Signs (Ayat) Part 2: An Ayah is stronger than an argument

An Ayah (sign) is more than just an argument, it serves as a catalyst, awakening something deeply embedded within us. Its impact is stronger than that of a traditional argument. For example, philosophical arguments about God’s existence, often lead to broad conclusions and remain open to debate because they are part of cognitive reasoning. In contrast, the Ayat (signs) of God are powerful and tangible markers that resonate deeply within the human soul. 

They go beyond mere intellectual cognition and touch something innately embedded within us placed by God Himself. The more one reflects and contemplates these Signs, the stronger one’s Iman (faith) grows because these Signs speak directly to the Nafs (self) affirming in ways what no constructed argument can ever replicate. Innumerable examples can be given to demonstrate this clearly; let’s start with the example of “love”. When a man first falls in love with a woman, he often goes through waves of emotions, from infatuation to deep attachment. Yet is this experience unique to him? Could this be due to his upbringing or cultural background or do all people who fall in love experience similar emotions? 

The answer is that love is a deep emotion that is not merely learned or acquired but is inherent within each of us. From the moment we experience love, the feelings and emotions associated with it, joy, longing, compassion, and even vulnerability, begin to surface naturally. These emotions are not forced or manufactured; they are born organically, as if love itself is a key unlocking something deep within us. 

This phenomenon is not unique to one person, culture, or time in history but is universally experienced by all who truly fall in love and is not an accident or random occurrence. The fact that love so deeply moves every person, regardless of who they are or where they come from, demonstrates it is woven into the very essence of our Nafs by God. This also holds true for a mother’s love for her child. Can we attribute this love to social conditioning or learned behaviour, or is it something in innate in every mother? This love existed like seeds within her, and the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth awaken and nurture it, revealing the deep, innate love that was woven into her very being from the start.

Next let’s look at the relationship between the biological make-up of the tongue and emotion. The human tongue is made up of different taste receptors for sweet, salty, bitter or sour. There is a deliberate proportioning of these taste receptors each evoking associated emotions linked to these sensations. A sweet taste may trigger feelings of comfort or pleasure, while a bitter one might evoke caution or dislike. This link between physical sensations and emotions shows a deep connection between the body and the mind, demonstrating that our very biology is designed to influence our emotional landscape. A slight difference in the proportion of sweet taste receptors would directly influence our emotional responses to certain foods, revealing intentional design. 

Is all this universally experienced or culturally learnt? We can ask the same about the human nose or the eye. The human nose has 400 different types of smell receptors working together to detect countless odours, each triggering a unique emotional response. The scent of perfume or flowers can evoke feelings of comfort and nostalgia, whilst repugnant smells would typically evoke emotions such as disgust, aversion or nausea like the smell of rotting food or decaying flesh. 

Using our eyes we can experience powerful emotions, from the joy at the sight of a blooming flower, to feeling peace in a blue sky or awe in the presence of a breathtaking landscape. Are all these emotional reactions arbitrary or universally deeply embedded? The only rational conclusion is that a Divine Being has intentionally and purposefully designed this to achieve specific outcomes.
     
The universe is filled with countless Ayat (signs) from God, each serving a purpose for the human being. In the Qur'an, God tells us that He created everything on Earth for our benefit, as He says,
 
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا

“It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth…”[1]
 
Then God advises us that to fully benefit from His signs, one must possess Iman (faith) and the journey of Divine discovery begins with even the smallest spark of Iman (Faith). As that Iman deepens, the ability to perceive and appreciate His signs grows stronger. It is a reciprocal relationship: the more your Iman increases, the more you recognise and comprehend God’s signs, and in turn, those signs further increase and strengthen your Iman. The dynamic here is one of co-dependence, where Iman (faith) facilitates insight, while insight nurtures and strengthens Iman (faith). This feedback loop solidifies the epistemic foundations of Ma’rifah in which Iman (faith) interacts with our rationality. God says,
 
قُلِ انظُرُوا مَاذَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا تُغْنِي الْآيَاتُ وَالنُّذُرُ عَن قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ
 
“Say, “Look at what there is in the heavens and on Earth.” But Signs and warnings will not benefit the people who do not believe.”[2]
 
Dr. Umar al-Ashqar writes, “This universe is an open book of truth which can be read in every language and understood by all means. It can be understood by ordinary people living in tents and huts, and by city-dwellers living in apartments and palaces. Each person can understand it according to his own level and potential and find in it some support for the truth when he searches it with the purpose of finding the truth. It is open at all times.” [3]

The activity of the human mind fundamentally depends on the presence of these Signs. Our thoughts, ideas and emotions require connections through associations. These associations organize cognitive structures, allowing us to make sense of the world and navigate it effectively. They act as a scaffold for understanding, revealing the deeper meaning embedded in the Ayat (Signs), which manifest as Nur (light). 

The meaning that emerges from the signs of God represents a higher form of light transcending the physical realm. Sa’id ibn Ali al-Qahtani, author of the famous Hisnul Muslim, writes “There are two types of light. The first type is empirical light (nur hissi) that exists in the physical world…The second type is the semiotic light (nur ma’nawi) that is perceived through the spiritual heart.” Inner vision perceives this light through the heart, just as the eye perceives physical objects through sight, as Ibn al-Qayyim explains, “There is light that is intelligible (ma’qool) and processed by the eyes of the heart and there is physical light that is perceived through the physical eyes.”

The connection between light and meaning is also evident within the English language, where we describe those who acquire knowledge as being ‘enlightened.’ Physical light illuminates our surroundings, while spiritual light provides us with knowledge of God, enabling us to journey toward Him.  Both the signs and the meanings they represent emit light. The light reflected from a physical sign is processed by the physical eye, while the light of meaning is perceived by the spiritual eyes of the heart as the Qur’an states, “It is not the eyes that are blind, but rather it is the hearts in the chests that are blind”[4]

When this Nur (light) is perceived by the heart, a person becomes enlightened. Acting in accordance with this light allows it to radiate through their actions. They become a sign for others, as their righteous actions reflect the light that first entered their heart. For example, when someone is moved by God's mercy, they perceive this light with their heart’s eyes. When they embody this quality by showing love and compassion, maybe to an orphan, they are channelling that light into their actions. As they act, their entire being radiates the same light that once touched their heart, and those around them benefit from it. Ibn al-Qayyim explains, “This is why the Prophet asked his Lord so fervently to put light in his flesh and bones, muscles, hair and skin, his hearing and sight, above and beneath him, on his right and on his left, behind him and before him – saying, ‘and make of me light’. In short, he would ask his Lord to make every particle of his inner and outer being into light…”[5]

Sayyid Qutb writes, “Mankind is part of this universe, and their life cannot be sound or healthy unless their hearts beat with the rhythm of the universe and are connected to the rhythm of this great universe. There has to be a connection between their hearts and everything they learn about one of the stars or planets, or about the characteristics of plants and animals, or the characteristics of the entire universe in general, and the living and inanimate worlds that it contains — if indeed there are inanimate worlds — or there is anything inanimate in this universe!”
 
Umar al-Ashqar writes, “A few years ago, the sands in the Rub' al-Khaali desert (the Empty Quarter) were blown away by a windstorm to reveal the ruins of a city that had been covered by the sands. Scientists began to examine the contents of the city to try to determine the period in which it had been built. Nobody among the archaeologists or others even suggested that this city could have appeared as a result of the natural actions of the wind, rain, heat and cold, and not by the actions of man. If anyone had suggested such a thing, people would have regarded him crazy and would have taken pity on him. So how about if someone had said that this city was formed by the air from nothing in the far distant past, then it settled on the earth? This suggestion is no less strange than the previous, in fact it is far stranger. Why? Because nothing cannot create something, which is simply the matter of common sense, and a thing cannot create itself. According to the way we know the city, there has to be someone who brought it into existence. 

What we see tells us something about the people who made it. The city must have been made by intelligent people who were skilled in construction and planning.  If we see a person going from the bottom of a building to the top, we see nothing strange in that, because a person has the ability to do that. But if we see that a rock which was in the courtyard of the building has moved to the top of the building, we will be certain that it did not move by itself. There has to have been someone who picked it up and moved it, because a rock does not have the ability to move or climb. It is strange that people are certain that the city could not have come into existence without a creator, and that it could not have built itself, and they are certain that the rock must have had someone who would take it up to the top of the building, but there are those among them who insist that this universe came into being without a creator, even though the structure of the universe is far more complex”[6]

[1] Surah al-Baqarah 2:29.
[2] Surah Yunus 10:101
[3] Umar al-Ashqar, Belief in Allah.
[4] Qur’an, 22:46.
[5] Wabil as-Sayyib, Ibn Qayyim.
[6] Umar al-Ashqar, Belief in Allah.

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