What Rule Governs the Relationship between the Human and Creation?

When we open our eyes, the first thing we see and encounter is the world of creation and the world around us. Naturally, one of the first questions that comes to our mind is “What is the relationship between the human and creation?” Or better to say, “Who am I, and how do I relate to this world and everything within it?” If we correctly understand the answer to this question, we will unconsciously find the answer to many other questions that occupy our minds.

Of course, giving an answer to this question is not simple, and we do not intend to deal with this issue completely in this article. For now, it is enough to know that as human beings, we are the most complicated creation in this system of existence, and we have a special role and status which distinguish us from other creations.

In fact, in this article, we aim to prepare the ground for the answer to the above question. We will discuss the conditions and characteristics of the world in which we are placed and examine the relationship between the human and creation and the realm of existence. In the following articles, we will definitely talk more about who the human being is, how his needs and journey are defined, and ultimately, what purpose has been considered for him, and what future awaits him.

According to the Quran, the human being is the center of creation. In other words, all the creation and the system we see or even we do not see and have no knowledge about are all created for us and based on the structure of our existence. As we know, the earth is the oldest creation in the realm of existence, God’s first creation in the world of matter, and the basis and axis for the creation of the heavens, yet it is created for us with everything that is on it. Certainly, in our existence, God has designated something special for which He has created all other beings.

It is clear that we will be in total confusion unless we consider the human being as the center of creation and make this a basis for interpreting the world around us and the relationship we have with it. Without this perspective, the connecting factor that gives meaning to all these creations and relationships is removed. As a result, we will deal with a multitude of data, relationships, or creations, each having its own characteristics and apparently having nothing in common. However, since they have been created for us and are in harmony with our existence, they share commonalities, and at times, they complement one another.

 Measures in the World of Creation

In His verbal manifestation, the Quran, the Lord and Creator of all beings considers this world to be completely mathematical. God insists that He has no creation or manifestation that is without size or measure and does not follow a mathematical relationship. Everything in the realm of existence is based on numbers and measures; nothing goes outside of Allah, and nothing returns to Him except in the form of a mathematical structure. From the smallest particles in this world such as electrons, neutrons, and quarks to the complex cosmological rules and interactions, everything is under the rule of measure and size. We can never find anything non-mathematical in the entire realm of existence. Of course, this adherence to mathematical rules and the dominance of measures not only applies to the physical and material world but also encompasses the stages of creation, the metaphysical world, and even our own existence. Whether we are aware of it or not, our existence follows a mathematical structure and is connected to the mathematical structure of the world of creation.

Even these destinies and measures are guided by specific rules and happen at a particular time. It means the destiny of all beings, phenomena, and creations of God are set on the Night of Qadr, which is the night of measures. The Night of Qadr is the greatest night of the year because, on this night, the mathematics of everything and the numbers and measures of the entire system of creation are defined and determined.

Knowledge, One Unified Collection

So far, we have understood that the human being is the center of creation, and he has a mathematical structure. God first defined the structure of our existence and determined its boundaries. Then He organized the creation of other beings according to this structure and based on our needs and characteristics. For this reason, everything that is on earth-i.e., the central subjects which we have dealt with and studied since the creation of humans- is connected to us. The subject upon which knowledge is built serves as the foundation for all human knowledge. Therefore, all fields of knowledge find their true status and meaning when they understand the relationship between the human and creation and align themselves with the human being as the center of creation.

In fact, mistakes will arise when we have an independent perspective on knowledge. If we only focus on our own area of expertise and ignore how it relates to other subjects, and of course, the human being, we will struggle to understand the relationship between the human and creation. This will slow down our progress and growth. However, if we consider the subject of every branch of knowledge within an orderly, coherent, purposeful, and mathematical structure which is interconnected with other mathematical structures in the universe, we will succeed in developing unlimited knowledge. That is, we will leap forward in science and knowledge when we first correctly know our mathematical structure and then regulate and adapt different fields of knowledge with it.

To make it clearer, consider a school with all the personnel, facilities, and equipment in it. From the manager and teacher to the building, classroom, board, laboratory, etc., everything in the school is designed to help the students achieve the set goals. Now let us remove the students. Definitely, by removing the students as the key factor that connects everyone and everything involved, the entire orderly system becomes aimless and ineffective. In the same way, everything in this world is connected to our existence through a mathematical structure that builds the relationship between the human and creation.

All fields of knowledge are interconnected around one central subject called the human being. If we link them together based on this logical connection, we will have a unified entity of knowledge. In fact, we will be able to acquire the right type of knowledge when we consider the whole system of creation from Huwa [He] to Allah and from Allah to the matter as a unified entity. Otherwise, our knowledge will be an example of Rumi’s metaphor of identifying an elephant in the dark, where each branch of knowledge becomes immersed only in its own peripheral issues, and never leads to true bliss. That is, it may give us comfort, but it can never bring us inner peace.

Engaging solely in science and knowledge without considering the underlying mathematical order and the common axis that exists among all sciences can potentially lead to progress and relative comfort for us, but ultimately diminish our inner peace. Although science has reached its pinnacle, humanity is witnessing its worst and darkest situation. This extent of killings, wars, divorce, drug abuse, social and economic problems, etc., is the result of our one-dimensional advancement in each field of knowledge. This progress has been haphazard and lacking in purpose and order, stemming from a lack of understanding the relationship between the human and creation.

Difference between Knowledge and Ma’rifa

Knowing the relationship between the human and creation not only leads to our eternal bliss, but also brings us inner peace in the world. However, another reason for the loss of inner peace is our misconception and confusion when facing the two concepts of knowledge and ma’rifa. We usually make no distinction between knowledge and ma’rifa. In other words, we expect that by gaining knowledge, the characteristics of acquiring ma’rifa will appear in us, while knowledge and ma’rifa are very different from each other. Here are a few distinctions:

• Knowledge means the information acquired. Ma’rifa is understanding this information and the ability to apply it properly. We learn knowledge but we acquire ma’rifa. An increase in the level of knowledge is not always followed by an increase in ma’rifa.
• Knowledge resides in our intellect. That is, we can enrich our intellect and intelligence by studying, going to university, or generally increasing the information we have. However, ma’rifa resides in our heart. When we put our knowledge into practice, we will reach a power in our heart which is called ma’rifa.
• Knowledge is general; it is a formula that can be applied to different matters. While ma’rifa gives a detailed understanding and is personal. It is the criterion for our personality and humanity. In fact, the value of every human being in this world and his eternal realm of the Hereafter is based on his level of ma’rifa.
• Knowledge is a light and perfection that, if used properly, leads to the acquisition of ma’rifa. Otherwise, it can be the heaviest veil. Therefore, knowledge is two-faceted. That is, it is sacred, but it can also destroy humans. It means increasing the level of our knowledge does not necessarily lead to our bliss, while acquiring ma’rifa always leads to our true bliss.
• Knowledge does not always bring power. You must have seen many individuals who, despite having academic degrees or theoretical knowledge about a subject, are not able to use their knowledge. However, ma’rifa means ‘becoming’ and creates power.

Therefore, we only reach inner peace when we increase the level of our ma’rifa and try to fulfill the criteria for true bliss. Although the increase in our knowledge and information leads to an increase in our comfort, it does not necessarily have an impact on the level of our inner peace.

In this article, we examined the relationship between the human and creation and prepared the ground for understanding this relationship. We stated that God has created all of His creation based on measures and mathematical formulas; He has organized the whole creation according to the mathematical structure of our existence, making us the center of creation. If we understand the relationship between the human and creation, not only will we realize our relationship with different fields of knowledge, but we can also use them in order to attain bliss and inner peace. Of course, inner peace is not solely dependent on this factor, but also on the level of ma’rifa in our hearts.