“Indeed, within the universes and the earth are Signs for the Believers. And in the creation of yourselves and the animals that He disperses are Signs for those who have Yaqin (certainty).” [1]
God created us to discover Him and placed before us the heavens and earth to help us achieve this purpose. He has put on display a demonstration of His abilities and power, all of which helping a human to establish a relationship with Him. This will, in turn, kindle in the heart of every sincere individual a longing to see Him.
God explains in the Qur’an, “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Mujahid, the student of Ibn Abbas, explains that the words illå li ya'budun 'that they may worship Me', means illa li ya’rifun “that they may know Me.” Baghawi remarks, after quoting this in his tafsir, “This is the best [of what has been said]; for had He not created them, they would never have known of His existence or divinity.”[2]
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali writes, “God created creation so that they may worship Him through love, fear and hope of Him. God said: “I created jinn and men only that they may worship Me.” However, God can only be worshiped by possessing knowledge (marifah) of Him; which is why He created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, as an indicator to His divinity and majesty. About this, God says, [in Surah at-Talaq [65:12]
“Allah it is who has created seven heavens, and of the earth a similar number. His command descends through them, so that you may know Allah has power over all things, and that He encompasses all things in knowledge.” [3]
For the Believer, life is seen as a rich tapestry of signs, an arena of tests that allow us the opportunity of knowing God and developing a relationship with Him. Ibn al-Qayyim has noted, “In the Qur'an, Allah, Exalted is He, invites people to acquire ma'rifah; or knowledge and gnosis [of Him], via two ways: Firstly, by reflecting upon the divine handiwork [in creation]; and secondly, by contemplating over the Qur'an and pondering over its meanings. The former are His signs that are seen and witnessed, the latter are His signs which are heard and understood.”
The greatest evidence of God before us is His creation. Nature itself and our study of nature, both proclaim the fact that there is one God who, in the infinity of His Wisdom, has created and continues to sustain this universe. By ignoring or rejecting this truth, we plunge ourselves into an abyss of murky incomprehension and its attendant evils. The very existence of the universe, with its superb organisation and immeasurable meaningfulness, is inexplicable except as having been brought into existence by a Creator—a Being with infinite intelligence — rather than by blind force.[4]
The word Ayah (Sign) and its derivatives appear more than 350 times in the Qur’an, encompassing a range of contexts referring to the creation and revelation to language and beyond. Each of these Signs serve as a lesson for us and a sign of God’s existence, power, and sovereignty. In modern academia, “Semiotics” is the study of signs and symbols, and how they are used to convey meaning. It explores how people interpret and understand signs, whether they are words, images, sounds or objects. It examines the “sign” and how meaning is constructed and communicated. In Semiotics, a sign is made up of two parts:
· The Signifier: The form that the sign takes (a word, image, sound, etc.).
· The Signified: The concept or meaning that the sign represents.
A typical example given is a red traffic light; the red traffic light being the signifier, and the idea of “stop” is what is signified. Together, they form a sign that communicates a message in the context of traffic.
The Qur’anic paradigm teaches that the entire world is made up of Signs.
Scientific
“Indeed, within the universes and the earth are signs for the believers” (45:3)
Blessings
“He causes to grow for you thereby the crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and from all the fruits. Indeed in that is a sign for a people who give thought.” (16:11)
Supernatural Phenomena
“If We willed, We could have sent down to them a sign from the sky for which their necks would remain humbled.” (26:4)
Warnings
“And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamud the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not the signs except as a warning.” (17:59)
Punishments
“And We showed them not a sign except that it was greater than its sister, and We seized them with affliction that perhaps they might return [to faith].” (43:48)
Languages
“And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colours. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.” (30:22)
Historical Events
“So today We will save you in body that you may be to those who succeed you a sign. And indeed, many among the people, of Our signs, are heedless” (10:92)
Human Beings
“And [mention] the one who guarded her chastity, so We blew into her [garment] through Our angel [Gabriel], and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds.” (21:91)
Umar al-Ashqar writes, “The Qur'an takes us on one journey after another through the horizons of the heavens and the different parts of the earth, pausing to consider the flowers of the meadows, taking us up to the stars in their orbits. In this way it opens our eyes and our hearts, showing us how the power and decree of God operate in His creation, uncovering for us the mysteries of creation, guiding us to the wisdom behind creation, and explaining the immense blessings which He has bestowed upon us and the universe around us.”[5]
[1] Qur’an, 45:3-4
[2] Baghawi, Ma’lim al-Tanzil. Tafsir Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir.
[3] Ibn Rajab, Istinshaq Nasim al-Uns
[4] Waheeduddin Khan, God Arises.
[5] Umar al-Ashqar, Belief in Allah.
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