Evidence and Our Hearts

April 6, 2009, 7:42 am by dc-agape.

Image by Kounelli via Flickr

Surah 98 – Al-Zilzāl:  The Clear Evidence

Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters could not have been freed till clear evidence came to them –

A Messenger from Allāh, reciting pure pages,

Wherein are (all) right books.

Nor did those to whom the Book was given become divided till clear evidence came to them.

And they are enjoined naught but to serve Allāh, being sincere to Him in obedience, upright, and to keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and that is the right religion.

Those who disbelieve from among the People of the Book and the idolaters will be in the Fire of hell, abiding therein.  They are the worst of creatures.

Those who believe and do good, they are the best of creatures.

Their reward is with their Lord; Gardens of perpetuity wherein flow rivers, abiding therein forever.  Allāh is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him.  That is for him who fear his Lord. 

I have included the translation of the Holy Qur’an by M Muhammad Ali to the beginning of these posts. 

As I read this passage, a number of things “jump” out at me while studying this surāh.  First, the opening verse is exactly what Atheist demand from religion.  Second, the commentary by Yusuf Ali is interesting: “they did not seek the Truth, but only followed their own fancies and desires”.  Third, I see the hard core dichotomy of religion: either you believe and follow or you don’t believe and don’t follow.  Finally, I see that fear and love are still a unified concept in all the Abrahamic faiths.

“Clear Evidence”, that is a tall promise.  Scientists today have clear evidence that the world is more than 6000 years old, yet many Creationist hold firm to their “own fancies and desires”.  Galileo had “clear evidence” that the earth was not the center of the universe, yet the Catholic Church was ready to kill him because of their “own fancies and desires”.  One of my favorite quotes (which I will use many times in these posts is from Susan B Anthony:

I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.

“Clear Evidence” is not as “clear” as it may seem to be.  It may be due to our “own fancies and desires” but it might also be due to the fact that it is not as clear to other people as it is to you.  My doctorial thesis will be one of those cases.  I have plenty of evidence that water plays a part in the separation mechanism I am investigating, yet many will claim that is impossible.  You see since 1976 with the introduction of “bonded phases” scientist have believed that water was excluded from the process (it was inert).  Worse I will be proving that two different phenomenon are actually connected, because of the water.  Since 1991, the manufacturer of this product has been certain that the two different phenomenons are not related.  What I am trying to say is that “clear evidence” takes more than:

98:2 A Messenger from Allāh, reciting pure pages, 

More about this concept of “own fancies and desires”, in the New Testament Jesus warns about “our own fancies”:

Matt 15:19 For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

I bring this up because we cannot know if our own desires eclipse the “Truth”.  That applies especially to religion.  As a gay Atheist no “clear evidence” has yet been brought forward that religion is no more than following “our own fancies and desires”.  It is true that religion teaches us how to live in society, and Islam is much better at linking good deed to being good people.  But in the end no “clear evidence” is provided that one particular religion is the “Way”. 

There is some degree of gray when the Prophet uses the terms “worst of creatures” and “best of creatures”; seeming to mean that there is something between the polar opposites.  This is something that makes me hopeful.  In the US it is only an “us vs. them” dichotomy.  Even though their Holy Book does have a verse that says:

Luke 9:49-50 “Master”, said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”  “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

I’m not sure why I am using the NT in this post, they just seem be appropriate.  Even Jesus saw that things were not black and white, yet for some reason most of today’s religion seem to only allow for the either/or outcome.  This is neither a balanced nor accurate view of the world we live in.

I will end with the one thing that has always bothered me about religion.  Why is fear and love combined?  How can you fear something you love?  Why would you love something that you fear?  Is that not an abusive relationship?  I love chemistry.  Is it dangerous, of course!  But I know this and I know how to protect myself.  I respect the dangers; I do not fear the dangers.  Yet in religion, one must fear what one loves!  I do not like living in fear, why would I want to focus all of my energies serving something that I fear?  I first came to understand this in Hawai’i.  There is a proverb “never turn your back on the ocean”.  It is not out of fear, even though the ocean is very dangerous in Hawai’i.  And, of course, they understand that a single wave might knock them down, if they turn their backs to it.  But it is due to the respect the people of Hawai’i have for the ocean that they will not turn their backs to it.

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