First Revelation chapter 96: verse 2

96:2 - Created Insan (Human beings) from A'laq

"Human beings are forgetful but can be reminded; human beings have a humble beginning but can be arrogant; and human beings can be annoying but are also amazingly loving."

Commentary: The modern world is divided into two camps over the question of the origin of human beings. Some believe that we are part of an accident in which simple cell organisms evolved into more complex species, including human beings. Those who subscribe to this theory are more popularly known as the Evolutionists. Others believe that human beings and all other species have been part of a design and have been created by God. Those who subscribe to this theory are more popularly known as the Creationists. Evolutionists often call the creationist anti-science and religious zealots and the creationist call the Evolutionist anti-God and secularists. The mutual recrimination has become more acute in recent years.

I believe Islam sits between the two opposing views and provides a moderating narrative. In discussing the origin of life it does not rule out the possibility of evolution within species but it certainly does not accept evolution between species. Islam sees no conflict between science and religion. Quran informs us of many scientific facts. One of the most remarkable scientific facts found in the Quran in my view is embryology. The blessed Prophet was unlettered, yet from his mouth the world heard for the first time a detailed account of the different stages of foetal development. Radiography, X-ray machines, ultra-sound or any of the modern gadgets that are able to pinpoint every stage of human development in the womb of the mother are only recent inventions. What baffles me is how - the Prophet knew so much about embryology? Where did he learn this from?

As a Muslim I find science confirming my own faith and reassuring my outlook to life. I would even go one step further and say I see - nothing unscientific about Islam.

God uses the Arabic term Khalaqa which means to create, not evolve or pro-create; it literally means to create something from scratch. Quran emphatically states that human beings were created from dust (Turab) and clay (Teen) and in another verse it says with the essence of clay. Thus the human body was created from organic and inorganic substances all of which originated from the earth.

We believe in the literal meaning of what God tell us and we must also take note of the metaphysical meanings into account. In the core of the essential makeup of human beings there is earthly substance, clay, dust and all other matter contained within it. In my view this is a reminder of our humble origin.

God tells us that He created human beings in the best of fashions, made us distinct from all other species with intelligence and ability to judge between right and wrong. Human beings have the free will to choose, even to reject God. I find an obvious contradiction when I hear people demanding absolute freedom. I am afraid we are not absolutely free. For example, we cannot choose where, when and how we are born or die. I am a realist, I know my limitations and I operate within these parameters. Knowing that I am free but have limitations keeps me humble.

In the divine design what is even more remarkable is sustainability of life through procreation which has been delegated to the hands of the creation. I remember my father telling me how despite every effort to have a child in the early part of their marriage, my parents were left with the deep anguish of childlessness. However after five years I was born and five more siblings followed! We may be responsible for procreation but we are still bound by the divine decree on these momentous matters. Human beings could become arrogant of their status and power. But the fact that at our core we are nothing but dust hits home the message of humility and graciousness.

The origin of life on earth, according to the Quran is a gift from God. When human beings depart from this fundamental truth, they assume God-like status. This is contrary to Islam and in my view in conflict with the natural disposition of human beings. We are not God and we can never be like God. We should be grateful to God for life, for our amazing bodies, empowering us with the divine spirit and conscious soul. I cannot imagine life without these essential gifts.

In the Quran God uses the Arabic word Insan when referring to human beings. This word originates from the root word Nasa-aa which means ‘to forget’. Forgetfulness could be a blessing and a weakness. The Divine design has empowered us to forget. Can you imagine if we did not have the ability to forget? The hurt feelings, the emotional turmoil, the unhappy moments and bad memories would have been a burden unbearable for us. I therefore consider forgetfulness an immense blessing.

The Divine wisdom recognises us as people who may do wrong or deviate from civilized lifestyle because of forgetfulness. Amongst some of the most significant human weaknesses forgetfulness is probably at the top. If I accept this weakness I believe it helps me to understand my own nature better. It helps me find ways to manage this condition. Forgetfulness is not a disease and it is not a sin either. In order to help us overcome this weakness and help remember, God sent down revelations in the form of the Quran - the final revelation. It is no wonder another name of the Quran is Al-Dhkir, the reminder! As a Muslim I have to believe in the earlier revelations such as the Psalms to Prophet David, Taurat (Torah) to Prophet Moses and Injil (Bible) to Prophet Jesus, and many other prophets that we are unaware of.

Forgetfulness also helps us remain humble. Can you imagine how arrogant we would be if we could remember everything all the time? Islam does not expect me to be faultless and flawless. Erroneously many people attribute religiosity to perfection and never faltering faith. They fail to recognise the human weakness. I have come across people who are painstakingly aiming for perfection in their rituals, for example, and often at their own peril. It is impossible for human beings to have constant high levels of devoutness or piety. It is also impossible for us to be perfect, though it remains a lofty goal!

What is expected in Islam is that one is consistent in one’s devotion, even if in small amounts but regular. Human beings are also bound by habits, and if I am able to habituate my life around small acts of devotion and generosity I am being Godly. Godlessness is the barrenness of the heart and empty soul. Islam requires of me to be in a state of perpetual remembrance of God, which will help me find tranquillity and contentment. This will help me overcome my weaknesses, innate ones or acquired ones.

I use my mobile phone to remind me of my daily schedules, my friends’ and families’ contact details, and with the aid of regular alarm system I am able to remember most of my duties and responsibilities. My home PC is programmed to announce the call to prayer (adhan) five fixed times a day. In a similar and practical way, I find the Quran a reminder for us, the forgetful ones; it places sign posts along the path of my life that reminds me of values and parameters, beneficial tips, warnings against obvious danger and examples of good practice and good news. If I follow the reminders I experience peace and contentment internally and externally.

The last word in this verse “A’laq” needs a thorough analysis. In most translations of the Quran commentators have used the phrase “a clot of congealed blood” when translating this word. Typical of most Arabic words, A’laq also has many meanings. It means ‘a leech’. In the embryonic stage of human life, at around twenty one days the foetus is shaped like a leech. It has a head and a curved tail similar to that of a leech. The embryo sticks to the wall of the womb and sucks blood to survive similar to a leech. A’laq also means ‘that which dangles’. We know from modern embryology that the foetus dangles by the umbilical cord from the wall of the womb. A’laq also means ‘congealed blood’; we now know that in the early stages of foetal development it consists of sacs of coagulated blood. In 6th century Arabia the unlettered Prophet could not have known such details! How was he able to predict so accurately the makeup of the embryonic foetus?

I find the leech-like description strangely true with children, especially since the birth of our two kids. A leech is a dependent animal that clings on to the skin of living creatures sucking blood and causing annoyance. Foetus in the womb survives in this way and when they come out fully formed human beings onto this world they still behave the same way. A leech can be rubbed of and thrown away but children cannot. No matter how annoying they are, parental love is incessant. Lately, our son has developed a habit of waking up at 3am and staying up for a couple of hours and then falling back to sleep only to wake up an hour later. I can assure you that our love for him does not prevent us from being angry and annoyed at him in the early hours of the morning but when we have all woken up after the long and tiring night it soon becomes only a distant memory. He entertains us endlessly, he brings enormous amount of joy in our lives, he is extremely loving and affectionate and most importantly, his smile is infectious.

Human beings are forgetful but can be reminded; human beings have a humble beginning but can be arrogant; and human beings can be annoying but are also amazingly loving.

First revelation Chapter 96: verse 1-5

The following five verses were the first revelation that came to the blessed Prophet Muhammad:

96:1 Read in the name of your sustainer who created you
96:2 Created Insan (Human beings) from A'laq (clot)
96:3 Read - for your Lord is most bountiful
96:4 Who has taught the use of pen
96:5 Taught human being what he did not know

96:1 Read in the name of your sustainer who created you

"The first divinely revealed instruction was about rousing human conscience to become literate. In my view it marked the first step towards enlightenment."

Commentary: The blessed Prophet Muhammad was in deep meditation, contemplating on the issues that had preoccupied his mind for many years. He was concerned with the simple to the most complex questions in his forty year life. In his society life had become valueless; honour and dignity was hard to find; inequality and discrimination was rampant; there was colossal gap between the poor and the rich and it was getting even wider; war, violence and brutality determined the outcome of any conflict; law and order was always favouring the rich and the elite. He desperately wanted to see a change in his society. But he did not know how he could help to bring about a long term change!

The age forty is a defining milestone in the lives of human beings. Many around this age suffer from a midlife crisis. I call it “crisis of conscience” - many people wake up to realise that half of their life has gone, what is there to show for it? What have they achieved? Do they have enough time to do all the things they wished to do? Forty is also when people look back and bask in the glorious memories of their youthful days and at the same time feel extremely insecure and scared of the coming of old age. Many people abruptly end their careers and take up travelling; many end their family life, abandon the world and become new age hippies, monks or embrace hedonistic lifestyles. I believe at the age of forty we should evaluate our lives and make the necessary changes to embrace and welcome the coming of less youthful days.

I also believe intellectual renaissance or rethinking is best faced at this stage in life. Maturity, understanding, experience, insight and wisdom all come from years of hard work and exposure. I am facing my forty soon; the way I think now is by far very different than the way I used to think. I am responding to people’s questions very differently and sometimes I don’t even know where some of these answers come from. The Prophetic mission started at that crossroad of his life. He was ready intellectually to receive the divine wisdom; he was socially well established with an impeccable track record of honesty, integrity and truthfulness; he was emotionally stable with a wonderful, loving, loyal and supportive wife who gave him several children. He was in every way content in his personal life but totally disappointed by everything else around him.

“Read” was the first divine word that was revealed to the Prophet. What strikes me most is that the Prophet was unlettered yet he displayed his own deficiencies by pronouncing the divine instruction. He could not have devised his own embarrassment; he was simply reporting exactly what had happened to him. He was a man known for honesty and truthfulness. He was bringing to the world instructions from God Almighty that knowledge was the only way human beings could gain true freedom and liberation. Some linguists have translated the Arabic word “Iqra” to mean “recite”. I prefer the meaning “read” as this denotes an active and conscious effort to absorb, engage and understand. The divine writ “read” was a direct response to the many questions the blessed Prophet had in his mind about how to bring change. Knowledge was the new and far superior way to bring about sustainable change.

The blessed Prophet’s knowledge at that stage of his life was limited to the cultures and exposure he had from his travels and the surrounding environment. He was unlettered and when he was asked to read the heavenly revelation he simply pleaded ignorance; he said, “I do not know how to read”. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Eventually out of sheer frustration he said; “what do you want me to read?” In later years he admitted to his companions that that was the most terrifying experience he had ever had. The divine intervention enabled him to read but he was still frightened. He ran home to the comfort of his wife, shivering and sweating, begging her to cover him. Such was the journey of a man from being an ordinary human being to becoming a Prophet. To me this only confirms his human nature. For those who claim that the Prophet was not a normal human being and had some super human qualities should rethink their position.

The wisdom and support of his beloved wife was soothing for a frightened man. He confided in her, he found her consolation comforting and soothing to his fearful heart. She reassured him and stated her full confidence in his character and was absolutely certain that God would never harm such a brilliant and generous man. A man she adored, fell in love with and devoted all her life and wealth in serving. . She was an audacious woman who could see in her husband more than a frightened man. She could see him as the best possible hope for leading a revolution in her society. She saw him as the only glimmer of hope in a society that had lost its way. Enlightenment does not come to those who are cowardly and she was certainly not one of them. The world should remember this great woman with admiration, gratitude and humility, for we are all indebted to her unflinching faith and support of her husband, the Prophet, who has been declared as the most influential man ever.

The Prophet was being asked to read. To most of us there is nothing remarkable about reading. In today’s world everyone knows how to read. Even my two year old is an avid reader; obviously he does not know how to read yet but - he seen us reading and he imitates. Reading was not such a common practice in 6th century Arabia or the surrounding nations. Illiteracy was a common feature of the society. The first divinely revealed instruction was about rousing human conscience to become literate. In my view it marked the first step towards enlightenment.

The prerequisite to enlightenment, according to the Quran, is to recognise the position of human beings in the wider and ever expanding universe. It is about accepting that there is only one God who is not disconnected from the universe but is actively involved in the day to day running of it. He sustains and owns everything that is known or unknown to us in this vast and mysterious universe. The society around the Prophet was not godless; in fact they believed in many gods and also the one supreme God.

The Arabic word “Rab” used to refer to God in this verse is very interesting. Some have translated the word “Rab” literally as “Lord”. I do not feel the word Lord alone expresses the full meaning of the Arabic word. The English word Lord when examined closely demonstrates a power relationship or simple ownership, where as the Arabic word Rab indicates a more delicate nurturing and sustaining relationship. It refers to kindness, tenderness and affection, maintaining, nourishing and supporting life, creating perfection and being the owner and maker of all.

I prefer it to be - an organic two way relationship, therefore the word “sustainer” is closer to my feelings and thoughts. I like a God who is sustaining, loving, kind, merciful, fair, just and approachable. In the first verse this natural connection is thus established as the foundation of the message the blessed Prophet would share with the rest of the world and enlightenment through knowledge as the most important feature of those who subscribe to this way of life.