Does God want us to be competitive
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Peace
Does God want us to be competitive with our good deeds and also our entire lives since they are linked together? For example, should we have a competitive mindset with our spiritual life i.e. in following the Qur'an, at work, academic courses and also our personal goals?
I noticed I have this mindset where I'm not competitive with anyone. I just want to be better than I was in the past. Or I just focus on my goals. I think I'm like this because I feel bad if I compete with others because it almost feels like I would be looking down at them. Another reason is because in some areas of life, you can't compete because there's always someone who has more qualities than you. Then again, there are plenty of areas in life where this is not the case and you can achieve more than others. But there is a way to be competitive in a harmonious positive way and also competitive in a toxic, arrogant way.
This verse inspired my question
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Verse (214 (multiple translations)Sahih International For each is a direction toward which it faces. So race to good. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you forth all together. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
Pickthall And each one hath a goal toward which he turneth; so vie with one another in good works. Wheresoever ye may be, Allah will bring you all together. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.
Yusuf Ali To each is a goal to which Allah turns him; then strive together (as in a race) Towards all that is good. Wheresoever ye are, Allah will bring you Together. For Allah Hath power over all things.
Shakir And every one has a direction to which he should turn, therefore hasten to (do) good works; wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things.
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Peace
Does God want us to be competitive with our good deeds and also our entire lives since they are linked together? For example, should we have a competitive mindset with our spiritual life i.e. in following the Qur'an, at work, academic courses and also our personal goals?
I noticed I have this mindset where I'm not competitive with anyone. I just want to be better than I was in the past. Or I just focus on my goals. I think I'm like this because I feel bad if I compete with others because it almost feels like I would be looking down at them. Another reason is because in some areas of life, you can't compete because there's always someone who has more qualities than you. Then again, there are plenty of areas in life where this is not the case and you can achieve more than others. But there is a way to be competitive in a harmonious positive way and also competitive in a toxic, arrogant way.
This verse inspired my question
__
Verse (214 (multiple translations)Sahih International For each is a direction toward which it faces. So race to good. Wherever you may be, Allah will bring you forth all together. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
Pickthall And each one hath a goal toward which he turneth; so vie with one another in good works. Wheresoever ye may be, Allah will bring you all together. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things.
Yusuf Ali To each is a goal to which Allah turns him; then strive together (as in a race) Towards all that is good. Wheresoever ye are, Allah will bring you Together. For Allah Hath power over all things.
Shakir And every one has a direction to which he should turn, therefore hasten to (do) good works; wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; surely Allah has power over all things.
Hi Sarah
If you see good, respond to it. It's in your best interest. Sometime, it's hard in the moment to do this. People who go to they gym, suffer when they workout. But they think it's worth the gains that they make. If they then think that all the good they have been given is purely because of them...forgetting that it was God who gave them their bodies, and the ability to improve and so on, then they are of course arrogant without any right. All good is from God.
Anything you do, should be in seeking Perfection. Treat Existence as though It Is Perfect, because It Is Perfect, and to treat it otherwise, is to be unfair to It. To be unfair, is to be evil. Race towards being the best that you can be. Beg of God, to increase you in goodness. When the opportunities come, take them with strength. The more passionately you do this, the more strongly you are racing towards the good deeds in my opinion. If you see something that can be improved, try to improve it. If you think you're being lazy, respond to this. Assess if you are genuinely lazy or not, then strive to be not lazy. Reason, and a genuine sense of goodness. At all times, humility and submission to God.
I think in any given generation, life is about who races to become the first to wholly/truly believe in God's Perfection. To get to this state, it takes effort, and the overcoming of hardship in my opinion. Moses is described as being tested greatly. He describes himself as being the first of the believers (see 7143). Some people don't want to be tested. Some people don't have the passion for God and goodness as much. For the soul is what it earns, and against it is what it earns. God does not impose a person beyond its capacity (see 2286). You choose how much you want to commit yourself to God. How much you'd sacrifice in the cause of God. Per the dictates of pure reason, the answer should be everything. Because God is Morally Perfect. The All-generous. All good is from God. Some people would die or sacrifice greatly for their wives or children, but not for God. This is grossly unfair/unjust/unappreciative. It's evil. It's zulm. It's like going to someone's house. They host you beautifully. Give you much good. Yet you still take more than you should, and then fail to return the favour. Fail to even be appreciative of what they have done for you (of which includes the love and affection there is between you and your family).
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This is like everything else, some comparison with others is good and useful, pushing it to excess es death.
God tells us vie with one another seeking as in opposition with vie with one another for vanity, for pride. We measure our value and the value of our deeds always by comaring it with somethign else, there is nother way, we learn that we we improve that way, but it is not a competition to be over anything or anybody but to constrast our achievements, whethe we can do better in something or not or whether we are doing it the right way or not.
It is like laughing , we should laught at somebody, it is cruel and and delusional, but we can laugh with somebody over his or our weaknesses compassionately.It is not competiton for competition's sake that is being pointed out to us, but for improvement, achievement of the good deeds and good goals, ours as well as those of others, it is the way to measure anc alibrate our life. Not to copy others but the appreciate the differences and see what those differences can do for us and others.
I Spanish there is a different word for those two things, competition for its sake and competition for good purpose, I guess in English too but I supose it is that "vie" that some traslators give.
Salaam
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I think, Normally we all compare ourseves with others, I think the verse says, each one will have different goal/directions, and so move towards what is good for you, the direction which you think is good and not follow the others that could mislead us.
example, You may be poor financially and the other could be rich, or the other way, and so both need not have the same goal and if one copies other it may be wrong, so each follow whats good for them and Allah knows the best.
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Peace Sarah,
You're destined to seek and walk your own path, as everyone destined to seek and walk their own path.
In the end all path will lead to the same destination.Have you noticed that no one share the exact same path?
That everybody already does seek and walk their own respective path?Using metaphor this is actually not a boxing match where one need to beat the other or a marathon race where one also need to win over the other. But it's more like hiking in the mountain, where there are many path, but all path lead to the same destination, the top of the mountain.
Having said that there are those who think that their path is to fight, to compete, to beat and to obstruct other path. Trying to dominate over other people.
Which one that you choose?
No right or wrong, it's all up to you.