Friday, April 10, 2015

React or Respond

Someone trying to live by his interpretation of Quran 9:112 complained:  This is exactly what I said. In Surah 9 verse 112 says the same thing . The conditions mentioned in that Surah is very difficult. Specially Al- Munkar. Have you asked anybody to stop taking Riba? I have. They don't talk to me. I was very sick about 3 months ago and nobody came to see me or even ask about my health on the phone.  That is how difficult it to deal with people. Do you ask young and old relatives do they say prayers regularjy and read the Quran. They don't talk to me anymore. Ask your close relatives the same questions and see the reaction.
As I said try it and see how they react. 

My Answer: I think the key word is 'react'. If we want people to respond, then we need to follow the guidance in the following verse: [Quran 16:125 Translator: Sahih InternationalInvite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.
We are all 'convinced' of the veracity of our understanding and interpretation of religion, and nobody appreciates a 'holier than thou' attitude, or being scolded, spoken down to, or worse, ad hominem remarks against their persons or their near and dear ones.  We are all human, each one of us has our own strengths and weaknesses, good deeds and faults, and each one is trying from their own level of consciousness and understanding. Nobody wants to deliberately cause temporal or eternal loss to themselves. Besides, every saint has a past, every sinner a future! 

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