Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Users
Skins
  • Light
  • Brite
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse
Free Minds Forum Icon
  1. Home
  2. Critical Examination of Islam
  3. What is the nature of God?
  4. Is god life itself?

Is god life itself?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved What is the nature of God?
58 Posts 17 Posters 1.7k Views
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • N Offline
    N Offline
    nerspi
    wrote on last edited by
    #17

    peace

    could you name the verse where God says He's nafs?
    you listed several meanings of the word, doesn't mean they all go for God.

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • U Offline
      U Offline
      unknownuser
      wrote on last edited by
      #18

      For example
      612,54
      328,30

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • N Offline
        N Offline
        nerspi
        wrote on last edited by
        #19

        peace

        what, the word "Himself"?

        could you replace the word "Himself" with "life" or "soul"
        would that make sense?

        to me something doesn't sit right.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • U Offline
          U Offline
          unknownuser
          wrote on last edited by
          #20

          peace

          what, the word "Himself"?

          could you replace the word "Himself" with "life" or "soul"
          would that make sense?

          to me something doesn't sit right.

          Can you read arabic?

          "himself" is a pronoun in english. ;D

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • N Offline
            N Offline
            nerspi
            wrote on last edited by
            #21

            peace

            unfortunatly i can't read arabic.

            i don't know, what does the qur'an say?

            is God life?

            in those verses i didn't find that God calls himself "life". did i miss something?

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • J Offline
              J Offline
              Jafar
              wrote on last edited by
              #22

              God is not comparable to anything.

              That's why the Jews / Bani Israil called Him YHVH (Yahuweh/Yahuwah) which means He Who Is or He is He. This is due to EHYEH ASHER EHYEH (I Am Who I Am) answers from God when asked about His nature.

              God is boundless on every side on all dimensions, and that explains the choice of word ECHAD (Hebrew) and AHAD (Arabic) which means ONE instead of YACHID (Hebrew) or WACHID (Arabic) which means "Single" or "Finite One". Thus He is THE INFINITE ONE. And how many "infinity" that could be possibly exist? Only ONE / ECHAD / AHAD.

              From the Quran we can read that God is very near, nearer than our jugular vein. And that EVERYTHING depends on Him, and that also explains the choice of "RABB" word in the Quran, which means "Cherisher/Maintainer". Thus RABB AL-ALAMIEN eq CHERISHER / MAINTAINER OF ALL UNIVERSES.

              So we cannot say that God is X (Replace X with anything; including "life&quot because He Is He / He Is Who He Is. And life itself is just one of His Creation.

              Alhamdulillah (All Praise to God) / Hallelujah (Glory Be To YHVH)

              Salam / Peace

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • N Offline
                N Offline
                nerspi
                wrote on last edited by
                #23

                So we cannot say that God is X (Replace X with anything; including "life&quot

                peace

                can i replace x with merciful?
                we can say "God is merciful", right?

                1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • S Offline
                  S Offline
                  Samia
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #24

                  peace

                  can i replace x with merciful?
                  we can say "God is merciful", right?

                  "merciful" is an adjective. Jafar means when X is something, noun not attribute or adjective.

                  Salaam enquirer

                  First, welcome back!!
                  So, if God is life, whose life? You mean everybody has his life as his own God?

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • U Offline
                    U Offline
                    unknownuser
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #25

                    Life = state of being alive.

                    2155
                    Yusuf Ali Allah! There is no god but He,-the Living,
                    Pickthal Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive,
                    Shakir Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Everliving,

                    peace

                    unfortunatly i can't read arabic.

                    i don't know, what does the qur'an say?

                    is God life?

                    in those verses i didn't find that God calls himself "life". did i miss something?

                    IMHO, We should be able to read quran otherwise we have to rely on the opinions of translators.

                    You missed the word Nafs

                    654
                    kataba/decreed rabbukum/your Lord AAala/on nafsihi/his nafs alrrahmata/the mercy

                    Again we cannot understand his Nafs/self, we can only know Him through His attributes.

                    Peace all, Hamsa

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • N Offline
                      N Offline
                      nerspi
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #26

                      peace

                      You missed the word Nafs

                      no wonder, since i don't speak arabic.

                      Life = state of being alive.

                      exactly, it's a state, not someone who lives and talks.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • U Offline
                        U Offline
                        unknownuser
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #27

                        no wonder, since i don't speak arabic.

                        To see a word one only needs eyes! ;D

                        exactly, it's a state, not someone who lives and talks.

                        Since am not a philosopher like you, so realy cannot comment on this.

                        peace

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • A Offline
                          A Offline
                          agentxxx
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #28

                          peace enquirer,all.

                          rasulhamsa- we can only know Him through His attributive names He has given in Quran.

                          Right ) The concept of God is uniquely different in every human being?s mind; even amongst the follower of the same faith. According to my understanding this concept keeps on changing with the passage of time in relation to one?s own life?s experiences/knowledge and rational analysis.

                          IN MY PERSONAL OPINION,

                          GOD = MERCY+LOVE+FORGIVENESS+JUSTICE+ ALL THE POSITIVE FORCES IN THE UNIVERSE.

                          And if in any human being/society or any place everywhere in this universe, where these attributes/positive forces cease to exist?..God cease to exist there.

                          peace

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • U Offline
                            U Offline
                            unknownuser
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #29

                            And if in any human being/society or any place everywhere in this universe, where these attributes/positive forces cease to exist?..God cease to exist there.

                            ah brother, very true indeed! Thanks

                            peace

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • A Offline
                              A Offline
                              agentxxx
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #30

                              ah brother, very true indeed! Thanks

                              peace

                              Thank you...cheers.

                              peace

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • S Offline
                                S Offline
                                Samia
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #31

                                IN MY PERSONAL OPINION,

                                GOD = MERCY+LOVE+FORGIVENESS+JUSTICE+ ALL THE POSITIVE FORCES IN THE UNIVERSE.

                                And if in any human being/society or any place everywhere in this universe, where these attributes/positive forces cease to exist?..God cease to exist there.

                                How beautifully put bravo

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • A Offline
                                  A Offline
                                  agentxxx
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #32

                                  How beautifully put bravo

                                  Thank you sis angel sun

                                  peace

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • U Offline
                                    U Offline
                                    unknownuser
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #33

                                    PEace Be Upon You

                                    Brother Enquirer, in my opinion, you are on the right track in a sense. There is a very famous verse in the bible that says, "Know thyself to know God." What does this verse mean? How do I know God by knowing myself? When we become in touch with our true essence, when we go within and calm the mind from its chatter and subconscious programs, only then can we open our channel and return to the Unmanifested One. It is at that moment that you can only experience God. Explaining Him or defining Him will always limit Him. Thus, there is the very beautiful verse in the quran which states, (18109) "Say, 'If the ocean were ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would run out, before the words of my Lord run out, even if we double the ink supply.'"
                                    Therefore, do not try to explain Him for we will become lost in the process. Experience Him thru connecting with your essence which is of God. When you reach that state 2 things (of many things) will happen. You will be His instrument and all the attributes of God found in the holy quran will be your task to deliver to the world. As the Lord's Prayer states, "Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". There are also many examples of people who killed their ego so that "His Will be done" found in the quran. The person was no longer the doer of anything. It was God who channeled His Will thru His instrument, His servent who sacrificed his/her false ego at the alter in order to receive True Abundance.
                                    The second thing that will happen is you will see God in everyone and in everything. 2115 "To Allah belongs the East and the West, and wheresoever you turn, your face is toward Him. Surely He is All-Embracing, All-Knowing ." This will bring you an overwhelming peace in your heart and an awareness of unity. That unity is the truth of our existence. That will be the end of hatred, jealousy, anger, greed etc. How can you hate that which is connected to you? How can you reject God when God is everywhere you turn and even inside of you (closer to you than your jugular vein)? Life at that point will be limitless, abundant in Love and Compassion to mankind and earth.

                                    So in essence, I believe you are onto something. By being very still and knowing your true self, you will come the closest in this lifetime to really knowing God. And life is the journey thru which we realize this.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • P Offline
                                      P Offline
                                      phoenix1
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #34

                                      peace

                                      Brother Enquirer, in my opinion, you are on the right track in a sense. There is a very famous verse in the bible that says, "Know thyself to know God."

                                      That's what I'm trying to do right now. I'm trying to connect with myself.
                                      Our self is our consciousness. God is consciousness. Not life.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • U Offline
                                        U Offline
                                        unknownuser
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #35

                                        Peace Be Upon You Bro Lobster eat

                                        I think you're onto something too. It is my opinion that God is much more than our own unit consciousness. He encompasses all that is Manifested and all that is Unmanifested. He is in all His creation yet larger than that. By stating that He is consciousness we have limited Him. Our goal I believe is to reach Pure Consciousness. Pure Consciousness is when we have eliminated the programs and chatter of the subconscious mind and have ultimately become His instrument on earth. In this state we are at One with God. Experiencing what it is like to have a completely cleared and purified channel with God is what Pure Consciousness will give us. You will tap into the proverbial "unknown" or "unseen" and understand others by His Grace Alone. You can heal others and yourself, eliminating suffering in the world, by His Grace Alone. These are all byproducts but the goal as you stated is to know yourself to know God. And you are on the right path. It takes alot of time and energy but it is well worth it because I do believe that is the only goal of Life - to evolve into awareness so that we naturally fully surrender to The Subduer (Al Qahhar) and His Will effortlessly.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • J Offline
                                          J Offline
                                          Jafar
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #36

                                          peace

                                          can i replace x with merciful?
                                          we can say "God is merciful", right?

                                          Ok my mistakes due to my bad choice of words,
                                          We cannot say that God EQUALS X.
                                          We can say God Is Merciful, God Is All Wise, God Is All Knowing, God Is All Hearing, God Is All Seeing etc...

                                          Salam / Peace

                                          1 Reply Last reply
                                          0
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          • Login

                                          • Don't have an account? Register

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Users