God designed autumn foliage for human enjoyment

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93

Exactly! You, at least, see my point! :slight_smile:

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94

Thanks.

I agree anyway: I see no reason why someone should be dismissive of functional and natural phenomenon when arguing for beauty as evidence of design. I like layers of purpose. :slightly_smiling_face: Happy that someone’s pointing out that flaws of that.

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(40:57) Greater indeed than the creation of man is the creation of the heavens and the earth: 41 yet most men do not understand [what this implies]. (40:58) But [then,) the blind and the seeing are not equal; and neither [can] they who have attained to faith and do good works and the doers of evil [be deemed equal]. How seldom do you keep this in mind!

41 I.e., of the universe as a whole. By stressing the fact that man is only a small, insignificant part of the universe, the Qur’an points out the absurdity of the man-centred world-view alluded to in the preceding verse.

(40:56) Behold, as for those who call God’s messages in question without having any evidence therefor39 - in their hearts is nothing but overweening self-conceit, which they will never be able to satisfy:40 seek thou, then, refuge with God - for, verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-seeing!

39 See note 25
25 Lit., “without any authority [or “evidence”] having come to them”: i.e., without having any cogent evidence that would support their “denial” of the fact of revelation. - The verb jadala primarily denotes “he argued”; followed by the particle fi (“with regard to” or “about”) it has the meaning of contesting the truth of something, or “calling it in question”.

40 Lit., “which they will never [be able to] reach” or “fulfil”. This is a reference to the conceit which makes many agnostics think that man is “self-sufficient” and that, therefore, there are no limits to what he may yet achieve, and no need to assume that he is responsible to a higher Power. Cf.
in this connection 96:6-7, which is one of the earliest Qur’anic revelations: “Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient.” And since this “self-sufficiency” is entirely illusory, those who build their world-view on it “will never be able to satisfy their overweening conceit”. (Cf. also the reference to “arrogant, self-exalting hearts” in verse 35 above.

96

I confess your comment flew right by me. Was it intended as a reply to my question as to why there is a universe at all?

97

Yes.
From Quran Surah 40:56-58