The Quran about assumptions
In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful
In the life of man, in the scope of comprehension of the universe and the search for the meaning of life, the aspiration to determine the forthcoming result in the near future plays a fundamental role. Analysis of the patterns of the reality gave people some guidance in predicting possible variants of the events. One of the results of such observations is the sphere of signs and superstitions, which have reached us in their final form of expression, without understanding the source and cause of such an opinion.
Human experience does not have the opportunity to get out of its own borders, thereby signing in its impotence to comprehend the true nature of existence of everything. It is this fact that led to the phenomenon such as an assumption.
To enable people to get closer to the objective truth, the Creator initiated revelation of the transcendental information through selected members of this or that society. Being the last divine source, the Quran narrates to us about the state of a person, defined by the term “zonnun” – to assume, to think, to have an opinion, a thought.
Often, assumptions in people’s lives are based on the most frequently repeated fact, which inspire them the immutability of that state. Refusal to understand the dependence on the Creator led to disastrous consequences.
The example of worldly life is but like rain which We have sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb – from which men and livestock eat – until, when the earth has taken on its adornment and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it Our command by night or by day, and We make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do We explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought. (10:24)
Information about theistic origins of the existence has always been present among the peoples of the world. However, distorting the essence of the message from the Lord, an attempt to explain the very meaning of life by people themselves gave an erroneous opinion.
And if We let him taste mercy from Us after an adversity which has touched him, he will surely say, “This is [due] to me, and I do not think the рour will occur; and [even] if I should be returned to my Lord, indeed, for me there will be with Him the best.”
But We will surely inform those who closed themselves about what they did, and We will surely make them taste a massive punishment. (41:50)
An illustrative example to foster the correct perception of the reality, through a negative event for the bearer of a distorted opinion, is the following Quranic story.
And present to them an example of two men: We granted to one of them two gardens of grapevines, and We bordered them with palm trees and placed between them [fields of] crops. Each of the two gardens produced its fruit and did not fall short thereof in anything. And We caused to gush forth within them a river.
And he had fruit, so he said to his companion while he was conversing with him, “I am greater than you in wealth and mightier in [numbers of] men.”
And he entered his garden while he was unjust to himself. He said, “I do not think that this will perish – ever. And I do not think the hour will occur. And even if I should be brought back to my Lord, I will surely find better than this as a return.”
His companion said to him while he was conversing with him, “Have you closed yourself from Him who created you from dust and then from a sperm-drop and then proportioned you [as] a man? But as for me, He is God, my Lord, and I do not associate with my Lord anyone. And why did you, when you entered your garden, not say, ‘What God willed [has occurred]; there is no power except in God’? Although you see me less than you in wealth and children, It may be that my Lord will give me [something] better than your garden and will send upon it a calamity from the sky, and it will become a smooth, dusty ground, Or its water will become sunken [into the earth], so you would never be able to seek it.”
And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his wrists about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises,
And said, “Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone.”
And there was for him no company to aid him other than God, nor could he defend himself. There the patronage is [completely] from God, the Truth. He is best in reward and best in outcome! (18:32-44)
“Narrow” thinking, being “zombie” in this life, which facilitates only a consumer meaning at the point of “here and now”, does not allow to consider a holistic picture conceived by God and detracts from the allotted role played by all created things.
And We did not create the heaven and the earth and that between them aimlessly. That is the assumption of those who closed themselves, so woe to those who closed themselves from the fire! (38:27)
The problem of truthfulness of historical events is also relevant in our times. In religious terms, the past is especially dissonant with the present, causing a contradiction in the consciousness of believers. Usually, such events are interpreted as the “cornerstone” of truth, although they themselves are not the source and essence of transcendental information. Such an example is the story of the execution of Jesus.
And [for] their saying, “Indeed, we have killed the messiah, Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), the messenger of God!”
And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain. Rather, God raised him to Himself. And ever is God Exalted in Might and Wise! (4:157-158)
A lot of speculation surrounds this topic, but in the Quran the Creator narrates about the true events that happened with Jesus.
The story that happened with Jesus is indicative. At their core, nations aggressively behaved towards the messengers of the Lord, considering them liars, which affected the state of the messengers.
When the messengers despaired and were certain that they had been denied, there came to them Our victory, and whoever We willed was saved! And Our punishment cannot be repelled from the people who are criminals! (12:110)
Muhammad experienced the same situation. Together with his supporters he had to respond to the attacks of the opponents, which resulted in the fighting clashes. Possessing different understandings and the quality of faith, some of the messenger’s entourage fell under the influence of wrong thought
Then after distress, He sent down upon you security [in the form of] drowsiness, overcoming a faction of you, while another faction worried about themselves, thinking of God other than the truth – the thought of ignorance, saying, “Is there anything for us in this matter?”
Say, “Indeed, the matter belongs completely to God!” They conceal within themselves what they will not reveal to you.
They say, “If there was anything we could have done in the matter, some of us would not have been killed right here!”
Say, “Even if you had been inside your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their death beds.” [It was] so that God might test what is in your thoughts and purify what is in your hearts. And God is Knowing of that within the thoughts! (3:154)
By their nature, thoughts come from the outside. The meaning of this fact is what a thought or an opinion the person will prefer. In this connection, the important remark is the following:
O you who have believed! Avoid much assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. Beware of God! Indeed, God is Accepting of repentance and Merciful! (49:12)
On the background of what has been mentioned above, the doctrine of polytheists contains a fundamental error. It is based on human thought. They simply do not have the justification from God.
Those who associated with God will say, “If God had willed, we would not have associated [anything] and neither would our fathers, nor would we have prohibited anything.” Likewise did those before deny until they tasted Our power.
Say, “Do you have any knowledge that you can produce for us? You follow not except assumption, and you are not but falsifying!” (6:148)
Unquestionably, to God belongs whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth. And those who invoke other than God do not [actually] follow [His] “partners.” They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying (10:66)
They are not but [mere] names you have named them – you and your forefathers – for which God has sent down no authority. They follow not except assumption and what [their] personality desire, and there has already come to them from their Lord guidance. (53:23)
The situation could have changed to the correct understanding of the essence of being, if the pantheists would have accepted the proposed message of the Lord as a basis. But obscurantism did not allow accepting the divine message, which is vividly represented in the question about the Day of Debt.
And when it was said, ‘Indeed, the hour promised by God is truth in which there is no doubt!’ you replied, ‘We know not what is the hour. We assume only assumptions! We are not convinced!” (45:32)
In the Quran, people are warned about the consequences of their life credo and faith. Therefore, the answer to the uncertainty on the Day of Debt was the following statement:
And what will be the supposition of those who invent falsehood about God on the day of standing before Him? Indeed, God is full of bounty to the people, but most of them are not grateful.” (10:60)
And that was your opinion which you assumed about your Lord. It has brought you to ruin, and you have become among the losers.” (41:23)
Realizing that thoughts come from outside, through the Quran we learn that one of their authors is our main enemy – dissappointed (iblees).
Truly, the thought of the disappointed (iblees) became the truth for them. So they followed him, except for a party of believers. (34:20)
An attentive person will notice that most of the people follow the thought of the disappointed (iblees). Proceeding from this, the Creator warns about the inferiority of the conformism.
And if you obey most of those upon the earth, they will mislead you from the way of God. They follow not except assumption, and they are not but falsifying! (6:116)
Anyone who has set himself the goal of comprehending the real truth must know that through the assumption, or the opinion of human experience, the truth cannot be achieved.
Most of them follow not except assumption. Indeed, assumption has no benefit for the truth. Indeed, God is Knowing of what they do! (10:36)
But they have no knowledge about it. Indeed, they follow not except assumptions. Indeed, the assumption is useless in relation to the truth! (53:28)