Transcription
Asalam alaikum. Welcome to another podcast. Welcome Dr. Omar Aila.
>> Hello Dr. Za. How are you?
>> Good. Thank you. Good to have you here.
>> Thank you.
>> Uh today a topic that I want to delve into is the understanding in the Quran where it says that Allah is closer to us than our jugular vein. Now when you think about this I guess for some people it might feel a bit odd. How can Allah the Almighty, God the Almighty be closer to us than our jugular vein when we think of him >> really as this grand being? Can you um explain what you understand from this?
>> Yes.
>> Understanding.
>> Well, look, Islamic theology has covered this u in detail as well. Uh because uh from an Islamic aka perspective, Allah subhana wa ta'ala, he is both imminent and transcendent. Uh it's a very interesting concept, >> isn't it? It sounds paradoxical.
>> Yeah, it does in in some ways, doesn't it?
>> But it's not obviously. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Like in the Quran uh there is a verse in Surah verse 4 uh which says you know the the spirit and the angels are sent to him uh in a day which is 50,000 years of your time human time. Uh well this indicates they travel very fast. That's one thing. Their velocities you know angel's velocities. uh and it sort of indicates the special relativity theory of uh Albert Einstein >> uh but at the same time it gives us an sort of idea that God is very distant.
>> It does >> uh because that's what the the verse you know indicates. However, uh when we say he's transcendent, you know, we don't mean uh in a distant way like physical distant way because where the angels and the spirit are ascending to is the ash, you know, an arsh is something that Allah subhana t has also created.
>> So he he's not in need of the ar either because he is beyond you know spacetime. Uh so we when we think of Allah being distant to us, we we are really referring to uh his him being exalted. So not in a physical distance. Uh so we need to understand it as this because he he's the creator. He created everything. Space, time, the universe, matter, energy, everything was created by him. Uh so he he he has to be beyond all.
>> He cannot be similar to his creation. Uh therefore when we say transcendent uh it means that we are so much distant to him from that perspective >> cuz he's beyond reach. But when when you when we talk about like verses like you just mentioned at the beginning he's closer to us than our own jagular veins. We are not actually referring to his uh essence his being.
>> Okay? you know we are we are sort of referring to you know he's closer to us with his names and attributes >> right >> because he's all encompassing you know he his names and attributes encompasses everything >> so you're separating the the essence of Allah that of Allah >> from the names of Allah >> names and attributes >> and attributes of Allah so the um in one you're saying where it's talking about the angels it's focusing is it focusing on the essence of Allah or the throne you mentioned >> the throne It's not really essence of Allah because we cannot assign a direction you know >> you know how sometimes people say he's up there or something like that you know they they look up and when they pray this is not permitted really in Islam >> uh although some may claim that uh I had this before that's why >> uh after a battle I can't remember the name of the battle uh they bring this woman to the prophet peace and blessings be upon him and and She claims to be a believer and the noble prophetat wasallam asks her where God is you know where Allah is. She says he's up there, you know, and then uh he says release her, you know, don't detain her if she's a believer. And they use this uh in a directional way, which is wrong because sometimes if you go into literalism, there there's a lot of problematic issues in regards to Islamic theology, whereas in reality, she's uh referring to being exalted there. And up there does not mean you know up there in a direction because our earth is globe anyway. You know up is differs depending on which country you're in in the world.
>> So exalted Allah is exalted. That's the way we should understand that he is beyond rich. In fact uh we can think of it this way as well. One very famous philosopher and believing pro philosopher says that >> no matter how you imagine God to be is not like that. I I I like I I like that really you know uh expression yeah expression there it's very powerful yeah we cannot imagine God we're talking about his essence of course he's that like you said in fact Abu Bakr the beloved companion and friend of uh uh the prophetat wasam as you know he says you know not comprehend ending you is comprehension.
>> So it's fascinating both those you mentioned it's kind of telling us you will never able to fully grasp Allah because he's beyond your comprehension. So that's really emphasized right?
>> Yes he's that. So we're talking about his essence it cannot be known.
>> Yeah. It cannot be because there's nothing to compare him with >> because everything in the world or in the universe we sort of define by comparing it to something else or or or we're looking at the opposite or something similar.
>> It's very interesting like we know what is light because we know what is dark. We know what is tall because we know what is short. So there's always something to compare there. But there is nothing that we can compare the almighty Allah the all omnipotent omniscent you know mighty God. So that is why we cannot define or really understand his that his essence. However, he is very close to us. That's the different thing.
>> Okay. So how does that work based on what we just talked about as in it's like he's beyond comprehension. We'll never be able to fully grasp him. But we're saying he's closer to us in our jugular vein. And I'm guessing then if he's closer to us in our jugular vein, we would be able to notice or acknowledge it or sense it to some degree. What >> is that where the names of Allah come in?
>> Yes, I think that's the best way to understand it. That's the only way we can understand God anyway. Uh like there is a analogy in uh I believe in the bedside the great scholar uh he says think about the sun. If we wanted to study the sun, there are three ways that we can do it. Uh we can travel to the sun. What would happen if we travel to the sun? We all melt. You know, it's impossible to approach the sun.
>> We can bring the sun to us, which is not possible. Which is not possible. Yeah,
>> it'll destroy us because it's too powerful. uh so what's the best way to know the sun or learn about the sun is to study its rays its light and that's how we really you know do it uh from a physics perspective so this is sort of similar to understanding Allahhaala as well >> since we cannot travel to him it is not a possibility you cannot bring Allah to yourself >> that would be anthropomorphism as some religions do they give human form to uh almighty god. So it's in a way it's violation of and it's regarded as shik as well. So how do we know him? Through his names and attributes and to give examples like uh sometimes when we need something we are desperate we make a dua or supplication >> it happens. It means that he is hearing he is very close. So with his infinite knowledge he encompasses everything. He has the attribute of sema or in in name's uh perspective it's semi isn't it?
>> So he he is everything he sees everything >> so we know that's why he's very close to us. Yeah, I think the sun analogy is very powerful because again there's an entity not that saying Allah is an entity like the sun but there's an entity but yet it makes it manifests itself you know say to us the sun through the light through heat through um >> you warmth and rays you know how much you want to break it down >> um even the spectrum of light is you know you can break it down uh so you can't in a way you can say I feel the suns presence all around me, >> but it doesn't mean that the sun's close to you. So that's why it's a very powerful analogy in that sense.
>> Exactly.
>> You don't have to be physically touching it to know that it's to feel it exists.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. I think that's a good point because uh you know when I said some people try to bring God to themselves and they anthropomorphize God.
>> Uh here's the mistake that that they are making. You know when the sun shines again we go back to the sun analogy uh we see a little tiny suns appear you know in all transparent objects or or mirror glass and things like that. Now imagine uh one of those little tiny broken glass on the ground that has a little tiny sun in it claiming to be the sun itself >> the originator of light and things like that. that would be quite absurd because it's only a reflector. Uh so if we appreciate that we are only reflectors as well. We are like mirrors reflecting his names. Uh we have a chance to make a comparison there as well. Maybe that's why we were given these qualities like God has some of the qualities you know some of the names.
>> Yeah. Like >> attributes. Yeah. wisdom, justice, um you know, there's hearing, seeing, >> compassion, >> compassion. So when you see those glimpses, it's like a as you said, as the sun reflects >> um on on say the mirror, it's like people are reflecting this. But the I guess what you're saying, the key thing is you don't give uh you acknowledge that that person is not the source that the source is elsewhere. That's Allah. One very simple example, you know, if I was walking next to the beach or something and uh I see this cat drowning in the sea, >> you know, in the in the water, for example, or another animal, it doesn't matter, and it's freezing cold, you know. Uh I swear to you, I would jump in to save that cat. I would do it because that's compassion, human compassion. But sometimes human beings don't think about this. Where does that compassion come from? Uh is it amongst the amino acids that build our body the molecules, organic compounds, atoms? You don't find that there. Uh what's its origin? We have to think about it. And its origin is like in the sun analogy. It is God because he is the true compassionate. He is the true merciful. So we are only reflecting that compassion. So we understand that he's very close to us through his name. So I think that's the best way to sort of describe it.
>> Yeah, that really helps to understand this idea of he's closer to you than your jugular vein because as you said these are things like compassion, justice, uh wisdom, they're internal.
>> Yeah.
>> So they are close they are within us but again that idea that you're not the source that it is from Allah. Yeah, very good. Thank you for that insightful uh yeah information about how Allah is close to us but yet he is far distant. Uh although it sounds paradoxical seeing that you know both of them are focusing on different aspects of of God is really important. Thank you.
>> Thank you.