Aboard Noah's Ark - 3

Just like the elements of the creation, be them small or big, are messages from God, natural events, too, are signs and messages of God, be them ordinary or out of the ordinary.

Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient, (2/26)

Unfortunately, those who have molded their minds so that they will not see those messages even if posed explicitly cannot find true guidance. Instead, they seek alternative explanations and cover up the eyes of their hearts.

I will turn away from My signs those who are arrogant upon the earth without right; and if they should see every sign, they will not believe in it. And if they see the way of consciousness, they will not adopt it as a way; but if they see the way of error, they will adopt it as a way. That is because they have denied Our signs and they were heedless of them. (7/146)

We then replaced their misfortune with well-being until they were relieved and began saying, "Our fathers had also experienced good and bad days." Suddenly, We struck them (with torment) while they were all unaware (of what was happening). (7/95)

This is, perhaps, what had happened with the son of Noah, when he said that he could escape the flood by climbing a high mountain. In their view, this rain was the long awaited water after a drought that struck them hard, which in fact was a warning from God but which was missed by the people of Noah for the reason stated above.

Then I said, Ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving: He will send rain to you in abundance (71/10-11)

And it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Noah called to his son who was apart [from them], "O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers." His son replied, "I shall climb up a mountain and this will save me from the flood." Noah said, "No one can escape on this day from God's command except those on whom He has mercy." The waves separated Noah from his son who was then drowned with the rest (of the unbelievers). (11/42-43)

Then, it is clear that the events that happen to us personally or as a society are communications from God in different languages. These languages can be in the civilized manner as in the admonitions of the holy books, or they can be in more physical forms such as economical crises, natural disasters, pandemics, wars... All in all, the message is clear. The will of God is established sooner or later, but whether we are going to benefit from it or lose badly depends on our choice of actions.

And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing. (35/45)

Till, when the messengers despaired and thought that they were denied, then came unto them Our help, and whom We would was saved. And Our wrath cannot be warded from the guilty. (12/110)

It is also noteworthy that being in a society that is committed to evil, in and of itself, is a potential risk. If you are there and working to spread the message of God through your actions and communications, then you personally may be safe. However, extended duration of "no result", that is no change for the better, may be a sign that you shouldn't stay there anymore. Being in a decisively sinner community is also a risk in the sense that you yourself can shift towards them. After all, you are an individual in the face of a society. Even if you don't commit those sins yourself, you may start supporting their evils through various make-ups in your mind. So, one must separate from a sinning society at some point or at some depth. If you have to stay in there, you must detach your heart and/or your personal life from them to stay properly guided. Otherwise, you may find yourself at the same dreadful end.

And fear an affliction which may not smite those of you in particular who are unjust; and know that Allah is severe in requiting (evil). (8/25)

To sum up, an economic or political crisis or a war or a pandemic affects everybody. These events are for sure messages or afflictions from God, but those who have blinded their hearts won't be able to see this. Furthermore, joining the party of such blind hearted people, even if you don't actively do evil, is a fault in itself. In such cases, when the time comes, God establishes the order by force. These forces may be incomprehensible or invisible. The incomprehensibility, we talked about it. But what about invisibility? Angels? Yes, angels are part of the answer, but not the whole of it.

And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth. And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise. (48/7)

When the angels are in action, this may be invisible to us, like a miraculous intervention, or it can be visible to us behind certain veils. For example, when the people of Lot were destroyed, it was the angels at work but in the appearance, a natural disaster of some sort was taking place. Similarly, during the Event of the Elephant (105/1-5) when the army that was about to destroy the Kaaba was itself destroyed by the birds, it was angels at work behind the veil. Again, during the Battle of the Trench (Handaq) in the Islamic history, the wind that made it impossible to stay outside, let alone fighting, was a clear, but invisible, help from God. It was fulfilled by the angels, but the manifestation of this help was an unyielding and endless storm.

O you who have believed, remember the favor of Allah upon you when armies came to [attack] you and We sent upon them a wind and armies [of angels] you did not see. And ever is Allah , of what you do, Seeing. (33/9)

After this journey to the future in time, if we snap back to our time on the ark, obviously those who have been blind towards the messages of God have been eradicated, and we are in an explicit coverage by God. Still, the same question bothers us, what to do to avoid a massive relapse to the heart blindness?

Anger Engine - 6

The connotation of anger is heat. Indeed, when angry, our body temperature increases and it becomes manifest on our faces. This state of ours, when explosively relieves itself, causes destructive results. Breaking things apart as such does not have to be the case, however. The same energy and power can be channeled to make permanent changes for the better.

In our study of anger towards God, we came to the point where we voluntarily decided to change things in ourselves. We started to work on a more direct and unmediated relationship with him. We were hoping to find, at last, peace with God and peace in our soul through such efforts. To our surprise, however, we realized that our All-Wise Guide wants us to do more and risk more! Why is it not enough for Him that we want to change ourselves?

There are several rays of wisdom shining from this enigma. First, God has different names and attributes, each having a different manifestation. Our state of anger towards Him, although forgivable through His mercy, requires a payment or a sacrifice as atonement. That is why we are pushed towards our limits, which may seem exacerbating the situation; but in fact, that state is a precursor to the peaceful days, as required by His compassion, mercy and generosity (2/214).

Second, the final word of God, Quran, is sent not as a library classic (25/30, 62/5) but as a genetic code to be brought alive through our deliberate and thoughtful actions (13/31, 59/21). Failing to do so is against the will of God. Therefore, He wants us to embrace the Quran wholly, and practice it even if it means going against the status quo, prejudices, social pressure or even if it means material loss (5/54). By pushing us to our limits in different aspects of life, several of them at the same time, the All-Wise Educator is ensuring that we are going to be obliged to explore the entire universe of the Quran. After all, it was us who had invited the tribulations by acting conservatively and risk-free by orbiting around the same, old planet (2/85).

Third, when we make a decision to change things in our selves, while crushed under the pressure of the unfortunate events, this is a reactionary state that is destined to fade by time. It does not warrant a permanent change (44/15). That is, even if we do things for a little while in the way pleasing to God, in the long run, as our feelings and anger sooth, we are likely to return to a robotic and conservative state, devoid of life and change. Quran is there to bring life to our relationship with God through His different names. So, our Lord pushes us to make irreversible changes both in ourselves and around us to cast a permanent improvement. He wants to ensure that we are not going to go back. Of course, He could do this using His infinite will and power, but that is against the notion of free will. So, our tolerant Lord prepares the grounds upon which we are going to take actions willfully. What those actions are depends on who we are and the circumstances we are in. We must read the Quran through the lens of the conditions surrounding us, which are likely to help us see the points that were previously invisible (50/22).

Fourth, if we are amidst unjust and unfair treatments, on one side it is us who must change, but on the other side, our environment must change, too. If God is telling us the signs of change through the tongue of misfortunes, He is also telling us by the same token to change things around ourselves as well. After all, justice and solidarity among people can not be established without healing the existing injustices. After all, the same mistakes are inevitable without changing the minds and paradigms. Ok but, how can you accomplish this daunting task, given that it is your failure thereof that has led to the tribulations and oppression crushing you?

This is where your faith goes into a challenge. If you do what is due to you and change yourself for the better, than on the other side of this contract is your Lord (2/40). He is the one to change what you are unable to. How He makes that happen is a matter of wonder. One thing is for sure, though. When He gives the reins to your hand in order for you to steer things towards the good, you must be ready for it. Realize that you cannot get ready for such mission if you don't get rid of the psychology of herd, if you cannot break free of slave mentality. You cannot prepare grand projects for the future, if your greatest ambitions are about recreating the past, which has been devastated by the Almighty. Looking into prosperous days requires you to trust in the power and will of your Merciful and Wise Lord, who is the cause of all causes.

So, the best time to make changes to ourselves is when we are angry and under pressure. It is also the best time to draft comprehensive plans to be  realized in the future. The readiness of those plans and your commitment thereof are not going to be wasted by the Exquisite Designer of the universe, who dislikes waste (6/95, 7/31). He is going to prepare not only the conditions but also the people so that you can achieve in short time what would be impossible for you otherwise.

GET READY.

Relevant Quranic verses to the topic: 

Children of Israel, recall My favors which you enjoyed. Fulfill your covenant with Me and I shall fulfill Mine. Revere only Me. (2/40)

... So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. (2/85)

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near. (2/214)

And what is [the matter] with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and [for] the oppressed among men, women, and children who say, "Our Lord, take us out of this city of oppressive people and appoint for us from Yourself a protector and appoint for us from Yourself a helper?" (4/75)

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm for Allah , witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (5/8)

O you who believe! Whoever of you reverts from his religion, (know that in his stead) Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who loves Him, humble toward believers, stern toward disbelievers, striving in the way of Allah, and not fearing the blame of any blamer. Such is the grace of Allah which He gives unto whom He wills. Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. (5/54)

O believers, look after your own souls. He who is astray cannot hurt you, if you are rightly guided. Unto God shall you return, all together, and He will tell you what you were doing. (5/105)

Indeed We sent to nations before thee, and We seized them with misery and hardship that they might be humble; Then why, when Our punishment came to them, did they not humble themselves? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made attractive to them that which they were doing. Then, when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened unto them the gates of all things till, even as they were rejoicing in that which they were given, We seized them unawares, and lo! they were dumbfounded. (6/42-44)

Surely Allah causes the grain and the stone to germinate; He brings forth the living from the dead and He is the bringer forth of the dead from the living; that is Allah! how are you then turned away. (6/95)

O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters. (7/31)

And if there was any qur'an by which the mountains would be removed or the earth would be broken apart or the dead would be made to speak, [it would be this Qur'an], ... (13/31)

And the Messenger cried out: O my Lord! surely my people have treated this Quran as a forsaken thing. (25/30)

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with the doers of good. (29/69)

We shall remove the torment for a while but you will revert to your old ways. (44/15)

Certainly you were heedless of it, but now We have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp. (50/22)

Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect . (59/21)

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (62/5)

Anger Engine - 2

If the feeling of anger is a behavioral manifestation of our immune system to avoid losses and damage, it makes sense that we get angry towards the loved ones more quickly, because loving means putting down your shields against someone and letting them be close to you beyond others. Believing in God, in this context, is a major cause for anger, because you are submitting your entire being and making yourself vulnerable to an entity who can do anything with you (3/40,47) with eternal and infinite impunity (21/23).

Linking back to some of the points raised in the first episode, a believer's expectation of good things from God prepares the grounds for anger towards Him, when and if those expectations are not only not met but also crushed with the exact opposite of the expectation. Still, it is intriguing that God constantly admonishes and orients the believers to be expecting of good things from Him and strive for the realization of favors. On one side, it is God who wants to be known as the bountiful and merciful, and on the other side, it is again Him who is creating anger towards Himself. Why is He doing this?

Before anything else, let's see some Quranic verses related to the engendering of the mentioned expectations:

Say, "What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?" (25/77)

Or, Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you successors in the earth. (27/62)

And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." (40/60)

You will certainly ask Him for help. He will save you from hardship if He decides to do so and you will forget all about your gods." (6/41)

Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; (7/55)

And do not make mischief in the earth after its reformation, and call on Him fearing and hoping; surely the mercy of Allah is nigh to those who do good (to others).(7/56)

And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way. (2/186)

Say: Who is it that delivers you from the dangers of the land and the sea (when) you call upon Him (openly) humiliating yourselves, and in secret: (6/63)

Therefore remember Me, I will remember you, and be thankful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to Me. O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. (2/152-153)

Unto Him is the real prayer. Those unto whom they pray beside Allah respond to them not at all, save as (is the response to) one who stretches forth his hands toward water (asking) that it may come unto his mouth, and it will never reach it. The prayer of disbelievers goes (far) astray. (13/14)

Recall your Lord if you forget to do something. Say, "I hope that my Lord will provide me better guidance."(18/24)

So call not upon another god with Allah, lest you be of those who are punished. (26/213)

And He answers those who believe and do good deeds, and gives them more out of His grace; (42/26)

and whoever is careful of (his duty to) Allah, He will make for him an outlet, And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him. Verily, Allah will accomplish his purpose. Indeed Allah has set a measure for all things.(65/2-3)

At this point, it may be better to stop and recall your thoughts about the evil problem and "why God doesn't answer the prayers when and as asked". You may also make some outside reading, if you haven't done so, on these issues, because I am not going to do a discussion of those topics here. Rather, I want to keep my focus on the wisdom behind God's deliberate drive of individuals or humanity at large mad about Himself.

Of course, the One with infinite wisdom and knowledge and unbounded will power can design different paths of life for each individual. He can also guide people through innumerable ways towards what is pleasing to Him. And, being the ultimate judge on the judgment day, He can forgive or waive the things that we deem outrageous. In short, the first point to note here is that this is a subtle issue, in which we may not understand everything, or things may clarify much later. So, we have to accept that we may not have answers always to our guiding question.

In order to take a glance of the second point, think of these two situations and answer which one of them imply more love and belonging? First one is a case where person A is angry towards person B, but cannot voice it or prefers not to. Rather, person A shuts themselves towards person B. Second situation is again person A being angry towards person B, and voices their anger and frustration towards B, and B listens without echoing the same anger. Later on, person A and person B work out their relationship, and they reach an even stronger bonding.

It is clear in the above story that the lack of conflict in the appearance of the first case does not imply love and the presence of conflict in the latter does not imply lack of love. So, one has to admit the fact that they may go through situations in this life where their love and belonging may be put to test by means of "evil looking" events inducing anger towards God. Furthermore, one has to exercise their freedom of expression towards God. Of this needs to be done with the due respect. That is, addressing God when in public and addressing Him when in private requires different levels and kinds of respect. If you are angry, let it be known in private. If your soul is getting crushed, shout it from the depths of your heart, for it sure is heard. Perhaps this collapse of your mental and spiritual structures is among the aims attached by God to the calamity surrounding you.

"Letting go of anger toward God may not happen all at once. But each day, hand over your anger to Him. Thankfully we have a patient, kind-hearted God who can carry everything we bring to Him. Even our anger."

Adam Weber

Next, remember that anger narrows our focus to what is endangering us (89/16). It pushes us towards a destructive action. In the case of anger towards God, what can you destroy? God?

The only thing you can really destroy when you are angry with God is yourself. That includes your attitude towards God, i.e. your faith. And perhaps, this is exactly what is intended here! Shocking, as it may sound, attacking your faith actually can be part of the actions you were expected to take until then, but didn't. Let's dig in here.

If you were a person who didn't believe in God, you would get mad about people or things when you are faced with adversity. As your faith in God grows more authentic and stronger, you realize and feel the grasp and the control of God in life events, and so, it becomes increasingly harder for you to attribute the adversities to the people. You know for sure that God did not interfere with what happened or is happening! Fast forward, if you are eventually getting angry towards God in this situation, it is clear that you need a spiritual/mental "cardiac surgery". Given that God does not commit injustice (3/182, 8/51), there must be something wrong, which you are missing and which is driving you crazy. So what is it and why is it?

Three major candidates in this regard are listed below. As we later consider them one by one, you will see that they are very much interconnected.

1. your knowledge of God is incomplete and/or contains errors.
2. your perception of the events is incomplete and/or contains errors.
3. your knowledge of yourself is incomplete and/or contains errors.

To Love or Not To Love

Among the three powers of the ego, lust is perhaps the most misunderstood and the most abused. If you think superficially, lust is all about eating and reproducing. In this perspective, lust seems to be common among animals and humans. However, there is a major factor that contrast the lust of humans with the lust of animals: ego.

Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire - of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return. (3,14)

It is curious that in this verse of the Quran, the concept of lust (desire) is used not only for women but also for children, wealth, animals and land. Considering this fact, defining lust as something only among women and men can only be explained either by sheer insanity or by stark ignorance, both of which result in a person's reduction to an animal state in their soul.

So, if lust is not just about eating and sex, what is it? This same issue is also discussed in another article on the LGBT topic, which you can reach here. A concise definition of lust that is in line with the Quranic description above can be given as "an utter desire to possess something in its physical and non-physical aspects".

With this working definition, let's look at a saying of prophet Muhammad pbuh:

In this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my comfort has been provided in prayer. (Sunan an-Nasa'i, 3939, grade: hasan)

Certain people and their followers among the believers who lack a sound belief use these words of the prophet as a tool to denigrate his character. It is important to note a crucial point before we go any further. With fourteen centuries of distance in time and incredible cultural and social evolution therein, there is no commonsense in using the criteria and paradigms of today to assess anything that far in time, let alone criticizing someone on a distinctive mission given by God. However, this is not to say that it is impossible or wrong to make evaluations of the past. Rather, it is just a reminder to keep our reason and ego under control in order not to be unfair nor to deify ourselves.

If we travel back in time and look at the existing conditions of women in the Arabian peninsula, we see that women are considered as wealth, and some even discuss whether they are human. Men are held as the absolute governor of virtually everything. Some even bury their daughters alive, in order to avoid the "shame" of being the father of a girl. I am not going to go into further details here, but you can do so if your interest lies therein.

In the same society, due to lack of abundant water resources, cleanliness is not a hot topic. Available water is channeled for personal nutrition and for watering the agriculture. So, whenever people get together, especially in a closed environment of a building or tent, the ambiance may not be so convenient.

Aside from these external issues, the relationship between people and God was problematic. First of all, there were gods, not God. Idols were made in the name of these gods to worship, to eat and to make commerce. Sincere devotion to "the One" happened especially in times of trouble. In short, for the people of the 7th century Arabian peninsula, the concept of god was either used as a consolation against a trouble or was abused for commerce and politics.

In such an atmosphere, if you were a reformer for the good, which prophet Muhammad was, you would certainly do something about the women rights, the cleanliness of people and the relationship between people and God. If you think deeper, presence of women in the society and respecting their rights, plus, an attention to hygiene and aesthetics, plus, sincere devotion to individual prayer and meditation are the factors that quench enmity,  alleviate arguments and feed a sense of unity. These were all the essential needs of the people surrounding the prophet.

In fact, with the revolutions and transformations initiated him, women became able to communicate their needs and issues directly to the messenger of God. They felt comfortable in confronting the men in their families when they saw something amiss in their conduct; because they knew they could take the issue even to Muhammad pbuh, if necessary, without facing repercussions.

"The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives." (Ibn Majah, 1977, degree: hasan)

At the beginning of this article, we said the lust of humans differ from the lust of animals due to presence of a major factor: ego. Then, we talked about how to define lust, and we saw a saying of the prophet and the consequent attitude in his practices. In view of all these, it is fair to say that love and lust are not synonyms. So, love cannot be confined to lust. However, an untamed ego can abuse an innocent love, boil it down to mere lust, then use that lust to exploit other people.

Today in the age of ego, where we are suffering from an explosion in the number of untamed egos, it is understandable that we are scared of the dangers of such an ego. While avoiding such risks, nevertheless, it is important not to fall prey to the other end, where we outcast lust and ego, just because they are lust and ego. In doing so, not only we go against our basic creation, hence a total loss and failure in the long run, but also we risk deifying our own egos and fall slave to it in an effort to protect ourselves.

As we explore the rather individual aspects of the issue, on top of the social ones, it is important to note that lust, according to the proper definition above, is just another talent of the humans. As long as it is tamed and motivated in proper ways, it shouldn't become a problem just because it is "lust". That is, just like we don't criticize someone for being more intelligent than average or for being stronger than average, we shouldn't outcast manifestations of lust above average given that they are within the borders and manners outlined by God.

Conservation of Solitude

Reason, anger and lust are considered as the three fundamental powers of the ego. Each of these powers has its own source of energy and a field of deployment. In this article, I would like to delve into the power of reason, and then use it as a telescope to understand prophet Muhammad pbuh in a different way so that we can better emulate his example in our lives.

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often. (33/21)

Reason is a distinctive property of the humans. Although the initial connotation of reason is individualistic, there is also collective reasoning through communication and through writing among individuals. Still, though, history testifies that revolutionary ideas and actions take spark from key figures, and spread from them. Masses, on the other hand, are associated with status-quo and constancy, and so, they need those unique individuals' initiative to reach a new state. As you can guess, such acceptance of a revolutionary idea or movement does not happen instantly. The society that will be the future home for that idea, more often than not, plays the antagonist during the developmental stage of the story. During this initial time period, those unique individuals who are the mothers of those ideas find solace in solitude.

If you think of solitude, it may sound negative, especially in this time of ubiquitous social media invasion and addiction. Historically, solitude is especially sought by those who are after wisdom and enlightenment. Imagine yourself sitting around a camp fire with a group of people. Although you are with others, watching the fire captures your soul, and you find yourself being dragged into a world of your own where you are blown away by thoughts, emotions and inspirations. That is you find solitude, despite being surrounded by people. Be careful, this solitude is not being lonely!

Seeking solitude and having ample time for contemplation alone are traits observed in the lives of many timeless leaders of humanity, messengers of God most prominent among them. The life details of Muhammad, the last and the best documented messenger of God, provide a fertile ground of study in this regard. It is well known that he used to climb the Mount Nour, and take shelter in the cave of Hira to contemplate. These sessions would last for days or weeks. His wife, Khatijah, would bring him food and water during these periods so that he, Muhammad, could go on with his seclusion without interruption.

Nevertheless, it was not normal for anyone to stay alone in the wilderness for so long. Therefore, this state of seclusion was alarming at the same time. Muhammad himself can be included among those who were concerned about this strange state of his, since when eventually the angel brought the first revelation, his reaction was to question whether he was going crazy or being possessed.

Before we go on, I think it is important to take a moment and see the big picture so far. Wisdom is sought and found not by masses but by individuals. Furthermore, wisdom is found not among people but in solitude. Plus, wisdom is fast embraced not by the society but by the individuals of critical thought. Life stories of messengers of God, especially prophet Muhammad for that matter, make a good example of all these points.

With all the known facts about wisdom and the events prior to the onset of the mission of Muhammad, you would guess that seeking solitude and wisdom at mountain tops would remain as an indispensable component of the messenger's routine, but it does not!

On the contrary, in an increasing rate, he becomes a public figure who is almost always surrounded by others, and whose house is visited by people even at inconvenient times. Those who are familiar with the occasions of revelations for certain verses in the Quran and are well versed in the prophet's life would appreciate the severity of these situations.

So, what happened to the solitude-seeking person? Ask anyone who loves solitude, they are going to tell you that being alone is like water and air for them, and that they cannot do without it. We understand that the same was true of Muhammad pbuh. Then, what happened to this intrinsic need of his? Did it miraculously disappear?

No! As his mission to convey the message of God to people required him to be with people, he also needed to refuel himself by being one-to-one with his Lord. That is, being alone in his former life transformed into being alone during his salaah. However, since he had to do the obligatory prayers in congregation, his thirst for being alone was channeled by God towards the voluntary salaah, which he could do alone.

In this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my comfort has been provided in prayer. (Sunan an-Nasa'i, 3939, grade: hasan)

Indeed, if you read through the books of hadith, you may not find too many occasions where the prophet was alone, but you can find countless occasions when he was offering voluntary prayers to Allah during the day or night. So, the "lonely thinker" of the former life was transformed to the "lonely worshiper" of the latter life.

Returning to us, here and now, along with the communication age, staying alone and contemplating has become a rare property. The business routine and the increasing pace of life are not favorable to the timeless attitude of wisdom. In all this, one way for the believers to accommodate this essential ingredient in their lives is by working on their salaah, and transforming it to the alone-time with the Eternal Light, as in the example of the messenger of God.

This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, (2/2-3)

Emotion Management - 5

A machine is a machine because it does exactly what we design it for. However, there are machines that do the same thing no matter when and where, and there are machines that can learn and adapt to who, when and where. Today's smart technologies are distinguished from the past technologies, mainly because they can evolve and do things that were not explicitly registered in their memory in the beginning. More technically speaking, they "learn". How do they do it? Of course by "reading", "analyzing", "predicting", "trying" and "not fearing failure".

Wait a second! I said "not fearing failure". A machine has no emotions. How can it fear? If you think so, too, this is exactly the point I am trying to make. A machine has no conscience and no free will to deliberately try something. If there is no intention, there is no failure. So, failure and the feelings and emotions coming with it are the things that we, humans, have in our minds. That's why it is meaningless to shout at your car when it breaks down; or a car is not guilty in case of an accident but its driver, although it is the car what made the harm and damage. Therefore, both success and failure comes with a prerequisite of intention.

Accordingly, when we talk about the learning of the machines, we are automatically considering the intentions of the designers and manufacturers manifest in that machine and its actions. Also, when we say that machines don't fear failure, we are basically confirming the famous observation that "success usually comes from consistent trials and learning from errors, without succumbing to the shame of failure."

Although virtually everybody is in favor of the development and deployment of technology, which feeds from the tolerance shown for the mistakes on the way, we humans are not as welcoming to the human mistakes. We have a tendency to curtail the "courage to stand up and try again" in others and in ourselves. Except for babies and sometimes little children!

Remember, failure or success has a prerequisite of intention. A baby or a little child has no clear intention, and are innocent. That's how they get away without being reprimanded or punished for their mistakes as an adult, and that's how they go on trying.

Why is this topic important for us, when we are discussing emotion management? At the end of the previous episode, we had said "So, we need to develop an emotional immunity to travel on the questionable grounds, build brakes to avoid sins and acquire connections to recovery methods in case we sin." A rule of thumb in all of the three cases in this sentence is to keep going. That is, no matter what happens, as quickly as possible, as much as possible and as diverse as possible, go on doing good deeds.

"Indeed, Allah leaves astray whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him]. Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured. Those who have believed and done righteous deeds - a good state is theirs and a good return." (13/27-29)

In order to better digest this verse, remember that in the Quranic terminology, heart does not refer to the biological heart (7/179). It refers to our thinking ability with common sense. If anything, the word heart in the Quran refers to the brain. One can ask at this point why, instead of saying brain directly, is the heart mentioned? If you think in terms of our topic, you can have a glance of the answer. Thoughts are not free of emotions, and emotions are linked to the heart in the public speech. So, the concept of "a heart that understands" comprises all of these.

The verse quoted above admonishes that Allah guides those who return to Him. In order to return, you must first be heading away! Upon your experiences, whatever they might be, you must return to Him through remembrance of a thinking heart that energizes good deeds. With this state, you are promised a warm welcome with your Lord. And such warm welcome is the manifestation of the fact that your Creator does not define you through your mistakes but through your returns; a fact that encourages further attempts of discovery and an attitude that fosters love and belonging to your Friend.

In this context, you can remember the story of Nuayman ibn Amr, a companion of the prophet Muhammad pbuh. This companion, although fought in the name of God in many battles and pursued other good deeds in his life, could not give up alcohol despite the clear ban by Allah. Nevertheless, he never succumbed to his failure to give up, but always stood up and tried again. And for this attitude of his, he was praised by the messenger of God.

Emotion Management - 4

We finished the last discussion by saying that you cannot be sure of the correctness of all your actions. At the same time, it is known that prophet Muhammad pbuh recommends to stay away from the suspicious and stick to the certain (Tirmidhi, 2518). Then, are we to suppress all our instincts to strictly follow those that are purely licit?

"Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion will not be able to continue in that way." (Bukhari, 39)

"Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties." (2/185)

"God does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond its ability." (2/286)

If you look carefully, the messenger of God makes recommendations to the believers to provide them guiding principles in a life that is becoming increasingly gray. That's why you can find hadiths that are pointing at different aspects of the same issue. In the above hadiths, he admonishes us not to force ourselves in a case where there is no clear order or prohibition from God. And this notion of conformity to the nature (which is given by God anyway) is also underlined by the verses quoted above. The unwanted extreme in this case is abusing the word of God in order to justify anything you desire:

"... then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity they follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation ..." (3/7)

Still, if you talk to religious people, many of them would suggest you to take the hard way and force yourself as much as possible, and take the easy ways only when you have no other choice. They say that, if you don't to this, you are running the risk of "acquiring your desires as your god", a state which is alluded to in the Quran (25/43). So, with a threat supported from the Quran, your fear kicks in, and you say "how hard can it be?". But not too long after that, you find yourself in the same situation that took you to oppressing yourself and banging your head on the same walls. You start questioning whether the ease of the religion is only for beginners and not for the experienced believers, whether God values the beginners more than those who have aged in belief. Your reason forces yourself to shut up and take your manners, but your soul rebels, your head gets awash with emotions, and your brain literally heats up. You want to shut your brain, if only once, to taste the ease in religion, to become a beginner loved and valued by God, despite shortcomings and mistakes. And...

And when things cool down, this time, you are drowning in feelings of guilt. At the same time, however, your thirst for your natural needs have been quenched, and the experience of not being thirsty gives you a deep satisfaction, for which your guilt heats up (benefits of sin). But again, now you know what is natural and what is artificial. Forcing yourself to follow a strictly licit path proved to be impractical, although completely rational. On the other hand, following a path mixed with question marks and taking risks turned out to be manageable, although partially rational.

Comparing the two states, in the first, when you were forcing yourself, according to your perception, your state was certainly true, and following a life that way would certainly lead to paradise in the afterlife. It is as simple as two plus two makes four. In the second state, however, because of the questionable things you have done, you know well that you are at the mercy of your Lord. But wait a second! Aren't we supposed to have this understanding of being at the mercy of our Lord anyway, instead of having confidence in our deeds?

"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little." (Bukhari, 6464)

"Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah. None feels secure from the Plan of Allah except the people who are the losers." (7/99)

Let's now put things together on the table to see the big picture. First, we cannot live blind to our emotions. They are messages from our Lord, and we must heed them to fare safely on the way of God. Life of certainty, and so devoid of emotions, is certain to lead to an unstable journey that ends God knows where. Second, if we heed our emotions, they occasionally take us to questionable actions or even push us towards certain sins. So, we need to develop an emotional immunity to travel on the questionable grounds, build brakes to avoid sins and acquire connections to recovery methods in case we sin.

Emotion Management - 3

Treating emotions as signs from God brings about a few questions. First of all, can you treat all emotions as signs of God? Sometimes our emotions direct us away from Him, sometimes they trigger us to obey our desires and trespass the borders of the licit. Nevertheless, in certain cases, emotions show us God's path! How to know, what to do?

“He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them” (27/93). 

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” (41/53).

Remember, after an event, what makes you feel like "you have witnessed God" is the emotions that are triggered during that event. So, without emotions, the signs don't make sense. So, if God is going to show His signs to a people whether in the horizons or within themselves, this means emotions are at work. That is the emotions are employed by God to create the effect of "having witnessed". Then, knowingly or unknowingly, when a person blinds himself towards his emotions, he is closing the windows through which God's light shines. In this context, forgetting God and becoming ignorant of  one's self  merge.

And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient. (59/19)

Furthermore, in this framework, deliberately silencing your emotions or emotions of others using various means, e.g. psychological or rhetorical, is an action that is identical with disbelief, because you are becoming blind towards God's signs and deaf towards His messages.

And those who disbelieve in God's signs and the encounter with Him -- they despair of My mercy, and there awaits them a painful chastisement. (29/23)

Now then has come unto you a clear (sign) from your Lord,- and a guide and a mercy: then who could do more wrong than one who rejects Allah's signs, and turns away therefrom? (6/157)

All this tells us that the emotions are part of our journey to God, but we haven't resolved our problem at the outset. How can we distinguish the underlying motive of our emotions? Are they Godly or are they carnal?

Let's go step by step. If your emotions are directing you towards an action that is clearly forbidden by God, this is a clear misdirection disguised in your emotions. But is this it? I mean, you need only to disregard that emotion, and go on with your life? No, stop. Of course committing an action that is forbidden by God is wrong, but your emotions may carry a message, a Godly message, that may feel otherwise at first glance!

It is possible that your emotions are pointing at the essential needs of your psyche or of your body, which must be met through the licit, but which you haven't done so for various reasons. In such a case, your body or your psyche is going to show increasingly compelling urges and emotions to meet that essential need, and as the owner of this body and soul, you are responsible to take care of their needs. If you don't, even if you manage to keep yourself from trespassing the limits of God in this world, you are clearly going to be held accountable for what you did to your body and soul. So, instead of oppressing yourself, you must decipher the embedded message of your emotions and act accordingly as soon as possible.

Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Turn in repentance to your Lord and submit to His will before you are afflicted with the torment after which you can receive no help. (39/53-54)

And those who when they commit an indecency or do injustice to their souls remember Allah and ask forgiveness for their faults-- and who forgives the faults but Allah, and (who) do not knowingly persist in what they have done. (3/135)

Along the same lines, it is also possible that you are misinterpreting your emotions due to the cultural biases and prejudices that are wrong in the face of the creation, but which survived due to the bigotry of the people (e.g. read benefits of sins). In this case, your emotions may seem like they are motivating you to do evil in your perception when, in fact, they are guiding you towards the proper path of life intended by God.

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." (Would they do that!) Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided? (2/170)

A compounded case of misdiagnosing and mistreating the emotions happens when you try to do exactly what is described above. Let's say, for some reason, you did not meet the needs of your body or psyche, i.e. material or mental needs, and your emotions directed you towards meeting them. At this point, either you fall into the hands of your urges and commit something that you would otherwise not or you treat these emotions of yours as disguised messages and try to understand and pursue those embedded messages. In both cases, you find yourself doing things that feel awkward! This feeling, let's call it an emotion of alarm, bangs to your head and you understand (!) that this was all Devil's plot against you, and you committed a sin, and you should never ever have quit the safe ground of yours, as you had done until before that action. While in this state, you become more attentive to the negative aspects of what happens around you, and you deem that "all of these adversities are signs from God for you to return". So, you take a 180 degree turn and stick your head into the same life style where you continue oppressing yourself with an intention to please God.

Before delving into the above case, let's see what the modern science says about emotions: forecasts of our brain of what is coming ahead. So, our brain is programmed to prepare us for future events in order to protect us. Now, our brain makes those forecasts based on past experiences or on learned material, including what has been ingrained in our minds culturally. Accordingly, a malformed mentality is going to prepare the grounds for the burgeoning of wrong emotions and wrong interpretations of the events due to those wrong emotions!

As you can see, you can not normally get out of this vicious cycle unless and until you take an action that truly feels awkward and you continue doing that until it doesn't anymore feel awkward, even if those around you try to turn you back. This kind of willful action necessitates firm ties with the Book of God, because you are trying to find what is truly pleasing to God and because you are intending to leave everything and everyone behind. A miscalculation in this regard means suicide! How can you be sure that what you are doing is the thing to do?

The answer: you can not be sure! The only sure thing you can be is your sincerity towards God. You trust that your Lord is going to guide you towards His ways for the sake of your sincere intentions. So, you submit to your Merciful and Wise Guide, which is the true meaning of being a Muslim, i.e. one who has submitted:

And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good. (29/69)

An event that contains all of these was lived during the life of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. One day, one of the companions approached the prophet complaining about himself: "I feel an urge for fornication". Although those around were appalled by the daring revelation by this person, the messenger of God, first, convinced him of the wrongness of adultery:

- Would you like this to be done to your mother?
- No!
- Know that the person you are doing adultery with is the mother of someone.
- Would you like this to be done to your sister?
- No!
- Know that the person you are doing adultery with is the sister of someone.

Having convinced this man, Muhammad pbuh places his hand on the man's chest and prays for him to recover from this state. Finally, he marries the man to a woman. Later, the man becomes one the most chaste people of his time. (Musnad Ahmad, 21708)

Isn't it normal for a man to feel an urge to satisfy his lust, especially if he is not married? I am not defending adultery nor placing the male's needs above everything else, as you may think as a person of today, but I am trying to make a point: if a person's biological, psychological or  mental needs are not met, they are going to feel an irresistible urge to satisfy those needs. And this urge, in itself, is not necessarily evil. It is a guidance to you by the Creator in order for you to establish justice in your body that is entrusted to you.

Emotion Management - 2

Feeling valued and having self-confidence are two great dynamics of the human soul, we said at the end of the last episode. And we also said, who, other than the infinitely powerful, infinitely generous and infinitely loving one, can satisfy the appetites and passions of the human soul? Nevertheless, these two dynamics are also at the heart of arrogance and rebellion against the Creator. So, the same emotions that surround our ego are both clouds of rain, bringing water of life, and are a veil depriving us of the Light of God.

Those who boast unjustly in the world, I keep them away from understanding my verses (signs) (7/146)

“Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient.” (2/26).

“So whoever Allah wants to guide - He expands his breast to [contain] Islam;” (6/125)

How come the same event or observation become a means of going astray for some and a means of guidance for others? The answer partly lies in the emotions that shape our vision, understanding and expectations into the future. A person without any ties to God and without any expectations of an afterlife is bound to formulate a world in their minds, where their judgment criteria are the standard of everything. And, that can lead to making God speak/act the way you desire (of course in your imagined reality).

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." (18/35-36)

The same emotions that seek self-subsistence and boundless independence go on to silence the other emotions that voice the signs of God. In simpler words, for example today, rational explanation and scientific basis are at the heart of atheist claims, because using these tools deliberately, one can silence their certain emotions (or choke, should I say!), such as awe, that evoke the innate need to feel recognized and valued by your Creator. Famously known as "the need for love and belonging" that helps us find our Ever Close Lord is silenced by the scientific explanations that are formulated and worded in godless ways. This is not to say that science is essentially against faith, but the current dominant drive is accordingly.

And We sent to no city a prophet [who was denied] except that We seized its people with poverty and hardship that they might humble themselves [to Allah]. Then We exchanged in place of the bad [condition], good, until they increased [and prospered] and said, "Our fathers [also] were touched with hardship and ease." So We seized them suddenly while they did not perceive. And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah , We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning." Then, did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them at night while they were asleep? Or did the people of the cities feel secure from Our punishment coming to them in the morning while they were at play? Then did they feel secure from the plan of Allah ? But no one feels secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people. Has it not become clear to those who inherited the earth after its [previous] people that if We willed, We could afflict them for their sins? But We seal over their hearts so they do not hear. (7/94-100)

In the above verses, the people think that the events of life have nothing to do with being a message of God, and they happen on their own according to some dynamics that need to be determined through intellectual inquiry. That is, even if they initially had a suspicion that the life events could be signs of God, they insist on not heeding those emotions and silence them. Later on with the change of conditions, they go on with their evil actions saying "I told you. It is life with ups and downs. Just bear with it and make the most of it." But they turn out to be wrong, and they are not even able to understand this, because their emotions have created blockage between them and the larger reality. So, in their small-sized and short-lived realities, they feel independent of God in any way and experience emotions due to being the masters of their world until the predetermined end comes to them.

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth” (41/53). 

And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, therefrom, are turning away. (12/105)

As some emotions are fighting against others, where is "I"? What is "I" doing? Is my free will non-existent in the face of my emotions? Some people today claim that free will, just like conscience, is an illusion, and that it is an emotional entity that lives in our minds, but otherwise, it has no reality. Can this be true?

Well, I should say that the above claim can be shown to be true, but with a logical flaw in the process. First, you must understand that seeing things free of your emotions is very difficult, if not impossible. Accordingly, we don't normally stay above our emotions and choose from them. They are like the lenses of our eyes; we see through them. We don't see without them. This is similar to analyzing the body and heart separate from each other. Both a heartless-body and a bodyless-heart are dead. Furthermore, they both need each other to manifest their abilities. Free will and emotions are alike. One can not deny the existence of one in the face of the other.

Second, if you assume that free will is non-existent at the outset, and use people who are solely at the mercy of their animal desires and drives, then you can show that by conditioning the minds, i.e. the emotions, you can manipulate the actions of those people as you wish. The logical flaw in this process is that silencing of the free will does not mean its non-existence. So, for the same processes, people who are trained to exercise their free will would respond differently, and perhaps unpredictably, and this would clearly punch a hole in the presumption of the experiment. What is more, you can use this mechanism to motivate people to do good and to do evil.

Is this mind experiment merely mental, or have there been cases throughout the history that prove the analysis we made here? The answer is yes to both. There have been numerous cases where people have been manipulated based on their animal drives, and were manipulated to commit evil actions (murder, theft, rape, etc.) against their conscience, hence a case lost for the free will. There have also been many cases where people acted opposite to the expectations, and exhibited altruistic, heroic or creative actions due to their belief in God and the afterlife.

Do the Unbelievers think that My servants can take protectors besides Me?... (18/102)

are men whom neither commerce nor trafficking diverts from the remembrance of God and to perform the prayer, and to pay the alms, fearing a day when hearts and eyes shall be turned about,(24/37)

Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah: of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least: (33/23)

Emotion Management - 1

Emotions are one of the elements that separate humans from machines. What transforms a piece of metal to a valuable memory is the emotions associated with it. What makes a human being special for us is the emotions we harbor for them. And what inspires a good lesson out of any experience is the emotions that are triggered by it. So, it is important to explore the emotions and learn to manage them, because they are part of the secret behind the fact that we are alive, conscious and are accountable for our actions.

You must have heard of time management, anger management, risk management, crisis management, perception management. How about emotion management? This is a concept that is newly emerging and gaining popularity due to its relation to how satisfied we are in anything we do or in life in general. I should say that I have a problem with this framework on emotions, because I think that emotions are not "an animal to be tamed and put into our service". Rather, I think that emotions belong to a larger picture that extends to infinity, where we are not necessarily the center of everything but where we are in relation to everything. The foremost of these relations is, of course, with our Creator, who equipped us with the emotions.

Reading through the Quran, you can come across with the situations where emotions are evident. In this first episode of "Emotion Management", we are going to start a journey through the Quran, during which we are going to see some examples and reflect upon them.

And if We give man a taste of mercy from Us and then We withdraw it from him, indeed, he is despairing and ungrateful. If after his hardship, We grant him a blessing, he grows proud and rejoicing and says, "All my hardships have gone". Except those who are patient and do good, they shall have forgiveness and a great reward. (11/9-11) 

But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me." And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me." (89/15-16)

Here, we see a person who, first, falls into despair due to hardship. Such despair, actually, stems from the subconscious supposition that "the good days are gone for ever". Depending on the depth and duration of the hardship, grief calls its twin-at-birth, i.e. anger. When not properly treated, grief triggers anger, which is originally aimed at destroying the cause of grief (see the story of prophet Moses in this context, 20/83-98). This is a psychological immune response for our well-being, but its uncontrolled action here is carrying its owner away from God. Remember that what exacerbates the situation is the magnitude and size of the misfortune, not in reality but, in our imagination. It is all about our expectations of the future. Just like getting angry towards your teacher, who is challenging you to improve yourself and thus destroying your comfort, is pointless, building mountains of imaginary losses when there is actually one or a few is irrational.

Our Sustainer wants us to see and stick to the reality, and He doesn't like despairing of Him. Then why did He create the link between grief and anger, which in turn creates complications on the way to Him? Yes, it is true that He created us and everything in us, but remember that He created us with a free will and with an auto-pilot. Our free will is the real us, but if we don't exercise our will in the proper way, then the auto-pilot kicks in to ensure our stability in existence. This is when the undesired results emerge. Plus, God clearly tells that He does not burden the humans with a load beyond their capacity (2/286), but sometimes the load may be more than what you are used to or greater than what you think you are capable of. In such cases, we humans may lean towards despair and rebellion as an auto-pilot reaction. Nevertheless in the long run, we are asked to take the reins of our free will and pull the stick up, as implied by the "forgiveness" mentioned in the above verses. Our merciful and compassionate God wants to see us and accompany us as we emerge from darkness to His light. And sometimes, He wants us to break the walls around us in order to open the way for other blessings.

Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are the evil ones who take them out of the light into the darkness; they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide. (2/257)

Returning to the above verses on human emotion in case of alternation of blessings and misfortunes, we are told that when God removes the restriction on the person, who has been hopeless and ungrateful until then, they go to the other extreme of "supposing everything will be fine for ever", a subconscious and irrational overgeneralization leading again to ungratefulness to the granter and sustainer of those blessings. So again, our Guide wants us to realize that neither the blessings nor the misfortunes occur on their own, nor are they unbounded. Everything takes place through a plan, and we are asked to trust our Supporter.

No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah , is easy. (57/22)

These same notions, and more, are depicted in other verses, too, where, for example, the person goes on subconsciously thinking that they receive blessings either because they are special or because they deserved them.

So when harm afflicts a man he calls upon Us; then, when We give him a favor from Us, he says: I have been given it only by means of knowledge. Nay, it is a trial, but most of them do not know. (39/49)

The notion of deserving the blessings and honors, i.e. self confidence, is a reflection of ego, and it also exhibits itself in "the acceptance of the great trust by humans", whereby they accept being tested by the free will:

“Indeed, we offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.” (33/72)

Feeling valuable and having self confidence for taking risks and accepting challenges are essential dynamics for the human soul. They are also helpful for taking refuge in God and seeking His accordance and help, because who, other than the infinitely powerful One, can meet the needs of a creature that has unbounded appetites and passions!