Article appeared Friday, August 19th, 2016 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (439)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

What picture does the first commandment of most world religions paint? What does the
commandment inform us about God? Simply that we have only one Power, i.e., only one God,
the Creator and the Owner of everything that exists. As the Creator, He is the source and origin
of every moment that we live and feel. As such, let us first look at what the Bible says, in both
the Old Testament and the New Testaments. The website, First Commandment {1}, gives a
good overview.
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a
graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve
them. [Ex 20:2-5]
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all
your mind. [Matt 22:37]
What do the verses say about God? What aspects are covered? Do they answer the following
questions? E.g., who is He in relation to the other things/beings in the heavens and the earth?
That we cannot equate any other being (human or otherwise) or object in the heavens and earth
with Him? Nothing, other than He has any power? What should our attitude be towards Him?
Likewise, Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran commands that we bear witness to the truth,
Say, He is Allah the One and Only; Allah the Eternal Absolute; He neither begets nor is
He born; nor is there to Him any equivalent. [112.1 112.4]
And regarding our attitude towards Him;
O mankind! Adore your Guardian-Lord who created you and those before you so that
you may have the chance to learn righteousness. [2.21]
O mankind! Eat of the good things that We have provided for you and be grateful to
Allah if it is Him you worship. [2.172]
From the verses above, can the concept of faith be defined? Would faith include
Discovering the difference between the one true God and all other created beings.
Asserting this difference with intelligence, heart and soul
Adoring the source and Giver of life
Being grateful for being given an intelligent life and for the opportunity to know Him and
establish His truth?
Having developed faith is it possible to return to a state of faithlessness, i.e., enjoying life
without acknowledgment and being ungrateful for His continued Blessings?

16.106 Anyone who after accepting faith in Allah utters unbelief except under
compulsion his heart remaining firm in faith but such as open their breast to
unbelief on them is Wrath from Allah and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty.
Allah gives a reason for returning to a state of unbelief.

16.107 This is because they love the life of this world better than the Hereafter:
and Allah will not guide those who reject faith.
On the Day of Judgment, our attitude towards the Creator will be finally decided. Essentially, the
believers and unbelievers will be separated and the subsequent fate of each will be decided.

While on earth, however, during the current life, if we annoy Him by being repeatedly ungrateful
He may withdraw the opportunity to subsequently return to faithfulness.

16.108 Those are the ones whose hearts, ears and eyes Allah has sealed as they
(repeatedly) take no heed.
These are the ones who do not reflect on the day to day blessings given by Allah and are
therefore repeatedly ungrateful. Allah gives a reason for their ingratitude.
Your Allah is One Allah: as to those who believe not in the Hereafter their hearts refuse
to know and they are arrogant. [16.22]
Undoubtedly Allah knows what they conceal and what they reveal: verily He loves not
the arrogant. [16.23]

16.109 Without doubt in the Hereafter they will perish.

Contrast this attitude with that of those who are oppressed because they bear witness to the
truth of the Creator. How should the Creator look upon such people?

16.110 But verily, to those who leave their homes after trials and persecutions
and who thereafter strive and fight for the faith and patiently persevere your Lord
after all these afflictions is Oft-Forgiving and Most Merciful.
These people are those who have established belief in the reality of the Creator and
wish for the (things of) the Hereafter and strive therefore with all due striving and
have Faith; they are the ones whose striving is acceptable (to Allah). [17.19]

16.111 One Day every soul will come up struggling for itself and every soul will
be recompensed (fully) for all its actions and none will be unjustly dealt with.
On the Day of Judgment, each soul shall plead for itself. Those in trouble will be tied up and
thrown together into a pit of fire. They will face such pain that they will prefer death.
And when they are thrown into a narrow place bound in chains they will plead and cry
out for destruction! (However, the response would be): This day plead not for a single
destruction: plead for destruction oft-repeated! [25.13 25.14]
Not being able to bear the resulting punishment, such souls will repeatedly plead for complete
destruction. To prevent such eventuality, Allah points out what is happening currently in cities all
over the world in the next Verse. Should we heed Allahs warning and do what He asks?

16.112 Allah sets forth a parable: a city enjoying security and quiet abundantly
supplied with sustenance from every place: yet was it ungrateful for the favors of
Allah: so Allah made it a taste of hunger and terror (in extremes) (closing in on it)
like a garment (from every side) because of the (evil) which (its people) wrought.
16.113 And there came to them an Apostle from among themselves but they
falsely rejected him; so the wrath seized them even in the midst of their
heedlessness.
16.114 So eat of the sustenance which Allah has provided for you lawful and
good; and be grateful for the favors of Allah if it is He whom you serve.
-------{Notes}:
{1}
http://www.piercedhearts.org/magisterium_church/splendor_truth/ten_commandments/first_com
mandment.htm