The Age of Communication

Chapter 17 of the Quran has this to say: “We have honoured the children of Adam, and have borne them on the land and the sea.” (17.70) In this world, all the animals travel by foot, and the birds travel by flapping their wings. It is only man who has the unique ability to travel by mechanical conveyances which are external to himself. In present times, the advent of modern communications has also greatly enhanced the means of conveying information. It has become possible for man not only to undertake journeys with great speed by means of physical transportation, but he can also communicate ideas with much greater rapidity.

This verse of the Quran directly mentions only transportation by animals, but indirectly it also includes all kinds of transportation, including communication by technology. If a person comprehends the extended meaning of this verse, it will become a great source of universal God-realization. In this verse, he will discover the universal blessings of God. This one verse will become an immeasurably great source of meaning for him.

The Quran is not a book of knowledge in the general sense. But in the Quran, all such knowledge is conveyed as is related to the discovery of God, or God-realization. This knowledge is mostly set forth in the form of clues. By perusing these verses, we can discover the meaning hidden in them. It is this pondering over or reflecting upon the verses which takes the realization of God to a higher plane. This is what brings a person’s faith to the level of conviction. This is why the Quran says that it is by pondering over its messages that one can learn lessons.