Question: Why did an all-loving God create such a mess? The question, for me, leads logically to three possible conclusions: (1) He is not the Creator God to begin with; (2) He created a perfect world but another powerful entity (the Bible says that Satan is the prince of this world) took over and fouled things up, or (3) God, the Creator, is Himself imperfect.
Answer: Ever considered a software, or perhaps a still easier analogy, a video game, how it is designed and how it responds to the players' inputs? You see, the software designer engineers a set of possibilities which are programmed in a set of ‘if’ ‘elseif’ ‘else’ conditions or ‘while’ ‘do while’ ‘for’ 'next' loops knowing very well all the possible choices the player can possibly make, and even though the game evolves in exactly the same pattern as it was designed, yet, it is coloured in the choices made by the player. The player has no power over the result of his choices, but he does have a limited power to make the right choices. The perfect game that he plays, or the mess he creates is based on his own aptitude, and does not reflect the perfection/imperfectness of the designer. If the game crashed, gave an unknown error, then the programmer is flawed, but if the game continues till the end, then the programmer has done a very good job incorporating and designing around all possible user inputs. That our world continues, that inspite of all the evil perpetrated by humans upon humans, life goes on, and good things still happen, and all in all, everything continues till such a time as is prophesized that it will come to an end, all indicates a perfect designer. But, He tells us that this is no mere sport, that there is a purpose behind this world and this life, and beyond what we’ve been told, we will be acquainted with the reality of it in the Hereafter. Till then, we just have to trust Him, and wait……….He will tell us when the time is right, or so I guess!
And as far as Satan being the prince is concerned, well, like us He is also allowed to make His choices, but actually everything happens exactly according to the Divine plan….we can only make choices, whether we are humans or genies.
Have you seen the movie, Matrix? Sometimes I think perhaps we are simply plugged in here like in the movie!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Scientific accuracy of the hadith
Question: http://www.quran.org/science/origin.htm Well done! A fascinating exposition. Do the Hadith also contain examples?
Answer: Hadith are books written by humans........ they are prone to a lot of errors and memory lapses; scholars try to sift out the authentic, but even then, again its human work and subject to errors. Can't take it as an article of faith. I personally feel that since we have the Quran in its original form, why not concentrate on getting all spiritual information from it first, and then diversify to other books. Having been born in a muslim family, I've been blessed to have the Quran in my life all along, and I still find it to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge; as I age, and hopefully grow 'wiser', I continue to keep learning more and more from the same verses....... its just amazing how this book addresses all mental levels, and continues to fascinate and educate. Thus, I choose not to diversify yet. I do keep hearing different hadiths, I do read up books about the Prophet and his times, but I do know that all these are works of history, and just that.
Answer: Hadith are books written by humans........ they are prone to a lot of errors and memory lapses; scholars try to sift out the authentic, but even then, again its human work and subject to errors. Can't take it as an article of faith. I personally feel that since we have the Quran in its original form, why not concentrate on getting all spiritual information from it first, and then diversify to other books. Having been born in a muslim family, I've been blessed to have the Quran in my life all along, and I still find it to be an inexhaustible source of knowledge; as I age, and hopefully grow 'wiser', I continue to keep learning more and more from the same verses....... its just amazing how this book addresses all mental levels, and continues to fascinate and educate. Thus, I choose not to diversify yet. I do keep hearing different hadiths, I do read up books about the Prophet and his times, but I do know that all these are works of history, and just that.
God: unexplainable?
[Quote] i do not think anyone can really "explain", in any intellectual fashion, the "unexplainable" and whatever "god is" strikes me as something outside the dimensions of reality we can understand or really even grasp........some have developed neat constructs that satisfy them and sound good....[EndQuote]
Answer: We muslims believe the same thing: that God is unexplainable, He is nothing that we can begin to imagine or grasp or explain, that He is not like anything. Chapter 112 titled Al-Ikhlas [Absoluteness] reads: Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. [translation by Pickthal]
[Quote] then too, i must be honest with myself, in terms of my motivations for the sorts of work i have done for so long...........i have to question why i chose to do this, for no one made me, and i had no "vision" at some point which said "go and help"........... [EndQuote]
Answer: God has gifted all of us with a conscience, a guide to what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong, and the free-will to choose our actions. The blessed ones among us choose to hear their conscience and choose to do the right thing.
[Quote] then, i read about Mother Teresa and the great emptiness she walked in for decades, feeling abandoned by the One who she felt "sent her to the poor"............perhaps she was just deluded and perhaps i have been also............i will have to give up.........i cannot do it anymore................i too have become empty inside.............it will kill me to continue..........i do not want R&R........i am getting out and making plans to do so.............it is as if there is no oxygen left in the air....... [EndQuote]
Answer: Even the Prophets and mystics have felt like that…….. God chooses when and who, but that is a very rare experience of a very few……….. He wants us to observe all around us and to know that there is somebody who has caused this, and is sustaining this, and wants us to believe inspite of no direct experience of the divine………. That is the test! If God were to reveal Himself to all of us, who then would not believe?? Why we’re being put through this test, I’m sure He knows…………. Though we can get an idea of it by exploring the different holy books, and figuring out what He has to say about it.
[Quote] i realize i am "seared" in heart and mind............i know i have bitterness............how could i not know it? as far as i can tell, all that is left is for my prayer to be granted..........to be filled with "awe and wonder"...........to "see" beyond what i can see...........this must be some form of "experiential" happening..............but, i cannot "demand" it, since i have no idea on whom i would make the demand..............:)))) [EndQuote]
Answer: Pray to “To whoever is the Creator and Sustainer of ALL” …………. You know how those letters begin: To whom it may concern. I pray that He will show you His way, and He will bless you. Being a muslim, I can’t resist the urge to ask you to atleast do a critical but unbiased reading of the Holy Quran, while waiting for your prayers to be answered.
[Quote] it is no longer possible for me to identify with any "faith"............too late for that................my only answer is to "walk away from it all" and focus on simple things like growing bananas, limes, tropical flowers and fishing off the coast at savanna la mar, jamaica.............. [EndQuote]
Answer: It is never too late……… don’t identify with faith….. just have faith….. that the Beneficent Being who created us loves us and that all that we see is not pointless or mere play, but that there are reasons beyond our knowledge………….. had He not loved us He could and would have made all of those who did not believe in Him or His religion suffer; but that is not what we see………. Rich and poor, healthy and sick, happy and sad, famished and well-fed, all shades of lives are being led by people of all faith……….. all get air to breathe, all get sustenance while alive, all get Earth below and sky above, all get to smell flowers, enjoy colours, see the same stars…………… yes, one would want to alleviate the sufferings of all who suffer, and one must try, but all have been given their own exam sheets, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own capacity to bear the difficulties and forbearance, we just cannot judge of what we know and understand so little…………. What have the rich, healthy and successful people done to earn that state in which they’re in? Is it their birth-right? No, ofcourse not. We all have our lives to live, to touch others lives with our words and actions, and constantly strive for the better………. And our God-gifted conscience guides us and helps us know what’s right. Have faith, know that He exists, and pray in your heart that He shows you His way!
Answer: We muslims believe the same thing: that God is unexplainable, He is nothing that we can begin to imagine or grasp or explain, that He is not like anything. Chapter 112 titled Al-Ikhlas [Absoluteness] reads: Say: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. [translation by Pickthal]
[Quote] then too, i must be honest with myself, in terms of my motivations for the sorts of work i have done for so long...........i have to question why i chose to do this, for no one made me, and i had no "vision" at some point which said "go and help"........... [EndQuote]
Answer: God has gifted all of us with a conscience, a guide to what is good and what is bad, what is right and what is wrong, and the free-will to choose our actions. The blessed ones among us choose to hear their conscience and choose to do the right thing.
[Quote] then, i read about Mother Teresa and the great emptiness she walked in for decades, feeling abandoned by the One who she felt "sent her to the poor"............perhaps she was just deluded and perhaps i have been also............i will have to give up.........i cannot do it anymore................i too have become empty inside.............it will kill me to continue..........i do not want R&R........i am getting out and making plans to do so.............it is as if there is no oxygen left in the air....... [EndQuote]
Answer: Even the Prophets and mystics have felt like that…….. God chooses when and who, but that is a very rare experience of a very few……….. He wants us to observe all around us and to know that there is somebody who has caused this, and is sustaining this, and wants us to believe inspite of no direct experience of the divine………. That is the test! If God were to reveal Himself to all of us, who then would not believe?? Why we’re being put through this test, I’m sure He knows…………. Though we can get an idea of it by exploring the different holy books, and figuring out what He has to say about it.
[Quote] i realize i am "seared" in heart and mind............i know i have bitterness............how could i not know it? as far as i can tell, all that is left is for my prayer to be granted..........to be filled with "awe and wonder"...........to "see" beyond what i can see...........this must be some form of "experiential" happening..............but, i cannot "demand" it, since i have no idea on whom i would make the demand..............:)))) [EndQuote]
Answer: Pray to “To whoever is the Creator and Sustainer of ALL” …………. You know how those letters begin: To whom it may concern. I pray that He will show you His way, and He will bless you. Being a muslim, I can’t resist the urge to ask you to atleast do a critical but unbiased reading of the Holy Quran, while waiting for your prayers to be answered.
[Quote] it is no longer possible for me to identify with any "faith"............too late for that................my only answer is to "walk away from it all" and focus on simple things like growing bananas, limes, tropical flowers and fishing off the coast at savanna la mar, jamaica.............. [EndQuote]
Answer: It is never too late……… don’t identify with faith….. just have faith….. that the Beneficent Being who created us loves us and that all that we see is not pointless or mere play, but that there are reasons beyond our knowledge………….. had He not loved us He could and would have made all of those who did not believe in Him or His religion suffer; but that is not what we see………. Rich and poor, healthy and sick, happy and sad, famished and well-fed, all shades of lives are being led by people of all faith……….. all get air to breathe, all get sustenance while alive, all get Earth below and sky above, all get to smell flowers, enjoy colours, see the same stars…………… yes, one would want to alleviate the sufferings of all who suffer, and one must try, but all have been given their own exam sheets, their own strengths and weaknesses, and their own capacity to bear the difficulties and forbearance, we just cannot judge of what we know and understand so little…………. What have the rich, healthy and successful people done to earn that state in which they’re in? Is it their birth-right? No, ofcourse not. We all have our lives to live, to touch others lives with our words and actions, and constantly strive for the better………. And our God-gifted conscience guides us and helps us know what’s right. Have faith, know that He exists, and pray in your heart that He shows you His way!
Holy Quran: Text and Context
Question: I agree with you about the unreliability of hadiths. The problem with relying on a Qur'an-alone approach, though, is that it is very difficult to know the context of what is written in the Qur'an. And I'm not sure you can understand a text if you don't know the context.
Answer: Knowing the context, and actually following the text are two different things. For example, if we are being told to not to lie, to be just, to take care of orphans, to speak in the best manner, to measure properly, to abstain from eating or drinking certain things, to establish prayers, what beliefs and deeds will lead to salvation, what will lead us to hell, we do not need to know the context. Such things transcend time, and are applicable to all people in all ages. Also, there are verses speaking of the nature and the signs in it, such things come under the domain of scientific thought and inquiry, and need no background regarding the context. Also, verses dealing with the unseen, those that we can only know of by what He has revealed also need no context…. If we believe the author to be the true God, then we must believe in what we are being told, that there is only one God, that there is heaven and hell, that we will be made to account for our deeds and actions, and that we will then live there eternally.
Then there are certain verses which deal specifically with a certain event, like Allah speaking about the battle of Uhud, and what actually happened. Okay, if one knows the history, that’s a plus, but even if one doesn’t know, the essential elements and the lessons to be learnt from it have been mentioned in the verses. Similarly, there is a lot of mention of other nations, especially the Children of Israel, how they were the favoured nation, how prophets kept coming to them, and what were the reasons [deeds] which led them ‘out of favour’. There is a strong message and reminder for all people, and especially muslims, as to what good deeds are, how important they are, and how important it is to continue being good. Also, the Quran presents the essentials of all such histories, such that the point is not missed or lost, and the irrelevant details of the story are omitted. Besides, a reading of other books tends to present a very distorted/immoral/strange picture of some prophets, something which to my mind just cannot be possible. Prophets are specifically hand-picked by God, and as such are the best of us. It is thus difficult to believe the picture presented in those books, which makes the rest of the content also questionable.
And since Allah says that this book is a guidance for mankind, and I believe Allah to be the true God, why should I consult other books. He tells me that this book contains guidance, and that I must believe that He has sent prophets and books to earlier generations, and I must respect all of them, then I must. He does not ask us to take guidance from books written by humans, thus I don’t.
Answer: Knowing the context, and actually following the text are two different things. For example, if we are being told to not to lie, to be just, to take care of orphans, to speak in the best manner, to measure properly, to abstain from eating or drinking certain things, to establish prayers, what beliefs and deeds will lead to salvation, what will lead us to hell, we do not need to know the context. Such things transcend time, and are applicable to all people in all ages. Also, there are verses speaking of the nature and the signs in it, such things come under the domain of scientific thought and inquiry, and need no background regarding the context. Also, verses dealing with the unseen, those that we can only know of by what He has revealed also need no context…. If we believe the author to be the true God, then we must believe in what we are being told, that there is only one God, that there is heaven and hell, that we will be made to account for our deeds and actions, and that we will then live there eternally.
Then there are certain verses which deal specifically with a certain event, like Allah speaking about the battle of Uhud, and what actually happened. Okay, if one knows the history, that’s a plus, but even if one doesn’t know, the essential elements and the lessons to be learnt from it have been mentioned in the verses. Similarly, there is a lot of mention of other nations, especially the Children of Israel, how they were the favoured nation, how prophets kept coming to them, and what were the reasons [deeds] which led them ‘out of favour’. There is a strong message and reminder for all people, and especially muslims, as to what good deeds are, how important they are, and how important it is to continue being good. Also, the Quran presents the essentials of all such histories, such that the point is not missed or lost, and the irrelevant details of the story are omitted. Besides, a reading of other books tends to present a very distorted/immoral/strange picture of some prophets, something which to my mind just cannot be possible. Prophets are specifically hand-picked by God, and as such are the best of us. It is thus difficult to believe the picture presented in those books, which makes the rest of the content also questionable.
And since Allah says that this book is a guidance for mankind, and I believe Allah to be the true God, why should I consult other books. He tells me that this book contains guidance, and that I must believe that He has sent prophets and books to earlier generations, and I must respect all of them, then I must. He does not ask us to take guidance from books written by humans, thus I don’t.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Allah is God, The Deity
Question: Please stop referring G-D to allah! allah is NOT G-D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a false G-D maybe; at best and yes the only way to eternal life is through JESUS CHRIST for he sent his only begotten sonhe was the final sacrificeto pay for all of our sins and the only way to reach the father is to reach Jesus,KNOW THAT HE PAID FOR YOUR SINS BY GRACE!
Answer: Allah is not a name specific to Islam…. The Arabic translations of the Bible refer to God as Allah. The word Allah was already in use in pre-islamic Arabia where the pagans used this term to refer to the highest deity.
Allah is Arabic concatenation of two words: Al meaning THE and ilah meaning DEITY, so it essentially means THE DEITY, commonly used by pre-islam Arabs to refer to the highest god. Quran uses the same term to refer to The Creator, the eternal being to whom worship is due..... the only difference between Islam and other religions' use of the word Allah is that, in Islam, Allah is the only deity, while others ascribe partners to Him.
Answer: Allah is not a name specific to Islam…. The Arabic translations of the Bible refer to God as Allah. The word Allah was already in use in pre-islamic Arabia where the pagans used this term to refer to the highest deity.
Allah is Arabic concatenation of two words: Al meaning THE and ilah meaning DEITY, so it essentially means THE DEITY, commonly used by pre-islam Arabs to refer to the highest god. Quran uses the same term to refer to The Creator, the eternal being to whom worship is due..... the only difference between Islam and other religions' use of the word Allah is that, in Islam, Allah is the only deity, while others ascribe partners to Him.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Ka'abah of Zoroaster
Located near Shiraz, Iran, the Ka'abah of Zoroaster at Naqsh-e-Rustum is strikingly similar to the Ka'abah at Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Zoroaster (Greek Ζωροάστρης, Zōroastrēs) or Zarathushtra (Avestan: Zaraθuštra), also referred to as Zartosht (Persian: زرتشت), was an ancient Iranian prophet and the founder of Zoroastrianism, a religion that was the national religion of the Sassanid Empire of Persia; it is predominantly practiced today by the Parsi community...... http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Zoroaster
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Isa is not a Hebrew name
Question: Y'Shua (Jesus) was a Hebrew, he was not and will never be anything other than a Hebrew. The name Isa is not a Hebrew name.
Answer: Ch3:45 [When the angels said: "O Mary, God gives you news of a thing from Him, for rejoicing, (news of one) whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the next, and one among the honoured,] (Translation by Ahmed Ali). Isa/Jesus may not be a Hebrew name; in this verse Allah tells us that He Himself named the child.
Answer: Ch3:45 [When the angels said: "O Mary, God gives you news of a thing from Him, for rejoicing, (news of one) whose name will be Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in this world and the next, and one among the honoured,] (Translation by Ahmed Ali). Isa/Jesus may not be a Hebrew name; in this verse Allah tells us that He Himself named the child.
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