Friday, September 30, 2016

Our Origins & Our Time Here

JB wrote: I wonder what would their answer be if you ask them :" Why didn't Allah place them in heaven right after birth to begin with !!!!?"

Answer: 
The Qur’an provides some insights regarding our origins and our time here: 


Reason for Our Time on Earth: 
al-`Ankabut 29:2 - al-`Ankabut 29:3 Do think the people that they will be left because they say, "We believe" and they will not be tested? And indeed, We tested those who (were) before them. And Allah will surely make evident those who (are) truthful and He will surely make evident the liars. 
al-Insan 76:2 - al-Insan 76:3 Indeed, We [We] created man from a semen-drop, a mixture, (that) We test him; so hearing and sight. Indeed, We guided him (to) the way whether (he) be grateful and whether (he) be ungrateful. 
Why We Need to be Tested: 
al-Ahzab 33:72 - al-Ahzab 33:73 Indeed, We [We] offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it and they feared from it; but bore it the man. Indeed, he was unjust ignorant. So that Allah may punish the hypocrite men and the hypocrite women and the polytheist men and the polytheist women and Allah will turn (in Mercy) to the believing men and the believing women. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. 


The Testimony: 
al-A`raf 7:172 - al-A`raf 7:174 And when your Lord took from (the) Children (of) Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them over themselves, "Am I not your Lord?" They said, "Yes we have testified." Lest you say (on the) Day (of) the Resurrection, "Indeed, we were about this unaware." Or you say, "Only our forefathers associated partners (with Allah) before (us) and we are descendants after them. So will You destroy us for what did the falsifiers?" And thus We explain the Verses so that they may return.
Establishing:  
(i) Adam's Knowledge above the Angels 
(ii) Exposing Iblis' Arrogance 
According to Quran, al-Baqarah:29 It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge. 30 Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not." 31 And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: "Tell me the names of these if ye are right." 32 They said: "Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom." 33He said: "O Adam! Tell them their names." When he had told them, Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of heaven and earth, and I know what ye reveal and what ye conceal?" 34 And behold, We said to the angels: "Bow down to Adam" and they bowed down. Not so Iblis: he refused and was haughty: He was of those who reject Faith. 35 We said: "O Adam! dwell thou and thy wife in the Garden; and eat of the bountiful things therein as (where and when) ye will; but approach not this tree, or ye run into harm and transgression." 36 Then did Satan make them slip from the (garden), and get them out of the state (of felicity) in which they had been. We said: "Get ye down, all (ye people), with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be your dwelling-place and your means of livelihood - for a time." 37 Then learnt Adam from his Lord words of inspiration, and his Lord Turned towards him; for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. 38 We said: "Get ye down all from here; and if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. 39 "But those who reject Faith and belie Our Signs, they shall be companions of the Fire; they shall abide therein."
Adam's Covenant & The Trial in the Garden: 
According to the Qur’an, Taha:113 Thus have We sent this down - an arabic Qur'an - and explained therein in detail some of the warnings, in order that they may fear Allah, or that it may cause their remembrance (of Him). 114 High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth!Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge." 115 We had already, beforehand, taken the covenant of Adam, but he forgot: and We found on his part no firm resolve.116 When We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves to Adam", they prostrated themselves, but not Iblis: he refused. 117 Then We said: "O Adam! verily, this is an enemy to thee and thy wife: so let him not get you both out of the Garden, so that thou art landed in misery. 118 "There is therein (enough provision) for thee not to go hungry nor to go naked, 119 "Nor to suffer from thirst, nor from the sun's heat." 120 But Satan whispered evil to him: he said, "O Adam! shall I lead thee to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that never decays?" 121 In the result, they both ate of the tree, and so their nakedness appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden: thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be seduced. 122 But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He turned to him, and gave him Guidance. 123 He said: "Get ye down, both of you,- all together, from the Garden, with enmity one to another: but if, as is sure, there comes to you Guidance from Me, whosoever follows My Guidance, will not lose his way, nor fall into misery. 124 "But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment."
Inheritance of the Gardens: 
al-Mu`minun 23:1 … al-Mu`minun 23:10 - al-Mu`minun 23:11 Indeed, successful (are) the believers … Those [they] (are) the inheritors Who will inherit the Paradise. They therein (will) abide forever. 
Note: 23:2–9 indicated by … define the Believers 
Humans will inherit the Gardens. The word inheritance implies huge responsibility! 
And Allah knows best! 
For more details, please read:
SK commented: Only ignorant person will test something to find out the truth.  If allah was all knowing, he did not have to take tests to know something.  He was supposed to know without taking any tests and exams... 
GOM commented: religion demands belief without proof, science demands proof to believe,I choose science. belief is based on writings of people long before knowledge 

Response: 
Factual Accuracy of the Qur'an: Signs & Science 

Allah is All-Knowing. Allah is also All-Just. Allah does not oppress or wrong anyone. When Allah sorts humans into the Gardens and Fire in the Hereafter, each and every human will be convinced that he/she is being placed exactly where he/she deserves to be. Each one will have a lifetime of deeds to prove their eligibility for their permanent home. 

Even when Adam was being created, Allah did not silence the angels when they asked why there was a need to create a 'khalifa' for Earth. Instead Allah established Adam's knowledge over them and then asked them to prostrate/submit to Adam. As Allah knew everything, Iblis' arrogance and rejection was also clearly exposed in the event. 

In Surah Al-Kahf, we are informed that Allah did not bestow knowledge of creation upon the Jinns:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا
مَّا أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا
And when We said to the Angels, "Prostrate to Adam," so they prostrated except Iblis. (He) was of the jinn, and he rebelled against the Command (of) his Lord. Will you then take him and his offspring (as) protectors other than Me, while they (are) to you enemies? Wretched for the wrongdoers (is) the exchange. Not I made them witness the creation (of) the heavens and the earth and not the creation (of) themselves and not I Am the One to take the misleaders (as) helper(s).
Thus it follows that we need to remember that Satan's promises of Immortality in this world are but a deception. We need to stay on guard! Please read Satan's Enmity: Origin & Objective

And Allah knows best! 

PA asked: where is tis "permanent home" you speak about? and what will you do there? what about children who Allah allowed to die through illness, accident or starvation before they learnt to walk? will they be crawling for eternity? will men and women be all together? women will have their faces covered with ashmaq or will all men and women be naked forever? (I can't imagine buying clothes in Paradise)

Answers: 
You ask: where is tis "permanent home" you speak about?
Answer:
Permanent Home:
The Qur'an mentions Gardens and Fire as the final destinations in the Hereafter. 
Gardens: Q57:21 and Q3:133 mention the size of the Gardens - one is the size of the Heaven (singular) and Earth; the other the size of the Heavens (plural) and Earth. 
Fire: Q7:40 mentions that the gates of Heaven will not be opened for those who reject the communications till a certain time. Q15:44 mentions that Hell has seven gates. There are seven permanent lava lakes on Earth. 

You ask: and what will you do there? 
Answer: The Qur'an informs that the Believers will inherit the Gardens. The word inheritance implies ownership and responsibility. I think the Believers from the progeny of Adam will be joyfully employed in managing their Gardens and all who dwell in it, as the 'Khalifa' of the Garden, the original purpose for Adam's creation.  

You ask: what about children who Allah allowed to die through illness, accident or starvation before they learnt to walk? will they be crawling for eternity?
Answer: I don't know, but there will be no injustice done to anyone. 

You ask: will men and women be all together? 
Answer: Q81:7 speaks about ‘when the souls are paired’. Perhaps the soul will be united with the elusive soulmate that (almost) everyone yearns for...  

You ask: women will have their faces covered with ashmaq or will all men and women be naked forever? (I can't imagine buying clothes in Paradise)   
Answer: The humans who have earned forgiveness will have their genome corrected, and will regain the clothes Adam and his wife lost when they ate off the Forbidden Tree. 

And Allah knows best! 

Please read:


Friday, September 2, 2016

Diversity & Pluralism

Commenting on the post on Diversity, IH wrote: 
PLURALISM TOO AS IT EXIST RIGHT NOW IN THE WORLD.  MANY PATHS LEADING TO THE SAME GOAL... (... )

QURAN RECOGNISES DIVERSITY & PLURALISM

To you WE have given the scriptures, just as WE have given the scriptures to people before you (Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc).  We have protected your scriptures (Quran) in its entirety.  So judge among people from what knowledge has come to you (from Quran) and follow not their vain desires (that Muslims are the only righteous and chosen people to lead) diverging far away from the TRUTH .
To each among you (referring to diverse groups – not excluding anybody) We have prescribed the Law (teachings of the indigenous, native people and Buddhist scholars, Gitas, Vedas, Torah, Gospels and The Quran) and an Open Way (given a conscience with reference to the spiritualists people).
If God had willed, all humanity would have been of one single community (this means diversity is part of God’s creation).  God’s plan is to test you in what each one has received (in form of Holy Scriptures or Conscience).  So strive, as in a race in all virtues. 
The goal of all the people is to God.  God (alone) will tell you the truth in matters of which you dispute.” 5:48
Every People have received Apostle/Prophets
 The following verse in the Quran is repeated 3 times.  These are very important verses that further the teachings of Diversity and Pluralism in the Quran.
The Quran says, “To every people was sent an Apostle to teach them in their own language in their own country – making things clear” 10:47, 14:4 & 16:36.  This means that numerous Prophets have been coming from the beginning of times to guide people for living a righteous life.  Our Prophet has said there are 124,000 Prophets (numerous) that have been send from time to time to different people all over the world.  Each Prophet preached the same message of believing in God and doing righteous acts.  This would mean that Confucius, Buddha, Ram, Krishna could also be Prophets for Buddhists and Hindus too.  Their Holy Scriptures is also just as important as the Abrahamic Scriptures, namely, The Torah, The Gospels and The Quran. 

My Answer: 
مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
مِنَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ
Turning to Him, and fear Him and establish the prayer and (do) not be of the polytheists. Of those who divide their religion and become sects, each party in what they have rejoicing. 

I should have probably quoted the Q30:31-32 as well in the last email, instead of stopping at Q30:30. Indeed God has sent, as promised when sending Adam to Earth, several prophets and messengers for the guidance of the progeny of Adam. Each nation may have received different scriptures, but all preached the same religion: monotheism and submission to The One and Only True Deity, whom in Arabic we address as Allah. The primary scriptures (Vedas, Torah/Old Testament, al-Quran) of these major religions (Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam) all preach monotheism and submission to God.   

In Surah al-Anbiya, after mentioning in brief some of the prophets and messengers, 21:92 goes on to state: 

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ
Indeed, this (is) your religion - religion one, and I Am your Lord, so worship Me. 

In Surah Hud, Prophet-Messenger Hud is quoted as informing his people: 

إِنِّي تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّي وَرَبِّكُم مَّا مِن دَابَّةٍ إِلَّا هُوَ آخِذٌ بِنَاصِيَتِهَا إِنَّ رَبِّي عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
Indeed, I [I] put my trust upon Allah my Lord, and your Lord. (There is) not of a moving creature but He has grasp of its forelock. Indeed, my Lord (is) on a path straight. 

In Surah Maryam, Messiah Jesus is quoted as informing his people: 

وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
"And indeed, Allah (is) my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This (is) a path straight." 

In Surah an-Nur, we are informed: 
لَّقَدْ أَنزَلْنَا آيَاتٍ مُّبَيِّنَاتٍ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
وَيَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالرَّسُولِ وَأَطَعْنَا ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُم مِّن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَمَا أُولَٰئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Verily, We have sent down Verses clear. And Allah guides whom He wills to a path straight. And they say, "We believe in Allah and in the Messenger and we obey." Then turns away a party of them after that. And not those (are) believers.  

In Surah at-Takwir, we are informed: 
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
لِمَن شَاءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ
وَمَا تَشَاءُونَ إِلَّا أَن يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
Not it (is) except a reminder to the worlds, For whoever wills among you to take a straight way. And not you will except that wills Allah, Lord (of) the worlds. 

Thus, in Surah al-Fatihah 1:6, we daily, repeatedly pray: 

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Guide us (to) the path, the straight. 


Diversity

PA asked: I'd like to know how did Allah manage to develop one type of human being into such a variety, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Indian, Scandinavian, Nigerian, etc, 

My Answer: 
And among His Signs (is) that He created you from dust then behold! You (are) human beings dispersing. 
And among His Signs (is) that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you love and mercy. Indeed, in that surely (are) Signs for a people who reflect. 
And among His Signs (is the) creation (of) the heavens and the earth, and the diversity (of) your languages and your colors. Indeed, in that surely (are) Signs for those of knowledge. 
And among His Signs (is) your sleep by night and the day [and] your seeking of His Bounty. Indeed, in that surely (are) Signs for a people who listen. 
And among His Signs He shows you the lightning (causing) fear and hope, and He sends down from the sky water and gives life therewith (to) the earth after its death. Indeed, in that surely (are) Signs for a people who use intellect. 
And among His Signs (is) that stands the heavens and the earth by His Command. Then when He calls you (with) a call, from the earth, behold! You will come forth. 
And to Him (belongs) whoever (is) in the heavens and the earth. All to Him (are) obedient. 
And He (is) the One Who originates the creation then repeats it, and it (is) easier for Him And for Him (is) the description, the highest in the heavens and the earth. And He (is) the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. 
He sets forth to you an example from yourselves. Is for you among what possess your right hands any partners in what We have provided you so you in it (are) equal, you fear them as you fear yourselves? Thus We explain the Verses for a people (who) use reason. 
Nay, follow those who do wrong, their desires, without knowledge. Then who (can) guide (one) whom Allah has let go astray? And not for them any helpers. 
So set your face to the religion upright. Nature (made by) Allah (upon) which He has created mankind [on it]. No change (should there be) in the creation (of) Allah. That (is) the religion the correct, but most men (do) not know. 

Translation: Literal (Word by Word)
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