live according to it, shows that man cannot be leſt adriſt and that a way of life must also be sent to man. It is Allah's Sunnah to show every creature He has created how to live. This is only possible through revelaton. Failure to send revelaton would not only mean that man is leſt unatended, but it would also mean that his creaton has no purpose and that he has no mission on earth. Allah [Azza Wa Jal] said in His Book: "Does man think that he has been left unattended?" 10 and rejects this. Is it possible for a single human being to be leſt unattended when no being is unattended? Even though man is Allah's caliph and was created as the equal of creation... Since man came to the world for a test, he was given a partial freedom and a limited will, but this does not mean that man has the right to live as he wishes and that he has absolute freedom. Because Allah is the only one who is absolutely free. No one other than Him has absolute freedom and every being has to live as Allah commands. This is because it was created by Allah, dwells in His world and is nourished by Him. So it cannot be the right of man to have absolute freedom.
I hope to continue the subject... May Allah be with you.
- Al Baqarah, 185
- Alak, 1-2
- Alak, 6-7
- Isra, 85
- Leyl, 12
- Al-Baqarah, 11-12
- Tin, 4-5
- Furkan, 44
- Al-Baqarah, 30
- Qiyamat, 36
