The Gateway to the Quran

   Projection Theories of Religion (about god): This term (Projection Theory) refers to various arguments in western thought which maintain that `God is not a reality, independent of man, rather a product of man's own mind. "David Hume (1711-76) followed Hobbes (1588-1679) in suggesting... that belief in god arose when primitive man personified the unknown forces controlling nature and offered worship.. to placate them. L.A.Feuerbach (1804-72) argued that God is an illusory reality which represents to man the qualities which he regards as ideal. His theory had an important influence on the hostile views of religion advanced by Karl Marx (1818-83) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). Emily Durkheim (1858-1917), an early sociologist, saw religion providing a mythological representation of social structures, affirming thereby the values and rules of society in a quasi-objective form. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) treated religion as an illusion and suggested that the idea of God is basically a magnified version of the image of the human father.."(John R. Hinnells, Dictionary of Religions)

   Superstition and Ignorance:Out of own imagination in ignorance and misconception, man himself created a plethora of different gods compatible to his own demand and version of philosophy – the Greek Theoi, the Roman Di Deaeque, the Egyptian classes of gods, the Indian variety of gods- as many as stones and the Arabian idols of earth, stone and what not. Different hierarchy and functions were assigned in each case. It will not be correct, to say that ignorance ended with the dark ages or the medieval period or with the advent of movements like renaissance, reformation or developments like industrialization etc, etc. Superstition still rules human mind and imagination. Look at following piece of news appearing in the Daily Dawn, dated June, 12, 2002:

(The Dawn, January 9, 2003)

  Since ancient times, very strange concepts were held and cults followed. For example, it was believed that twin forces of Nile and sun shaped Egyptian beliefs. Annual inundation of Nile, as a cycle reflected in life, death and resurrection of `Osiris', god of vegetation. The sun died each night and was re-born at dawn. It was in a similar society sunk deep down in ignorance and superstition that Abraham (Peace be upon him) rejected moon, sun, star and all idols and found the ‘Truth’.

   “Thus did We (Allah) show Abraham
  the kingdom of the heavens and the earth,
  that he be one of those who have Faith with certainty.”6-75

   “So also did We (Allah) show Abraham
  the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, that
  he might (with understanding) have certitude.” 6-75

   From above examples and discussion it would be seen that out of ignorance, man regarded manifestations of nature as `gods’. Arnold Toynbee described this lapse to `superstition’. It is only since last some centuries that man started harnessing natural resources. According to Auguste Comte, man’s intellectual development can be divided into three stages ---theological, meta- physical and (logical) positivism, (based on physical observation and calculation). Modern science is however making unification of the first and the last increasingly possible, as theo-logical positivism.

  The first verses revealed to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) show that by that time, God had moved forward the intellectual development of mankind to a point from where the new phase was launched with direct reference to the phenomena which were progressively going to be unfolded to the man (theo-logical positivism) in future. (96 – 1 & 2)

  Different Concepts Discussed in the Quran:Some of the important points in the light of above discussion may be kept in mind, before we proceed to discuss the Quranic concepts, e.g.: When the Quran was revealed, the concept of `terror’ dominated the Judaic concept of God. Magians presented light and darkness as two different forces. Christianity emphasized love, relegating the concept of recompense to the background. Budhism also laid stress on kindness. Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Budhism (three levels of existence) Judaism and Christianity were all corrupted with concepts like `trinity’, iconization and other practices of polytheism. Greek Philosophy and Roman culture were already plagued and infested with plethora and all sorts of cocktails of customs, cultures and cults. These ills, earlier also, were suffered by ancient civilizations, like Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Babylonian, etc.

  Knowing that idols and images are made by man himself, which are dead and can't create anything, yet disbelievers worshiped them! We have also seen that even in ancient civilizations people worshiped, out of sheer ignorance and foolishness their dead kings, ancestors, creatures etc. and provided for their food, drink and all other necessities even after they were dead, buried and gone. They themselves did not know when they would be raised up (16-21). But their foolish worshipers `raised', resurrected and re-incarnated them in all sorts of forms, figures, fables, creatures and imaginations. They obeyed and followed their desires as if they were gods!! The pagans of Makkah fought battles against the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) invoking support and succour of their idols and gods styled by them for different purposes. But nothing availed them, naught. It was evident in every matter of every day life that none of their idolatrous practices helped them. After losing battles badly against the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him), there are instances reported by history, where they cursed, abused and destroyed their own idols- gods, who did not help them!

   "Then why did those, whom they had taken for gods besides Allah,
  as a way of approach, not help them?
  Nay, but they vanished completely from them .
  And that was their lie, and their invention,
  Which they had been inventing" 46-28

   Without any scientific basis and sound knowledge, manufacturing of gods in factories out of all sorts of raw materials (like mud, stones, earth, wood, even dates), and churning out evil and illicit ideas as gods, are all lies with no trace of truth. History of religious philosophy discussed earlier, presents a mockery of man's own imagination when all these ideas, idols and icons are laid into a mosaic or juxtaposed even among themselves. The Quran, therefore, had to clear confusion, correct concepts and separate falsehood from truth.

  "And what do they follow, who worship as His `partners',
  other than Allah?
  They follow nothing but conjecture,
  And they do nothing but lie." 10-66

  "So be not in doubt, as to what these people worship.
  They worship nothing but what their fathers worshiped before.
  And verily, We (Allah) shall repay them in full,
  their portion without diminution." 11-109

  In this process, the Quran also created an appropriate balance even among the right ingredients of faith which were otherwise distorted, disproportioned or subjected to imbalance, exaggeration and extremism. At many places, the Quran itself has therefore not only responded to but also initiated discussion on those wrong concepts, prevailing before its advent, which throw light on doctrines, dogmas and beliefs from the contemporary and the past human history. Without leaving any scope for iota of doubt, the Quran explains scientifically the fact manifest in all nature, that Allah is The Only One Who creates. Beside Allah, no body can create. Creation is one of the fundamental functions which none and nothing else can claim to possess the power of. It is the Basic and one of the Exclusive and Sole Powers of Allah. The Quran clarifies position even about living or dead `human beings’ who are taken as gods, that they can't create anything. They are themselves created and die.
  Those whom they invoke besides Allah, have not created anything,
  but are themselves created-" 16-20

  (They are) dead, not alive;
  and they know not when they will be raised up".16-21

 It is not that universes (Megaverse) were created and then left in the lurch. Allah’s Powers of creation, development and sustenance (acts of `Rubuubiyah) are all the time at work, right since the first creation-origination. He is the Living Eternal, as put forth by Socrates. Just to say that He is the Creator or creates is not enough. There are very widely diversified wants and needs of all creations, particularly mundane activities of man, for which there is an every day evidence of being acknowledged, accepted, responded and granted besides the grand design in which benevolence and benediction are abounding in limitless Mercy.

  The Quran also caters to psychological and all such human needs for which they approach various, so called, forces of nature or divine personalities, for provision and relief. The cases of rabbis and priests are some of the examples which have been explained in the Quran, whom people took (and even now take them) as intermediaries or intercessors or as means of approach to God. Although it has been clarified that even they seek Allah's Pleasure and His closeness. Instead of Monotheism and worship of Allah Alone, they adopted `trinity' and polytheism.

       "Surely, the religion is for Allah only.
      And those who take protectors beside Him (say):
      `we worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.'
      Verily, Allah will judge between them
      concerning that wherein they differ.
      Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever." 39-3

 The Quran gives an open invitation to come to Allah. He is not away. His response is assured in submission and sincerity of the caller himself. Allah has explained His closeness and responsiveness in many ways, yet guilty conscience keeps man away from His Mercy. We have seen in examples from history of Jews, who out of fear, rooted in their own misdeeds, did not utter The Great Name of Jehovah. Instead of submission to Allah, because He is God of all and everyone and everything, some people still prefer to submit to the exploitative and vested interests of different men, their designations and positions even by losing their own self respect and faith.

 Allah has described His closeness, e.g., as nearer than the jugular vein, nearer than one's own thought, He is holding the forelock of all creatures Himself. He is closer than the closest. He encourages to ask Him with His Most Beautiful Best Names and Attributes and seek from Him in humility (7- 55 & 56, 40-60). He has assured His closeness and response (2-186). The response is with acceptance (14-39, 3-38). He Ever-Knows all (doesn’t need an informer or intercessor, 2-115), Allah's Mercy is near (7-56). The Quran clarifies different aspects:

  " O mankind! A similitude is given, so listen to it:
  Verily, on whom you call besides Allah
  can not create a fly, though they combine together for the purpose.
  And if the fly snatches away a thing from them,

   "And they worship besides Allah, things,
  that hurt them not, nor profit them,
  and they say: `These are our intercessors with Allah.'
  Say: `Do you inform Allah of that
  which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?'
  Glorified and Exalted is He above all
  that which they associate as partners." 10-18

 Once the Faith takes firm footing, further favours are unfolded for the faithful believer. The Quran clarifies that `Muttaqii' is the one who is pious (righteous, kindly good-doer) and fears Allah Alone. He doesn’t fear any idea, anyone or anything else. No harm can be caused until Allah wills. Nothing else can either harm or profit. Providence and profit are also only from God. While people know that those whom they take as gods or objects of worship neither can harm nor profit even their own persons, they still commit the folly of following, obeying or worshiping them.

  Important issues have not been discussed in isolation but solution has been offered for a well organized progressing society and individual personality, in a scientific system. The Ordinance of the religion is only from Allah. No one has such a wisdom to build a religious system which is based on nature and takes care of all aspects of human nature and universe in which he lives as an individual, as a member in the society and the important actor impacting terrestrial environment and celestial entities. We have discussed mettle of myths and substance of some major religions in previous pages. Efforts by some of the most autocrat and absolute monarchs are quite obvious in history to prescribe and proclaim their own verdict or version of religion by innovation, adoption, amalgamation, etc, etc. Leaders, demagogues, dictators, priests, rabbis etc all launched their self motivated movements and cults. None of them became a universal religion, in fact could not even survive as their own national or sole tribal cult in the posterity.

  "Or have they partners with Allah,
  who have instituted for them a religion ,
  which Allah has not ordained? 42-21.