The Divine Gift of Reflection: What Makes Us Human? (English Translation of presentation by Mr. Rizwanullah, Scholar Al Mawrid, Lahore)

 

The Divine Gift of Reflection: What Makes Us Human? 

(English Translation of presentation by Mr. Rizwanullah, Scholar Al Mawrid, Lahore & Dr. Munir Ahmed, courtesy Lariab Series on YouTube) 

Epigraph

"And He made for you hearing, sight, and hearts — yet little are you grateful."
— Qur'an 32:9

Reading Time: 8 minutes

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We share much with the animal kingdom. Like other living creatures, we experience hunger and thirst. We possess instincts that drive us to seek fulfillment. We work to preserve ourselves and continue our species. In these fundamental aspects, humans and animals walk parallel paths.

Yet something profound distinguishes us. When the call of religion reaches humanity, responses vary dramatically—some embrace it wholeheartedly, others turn away with indifference or avoidance. This divergence reveals a unique human capacity. But what exactly sets us apart? What transforms a biological creature into a human being?

The Qur'anic Account of Human Creation

The Qur'an, particularly in Surah As-Sajdah, provides a profound explanation of our origins:

"He began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his progeny from an extract of a humble fluid. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him of His spirit, and made for you hearing, sight, and hearts." (Qur'an 32:7–9)

This verse reveals that human creation unfolded through distinct phases. In the beginning, human beings appeared and perished like other creatures. Then Allah initiated a new process—fashioning and perfecting the human form from humble origins. The culminating act was breathing into humanity something of His own spirit (rūḥ).

This divine breath is what fundamentally distinguishes us from all other living beings. No other creature received this gift—this infusion of a divine element.

Beyond Instinct: The Spiritual Dimension

After Allah breathed His spirit into humanity, the Qur'an tells us He granted faculties of listening, seeing, and understanding—capacities that enable us to comprehend, reflect, and make moral decisions.

Now consider animals also see, hear, and think to some extent. We observe these cognitive activities among them. However, their faculties function entirely within the sphere of instinct and immediate need—finding food, water, shelter, and ensuring reproduction. Their perception serves only survival.

Humans, in contrast, use these same faculties not merely for physical survival but for higher purposes. We can reflect beyond our instincts. We contemplate meaning, pursue justice, create beauty, and seek truth. This capacity emerged after Allah breathed His spirit into us. Through this divine endowment, humanity became distinguished from all other creatures.

The Nature of Divine Spirit (Rūḥ)

When the Qur'an speaks of Allah breathing His spirit into humanity, what does this mean? Does our physical life depend on this spirit?

The word rūḥ operates on two levels. In everyday language, we use it to mean life or soul—"a person's spirit has departed." But in the Qur'anic sense here, the word transcends physical life.

Even before Allah breathed His spirit into the human form, biological life already existed—the body was animated, functioning, living. According to the hadith, after about one hundred and twenty days, the spirit is breathed into the developing child. Yet even before this moment, the embryo possesses biological life—a beating heart, movement, and growth.

This rūḥ is something different from the realm of the unseen, a reality whose true nature we cannot fully comprehend. When the Qur'an says, "He breathed into him of His spirit," it doesn't mean literal blowing, but rather that something proceeds from God's command—an act of creation giving rise to consciousness, perception, reflection, and moral discernment.

This is what distinguishes the human being from all other creatures.

The Honor and the Responsibility

Allah has honored humanity by granting these faculties. But this honor entails responsibility—we must use them as they were meant to be used, especially in understanding divine truth and responding to God's message.

True gratitude (shukr) for these gifts doesn't simply mean saying "thank you." In Arabic, shukr means recognizing the value of something and using it for the purpose for which it was given. If someone gives you a gift, you appreciate it not only by expressing thanks but by using it rightly—for the purpose intended by the giver.

When Allah says, "little do you give thanks," He means we must:

1. Be thankful that He made us human, not animals—granting us the honor of being descendants of Adam
2. Use these faculties as He intended—to recognize His signs, understand His guidance, and follow truth

If these two forms of gratitude are absent, we fail to fulfill the purpose of the divine gifts we received.

The Moral Decline: When Faculties Are Misused

But what happens when these God-given faculties are not used for their higher purpose?

A person may excel intellectually in worldly affairs—in science, technology, business, or art—yet when it comes to religion, revelation, or reflection on God's message, their mind becomes inattentive and dull. It is as if their ears cannot hear, their eyes cannot see, and their heart cannot comprehend.

The Qur'an describes such people powerfully:

"They have hearts with which they do not understand, eyes with which they do not see, and ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle — nay, more astray. They are the heedless ones." (Qur'an 7:179)

Why "more astray" than animals? Because animals use their limited faculties correctly, for their basic survival needs, as nature intended. They cannot be blamed for lacking higher consciousness.

But humans were granted intellect, understanding, reflection, and the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. We were given the capacity to hear God's message, to reflect on its depth, and to recognize truth from falsehood. When we fail to use these faculties, we fall below the level of animals. We sink beneath the rank God honored us with.

The Parable of the Shepherd

The Qur'an presents a vivid parable to illustrate this spiritual deafness:

"The parable of those who disbelieve is that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but a call and a cry; they are deaf, dumb, and blind — they do not understand." (Qur'an 2:171)

Just as sheep hear the sound of the shepherd's voice but do not comprehend what he says, so too does someone who ignores the divine message. Though they hear it, they are spiritually like those animals that hear sound but fail to grasp meaning. The Qur'an paints the picture of a person deaf, blind, and heartless—not in a physical sense, but in the sense that their spiritual perception has died.

A Modern Paradox

Here lies a contemporary paradox: "The world is cash and the Hereafter is deferred payment." Modern humanity sees immediate benefit in worldly pursuits—using God-given abilities to master technology, science, and achieve material progress. Yet when it comes to religion, the same person becomes lethargic and indifferent.

Why this disparity?

The answer requires reflection. If these abilities—intellect, creativity, and observation were meant only for worldly gain, then animals too achieve similar goals within their sphere. If a person believes they've been granted something higher, something more profound, then limiting those powers only to material life is irrational and ungrateful.

When we recognize that our intellect and faculties were meant to serve higher moral and spiritual purposes, we cannot in good conscience confine them to worldly aims alone. Otherwise, we waste the very gift that sets us apart.

The Path Forward: True Gratitude

The essence of this teaching is clear: Whenever we are invited toward Allah—whenever someone calls us to faith, reflection, or righteousness—it becomes our duty to use our God-given faculties of hearing, sight, and understanding to pay attention and respond sincerely.

The faculties that God has granted us—hearing, sight, reflection, and understanding—must be used not only for worldly benefit but also for recognizing and serving Divine truth.

To be truly grateful (shākir) for these gifts means:

1. To acknowledge God for granting them
2. To employ them for the purpose for which they were given—in the service of faith, truth, and moral reflection

If we fail to do so, the Qur'an warns, we descend to the level of animals: "They are like cattle, rather they are more astray." (Surah al-A'rāf 7:179)

Conclusion: A Sacred Trust

Our intellect, senses, and reasoning are not merely evolutionary faculties developed for survival. They are trusts (amānāt) (Qur'an 33:72)—sacred responsibilities meant to lead us toward recognition of the Creator.

While animals see, hear, and think in service of instinct, humans possess these faculties to seek truth, pursue justice, contemplate beauty, and recognize the Divine. The breathing of God's spirit elevated us beyond the instinctive realm into the moral and spiritual dimension.

To misuse or neglect these gifts is to betray our essential nature—to sink from the human to the animal level, or even lower. True humanity lies not in biological classification but in fulfilling the purpose for which we were created: to listen to the voice of truth, to reflect on divine signs in the world, and to align our lives with God's moral law.

The question each of us must answer is simple yet profound: Will we use the divine gifts we've been granted for their intended purpose, or will we squander them on pursuits that reduce us to something less than human?

The choice, ultimately, is ours.

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"And He made for you hearing, sight, and hearts — yet little are you grateful." (Qur'an 32:9)

Source: Mr. Rizwanullah, Scholar Al Mawrid, Lahore

Arranged by:
Aamir I. Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization (PAKISTAN)
MSc Irrigation Engineering (UK)

🌿 Hashish: Intoxication, Law, and the Ethic of Reason

🌿 Hashish: Intoxication, Law, and the Ethic of Reason

Epigraph (Reading Time: 4 minutes) 

“Believers! This liquor, and gambling, and stone altars and divining arrows are all filthy handiworks of Satan. So, avoid them that you may succeed.  Satan only seeks to stir up enmity and malice among you by getting you involved in liquor and gambling, and to keep you from the remembrance of God and from prayer. Then will you abstain from [these things?  Abstain from them] and obey God and His Messenger and continue to abstain [from disobedience]. But if you turn away [from this guidance of Ours], then be informed that the only responsibility of Our Messenger is clear communication” – Qur’an (5:90-92)

It is evident from common sense that the real reason for the prohibition of liquor is the inebriation which it causes. For this reason, everything that intoxicates will similarly stand prohibited, and a small quantity of it shall also be prohibited as a large quantity on the principle of forbidding things that may lead to grave evils.

The question of whether hashish (or cannabis) is allowed is often discussed today in the language of medicine, culture, or recreation. Yet the moral framework approaches it differently — not merely through legality or custom, but through the ethics of reason and intoxication.

 ⚖️ The Principle Behind the Prohibition

 The Prophet (peace be upon him) declared that “Every intoxicant is khamr, and every khamr is forbidden.” (Sahih Muslim, 2003)

 The underlying wisdom is not the drink, the leaf, or the chemical itself — it is the effect that clouds human reason. The Qur’an repeatedly reminds us that the human mind (‘aql) is a trust (amānah) from God, the very faculty through which moral and spiritual understanding arise. Anything that diminishes or disables this faculty, even temporarily, violates that trust.

 Hence, if a substance has the capacity to alter consciousness or impair judgement, whether in small or large amounts, it falls under the same rule as wine.

 🌀 “A Little Won’t Hurt” — The Modern Rationalization

 Many people argue: “I only use a small amount; it doesn’t make me lose control.”

 But this reasoning misses the ethical principle. Once a substance has the potential to intoxicate or produce euphoria, it can lead a person toward a state of indulgence. The pleasure itself — that shift of consciousness — becomes a subtle intoxication, guiding one’s will away from clarity and restraint.

 The reasoning is similar to the example:

 “I can drive safely on the wrong side of the road; no accident will happen.”

 The law is not crafted for exceptional individuals who claim self-control. It is made for the universal human tendency to guard against what the majority may fall into.

 💭 The Spiritual View

 In Islam, halāl and harām are not arbitrary boundaries; they are moral fences built around the sanctity of the human mind and soul. The prohibition of intoxicants is not meant to suppress joy, but to protect inner freedom — the very ability to think, discern, and worship consciously.

 Hashish, in its essence, shares the same potential for euphoria and disconnection from reason as wine or other intoxicants. Even if its medical use may be discussed under legitimate prescriptions, its recreational use cannot be justified within this ethical frame.

 🌙 Conclusion

 The permissibility of hashish cannot be established by the absence of visible harm or loss of control. It must be judged by the principle of potential intoxication — and by that standard, it remains impermissible.

 The moral law aims not to regulate pleasure but to preserve clarity. For once the mind — the seat of reason and faith — becomes dimmed, the human being loses what makes him truly human.

Aamir Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization UMT, Pakistan
MSc Irrigation Engineering UK

Self Proclaimed Atheist Richard Dawkins and Data (not) Deleting Permanently from the Web

 
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

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Epigraph

“We record that which they send before and their footprints; and all things We have kept in a clear register.”

— Qur’an 36:12

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Introduction

Richard Dawkins, in The God Delusion, makes a passing yet striking observation about the internet: once information is uploaded, it is exceedingly difficult to erase it permanently. Even when original sources are deleted, search engines retain cached versions, storing data that lingers beyond its apparent removal. This notion of persistent digital memory offers a fascinating point of reflection when read against Qur’anic descriptions of divine preservation and human accountability. 

Dawkins on Cached Memory:

“It is hard, however, to delete something permanently from the World Wide Web. Search engines achieve their speed partly by keeping caches of information, and these inevitably persist for a while even after the originals have been deleted.”

Here Dawkins highlights the tenacity of data, an almost inescapable digital trace that survives beyond deliberate human erasure.

Qur’anic Parallel

The Qur’an asserts a similar inevitability, but on a far deeper and metaphysical level. Regarding resurrection and the reassembly of human beings, it declares:

“Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes indeed, We are able to proportion even his very fingertips.” (Qur’an 75:3–4)

This verse reminds humankind that nothing of their existence is lost to time. Even the unique pattern of fingerprints, a modern marker of identity, is preserved by the Divine.

Reflection: From Digital Persistence to Divine Memory

The persistence of cached data in our digital age provides a tangible metaphor for the Qur’anic worldview. Just as information online is never truly erased, the Qur’an teaches that no act, word, or trace of human life is lost. God’s record is far more precise and enduring than any technological memory, extending to the smallest anatomical detail.

What Dawkins describes as an accident of technology — data stubbornly surviving deletion — becomes in the Qur’an a deliberate act of divine omniscience: the guarantee that all existence will be reassembled and accounted for.

Conclusion

The resonance between Dawkins’ scientific observation and the Qur’anic proclamation illustrates how modern realities echo age-old revelations. In both cases, the message is clear: nothing truly vanishes. The human tendency to forget or to hide is countered by a cosmic reality in which everything is preserved — whether in a server’s cache or in the divine register.

Aamir Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization Pakistan
MSc Irrigation Engineering UK

Teacher or Clergyman - Torch or Extinguisher?

 Epigraph

“There is in every village a torch – the Teacher: and an extinguisher – the Clergyman.” - Victor Hugo

(Reading time: 2-3 minutes) 

His words resonate deeply with the Qur’anic vision of human responsibility. The Qur’an does not call us to switch off our minds, but rather to sharpen them. God honours reason as a gift and condemns its neglect.

“Indeed, the worst of creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason.” (Qur’an 8:22)

“…But He will place defilement upon those who do not use reason.” (Qur’an 10:100)

“And they will say, ‘If only we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.’” (Qur’an 67:10)

 “And I had no power over you; I only invited you, and you accepted my invitation. So, do not blame me; blame yourselves. Qur’an (14:22)

A teacher enlightens; he awakens thought, encourages reflection, and nurtures growth. The clergyman, when he forgets his role, can extinguish this torch by demanding blind obedience. Yet the Qur’an reminds us that guidance is not compulsion, and that every individual will one day answer to God, alone:

“And all of them will come to Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone.” (Qur’an 19:95)

True scholarship does not suffocate the mind—it empowers it. The believer is called to listen, reflect, and reason. To embrace faith not as an inherited shell, but as a conscious, thoughtful journey.

The torch of a teacher is the flame of reason; the extinguisher of the clergyman is blind submission. Which fire will we carry into the Day we stand before God alone?

“It is a blessed book which We have revealed to you [O Prophet] so that people ponder on its verses and so that those endowed with intellect are reminded by it.” - Qur’an (38:29)

Aamir  Yazdani
MPhil Islamic Thought & Civilization, Pakistan
MSc Irrigation Engineering, UK

Qur'an's Brilliant Verse (24:35) - 'Light UPON Light'

Epigraph:

“God is the light of the heavens and the earth. [In the heart of [The parable is that]  a person,] the example of this light of His is as if there is a niche which has a lamp. The lamp is in crystal. The crystal is such as if it is a shining star. It is lit up by oil that comes from a lush olive tree which is neither eastern nor western. Its oil is [so transparent] as if it will light up even without fire touching it. Light upon light. God grants this light of His guidance to whomsoever He wills.” - Qur'an (24:35)

YOU ASKED: My name is xxxxx. I’m from xxxxx. Currently, I’m enrolled in a course entitled Decoding Islam. I would really appreciate it if you would consider my question. I was reading a verse of Surah Nur: Light.

Meaning:

“God is the light of the heaven and earth. His light may be compared to a niche containing a lamp, the lamp inside a crystal of star-like brilliance lit from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west.”

Some tafseer say the Light means Allah’s guidance, and the lamp is the human heart. Others say the lamp means Fitrah (Human nature). What does “Light” exactly mean here?

MY RESPONSE:

Yes, the light in the verse means Allah’s GUIDANCE. Why so? Please see the shared image of the verse in Arabic and English. The Verse itself explains the ‘light’ as Allah’s GUIDANCE.

What does ‘Light UPON Light’ mean in the verse? Since light means Allah’s GUIDANCE, it implies the latter mention of light in ‘Light UPON Light’ is the Fitrah (Human Nature), as you have rightly pointed out.

Why is it the Fitrah? Because the Qur’an claims that the human race was not born in darkness. It has been born in the light of God’s Guidance.

Let me present two verses of the Qur’an. First is (7:172): “O Prophet!] Remind them of that time too when your Lord had brought forth from the loins of Adam’s children their progeny and had made them testify to themselves. [He had asked:] “Am I not your Lord?” They replied: “Yes, [You alone are our Lord.] We bear witness to it.” This, We did lest you should say on the Day of Judgement: “We had no knowledge of this,…”

The other verse is (91:7-9): “and the soul and the way it is perfected, then inspired it with its evil and its good that the Day of Judgement is certain to come;[hence,] he succeeded who purified his soul.”

Please note these two verses show us man is not born in darkness. The concept of God, the Hereafter (7:172), based on good deeds (91:8), defines human nature (Fitrah). This is the latter part of ‘Light UPON Light’.

The former part of this expression (Light UPON Light) is God’s Guidance in the form of His revelations through His Prophets. That is the reason God ascribes His message as a REMINDER (15:9): “Rest assured, [O Prophet!] Undoubtedly, We Ourselves have sent down this reminder and only We shall protect it.” - A knowledge of which our conscience testifies when we come across it, or when it is presented to us, OR when the prophets used to show it to their people.

This is mentioned, for instance, in the Qur’an (2:38): “We said: 'Get down from here all of you; then if ever comes to you any guidance from Me, follow it…”

So, Light UPON Light.

YOU ASKED: Also, later in the Surah, it says: “the one from whom God withholds His Light will have no light at all.” Does that mean the Light is our conscience, or a special light of Iman that only believers have? It, which here symbolises a lamp inside a crystal.

MY RESPONSE:

No, it is not a special light of Iman that only believers have.

Every human being, irrespective of caste, colour, creed, or religion, carries this light of inner guidance called a conscience. That is why we have universal commonalities like respecting parents, not telling lies, and fulfilling commitments. These are all the inner light of guidance (conscience).

The light is Allah’s innate inborn Guidance. Conscience. That is why Allah produces this as evidence when He mentions in the Qur’an (75:2): “[Do they deny the Day of Judgement?] By no means! I present as witness the Day of Judgement. And by no means! I present as witness this reproaching soul [within you].”

The ‘reproaching soul’ here is our conscience. It refers to the human conscience — the inner self that blames, questions, or reproaches itself when one commits wrong or falls short. We criticise ourselves - self-criticism, self-guilt.

Interestingly, Allah also states that man usually falters in front of his conscience. Qur’an (75:5): “[No, this is not so]; in fact, the truth is that man wants to be mischievous before his conscience.”

So, yes, the latter light in ‘Light UPON Light’ is our inner conscience. It is claimed that our conscience never falters. It always guides us towards the Truth. Obviously, everyone has varying levels of potential, environment, and IQ levels. Some are super intelligent, some are not. Some are imbecile. That is another matter. Conscience, in essence, guides all towards good – hence, the universal commonalities of good.

It is only when the person KNOWINGLY, WILLINGLY, DELIBERATELY denies the Truth (in any form) that Allah declares as ARROGANCE. Such arrogant people in the eyes of Allah are KAFIR (infidels). Allah detests such behaviour.

The sentence: ‘Who withholds Allah’s light shall have no light at all’ means whoever deliberately rejects both these guidance: the former light and the latter light of ‘Light UPON Light’ in the eyes of Allah shall be in darkness. The universe is dark for those who do not believe in God or deny His attributes. It leaves them without clarity on life's purpose, morality, or destiny. Without this divine light, one remains lost in darkness, with no other source of guidance.

YOU ASKED: And if it’s Fitrah, and Fitrah is very human to human. What does that mean? And what does the olive tree in the verse symbolise?

One more question: Does conscience always guide us correctly? Sometimes people make wrong choices and later say, “My heart was telling me to do this at the time.” How do we know if it’s a real conscience (light from Allah) or just our own desire?

I know the nature of the questions is straightforward without any elaboration because I’m confused about it. I would really appreciate it if you could explain this verse.

MY RESPONSE:

The original referred verse (24:35). The olive tree is a fantastic metaphor used by Allah.

He states there is a lamp in a niche (the human heart called the conscience). And the conscience of the person is intact and operative. Meaning the person listens and pays heed to the voice of the conscience. This means the lamp is burning (with the light of guidance). But the oil of the lamp is so pure (human nature) coming from an olive tree (the oil) which belongs to the middle of the olive tree farm and not from the edges (eastern or western) of the farm - this depicts the purity of the tree. Hence, the oil is so pure that it is as if it were ready to catch fire by itself! This means as soon as the inner conscience comes across the FORMER light of the ‘Light UPON Light’, it’ll catch fire - the fire, the light of Allah’s revelations coming down through His prophets!

What does Allah mean by eastern or western, I mentioned above? The farmers know the best fruit the farm yields is from fruit trees within the dense farm and not as much as on the edges. So, to mention the purity of the oil derived from the olive tree, Allah says this fruit tree is from within the dense inner part of the farm and not from the edges.

Now, let me reproduce the whole translation here: Qur’an (24:35):

“God is the light of the heavens and the earth. [In the heart of [The parable is that]  a person,] the example of this light of His is as if there is a niche which has a lamp. The lamp is in crystal. The crystal is such as if it is a shining star. It is lit up by oil that comes from a lush olive tree which is neither eastern nor western. Its oil is [so transparent] as if it will light up even without fire touching it. Light upon light. God grants this light of His guidance to whomsoever He wills.”

Hope it is relatable. Do feel free to comment or ask further questions. You are welcome.

Regards, Aamir Yazdani