Ego, opinion pushing, and other distractions as a test of the Submitters, with a reminder that the Quran remains the messenger with us and the mathematical miracle supports, but never replaces, the message to worship God alone. Also covers marine invertebrates such as plankton, sponges, starfish, and the octopus as signs of God's creation, plus notice of the 2006 Tucson conference.
God has richly blessed the Submitters, over
many years, and by His grace we try to adhere to what we were given and
respond to the blessings with appreciation and righteousness. We do not
want to be blessed so richly only to respond improperly and be rejected
from God’s grace (6:44). Nor do we want to trade away even the smallest
piece of God’s blessings for a cheap price (3:77), especially when
that cheap price is most likely our egos. Misleading people for whatever
reason has dire consequences including some share of the responsibility
for each person misled (16:25). God has been very patient with us; therefore,
He certainly will test our patience and steadfastness as well (47:31).
The mathematical structure of the Quran has
been one of the many blessings God bestowed on us. This incredible numerical
structure of the Quran is God’s miracle (4:174, 6:109, 29:50, 40:78).
The early counts and nineteen-related findings in the Quran by Dr. Rashad
Khalifa served as verifiable proof that the Quran could not be from other
than God Himself (25:6).
Based on the renewed understanding of the Quran, Dr. Khalifa started
spreading the message: Worship God alone. In the years that followed,
his work focused on promoting God alone and as we came into the message,
we tried to do likewise. There were numerous other discoveries involving
other aspects of the Quran that came
through many different people reinforcing
the idea that this was no less than God’s perpetual miracle.
Responsibility
The discovery of the nineteen-based structure within the Quran made it
the only book to be taken as a source for our salvation (6:114). Dredging
up the details of everything recorded by Dr. Khalifa or anyone else to
support an opinion could be a display of misplaced devotion and may cause
failure to acknowledge God’s ever-present guidance (40:34, 72:7).
The Quranic command to obey the messenger is an easy excuse for ideas
that may be taken out of context, including limitations of time and circumstances.
Page 2
Distraction Recognition
God has given us a proven, miraculous scripture, and we have no
better source (7:185, 12:111, 39:23). The messenger that is still
with us is the Quran (11:1-2, 27:76-77). Even Dr. Khalifa based
his ideas pertaining to religion on the guidance within the Quran.
His job was to confirm what had previously been sent by God in order
to set the religion straight, and the mathematical miracle of the
Quran was supporting proof—inherent in the Quran (3:81, 98:1).
The interlocking nineteen-based proofs from the Quran encourage
belief in God and in His guidance. These tangible proofs expose
the disbelief of those that fight or reject the miracle of nineteen
as a whole (74:31). However, God’s standards of righteousness
never change and the pious through the ages have followed the same
criteria. God made the religion simple to comprehend and easy to
follow.
Understanding the mathematical miracle is not a prerequisite for
admission into God’s kingdom, and it is not meant to divide
those that submit to His will. While knowledge and guidance increases
accountability (2:211, 5:114-115), they do not make us keepers of
the religion—God takes care of His religion and He takes care
of the believers (3:125-126, 5:11, 5:117-118, 6:112-113, 8:62).
He is the only One to know the hearts of people around the world
(3:167, 6:3) and the only One Almighty enough to take care of throngs
of believers to come (110:1-2)!
God is also the One who guides and He controls
the hearts and minds of all people
(6:110, 8:63), but in particular, those that sincerely submit to
His will. He gives us the means to distinguish the truth from falsehood
when it is necessary for our souls. People will be guided or repelled
despite what we do. If we stick to God’s guidance and not
let our egos or Satan’s many other distractions get in the
way, we can attain a rank equal or better in righteousness to any
of the messengers or prophets because they were only humans like
us (4:69).
God’s system works when we steadfastly observe all of God’s
commandments, including the ones concerning how we treat each other.
People who strive to worship God alone are few and far between,
so we should treat them with due respect.
Should everyone believe
exactly as we do?
Proposing an idea is very different from pushing the acceptance
of our opinions. Sometimes discussions turn into ego exhibitions
and campaigns, instead of the actual exchange of knowledge that
they should be. Rallying support for ideas is divisive and generates
a distraction from the real message (20:16). Our goal should never
be to make everyone believe exactly as we do. This type of opinion
pushing as absolute “truth” is misleading. New understandings
and research should be open to calm discussion, so that all involved
may acquire more insight. We need to examine our ideas fairly and
not be so set on them that we could find ourselves fighting or rejecting
guidance from God (2:88, 41:52). Admitting to a lack of understanding
may hurt egos, but it is far safer than creating lies about God
(11:18) or mistreating others (31:18).
Our real trial is outlined in the following
verses:
Do you not recognize the fact that GOD possesses
the kingship of the heavens and the earth; that you have none besides
GOD as your Lord and Master? Do you wish to demand of your messenger
what was demanded of Moses in the past? Anyone who chooses disbelief,
instead of belief, has truly strayed off the right path. Many followers
of the scripture would rather see you revert to disbelief, now that
you have believed. This is due to jealousy on their part, after
the truth has become evident to them. You shall pardon them, and
leave them alone, until GOD issues His judgment. GOD is Omnipotent.
You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory
charity (Zakat). Any good you send forth on behalf of your souls,
you will find it at GOD. GOD is seer of everything you do. (2:107-110)
Whatever happens, God is still the All-Powerful Ruler that is in
control of everything. We shouldn’t jeopardize our souls by
losing sight of that fact. What God prescribes for us is better:
Forgiveness, steadfastly observing the Contact Prayers, charitable
works—in other words, we need to make sure we nurture our
souls by maintaining righteousness in the process, no matter what.
All answers rest with God. It isn’t worth feeding our egos,
if it costs us our righteous work and consequently the growth of
our souls. It is better to push aside our egos and be patient. Turning
to God whole-heartedly is the major portion of the answer to any
problem. Not being distracted from the worship of God alone is a
requirement in the process.
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Page 3
CREATURES OF THE SEA:
MARINE INVERTEBRATES
Invertebrates are those animals that have no backbone. Of the two
million species of animals in the world, 97 percent are invertebrates.
This includes insects, worms, and all microscopic creatures. Many
of these invertebrates live in the sea. There are thousands of different
species of marine invertebrates, ranging from minuscule plankton
to giant squid.
Plankton is the collective name for plant and animals organisms
that have little or no means of locomotion and so drift freely with
the currents. Planktonic animals are generally so small that they
can only be seen with a microscope, yet this is the primary food
source for some of the largest creatures on earth—whales.
Plankton is made up of many species that never grow any larger,
but it’s also the larvae stages of many animals, like shrimp,
octopus, and coral. Thousands of eggs are laid by all different
kinds of sea creatures. When they hatch, these young are at the
mercy of the currents and will drift for weeks or months until they
develop into the adult animal, able to swim, hide in the rocks and
seaweed, and fend for themselves. Or they will be food for other
creatures that have managed to survive to adulthood—fish and
whales, coral, anemones and sponges. It’s an amazing part
of God’s plan. Enough eggs are laid so that even though thousands
upon thousands will be eaten, an adequate number will live to maturity
to ensure the survival of the
species.
Sponges and starfish are marine invertebrates. Sponges range in
size from less than half an inch to over six feet. They don’t
have true tissues or organs, and in fact, the sponge was believed
to be a plant until the 1800’s. There are over 5000 species
and some live at depths of more than 20,000 feet. They reproduce
by releasing eggs and sperm to fertilize, and the larva floats as
plankton until it finds a suitable place to attach itself to something,
like coral, rocks, or plants. The sponge then remains in that one
spot for its whole life, even providing temporary housing for an
array of other animals, like shrimp and small fish.
The starfish is a little more mobile, moving slowly along the ocean
floor eating up dead material on the bottom, often referred to as
the garbage men of the sea. A starfish can grow new arms if one
is damaged; it can even grow a new body around one arm or a small
body piece. In fact, before this fact was known, clam fisherman
would cut up the starfish that they caught with their clams and
throw the pieces back into the sea. They were trying to eliminate
the competition and couldn’t understand why the starfish population
exploded! Starfish can pry open a clam or oyster with their strong
arms. Most species have five arms, but four and six are not uncommon
and some have as many as 44 arms.
Invertebrates aren’t all small creatures. Crabs can be ten
feet across and lobsters can weigh up to 40 pounds. Then there’s
the octopus and the giant squid, which can weigh over 1900 pounds.
I think the octopus is one of the most fascinating creatures God
has created.
It is a mollusk, like the oyster and clam,
although it doesn't have an outer shell.
They are quite intelligent creatures, with a large brain proportionally.
One in captivity unscrewed a glass jar to get to a crab inside,
and they have learned to uncork bottles. Their long tentacles are
strong and agile and can be used to pry open a clam shell and grip
a rock to hide behind. The common octopus measures about three feet.
There’s a tiny Atlantic pygmy octopus which is only about
five inches across, while the giant squid may be 60 feet long!
The octopus has the ability to change color to match its surroundings.
Special pigment cells enable it to take on grayish, reddish or yellowish
hues. The octopus can also squirt a black, inky substance as it
darts away from danger. The ink vaguely retains the shape of the
octopus and masks its retreat, and may even momentarily paralyze
the senses of the predator.
After mating, a female octopus will build a nest in a coral reef.
For about two weeks she lays eggs and braids them like beads on
a string hanging from the top of the den—like a beaded curtain.
She will lay up to 100,000 eggs! Over the next two to three months
she guards and cares for the eggs, using the suction cups on her
legs like tiny vacuum cleaners. When the eggs hatch, each is a tiny,
almost microscopic, whole octopus. The mother uses her jets to squirt
water toward the den opening and the current carries the little
guys out. 100,000 baby octopuses all emerging at once, choking up
the ocean! Well, about half of them are eaten on their first day
of life. Probably only two or three will ever become adults! The
rest are simply part of the food chain, part of God’s provisions.
Page 4
Marine Invertebrates
We know so little about all the invertebrates in the oceans. Many are
so tiny that they have escaped our notice; many live so deep that we have
never ventured into their world. As submitters, we know that God made
all these creatures for us to appreciate and enjoy.
In the creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation
of night and day, the ships that roam the ocean for the benefit of the
people, the water that GOD sends down from the sky to revive dead land
and to spread in it all kinds of creatures, the manipulation of the winds,
and the clouds that are placed between the sky and the earth, there are
sufficient proofs for people who understand. 2:164
Lydia K.
God Willing
21st
Annual Conference
United Submitters
August 4-6, 2006
Tucson, AZ
God willing mark your calendars and make plans for the 2006 Annual
Conference of the Submitters.
We set up a web page on the internet to circulate the conference
information at
www.masjidtucson.org/conference/
God willing, the page will be updated as more details become available.
Note: The communities that want to host the conference for 2007
should have their proposals ready by the conference time, God willing.
Distraction Recognition
Since accountability is increased with acquiring more knowledge, it is
only logical that God tests our steadfastness. In addition, He has already
sent many answers in His mathematically structured guide-book, the Quran,
if we look and truly seek an answer. Our salvation does not hinge on receiving
of a proof or a sign, but our salvation does depend on what we do with
the guidance that comes with these proofs. As we lose focus on the message
to all sorts of distractions, we may lose understanding as well.
God makes the facts speak for themselves, as He has time and time again
in the past. And, God willing, He will find us patient in the process.
No matter how many supporting proofs God sends with His message, the message
still is worship God alone. This remains our main goal and, with God’s
help, we will try to stay focused in order to strive and promote that
objective.
Donna A.
About this work
Kind
Document
Author
International Community of Submitters
Publisher
International Community of Submitters / Masjid Tucson