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Awaken to Presence Transform your life. w orkshop series. Contemplating the Quran in Ramadan-1 Particles. Dr. M. Omar July 2012, Orlando www.islamfromwithin.net. Inspired by Treatise on the Movement of Particles, authored by B . Said Nursi . See : Nursi , Words , 30 th Word.
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Awaken to PresenceTransform your life workshop series Contemplating the Quran in Ramadan-1Particles Dr. M. Omar July 2012, Orlando www.islamfromwithin.net Inspired by Treatise on the Movement of Particles,authored by B. Said Nursi. See: Nursi, Words, 30th Word.
paradigm shift The aim of these workshops is From blind-faithor Muslim as an ID tag to confirmation From saying “I witness the unity of God” to actually witnessingthe unity of God From memorizing religion to reality based inner transformation From imagining “God up there” to knowing and communicating with my Creator who is actually witnessed
Aiming for the Prophetic Path of Transformation Muhammad (p): “The utmost beauty (Ihsan) is to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, to be aware that He sees you” to become certain of God’s Unity: through confirming belief bypersonalwitnessing/experience This is the secret of pain-freeinner transformation
Listening to the Speech of God in Ramadan through the meaningful universe Let us reflect on the movement of minute particles
وَقَالَالَّذِينَكَفَرُوالَاتَأْتِينَاالسَّاعَةُۖقُلْبَلَىٰوَرَبِّيلَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْعَالِمِالْغَيْبِۖلَايَعْزُبُعَنْهُمِثْقَالُذَرَّةٍفِيالسَّمَاوَاتِوَلَافِيالْأَرْضِوَلَاأَصْغَرُمِنذَٰلِكَوَلَاأَكْبَرُإِلَّافِيكِتَابٍمُّبِينٍوَقَالَالَّذِينَكَفَرُوالَاتَأْتِينَاالسَّاعَةُۖقُلْبَلَىٰوَرَبِّيلَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْعَالِمِالْغَيْبِۖلَايَعْزُبُعَنْهُمِثْقَالُذَرَّةٍفِيالسَّمَاوَاتِوَلَافِيالْأَرْضِوَلَاأَصْغَرُمِنذَٰلِكَوَلَاأَكْبَرُإِلَّافِيكِتَابٍمُّبِينٍ And yet, they who are bent on denying the truth assert, “The Last Hour will never come upon us!” Say: “Yes, by my Sustainer, it will, by Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being’s perception!” Not a particle’s weight [of whatever there is] in the heavens or on earth escapes His knowledge; and neither is there anything smaller than that or larger, but is all recorded in a clear record” (Quran 34:3)
“Not a particle’s weight [of whatever there is] in the heavens or on earth escapes His knowledge” Movement of particles (or anything smaller than that, or larger) is coming into existence through Absolute Divine Intelligence Absolute Divine Knowledge Absolute Divine Power Is it so?
Quran’s main premise is to introduce reality! What is reality? How can we define it? Things are happening in front of my eyes… How are they coming into being?
Quran asserts that realitycan only be defined as: In the name of God (bismi Allah)… Every being comes into existence through the Source who possesses the necessary qualities What does this mean?
It means: I cannot explain any thing any moment any movement in the universe without attributing it to the Source What does this mean?
It means: Omnipresence of the Source is a reality We are invited through the “Conscious Speech” of this very Source to witness His Divine Presence
But the Quran does not expect me to accept this without confirming it. The Quran wants me to reflect on it witness it and confirm it… When I confirm this truth by my intellect, I can experience it in my heart
The more I reflect on it, the more I am transformed by this reality… The outcome of Quranic reflection is: Muhammad (p): “My Lord: Increase my bewilderment in You.”
Amazement Bewilderment Love Excitement Inner Joy Peace
Example: Movement of particles …Not a particle’s weight [of whatever there is] in the heavens or on earth escapes His knowledge…
Let’s start with an example: We see light on the water droplets. Who is the source of light we see on the droplets?
Input-Output Witness Model • Look at the output: • What qualities are necessary to create it? • Look at theinput: • Can they be the source of these properties? • If no: an Unseen Onewho possesses these qualities must be the Doer • The water droplets do not possess the qualities that enables them to be the Source of this light • The source of the light is a being that has the qualities of the light (Although, I don’t see it)
If I insist that the answer has to be “observable phenomena” I have to accept the fact that eachsea droplet must possess Sun-like abilities by itself.
Implications of my answer: The Presence of the Sun is witnessed on each droplet of the sea. If the reflection of the sun was conscious, I could communicate with through every droplet…
One particle: Moves to different organisms Functions accordingly Has functions from microcosm to microcosm Works for a specific goal in each of the systems it is in.
Input-Output Witness Model • Look at the output: • What qualities are necessary to create it? • Look at the input: • Can they be the source of these properties? • If no: an Unseen Onewho possesses these qualities must be the Doer
One particle: If I insist that the answer has to be “observable phenomena” I have to accept that eachparticle movement must possess Absolute Intelligence by itself.
Who is the source of light after a moment? The water droplet itself or The Sun
One particle: Who is the source of the particle’s existence after a moment? The particle in the current moment or Timeless Divine Intelligence
We cannot explain any moment without the source! the Source of every movement is He… Continuous creationmeans Continuous dependence to the Source… Continuous Divine Presence
Quran asserts that realitycan only be defined as: In the name of God (bismi Allah)… Every being comes into existence through the Source who possesses the necessary qualities What does this mean?
In the name of God (bismi Allah) is the explanation of reality: In the name of Being In the name of Knowing In the name of Intelligence In the name of Power In the name of Beauty And His are All the Divine Qualities!
Every moment comes into existence as a reflection of His Qualities…
The Quran asks: Do you want to meet your creator? Contemplate Ponder You will find Him right beside you near… Nearer to all things than themselves Nearer to you than yourself
Coming close to God is not “let’s be spiritual now” activity… The Quran offers an explanation of reality that can be confirmed by our faculties enable us to meet the Loving Grace… live joyfully in Divine Presence
The outcome of Quranic reflection is: Muhammad (p): “My Lord: Increase my bewilderment in You.”