A Journey to Find Allah

By Serazul Quader

Have you ever dreamt of finding Allah? Whether the answer is 'yes' or 'no', this book is the only available one to lead you to 'A Journey to Find Allah'. Exposing the verses of the Qur'an, this book, in a meticulous and eloquent way, portrays an in-depth representation and rational analysis of what the Revelation was in reality. Finally, you will find yourself in a place where no theological scholars or writers of common run have ever set their feet on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543416206

Serazul Quader

A Chemical Engineer and a Freedom Fighter of 1971 War of Bangladesh. He has written 9 books (on different topics) in Bengali Language and in English. He was targeted as an ‘anti-state element’ on the first day when the Army of Bangladesh seized power in 1982. He became a refugee in Canada. At present, he is a dedicated volunteer and an amateur actor.

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Copyright © 2017 by Serazul Quader.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017905835

ISBN:   Hardcover          978-1-5434-1622-0

             Softcover            978-1-5434-1621-3

              eBook                978-1-5434-1620-6

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

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Rev. date: 06/13/2017

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CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter One Lifting Up The Veil

Chapter Two The Aurora Of The Words Of Allah

Chapter Three Echo Of The Past

Chapter Four On The Valley Of Wrath And Provocation

Chapter Five War And Abyss

Chapter Six The Quicksand

Chapter Seven The Shroud Of The House

Chapter Eight The Sandpiper

Chapter Nine The Relevancy Of Known And Unknown

Chapter Ten Unveiling We Of The Qur’an

Chapter Eleven No Exit

About The Author

Dedicated

to

the victims of dogmas of all the time

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PREFACE

Let me make it clear that I have no intention to hurt any belief or faith. Belief or faith is a personal and intimate matter. I respect personal freedom for faith and belief. But it is also a reality that I have heard the name Allah ever since I developed my senses. I never could have realized who Allah is. On my every side, I used to hear and I used to listen to the name Allah. But I personally really never felt the presence of Allah. It was also because of another reality: the people who practice and utter the name all the time, I have not experienced the meaning of humanity and morality (in a broader sense) in their own lives. Why was it so? Or why was it such? Who is Allah? How can I know it? So I went on reading and reading the Qur’an, the only book that started rolling the name Allah till now. I started studying the Qur’an. I started a journey—a journey to find Allah.

I do not know Arabic language. So I have to depend on a translated work. The one I followed has been revised and edited by the Presidency of Islamic Researches, IFTA, Call and Guidance. The original work is of Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Scholars, a number of academic bodies, and a number of individuals and organizations were involved in the overall works.

INTRODUCTION

And (He has created) horses, mules, and donkeys, for you to ride (16:8).

Out of these three mentioned animals in verse no. 8 of the sixteenth Surah An-Nahl of the Qur’an, the mention of mule has astonished me too much. Is not the mule an offspring of an ass and mare or of a horse and a she-ass? A mule is a hybrid animal.

The Prophet Muhammad used to ride on a white mule (no. 1203, 1239, and 1241, Al-Bukhari). But what is a very common knowledge (about the existence of a mule as a creature) of normal men of our world was not known to Muhammad, since he received a different kind of revelation after revelation:

Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces (36:36; 43:12; 51:49; 31:10).

Because with Him are the keys of the Unseen, the treasures that none knoweth but He. He knoweth whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf doth fall but with His knowledge (6:59).

Another one is about Pharaoh in connection with the prophet Moses. Allah wanted to punish Pharaoh, so came down the revelation:

We levelled to the ground the great Works and fine Buildings which Pharaoh and his people erected (with such pride). (7:137)

Still, we are able to see the pyramids, the sphinx, and the mummies, and we are in possession of the awesome history (written on the wall with the hieroglyphic writings) of the Pharaoh!

Here’s another one:

For thou canst not rend the earth asunder, nor reach the mountains in height. (17:37)

I should refrain from saying anything about the power of nuclear weapons, but can’t I ask which of the mountains are left unconquered?

Here’s another one:

See ye not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another? And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp?" (71:15–16)

In verse 71:16, the precise words are in their midst, which means in the midst of seven heavens, there is a moon and a sun! Supporting evidence comes from "And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments, and placed (therein) a blazing lamp" (78:12–13).

I guess it is better not to wonder about the one above another part. It is understandable that we do not live in a world about which it was said,

a. Lord of the heavens and of the earth, and all between them, and Lord of every point at the rising of the sun! (37:5)

b. O ye assembly of Jinns and men! If it be ye can pass beyond the heavens and the earth, pass ye! Not without authority shall ye be able to pass! (55:33)

c. Or have they the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all between? If so, let them mount up with the ropes and means. (38:10)

And here is another one:

It is He Who created the Night and the Day, and the sun and the moon: all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course. (21:33)

Here’s a supporting one:

Nor can the Night outstrip the Day: each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (According to Law). (36:40)

The word to be noted (for 21:33) is created, same as for sun and as for moon, which is not an occurrence of each and every day. Is day a creation? Is night a creation? Are they objects? Is night not a phenomenon? Is day not a phenomenon? How can these swim in a rounded course? Yet there are verses after verses for the day and for the night, either to echo the same tone (25:62) or to say, He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night (39:5) and He merges Night into Day, and He merges Day into Night (35:13; 22:61; 57:6)!

These are some verses of the Omnipotent. The issue is, if these are the evidence of all things He hath perfect knowledge (2:29), then on what ground did the deliverer asked the unbelievers that the Unseen is in their hands, and they write it down (52:41; 68:47)? Or why was it said, What! Has he knowledge of the Unseen so that he can see? (53:35)?

It was also said, "We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it" (33:72). This portion of the verse sounds strange. How dare could the heavens, the earth, and the mountains refuse an offer from their creator? There were two verses from an earlier period to sketch a primordial scenario:

Then He turned to the sky, and it had been (as) smoke: He said to it and to the earth: Come ye together, willingly or unwillingly. They said: "we do come (together), in willing obedience." So, He completed them as seven firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and command. (41:11–12)

On top of that, it was stated as a revelation:

Do not mischief on the earth, after it hath been set in order. (7:56, 85)

And the revelation announced, "He has created the heavens and the earth with truth (16:3; 6:73; 29:44; and also in Madinan 64:3) and of course, Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, declares the Praises and Glory of Allah: for He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise" (59:1).

There was willing obedience on their own part. There were duty and command mortared. There was the truth in their creation, and of course, the heavens and the earth knew and know nothing (till now) but the praise and glory of Allah. Yet in spite of blending all those criteria, nothing worked at all—the heavens, the earth, and the mountains refused to take the offer of the trust! What was then the power of the Almighty? He himself admitted a great failure of him as per his power, his rule, his order, and his truth. Well, what is then left for men to understand?

The only assumption, of the overall violation of Allah’s own system of governing by his own, must have something to do with the then period of life of the Prophet Muhammad. Surah Al-Ahzab 33 deals with a critical issue of Muhammad’s character and behavior. There must have to be an attempt to divert the attention to boost the power of man, even if that undermines or evaporates the power of Allah’s omnipotent and omniscient criteria! The believers or the followers were already blind followers. It was not hard to fool around with the believers. But to me, that is not the point. The concern is, what does Allah depict by a verse such as 33:72?

In the Holy Qur’an, there is some similitude to portray the type of men who went astray. These are as follows:

His similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue, or if you leave him alone, he (still) lolls out his tongue. That is the similitude of those who reject Our Signs; so relate the story; perchance they may reflect. (7:176)

They are like cattle; nay, more misguided; for they are heedless (of warning). (7:179)

Or thinkest thou that most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle; Nay, they are farther astray from the way. (25:44)

The similitude of those who were entrusted with the (obligations of) Taurat, but who failed in those (obligations), is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but understands them not), evil is the similitude of people. (62:5)

The harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass. (31:19)

From the perspective of a sensible man, these comparisons are rude attitudes toward the mentioned animals. Yet, undoubtedly, there are men who think in that way. But Allah does too! Specially, it is the same Allah who reveals, There is not an animal on the earth, not a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you (6:38). The point to ponder over is communities like you. Is this the only one? There are more:

Whatever beings there are in the heavens and earth do prostrate themselves to Allah—with good-will, or in spite of themselves; so do their shadows in the mornings and evenings. (13:15)

Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allah?—while all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will (accepted Islam). (3:83)

Seest thou not that to Allah prostrate all things that are in the heavens and on earth. (22:18)

The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare his glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise. (17:44)

Not only do they follow (though, of course, man and the jinnis do not belong to this rule) what are said in the abovementioned verses, but also, "each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise (24:41). And as a matter of fact, all are devoutly obedient to Him" (30:26).

So what do those revelations sum up? The animals are devout believers at each and every moment of their lives. Such being the case, how could they be misguided or go astray? Is there any way? Was there?

But the same Allah did not hesitate in revealing the similitude of 7:176, 179; 25:44; 62:5. The disbelievers deserve that kind of treatment. But do the believer dogs, the believer donkeys, and the believer cattle deserve to be compared with the unbelievers? Do they deserve to be related with words like misguide or astray?

Cattle even became fortunate enough to have been fashioned by Our Hands (36:71). (A soliloquy: A completely submitted cattle (e.g., a cow) can easily become the victim of sacrifice in the hands of not a complete believer!)

Another one can be added: "For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who reject Him: They will not believe (8:55). This verse is mind-blowing. According to Allah, the rejecters of Allah are enemies of Allah, and the beasts are devout beings. How can then the rejecters of Allah be compared with the devout beings? And in what way did the devout beasts get a label of worse" in their existence? What type of judgment was that? (A soliloquy: Is not there a smell of human presence in the delivering of those animal-related verses?)

Moses was saying to his people, "O my people! … He produced prophets among you, made you kings" (5:20). Was it true? How could there be kings during the time of Moses when he himself was nothing but a wanderer (along with a vast number of people) through the wilderness for forty years? This is what 5:26 reveals! It’s a total contradiction of 5:20!

What was the book that came before the Qur’an? Verse 46:12 reveals, "And before this, was the Book of Moses as a guide and a mercy." In the same sura, it was said that a company of jinnis listened to the Qur’an, and when they returned to their people, they informed them that they had heard a book revealed after Moses. Another revelation confirms the same theme that there was the Book of Moses—a guide and a mercy before Muhammad (11:17).

But 21:105 reveals, "Before this We wrote in the Psalms, after the Message (given to Moses)." The Arabic word used here was kitab as the root. Verse 26:196 also confirms that there were revealed books (the Arabic word used in 26:196 is a generic sense of book) before the Qur’an. Then there is 6:156, which reveals, "The Book was sent down to two Peoples before us" (to mean the people among whom Muhammad was). And 3:48 contains the name of the Torah (given to Moses) as a book and the name of the Inzil (given to Jesus) as a book. And 3:3–4 contains a confirmation of the existence of the Torah and Inzil before the Qur’an.

So in which one does Allah say the truth? Was it one book before the Qur’an? Or was it two books before the Qur’an? Or was it three books before the Qur’an? Actually, the revelations declared the Book of Moses as the one that was in existence just prior to the one of Muhammad. The exposition of the names of the other books was a later-on realization!

Allah has decreed:

It is I and My messengers who must prevail: For Allah is Strong, Mighty. (58:21)

We will, without doubt, help Our messengers and those who believe, (both) in this world’s life. (40:51)

In the end We deliver Our messengers and those who believe: Thus is it fitting on Our part that We should deliver those who believe! (10:103)

O ye who believe! Guard your own souls: If ye follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray. (5:105)

I have quoted some revelations. The prophets, the messengers, and the believers must have been pleased and must have accepted those revelations as sources of great consolation for their lives. So do I. But unfortunately, some of the prophets and messengers were slain (2:61, 87, 91; 3:21, 112, 181, 183; 5:70) by the people of the book, as was revealed in the Qur’an. Naturally, this information shocked me, not only because the messengers and prophets were killed, but also because of astonishment. What had happened with the strong and mighty Allah’s revelation of 58:21, 40:51, 10:103, and 5:105? But it turned into bewilderment when I came to know that Allah was blaming the people of the book for all those slayings. Allah totally forgot his own failure to save those poor believers to the highest degrees. But on the contrary, Allah did not forget to accuse the people of the book. Had they been saved as per his promise and assurance, could they have been slain? Which one should have been the result—saving of them or slaying of them? I remember a line: Allah is not shy (to tell you) the truth (33:53), I think. Allah also had no shame to hide his fault and to impose the resultant blame on the people of the book. That was the example he set up about his verdict of judgment in this world! What can be expected in the hereafter?

An early Makkan sura revealed the Qur’an as "in a parchment unfolded (52:3). This gives an idea that it was spread out so that anyone could have read the Qur’an. Was that the real situation with the Qur’an in its earlier stages? Does the verse match with the way the Islamists claim the revelations were collected, compiled, and then resulted up to the present stage? Where is that parchment copy now? What has happened to that parchment copy? Where is the proof of We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption) (15:9, 5:48)? How many people have ever discussed about the nonavailability of that parchment copy? Or how many Muslims have ever dared to ask why there is no trace of that parchment copy? There was the assurance of Allah to guard the message, yet the message (existed in a written form) originally in parchment unfolded vanished from this world. This is the reality. And this is the reason why the story of Osmanic Qur’an" goes on.

But to accept the facts or the reasons as the causes of the existence of the present Qur’an means, at the same time, to accept the reality that Allah failed to guard the original parchment one! In the same way, Allah failed to guard the book about which it was said, "Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book" (39:23, a later Makkan sura). Where is that book (containing surah [plural of sura] up to the later Makkan period)? To me, this is not strange. This has to be like this. It is because it is Allah who said that he sent two books [in actuality, four— the Book of Abraham, the Torah, the Inzil (the Gospel), and the book of psalms of earlier times]. As those two books (the Torah and the Inzil) were given by him, it was his responsibility to guard those (all mentioned) books. But it was the same Allah who went on blaming the Jews and the Christians that they changed the words of both the books. How could that happen? What had happened to his revelation