But not of each individual and each species in the sense that it will not cross a certain limit. A new better species will be evolved from mankind. That is the constant progress. And those who choose to prefer a lowly state, that is after attaining something, they get perverted and start a decadent journey. Then they can reach much lower. It works both ways. And the true philosophy of how Rab behaves towards, I mean, what retreats his subjects is mentioned in the surah which I recited in the Isha. Surah At-Teen. At-Teen is exactly what I described during the commentary in Ramadan. That he has created man in the best of plans. He is so organized that the life, once it takes shape, it goes on improving further and further until the final objective, that is, man is reached. So the earlier stages of man’s development have also been mentioned as man. Khalaqnal insana min asana taqweem means that right from the start man was to be created.
And the earlier stages show that we created him in the best of manners. In another place the Holy Qur’an says tabaqa, layer after layer we improved him and brought him up to this level. Summa raddadnaahu asfala saafileen. Then we called him to be reverted to the lowest rung from where he had started. illal ladheena aamanoo aamilus waalihaate. Except for those who believe and act righteously. falahum ajroon ghairum mamnoon. For them there is a reward which is never-ending, which is everlasting. So that Rabubiyat is mentioned here in two forms.
Once the life reaches a certain stage, an option is given to it, then both the ways open up. Those who remain in touch with their Lord consciously and want to improve their Lord, then they will have to follow his instructions, his teachings. Whatever Allah tells them, they should follow it, otherwise they will not improve. So if they choose not to be improved, they will not remain stationary at that stage. They will become perverted and they will revert to the lower orders. And those who decide to act righteously as Allah tells them, for them there is an unlimited progress. This is after you reach the stage of humanity.
These are two ways open for both, for every man, but individually. You are considering humanity as a race, as a species, aren’t you? After I have given you the concept of Rabubiyat as applicable to man individually, then I’ll turn to that second part of it. You think that Rabubiyat requires that every species should continue to progress. This is not what it means. It is exactly as Rabubiyat is applied to an individual. Similarly it works with species. If the species has reached its climax and then it does not choose to remain at that level by fulfilling certain conditions, then that species can be rejected. And if that species is rejected, it will only be rejected when a better species is evolved from that species, otherwise not. So looking back at the history of evolution, you will find that at every stage there was one species which held the same position vis-a-vis the rest as man is holding today.
There was a time when apes were the kings of the known universe, I mean that is this earth. They ruled supreme. There was a time when dinosaurs before them ruled supreme. They were the best that could be found of life here. And nothing could overpower them. Out of life they were really the true rulers of the earth. So at every stage the final one appears to be final in time. But nothing is final in time, only there is a finality apparently in quality for a certain time. Once that species is evolved and it evolves into a better species, then the previous species may lose the right to live or may not, but it is no more important. If it is worthy of keeping for certain purpose, then it will be kept. If it’s not worthy, then it will be destroyed and its remains will be put to some use. This is a scheme of things.
This is exactly what is going to happen to man as the holy Quran itself tells us. A time may come when as a species the mankind will be rejected by Allah. Having fulfilled its first purpose, having reached the ultimate goal of becoming one as in religion, one socially, entirely the whole world would be one united mankind. That is the ultimate golden age for which Islam is working and the final religion has been revealed. Once that goal has been achieved and then man chooses to reject it and start its downward journey towards materialism once again, it will be that time that man will be written off theoretically at first. But before it is actually wiped out, a new species would evolve from among men and that species will rule mankind if it exists for some purpose, but it will be meaningless from then on.
It will be subservient to the new evolved species or it may be wiped out altogether completely. We don’t know, but one thing we know positively is that mankind will not be rejected until a new species, a better, a higher quality species is evolved out of mankind. So Rabubiyat continues. The stages remain sometimes stationary, sometimes become decadent, but it has nothing to do, it is no reflection upon Rabubiyat, because Rabubiyat does not mean that each individual and each species must go on progressing. It only means that those of the species who remain recipients of the favours of Rabubiyat, they must evolve, they must continue to progress.
Those who break their ties with Rabubiyat, I explained that in the Dars as well, how can they continue to receive the benefit of Rabubiyat? If the benefit of a heater is for you to be warmed up and you put an insulation in between and then you object to the heater and say it does not warm me up, that is not the correct approach, correct attitude. Rabubiyat would never abandon you if you do not abandon Rabubiyat and remain in contact with Rabubiyat. If then you do not continuously progress, your objection would be valid.
But what I am describing is a break between those whom Allah created and his quality or attribute of Rabubiyat. Once the break is established and for that sometimes the species is responsible, sometimes the plan of things so requires that that species is no longer needed. So a break between Rabubiyat and that species is established and then it can begin to decay and go downwards.
