Question: i am a stranger on this earth and have sensed it for decades.............but, i have no comfort when it comes to an understanding of why i am here and where, if anywhere, i will go at physical death............
Answer: We are all strangers, sent to planet Earth for a temporary abode, for a trial, an open-book examination. Our grades will depend on our deeds, not our achievements. Most scriptures of most religions speak of after-life, though the description and accountability vary greatly. I, being a muslim, believe in the description presented in the Quran, which is Heaven and Hell, and eternal life in either one based on our beliefs and deeds, based on all the evidences within and without us, and our ability to perceive, ponder and understand, in this trial period……. a brief century or less, which is absolutely nothing compared to eternity. I like to compare this life to exams taken by students at the end of their school term. Each gets a paper based on his/her capability level, and is marked based on the ability to respond to the specific situation.
Showing posts with label earth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earth. Show all posts
Sunday, November 30, 2008
God: All-Powerful?
Q: I may not have mentioned that I'm probably a much more liberal Christian than most --- I'm strictly New Testament, except for a few of the psalms and such. I 'm so liberal that while I believe God is all loving and all knowing, he is not all powerful (at least not in this world). If he could end the suffering, why wouldn't he? Even I have that much compassion, and I'm not God.
A: Earth is a place of trial…………. Health, wealth and material comforts are as much a trial as disease, poverty, hunger and pain……….. all get their own exam paper to solve….. for some the trial is more difficult than others…… they will be marked accordingly. Then again, those with an easy: healthy, wealthy and comfortable life will be judged more severely as they were made custodians of resources and how much of it did they use of it to ease the pain and suffering of fellow human beings. God is Most Compassionate, He gives life and provides sustenance to all those living… he does not discriminate between muslims, jews, christians, hindus, pagans, atheists, and so on. Our compassion is based on our ‘perceived narrow world view’ whereas God’s compassion is based on a cosmic view of everything………. We do not know so much, and we are so insignificant, we cannot even begin to comprehend Him, let alone judge Him. He is, indeed, All-Powerful! Saying that if He could, He would have solved all problems, is like saying if the Examiner knew all the answers, He wouldn’t make the students take the exam.
A: Earth is a place of trial…………. Health, wealth and material comforts are as much a trial as disease, poverty, hunger and pain……….. all get their own exam paper to solve….. for some the trial is more difficult than others…… they will be marked accordingly. Then again, those with an easy: healthy, wealthy and comfortable life will be judged more severely as they were made custodians of resources and how much of it did they use of it to ease the pain and suffering of fellow human beings. God is Most Compassionate, He gives life and provides sustenance to all those living… he does not discriminate between muslims, jews, christians, hindus, pagans, atheists, and so on. Our compassion is based on our ‘perceived narrow world view’ whereas God’s compassion is based on a cosmic view of everything………. We do not know so much, and we are so insignificant, we cannot even begin to comprehend Him, let alone judge Him. He is, indeed, All-Powerful! Saying that if He could, He would have solved all problems, is like saying if the Examiner knew all the answers, He wouldn’t make the students take the exam.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The very obvious stupidity contained in every belief system
Question: A thinker wrote:
The very obvious stupidity contained in every belief system is the result of accepting as true the statements of others without checking against personal experience. This is made even worse by the mental laziness that people use in order to take short cuts. All the different classes of belief do the same thing and consequently the world is in a mess caused by lazy, expediency focused thinking.
Answer: Very true about most denizens of planet Earth. The very first, most important thing to do is to observe with all our senses, and use our intellect to determine whether or not this Universe / Multiverse came about itself, or if there is an/are multiple intelligent designs behind it. If there is/are, then what is more plausible: one intelligent creator or multiple creators?? If authority can reside with only One person, then who is this person and how do we find this Creator/ how do we revere and worship/ and is that the purpose of our creation/ what is life, and is there or not a life beyond this Earth/ and if so, will there be a reckoning??? Is there a message that this God has sent, how do we know which is the true message when there are so many multiple faith systems, so many religions, so many claims????? My personal method is to evaluate all Holy Books for accuracy/ truth/ consistency/ evaluation of scientific data/ mathematical data/ moral code/ fairness and justice, and only one Book has met all of these parameters…. The Holy Quran….. so, I believe that it is the Word of God. Since God himself says in the Holy Quran that He is Allah, that Muhammad is His messenger, and that the Quran is a Book without doubt; a Guidance for the Muttaqeen (those who are aware of Allah all the time; love him for his Love for us, and fear Him as He is the only one to be feared; and as the Day of Reckoning will definitely come). May the true God guide us all.
The very obvious stupidity contained in every belief system is the result of accepting as true the statements of others without checking against personal experience. This is made even worse by the mental laziness that people use in order to take short cuts. All the different classes of belief do the same thing and consequently the world is in a mess caused by lazy, expediency focused thinking.
Answer: Very true about most denizens of planet Earth. The very first, most important thing to do is to observe with all our senses, and use our intellect to determine whether or not this Universe / Multiverse came about itself, or if there is an/are multiple intelligent designs behind it. If there is/are, then what is more plausible: one intelligent creator or multiple creators?? If authority can reside with only One person, then who is this person and how do we find this Creator/ how do we revere and worship/ and is that the purpose of our creation/ what is life, and is there or not a life beyond this Earth/ and if so, will there be a reckoning??? Is there a message that this God has sent, how do we know which is the true message when there are so many multiple faith systems, so many religions, so many claims????? My personal method is to evaluate all Holy Books for accuracy/ truth/ consistency/ evaluation of scientific data/ mathematical data/ moral code/ fairness and justice, and only one Book has met all of these parameters…. The Holy Quran….. so, I believe that it is the Word of God. Since God himself says in the Holy Quran that He is Allah, that Muhammad is His messenger, and that the Quran is a Book without doubt; a Guidance for the Muttaqeen (those who are aware of Allah all the time; love him for his Love for us, and fear Him as He is the only one to be feared; and as the Day of Reckoning will definitely come). May the true God guide us all.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Everything created from Nothing?
Question: What is everything created from........ nothing?
Answer: I think it is possible that God created everything out of nothing. After all, where there is matter, scientists have also discovered anti-matter, so that essentially the sum of all is nothing. Furthermore, I think Mr S is making quite a point when he compares our universe to a virtual reality, and how beings within it perceive themselves, and acknowledge the Creator or not.
And then, the very word Creator and Creation implies that something was made, and if everything was created, then what was it created from???? Nothing, or so I assume.
As I believe the Quran to be the word of Allah, the creator of everything, I would like to share what Allah says:
About Himself:
112 Pure FaithAl-Ikhlas: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
1. SAY: "HE IS God the one the most unique,
2. God the immanently indispensable.
3. He has begotten no one, and is begotten of none.
4. There is no one comparable to Him."
About Creation:
6 The Cattle Al-An'am: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
1. ALL PRAISE BE to God who created the heavens and the earth, and ordained darkness and light. Yet the unbelievers make the others equal of their Lord.
2. It is He who created you from clay then determined a term (of life) for you, and a term (is fixed) with Him. Even then you doubt.
Purpose of Creation:
21 The Prophets Al-Anbiya': Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
16. We have not created the heavens and the earth, and all that lies between them, out of fun.
24 The Light An-Nur: Madani________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
45. God created every moving thing from water: One crawls on its belly, one walks on two legs, another moves on four. God creates whatsoever He will. Indeed God has power over everything.
28 The History Al-Qasas: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
68. Your Lord creates what He wills and chooses. The good is not for them to choose. Too holy and high is God for what they associate with Him.
39 The Small Groups Az-Zumar: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
5. He has created the heavens and the earth with precision. He folds the day up over the night, and folds the night up over the day. He has subjugated the sun and moon, (so that) each runs its appointed course. Is He not all-mighty and forgiving?
44 Smoke Ad-Dukhan: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
38. We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them, out of play. 39. We created them with definite purpose; but most of them do not understand.
40. The Day of Judgement is your promised day of meeting,
46 Al-Ahqaf Al-Ahqaf: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
33. Do they not realise that God who created the heavens and the earth, and did not tire creating them, is able to bring the dead to life? And why not? He has the power over everything.
All translations by Ahmed Ali
Answer: I think it is possible that God created everything out of nothing. After all, where there is matter, scientists have also discovered anti-matter, so that essentially the sum of all is nothing. Furthermore, I think Mr S is making quite a point when he compares our universe to a virtual reality, and how beings within it perceive themselves, and acknowledge the Creator or not.
And then, the very word Creator and Creation implies that something was made, and if everything was created, then what was it created from???? Nothing, or so I assume.
As I believe the Quran to be the word of Allah, the creator of everything, I would like to share what Allah says:
About Himself:
112 Pure FaithAl-Ikhlas: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
1. SAY: "HE IS God the one the most unique,
2. God the immanently indispensable.
3. He has begotten no one, and is begotten of none.
4. There is no one comparable to Him."
About Creation:
6 The Cattle Al-An'am: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
1. ALL PRAISE BE to God who created the heavens and the earth, and ordained darkness and light. Yet the unbelievers make the others equal of their Lord.
2. It is He who created you from clay then determined a term (of life) for you, and a term (is fixed) with Him. Even then you doubt.
Purpose of Creation:
21 The Prophets Al-Anbiya': Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
16. We have not created the heavens and the earth, and all that lies between them, out of fun.
24 The Light An-Nur: Madani________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
45. God created every moving thing from water: One crawls on its belly, one walks on two legs, another moves on four. God creates whatsoever He will. Indeed God has power over everything.
28 The History Al-Qasas: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
68. Your Lord creates what He wills and chooses. The good is not for them to choose. Too holy and high is God for what they associate with Him.
39 The Small Groups Az-Zumar: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
5. He has created the heavens and the earth with precision. He folds the day up over the night, and folds the night up over the day. He has subjugated the sun and moon, (so that) each runs its appointed course. Is He not all-mighty and forgiving?
44 Smoke Ad-Dukhan: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
38. We have not created the heavens and the earth and all that lies between them, out of play. 39. We created them with definite purpose; but most of them do not understand.
40. The Day of Judgement is your promised day of meeting,
46 Al-Ahqaf Al-Ahqaf: Makki________________________________________
In the name of Allah, most benevolent, ever-merciful.
33. Do they not realise that God who created the heavens and the earth, and did not tire creating them, is able to bring the dead to life? And why not? He has the power over everything.
All translations by Ahmed Ali
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Man: Central to creation or not
Question: Blame it to 'mullahs' but thats is the understanding of majority of muslims in Pakistan that God created Adam from scratch (for lack of any better word) when He created the earth.
Answer: From what I have understood till now, the Heavens and Earth were already created when Allah decided to appoint Adam as a vice-regent(khalifa). The angels and jinns already existed, and if I’m not mistaken, also humans. Whether they were accountable beings or not, I do not know, but I do know that Allah created Adam as a vice-regent/messenger and sent him and his wife to this world…… they had a brief stopover in ‘jannat’………. Why the itinerary was so, I do not know, and I should not speculate. After all, Allah does say that ‘"Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned" (Sura Ad-Dahr 76 verse 1) I take it to refer to humans pre-dating Adam. Also, Adam does not necessarily have to be first human, as while explaining the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus, Allah says, Chapter 3 Verse 59: "Verily the likeness of Isa, with Allah is as the likeness of Adam; him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo! he becometh" Thus, I see no reason to insist on Adam being the first person when Allah Himself nowhere says that he was the first, or that the Earth and Heavens were created for man. Rather, Allah is repeatedly pointing out the false belief of people as to how humans are deluded into thinking that it is impossible for Allah to resurrect us after death. Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!- (Chapter #36, Verse #79)
Also, contemplate on this verse: Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not. (Chapter #40, Verse #57)Humans are not central to creation for whom everything else has been created: We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation. (Chapter #17, Verse #70). We are blessed in many ways but ‘above a great part’ not above everything! I do not think the Universe has been created for us, rather we have been allowed to use and benefit from it. Our deeds and actions are for our own benefit or otherwise, as we are but an insignificant part of the Creation.
Answer: From what I have understood till now, the Heavens and Earth were already created when Allah decided to appoint Adam as a vice-regent(khalifa). The angels and jinns already existed, and if I’m not mistaken, also humans. Whether they were accountable beings or not, I do not know, but I do know that Allah created Adam as a vice-regent/messenger and sent him and his wife to this world…… they had a brief stopover in ‘jannat’………. Why the itinerary was so, I do not know, and I should not speculate. After all, Allah does say that ‘"Has there not been over man a period of time when he was nothing to be mentioned" (Sura Ad-Dahr 76 verse 1) I take it to refer to humans pre-dating Adam. Also, Adam does not necessarily have to be first human, as while explaining the miraculous conception and birth of Jesus, Allah says, Chapter 3 Verse 59: "Verily the likeness of Isa, with Allah is as the likeness of Adam; him He created out of dust, thereafter He said unto him: Be, and lo! he becometh" Thus, I see no reason to insist on Adam being the first person when Allah Himself nowhere says that he was the first, or that the Earth and Heavens were created for man. Rather, Allah is repeatedly pointing out the false belief of people as to how humans are deluded into thinking that it is impossible for Allah to resurrect us after death. Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!- (Chapter #36, Verse #79)
Also, contemplate on this verse: Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not. (Chapter #40, Verse #57)Humans are not central to creation for whom everything else has been created: We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation. (Chapter #17, Verse #70). We are blessed in many ways but ‘above a great part’ not above everything! I do not think the Universe has been created for us, rather we have been allowed to use and benefit from it. Our deeds and actions are for our own benefit or otherwise, as we are but an insignificant part of the Creation.
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