Article appeared Friday, September 15th, 2017 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (492) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Is it possible to rationally discover the nature of God? Or more importantly, should humans
attempt to logically discover His Nature? As human beings are different from rest of the creation,
before attempting to answer these two questions, perhaps we should consider why we are
unique or rather why did God decide to create us? Now, where can we find possible answers to
this question?

A logical approach would be to analyze passages in world literature or the Holy Scriptures that
document what happened at the time when the first human (Adam) was created. As an
example, in the Holy Quran we catch the story in Chapter 2 where God gets the angels to
witness the creation of the first human.
Behold your Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." [2.30]

God was about to create a vicegerent [2.30]! What place would a vicegerent hold in relation to
God and what would be the relationship with the rest of creation? A vicegerent is a person
exercising delegated power on behalf of a sovereign or ruler, i.e., in this case a person regarded
as an earthly representative of God {1}. So God was about to create humans or His
representatives. Could there be a greater honor? The next Verses enlighten us as to the special
knowledge processing ability of the new creation.
And He taught Adam the nature of all things; then He placed them before the angels
and said: "Tell Me the nature of these... [2.31]

They said: "Glory to You, of knowledge we have none, save that You have taught us:
[2.32]

He said, "O Adam! Tell them their natures." When he had told them [2.33]

What do the above Verses tell us about the knowledge base of the new creation? The given
database of each human contains knowledge regarding the nature of all things [2.31], i.e.,
concepts of all things, knowledge that the angels have [2.32] not been given! How can this
knowledge base be utilized? Just like God tested Adams ability to answer [2.33], or just as we
query Google to find an answer, the knowledge base can be used by querying or asking. By
asking, we connect our queries to knowledge, i.e., to answers in the knowledge base. This is
how learning or comprehension takes place for the individual and essentially how all innovations
have come about.

The difference with the previous creations is the new ability to process knowledge by asking
questions, guessing answers and checking validity. Abraham used this methodology [6.76
6.79], to work out and understand who God is and His Nature. Through repeated questioning
Abraham removed all other imagined gods from his heart and settled, with conviction, on God
Almighty alone the only One with Power. Therefore, God says in the Al-Quran,
Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to God, does good
and follows the way of Abraham the true in faith? For God did take Abraham for a
friend. [4.125]

Why was God so pleased with Abraham? Was it because Abraham fulfilled the purpose for
which God created him? Can the method used by Abraham to discover and establish faith in
God be called righteousness? Can this method be called his way or Abrahams religion?
And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with
folly? Him We chose and rendered pure in this world: and he will be in the Hereafter in
the ranks of the righteous. [2.130]
So, as human beings, should we attempt to discover the nature of God through asking
questions? For example, can God have a son? Before this, to clarify matters can we ask who is
God? Let us find some answers from the Al-Quran.
Praise be to God Who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and
the light. Yet those who reject Faith hold (others) as equal with their Guardian-Lord.
[6.1]

God originated everything in the universe from nothing. He made the darkness and light and the
heavens and the earth. Can such a Being, whose Abilities are beyond our comprehension, be
anything like a human being? Can the manufactured and manufacturer be equal/alike? For
example, can the manufacturer of a car be of similar nature to the car itself? Can we say that
the best made car is a son of the manufacturer? If the logic of such ideas is unacceptable or
preposterous, is it a surprise that God questions this logic in the Al-Quran,

19.88 They say: "(God) Most Gracious has begotten a son!"

If we say such a thing, we have the rejected faith, as pointed out in Verse 6.1, i.e., we have not
tried to understand the basic Nature of God. How should God respond to this concept?

19.89 Indeed you have put forth an idea most monstrous!

19.90 At (the concept) the skies are ready to burst, the earth ready to split
asunder and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin;

19.91 That they should invoke a son for (Allah) Most Gracious.

19.92 For it is not consonant with the majesty of (Allah) Most Gracious that He
should beget a son.
Every concept, every object and every moment is created by God. Hence, whatever exists is
subservient to Him. Humans cannot create therefore God has arranged procreation for them.

19.93 Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to
(Allah) Most Gracious as a servant.

19.94 He does take and account of them (all) and has numbered them exactly.
He has conceived, designed and created all else - He also sustains and looks after everything.

19.95 And every one of them will come to him singly on the Day of Judgment.

19.96 On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness will (Allah) Most
Gracious bestow Love.
On the Day, He will demonstrate His Pleasure towards those who have followed the ways of
Abraham. What would the yardstick for judgment on the Day? The final Revelation or the Holy
Scripture Al-Quran contains the rules or laws which will be used as a measure.

19.97 So have We made the (Qur'an) easy in your own tongue that with it you may give
Glad Tidings to the righteous and warnings to people given to contention.
Can we learn from history? What has happened to those who did not care to develop their faith?

19.98 But how many (countless) generations before them have We destroyed?
Can you find a single one of them (now) or hear (so much as) a whisper of them?
----------
{Notes}:
{1} https://www.google.com/search?q=vicegerent&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-ab