God running everything, drawn from Dr. Khalifa's khutba, explains why losing our temper is objecting rather than submitting, and that our only decision is to be with God or Satan. Also included are a letter from an Australian brother who found Submission after his Hajj, a study of fish as God's provision, and the mathematical coding of the 19th occurrence of Quran in 17:46, Quran alone.
Say, "Nothing happens to us, except what GOD has decreed
for us.
He is our Lord and Master. In GOD the believers shall trust. (9:51)
Page 1
The understanding that GOD is running everything
sets a new light in our submission to GOD. It means our acceptance of
whatever happens to us personally, or to anybody, to anything, to any
country in the world.
We do not really believe in GOD unless we believe that GOD is running
everything and He is in full control of all things.
To GOD belongs everything in the heavens, and the earth.
GOD is in full control of all things. (4:126)
Throughout the day, whenever we get the chance we should remind ourselves
that GOD is the doer of everything. When we do this, the whole world will
look different to us. When anything happens that turns us into an Objector
instead of a Submitter, we must remind
ourselves that GOD is doing everything, and
that we should be “submitting” instead of “objecting.”
For example, if we lose our temper we are not submitters. Losing our
temper means we are objecting to something GOD is doing. We must remind
ourselves that GOD is doing everything.
It was not you who killed them. GOD is the One who killed
them. It was not you who threw when you threw; GOD is the One who threw.
But He thus gives the believers a chance to earn a lot of credit. GOD
is Hearer, Omniscient. (8:17)
GOD is running everything—this is a very important concept. For
example in Chapter (Sura) 12, we learn how Joseph's brothers decided not
to kill him. At least they
'thought' they decided not to kill him, and
instead threw him in the well. But years before they made this decision,
Joseph had seen a dream where the Sun, the Moon and 11 planets were prostrating
before him—representing his parents and his brothers.
Therefore, when the brothers met to kill Joseph, they could not decide
to kill Joseph. It was impossible for them to make a decision against
GOD’s will. But there they were meeting, and they had taken votes—Shall
we kill him? What shall we do with him? Finally they decided not to kill
Joseph. Indeed, it had been already decided by GOD what would happen to
him.
Cont’d on page 2
GOD is running everything
Page 2
Cont’d from page 1
We must constantly remind ourselves GOD is running everything especially
when we are at the brink of objecting to something or losing our
temper. When we lose our temper, we should tell ourselves we are
not submitters, because we are objecting to what GOD is doing.
This is a quality of GOD, which we must recognize. GOD is the doer
of everything, but nothing bad comes from GOD. Bad things are the
consequences of our own deeds.
Anything bad that happens to you is a consequence
of you own deeds, and He overlooks many of your sins. (42.30)
When we disbelieve or break GOD’s laws, we step out of GOD's
kingdom. Then Satan may inflict some damage. However, even the actions
of Satan are under GOD's control. GOD
would not be a god if he weren’t running everything.
For example, GOD created fire. We can use fire to cook, and we
can also put our fingers in fire, and burn them. GOD created fire
to be our servant, but if we choose to put our fingers in fire and
suffer, then this suffering is from us, not GOD. It is one of GOD's
physical laws that when we touch fire it burns. Similarly, if we
disobey GOD and use intoxicants, commit adultery or break other
laws of GOD, the punishment is the same as the fire—that is
we suffer sooner or later.
The consequence or punishment for these sins is just as bad as
the physical punishment for putting one’s fingers in the fire—even
more painful, only not as visible.
So, if GOD is doing everything, what is our role? What do we do?
We do only one thing. The decision. To be with GOD or to be with
Satan. After that, GOD takes over. The
decision to submit is already done. The choice is to willingly submit,
or unwillingly submit. For example, people who don't believe in
GOD are still submitting to GOD, except they are submitting unwillingly.
GOD runs everything. GOD wants His creations to be free as far as
decisions are concerned, until the Day of Judgment. Then on the
Day of Judgment everyone will submit willingly, including the people
who refused to submit to Him willingly in this life. But it will
be too late for them.
GOD created you from dust, then from a tiny drop,
then He causes you to reproduce through your spouses. No female
becomes pregnant, nor gives birth, without His knowledge. No one
survives for a long life, and no one's life is snapped short, except
in accordance with a pre-existing record. This is easy for GOD.
(35:11)
James H. / New Zealand
[Ed. note: a major portion of the article is
based on the Dr. Khalifa's khutba on the same topic.]
Story of a Brother Down Under
My dearest family in Submission at Masjid Tucson
I write this letter in spirit of good faith, sending my warmest
salutation to you and fellow Submitters there in Masjid Tucson.
I live in Perth, Australia, and have been constantly visiting
your tremendous and insightful web site on the true Islam
(Submission to God Alone). God be glorified and due to His
infinite grace, and thanks to your marvelous efforts with
the monthly Submitters Perspective newsletters and other literature,
I have now a better understanding about Submission that I
did not know before.
Just like the majority of believers, I had been raised up
in the traditional Islam in a Sunni/Hanafi environment. Since
a young age, I have always been a spiritual person and loved
hearing tales about God and religion. However, whenever my
eldest used to discuss religious matters with me, I would
always hear it from hadith (so-called stories of Muhammad)
and very little from the Quran. To keep the story brief, last
year (2004) I performed my Hajj, and I was so amazed and taken
by the great experience that when I arrived home I began to
search deeper information on Islam. After going through the
dozen of so-called "Islamic" web sites, God Almighty
pointed me to the right sources on the true Islam. He somehow
brought me to your web site and submission.org, and I haven't
stopped visiting your web site ever since I found it on my
screen.
I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart for spreading
the real truth about Islam. God bless you, always.
Yours truly,
Imran
Ed.’s note: We welcome your comments,
suggestions and articles for the newsletter. Please submit
them in electronic form to [email protected]
Creatures of the Sea:
Page 3
FISH
And He committed the sea to
serve you; you eat from it tender meat and extract jewelry which
you wear. And you see the ships roaming it for your commercial benefits,
as you seek His bounties, that you may be appreciative. (16:14)
The two seas are not the same; one is fresh and delicious,
while the other is salty and undrinkable. From each of them you
eat tender meat, and extract jewelry to wear. And you see the ships
sailing through them seeking His provisions, that you may be appreciative.
(35:12)
Nearly three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered with
water, and in that vast space God has placed a huge variety of animals.
It would be impossible to talk about all of them, so I have divided
it into three categories: fish, invertebrates and whales. And even
then, I will only touch on a few of the thousands of species. It’s
a fascinating study; so much variety, so much to appreciate.
Fish are a gift from God and a provision for man. He tells us:
All fish of the sea are made lawful for you to eat. (5:96)
Fish is a very healthy food. Most modern nutritionists recommend
a diet that includes fish at least two or three times a week. And
people in cultures where fish is a prominent part of the diet seem
to have fewer heart problems. So it’s an important provision.
It would be enough if there were two or three kinds of fish; we
could survive on that. But God has outdone Himself in providing
us a variety to choose from and appreciate.
There are actually over 24,000 species of fish
known at present. Because the deep oceans
are still being explored and new life is continuously being discovered,
there may be thousands more species yet to be found. We probably
only know a fraction of all the sea life. Fish range in size from
the pygmy goby which is less than 10 mm up to a whale shark that
may be nearly 60 feet long. Fish live in mountain lakes at elevations
of 12,000 feet and higher and in ocean depths of at least 25,000
feet.
God gave all fish adaptations in order to survive in the water.
They breath through special organs called gills. Blood circulating
through the gills removes oxygen from the water and distributes
it throughout the body. Carbon dioxide is passed out into the water.
Fish also have a swim bladder, a special air-filled organ which
allows fish to float at the desired depth without using a lot of
energy to swim in place. The scales on most fish offer protection
but are light and flexible. Some fish have spiny knobs for greater
protection.
Many fish travel in schools, which is an amazing phenomenon. Individuals
all face the same direction, evenly spaced, moving at the same speed.
They wheel and turn as one. It might seem dangerous to travel with
so many in a tight formation, and in some cases, it does offer an
easy meal for certain predators. For instance, a sawfish will move
into the middle of a school and slash his sharp snout all around.
Then he feeds on the wounded fish. But in general the large group
actually reduces predation by having more look outs, and the larger
group may be intimidating and/or confusing to predators. Also, just
like birds flying in a flock, a school of fish greatly
increases the efficiency of swimming. A school
may number just a handful of individuals or millions. Schools of
herring have been observed that occupied nearly 4.6 billion cubic
meters of ocean.
Many fish are colored to match their surroundings and become nearly
invisible. Bright silvery fish generally swim in groups in well-lighted
waters such as mountain lakes, so the bright sun flashing off their
scales confuses predators—it’s difficult to pick out
an individual fish with all that flashing. Colors and patterns that
break up the outline of the fish may also act as camouflage. Fish
with vertical lines on each side of their bodies tend to live among
aquatic plants and thus blend in with the stems of the plants.
Even the vivid hues referred to as “poster colors”—the
dazzling, complex color patterns on so many reef fish—serve
practical functions, besides being beautiful to look at. In some,
such as butterfly fishes and puffers, colors may signal that the
possessor is too spiny or poisonous to be worth eating. Bright colors
may also be important signs of sex, status or maturity. And interestingly,
the bright colors may also provide camouflage. The sun shines in
patches through the water onto the reef. The brightly colored coral
itself and the sponges and anemones attached to it provide a place
for the fish to actually blend in and hide.
Some fish have some serious teeth! Viper fish, dragon fish, and
barracuda all catch and chew prey. Anglers are a group of fish that
have developed their own unique way of catching other fish.
Cont’d on page 4
Creatures of the Sea: FISH
Page 4
Cont’d from page 3
Their front dorsal fin has evolved into a thin filament which they wave
around in front of them as they hide in the muddy bottom. A fish goes
for the lure and instead is grabbed by sharp teeth and pulled in by a
strong jaw. The largest anglers can be over six feet long and can swallow
fish as big as themselves.
There are so many fish. They all go through their lives, swimming along,
obeying God’s commands and glorifying Him in their own way. And
the intriguing differences among them are proofs for us of His mercy and
His generosity.
Among His proofs is the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and the creatures He spreads in them. He is able to summon them,
when He wills. (42:29)
Lydia
“Quran Alone” Mathematically
Coded
The 19th occurrence of the word “Quran” is in verse
17:46 of the Quran. It is used in reference to the “Quran
alone." The 19 verses that contain the word "Quran"
till 17:46 are:
19. 17:46 We place shields around their minds,
to prevent them from understanding it, and deafness in their ears.
And when you preach your Lord, using the Quran alone,
they run away in aversion.
If we add the numbers of verses where the word "Quran"
occurs including the 19th occurrence, we get 1254 (19 x 66) [185
+ 82 + 101 + 19 + 204 + 111 + 37 + 61 + 2 + 3 + 31 + 1 +87 + 91
+ 98 + 9 + 41 + 45 + 46]
If we multiply each chapter number by the verse number then add
all the results, we end up with a total that is also divisible by
19: 11837 (19 x 623)
If we place all the 19 verse numbers next to each other, we get
a 38-digit long number: