Guidance, as a light, can get refracted within the various levels of uncertainties (bigger and smaller) in the human mind. One light gets scattered into multiple rays, each of which would seem to be a truth – a part of the solutions in human lives. It gets interesting as it gives birth to myriads of complexities, which are reflected in different actions. The Self, here, does not attempt to remove the doubts so that the guidance can reach straight to the heart without refraction. Instead, it will now engage within the Qur’an and see what stance of attitude it would need to keep certainty in heart to govern all the uncertainties.

Fearless Certainty

A) Unknowingly acting it knows – Disbelievers heard in the past Who owns the earth. Still, they did not want to remember God; they thought they knew God controls everything and He is the sole protector, but they did not want to stay conscious of Him. They seemed to showcase their belief in the Supreme Being and still acted delusional (Qur’an 23: 83-89). All due seriousness is missed out when the Self keeps treating a purposeful life as trivial. There is not enough knowledge on how short life on earth is compared to the hereafter, and the Self cares less about it – showing off it knows. Qur’an (23:114) aptly informs how short the stay here would be perceived when it meets God in the hereafter. It appears that a fear factor is essential for the Self to be better off – in terms of earning its provision. The advice (29:17-18) is to seek what it needs from God. Hope in worshiping would get connected with gratefulness to Him; however, fear of being responsible would be tied with another vital truth. That truth is: it has a one-to-one meeting coming up with Him in the hereafter.

 
However, the certainty in something without seeing has always remained as a big question mark of doubt within the Self. Qur’an (9:41-42) suggested when there was a call to embark on a struggle with the possessions and human resources, many did not foresee any tangible possibilities of benefits out of the struggle ahead. They expressed later that they would have gone if they could. They were showing off, saying they saw the benefits in it, but they actually didn’t. If they did, they would have joined the battle. The supreme triumph in the afterlife is repeatedly mentioned to be passed by many, who could not fathom the struggle in God’s cause. This striving would have been better for them in the end (61: 11-12). Failing to prioritize between what is deeply relevant and what can wait made many get distracted by trade and entertainment during Friday prayer (62:9). This also shows that the Self can put the urgent priority in the back seat in favor of the undeserved choice without certainty in the heart. What the Self has in possession runs out but what God has, endures – this becomes hard to fathom without seeing it. But the strength in belief will be tested as it is advised not to waste the promise made in God’s name (16: 95-96) for a little gain only – a valid test indeed to the faith without seeing.

The attitude of being carelessly careful with a half-truth in mind would patronize the idea that it is okay to feel complacent. This attitude proceeds with the ‘enough are enough’ mentality instead of stretching out to give the best. Qur’an (2:184) suggests fasting alternatives that would be acceptable if anyone is either sick or engaged in traveling during Ramadan. The hint here is who can fast at Ramadan with extreme difficulty are asked to try to fast as it is better for them if they knew! Although it is mentioned, they could compensate by feeding a needy person they should still fast, if possible. Giving the best is duly encouraged here as the truth gets fully digested when an effort to provide the best is experienced beyond the apparent acceptance criteria. The opposite of giving it all is also prescribed in the Qur’an in a different circumstance. When any borrower is in difficulty, postponing the debt until ease is encouraged and even writing off the debt as a charity is mentioned to be better for the lender (2:280). Therefore, rather than going all out to take what is due, the Self is supposed to act responsibly and overlook things for the sake of an unseen certainty.

B) Knowingly acting it doesn’t know – Believers are asked not to betray others’ trust knowingly (Qur’an 8:27); not to consume other’s properties wrongfully; not to bribe the judges and sinfully take up portions of what belongs to others (2:188). The fear factor would have made the Self alert because it is accountable for its deeds in the hereafter. The absence of it drives the Self to forget God is the Judge, and He is well aware of its efforts in being carefully careless. People of the previous scriptures were warned by God (2:42, 8:27) not to mix the truth with falsehood to conceal it, especially after knowing the truth already. Qur’an (2:22) advised not to set up rivals to God even after experiencing His mercy in spreading out the earth and building the sky above and sending water to produce sustenance in there. It appears that the Self that shapes up an attitude, which intentionally evades the truth turning blind eyes to His signs – finds the desires and evil deeds get the better of it.

Willful ignorance is not a lack of knowledge; it is the knowledge being blocked from reaching a point to shape up a character. God did not ask in the Qur’an, “Why don’t you have knowledge?” On several occasions, the admonition was presented: “Why don’t you use intellect?” The proverb says, “Knowledge is power.” However, knowledge without character – without the thankful attitude – without the fearful accountability, would be useless. Science can potentially enhance humanity when it is not in the hands of a destroyer. On a State level, for a government, excessive rigidity without generosity can result in tyranny, while excessive overlooking of corruption can lead to inequity. For the mass population, demanding something as their right is a civil action but treating that as a privilege is not. It all comes down to the word called ‘Responsibility.’ Among all the lights of guidance refracted off the doubts in mind, one will reflect from the Self. And that will be driven by responsibility if the mind already got hold of certainty in the hereafter. Qur’an, as seen above, calls for a fear factor, which seems to be the driving force behind that responsible Self.

Responsibility for Certainty

Disposition is something ingrained within the Self, and it waits to be polished to glaze. Capitalizing on the sense that – it has the choice of doing anything it wants – the self then follows a theme of its natural disposition, promoting an emotional vigilance to avoid excuses to be careful. After this combined effort from sense and emotion, the charisma that emanates from the Self is indicated to find a responsible Self for the world. Connecting to the belief that the path it is on is inevitably ending on Judgment Day – is a struggle between hope and fear. It is a struggle because the light of guidance that has reached may have ended up finding a heart that is either reluctantly believing or excessively overdoing in faith. The only missing thing may be the responsibility to utilize own sense and passion for discerning the core of all the lights’ origin.

Qur’an (75: 14-15) says, “Truly Man will be a clear witness against himself. Despite all the excuses he may put forward.” The attitude is implied to be humble and honest while the Self admits to God what it has done wrong without excuses. At the beginning of human life, Adam (A:) exemplified how humans should take responsibility and genuinely ask for forgiveness from The Creator. He could have put an excuse saying Satan instigated him to go near the forbidden tree, which Satan did, but Adam (A:) didn’t opt for saying it. God put his response in the Qur’an for generations to come to absorb and integrate into a human culture that – taking responsibility, not making excuses, is the way to go. (Qur’an 7:23) states – “Our Lord, We have wronged our souls; if You do not forgive us and have mercy, we shall be lost.”

Qur’an (16:35) says the believers in the multi-god concept refused to take responsibility on their own to believe as they said if God wanted them to believe, they and their forefathers would have believed anyway. This hints on ‘carelessly careful’ that humans have to choose responsibly to have faith first before submitting for God’s guidance. God taught the believers to ask for guidance so that they do not go on how people incurred wrath (Qur’an 1:7 ‘Al-Maghdub’) as they changed teachings to suit their selfish interests.

 
Qur’an (37: 69-73) portrays that blindly hurrying up to follow the previous generation, who went astray, would lead people astray too. The urge to responsibly figure out what the core of the light is saying among all the lights that seem okay, remains on hold. Guidance is not for those who choose other protectors besides God, thinking those would bring them nearer to God (39:3). Superstition creates an appetite for more non-transparent knowledge, all hazy occult teachings – that change the perception of everyday reality. The believers were asked to seek guidance so that they are not driven to the path of those who went astray (Qur’an 1:7 ‘Dallin’). The indication is these humans (carefully careless) did recognize God as the creator and protector but mixed Him up with phenomena, that were not God, and found meaning in not using their intellect in it.

Fearful Certainty

An unswerving declaration in the Qur’an (39:16) signifies hellfire to be God’s way of putting fear in His worshipers’ minds. The clear ending of the verse directly states, “O My slaves! So fear Me.” All the directions to see and think what He has given so that the Self can become grateful; all the essence of urging the Self why it doesn’t use the intellect; God being the protecting ally – all the soft aspects of caring were reasonably set aside. It decisively brings about the reality that faith is a choice, but the responsibility is not. That responsibility dearly seeks certainty about the unseen in mind. That sense of reasoning can come hand in hand with none other than an emotion called fear.

Qur’an (45:20) suggests the Book is the means of insightful enlightenment, which can act as a mercy and guidance for those who are certain on faith. This certainty needs patience too. It is advised to utilize patience to render the hatred and mockery of the uncertain folks useless (30:60). This patience is more like holding back temptations for a good cause. This is more like a steadfastness of a farmer, who keeps putting effort in raising crops until it reaches maturity to bring a smile on the face. This is more of a persistence that embraces the struggle for justice when the opposite seems painless. Phase by phase – this journey towards the end shapes up a dual significance: i) a chance for the inflexible to mend ways and actively search for certainty;  ii) an opportunity for the believers to prove sincere enough and get screened out from others. When the unseen hereafter becomes visible in the end – there will be no more effort considered. The visual certainty will make the initial hardcore stance on the fear factor from God – look like a blessing in disguise. The certainty in front then would rightly prove that the trust from God was all through inviting the Self to complete the journey on earth as a success. The successful ones along with their offsprings following the faith are depicted as united and speaking: “Indeed we were fearful when we were with our families on earth” (Qur’an 52:26). 

The fearful yet patient struggle seeking certainty of hereafter in mind is supposed to prepare the Self to learn how to rely on God and stop the futile effort to micromanage outcomes in life. It can help the Self to face the reality that it is absurd to desire a struggle-free passage of time since it is only a master of its choice, but it is not in charge of the outcomes. It may also bring attention to self-cleansing first because it would be irresponsible to repeatedly ask for opinions until it gets the desired answer so that the usual way of dealing with life gets public approval. Also, finding someone at fault is not expected to convince the Self to humiliate that person because there is only one Judge here, and that is not the Self. With this newly found certainty, the Self, hopefully, would be compassionate about residents before leaving the parked car blocking the driveway just to catch an emergency, because God would be the Judge of its passion not only for its emergency but also for its dealings with the surroundings.