In societies that are far from religion, some people spend a lot of time investigating other people's deficiencies and exposing their weaknesses, for they are excessively devoted to this life and desire to be superior to every one else. One of their techniques is to mock someone else's defects, weaknesses, and errors in the mistaken belief that they are thereby covering up their own faults. For this reason, people who do not adopt the Qur'an's morality frequently adopt this moral defect and mock others while simultaneously worrying about being mocked themselves. Therefore, they use their mockery to create an atmosphere of cruelty for each other.
However, this is just one facet of the character of those who mock others. In fact, they mock particularly those ideas that they do not want to accept.
The results of this activity can be seen in how the unbelievers behave toward religion. Throughout history, there have been people who resisted following the true path to which Allah invited them through His prophets and His books. Instead, they have followed satan's path and have rejected both His revelation and belief in the Day of Judgment. Without any doubt, the source of this inexplicable behavior is the person's arrogance. As the Qur'an tells us:
Your god is One God. As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, their hearts are in denial and they are puffed up with pride. (Surat an-Nahl, 22)
When the true religion is explained to them and when they are told to abandon the wrong path if they want to avoid spending eternity in Hell, people who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter refuse to do so. To prove that they are following the correct path, the unbelievers mock the religious morality and those who adhere to it. Such an attitude allows them to believe that they can simply do away with the Qur'an's morality, which contradicts their own ideas.
Of course, all unbelievers are trapped in a great error, for they can never realize their goals regardless of what they say or do. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals the good news that the true faith will always be supreme and that the unbelievers' efforts will be fruitless:
… The unbelievers' stratagems are nothing but errors. (Surah Ghafir, 25)
They desire to extinguish Allah's light with their mouths. But Allah refuses to do other than perfect His light, even though the unbelievers detest it. He sent His messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to exalt it over every other religion, even though the idolaters detest it. (Surat at-Tawba, 32-33)
As in the past, so in the present and in the future, there will always be people who scoff at those facts in which they do not believe or cannot understand. However, Allah tells us that such people will meet a very painful end:
Messengers before you were also mocked, but those who jeered were engulfed by what they mocked. (Surat al-An'am, 10)
They deny the truth each time it comes to them, but news of what they were mocking will certainly reach them. Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them, which We had established on Earth far more firmly than We have established you? We sent down from heaven upon them an abundant rain and made rivers flow under them. But We destroyed them for their wrong actions and raised up further generations after them. (Surat al-An'am, 5-6)
In addition, such people should know that mocking the believers, as well as making provocative and slanderous comments about religion, are only leading them toward endless torment. Moreover, such activities only exalt in the Hereafter those whom they are supposed to hurt in this world: the believers. The Qur'an reveals this important secret:
To those who do not believe, the life of this world is painted in glowing colors and they laugh at those who believe. But on the Day of Resurrection, those who fear [and respect] Allah will be over them. Allah provides for whoever He wills, without any reckoning. (Surat al-Baqara, 212)
The Qur'an states that throughout almost every period of history, those who have denied the faith have exhibited the same immoral behavior, used the same words, cited the same examples, and committed the same acts. Mockery is one type of such behavior. The common behavior displayed by those who do not live by the Qur'an's morality is one of Allah's unchanging laws. Therefore, believers who encounter such behavior are actually pleased, because they are experiencing a truth mentioned in the Qur'an. In fact, they actually take pride in it, because they know that this shows that they are true believers. The knowledge that they will be rewarded in the Hereafter for their patience in the face of such behavior further increases their pleasure. As we can see, people who reject or oppose the Qur'an's morality cannot really harm the true believers. When they consider this truth, the believers understand even better that all such mockery is really an honor, for Allah says in the Qur'an: "… you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from those who are idolaters. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take" (Surah Al 'Imran, 186). We are given the good news that in the Hereafter, those who mocked the believers will be brought low:
Say: "Shall I inform you of the greatest losers in their actions? People whose efforts in the life of this world are misguided, while they suppose that they are doing good." These are the people who reject their Lord's signs and the meeting with Him. Their actions will come to nothing, and on the Day of Resurrection We will not assign them any weight. This is their repayment - Hell - because they did not believe and mocked My signs and My messengers. Those who believe and do right actions will have the Gardens of Paradise as hospitality, remaining in them timelessly, forever, with no desire to move away from them. (Surat al-Kahf, 103-108)
The book in your hand explains these truths and describes the trap into which unbelievers fall when they try to mock others. In addition, the concept of mockery is examined from different angles and is explained in light of the Qur'an.
17 Haziran 2010 Perşembe
The Source of Mockery: Arrogance
If people consider themselves superior to others, this feeling is called arrogance. Arrogant people behave in a way designed to make others feel inferior. However, it is wrong to regard arrogance as a defect only in regards to one's behavior toward others, because when arrogant people are called to follow Allah's religion and the true path, they display their arrogance by refusing to do so.
People will fall into a trap set by the self as long as they do not act according to their conscience, do not give up their selfish desires, and do not live by the morality laid down by Allah, because: "the self indeed commands to evil acts - except for those on whom my Lord has mercy" (Surah Yusuf, 53). Those who listen to satan's blandishments and see in themselves superior characteristics that have no basis in reality are, in fact, entirely under the control of the self. As a result, they are inescapably arrogant.
Arrogance is one of satan's most clearly defined characteristics. As the Qur'an tells us, all of the angels bowed to Prophet Adam (as) when Allah told them to do so - all except satan, who regarded himself as superior to Prophet Adam (as) and thus was filled with conceit. Allah reveals:
We said to the angels: "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, with the exception of Iblis. He refused and was arrogant, and was one of the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 34)
… then We said to the angels: "Prostrate before Adam," and they prostrated - except for Iblis. He was not among those who prostrated. He [Allah] asked: "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you to?" He [Iblis] replied: "I am better than him. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay." He [Allah] said: "Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it, so get out! You are one of the abased." (Surat al-A'raf, 11-13)
In reality, neither satan nor those who heed his deceitful calls have any superiority at all. On the contrary, such people fall into foolishness and demean themselves by refusing to accept the fact that Allah has supreme power over everything. Allah tells us about those who claim superiority for themselves: "… [they] have nothing in their breasts except for pride, which they will never be able to vindicate" (Surah Ghafir, 56).
And, according to Prophet Muhammad (saas): "Verily, Allah is Graceful and loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and having contempt for the people." (Sahih Muslim: Book 1, Number 0164)
In other words, no matter how great their desire, the unbelievers can never achieve the superiority that they want. They cannot achieve it because real superiority belongs only to Allah, Who exalts those of His servants who devote themselves to Him, and brings low, both in this world and the Hereafter, all those who insist upon their unbelief. Allah describes the unbelievers' blindness and incomprehension in the following terms:
The creation of the heavens and Earth is far greater than the creation of humanity. However, most people do not know it. The blind and the sighted are not the same, nor are those who believe and do right the same as those who do evil. What little heed they pay! The Hour is coming - there is no doubt about it. But most people have no faith. (Surah Ghafir, 57-59)
As the above verses inform us, most people become proud of the characteristics that Allah has given them as a blessing, and thus fall into the trap of arrogance because they cannot understand His power and greatness. One of the ways in which they reveal their internal arrogance is by mocking others. As stated earlier, they believe they can make themselves superior by making others feel small. As a result, mockery is very widespread in societies that are far from religion.
Moreover, their internal superiority complex compels them to see only the other person's defects, not his or her good aspects. Every one is proud of one or more of his or her characteristics: success, beauty, wealth, and so on. As a result, they compare themselves with others who they consider deficient in these characteristics and then mock them, even though Allah gave them these characteristics and can withdraw them at any time.
Due to their estrangement from religion, mockery has become an inseparable part of these societies' normal life. Children and young people alike all grow up with this culture and this moral defect. In the pages to come, we will examine how those who mock others actually suffer from mockery themselves, and how this behavior traps them in a stressful environment.
People will fall into a trap set by the self as long as they do not act according to their conscience, do not give up their selfish desires, and do not live by the morality laid down by Allah, because: "the self indeed commands to evil acts - except for those on whom my Lord has mercy" (Surah Yusuf, 53). Those who listen to satan's blandishments and see in themselves superior characteristics that have no basis in reality are, in fact, entirely under the control of the self. As a result, they are inescapably arrogant.
Arrogance is one of satan's most clearly defined characteristics. As the Qur'an tells us, all of the angels bowed to Prophet Adam (as) when Allah told them to do so - all except satan, who regarded himself as superior to Prophet Adam (as) and thus was filled with conceit. Allah reveals:
We said to the angels: "Prostrate to Adam," and they prostrated, with the exception of Iblis. He refused and was arrogant, and was one of the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 34)
… then We said to the angels: "Prostrate before Adam," and they prostrated - except for Iblis. He was not among those who prostrated. He [Allah] asked: "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you to?" He [Iblis] replied: "I am better than him. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay." He [Allah] said: "Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it, so get out! You are one of the abased." (Surat al-A'raf, 11-13)
In reality, neither satan nor those who heed his deceitful calls have any superiority at all. On the contrary, such people fall into foolishness and demean themselves by refusing to accept the fact that Allah has supreme power over everything. Allah tells us about those who claim superiority for themselves: "… [they] have nothing in their breasts except for pride, which they will never be able to vindicate" (Surah Ghafir, 56).
And, according to Prophet Muhammad (saas): "Verily, Allah is Graceful and loves Grace. Pride is disdaining the truth (out of self-conceit) and having contempt for the people." (Sahih Muslim: Book 1, Number 0164)
In other words, no matter how great their desire, the unbelievers can never achieve the superiority that they want. They cannot achieve it because real superiority belongs only to Allah, Who exalts those of His servants who devote themselves to Him, and brings low, both in this world and the Hereafter, all those who insist upon their unbelief. Allah describes the unbelievers' blindness and incomprehension in the following terms:
The creation of the heavens and Earth is far greater than the creation of humanity. However, most people do not know it. The blind and the sighted are not the same, nor are those who believe and do right the same as those who do evil. What little heed they pay! The Hour is coming - there is no doubt about it. But most people have no faith. (Surah Ghafir, 57-59)
As the above verses inform us, most people become proud of the characteristics that Allah has given them as a blessing, and thus fall into the trap of arrogance because they cannot understand His power and greatness. One of the ways in which they reveal their internal arrogance is by mocking others. As stated earlier, they believe they can make themselves superior by making others feel small. As a result, mockery is very widespread in societies that are far from religion.
Moreover, their internal superiority complex compels them to see only the other person's defects, not his or her good aspects. Every one is proud of one or more of his or her characteristics: success, beauty, wealth, and so on. As a result, they compare themselves with others who they consider deficient in these characteristics and then mock them, even though Allah gave them these characteristics and can withdraw them at any time.
Due to their estrangement from religion, mockery has become an inseparable part of these societies' normal life. Children and young people alike all grow up with this culture and this moral defect. In the pages to come, we will examine how those who mock others actually suffer from mockery themselves, and how this behavior traps them in a stressful environment.
Mockery in Unbelieving Societies
Since they do not live by the Qur'an's morality, which Allah has chosen for humanity and with which He is pleased, the unbelievers' character is totally alienated from the Qur'an. For this reason, mockery is widespread among them.
At the bottom of this moral defect is their pride and their inability to follow high morality. This pride reveals itself in various ways and for various reasons. They want to be the most superior people in their society, and so they mock whatever good characteristics they see in other people to belittle them, demean them in the eyes of others, and destroy their morale. They do not want them to earn another person's admiration and praise. Since they do not live according to the true love, compassion, and mercy of Allah, they do not hesitate to harm each other through mockery.
Everyday life is filled with examples of this. The unbelievers mock their friends or other people by picking on their defects, physical blemishes, or mistakes. When they see someone stumble, choke on some food, or make a slip of the tongue, they resort to harassment accompanied by prolonged and exaggerated laughter. Afterward, they continue to deride that person by trying to implant feelings of shame through a pattern of constantly reminding him/her about it. The people they mock display exactly the same moral defect, for they also mock anyone they can when the opportunity presents itself. In other words, it is as if these people have established a kind of tacit acceptance of this behavior. When they are mocked, they try to deflect the mockery by laughing louder than those who are laughing at them. Even when they are deeply hurt, they try to hide it, because they think that if it's realized by others that they are hurt it would be demeaning for them.
In addition to this, the unbelievers do not shy away from pointing out, sniggering at, and doing their best to mock even those who are physically handicapped. They do not retreat from this disgraceful behavior even when the handicapped person is fully aware of what is happening. People mock other people's clothing, hairstyles, ways of speaking, accents, occupations, and lifestyles as a form of entertainment. As we said earlier, they do this with the sole intention of satisfying their own pride, preventing others from being praised, and belittling them.
Mockery: Ignorant Cruelty in Everyday Life
In societies that are far removed from religion, mockery spreads among young people, starting in the middle and high school years. For example, a talented or attractive student arrives at a school from another city. Due to their immoral attitudes, most of the other students will try to hide their jealousy by mocking him/her and doing their best to find his/her weaknesses and regard his/her good aspects as defects. For example, if he has straight hair they call him "brush head," or if she is tall they liken her to a giraffe and give her an insulting nickname. Through their mockery, they try to persuade everybody else to regard the newcomer as small and somehow inferior.
They use the same approach when dealing with a student who is harder working and more successful than they are. In order to belittle him, they resort to nicknames that ridicule his/her success.
They seize every opportunity to mock other students, especially if a lack of money is involved. Talking in a mocking and belittling way behind someone's back because he wears last year's uniform or last year's shoes is very common. The districts and houses in which students live, as well as the furniture therein, also provide fuel for mockery. They regard many things as fit for mockery: his father's job, the place where her mother works, or having an unusual name or the name of a famous person. Some students particularly target their teachers. If the teacher is inexperienced, they mock her inexperience. If she is elderly and does some things slowly or has weak eyes, she is mocked for that. Her clothes are also a subject for mockery. For example, if she often wears the same clothes or if her clothes are not ironed, the students point this out to one another and mock her.
The same is true of one's office. Here, the mockery varies according to what position the person holds. People usually reserve their most intense mockery for those who hold lower positions in an attempt to satisfy their own pride. Since they cannot show their arrogance to their superiors, they try to crush those under them or those in junior positions. For example, managers mock their secretaries and how they do their job. This mockery differs from that found in high schools, because it is done in secret via such methods as facial reactions, belittling behavior, and mocking glances. Speaking while not looking the other person in the face, refusing to answer, acting as though he has not been heard, grinning when the person encounters a situation beyond his experience, and casting ironic glances at others also fall into this category of behavior.
Rivals in the workplace also mock each other. For example, two rival secretaries will try to ensure that the entire office hears about the other's failings and mistakes. Or, they will try to demean each other in other people's eyes by mocking each other's physical defects, choice of clothes, manner of walking, or any other personal characteristic. If one is timid, someone will constantly try to crush him through verbal needling or belittling glances and words. In general, people who are quieter and more docile than others constitute an oppressed group at work. Those who are estranged from the Qur'an's morality constantly irritate such people. However, they stay away from people in superior positions and those who they think they cannot dominate. Indeed, they always try to maintain on good terms with such people.
Mockery, which rules the daily lives of people in such societies, can be observed in just about every area of communal life. In particular, the poor are targets for mockery due to their clothes, way of talking, choice of colors, and way of life. Thus it is no surprise that mockery is endemic in schools, workplaces, and other communal environments that bring rich and poor people together. However, we should remember that the poor can mock the rich just as easily. But since each group bases its morality on ignorance, neither one wants to admit the unpleasantness of such behavior. Above all, there is no limit to it, for their lack of fear and respect of Allah causes them to ignore the punishment that such behavior will earn them in the Hereafter. They live their lives without ever considering the Day of Judgment.
Within this character, which is totally alienated from religion, unbridled extremes become readily apparent. People who are jealous of a rich person's clothes call him all kinds of unpleasant names and mock him, for example, by saying that he looks like a clown. It is as though they are trying to create the impression that what he is wearing is very unpleasant and unfashionable. In fact, they are doing it simply out of envy. Such people are jealous of those who possess what they want for themselves and think that they are taking their revenge on them by mocking them. People who do not live by the Qur'an's morality also make fun of each other's minor physical defects: having big or small hands or feet, being bald, being very thin or very fat, being shortsighted and having to wear glasses, or not being able to hear well. Women, especially among themselves, mock the style and color of their friends' hair. In short, people who do not live according to the Qur'an's morality can find enough ammunition to mock just about anything and anyone. Their everyday lives are filled with examples of this, since they begin to mock others as soon as they meet them. For example, if the person is well dressed on that particular day, they make her uncomfortable by implying that she is overdressed by asking: "Where are you going … to a wedding?" Or when someone politely asks an acquaintance "How are you?" he responds in a mocking tone: "Why, were you worried about my health?" They are offended when they are treated the same way, but they never think of giving up such behavior, because they consider it to be natural. This type of mockery is often encountered when friends talk among themselves, for friends continually make fun of those close to them behind their backs.
In particular, mocking a clumsy person is a great source of entertainment. On birthdays or other special occasions, they make jokes about the presents they did not like, saying that the giver has chosen a cheap gift or made a tasteless choice.
Such mockery may not always be obvious, for one of the most widespread methods is mocking by implication via barbed words and meaningful glances. In particular, because they cannot directly mock someone whose position is superior to their own in terms of rank and power, they do so among themselves with their eyes. By mocking him secretly, they think that they are demeaning him and making themselves superior to him. For example, when a manager makes a mistake, a slip of the tongue perhaps, the workers nearby cannot mock him openly. However, they can look at one another meaningfully and with a mocking light in their eyes. One who watches them carefully can notice this right away; however, because their mockery is not open, it is impossible to prove its existence.
Finding themselves surrounded by such negative forms of behavior, people in such societies are forced to live in an extremely uncomfortable environment. Everybody finds a way to mock everybody else but experiences extreme discomfort when the mockery is directed toward them. In spite of this, people make no effort to change the surrounding environment, because if they say that mocking others does not conform to the morality laid down by Allah, they will be unable to mock others. Thus, they accept being mocked as a fact of life and fail to distance themselves from another person's mockery. Allah informs us of this incorrect attitude: "They would not restrain each other from any of the wrong things that they did. How evil were the things they used to do!" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 79). In conclusion, when people do not live by the Qur'an's morality, all types of mocking behavior, belittling speech, and provocative glances and sniggering can be observed in their societies. The only way out of this troubled and uncomfortable environment is to adopt, practice, and keep alive the superior morality taught by the Qur'an
The Qur'an Forbids Mockery
O you who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves, nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves. Do not find fault with each other or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil conduct after coming to faith! Those people who do not turn from it are wrongdoers. (Surat al-Hujurat, 11)
The above verse forbids mockery at all times, for it is a form of immorality. Now, we will consider the issue of mockery in more detail from a Qur'anic viewpoint.
The verse draws our attention to the fact that mocking others, regarding oneself as superior to them, and belittling them are all the results of a community's lack of religion. In Allah's sight, superiority depends upon one's fear [and respect] of Him. In other words, financial clout, physical strength, advanced technology, or any other worldly value on its own, without one's fear [and respect] of Allah, cannot make people superior to others. Moreover, such factors as gender, race, or skin color do not indicate superiority:
O humanity! We created you from a male and female and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)
In Surat al-Hujurat 11, Allah forbids women to mock one another. Women who live in societies that are far removed from religion often use mocking words and pointed expressions against each other. Indeed, it has become so common among them that such conversations are no longer surprising. A woman refers to the physical defects of another as often as possible. Even if there is no obvious defect, she will try to make others believe that any characteristic at all is a type of blemish. Her own envy may drive her to any kind of slander or mockery.
The Qur'an defines making others feel uncomfortable and harassing them as low morality. In another verse, Allah tells us how ugly it is to set people against each other and pry into their secret aspects:
O you who believe! Avoid most suspicion, for some suspicion is a crime. Do not spy and do not backbite each other. Would any of you like to eat his dead brother's flesh? No, you would hate it. Fear [and respect] Allah, for He is Ever-Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Hujurat, 12)
In another verse, Allah draws attention to mockery via insulting words or looks:
Woe to every fault-finding backbiter. (Surat al-Humaza, 1)
Clearly, people have to refrain from such behavior. People will definitely receive a return for their mockery whether it be in looks or mimicry or words. In this verse, Allah warns people who do not live by the Qur'an's morality and who never think about the Day of Judgment.
Mockery is a moral defect characterized by people in societies that are far from religion. Among the believers, such behavior is not permitted, for they know that Allah bestows all human characteristics (e.g., beauty, intelligence, wealth, and talent) as He wills. They take great pleasure in other people's good characteristics. Since they conform not to their own selfish desires but to Allah's will, they do not feel pride, envy, and other negative emotions that people who live in societies far removed from religion harbor inside themselves. As a result, they always maintain a cheerful, well-intentioned, positive, and modest approach toward each other. In the same way, they know that each person's defects have been sent by Allah as a test. Therefore, they do not focus on these defects; on the contrary, they exhibit good behavior in an attempt to compensate for them. They strenuously avoid the slightest act, glance, or word that could be misinterpreted as a form of mockery. The believers' opinion of mockery is reflected in the words of Prophet Musa (as):
And when Musa said to his people: "Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow," they exclaimed: "What! Are you making fun of us?" He replied: "I seek refuge with Allah from being one of the ignorant!" (Surat al-Baqara, 67)
As we can see, before acting in any way that resembles mockery, the believers immediately take refuge in Allah. They know that behaving in such a way is not suitable. Their most important reason for avoiding it is their knowledge that such behavior does not meet with Allah's approval.
At the bottom of this moral defect is their pride and their inability to follow high morality. This pride reveals itself in various ways and for various reasons. They want to be the most superior people in their society, and so they mock whatever good characteristics they see in other people to belittle them, demean them in the eyes of others, and destroy their morale. They do not want them to earn another person's admiration and praise. Since they do not live according to the true love, compassion, and mercy of Allah, they do not hesitate to harm each other through mockery.
Everyday life is filled with examples of this. The unbelievers mock their friends or other people by picking on their defects, physical blemishes, or mistakes. When they see someone stumble, choke on some food, or make a slip of the tongue, they resort to harassment accompanied by prolonged and exaggerated laughter. Afterward, they continue to deride that person by trying to implant feelings of shame through a pattern of constantly reminding him/her about it. The people they mock display exactly the same moral defect, for they also mock anyone they can when the opportunity presents itself. In other words, it is as if these people have established a kind of tacit acceptance of this behavior. When they are mocked, they try to deflect the mockery by laughing louder than those who are laughing at them. Even when they are deeply hurt, they try to hide it, because they think that if it's realized by others that they are hurt it would be demeaning for them.
In addition to this, the unbelievers do not shy away from pointing out, sniggering at, and doing their best to mock even those who are physically handicapped. They do not retreat from this disgraceful behavior even when the handicapped person is fully aware of what is happening. People mock other people's clothing, hairstyles, ways of speaking, accents, occupations, and lifestyles as a form of entertainment. As we said earlier, they do this with the sole intention of satisfying their own pride, preventing others from being praised, and belittling them.
Mockery: Ignorant Cruelty in Everyday Life
In societies that are far removed from religion, mockery spreads among young people, starting in the middle and high school years. For example, a talented or attractive student arrives at a school from another city. Due to their immoral attitudes, most of the other students will try to hide their jealousy by mocking him/her and doing their best to find his/her weaknesses and regard his/her good aspects as defects. For example, if he has straight hair they call him "brush head," or if she is tall they liken her to a giraffe and give her an insulting nickname. Through their mockery, they try to persuade everybody else to regard the newcomer as small and somehow inferior.
They use the same approach when dealing with a student who is harder working and more successful than they are. In order to belittle him, they resort to nicknames that ridicule his/her success.
They seize every opportunity to mock other students, especially if a lack of money is involved. Talking in a mocking and belittling way behind someone's back because he wears last year's uniform or last year's shoes is very common. The districts and houses in which students live, as well as the furniture therein, also provide fuel for mockery. They regard many things as fit for mockery: his father's job, the place where her mother works, or having an unusual name or the name of a famous person. Some students particularly target their teachers. If the teacher is inexperienced, they mock her inexperience. If she is elderly and does some things slowly or has weak eyes, she is mocked for that. Her clothes are also a subject for mockery. For example, if she often wears the same clothes or if her clothes are not ironed, the students point this out to one another and mock her.
The same is true of one's office. Here, the mockery varies according to what position the person holds. People usually reserve their most intense mockery for those who hold lower positions in an attempt to satisfy their own pride. Since they cannot show their arrogance to their superiors, they try to crush those under them or those in junior positions. For example, managers mock their secretaries and how they do their job. This mockery differs from that found in high schools, because it is done in secret via such methods as facial reactions, belittling behavior, and mocking glances. Speaking while not looking the other person in the face, refusing to answer, acting as though he has not been heard, grinning when the person encounters a situation beyond his experience, and casting ironic glances at others also fall into this category of behavior.
Rivals in the workplace also mock each other. For example, two rival secretaries will try to ensure that the entire office hears about the other's failings and mistakes. Or, they will try to demean each other in other people's eyes by mocking each other's physical defects, choice of clothes, manner of walking, or any other personal characteristic. If one is timid, someone will constantly try to crush him through verbal needling or belittling glances and words. In general, people who are quieter and more docile than others constitute an oppressed group at work. Those who are estranged from the Qur'an's morality constantly irritate such people. However, they stay away from people in superior positions and those who they think they cannot dominate. Indeed, they always try to maintain on good terms with such people.
Mockery, which rules the daily lives of people in such societies, can be observed in just about every area of communal life. In particular, the poor are targets for mockery due to their clothes, way of talking, choice of colors, and way of life. Thus it is no surprise that mockery is endemic in schools, workplaces, and other communal environments that bring rich and poor people together. However, we should remember that the poor can mock the rich just as easily. But since each group bases its morality on ignorance, neither one wants to admit the unpleasantness of such behavior. Above all, there is no limit to it, for their lack of fear and respect of Allah causes them to ignore the punishment that such behavior will earn them in the Hereafter. They live their lives without ever considering the Day of Judgment.
Within this character, which is totally alienated from religion, unbridled extremes become readily apparent. People who are jealous of a rich person's clothes call him all kinds of unpleasant names and mock him, for example, by saying that he looks like a clown. It is as though they are trying to create the impression that what he is wearing is very unpleasant and unfashionable. In fact, they are doing it simply out of envy. Such people are jealous of those who possess what they want for themselves and think that they are taking their revenge on them by mocking them. People who do not live by the Qur'an's morality also make fun of each other's minor physical defects: having big or small hands or feet, being bald, being very thin or very fat, being shortsighted and having to wear glasses, or not being able to hear well. Women, especially among themselves, mock the style and color of their friends' hair. In short, people who do not live according to the Qur'an's morality can find enough ammunition to mock just about anything and anyone. Their everyday lives are filled with examples of this, since they begin to mock others as soon as they meet them. For example, if the person is well dressed on that particular day, they make her uncomfortable by implying that she is overdressed by asking: "Where are you going … to a wedding?" Or when someone politely asks an acquaintance "How are you?" he responds in a mocking tone: "Why, were you worried about my health?" They are offended when they are treated the same way, but they never think of giving up such behavior, because they consider it to be natural. This type of mockery is often encountered when friends talk among themselves, for friends continually make fun of those close to them behind their backs.
In particular, mocking a clumsy person is a great source of entertainment. On birthdays or other special occasions, they make jokes about the presents they did not like, saying that the giver has chosen a cheap gift or made a tasteless choice.
Such mockery may not always be obvious, for one of the most widespread methods is mocking by implication via barbed words and meaningful glances. In particular, because they cannot directly mock someone whose position is superior to their own in terms of rank and power, they do so among themselves with their eyes. By mocking him secretly, they think that they are demeaning him and making themselves superior to him. For example, when a manager makes a mistake, a slip of the tongue perhaps, the workers nearby cannot mock him openly. However, they can look at one another meaningfully and with a mocking light in their eyes. One who watches them carefully can notice this right away; however, because their mockery is not open, it is impossible to prove its existence.
Finding themselves surrounded by such negative forms of behavior, people in such societies are forced to live in an extremely uncomfortable environment. Everybody finds a way to mock everybody else but experiences extreme discomfort when the mockery is directed toward them. In spite of this, people make no effort to change the surrounding environment, because if they say that mocking others does not conform to the morality laid down by Allah, they will be unable to mock others. Thus, they accept being mocked as a fact of life and fail to distance themselves from another person's mockery. Allah informs us of this incorrect attitude: "They would not restrain each other from any of the wrong things that they did. How evil were the things they used to do!" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 79). In conclusion, when people do not live by the Qur'an's morality, all types of mocking behavior, belittling speech, and provocative glances and sniggering can be observed in their societies. The only way out of this troubled and uncomfortable environment is to adopt, practice, and keep alive the superior morality taught by the Qur'an
The Qur'an Forbids Mockery
O you who believe! People should not ridicule others who may be better than themselves, nor should any women ridicule other women who may be better than themselves. Do not find fault with each other or insult each other with derogatory nicknames. How evil it is to have a name for evil conduct after coming to faith! Those people who do not turn from it are wrongdoers. (Surat al-Hujurat, 11)
The above verse forbids mockery at all times, for it is a form of immorality. Now, we will consider the issue of mockery in more detail from a Qur'anic viewpoint.
The verse draws our attention to the fact that mocking others, regarding oneself as superior to them, and belittling them are all the results of a community's lack of religion. In Allah's sight, superiority depends upon one's fear [and respect] of Him. In other words, financial clout, physical strength, advanced technology, or any other worldly value on its own, without one's fear [and respect] of Allah, cannot make people superior to others. Moreover, such factors as gender, race, or skin color do not indicate superiority:
O humanity! We created you from a male and female and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one who best performs his duty. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)
In Surat al-Hujurat 11, Allah forbids women to mock one another. Women who live in societies that are far removed from religion often use mocking words and pointed expressions against each other. Indeed, it has become so common among them that such conversations are no longer surprising. A woman refers to the physical defects of another as often as possible. Even if there is no obvious defect, she will try to make others believe that any characteristic at all is a type of blemish. Her own envy may drive her to any kind of slander or mockery.
The Qur'an defines making others feel uncomfortable and harassing them as low morality. In another verse, Allah tells us how ugly it is to set people against each other and pry into their secret aspects:
O you who believe! Avoid most suspicion, for some suspicion is a crime. Do not spy and do not backbite each other. Would any of you like to eat his dead brother's flesh? No, you would hate it. Fear [and respect] Allah, for He is Ever-Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Hujurat, 12)
In another verse, Allah draws attention to mockery via insulting words or looks:
Woe to every fault-finding backbiter. (Surat al-Humaza, 1)
Clearly, people have to refrain from such behavior. People will definitely receive a return for their mockery whether it be in looks or mimicry or words. In this verse, Allah warns people who do not live by the Qur'an's morality and who never think about the Day of Judgment.
Mockery is a moral defect characterized by people in societies that are far from religion. Among the believers, such behavior is not permitted, for they know that Allah bestows all human characteristics (e.g., beauty, intelligence, wealth, and talent) as He wills. They take great pleasure in other people's good characteristics. Since they conform not to their own selfish desires but to Allah's will, they do not feel pride, envy, and other negative emotions that people who live in societies far removed from religion harbor inside themselves. As a result, they always maintain a cheerful, well-intentioned, positive, and modest approach toward each other. In the same way, they know that each person's defects have been sent by Allah as a test. Therefore, they do not focus on these defects; on the contrary, they exhibit good behavior in an attempt to compensate for them. They strenuously avoid the slightest act, glance, or word that could be misinterpreted as a form of mockery. The believers' opinion of mockery is reflected in the words of Prophet Musa (as):
And when Musa said to his people: "Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow," they exclaimed: "What! Are you making fun of us?" He replied: "I seek refuge with Allah from being one of the ignorant!" (Surat al-Baqara, 67)
As we can see, before acting in any way that resembles mockery, the believers immediately take refuge in Allah. They know that behaving in such a way is not suitable. Their most important reason for avoiding it is their knowledge that such behavior does not meet with Allah's approval.
Unbelievers Mock Religion
The purpose of human life on Earth is for all people to live by the morality that pleases Allah and to follow the true path that the Qur'an shows to us. Allah tells us: "I only created jinn and humanity to worship Me" (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 56). However, as we stated earlier, because of their internal "superiority complex," most people do not submit themselves to Allah and avoid worshipping Him. However, they know perfectly well what Allah requires of them. In the Qur'an, Allah refers to such people, whose consciences understand the message but who, nevertheless, will not practice what is right because of their internal arrogance, in the following terms:
When Our signs came to them in all their clarity, they said: "This is downright magic." And they repudiated them wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them. See the final fate of the corrupters. (Surat an-Naml, 13-14)
Given that they are troubled in their consciences, knowing and seeing His existence and hearing about the true faith, these people experience serious internal discomfort. They would like Allah and His religion never to be mentioned and for everybody else to be like them, because they believe that only then can they be at ease. Everything to do with His existence and religious morality reminds them of their own sins.
In addition, it is almost impossible for such people, caught up as they are by their undying desire for superiority, to accept the fact of Allah's possession of boundless wisdom and power, as well as all of creation's submission to Him, and to realize just how powerless they are in His eyes. Therefore, they cannot stand to be reminded of Allah or hear His greatness praised. They believe that they can comfort themselves by rejecting clearly obvious truths, denying the evidence for creation, and ignoring the wonders that clearly indicate His power. Mocking religion is one of the ways people who have fallen into a great error try to protect themselves against the discomfort of their consciences. One Qur'anic verse describes their behavior when they are faced with the evidence of creation:
No wonder you are surprised as they laugh with scorn! When they are reminded, they do not pay heed. When they see a sign, they only laugh with scorn. (Surat as-Saffat, 12-14)
As these verses reveal, these people mock all of the miraculous truths around them. This is such a great immorality that nothing will ever persuade them to have faith. They think that they will delude the people around them and acquire individuality and superiority by rejecting Allah and the Qur'an. In fact, since the people around them are extremely impotent creatures who will be called to account in the Hereafter, gaining or loosing status in their eyes is utterly meaningless. Above all, it is the characteristics bestowed upon these people by Allah that make them proud. Everything they possess has come from Allah, and yet they repay this not with gratitude, but with mockery.
Using examples from the Qur'an, we will now analyze how unbelievers approach religion. In addition, we will point out that their mockery causes them great harm and that they will receive their just "reward" in the Hereafter.
Inability To Understand Allah's Verses
Each time a sura is sent down, some among them ask: "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for those who believe, it increases them in faith and they rejoice at it. (Surat at-Tawba, 124)
As stated in the above verse, only people with sincere faith in their hearts can understand Allah's verses and see the Divine wisdom therein. Unbelievers, who cannot understand such things, resort to mockery by asking: "Which of you has this increased in faith?" But for the believers, these unbelieving individuals have only deprived themselves of the good news, which is one of Allah's blessings for the believers.
Another verse speaks of the unbelievers' incomprehension and their twisted approach to His verses:
Allah is not ashamed to make an example of a mosquito or of an even smaller thing. As for those who believe, they know it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who do not believe, they ask: "What does Allah mean by this example?" He misguides many by it, and also guides many by it. But He only misguides the deviators. (Surat al-Baqara, 26)
As the above verse tells us, the unbelievers could not understand Allah's Divine wisdom in speaking of a mosquito. Thus, they decided to mock it by asking: "What is Allah telling us by means of this example?" But today science has revealed that the humble mosquito, which people despise, has a number of miraculous characteristics. (For detailed information, see Harun Yahya, The Miracle in the Mosquito, Global Publishing, June 2005) Allah pointed out its extraordinary characteristics more than 1,400 years ago, and the unbelievers of that time who did not have this information are now demeaned by their own words of mockery.
The unbelievers' arrogant approaches to Allah and His religion become especially apparent when Allah's verses are read to them or when they are given advice based upon them. Allah's prophets and pious Muslims warned their people about the falsity of the superstitious systems that ran their lives. While explaining that the only true path was the religion sent down by Allah, they recited His verses and explained their Divine wisdom, which was so wonderful that even the unbelievers noticed its extraordinary nature. But in spite of their recognition of its superiority, they rejected what they were told and resisted the call to embrace His religion. Even worse, consumed by their arrogance, they went so far as to mock Allah's verses:
[W]ho hears the signs of Allah recited to him and then persists in his arrogance just as if he had never heard them. Give him the news of a painful punishment. When he does learn something of Our signs, he mocks them. Such people will have a humiliating punishment. (Surat al-Jathiyya, 8-9)
In addition to revealing the unbelievers' mocking behavior, Allah also tells us how the believers should react when confronted with such behavior:
When you see people engrossed in mocking Our signs, turn from them until they start to talk of other things. (Surat al-An'am, 68)
Mocking Worship
Mocking the forms of worship ordered by Allah and their wisdom, especially the daily prayers and fasting, is widespread among the unbelievers. Allah tells us of this unintelligent behavior:
When you call to prayer they mock it and make a game of it, because they are people who do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 58)
Such mockery of worship is frequently met with in everyday life. For example, when the believers remind them to pray and fast, the unbelievers immediately adopt a mocking tone. Their way of speaking and chosen words, gestures and movements, and facial expressions become wholly governed by a spirit of mockery. Add to all of this a mocking sneer, and they present a very ugly picture.
The basic reason for such behavior is their desire to reduce the respect that other people feel for religion and religious values. In this way, they seek to block the advice that the believers give to others. Their mockery becomes most apparent when they see a young person who is devoted to the religion, for this makes them feel even more guilty. Thus, they try to transfer their guilt to this young person through mockery so that he/she will abandon the true path.
They try to make the other person feel small by saying things like: "You can worship later when you're no longer young" or "You've cut yourself off from the world at a young age." They also try to divert young people with such false promises as: "Break your fast. I'll bear the burden." However, no matter what they do, they cannot harm the believers or make them feel small. On the contrary, when the believers encounter this type of behavior, they feel encouraged and continue their worship with even greater joy.
The unbelievers want to hurt the believers by mocking them. However, they do not succeed in this, for they only cause the believers to be more exalted in the Hereafter. We can even say that, in a sense, they do the believers a service. But because they are incapable of understanding this, they once again reveal their lack of intelligence.
Their Rejection of the Resurrection
The unbelievers also mock and violently reject the resurrection, because if they accept this belief they will come face to face with the necessity of living according to the Qur'an's morality. In addition, the resurrection means that all people will be called to account for what they have done in this world. On that day, only those who have lived in accordance with Allah's injunctions, as contained in the Qur'an, will find salvation. After the Day of Judgment, Allah's eternal justice will punish the sinful and reward those who did not transgress the limits that He laid down for humanity and who obeyed Him. This is a very obvious truth, and on the Day of Judgment it will become clear to the unbelievers that they have made a serious error. However, the unbelievers forget Allah and the Day of Judgment by refusing to accept any responsibility for their behavior in this life. As a result, they do their best to pretend that death is still far in the future and take pleasure in making light of the subject by means of mocking words and jokes. They tell those around them that death is far off and that there is no need to think about it. But no matter how much they try to forget it, death is a certainty. It is revealed in the Qur'an as follows:
Say: "Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will inform you about what you did." (Surat al-Jumu'a, 8)
Despite this, they still choose to resist and reject the fact that the Day of Judgment will eventually arrive. Of course, their unintelligent denial cannot prevent that day from reaching them, but they nevertheless continue to believe that they can protect themselves by ignoring the matter. They go even further by actually laughing at it to prove to those around them that they do not believe that they will be resurrected in the Hereafter and that it is of no importance to them. The Qur'an gives us examples of such mocking behavior:
But what of him who says to his parents: "Fie on you! Do you promise me that I will be resurrected when generations before me have passed away?" They both call on Allah for help: "Woe to you! Believe! Allah's promise is true." But he replies: "This is nothing but the myths of previous peoples." (Surat al-Ahqaf, 17)
They exclaim: "What! When we are bones and crumbled dust, will we then be raised up as a new creation!" Say: "It would not matter if you were rock or iron or, indeed, any created thing that you think is harder still!" They will ask: "Who will bring us back again?" Say: "He Who brought you into being in the first place." They will shake their heads at you and ask: "When will it happen?" Say: "It may well be that it is very near." (Surat al-Isra', 49-51)
The Qur'an also reveals the best way to answer the heedless and illogical questions of unbelievers, who admire their own senseless minds and are confident of their own intelligence:
Does man imagine We will not reassemble his bones? On the contrary! We are well able to reshape his fingers. (Surat al-Qiyama, 3-4)
Doesn't man see that We created him from a drop yet there he is, an open antagonist! He makes likenesses of Us and forgets his own creation, asking: "Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?" Say: "He Who made them in the first place will bring them back to life. He has total knowledge of each created thing." (Surah Ya Sin, 77-79)
Allah created all human beings, as well as all living and non-living things in existence. People are responsible for living by the morality that He has revealed to them through His messengers and prophets. Given this, there is no way that they can absolve themselves of not fulfilling this responsibility. If they choose to reject it, however, they will definitely be punished on the Day of Judgment. We have to add here that mocking Allah's signs and His religion is a grave sin, and that there is no doubt that the punishment for it will be very serious:
Abandon those who have turned their religion into a game and a diversion, and who have been deluded by the life of this world. Remind by it [the Qur'an], lest a person be delivered up to destruction for what he has earned with no protector or intercessor besides Allah. Were he to offer every kind of compensation, it would not be accepted. Such people are delivered up to destruction for what they have earned. They will have scalding water to drink and a painful punishment, because they did not believe. (Surat al-An'am, 70)
Just as in every age, some people today ignore the torment that they will face in the Hereafter. Such people do not hesitate to mock religious values and sacred concepts at every opportunity. In addition to making up jokes and funny stories with anti-religious content, they also mock religion in cartoons. In this day and age, not to mention throughout all of history, the unbelievers' ugly behavior always has the same goal: to annoy the believers and turn other people's subconscious religious feelings in the wrong direction. However, remember that the believers consider such treatment to be an honor, because Allah promises them that although they might face such behavior, He will compensate them in the best way possible. In addition, Allah describes the situation of the mockers and tells the believers to stay away from them:
O you who believe! Do not take as friends any of those who mock and make a game out of your religion among the ones who were given the Book before you or the unbelievers. Fear [and respect] Allah if you are believers. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 57)
When Our signs came to them in all their clarity, they said: "This is downright magic." And they repudiated them wrongly and haughtily, in spite of their own certainty about them. See the final fate of the corrupters. (Surat an-Naml, 13-14)
Given that they are troubled in their consciences, knowing and seeing His existence and hearing about the true faith, these people experience serious internal discomfort. They would like Allah and His religion never to be mentioned and for everybody else to be like them, because they believe that only then can they be at ease. Everything to do with His existence and religious morality reminds them of their own sins.
In addition, it is almost impossible for such people, caught up as they are by their undying desire for superiority, to accept the fact of Allah's possession of boundless wisdom and power, as well as all of creation's submission to Him, and to realize just how powerless they are in His eyes. Therefore, they cannot stand to be reminded of Allah or hear His greatness praised. They believe that they can comfort themselves by rejecting clearly obvious truths, denying the evidence for creation, and ignoring the wonders that clearly indicate His power. Mocking religion is one of the ways people who have fallen into a great error try to protect themselves against the discomfort of their consciences. One Qur'anic verse describes their behavior when they are faced with the evidence of creation:
No wonder you are surprised as they laugh with scorn! When they are reminded, they do not pay heed. When they see a sign, they only laugh with scorn. (Surat as-Saffat, 12-14)
As these verses reveal, these people mock all of the miraculous truths around them. This is such a great immorality that nothing will ever persuade them to have faith. They think that they will delude the people around them and acquire individuality and superiority by rejecting Allah and the Qur'an. In fact, since the people around them are extremely impotent creatures who will be called to account in the Hereafter, gaining or loosing status in their eyes is utterly meaningless. Above all, it is the characteristics bestowed upon these people by Allah that make them proud. Everything they possess has come from Allah, and yet they repay this not with gratitude, but with mockery.
Using examples from the Qur'an, we will now analyze how unbelievers approach religion. In addition, we will point out that their mockery causes them great harm and that they will receive their just "reward" in the Hereafter.
Inability To Understand Allah's Verses
Each time a sura is sent down, some among them ask: "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for those who believe, it increases them in faith and they rejoice at it. (Surat at-Tawba, 124)
As stated in the above verse, only people with sincere faith in their hearts can understand Allah's verses and see the Divine wisdom therein. Unbelievers, who cannot understand such things, resort to mockery by asking: "Which of you has this increased in faith?" But for the believers, these unbelieving individuals have only deprived themselves of the good news, which is one of Allah's blessings for the believers.
Another verse speaks of the unbelievers' incomprehension and their twisted approach to His verses:
Allah is not ashamed to make an example of a mosquito or of an even smaller thing. As for those who believe, they know it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who do not believe, they ask: "What does Allah mean by this example?" He misguides many by it, and also guides many by it. But He only misguides the deviators. (Surat al-Baqara, 26)
As the above verse tells us, the unbelievers could not understand Allah's Divine wisdom in speaking of a mosquito. Thus, they decided to mock it by asking: "What is Allah telling us by means of this example?" But today science has revealed that the humble mosquito, which people despise, has a number of miraculous characteristics. (For detailed information, see Harun Yahya, The Miracle in the Mosquito, Global Publishing, June 2005) Allah pointed out its extraordinary characteristics more than 1,400 years ago, and the unbelievers of that time who did not have this information are now demeaned by their own words of mockery.
The unbelievers' arrogant approaches to Allah and His religion become especially apparent when Allah's verses are read to them or when they are given advice based upon them. Allah's prophets and pious Muslims warned their people about the falsity of the superstitious systems that ran their lives. While explaining that the only true path was the religion sent down by Allah, they recited His verses and explained their Divine wisdom, which was so wonderful that even the unbelievers noticed its extraordinary nature. But in spite of their recognition of its superiority, they rejected what they were told and resisted the call to embrace His religion. Even worse, consumed by their arrogance, they went so far as to mock Allah's verses:
[W]ho hears the signs of Allah recited to him and then persists in his arrogance just as if he had never heard them. Give him the news of a painful punishment. When he does learn something of Our signs, he mocks them. Such people will have a humiliating punishment. (Surat al-Jathiyya, 8-9)
In addition to revealing the unbelievers' mocking behavior, Allah also tells us how the believers should react when confronted with such behavior:
When you see people engrossed in mocking Our signs, turn from them until they start to talk of other things. (Surat al-An'am, 68)
Mocking Worship
Mocking the forms of worship ordered by Allah and their wisdom, especially the daily prayers and fasting, is widespread among the unbelievers. Allah tells us of this unintelligent behavior:
When you call to prayer they mock it and make a game of it, because they are people who do not use their intellect. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 58)
Such mockery of worship is frequently met with in everyday life. For example, when the believers remind them to pray and fast, the unbelievers immediately adopt a mocking tone. Their way of speaking and chosen words, gestures and movements, and facial expressions become wholly governed by a spirit of mockery. Add to all of this a mocking sneer, and they present a very ugly picture.
The basic reason for such behavior is their desire to reduce the respect that other people feel for religion and religious values. In this way, they seek to block the advice that the believers give to others. Their mockery becomes most apparent when they see a young person who is devoted to the religion, for this makes them feel even more guilty. Thus, they try to transfer their guilt to this young person through mockery so that he/she will abandon the true path.
They try to make the other person feel small by saying things like: "You can worship later when you're no longer young" or "You've cut yourself off from the world at a young age." They also try to divert young people with such false promises as: "Break your fast. I'll bear the burden." However, no matter what they do, they cannot harm the believers or make them feel small. On the contrary, when the believers encounter this type of behavior, they feel encouraged and continue their worship with even greater joy.
The unbelievers want to hurt the believers by mocking them. However, they do not succeed in this, for they only cause the believers to be more exalted in the Hereafter. We can even say that, in a sense, they do the believers a service. But because they are incapable of understanding this, they once again reveal their lack of intelligence.
Their Rejection of the Resurrection
The unbelievers also mock and violently reject the resurrection, because if they accept this belief they will come face to face with the necessity of living according to the Qur'an's morality. In addition, the resurrection means that all people will be called to account for what they have done in this world. On that day, only those who have lived in accordance with Allah's injunctions, as contained in the Qur'an, will find salvation. After the Day of Judgment, Allah's eternal justice will punish the sinful and reward those who did not transgress the limits that He laid down for humanity and who obeyed Him. This is a very obvious truth, and on the Day of Judgment it will become clear to the unbelievers that they have made a serious error. However, the unbelievers forget Allah and the Day of Judgment by refusing to accept any responsibility for their behavior in this life. As a result, they do their best to pretend that death is still far in the future and take pleasure in making light of the subject by means of mocking words and jokes. They tell those around them that death is far off and that there is no need to think about it. But no matter how much they try to forget it, death is a certainty. It is revealed in the Qur'an as follows:
Say: "Death, from which you are fleeing, will certainly catch up with you. Then you will be returned to the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible, and He will inform you about what you did." (Surat al-Jumu'a, 8)
Despite this, they still choose to resist and reject the fact that the Day of Judgment will eventually arrive. Of course, their unintelligent denial cannot prevent that day from reaching them, but they nevertheless continue to believe that they can protect themselves by ignoring the matter. They go even further by actually laughing at it to prove to those around them that they do not believe that they will be resurrected in the Hereafter and that it is of no importance to them. The Qur'an gives us examples of such mocking behavior:
But what of him who says to his parents: "Fie on you! Do you promise me that I will be resurrected when generations before me have passed away?" They both call on Allah for help: "Woe to you! Believe! Allah's promise is true." But he replies: "This is nothing but the myths of previous peoples." (Surat al-Ahqaf, 17)
They exclaim: "What! When we are bones and crumbled dust, will we then be raised up as a new creation!" Say: "It would not matter if you were rock or iron or, indeed, any created thing that you think is harder still!" They will ask: "Who will bring us back again?" Say: "He Who brought you into being in the first place." They will shake their heads at you and ask: "When will it happen?" Say: "It may well be that it is very near." (Surat al-Isra', 49-51)
The Qur'an also reveals the best way to answer the heedless and illogical questions of unbelievers, who admire their own senseless minds and are confident of their own intelligence:
Does man imagine We will not reassemble his bones? On the contrary! We are well able to reshape his fingers. (Surat al-Qiyama, 3-4)
Doesn't man see that We created him from a drop yet there he is, an open antagonist! He makes likenesses of Us and forgets his own creation, asking: "Who will give life to bones when they are decayed?" Say: "He Who made them in the first place will bring them back to life. He has total knowledge of each created thing." (Surah Ya Sin, 77-79)
Allah created all human beings, as well as all living and non-living things in existence. People are responsible for living by the morality that He has revealed to them through His messengers and prophets. Given this, there is no way that they can absolve themselves of not fulfilling this responsibility. If they choose to reject it, however, they will definitely be punished on the Day of Judgment. We have to add here that mocking Allah's signs and His religion is a grave sin, and that there is no doubt that the punishment for it will be very serious:
Abandon those who have turned their religion into a game and a diversion, and who have been deluded by the life of this world. Remind by it [the Qur'an], lest a person be delivered up to destruction for what he has earned with no protector or intercessor besides Allah. Were he to offer every kind of compensation, it would not be accepted. Such people are delivered up to destruction for what they have earned. They will have scalding water to drink and a painful punishment, because they did not believe. (Surat al-An'am, 70)
Just as in every age, some people today ignore the torment that they will face in the Hereafter. Such people do not hesitate to mock religious values and sacred concepts at every opportunity. In addition to making up jokes and funny stories with anti-religious content, they also mock religion in cartoons. In this day and age, not to mention throughout all of history, the unbelievers' ugly behavior always has the same goal: to annoy the believers and turn other people's subconscious religious feelings in the wrong direction. However, remember that the believers consider such treatment to be an honor, because Allah promises them that although they might face such behavior, He will compensate them in the best way possible. In addition, Allah describes the situation of the mockers and tells the believers to stay away from them:
O you who believe! Do not take as friends any of those who mock and make a game out of your religion among the ones who were given the Book before you or the unbelievers. Fear [and respect] Allah if you are believers. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 57)
13 Haziran 2010 Pazar
Unbelievers Fall into the Error of Mocking the Believers
As we said earlier, all unbelievers at bottom feel a great sense of guilt because they act contrary to Allah's instructions and do not surrender themselves to Him. This is why they mock the believers. The fact that they know they are on the wrong path and that the believers are on the right one causes them to hate the believers. The Qur'an describes the rage they feel toward the believers:
O you who believe! Do not take any outside yourselves as intimates, for they will do anything to harm you. They love what causes you distress. Hatred has appeared out of their mouths, but what their breasts hide is far worse. We have made the signs clear to you, if you use your intellect. (Surah Al 'Imran, 118)
One of the major reasons why the unbelievers hate the believers is because they believe in Allah. Throughout history, the unbelievers have always hated the believers who carry out Allah's instructions and obey the Qur'an and Allah's prophets. All unbelievers will feel uncomfortable and harbor this rage as long as any believers exist on the face of the Earth.
The unbelievers try to ignore Allah's existence and supremacy. As we said at the outset, if they were to accept these facts, they would come face to face with the truth, which would require them to obey Him. While they go on trying to evade this truth, the believers' very existence makes all of their efforts futile. The believers point out, both to the unbelievers and their societies, that Allah is the Creator of everything and All-Powerful, that life in this world is temporary and death is inevitable. In short, they embody everything that the unbelievers are trying to forget. Therefore, the unbelievers do not want even one single believer to survive on the face of the Earth.
These are the reasons why they regard the believers with enmity. Of course, one of the simplest ways for them to display this enmity is for them to use mockery to show that they do not value the believers. In particular, mocking the beliefs of the believers is a widespread moral defect among unbelievers:
When they are told: "Believe in the way that the people believe," they reply: "What! Are we to believe in the way that fools believe?" No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it. When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe." But then, when they go apart with their satans, they say: "We are really with you. We were only mocking." (Surat al-Baqara, 13-14)
These verses reveal that the unbelievers speak of the believers in such a way to show their supposed superiority to them. By doing this, they think that they can destroy the believers' joy and reduce their strength. But as in everything else, they fall into a serious error because one who has faith in Allah has no room in his life for such negative feelings as a loss of joy, pessimism, and submission to depression. On the contrary, enduring such immoral attacks actually honors the believers and makes them even more joyful, because Allah has told them that all believers have faced such situations throughout history. All believers who have reacted to such behavior with forbearance have experienced the joy and exaltation of knowing that they will receive a splendid reward in the Hereafter.
One of the things that enrages the unbelievers has been the believers' willingness to follow the prophets sent by Allah. They have shown great respect for the prophets and the pious believers who have struggled on their behalf, for: "We sent no messenger except to be obeyed by Allah's permission" (Surat an-Nisa', 64). In accordance with "O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those in command among you" (Surat an-Nisa', 59), they have competed with one another in heeding His word and refuse to make any concession, for the Qur'an says:
These are Allah's limits [that He has established for humanity]. As for those who obey Allah and His messenger, We will admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. That is the Great Victory. As for those who disobey Allah and His messenger and overstep the limits [that He has established for humanity], We will admit them into a Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. They will have a humiliating punishment. (Surat an-Nisa', 13-14)
The believers' unshakable obedience, as revealed in the above verses, has caused great discomfort among the unbelievers in every period of history because they want to be the most respectable and important people. As a result, this is one of the reasons why they oppose the believers, for the latter obey the person Allah has chosen and sent to them. And so they verbally attack the believers and the prophets:
[T]hey ask: "Why should we believe you, when the vilest people follow you?" (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 111)
The ruling circle of those among his [Nuh's] people who do not believe said: "We do not see you as anything but a human being like ourselves. We do not see anyone following you but the lowest of us, unthinkingly. We do not see you as superior to us. On the contrary, we consider you to be liars." (Surah Hud, 27)
The unbelievers' greatest desire is to be superior to everybody else. There is no doubt that the main reason for this is the arrogance that they feel inside. But no matter how superior they regard themselves, they lead lives of great foolishness. In this fleeting life, they choose the rank, money, property, and respect that they could obtain over and above their endless existence in the Hereafter. This is one of the greatest proofs of their foolishness.
Some of the other verses concerning their great lack of intelligence, as well as their belittling and mockery of the believers, are given below:
Those who did evil used to laugh at those who believed. When they passed by them, they would wink at one another. When they returned to their families, they would make a joke of them. When they saw them, they would say: "Those people are misguided." (Surat al-Mutaffifin, 29-32)
They behave in an ugly way that is forbidden by Allah, and use their eyes and facial expressions to mock the believers. They go even further and deceive themselves into believing that they are somehow exalting themselves in this way. But in reality, in the Hereafter they will be found guilty of a grave sin and will finally understand that they are the ones who disgraced themselves.
O you who believe! Do not take any outside yourselves as intimates, for they will do anything to harm you. They love what causes you distress. Hatred has appeared out of their mouths, but what their breasts hide is far worse. We have made the signs clear to you, if you use your intellect. (Surah Al 'Imran, 118)
One of the major reasons why the unbelievers hate the believers is because they believe in Allah. Throughout history, the unbelievers have always hated the believers who carry out Allah's instructions and obey the Qur'an and Allah's prophets. All unbelievers will feel uncomfortable and harbor this rage as long as any believers exist on the face of the Earth.
The unbelievers try to ignore Allah's existence and supremacy. As we said at the outset, if they were to accept these facts, they would come face to face with the truth, which would require them to obey Him. While they go on trying to evade this truth, the believers' very existence makes all of their efforts futile. The believers point out, both to the unbelievers and their societies, that Allah is the Creator of everything and All-Powerful, that life in this world is temporary and death is inevitable. In short, they embody everything that the unbelievers are trying to forget. Therefore, the unbelievers do not want even one single believer to survive on the face of the Earth.
These are the reasons why they regard the believers with enmity. Of course, one of the simplest ways for them to display this enmity is for them to use mockery to show that they do not value the believers. In particular, mocking the beliefs of the believers is a widespread moral defect among unbelievers:
When they are told: "Believe in the way that the people believe," they reply: "What! Are we to believe in the way that fools believe?" No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it. When they meet those who believe, they say: "We believe." But then, when they go apart with their satans, they say: "We are really with you. We were only mocking." (Surat al-Baqara, 13-14)
These verses reveal that the unbelievers speak of the believers in such a way to show their supposed superiority to them. By doing this, they think that they can destroy the believers' joy and reduce their strength. But as in everything else, they fall into a serious error because one who has faith in Allah has no room in his life for such negative feelings as a loss of joy, pessimism, and submission to depression. On the contrary, enduring such immoral attacks actually honors the believers and makes them even more joyful, because Allah has told them that all believers have faced such situations throughout history. All believers who have reacted to such behavior with forbearance have experienced the joy and exaltation of knowing that they will receive a splendid reward in the Hereafter.
One of the things that enrages the unbelievers has been the believers' willingness to follow the prophets sent by Allah. They have shown great respect for the prophets and the pious believers who have struggled on their behalf, for: "We sent no messenger except to be obeyed by Allah's permission" (Surat an-Nisa', 64). In accordance with "O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger and those in command among you" (Surat an-Nisa', 59), they have competed with one another in heeding His word and refuse to make any concession, for the Qur'an says:
These are Allah's limits [that He has established for humanity]. As for those who obey Allah and His messenger, We will admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing under them, remaining in them timelessly, forever. That is the Great Victory. As for those who disobey Allah and His messenger and overstep the limits [that He has established for humanity], We will admit them into a Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. They will have a humiliating punishment. (Surat an-Nisa', 13-14)
The believers' unshakable obedience, as revealed in the above verses, has caused great discomfort among the unbelievers in every period of history because they want to be the most respectable and important people. As a result, this is one of the reasons why they oppose the believers, for the latter obey the person Allah has chosen and sent to them. And so they verbally attack the believers and the prophets:
[T]hey ask: "Why should we believe you, when the vilest people follow you?" (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 111)
The ruling circle of those among his [Nuh's] people who do not believe said: "We do not see you as anything but a human being like ourselves. We do not see anyone following you but the lowest of us, unthinkingly. We do not see you as superior to us. On the contrary, we consider you to be liars." (Surah Hud, 27)
The unbelievers' greatest desire is to be superior to everybody else. There is no doubt that the main reason for this is the arrogance that they feel inside. But no matter how superior they regard themselves, they lead lives of great foolishness. In this fleeting life, they choose the rank, money, property, and respect that they could obtain over and above their endless existence in the Hereafter. This is one of the greatest proofs of their foolishness.
Some of the other verses concerning their great lack of intelligence, as well as their belittling and mockery of the believers, are given below:
Those who did evil used to laugh at those who believed. When they passed by them, they would wink at one another. When they returned to their families, they would make a joke of them. When they saw them, they would say: "Those people are misguided." (Surat al-Mutaffifin, 29-32)
They behave in an ugly way that is forbidden by Allah, and use their eyes and facial expressions to mock the believers. They go even further and deceive themselves into believing that they are somehow exalting themselves in this way. But in reality, in the Hereafter they will be found guilty of a grave sin and will finally understand that they are the ones who disgraced themselves.
The Unbelievers Target the Prophets First
Unbelievers have existed in every period of history and have fought His religion and the believers. This is one of Allah's unchanging laws. Their methods are clear, and among the most prominent of them is mockery. In fact, the tactics and even the words they use are always the same:
Pharaoh and those before him and the Overturned Cities made a great mistake. They disobeyed the messenger of their Lord... (Surat al-Haqqa, 9-10)
Unbelievers have exhibited the same obstinate behavior throughout the centuries. Pharaoh, Abu Lahab, Prophet Nuh's (as) tribe, the 'Ad's tribe, the Thamud's tribe, Prophet Lut's (as) tribe, and others are among the people mentioned as having adopted a cruel and mocking approach toward the prophets and thereby earning their own destruction. These people not only made the prophets a subject of mockery, but everything to do with religion, including worship and religious rules. However, as the Qur'an tells us, they were the ones who were destroyed and plunged into remorse as a result:
Alas for My servants! No messenger comes to them without their mocking him. (Surah Ya Sin, 30)
No messenger came to them without their mocking him. (Surat al-Hijr, 11)
As we can see, such a heedless and disrespectful resistance of the prophets is characteristic of the unbelievers. They have employed these techniques in every historical period, because satan has caused them to grow arrogant and devote themselves to mockery. Since he does not want the Qur'an's morality to be followed by anyone, satan incites people to immorality and irreligious behavior, including mockery. In contrast, the prophets lived by and spread the message of the true religion, and taught that people should not heed satan and his deceptions or follow his path of unbelief. Therefore, satan urges the unbelievers, as a priority, to form a front against the prophets and incites them to oppose and mock them. Hence, people who struggle against and mock the prophets are following satan's path.
But always remember that none of satan's efforts can succeed. On the contrary, the mocking behavior and harsh words that he inspires the unbelievers to direct toward the prophets only exalts them further in the Hereafter and earns them Allah's good pleasure and blessing. Since these revered people bore this ugly behavior patiently, they could expect a fine reward from Allah, for on the Day of Judgment everybody will be rewarded or punished for his deeds. While the prophets and the believers who stood alongside them will be rewarded, those who mocked them will be punished:
To those who do not believe, the life of this world is painted in glowing colors and they laugh at those who believe. But on the Day of Resurrection, those who fear [and respect] Allah will be over them. Allah provides for whoever He wills, without any reckoning. (Surat al-Baqara, 212)
Messengers before you were mocked. I gave those who did not believe a little more time, and then I seized them. How terrible was My retribution! (Surat ar-Ra'd, 32)
Allah informs us that the unbelievers will mock the prophets. This is nothing new, and only increases their joy and determination to fight on, for the prophets know that their trust in Allah's justice will be rewarded in the Hereafter. Since Allah is just, the unbelievers and their leader satan will never achieve their aims. Allah tells us that such attacks are a clear manifestation of the unbelievers' lack of comprehension:
We only send the messengers to bring good news and to warn. Those who do not believe use fallacious arguments to deny the truth. They mock My signs and also the warning they were given. Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will, nonetheless, never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf, 56-57)
The Qur'an also gives many examples of when the unbelievers resort to mockery and of the methods they use. In the coming pages, we will discuss these issues at length.
Dislike of the Prophet Chosen by Allah
In societies that are far from the Qur'an's morality, value judgments are made on the basis of such material qualities as wealth, property, fame, rank, and position. And so when a prophet is sent to such a community, most people judge him by these criteria. If the prophet is considered inadequate in terms of such material values, they do not want to accept that Allah has chosen and sent him to guide them. Allah's selection of him, as well as the fact that he possesses the qualities of piety and superior morality, is of no importance to them. Since they are arrogant and incapable of noticing the prophet's finer points, they find it very difficult to accept that he has been chosen. They regard themselves as superior to him, and so instead of accepting the true path to which he summons them, they prefer to act in a stubborn and mocking manner:
When they see you, they only mock you: "Is this the one Allah has sent as a messenger?" (Surat al-Furqan, 41)
In other words, these people evaluate and dislike the prophet according to their corrupted value system. In addition:
When those who do not believe see you, they only mock you: "Is this the one who mentions your deities?" Yet they disown any mention of the All-Merciful. (Surat al-Anbiya', 36)
The Qur'an gives further examples. When Prophet Musa (as) was sent to Pharaoh, Pharaoh and his court chose to mock him because they resented the fact that Allah chose him, who was poorer than they were, to call them to the true religion. Their arrogance made it very hard for them to change their own superstitious religion. As a result, like all unbelievers throughout history, they began to mock their prophet:
Pharaoh asked his people: "My people, doesn't the kingdom of Egypt belong to me? Don't all these rivers flow under my control? Don't you then see? Am I not better than this man, who is contemptible and can scarcely make anything clear? Why haven't gold bracelets been put upon his arms, and why isn't there a train of angels accompanying him?" (Surat az-Zukhruf, 51-53)
Pharaoh had all the characteristics of an unbeliever. He evaluated Prophet Musa (as) according to his own ignorant criteria, and so was unable to understand Prophet Musa's (as) superior morality and closeness to Allah. He tried to influence the Egyptians by describing the property he owned and judging Prophet Musa's (as) supposed deficiencies by this yardstick. In other words, he thought that he was proving his own superiority by using his own misguided values, based on ignorance, as his criteria.
People who do not believe think that if a prophet is to be appointed and granted authority, he should at least be one of their own. As a result, they are jealous of the prophets sent to them and begin to mock them immediately. For example, as in "[They exclaimed:] 'Has the reminder been given to him of all of us? No indeed! He is an impudent liar'" (Surat al-Qamar, 25), they subject the prophet to various types of unpleasant behavior. But prophets are people of firm morality, extremely scrupulous in conforming to Allah's instructions and prohibitions, possess great modesty, and know that Allah holds all power. Such slander is nothing but a baseless accusation directed at them by the envious and ignorant unbelievers.
One of their accusations is that the prophets are "foolish," a verdict that they always deliver in mocking terms. The Qur'an gives us this example:
The ruling circle of those of his people who did not believe said: "We consider you a fool and think you are a liar." He replied: "My people, I am by no means a fool; rather, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-A'raf, 66-67)
This slander, which was directed at Prophet Hud (as), has been flung against Allah's prophets in almost every period of history. The unbelievers' mockery is immediately apparent in these words, for the prophets are known for their superior intelligence. The unbelievers target them with these calumnies in order to influence the people against them. In other words, the accusers seek to protect their own interests by preventing others from following the prophets. As the Qur'an states:
He [Pharaoh] said: "This messenger, who has been sent to you, is crazy." (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 27)
[The ruling circle of Nuh's people said:] "He is nothing but a man possessed, so wait a while and see what happens to him." (Surat al-Mu'minun, 25)
These examples show that charges of insanity or lack of intelligence are commonly directed against all prophets and believers. But in reality, as mentioned above, these baseless accusations are great honors for them. Whereas the unbelievers think that they can reduce the believers' strength, destroy their joy, and stop them from doing good works, they can do nothing of the sort. In fact, the believers interpret such mockery in their own way, which causes it to have a very different effect upon them. The unbelievers feel depressed and unhappy when they are mocked; however, the believers know that such words have been used against believers and prophets throughout history and therefore consider them as just one more sign that they are on the right path. In other words, they derive great encouragement from it. This uncomprehending and immoral behavior on the part of the unbelievers only increases the believers' strength and makes them more joyful and determined while proclaiming their faith.
Mocking the Believers' Adherence to the Qur'an
While believers act according to Allah's instructions and prohibitions, unbelievers are led around by their own selfish desires, which prevent them from being moral, upright, honorable, honest, sincere, just, pure, well-intentioned, temperate, compassionate, and truthful. On the contrary, they suggest that all types of immorality, untruthfulness, and dishonesty are perfectly reasonable. Therefore, the believers' determination to remain good and pure does not appeal to the unbelievers. When they see the believers' fine moral behavior, they see once more that their own morality is bad. But their arrogant nature causes them to reject such a thing. Thus, they want the believers to become like themselves - people who deviate from the true path. When they see that the believers continue to engage in moral behavior, they attempt to belittle their good points with insulting and mocking words:
The only response of his people was to say: "Drive the family of Lut out of your city! They are people who keep themselves pure!" (Surat an-Naml, 56)
As we know, Prophet Lut's (as) people were ferocious and engaged in sexual perversion. Although he repeatedly summoned them to justice, truth, virtue, and purity, they rejected his calls and set themselves against him. When Prophet Lut (as) continued to preach the truth, their hostility increased to such a point that they drew up plans to drive him and his followers out of their land. In doing so, they called Allah's wrath upon themselves and were destroyed. Allah also informed the believers that they would be richly rewarded for their forbearance. In other words, He turned the unbelievers' behavior into a great honor for Prophet Lut (as) and his followers. In the Qur'an, Allah tells those who consider themselves to be superior to the believers just who really possesses true dignity and honor:
They say: "If we return to Madinah, the more honorable will drive out the inferior." But all honor belongs to Allah, His messenger, and the believers. However, the hypocrites do not know this. (Surat al-Munafiqun, 8)
If anyone wants glory and power, all glory and power belongs to Allah. All good words rise to Him, and He raises up all virtuous deeds. But people who plot evil deeds will suffer a harsh punishment. Their plotting is profitless. (Surah Fatir, 10)
Mocking the Prophets' Deeds
The unbelievers and the hypocrites, who lack the believers' pure and virtuous mentality, cannot understand religious concepts and spiritual matters. However, they think that they are extremely intelligent because they can understand worldly matters. They do not want to admit that they cannot understand religious concepts. Unaware of Allah's immutable law that people who are alienated from religion cannot be intelligent since they are unaware of the terrible state they are in, they consider themselves superior and thus display the classic morality of unbelievers and mock Allah's prophets. We find frequent examples of this in the Qur'an. For instance, when Prophet Shu`ayb (as) told his people to abandon their evil ways and selfish desires, they protested violently and mocked him, even though they knew perfectly well that he was a man of superior morality:
They said: "Shu'ayb, do your prayers instruct you that we should abandon what our ancestors worshipped or stop doing whatever we want to with our wealth? You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided!" (Surah Hud, 87)
Another example is the experience of Prophet Nuh (as), whom Allah told to build an ark in order to save his people from destruction. When he started to do so, the unbelievers among his tribe began to mock him:
It was revealed to Nuh: "None of your people are going to believe, except for those who already believe, so do not be distressed at what they do. Build the ark under Our supervision and as We reveal, and do not address Me concerning the wrongdoers. They shall be drowned." He began to build the ark, and every time some nobles of his people passed him by, they ridiculed him. He said: "Though you ridicule us now, we will certainly ridicule you as you do us. You will soon know who will receive a punishment that disgraces him and find unleashed against himself an everlasting punishment." (Surah Hud, 36-39)
In the end, what Prophet Nuh (as) foresaw came to pass, and his people were destroyed. In this world, his people failed to understand Allah's power. Their own lack of intelligence caused them to regard Allah's threat of their destruction as a distant possibility from which their properties and power would protect them. But their mockery turned back on themselves and they were punished for their violent deeds in this life. And, they would find more punishment awaiting them in the Hereafter. Allah warns us that the unbelievers' fate in the Hereafter will be so severe that it cannot be compared with anything experienced in this world.
Making Trouble by Demanding Miracles
The unbelievers also demand that the prophets perform miracles. Thinking that they will be unable to meet this demand, they hope to put the prophets in a difficult position and demean them in the peoples' eyes:
They said: "You are merely someone bewitched. You are nothing but a human being like ourselves. We think that you are a liar. So make lumps from heaven fall down on us, if you are telling the truth." He [Shu'ayb] replied: "My Lord knows best what you are doing." They denied him, and the punishment of the Day of Shadow fell upon them. It was indeed the punishment of a terrible Day. (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 185-189)
Those who do not believe ask: "Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord?" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 27)
The main reason behind these demands is the unbelievers' conviction that they are superior to Allah's chosen messengers and prophets. Therefore, they treat these great men with hostility and rejection. The Qur'an describes these unbelievers in the following terms:
They say: "We will not believe you until you make a spring gush out from the earth for us; or have a garden of dates and grapes from which you make rivers come pouring through; or make the sky, as you claim, fall down on us in lumps; or bring Allah and the angels here as a guarantee; or possess a house built out of gleaming gold; or ascend up into heaven - and even then we will not believe in your ascent unless you bring us down a book to read!" Say: "Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a human messenger?" Nothing prevents people from believing when guidance comes to them but the fact that they ask: "Has Allah sent a human being as a messenger?" (Surat al-Isra', 90-94)
As mentioned earlier, the Qur'an tells us that such demands and mockery have always characterized the unbelievers' attacks against Allah's prophets and the believers. However, the unbelievers have never been able to achieve their goals, for Allah always smashes their traps and punishes them in ways that they never expect:
If We postpone the punishment for them for a limited time, they will ask: "What is holding it back?" No, indeed! The day it reaches them it will not be averted, and the things they mocked will encompass them. (Surah Hud, 8)
They ask you to hasten the punishment. If it were not for a stipulated term, the punishment would have come to them already. It will come upon them suddenly, when they are not expecting it. They ask you to hasten the punishment, but Hell already encircles the unbelievers. On the Day that the punishment envelops them from above and from underneath their feet, He will say: "Taste what you were doing!" (Surat al-'Ankabut, 53-55)
They ask: "When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth?" Say: "It may well be that some of what you are anxious to hasten is right on your heels." (Surat an-Naml, 71-72)
Pharaoh and those before him and the Overturned Cities made a great mistake. They disobeyed the messenger of their Lord... (Surat al-Haqqa, 9-10)
Unbelievers have exhibited the same obstinate behavior throughout the centuries. Pharaoh, Abu Lahab, Prophet Nuh's (as) tribe, the 'Ad's tribe, the Thamud's tribe, Prophet Lut's (as) tribe, and others are among the people mentioned as having adopted a cruel and mocking approach toward the prophets and thereby earning their own destruction. These people not only made the prophets a subject of mockery, but everything to do with religion, including worship and religious rules. However, as the Qur'an tells us, they were the ones who were destroyed and plunged into remorse as a result:
Alas for My servants! No messenger comes to them without their mocking him. (Surah Ya Sin, 30)
No messenger came to them without their mocking him. (Surat al-Hijr, 11)
As we can see, such a heedless and disrespectful resistance of the prophets is characteristic of the unbelievers. They have employed these techniques in every historical period, because satan has caused them to grow arrogant and devote themselves to mockery. Since he does not want the Qur'an's morality to be followed by anyone, satan incites people to immorality and irreligious behavior, including mockery. In contrast, the prophets lived by and spread the message of the true religion, and taught that people should not heed satan and his deceptions or follow his path of unbelief. Therefore, satan urges the unbelievers, as a priority, to form a front against the prophets and incites them to oppose and mock them. Hence, people who struggle against and mock the prophets are following satan's path.
But always remember that none of satan's efforts can succeed. On the contrary, the mocking behavior and harsh words that he inspires the unbelievers to direct toward the prophets only exalts them further in the Hereafter and earns them Allah's good pleasure and blessing. Since these revered people bore this ugly behavior patiently, they could expect a fine reward from Allah, for on the Day of Judgment everybody will be rewarded or punished for his deeds. While the prophets and the believers who stood alongside them will be rewarded, those who mocked them will be punished:
To those who do not believe, the life of this world is painted in glowing colors and they laugh at those who believe. But on the Day of Resurrection, those who fear [and respect] Allah will be over them. Allah provides for whoever He wills, without any reckoning. (Surat al-Baqara, 212)
Messengers before you were mocked. I gave those who did not believe a little more time, and then I seized them. How terrible was My retribution! (Surat ar-Ra'd, 32)
Allah informs us that the unbelievers will mock the prophets. This is nothing new, and only increases their joy and determination to fight on, for the prophets know that their trust in Allah's justice will be rewarded in the Hereafter. Since Allah is just, the unbelievers and their leader satan will never achieve their aims. Allah tells us that such attacks are a clear manifestation of the unbelievers' lack of comprehension:
We only send the messengers to bring good news and to warn. Those who do not believe use fallacious arguments to deny the truth. They mock My signs and also the warning they were given. Who could do greater wrong than someone who is reminded of the signs of his Lord and then turns away from them, forgetting all that he has done before? We have placed covers on their hearts, preventing them from understanding it, and heaviness in their ears. Though you call them to guidance, they will, nonetheless, never be guided. (Surat al-Kahf, 56-57)
The Qur'an also gives many examples of when the unbelievers resort to mockery and of the methods they use. In the coming pages, we will discuss these issues at length.
Dislike of the Prophet Chosen by Allah
In societies that are far from the Qur'an's morality, value judgments are made on the basis of such material qualities as wealth, property, fame, rank, and position. And so when a prophet is sent to such a community, most people judge him by these criteria. If the prophet is considered inadequate in terms of such material values, they do not want to accept that Allah has chosen and sent him to guide them. Allah's selection of him, as well as the fact that he possesses the qualities of piety and superior morality, is of no importance to them. Since they are arrogant and incapable of noticing the prophet's finer points, they find it very difficult to accept that he has been chosen. They regard themselves as superior to him, and so instead of accepting the true path to which he summons them, they prefer to act in a stubborn and mocking manner:
When they see you, they only mock you: "Is this the one Allah has sent as a messenger?" (Surat al-Furqan, 41)
In other words, these people evaluate and dislike the prophet according to their corrupted value system. In addition:
When those who do not believe see you, they only mock you: "Is this the one who mentions your deities?" Yet they disown any mention of the All-Merciful. (Surat al-Anbiya', 36)
The Qur'an gives further examples. When Prophet Musa (as) was sent to Pharaoh, Pharaoh and his court chose to mock him because they resented the fact that Allah chose him, who was poorer than they were, to call them to the true religion. Their arrogance made it very hard for them to change their own superstitious religion. As a result, like all unbelievers throughout history, they began to mock their prophet:
Pharaoh asked his people: "My people, doesn't the kingdom of Egypt belong to me? Don't all these rivers flow under my control? Don't you then see? Am I not better than this man, who is contemptible and can scarcely make anything clear? Why haven't gold bracelets been put upon his arms, and why isn't there a train of angels accompanying him?" (Surat az-Zukhruf, 51-53)
Pharaoh had all the characteristics of an unbeliever. He evaluated Prophet Musa (as) according to his own ignorant criteria, and so was unable to understand Prophet Musa's (as) superior morality and closeness to Allah. He tried to influence the Egyptians by describing the property he owned and judging Prophet Musa's (as) supposed deficiencies by this yardstick. In other words, he thought that he was proving his own superiority by using his own misguided values, based on ignorance, as his criteria.
People who do not believe think that if a prophet is to be appointed and granted authority, he should at least be one of their own. As a result, they are jealous of the prophets sent to them and begin to mock them immediately. For example, as in "[They exclaimed:] 'Has the reminder been given to him of all of us? No indeed! He is an impudent liar'" (Surat al-Qamar, 25), they subject the prophet to various types of unpleasant behavior. But prophets are people of firm morality, extremely scrupulous in conforming to Allah's instructions and prohibitions, possess great modesty, and know that Allah holds all power. Such slander is nothing but a baseless accusation directed at them by the envious and ignorant unbelievers.
One of their accusations is that the prophets are "foolish," a verdict that they always deliver in mocking terms. The Qur'an gives us this example:
The ruling circle of those of his people who did not believe said: "We consider you a fool and think you are a liar." He replied: "My people, I am by no means a fool; rather, I am a messenger from the Lord of all the worlds." (Surat al-A'raf, 66-67)
This slander, which was directed at Prophet Hud (as), has been flung against Allah's prophets in almost every period of history. The unbelievers' mockery is immediately apparent in these words, for the prophets are known for their superior intelligence. The unbelievers target them with these calumnies in order to influence the people against them. In other words, the accusers seek to protect their own interests by preventing others from following the prophets. As the Qur'an states:
He [Pharaoh] said: "This messenger, who has been sent to you, is crazy." (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 27)
[The ruling circle of Nuh's people said:] "He is nothing but a man possessed, so wait a while and see what happens to him." (Surat al-Mu'minun, 25)
These examples show that charges of insanity or lack of intelligence are commonly directed against all prophets and believers. But in reality, as mentioned above, these baseless accusations are great honors for them. Whereas the unbelievers think that they can reduce the believers' strength, destroy their joy, and stop them from doing good works, they can do nothing of the sort. In fact, the believers interpret such mockery in their own way, which causes it to have a very different effect upon them. The unbelievers feel depressed and unhappy when they are mocked; however, the believers know that such words have been used against believers and prophets throughout history and therefore consider them as just one more sign that they are on the right path. In other words, they derive great encouragement from it. This uncomprehending and immoral behavior on the part of the unbelievers only increases the believers' strength and makes them more joyful and determined while proclaiming their faith.
Mocking the Believers' Adherence to the Qur'an
While believers act according to Allah's instructions and prohibitions, unbelievers are led around by their own selfish desires, which prevent them from being moral, upright, honorable, honest, sincere, just, pure, well-intentioned, temperate, compassionate, and truthful. On the contrary, they suggest that all types of immorality, untruthfulness, and dishonesty are perfectly reasonable. Therefore, the believers' determination to remain good and pure does not appeal to the unbelievers. When they see the believers' fine moral behavior, they see once more that their own morality is bad. But their arrogant nature causes them to reject such a thing. Thus, they want the believers to become like themselves - people who deviate from the true path. When they see that the believers continue to engage in moral behavior, they attempt to belittle their good points with insulting and mocking words:
The only response of his people was to say: "Drive the family of Lut out of your city! They are people who keep themselves pure!" (Surat an-Naml, 56)
As we know, Prophet Lut's (as) people were ferocious and engaged in sexual perversion. Although he repeatedly summoned them to justice, truth, virtue, and purity, they rejected his calls and set themselves against him. When Prophet Lut (as) continued to preach the truth, their hostility increased to such a point that they drew up plans to drive him and his followers out of their land. In doing so, they called Allah's wrath upon themselves and were destroyed. Allah also informed the believers that they would be richly rewarded for their forbearance. In other words, He turned the unbelievers' behavior into a great honor for Prophet Lut (as) and his followers. In the Qur'an, Allah tells those who consider themselves to be superior to the believers just who really possesses true dignity and honor:
They say: "If we return to Madinah, the more honorable will drive out the inferior." But all honor belongs to Allah, His messenger, and the believers. However, the hypocrites do not know this. (Surat al-Munafiqun, 8)
If anyone wants glory and power, all glory and power belongs to Allah. All good words rise to Him, and He raises up all virtuous deeds. But people who plot evil deeds will suffer a harsh punishment. Their plotting is profitless. (Surah Fatir, 10)
Mocking the Prophets' Deeds
The unbelievers and the hypocrites, who lack the believers' pure and virtuous mentality, cannot understand religious concepts and spiritual matters. However, they think that they are extremely intelligent because they can understand worldly matters. They do not want to admit that they cannot understand religious concepts. Unaware of Allah's immutable law that people who are alienated from religion cannot be intelligent since they are unaware of the terrible state they are in, they consider themselves superior and thus display the classic morality of unbelievers and mock Allah's prophets. We find frequent examples of this in the Qur'an. For instance, when Prophet Shu`ayb (as) told his people to abandon their evil ways and selfish desires, they protested violently and mocked him, even though they knew perfectly well that he was a man of superior morality:
They said: "Shu'ayb, do your prayers instruct you that we should abandon what our ancestors worshipped or stop doing whatever we want to with our wealth? You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided!" (Surah Hud, 87)
Another example is the experience of Prophet Nuh (as), whom Allah told to build an ark in order to save his people from destruction. When he started to do so, the unbelievers among his tribe began to mock him:
It was revealed to Nuh: "None of your people are going to believe, except for those who already believe, so do not be distressed at what they do. Build the ark under Our supervision and as We reveal, and do not address Me concerning the wrongdoers. They shall be drowned." He began to build the ark, and every time some nobles of his people passed him by, they ridiculed him. He said: "Though you ridicule us now, we will certainly ridicule you as you do us. You will soon know who will receive a punishment that disgraces him and find unleashed against himself an everlasting punishment." (Surah Hud, 36-39)
In the end, what Prophet Nuh (as) foresaw came to pass, and his people were destroyed. In this world, his people failed to understand Allah's power. Their own lack of intelligence caused them to regard Allah's threat of their destruction as a distant possibility from which their properties and power would protect them. But their mockery turned back on themselves and they were punished for their violent deeds in this life. And, they would find more punishment awaiting them in the Hereafter. Allah warns us that the unbelievers' fate in the Hereafter will be so severe that it cannot be compared with anything experienced in this world.
Making Trouble by Demanding Miracles
The unbelievers also demand that the prophets perform miracles. Thinking that they will be unable to meet this demand, they hope to put the prophets in a difficult position and demean them in the peoples' eyes:
They said: "You are merely someone bewitched. You are nothing but a human being like ourselves. We think that you are a liar. So make lumps from heaven fall down on us, if you are telling the truth." He [Shu'ayb] replied: "My Lord knows best what you are doing." They denied him, and the punishment of the Day of Shadow fell upon them. It was indeed the punishment of a terrible Day. (Surat ash-Shu'ara', 185-189)
Those who do not believe ask: "Why has not a sign been sent down to him from his Lord?" (Surat ar-Ra'd, 27)
The main reason behind these demands is the unbelievers' conviction that they are superior to Allah's chosen messengers and prophets. Therefore, they treat these great men with hostility and rejection. The Qur'an describes these unbelievers in the following terms:
They say: "We will not believe you until you make a spring gush out from the earth for us; or have a garden of dates and grapes from which you make rivers come pouring through; or make the sky, as you claim, fall down on us in lumps; or bring Allah and the angels here as a guarantee; or possess a house built out of gleaming gold; or ascend up into heaven - and even then we will not believe in your ascent unless you bring us down a book to read!" Say: "Glory be to my Lord! Am I anything but a human messenger?" Nothing prevents people from believing when guidance comes to them but the fact that they ask: "Has Allah sent a human being as a messenger?" (Surat al-Isra', 90-94)
As mentioned earlier, the Qur'an tells us that such demands and mockery have always characterized the unbelievers' attacks against Allah's prophets and the believers. However, the unbelievers have never been able to achieve their goals, for Allah always smashes their traps and punishes them in ways that they never expect:
If We postpone the punishment for them for a limited time, they will ask: "What is holding it back?" No, indeed! The day it reaches them it will not be averted, and the things they mocked will encompass them. (Surah Hud, 8)
They ask you to hasten the punishment. If it were not for a stipulated term, the punishment would have come to them already. It will come upon them suddenly, when they are not expecting it. They ask you to hasten the punishment, but Hell already encircles the unbelievers. On the Day that the punishment envelops them from above and from underneath their feet, He will say: "Taste what you were doing!" (Surat al-'Ankabut, 53-55)
They ask: "When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth?" Say: "It may well be that some of what you are anxious to hasten is right on your heels." (Surat an-Naml, 71-72)
Patience Is An Honor for the Believers
Right from the start of this book, we have spoken of the unbelievers' mockery of the believers throughout history and have mentioned its complete futility. However, it will be useful to go into this subject in more detail.
In those societies that are far from religion, people who are mocked, slandered, or accused of things that they have not done become sad and depressed. Knowing this, they deliberately employ these methods to discourage, weaken, and demoralize the believers. However, they can never realize their desired goals, because mocking words and groundless accusations are exactly what the Qur'an tells the believers to expect:
You will be tested in your wealth and in your selves, and you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from those who are idolaters. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take. (Surah Al 'Imran, 186)
This verse tells the believers what to expect and confirms that such mockery means that they are being true to their faith. As a result, such behavior does not sadden the believers; rather, it encourages them and strengthens their faith, because they can see that Allah fulfills His promises. In other words, such mockery does not affect the believers in the way expected by the unbelievers. On the contrary, such ignorant activity becomes a blessing for them and, just like every event created by Allah, strengthens their morality, deepens their faith, and exalts them in the Hereafter.
Since this is the case, no form of mockery can make the believers unhappy. For them, it is a sign of Allah's mercy that enables them to hope for His approval and a place in Paradise. In another verse, Allah tells us that believers should be patient in such situations:
Be steadfast in the face of what they say, and cut yourself off from them - but courteously. (Surat al-Muzzammil, 10)
In addition, Allah's promise that He will help them face all such mockery increases the believers' joy: "We are enough for you against the mockers" (Surat al-Hijr, 95). Of course, this gives the believers great confidence. People who do not live by religion can mock believers as much as they want to, but whatever they say and do does not harm them. In fact, it benefits the believers: "Allah will not give the unbelievers any way against the believers" (Surat an-Nisa', 141). In other verses, Allah reveals that He supports the believers:
Right guidance has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. Allah is All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, and the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness and into the light. But those who do not believe have false deities as protectors. They take them from the light and into the darkness. Those are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. (Surat al-Baqara, 256-257)
The believers' character in no way resembles the unbelievers' descriptions of them, for they are people of superior morality who are rewarded both in this world and the Hereafter. The mockery to which they are subjected here is a sign of their superiority, as are the effectiveness of their actions and the effect they have on the unbelievers. At the same time, this illustrates the popular proverb: "Only the tree that bears fruit is stoned." Those unbelievers who see the believers' idealistic strength and superior morality try to undermine them by blackening their reputations with lies and slander. They know that the believers can bring amity and order to the world, and so work to prevent this by taking preemptive measures. For example, they mock the believers when they explain the Qur'an to the people and attempt to enlighten others about it. Or, they mock their efforts to tell other people about the proofs of Allah's existence. As revealed in the Qur'an, they "use fallacious arguments to deny the truth" (Surat al-Kahf, 56). However, the Qur'an has the following good news for Muslims:
Say: "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always bound to vanish." (Surat al-Isra', 81)
Rather, We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end to you for what you portray! (Surat al-Anbiya', 18)
In those societies that are far from religion, people who are mocked, slandered, or accused of things that they have not done become sad and depressed. Knowing this, they deliberately employ these methods to discourage, weaken, and demoralize the believers. However, they can never realize their desired goals, because mocking words and groundless accusations are exactly what the Qur'an tells the believers to expect:
You will be tested in your wealth and in your selves, and you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from those who are idolaters. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take. (Surah Al 'Imran, 186)
This verse tells the believers what to expect and confirms that such mockery means that they are being true to their faith. As a result, such behavior does not sadden the believers; rather, it encourages them and strengthens their faith, because they can see that Allah fulfills His promises. In other words, such mockery does not affect the believers in the way expected by the unbelievers. On the contrary, such ignorant activity becomes a blessing for them and, just like every event created by Allah, strengthens their morality, deepens their faith, and exalts them in the Hereafter.
Since this is the case, no form of mockery can make the believers unhappy. For them, it is a sign of Allah's mercy that enables them to hope for His approval and a place in Paradise. In another verse, Allah tells us that believers should be patient in such situations:
Be steadfast in the face of what they say, and cut yourself off from them - but courteously. (Surat al-Muzzammil, 10)
In addition, Allah's promise that He will help them face all such mockery increases the believers' joy: "We are enough for you against the mockers" (Surat al-Hijr, 95). Of course, this gives the believers great confidence. People who do not live by religion can mock believers as much as they want to, but whatever they say and do does not harm them. In fact, it benefits the believers: "Allah will not give the unbelievers any way against the believers" (Surat an-Nisa', 141). In other verses, Allah reveals that He supports the believers:
Right guidance has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. Allah is All-Hearing, the All-Knowing, and the Protector of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness and into the light. But those who do not believe have false deities as protectors. They take them from the light and into the darkness. Those are the Companions of the Fire, remaining in it timelessly, forever. (Surat al-Baqara, 256-257)
The believers' character in no way resembles the unbelievers' descriptions of them, for they are people of superior morality who are rewarded both in this world and the Hereafter. The mockery to which they are subjected here is a sign of their superiority, as are the effectiveness of their actions and the effect they have on the unbelievers. At the same time, this illustrates the popular proverb: "Only the tree that bears fruit is stoned." Those unbelievers who see the believers' idealistic strength and superior morality try to undermine them by blackening their reputations with lies and slander. They know that the believers can bring amity and order to the world, and so work to prevent this by taking preemptive measures. For example, they mock the believers when they explain the Qur'an to the people and attempt to enlighten others about it. Or, they mock their efforts to tell other people about the proofs of Allah's existence. As revealed in the Qur'an, they "use fallacious arguments to deny the truth" (Surat al-Kahf, 56). However, the Qur'an has the following good news for Muslims:
Say: "Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Falsehood is always bound to vanish." (Surat al-Isra', 81)
Rather, We hurl the truth against falsehood and it cuts right through it and it vanishes clean away! Woe without end to you for what you portray! (Surat al-Anbiya', 18)
Allah Demeans the Unbelievers in This Life
Those who mock Allah's religion and revelation, as well as His prophets and those who follow them, have always existed. Incapable of praising Allah's power and greatness, they live heedless lives and overlook the fact that they will be punished for their deeds. They continue to hold this attitude, even though the Qur'an tells them that the punishment they regard as being far in the future is, in reality, very close at hand:
They deny the truth each time it comes to them, but news of what they were mocking will certainly reach them. (Surat al-An'am, 5)
Messengers before you were also mocked, but those who jeered were engulfed by what they mocked. (Surat al-Anbiya', 41)
… every time some nobles of his people passed him by, they ridiculed him. He [Nuh] said: "Though you ridicule us now, we will certainly ridicule you as you do us. You will soon know who will receive a punishment that disgraces him and find unleashed against himself an everlasting punishment." (Surah Hud, 38-39)
There is no doubt that these people will be punished for their sins in the Hereafter. However, this punishment also reaches them while they are still in this world. They mock the believers and the prophets sent by Allah, and Allah mocks them. Allah makes this absolutely clear:
But Allah is mocking them and drawing them on as they wander blindly in their excessive insolence. (Surat al-Baqara, 15)
By misusing the time allotted to them, the unbelievers fall into a terrible trap. Throughout their lives they struggle against the Qur'an's morality, Allah's prophets, and the believers, thinking that they will suffer no negative consequences. In fact, no matter how arrogant they may be in this life, they will die and be buried whenever Allah wills this to happen. Allah withdraws the property of which they are so proud and leaves their bodies to rot beneath the ground. All of this is inescapable - they will die just like everybody else. Their mortality and inability to escape death are the greatest proofs of their desperate position.
Moreover, Allah sends a lot of trouble, concern, and difficulty to these people. While they believe themselves superior, all that happens to them reveals just how helpless they really are. Allah gives us several examples in the Qur'an of the state into which the unbelievers will fall. In the coming pages, we will speak of those who engage in mockery and the end that awaits them.
The End of Those Who Mock Others
Pharaoh has gone down in history as a byword for unbelief and cruelty. The Qur'an describes his arrogant attitude and that of his court:
Then We sent Musa and his brother Harun, with Our signs and clear authority, to Pharaoh and his ruling circle. But they were a proud and haughty people. (Surat al-Mu'minun, 45-46)
Pharaoh tried to misguide his people just as he denied the truth. He made special arrangements to belittle Prophet Musa (as) and mock him in front of everybody. But in reality, he was the one who was brought low. One day he brought his sorcerers to challenge Prophet Musa (as), thinking they would be superior and thus demean the prophet. But the outcome was not what he expected: Allah enabled Prophet Musa (as) to defeat their magic and thereby embarrass Pharaoh and his entourage. The Qur'an describes it in the following words:
He [Musa] said, "You throw [first]." And when they threw, they cast a spell on the people's eyes and caused them to feel great fear of them. They produced an extremely powerful magic. We revealed to Musa, "Throw down your staff." And it immediately swallowed up what they had forged. So the Truth took place and what they did was shown to be false. (Surat al-A`raf, 116-118)
All of the traps set by Pharaoh failed, and Allah tells us that what happened to him is an example for everybody to ponder:
We brought the tribe of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he [Pharaoh] said: "I believe that there is no deity but Him in Whom the tribe of Israel believes. I am one of the Muslims." "What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today We will preserve your body so you can be a sign for people who come after you." (Surah Yunus, 90-92)
Obviously, Pharaoh met with an end that he did not expect at all. He realized the situation when he saw the giant waves approaching him, and finally understood that there is no deity but Allah and that only Allah could protect him. For the first time, Pharaoh, who had spent his entire life in arrogant revolt against Allah, felt the need to take refuge in Him. Of course, this was not a sincere submission, because it was designed to escape the danger confronting him. Therefore, Allah did not accept it. Taking refuge in Allah at times of danger and then returning to their former ingratitude when the danger has passed is a common characteristic of people who do not live according to the Qur'an's morality. They pass their whole lives in mocking, resisting, and displaying hostility toward the faith, and then think that they can save themselves by submitting when faced with a crisis. But Allah never allows such a plan to succeed.
This is exactly what Pharaoh did when he realized that all true power, omnipotence, and greatness belong only to Allah. He deceived himself when he said, "I submit," thinking that mere words would save him. Allah belittled and demeaned him when, while he was hoping for rescue, He saved only his body in order to make him an example to later generations. Pharaoh's vast worldly power and wealth, which allowed him to live in palaces and have thousands of slaves and soldiers at his beck and call, were not enough to save him from the raging waves or from falling into a shameful state. This was his repayment for his mocking and dismissive behavior toward religion. Now he is not in a position to mock; rather, he himself is mocked. His fate and that of his army is a very important example:
Such was the case with Pharaoh's people and those before them. They denied their Lord's signs, so We destroyed them for their wrong actions. We drowned Pharaoh's people. All of them were wrongdoers. (Surat al-Anfal, 54)
Allah has humbled many such proud societies that indulged in various forms of depravity. For example, the 'Ad people, who were notorious for their depravity, were destroyed by "a howling wind." After this event, these extremely arrogant people resembled "the hollow stumps of uprooted palms":
The 'Ad people were arrogant in the land, without any right, asking: "Who has greater strength than us?" Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, had greater strength than them? But they renounced Our signs. So, We sent a howling wind against them on disastrous ill-fated days to make them taste the punishment of degradation in this world. And the punishment of the Hereafter is even more degrading. They will not be helped. (Surah Fussilat, 15-16)
The 'Ad people were destroyed by a savage, howling wind. Allah subjected them to it for seven whole nights and eight whole days without a break. You could see the people flattened in their homes, just like the hollow stumps of uprooted palms. (Surat Al-Haqqa, 6-7)
Allah allots the unbelievers a certain amount of time in the world. But if they persist in their depravity and mockery, He repays them for it in a very violent way when their allotted period ends. In particular, there is a definite punishment for crimes committed against Allah's prophets. Allah avenges His prophets and the believers:
Messengers before you were mocked. I gave those who did not believe a little more time, and then I seized them. How terrible was My retribution! (Surat ar-Ra'd, 32)
In another verse, Allah warns the unbelievers who mock the prophets that their evil will definitely harm them:
The evil deeds they did will appear before them, and the things they mocked will engulf them. (Surat al-Jathiyya, 33)
Based on our analysis so far, we can see that people who mock religion and the believers cannot escape Allah's punishment. As Allah tells us, anyone who indulges in depravity, resists the faith, or regards himself as superior to others will encounter a variety of serious problems in this life. The Qur'an also tells us that any punishment meted out here will be nothing like that which will be handed down in the Hereafter:
Then the final fate of those who did evil will be the worst, because they denied Allah's signs and mocked them. (Surat ar-Rum, 10)
They deny the truth each time it comes to them, but news of what they were mocking will certainly reach them. (Surat al-An'am, 5)
Messengers before you were also mocked, but those who jeered were engulfed by what they mocked. (Surat al-Anbiya', 41)
… every time some nobles of his people passed him by, they ridiculed him. He [Nuh] said: "Though you ridicule us now, we will certainly ridicule you as you do us. You will soon know who will receive a punishment that disgraces him and find unleashed against himself an everlasting punishment." (Surah Hud, 38-39)
There is no doubt that these people will be punished for their sins in the Hereafter. However, this punishment also reaches them while they are still in this world. They mock the believers and the prophets sent by Allah, and Allah mocks them. Allah makes this absolutely clear:
But Allah is mocking them and drawing them on as they wander blindly in their excessive insolence. (Surat al-Baqara, 15)
By misusing the time allotted to them, the unbelievers fall into a terrible trap. Throughout their lives they struggle against the Qur'an's morality, Allah's prophets, and the believers, thinking that they will suffer no negative consequences. In fact, no matter how arrogant they may be in this life, they will die and be buried whenever Allah wills this to happen. Allah withdraws the property of which they are so proud and leaves their bodies to rot beneath the ground. All of this is inescapable - they will die just like everybody else. Their mortality and inability to escape death are the greatest proofs of their desperate position.
Moreover, Allah sends a lot of trouble, concern, and difficulty to these people. While they believe themselves superior, all that happens to them reveals just how helpless they really are. Allah gives us several examples in the Qur'an of the state into which the unbelievers will fall. In the coming pages, we will speak of those who engage in mockery and the end that awaits them.
The End of Those Who Mock Others
Pharaoh has gone down in history as a byword for unbelief and cruelty. The Qur'an describes his arrogant attitude and that of his court:
Then We sent Musa and his brother Harun, with Our signs and clear authority, to Pharaoh and his ruling circle. But they were a proud and haughty people. (Surat al-Mu'minun, 45-46)
Pharaoh tried to misguide his people just as he denied the truth. He made special arrangements to belittle Prophet Musa (as) and mock him in front of everybody. But in reality, he was the one who was brought low. One day he brought his sorcerers to challenge Prophet Musa (as), thinking they would be superior and thus demean the prophet. But the outcome was not what he expected: Allah enabled Prophet Musa (as) to defeat their magic and thereby embarrass Pharaoh and his entourage. The Qur'an describes it in the following words:
He [Musa] said, "You throw [first]." And when they threw, they cast a spell on the people's eyes and caused them to feel great fear of them. They produced an extremely powerful magic. We revealed to Musa, "Throw down your staff." And it immediately swallowed up what they had forged. So the Truth took place and what they did was shown to be false. (Surat al-A`raf, 116-118)
All of the traps set by Pharaoh failed, and Allah tells us that what happened to him is an example for everybody to ponder:
We brought the tribe of Israel across the sea, and Pharaoh and his troops pursued them out of tyranny and enmity. Then, when he was on the point of drowning, he [Pharaoh] said: "I believe that there is no deity but Him in Whom the tribe of Israel believes. I am one of the Muslims." "What, now! When previously you rebelled and were one of the corrupters? Today We will preserve your body so you can be a sign for people who come after you." (Surah Yunus, 90-92)
Obviously, Pharaoh met with an end that he did not expect at all. He realized the situation when he saw the giant waves approaching him, and finally understood that there is no deity but Allah and that only Allah could protect him. For the first time, Pharaoh, who had spent his entire life in arrogant revolt against Allah, felt the need to take refuge in Him. Of course, this was not a sincere submission, because it was designed to escape the danger confronting him. Therefore, Allah did not accept it. Taking refuge in Allah at times of danger and then returning to their former ingratitude when the danger has passed is a common characteristic of people who do not live according to the Qur'an's morality. They pass their whole lives in mocking, resisting, and displaying hostility toward the faith, and then think that they can save themselves by submitting when faced with a crisis. But Allah never allows such a plan to succeed.
This is exactly what Pharaoh did when he realized that all true power, omnipotence, and greatness belong only to Allah. He deceived himself when he said, "I submit," thinking that mere words would save him. Allah belittled and demeaned him when, while he was hoping for rescue, He saved only his body in order to make him an example to later generations. Pharaoh's vast worldly power and wealth, which allowed him to live in palaces and have thousands of slaves and soldiers at his beck and call, were not enough to save him from the raging waves or from falling into a shameful state. This was his repayment for his mocking and dismissive behavior toward religion. Now he is not in a position to mock; rather, he himself is mocked. His fate and that of his army is a very important example:
Such was the case with Pharaoh's people and those before them. They denied their Lord's signs, so We destroyed them for their wrong actions. We drowned Pharaoh's people. All of them were wrongdoers. (Surat al-Anfal, 54)
Allah has humbled many such proud societies that indulged in various forms of depravity. For example, the 'Ad people, who were notorious for their depravity, were destroyed by "a howling wind." After this event, these extremely arrogant people resembled "the hollow stumps of uprooted palms":
The 'Ad people were arrogant in the land, without any right, asking: "Who has greater strength than us?" Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, had greater strength than them? But they renounced Our signs. So, We sent a howling wind against them on disastrous ill-fated days to make them taste the punishment of degradation in this world. And the punishment of the Hereafter is even more degrading. They will not be helped. (Surah Fussilat, 15-16)
The 'Ad people were destroyed by a savage, howling wind. Allah subjected them to it for seven whole nights and eight whole days without a break. You could see the people flattened in their homes, just like the hollow stumps of uprooted palms. (Surat Al-Haqqa, 6-7)
Allah allots the unbelievers a certain amount of time in the world. But if they persist in their depravity and mockery, He repays them for it in a very violent way when their allotted period ends. In particular, there is a definite punishment for crimes committed against Allah's prophets. Allah avenges His prophets and the believers:
Messengers before you were mocked. I gave those who did not believe a little more time, and then I seized them. How terrible was My retribution! (Surat ar-Ra'd, 32)
In another verse, Allah warns the unbelievers who mock the prophets that their evil will definitely harm them:
The evil deeds they did will appear before them, and the things they mocked will engulf them. (Surat al-Jathiyya, 33)
Based on our analysis so far, we can see that people who mock religion and the believers cannot escape Allah's punishment. As Allah tells us, anyone who indulges in depravity, resists the faith, or regards himself as superior to others will encounter a variety of serious problems in this life. The Qur'an also tells us that any punishment meted out here will be nothing like that which will be handed down in the Hereafter:
Then the final fate of those who did evil will be the worst, because they denied Allah's signs and mocked them. (Surat ar-Rum, 10)
The Great Truth of Which the Unbelievers Are Unaware
One of the major influences driving the unbelievers to mock religious morality and the believers is their evaluation of everything in terms of worldly criteria, due to their belief that their whole lives are confined to the world. Therefore, they feel a great attachment to worldly ambition. The Qur'an tells us the following about this spiritual state of such people:
The ruling circle of his people - those who disbelieved and denied the encounter of the Hereafter and whom We had given opulence in the world - said, "This is nothing but a human being like yourselves, who eats what you eat and drinks what you drink. If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, you would, in that case, definitely be the losers. Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones you will be brought forth again? What you have been promised is sheer nonsense! What is there but our life in this world? We die and we live, and we will not be raised again." (Surat al-Mu'minun, 33-37)
This ambition traps unbelievers in a lack of understanding of the life of this world. They regard whatever they see around them as having nothing to do with Allah [surely Allah is beyond that!]?and so cannot understand that they exist only because He wills it. In one verse, Allah tells us that they cannot understand the truth about this life:
They know an outward aspect of the life of this world, but are heedless of the Hereafter. (Surat ar-Rum, 7)
The unbelievers ignore one very important truth and so end up committing every kind of immorality, trying to secure worldly advantages for themselves, telling lies, mocking religion, slandering the believers, and trying to harm them. They are really trapped in a great unawareness, and remain unaware of this fact. In the coming pages, this great truth will be explained.
The ruling circle of his people - those who disbelieved and denied the encounter of the Hereafter and whom We had given opulence in the world - said, "This is nothing but a human being like yourselves, who eats what you eat and drinks what you drink. If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, you would, in that case, definitely be the losers. Does he promise you that when you have died and become dust and bones you will be brought forth again? What you have been promised is sheer nonsense! What is there but our life in this world? We die and we live, and we will not be raised again." (Surat al-Mu'minun, 33-37)
This ambition traps unbelievers in a lack of understanding of the life of this world. They regard whatever they see around them as having nothing to do with Allah [surely Allah is beyond that!]?and so cannot understand that they exist only because He wills it. In one verse, Allah tells us that they cannot understand the truth about this life:
They know an outward aspect of the life of this world, but are heedless of the Hereafter. (Surat ar-Rum, 7)
The unbelievers ignore one very important truth and so end up committing every kind of immorality, trying to secure worldly advantages for themselves, telling lies, mocking religion, slandering the believers, and trying to harm them. They are really trapped in a great unawareness, and remain unaware of this fact. In the coming pages, this great truth will be explained.
The Secret Beyond Matter
All of man's sensory faculties-sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch-function in the same way. Stimuli (lights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures) from objects that we assume to exist in the external world are carried through nerves to the sensory centers in the brain. All these stimuli that reach the brain consist of electric signals. For example, during the process of vision, light rays (or photons) radiating from sources in the exterior world reach the retina at the back of the eye and, through a series of processes, are transformed into electric signals. These signals are transferred along nerves to the brain's vision center. There, a colorful, bright and three-dimensional world is perceived within the space of a few cubic centimeters.
The same system applies to other senses as well. Cells on the surface of the tongue transform chemical traces into electric signals that become tastes. Odors are transformed into electric signals by cells in the epithelium of the nose. Special sensors lodged beneath the skin transform impulses of touch (such as the sensations of hardness or softness) into electric signals, and a special mechanism in the ear does the same with sound. All these signals are sent to appropriate centers in the brain, where they are perceived.
To clarify the point, assume that you're drinking a cup of coffee. The hard, hot surface of the glass you're holding is transformed into electric signals by special receptors under your skin and sent to the brain. Simultaneously, the smell of the coffee, its taste, and dark brown color are all electric signals that reach the brain through the relevant sensory nerves. Likewise, the clink you hear when the glass touches the table is perceived by the ear and transmitted to the brain as an electric signal. All these perceptions are interpreted in the brain's relevant centers, which work harmoniously with one another. As a cumulative result of these impulses, you sense that you are drinking a cup of coffee. In fact, everything takes place in the sensory centers in the brain, but you imagine that you have direct experience of the concrete counterparts of all your perceptions.
Yet you are mistaken in this because you have no evidence to think that you have direct experience of the external originals of the bodies you perceive in your brain.
No doubt, this reality requires profound reflection. You may to date have imagined that you have direct experience of the originals of everything you see around you. However, as science shows, it is impossible to step outside your senses to reach the originals of entities outside you.
This subject, summarized in brief here, is one of the most significant facts you can be aware of in your life.
What Lies Outside Us?
What we have seen so far is that we live permanently inside our own heads and perceive nothing but what is shown by our senses. Let us now take this one stage further: Do we need an external world in order to see and hear?
No, in order to perceive, no external world is necessary. Given the right kind of stimulation to the brain, sensations of touch, sight, and sounds, can be recreated in the brain.
The only world we know is the one that is designed, recorded, and made vivid there-in short, the one created and existing within our minds. Perceptions we observe in our brain may sometimes be coming from an artificial source.
We can illustrate this with an example:
First, imagine that by artificial means, your brain can survive apart from your body. And suppose a computer able to produce all kinds of electrical signals. Let us artificially produce electrical signals of the data relating to a given environment-including its sights, sounds and aromas. Finally, let's have electrical cables connect this computer to your brain's sensory centers and transmit the recorded signals. Perceiving these signals, your brain (in other words, "you") will see and experience the environment they represent.
This computer can also send to your brain electrical signals related to your own image. For example, if we send the electrical correlates of all senses such as hearing, sight and touch that you experience while sitting at a desk, you will assume that you're a businessman in his office. This imaginary world will endure as long as the computer keeps sending stimuli. Never will it become possible for you to understand that you consist of nothing but your brain. This is because all that's needed to form a world within your brain is the availability of stimulations to the relevant centers. It is perfectly possible for these stimulations (and hence, perceptions) to originate from some artificial source.
Along these lines, the distinguished philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote:
As to the sense of touch when we press the table with our fingers, that is an electric disturbance on the electrons and protons of our fingertips, produced, according to modern physics, by the proximity of the electrons and protons in the table. If the same disturbance in our finger-tips arose in any other way, we should have the sensations, in spite of there being no table.
It's very easy indeed to be deceived into deeming perceptions without any material correlates as real. Often we experience this illusion in dreams, wherein we experience events and see people, objects and settings that seem completely genuine. But they're all merely perceptions. There's no basic difference between these dreams and the "real world"; both sets of perceptions are experienced in the brain.
Is Our Brain Distinct from the Outside World?
If we cannot experience the original of the outside world, but only the perceptions displayed to us, what about the brain which we think does the seeing and hearing? Isn't it composed of atoms and molecules like everything else?
Like everything else what we refer to as matter, the brain, too, is merely a perception for us because, after all, it is a piece of tissue that we perceive through our senses. This being so, what is it, if not the brain, that perceives everything-that sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes?
At this point, we face the obvious fact: that man, a being of consciousness who can see, feel, think and exercise reason, is much more than a mere assemblage of atoms and molecules. What defines a human being is the "soul" granted to him by Allah. Otherwise, it would be highly unreasonable to attribute his consciousness and other faculties to a three-pound piece of flesh, which is nothing but an illusion:
He Who has created all things in the best possible way. He commenced the creation of man from clay; then produced his seed from an extract of base fluid; then formed him and breathed His Spirit into him and gave you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show! (Surat as-Sajda, 7-9
The Being Nearest to Us Is Allah
Since a human being is not merely a lump of matter but a "soul," then who makes that soul feel the sum of perceptions which we call the external world? Who continues to create all these perceptions, ceaselessly?
The answer is obvious. Allah, Who breathed into man His spirit, is the Creator of all things. He is also the real source of all perceptions. The existence of anything is possible only through Allah's creation. Allah informs us that He creates continuously and that whenever He stops creating, everything will disappear:
Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and the Earth, preventing them from vanishing away. And if they vanished no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, 41)
People may be reluctant to accept this fact due to years of indoctrination. But the truth is clear, no matter how much they may ignore or be unwilling to hear it. All the perceptions shown a person draw their life from Allah's creation. Moreover, not just the outside world but also everything a person imagines he is "doing himself" take place through the will of Allah. It is impossible for anyone to perform any action or to have any free will independently of Allah. This is noted in the Qur'an in these verses:
… Allah created both you and what you do? (Surat as-Saffat, 96)
… and you did not throw, when you threw; it was Allah Who threw… (Surat an-Anfal, 17)
Faced with such facts, one must conclude that the only absolute being is Allah. To express that truth, great Islamic scholars like Imam Rabbani have said that the only absolute being is Allah; and that all the rest, except Him, are shadow entities. Allah encompasses everything in the heavens and the Earth:
What! Are they in doubt about the meeting with their Lord? What! Does He not encompass all things! (Surah Fussilat, 54)
Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara, 115)
What is in the heavens and in the Earth belongs to Allah. Allah encompasses all things. (Surat an-Nisa', 126)
… We said to you, "Surely your Lord encompasses the people with His knowledge"… (Surat al-Isra', 60)
… His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the Earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara, 255)
Allah's knowledge and ability surrounds us from the front and back, from right and left-that is to say, He encompasses us completely. He observes us everywhere, at every moment. He holds absolute control over us, from inside and outside. He, the Owner of infinite might, is closer to us than our own jugular veins and hearts.
… We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Surah Qaf, 16)
… Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that you will be gathered to Him. (Surat an-Anfal, 24)
Unbelievers thus fall into a major error here and imagine that the world, of which they can never have direct experience, is the only absolute entity. In mocking religion and believers, in denying the signs of Allah, in being "engrossed in mockery," as one verse puts it, and in imagining that they can remain concealed, Allah in fact completely surrounds them. This is one of the greatest facts that unbelievers are unaware of. Moreover, the life of this world to which they are so greedily devoted also slips through their hands in the face of this reality…
Everything You Possess Is Intrinsically Illusory
It is clear, scientific, and logical that we are not in direct contact with the "external world," only with a copy of it that Allah perpetually presents to our soul. Nevertheless, people are unwilling to think of this.
If you consider this issue sincerely and boldly, you'll soon realize that your house, the furniture in it, your car, your office, jewels, your bank account, wardrobe, spouse, children, your colleagues-in fact, all else that you possess-resides in your mind. Everything around you that you see, hear, or smell-in short, perceive with your five senses- is a part of this "replica world," including the voice of your favorite singer, the hardness of the chair you sit on, a perfume whose smell you like, the sun that warms you, a flower's beautiful colors, a bird flying past your window, a speedboat moving swiftly on the water, your fertile garden, the computer you use at your job, your hi-fi with the most advanced technology in the world...
This is the reality, because the world is created only to test man. All through our limited lives, we are tested with perceptions whose original sources we can never reach, which are intentionally presented as appealing and attractive. This fact is mentioned in the Qur'an:
Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded [for blood and excellence]; and [wealth of] cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals [to return to]. (Surah Al 'Imran, 14)
Most people cast away religion for the lure of property, heaped-up wealth, hoards of gold and silver, jewels, bank accounts, credit cards, designer clothes, late-model cars-in short, all the forms of prosperity they either possess or strive to. They concentrate on this world only, forgetting the Hereafter. They are deceived by the fair and alluring face of the world, and fail to keep up prayer, give charity to the poor, and perform worship that will make them prosper in the Hereafter. They make excuses, saying, "I have things to do," "I have ideals," "I have responsibilities," "I haven't enough time," "I have tasks to complete," "I will do them in the future." They devote their entire lives to trying to prosper in this world only. As mentioned earlier, in the verse, "They know but the outer [things] in the life of this world: but of the End of things they are heedless." (Surat ar-Rum, 7), this misconception is described.
The reality dealt with in this chapter is very important, for it renders meaningless all lusts and boundaries. Verifying this fact makes it clear that everything people toil to possess, their wealth amassed with greed, their children they boast of, their spouses they consider to be closest to them, their friends, their bodies, their superior rank which they hold, the schools they have attended, the holidays they celebrate-all are nothing but mere shadows. Therefore, all the efforts they expended and the time they spent certainly proves unavailing.
Some people unwittingly make fools of themselves when they boast of their wealth and properties, or of their yachts, helicopters, factories, holdings, manors and lands as if they can ever have direct contact with their original possessions. Those well-to-do who cruise ostentatiously up and down in their yachts, show off with their cars, keep hinting at their wealth, seek to make a great success with others through their clothes, build their lives on such desires and rivalries, suppose that they rank higher than everyone else. In what kind of state would they find themselves, once they realize that they are boasting of nothing but images in their own minds?
In many of their dreams, they in fact find themselves possessed of grand houses, fast cars, precious jewels, rolls of banknotes, and loads of gold and silver. In their dreams, too, they enjoy a high rank, own factories with thousands of workers, possess the power to rule over thousands, and wear clothes that command everyone's admiration. But just as boasting about one's possessions in a dream often subjects one to ridicule, he is sure to be equally ridiculed in this world for boasting of images he relates to. After all, what he sees in his dreams and what he relates to in this world are both merely images in his mind. This, of course, calls for profound reflection. As the verse tells us, those who realize this truth will be the ultimate beneficiaries:
Clear insights have come to you from your Lord. Whoever sees clearly, does so to his own benefit. Whoever is blind, it is to his own detriment… (Surat al-An'am, 104)
Similarly, when people realize the reality, the way they react to the worldly events they experience should make them feel ashamed. Those who fight fiercely with each other, swindle, take bribes, commit forgery, lie, covetously withhold their money; who do wrong to others, who curse and beat them, who are full of passion for office and high rank, who envy and try to show off, who exalt themselves above all others-all will feel disgrace when they realize that they have committed all of these deeds in a world of illusions.
Since Allah creates the entire universe and reveals it to every human being individually, the Ultimate Owner of all possessions in the world is Allah alone. This fact is revealed in the Qur'an:
But to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on Earth: And He it is that Encompasses all things. (Surat an-Nisa', 126)
It is hugely foolish to cast away religious morality for the sake of passions whose original objects one can never reach, and thus lose eternal life. Allah describes their position:
… What they achieved here will come to nothing. What they did will prove to be null and void. (Surah Hud, 16)
As revealed in this verse, all these people's desires and passions have proved hollow, and all they thought they possessed has slipped through their hands in the face of this truth, has benefited them nothing and proved irrelevant.
At this point, it's important to grasp that the truth we are considering does not mean that all the possessions, wealth, children, spouses, rank and position one possesses and longs for will vanish someday, and so are meaningless. Rather, it predicates that in fact, people have no direct contact with any of their possessions. They are merely perceptions they watch from within their brains, composed of images that Allah shows to test them. As you see, there's a big difference between those two propositions.
Although someone might not want to acknowledge this fact right away and would prefer to deceive himself by assuming that all his possessions really exist, he must finally to die. When he is resurrected in the Hereafter, everything will become clear, and "sight will be sharp" (Surah Qaf, 22). On that day, he is apt to see everything much more clearly. If he has spent his life chasing after imaginary aims, however, he will wish he had never lived, and say, as revealed in the verse, "Ah! Would that [death] had made an end of me! Of no profit to me has been my wealth! My power has perished from me!" (Surat al-Haqqa, 27-29). On the other hand, a wise man should try to understand the great reality of the universe here on this world, while he still has time. Otherwise, he will spend all his life running after dreams and face a grievous penalty in the end. In the Qur'an, the final state of those people who run after illusions (or mirages) on this world and forget our Creator is stated as follows:
But the unbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah [ever] with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account. (Surat an-Nur, 39)
Unbelievers Have Fallen into the Biggest Trap in History
Modern science has proven that we cannot have direct experience of the original of matter, and put this forward in a clear, straightforward, forceful way. Unbelievers see that the material world, which they blindly believe in and rely on, lies beyond a perceptual boundary they can never cross. In the face of this fact, they can do nothing. Throughout human history, unbelieving mentality has always existed. Being assured of themselves and their philosophy, unbelievers revolted against Allah Who created them. They maintained that matter is eternal, that none of it could possibly have had a Creator. While denying Allah out of their arrogance, they took refuge in matter alone, with which they held themselves to be in direct contact. So confident were they of this philosophy that they believed that no arguments could ever disprove it.
However, this book's facts regarding the real nature of matter surprised these people. What we've related here destroyed the very basis of their philosophy and left no grounds for further discussion. Matter, on which they based all their thoughts, lives, arrogance, and denial, suddenly vanished.
One of the attributes of Allah is His plotting against the unbelievers. This is stated in the verse; "They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah" (Surat al-Anfal, 30).
Allah entrapped unbelievers by making them assume that the world is an absolute existence and in so doing, humiliated them in a way never seen before. Unbelievers deemed their possessions, status, rank, the society they belong to, the whole world to be absolute. Moreover, by relying on these, they grew arrogant against Allah. By being boastful, they revolted against Him and added to their unbelief. While so doing, they relied on a total conviction in the absoluteness of matter. Yet so lacking are they in understanding that they fail to realize that Allah compasses them round about. Allah announces the state to which the unbelievers are led as a result of their thick-headedness:
Or do they intend a plot [against you]? But those who defy Allah are themselves involved in a Plot! (Surat at-Tur, 42)
Theirs is most probably the biggest intellectual defeat in history. While growing arrogant of their own accord, mocking the religion and believers, unbelievers have been tricked and suffered a serious defeat in their war against Allah by bringing up something monstrous against Him. The verse "Thus have We placed leaders in every town, its wicked men, to plot [and burrow] therein: but they only plot against their own souls, and they perceive it not" (Surat al-An'am, 123) announces how unconscious these people who revolt against our Creator are, and how they will end up.
Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realize [it] not! (Surat al-Baqara, 9)
While trying to plot, unbelievers do not realize the very important fact that everything they experience is really experienced in their brains, and all the plots they devise are simply formed in their brains, just like every other act they perform. Their folly has let them forget that they are all alone with Allah and, hence, are trapped in their own devious plans.
In all ages, the unbelievers have faced a reality that shattered the basis of their devious plans. With the verse "...feeble indeed is the cunning of satan" (Surat an-Nisa', 76), Allah has stated that these plots were doomed to end with failure the day they were hatched, and gave the good tidings to believers with the verse "...not the least harm will their cunning do to you" (Surah Al 'Imran, 120).
In another verse Allah states: "But the unbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing:?But he finds Allah [ever] with him…" (Surat an-Nur, 39). Unbelieving mentality, too, offers a mirage for the rebellious and those who engage in mocking the religion; when they have recourse to it, they find its philosophy to be nothing but deceptive. Allah has deceived them with such a mirage, and beguiled them into perceiving matter as an absolute. All those eminent professors, astronomers, biologists, physicists and all others, regardless of their rank and post, are simply deceived and humiliated because they took matter as their deity. Assuming matter, whose essence they can never reach, to be absolute, they based their philosophy and ideology on it, grew involved in serious discussions, adopting a scornful discourse. They deemed themselves wise enough to argue about the truth of the universe and, more seriously to interpret Allah with their limited intelligence. Allah explains their situation in the following verse:
And [the unbelievers] plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 54)
One may possibly escape from some plots in the world; but Allah's plan against the unbelievers is so firm that there is no avoiding it. No matter what they do or to whom they appeal, never can they find any helper other than Allah. As Allah informs in the Qur'an, "they shall not find for them other than Allah a patron or a help" (Surat an-Nisa', 173).
Realizing this truth is doubtless the worst possible thing for the unbelievers. That matter in which they place such faith, is separated from them by an impenetrable frontier is, in their own words, tantamount to "death before dying" in this world.
This leaves them all alone with Allah. With the verse, "Leave Me alone, [to deal] with the [creature] whom I created [bare and] alone!" (Surat al-Muddaththir, 11),
Allah has called our attention to the fact that each human being is, in truth, all alone in His presence. This remarkable fact is repeated in many other verses:
And behold! You come to Us bare and alone as We created you for the first time: you have left behind you all [the favors] which We bestowed on you... (Surat al-An'am, 94
And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. (Surah Maryam, 95)
This, in another sense, is what the fact stated in the verses comes to mean: Those who take matter as their deity, refuse the religion and are engrossed in mockery of Allah's signs have come from Allah and either returned or about to return to Him. They have submitted themselves to Allah, whether they want to or not. Now, just like everyone else, they wait for the Day of Judgment, when each one of them will be called to account, however unwilling they may be to understand it.
The Importance of This Subject
It is of the utmost importance to understand correctly the secret beyond matter explained in this chapter. Mountains, plains, flowers, people, seas-briefly everything we see and everything that Allah informs us in the Qur'an that exists and that He created out of nothing is created and does indeed exist. However, people cannot see, feel or hear the real nature of these beings through their sense organs. What they see and feel are only their copies that appear in their brains. This is a scientific fact taught at all schools of medicine. The same applies to the book you are reading now; you cannot see nor touch the real nature of it. The light coming from the original book is converted by some cells in your eyes into electrical signals, which are then conveyed to the visual center in the back of your brain. This is where the view of this book is created. In other words, you are not reading a book which is before your eyes through your eyes; in fact, this book is created in the visual center in the back of your brain. The book you are reading right now is a "copy of the book" within your brain. The original book is seen by Allah.
It should be remembered, however, that the fact that the matter is an illusion formed in our brains does not "reject" the matter, but provides us information about the real nature of the matter: that no person can have connection with its original. Moreover, the matter outside is seen not just by us, but by other beings too. The angels Allah delegated to be watchers witness this world as well:
And the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and on the left. He does not utter a single word, without a watcher by him, pen in hand! (Surah Qaf, 17-18)
Most importantly, Allah sees everything. He created this world with all its details and sees it in all its states. As He informs us in the Qur'an:
… Heed Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara, 233)
Say: "Allah is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants." (Surat al-Isra', 96)
It must not be forgotten that Allah keeps the records of everything in the book called Lawh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet). Even if we don't see all things, they are in the Lawh Mahfuz. Allah reveals that He keeps everything's record in the "Mother of the Book" called Lawh Mahfuz with the following verses:
It is in the Source Book with Us, high-exalted, full of wisdom. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 4)
… We possess an all-preserving Book. (Surah Qaf, 4)
Certainly there is no hidden thing in either heaven or Earth which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat an-Naml, 75)
Conclusion
Unbelievers should be aware of one further truth: While they mock the believers or try to harm them, they are in fact submitted to the destiny that Allah has predetermined for them. Every mocking word they utter, every unpleasant act they commit, every unbelieving thought that crosses their minds, and every plan they make is a part of this destiny. Although the unbelievers do not know it, they are Allah's servants and, by following His instructions, provide an important service. While they mock people who live according to the Qur'an's morality, the believers show patience and, because of their loyalty to Allah, earn an honorable place in the eternal beauty of Allah's Paradise.
Unbelievers bring themselves down by believing that they actually interact the world, the original of which they can never reach. But one day they will awaken, as if from a dream, and suddenly realize that their life was like the blink of an eye. Moreover, they will regret having spent it in unbelief. On the Day of Judgment, all of their mocking words, glances, and acts will be held against them. Indeed, even their own organs will be made to testify against them:
[O]n the Day when their tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them about what they were doing. On that Day, Allah will pay them in full what is due to them, and they will know that Allah is the Clear Truth. (Surat an-Nur, 24-25)
The same system applies to other senses as well. Cells on the surface of the tongue transform chemical traces into electric signals that become tastes. Odors are transformed into electric signals by cells in the epithelium of the nose. Special sensors lodged beneath the skin transform impulses of touch (such as the sensations of hardness or softness) into electric signals, and a special mechanism in the ear does the same with sound. All these signals are sent to appropriate centers in the brain, where they are perceived.
To clarify the point, assume that you're drinking a cup of coffee. The hard, hot surface of the glass you're holding is transformed into electric signals by special receptors under your skin and sent to the brain. Simultaneously, the smell of the coffee, its taste, and dark brown color are all electric signals that reach the brain through the relevant sensory nerves. Likewise, the clink you hear when the glass touches the table is perceived by the ear and transmitted to the brain as an electric signal. All these perceptions are interpreted in the brain's relevant centers, which work harmoniously with one another. As a cumulative result of these impulses, you sense that you are drinking a cup of coffee. In fact, everything takes place in the sensory centers in the brain, but you imagine that you have direct experience of the concrete counterparts of all your perceptions.
Yet you are mistaken in this because you have no evidence to think that you have direct experience of the external originals of the bodies you perceive in your brain.
No doubt, this reality requires profound reflection. You may to date have imagined that you have direct experience of the originals of everything you see around you. However, as science shows, it is impossible to step outside your senses to reach the originals of entities outside you.
This subject, summarized in brief here, is one of the most significant facts you can be aware of in your life.
What Lies Outside Us?
What we have seen so far is that we live permanently inside our own heads and perceive nothing but what is shown by our senses. Let us now take this one stage further: Do we need an external world in order to see and hear?
No, in order to perceive, no external world is necessary. Given the right kind of stimulation to the brain, sensations of touch, sight, and sounds, can be recreated in the brain.
The only world we know is the one that is designed, recorded, and made vivid there-in short, the one created and existing within our minds. Perceptions we observe in our brain may sometimes be coming from an artificial source.
We can illustrate this with an example:
First, imagine that by artificial means, your brain can survive apart from your body. And suppose a computer able to produce all kinds of electrical signals. Let us artificially produce electrical signals of the data relating to a given environment-including its sights, sounds and aromas. Finally, let's have electrical cables connect this computer to your brain's sensory centers and transmit the recorded signals. Perceiving these signals, your brain (in other words, "you") will see and experience the environment they represent.
This computer can also send to your brain electrical signals related to your own image. For example, if we send the electrical correlates of all senses such as hearing, sight and touch that you experience while sitting at a desk, you will assume that you're a businessman in his office. This imaginary world will endure as long as the computer keeps sending stimuli. Never will it become possible for you to understand that you consist of nothing but your brain. This is because all that's needed to form a world within your brain is the availability of stimulations to the relevant centers. It is perfectly possible for these stimulations (and hence, perceptions) to originate from some artificial source.
Along these lines, the distinguished philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote:
As to the sense of touch when we press the table with our fingers, that is an electric disturbance on the electrons and protons of our fingertips, produced, according to modern physics, by the proximity of the electrons and protons in the table. If the same disturbance in our finger-tips arose in any other way, we should have the sensations, in spite of there being no table.
It's very easy indeed to be deceived into deeming perceptions without any material correlates as real. Often we experience this illusion in dreams, wherein we experience events and see people, objects and settings that seem completely genuine. But they're all merely perceptions. There's no basic difference between these dreams and the "real world"; both sets of perceptions are experienced in the brain.
Is Our Brain Distinct from the Outside World?
If we cannot experience the original of the outside world, but only the perceptions displayed to us, what about the brain which we think does the seeing and hearing? Isn't it composed of atoms and molecules like everything else?
Like everything else what we refer to as matter, the brain, too, is merely a perception for us because, after all, it is a piece of tissue that we perceive through our senses. This being so, what is it, if not the brain, that perceives everything-that sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes?
At this point, we face the obvious fact: that man, a being of consciousness who can see, feel, think and exercise reason, is much more than a mere assemblage of atoms and molecules. What defines a human being is the "soul" granted to him by Allah. Otherwise, it would be highly unreasonable to attribute his consciousness and other faculties to a three-pound piece of flesh, which is nothing but an illusion:
He Who has created all things in the best possible way. He commenced the creation of man from clay; then produced his seed from an extract of base fluid; then formed him and breathed His Spirit into him and gave you hearing, sight and hearts. What little thanks you show! (Surat as-Sajda, 7-9
The Being Nearest to Us Is Allah
Since a human being is not merely a lump of matter but a "soul," then who makes that soul feel the sum of perceptions which we call the external world? Who continues to create all these perceptions, ceaselessly?
The answer is obvious. Allah, Who breathed into man His spirit, is the Creator of all things. He is also the real source of all perceptions. The existence of anything is possible only through Allah's creation. Allah informs us that He creates continuously and that whenever He stops creating, everything will disappear:
Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and the Earth, preventing them from vanishing away. And if they vanished no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, 41)
People may be reluctant to accept this fact due to years of indoctrination. But the truth is clear, no matter how much they may ignore or be unwilling to hear it. All the perceptions shown a person draw their life from Allah's creation. Moreover, not just the outside world but also everything a person imagines he is "doing himself" take place through the will of Allah. It is impossible for anyone to perform any action or to have any free will independently of Allah. This is noted in the Qur'an in these verses:
… Allah created both you and what you do? (Surat as-Saffat, 96)
… and you did not throw, when you threw; it was Allah Who threw… (Surat an-Anfal, 17)
Faced with such facts, one must conclude that the only absolute being is Allah. To express that truth, great Islamic scholars like Imam Rabbani have said that the only absolute being is Allah; and that all the rest, except Him, are shadow entities. Allah encompasses everything in the heavens and the Earth:
What! Are they in doubt about the meeting with their Lord? What! Does He not encompass all things! (Surah Fussilat, 54)
Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara, 115)
What is in the heavens and in the Earth belongs to Allah. Allah encompasses all things. (Surat an-Nisa', 126)
… We said to you, "Surely your Lord encompasses the people with His knowledge"… (Surat al-Isra', 60)
… His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the Earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara, 255)
Allah's knowledge and ability surrounds us from the front and back, from right and left-that is to say, He encompasses us completely. He observes us everywhere, at every moment. He holds absolute control over us, from inside and outside. He, the Owner of infinite might, is closer to us than our own jugular veins and hearts.
… We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Surah Qaf, 16)
… Know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that you will be gathered to Him. (Surat an-Anfal, 24)
Unbelievers thus fall into a major error here and imagine that the world, of which they can never have direct experience, is the only absolute entity. In mocking religion and believers, in denying the signs of Allah, in being "engrossed in mockery," as one verse puts it, and in imagining that they can remain concealed, Allah in fact completely surrounds them. This is one of the greatest facts that unbelievers are unaware of. Moreover, the life of this world to which they are so greedily devoted also slips through their hands in the face of this reality…
Everything You Possess Is Intrinsically Illusory
It is clear, scientific, and logical that we are not in direct contact with the "external world," only with a copy of it that Allah perpetually presents to our soul. Nevertheless, people are unwilling to think of this.
If you consider this issue sincerely and boldly, you'll soon realize that your house, the furniture in it, your car, your office, jewels, your bank account, wardrobe, spouse, children, your colleagues-in fact, all else that you possess-resides in your mind. Everything around you that you see, hear, or smell-in short, perceive with your five senses- is a part of this "replica world," including the voice of your favorite singer, the hardness of the chair you sit on, a perfume whose smell you like, the sun that warms you, a flower's beautiful colors, a bird flying past your window, a speedboat moving swiftly on the water, your fertile garden, the computer you use at your job, your hi-fi with the most advanced technology in the world...
This is the reality, because the world is created only to test man. All through our limited lives, we are tested with perceptions whose original sources we can never reach, which are intentionally presented as appealing and attractive. This fact is mentioned in the Qur'an:
Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: Women and sons; Heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded [for blood and excellence]; and [wealth of] cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world's life; but in nearness to Allah is the best of the goals [to return to]. (Surah Al 'Imran, 14)
Most people cast away religion for the lure of property, heaped-up wealth, hoards of gold and silver, jewels, bank accounts, credit cards, designer clothes, late-model cars-in short, all the forms of prosperity they either possess or strive to. They concentrate on this world only, forgetting the Hereafter. They are deceived by the fair and alluring face of the world, and fail to keep up prayer, give charity to the poor, and perform worship that will make them prosper in the Hereafter. They make excuses, saying, "I have things to do," "I have ideals," "I have responsibilities," "I haven't enough time," "I have tasks to complete," "I will do them in the future." They devote their entire lives to trying to prosper in this world only. As mentioned earlier, in the verse, "They know but the outer [things] in the life of this world: but of the End of things they are heedless." (Surat ar-Rum, 7), this misconception is described.
The reality dealt with in this chapter is very important, for it renders meaningless all lusts and boundaries. Verifying this fact makes it clear that everything people toil to possess, their wealth amassed with greed, their children they boast of, their spouses they consider to be closest to them, their friends, their bodies, their superior rank which they hold, the schools they have attended, the holidays they celebrate-all are nothing but mere shadows. Therefore, all the efforts they expended and the time they spent certainly proves unavailing.
Some people unwittingly make fools of themselves when they boast of their wealth and properties, or of their yachts, helicopters, factories, holdings, manors and lands as if they can ever have direct contact with their original possessions. Those well-to-do who cruise ostentatiously up and down in their yachts, show off with their cars, keep hinting at their wealth, seek to make a great success with others through their clothes, build their lives on such desires and rivalries, suppose that they rank higher than everyone else. In what kind of state would they find themselves, once they realize that they are boasting of nothing but images in their own minds?
In many of their dreams, they in fact find themselves possessed of grand houses, fast cars, precious jewels, rolls of banknotes, and loads of gold and silver. In their dreams, too, they enjoy a high rank, own factories with thousands of workers, possess the power to rule over thousands, and wear clothes that command everyone's admiration. But just as boasting about one's possessions in a dream often subjects one to ridicule, he is sure to be equally ridiculed in this world for boasting of images he relates to. After all, what he sees in his dreams and what he relates to in this world are both merely images in his mind. This, of course, calls for profound reflection. As the verse tells us, those who realize this truth will be the ultimate beneficiaries:
Clear insights have come to you from your Lord. Whoever sees clearly, does so to his own benefit. Whoever is blind, it is to his own detriment… (Surat al-An'am, 104)
Similarly, when people realize the reality, the way they react to the worldly events they experience should make them feel ashamed. Those who fight fiercely with each other, swindle, take bribes, commit forgery, lie, covetously withhold their money; who do wrong to others, who curse and beat them, who are full of passion for office and high rank, who envy and try to show off, who exalt themselves above all others-all will feel disgrace when they realize that they have committed all of these deeds in a world of illusions.
Since Allah creates the entire universe and reveals it to every human being individually, the Ultimate Owner of all possessions in the world is Allah alone. This fact is revealed in the Qur'an:
But to Allah belong all things in the heavens and on Earth: And He it is that Encompasses all things. (Surat an-Nisa', 126)
It is hugely foolish to cast away religious morality for the sake of passions whose original objects one can never reach, and thus lose eternal life. Allah describes their position:
… What they achieved here will come to nothing. What they did will prove to be null and void. (Surah Hud, 16)
As revealed in this verse, all these people's desires and passions have proved hollow, and all they thought they possessed has slipped through their hands in the face of this truth, has benefited them nothing and proved irrelevant.
At this point, it's important to grasp that the truth we are considering does not mean that all the possessions, wealth, children, spouses, rank and position one possesses and longs for will vanish someday, and so are meaningless. Rather, it predicates that in fact, people have no direct contact with any of their possessions. They are merely perceptions they watch from within their brains, composed of images that Allah shows to test them. As you see, there's a big difference between those two propositions.
Although someone might not want to acknowledge this fact right away and would prefer to deceive himself by assuming that all his possessions really exist, he must finally to die. When he is resurrected in the Hereafter, everything will become clear, and "sight will be sharp" (Surah Qaf, 22). On that day, he is apt to see everything much more clearly. If he has spent his life chasing after imaginary aims, however, he will wish he had never lived, and say, as revealed in the verse, "Ah! Would that [death] had made an end of me! Of no profit to me has been my wealth! My power has perished from me!" (Surat al-Haqqa, 27-29). On the other hand, a wise man should try to understand the great reality of the universe here on this world, while he still has time. Otherwise, he will spend all his life running after dreams and face a grievous penalty in the end. In the Qur'an, the final state of those people who run after illusions (or mirages) on this world and forget our Creator is stated as follows:
But the unbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing: But he finds Allah [ever] with him, and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account. (Surat an-Nur, 39)
Unbelievers Have Fallen into the Biggest Trap in History
Modern science has proven that we cannot have direct experience of the original of matter, and put this forward in a clear, straightforward, forceful way. Unbelievers see that the material world, which they blindly believe in and rely on, lies beyond a perceptual boundary they can never cross. In the face of this fact, they can do nothing. Throughout human history, unbelieving mentality has always existed. Being assured of themselves and their philosophy, unbelievers revolted against Allah Who created them. They maintained that matter is eternal, that none of it could possibly have had a Creator. While denying Allah out of their arrogance, they took refuge in matter alone, with which they held themselves to be in direct contact. So confident were they of this philosophy that they believed that no arguments could ever disprove it.
However, this book's facts regarding the real nature of matter surprised these people. What we've related here destroyed the very basis of their philosophy and left no grounds for further discussion. Matter, on which they based all their thoughts, lives, arrogance, and denial, suddenly vanished.
One of the attributes of Allah is His plotting against the unbelievers. This is stated in the verse; "They plot and plan, and Allah too plans; but the best of planners is Allah" (Surat al-Anfal, 30).
Allah entrapped unbelievers by making them assume that the world is an absolute existence and in so doing, humiliated them in a way never seen before. Unbelievers deemed their possessions, status, rank, the society they belong to, the whole world to be absolute. Moreover, by relying on these, they grew arrogant against Allah. By being boastful, they revolted against Him and added to their unbelief. While so doing, they relied on a total conviction in the absoluteness of matter. Yet so lacking are they in understanding that they fail to realize that Allah compasses them round about. Allah announces the state to which the unbelievers are led as a result of their thick-headedness:
Or do they intend a plot [against you]? But those who defy Allah are themselves involved in a Plot! (Surat at-Tur, 42)
Theirs is most probably the biggest intellectual defeat in history. While growing arrogant of their own accord, mocking the religion and believers, unbelievers have been tricked and suffered a serious defeat in their war against Allah by bringing up something monstrous against Him. The verse "Thus have We placed leaders in every town, its wicked men, to plot [and burrow] therein: but they only plot against their own souls, and they perceive it not" (Surat al-An'am, 123) announces how unconscious these people who revolt against our Creator are, and how they will end up.
Fain would they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive themselves, and realize [it] not! (Surat al-Baqara, 9)
While trying to plot, unbelievers do not realize the very important fact that everything they experience is really experienced in their brains, and all the plots they devise are simply formed in their brains, just like every other act they perform. Their folly has let them forget that they are all alone with Allah and, hence, are trapped in their own devious plans.
In all ages, the unbelievers have faced a reality that shattered the basis of their devious plans. With the verse "...feeble indeed is the cunning of satan" (Surat an-Nisa', 76), Allah has stated that these plots were doomed to end with failure the day they were hatched, and gave the good tidings to believers with the verse "...not the least harm will their cunning do to you" (Surah Al 'Imran, 120).
In another verse Allah states: "But the unbelievers, their deeds are like a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing:?But he finds Allah [ever] with him…" (Surat an-Nur, 39). Unbelieving mentality, too, offers a mirage for the rebellious and those who engage in mocking the religion; when they have recourse to it, they find its philosophy to be nothing but deceptive. Allah has deceived them with such a mirage, and beguiled them into perceiving matter as an absolute. All those eminent professors, astronomers, biologists, physicists and all others, regardless of their rank and post, are simply deceived and humiliated because they took matter as their deity. Assuming matter, whose essence they can never reach, to be absolute, they based their philosophy and ideology on it, grew involved in serious discussions, adopting a scornful discourse. They deemed themselves wise enough to argue about the truth of the universe and, more seriously to interpret Allah with their limited intelligence. Allah explains their situation in the following verse:
And [the unbelievers] plotted and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah. (Surah Al 'Imran, 54)
One may possibly escape from some plots in the world; but Allah's plan against the unbelievers is so firm that there is no avoiding it. No matter what they do or to whom they appeal, never can they find any helper other than Allah. As Allah informs in the Qur'an, "they shall not find for them other than Allah a patron or a help" (Surat an-Nisa', 173).
Realizing this truth is doubtless the worst possible thing for the unbelievers. That matter in which they place such faith, is separated from them by an impenetrable frontier is, in their own words, tantamount to "death before dying" in this world.
This leaves them all alone with Allah. With the verse, "Leave Me alone, [to deal] with the [creature] whom I created [bare and] alone!" (Surat al-Muddaththir, 11),
Allah has called our attention to the fact that each human being is, in truth, all alone in His presence. This remarkable fact is repeated in many other verses:
And behold! You come to Us bare and alone as We created you for the first time: you have left behind you all [the favors] which We bestowed on you... (Surat al-An'am, 94
And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone. (Surah Maryam, 95)
This, in another sense, is what the fact stated in the verses comes to mean: Those who take matter as their deity, refuse the religion and are engrossed in mockery of Allah's signs have come from Allah and either returned or about to return to Him. They have submitted themselves to Allah, whether they want to or not. Now, just like everyone else, they wait for the Day of Judgment, when each one of them will be called to account, however unwilling they may be to understand it.
The Importance of This Subject
It is of the utmost importance to understand correctly the secret beyond matter explained in this chapter. Mountains, plains, flowers, people, seas-briefly everything we see and everything that Allah informs us in the Qur'an that exists and that He created out of nothing is created and does indeed exist. However, people cannot see, feel or hear the real nature of these beings through their sense organs. What they see and feel are only their copies that appear in their brains. This is a scientific fact taught at all schools of medicine. The same applies to the book you are reading now; you cannot see nor touch the real nature of it. The light coming from the original book is converted by some cells in your eyes into electrical signals, which are then conveyed to the visual center in the back of your brain. This is where the view of this book is created. In other words, you are not reading a book which is before your eyes through your eyes; in fact, this book is created in the visual center in the back of your brain. The book you are reading right now is a "copy of the book" within your brain. The original book is seen by Allah.
It should be remembered, however, that the fact that the matter is an illusion formed in our brains does not "reject" the matter, but provides us information about the real nature of the matter: that no person can have connection with its original. Moreover, the matter outside is seen not just by us, but by other beings too. The angels Allah delegated to be watchers witness this world as well:
And the two recording angels are recording, sitting on the right and on the left. He does not utter a single word, without a watcher by him, pen in hand! (Surah Qaf, 17-18)
Most importantly, Allah sees everything. He created this world with all its details and sees it in all its states. As He informs us in the Qur'an:
… Heed Allah and know that Allah sees what you do. (Surat al-Baqara, 233)
Say: "Allah is a sufficient witness between me and you. He is certainly aware of and sees His servants." (Surat al-Isra', 96)
It must not be forgotten that Allah keeps the records of everything in the book called Lawh Mahfuz (Preserved Tablet). Even if we don't see all things, they are in the Lawh Mahfuz. Allah reveals that He keeps everything's record in the "Mother of the Book" called Lawh Mahfuz with the following verses:
It is in the Source Book with Us, high-exalted, full of wisdom. (Surat az-Zukhruf, 4)
… We possess an all-preserving Book. (Surah Qaf, 4)
Certainly there is no hidden thing in either heaven or Earth which is not in a Clear Book. (Surat an-Naml, 75)
Conclusion
Unbelievers should be aware of one further truth: While they mock the believers or try to harm them, they are in fact submitted to the destiny that Allah has predetermined for them. Every mocking word they utter, every unpleasant act they commit, every unbelieving thought that crosses their minds, and every plan they make is a part of this destiny. Although the unbelievers do not know it, they are Allah's servants and, by following His instructions, provide an important service. While they mock people who live according to the Qur'an's morality, the believers show patience and, because of their loyalty to Allah, earn an honorable place in the eternal beauty of Allah's Paradise.
Unbelievers bring themselves down by believing that they actually interact the world, the original of which they can never reach. But one day they will awaken, as if from a dream, and suddenly realize that their life was like the blink of an eye. Moreover, they will regret having spent it in unbelief. On the Day of Judgment, all of their mocking words, glances, and acts will be held against them. Indeed, even their own organs will be made to testify against them:
[O]n the Day when their tongues, hands, and feet will testify against them about what they were doing. On that Day, Allah will pay them in full what is due to them, and they will know that Allah is the Clear Truth. (Surat an-Nur, 24-25)
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