The Meaningful Universe, Part 2 – Thinking from the Heart

To think is given great emphasis and importance in the Quran; of course, in a meaningful universe, this is how we can understand both the fact that it is full of meaning, and what it means for us. In fact, in a meaningful universe, it’s impossible for us to access that meaning without using our minds. The nautilus as a symbol for humans uses the metaphor of cephalopod or “head-foot.” We truly are guided on our path through life in pursuit of its meaning for us by our minds/“heads.” In the Quran, the “heart,” which is described by several terms (a really excellent presentation of the words for heart/mind in the Quran), as the locus of our souls/selves, is where various thought processes take place, whereas what we think of as the “brain” is not what does the thinking, rather we do as conscious selves/souls using the heart/brain. One could say we are the nautilus but our “feet” – that which truly moves us forward – are our ways of thinking/intellect, refined and actively used in the heart. First we need to distinguish between presumption and reason; between being guided by whatever we assume to be true without thinking, and being guided by what actually makes sense when we think about it, by logic and “common sense,” and of course, conscience. Which, again, is associated in the Quran with the heart, in a more profound and comprehensive way. 

 

The Meaningful Universe, Part 1 – Interconnection with Purpose

We are living in a strange, almost desperate time. What we thought was reliable and true seems upended. How many people are suffering psychologically, mentally, and physically, but drugs and other medical interventions don’t seem to work? So much hostility and death, even in places supposedly at peace. In the modern world, there’s a sense of meaninglessness, of not knowing what or whom to trust. This was described by the poet W.B. Yeats:

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold.
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed,
and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is lost.
The best lack all conviction,
while the worst are filled with passionate intensity.
(W.B. Yeats, “The Second Coming”)

Note: the title of this poem is “The Second Coming,” an idea I just debunked! But its description and prediction of the modern world, a literal “second coming” aside, is indeed true. Because what he was describing is actually the very real approach of the Hour. Incidentally—or not—this poem was written in 1919.

Does this description in the poem sound familiar? This is in essence the harvest of a world that denies meaning, the idea that everything is random; instead of God, we have the uncertainty principle. But there is meaning all around us, although it often may feel like we’re being pushed away from it. In fact, in reality the entire universe is highly integrated. In quantum “mechanics,” things that are light-years apart are connected. In truth, everything is interconnected, and within this matrix there is meaning. The Quran helps us get our bearings on the meaning of the worlds He created and how our connection to the One Who is singularly connected to everything, brings that meaning, connectivity, and its immense value and power to us mere mortals—enlightening and healing our immortal souls to see into and beyond this world of time, thus find our way to Allah/God. This is Part One of a Series.

What Does the Quran Say about Jesus’ “Second Coming?” And about Masih Al-Dajjal, the Antichrist?

First, the Quran says nothing about a “second coming” or “return” of Jesus/Isa, nor does it mention an Anti-Christ/Masih Dajjal or anything similar. This itself is a serious omission for such a significant and unprecedented event. But there is an aya in the Quran (43:61) that is often construed to possibly “fit” the idea that Jesus might somehow be “coming back.” And there are many hadiths which mention this idea. Hence for many Muslims, it’s a done deal. But how reliable are those hadiths and do they contradict the Quran? For one thing, the Quran, unequivocally states that prophet Mohammad is the “seal” of the prophets (33:40). The word khatam or “seal” is significantly different than to say “the last” or akhir prophet. A “seal” as used in the Quran means an irreversible decree from Allah Himself, the same word used repeatedly to say Allah “sealed the hearts” of rejectors/disbelievers (4:155, 9:87, 9:93, 16:108, 47:16, 63:3). Once Allah “seals” a person’s heart, there’s no turning back. For Jesus/Isa to come after Mohammad would “break the seal” and it doesn’t change this fact that Isa was not a new prophet. In fact, it goes against the Way of Allah with his prophets, discussed below, as well as breaches the impassable barrier between this world and alghaib – the unseen, which in this case refers to Allah’s timeless realm – and this is simply never allowed. There’s no room for equivocation!