Article appeared Friday, September 14th, 2018 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (539) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Should we look for God? We live on the earth with resources and an environment that we had
no hand in creating – we simply use, utilize and enjoy. We eat from the earth’s produce, use and
utilize the resources and environment in multiple ways that benefit us. Constantly benefiting,
how should we respond? In our hearts should we look for our Benefactor – the One who
Designed all the benefits that we enjoy? Without deliberate, purposeful and matched integrated
design, could so many systems on earth automatically benefit man? As an example, can we
think of how many ways in which water benefits man?

Do we know whom to thank? Regardless of the religion we lay claim to; we all need to seek God
to deliver our gratitude. How will we find Him? Browsing the Net, we will find recommendations
on how to look for Him. In the website 12 Practical Steps in Your Search for God {1} Justine
Hwang maintains that you have to start by praying to God, i.e., asking Him to help you to find
Him, e.g., God help me find You, and then engage your brain to find Him,
“Embarking on a spiritual search doesn’t mean you have to turn your brain off. As author
Brian McLaren writes in his book Finding Faith, “Though a healthy faith is bigger than the
intellect, the search for faith cannot bypass the intellect…This is a journey that will
require you to think bigger than you ever have before and then to think bigger still.” Ask
questions. Look at your discoveries — does it make reasonable sense? Knowing God
shouldn’t be illogical if He invented logic itself. On the other hand, don’t leave your heart
behind either. God doesn’t want you to merely find out about Him; He wants you to
actually find Him with your whole being — He wants you to know Him personally and
have a relationship with him. A relationship that involves intellect with no heart is no
relationship at all.” {1}

How can the brain be engaged? As pointed out in {1} above, one must ask questions –
questions about God and His Creation. For example, taking the question in the first paragraph
above, in how many ways does water benefit man? We use water for drinking, as a coolant, for
cooking, for cleaning, for transport, etc. For each case, we can find out why water works as it
does. Science will show us water’s fitness for each purpose. We will then discover how water
molecules are designed to fit the purpose. Without deliberate design, can something have
multiple uses and at the same time, each use benefit man? When we benefit from a particular
use of water, does God have a right to be acknowledged and thanked? For example, when we
have successfully traveled on the sea and reached our destination, should we thank God for
arranging such a transport medium?

So, how many objects and systems has God created to benefit man? An excerpt from the book
by Brian McLaren, Finding Faith: A search for what is real, {2} states,
“There have been times when you’ve felt that if there isn’t a God, there ought to be.
Swept up in the mystery of the night sky, you’ve felt the closeness of its designer.
Nature’s extravagant diversity, unfolding in living color, has made you long to know the
artist who dreamed it all up. Imagine what that might be like―to actually know God in a
way that fills your heart and whispers tremendous value and purpose to something deep
within you. But how can you experience a being you’re not even sure exists? Religious
jargon and games can’t satisfy such a longing. It’s got to be real … or nothing at all. A
Search for What Is Real helps you sort through the questions, objections, and concerns
that arise when you consider God not as some theological abstraction, but as someone
you can actually connect with … and want to connect with, perhaps more than you
know.” {2}
To find God, we have to look for Him as our Designer, Creator and Benefactor – not for
something we want or need. We have to look for Him for what He has done for us to create and
support us – to recognize His Hand in the beautiful and beneficial designs of all created things.
To connect with Him we have to acknowledge His indulgence, testify to His Greatness and
emotionally thank Him and trust Him from the bottom of our hearts – this is the direct or straight
way that leads to God, as taught by all prophets working for Him. So, what message were
prophets asked to deliver?

22.49 “Say, "O men, I am only to you a clear warner:”

What is the warning?

22.50 “Those who believe and work righteousness for them is forgiveness and a
sustenance most generous.”
What is righteousness? Righteousness is looking for our Benefactor, establishing belief in our
hearts and minds, demonstrating gratitude and sharing discoveries – this is the purpose for
which human beings have been made.

22.51 “But those who strive against Our Signs to frustrate them they will be
Companions of the Fire.”
Those, including scientists, who, after discovering the design and beauty of the systems and
objects created by God, deny the Hand of God, are arrogant and ungrateful will be put in Hell
Fire together with those follow such people.

22.52 “Never did We send an apostle or a prophet before you but when he framed
a desire Satan threw some (vanity) into his desire: but God will cancel anything
(vain) that Satan throws in and God will confirm (and establish) His Signs: for
Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom:”
As God has created each system and object from nothing, should He tolerate arrogance and
pride? Arrogance and pride are unjustified emotions that Satan promotes.

22.53 “That He may make the suggestions thrown in by Satan but a trial for those
in whose hearts is a disease and who are hardened of heart: verily the
wrongdoers are in a schism far (from the Truth):”
Satan’s suggestions are for those who do not bother to question to find the truth about God and
His Purpose in creating man.

22.54 “And that those on whom knowledge has been bestowed may learn that the
(Qur'an) is the Truth from your Lord and that they may believe in it and their
hearts may be made humbly (open) to it: for verily God is the Guide of those who
believe to the Straight Way.”
Man is the only creation who has been given the ability to ask questions and process knowledge
to find the truth. God has sent messengers carrying Revelation and messages from Him to help
mankind understand their purpose and warn those who do not humble themselves to the reality
of God.
--------
{Notes}:
{1} https://thelife.com/practical-steps-in-your-search-for-god
{2} https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031027267X/