Qur’anic Concept of Meezan: The Law of Universal Balance of Divine Justice
By Kazi Wadud Nawaz, New Age Islam
12 February 2017
“In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent and Merciful”
Meezan’ literally means a Scale, Balance or a weighing Machine usually used as an instrument of measurement for material transaction. Apparently, it might seem very insignificant, but the holy Quran considers it as a most vital instrument for measuring material as well as spiritual values. It is a spiritual scale that will be used by Allah to weigh one’s good and evil deeds in the Hereafter. And it is a scale used by Allah in the mixed domain of our worldly life, that keep the whole Universe and life-process going. The Holy Quran has assigned to it a far greater significance in terms of trade, moral standard, and as an instrument of universal governance. This article focuses principally on Quranic Concept of Meezan, the Law of Universal Balance of Justice-its scope and coverage and its manifestation in nature.
We have identified a number of Qur’anic verses related to the concept of Meezan for analysis which are as follows:
v Verses [55:7-9, 67:3, 39:5 and 41:53, 21/47, 7/8-9. 21:47,7:8-9]
All these verses without exception reveal Allah’s Attributes as Creator, and Sole and Sovereign authority as Lord of the Universe. Out of these verses let us take up the four interrelated Verses 39:5, 55:7-9,21:47 and 7:8-9 for discussion first. These verses are interrelated in the sense that they l are concerned with physical and spiritual aspects and balanced characteristics of divine creation. The first two express the significance of Meezan as instrument of divine Governance and the last two as the yard stick for measuring spiritual values in the Hereafter.
Seven heavens, Solar and Stellar systems, Alternation of day and nights – all have been created by Allah in true proportion, well-planned, and perfectly balanced .All these creations are bound by common thread of Natural Laws and consolidated through establishment of ‘Meezan’, the Universal Law of Divine Balance in space as described in the verse [55:7-9].
The Verse 41:53 presents a grand communion of different instruments of divine governance both at Macro, Micro and Nano level. All Scientific disciplines including Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Micro-Biology, Quantum physics, elementary particles, Cosmology etc. are collectively moving step by step on the way to prove the Truthfulness of the Holy promise made by Allah in the verse 41:53.The said Divine Promise is going to be fulfilled through scientific Research and Invention and this should have been enough for us to get rid of doubts and skepticism about genuineness of divine management of the physical universe
Allah has bestowed on us thinking capacity and intellectual faculty to enable us to comprehend His signs and getting convinced on the Truthfulness of the Divine promises made by Him in the Holy Qur’an.
Here, in the Verse 41:53, Allah has used the word ‘Soon’ to signify the terrestrial timeframe for future Scientific Research. Terrestrial domain of Time being infinitesimal compared to the metaphysical time of the Holy Quran, fraction of a second of which maybe equivalent to Millions of years of terrestrial measurable time. ‘Meezan’ is the greatest sign that Allah has revealed for mankind in nature and in his own-self for comprehending the unity between the physical and spiritual universe. Separation of one from the other is misleading and wrong approach towards understanding of the objective reality. This is because the scientific knowledge based purely on sense perception that fails to take into account its extension into spiritual domain, has its time and space bound inherent limitation.
Allah Created Adam from sounding clays and then infused Divine Command [Ruuh/soul] into him to bring him to life.[ref:verses 32:7-9,and 38:71-72]. This Divine Command plays in Microscopic Domain of Life at Nano level in nucleus of each cell in the form of genetic information resulting in Balanced division of Cells: Creation and re-organization of the New and Elimination or destruction of the old. Similar Functions take place in Macroscopic Domain in space through creation, reorganization, death and destruction of stellar systems in the Galaxies and Milky Way. Creation of the New and Destruction of the old is a continuous process repeating itself as an integral part of Space Dynamics resulting also from some form of Divine Command still unknown to us.
Billions of stars and planets have been swimming safely in the space for billions of years without interference with each other The Sun and the Moon, all the stars and planets in innumerable Galaxies and in the Milky-way Function in Due Measure. The Truth of Earth and Human Life bears close relevance to the Universe and its Structure. The total art-craft of divine creation has been built up on the foundation of “Meezan”- Universal Balance of Divine Justice.
Now, the responsibility for comprehending Micro-Macro-Nano level balancing related to the origin of life on earth rests with Modern Scientific- Community. To explore the mode of application of the Law of Universal Balance has now turned out to be the prime objective of the Modern Science. But it is beyond the reach of the Science if based exclusively on the perceptive database.
Scientific knowledge guided by Materialistic Philosophy will ultimately lose its steam and roam baffled in the blind lane of its limitations. To carve out a course ahead it is sure to bounce back and overflow the philosophical barrier and ultimately mingle with the ocean of spirituality as it has happened with a good number of Theist Scientists including Einstein.
The Law of Universal Balance of Justice is the fundamental Law of Divine Governance. But Allah is Sovereign. He promulgates Laws but He Himself is not bound by any Law. Sometimes deviations occur. But this deviation from General Principles of the physical world is a clear manifestation of His Sovereignty which proves that Allah is not bound by any Law enforced by His own Self.
The Administrative Principles of Divine Governance is characterized both by Rules and Exceptions regulated by divine wills –philosophically termed as the” Necessity” or “Accident” from materialistic point of view. Deviations signify sovereign authority of Allah and not Imperfection in the process of Divine Creation. The Whole Process of creation of the universe and the creation and resurrection of mankind emanates from sovereign authority of Allah, the Eternal Reality. Life in any form is a balanced communion of Matter and Spirit executed under divine command and ‘MEEZAN’ is the Basis of Life. The whole Universe including Microbes to Stellar Systems stand on the fulcrum of divine balance. There is balancing everywhere – in stellar and Solar System, in nature, in society, in ecosystem, in soil, in atmosphere, in hydrological cycle and within Human body. System Imbalance in any form in any of the Sector will wreak havoc for life and the universe as a whole.
Reference:
* And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance `(of Justice) in space., In order that you may not transgress due balance. So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance.” [Verse:55:7-9]
* He Created the Heavens and the earth in true proportions [Well-planned And Perfectly Balanced]: He makes the Night overlap the Day, and the Day overlap the Night: He has subjected the sun and the moon (to His Laws):each one follows a course for a time appointed. Is not He the Exalted in Power He Who forgives again and again” [Verse:39:5]
* “ Further more I swear by the setting of the Stars, And that is indeed a mighty adjuration if you but knew,---“[Verses: 56:7 5-76]
*“Soon we will show them our signs in the farthest regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that it is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?” [Verse:41:53]
* And remember when your Lord said to the Angels: “I am going to create a human (Adam) from sounding clay of altered black smooth mud; So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall down prostrate to him[38:71-72]
v He began the creation of Man from dust. Then He made his progeny of an extract of water held in light esteem. Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His Spirit and made for him ears, eyes and heart.[Verses: 32:7-9]
* “And We set a just scale for the Day of Resurrection so that no soul is wronged in aught. Though it be of the weight of a grain of mustard seed, We bring it. And We suffice for reckoners. (al-Anbiya, 21/47).
v “The weighing on that day is the true (weighing). As for those whose scale is heavy, they are the successful. And as for those whose scale is light: those are they who lose their souls because they disbelieved Our revelations. (al-Araf, 7/8-9.)
Source: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/qur’anic-concept-meezan-law-universal/d/110048
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