Purpose of life and Quran
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Anyone who is familiar with Religion Islam and Muslims would know following basic concepts.
- Quran is the basis of their religion and beliefs.
- The fundamental belief is that Allah is the one only deity for worship
- The purpose of creation or life is to worship Allah
- All of them claim that they understand Quran. However, matter of fact is none of them understands it. When pushed hard they would point some other person who they believe understands it. This can continue ad infinitum.
- They feel whoever does not believe as above is misguided and their only way to salvation in this world and hereafter is by believing just like they do.
Now let us look objectively what have they accomplished based upon the above beliefs? The reality of the situation that they are the most suffering creation in this world, despite what they consider as true beliefs. Ones who believe and practice these beliefs more and more are the worst.
When this reality is pointed out to them most of them are very quick in responding. There is nothing wrong with religion Islam it is Muslims who are wrong religion is great. One needs to ask what is that in religion that they are not practicing that is great.
Everyone has thoughts at one time or other in his life that what is the purpose of life? Why I am here? Some say there is none. Philosophers and learned struggle and statter to answer these questions with any conviction.
This is where about 10 years ago I decided to explore and understand Quran myself via its language. First thing I realized that the language is lost even to natives. However, it can be understood with some effort. Based upon this understanding following is what I understand about question raised above.
Allah does not mean one and only deity for worship, rather it means ?One who is not at all a deity for worship?
http//free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=9599853.msg237622#msg237622
This changes everything upside down. Following questions start to arise immediately,
- If Allah is not a deity for worship than what is he?
- Also what is our relationship with him?
- Therefore, his worship could neither be purpose of creation nor purpose of our life.
Quran is answering all these questions as following.
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This Allah is your Rabb. What is Rabb, an accomplisher, sustainer, maintainer and foster.
Okay so Allah is my Rabb. But what am I to my Rabb?
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Think and then express in your words that I am an Abd of Allah.
What is an Abd? Traditionally it is translated as Slave, servant or worshiper. However, there is one more meaning ?a bondsman?.
English Lexicon gives all above meanings of slave, servant and worshiper for word bondsman. In addition there is one more important meaning ?Someone who signs a bond that states that they have taken responsibility for someone else's obligations".
Therefore, the correct meaning of
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Think and then express in your words, I am a bondsman to Allah.
Now the legitimate question would be why to use this meaning? Why this is correct and why a servant, slave or worshiper is wrong? This is a very valid concern.
Here one has to remember the meanings of Allah. If Allah means a deity for worship then all these are correct. However, if Allah means ?One who is not at all a deity for worship?, then the only meaning that makes sense is ?bondsman?.
Now let us recap so far.
Allah does not mean ?a deity for worship?
Allah is our Rabb.
We are asked to think and contemplate about these fact and after due contemplation, if we agree to say ?I am a bondsman to Allah. If we replace meanings of word bondsman, 1930
930 after thinking and contemplating, I express that I sign bond that states that I have taken responsibility for Allah?s obligations.
What are Allah?s obligations?
He is Rabb and as Rabb his foremost obligation and the praise is described as,
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The Rabb of all the disciplines of Knowledge.
Therefore, as his bondsman my foremost responsibility and purpose of life and creation is to be Rabb of all disciplines of knowledge.
I get cursed, ridiculed and scolded every day. People ask me for my degrees and qualifications.
My request to all is to forget about my qualifications. Please look at traditional understanding above and one presented below for same questions. Please use you?re thinking brains and decide for yourself that which understanding has a potential of solving problems faced by Muslims today?
Regards,
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Salamun Alaikum.
Please clarify the differences between "Bondsman" and "Slave".
Regards,
ArmanSlave is noun and conceptully has following concepts associated with it in English language.
- a person who is the property of and wholly subject to another; a bond servant.
- a person legally owned by another and having no freedom of action or right to property
- a person who is forced to work for another against his will
- a person under the domination of another person or some habit or influence a slave to television
- a person who works in harsh conditions for low pay
Whereas, Bondsman is also noun, with following concepts associated with it.
- A male slave.
- A male indentured servant.
- Someone who signs a bond that states that they have taken responsibility for someone else's obligations.
Regards,
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This thread (or what happened to "bkanwar2" cause me to become more understand that I should be very careful concerning
not taking Qur'an as an idol, and not making Qur'an as the source of truth No.1.
I think the Creator is the main (1st) source of truth and we need faith in the Creator as solid-strong base in understanding Qur'an.
And most importantly, Allah is bigger than the Book. When we confine our knowledge of Allah to the Book, we ultimately commit idolatry and spiritual adultery.
And most importantly, Allah is bigger than the Book. When we confine our knowledge of Allah to the Book, we ultimately commit idolatry and spiritual adultery.
I see someone has understood something important. bravo
Have faith
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There is no question of idolizing the Qur'an and there is no question of doubting the Qur'an either, bur there question as to what a person may understand the Qur'an says or means. The Qur'an is always right, but it is obvious that we are not always right nor God obviously has meant us to be always right. Learning to rectify, to go back on our errors and becoming more truthful is part of our way back to Him. So not the Qur'an, our view is what we should beware of. For that obviously we have the ingrained feeling of annoyance when we do not respond to our deep seated feeling of what we understand as right and wrong.
On the other hand, we can never be perfect on all counts because we are not our masters but are imposed upon by circumstances that may make it impossible to do this right and then another conflicting thing also right. Balancing that is always a question which poses problems.
Salaam
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To my knowledge, the Creator (Allah) never commanded us to take responsibility for His obligations.
I believe that Allah is very responsible (responsible perfectly),
and I think Allah does not need us to take over His responsibility or to take over His obligations.
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There is no question of idolizing the Qur'an
I think I may have done idolatry/polytheism if I take Qur'an as "something perfect and holy" which tells me what to do.
For example, if the Qur'an 'tells' me that I have to take responsibility for Allah's obligations, then why should I believe that Qur'an is the truth?
I don't believe that I have to do such thing (in bold). Such command does not in rhythm with instinct which Allah gave to me.
Allah is the One who has full right to tell me what to do, not the Qur'an.
I think Qur'an contains Allah's commandments, but the Qur'an itself does not have right to command me.
And I think the Qur'an is not the main source of the knowledge.
In order to seek the real knowledge, we should go towards Allah, we should ask Allah to teach us.
Salm.
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Jave, why should we complicate things?
The Qur'an, it says so at the benginning of surat 2 tells us that it is a guide. What is there to make an idol of a guide? A guide one uses for the purpose that is stated in it. One does not serve the guide, one uses the guide. It is a means, not an end. What if you use it all the time? Nothing. We use plates every day (hopefully) several times, do we idolize the plates? We use them. We use computers, very much, in fact. I like my last computer awfully, but still, even liking it very much, I use it, I am not for it, it is for me.
It is like logarithm tables. You depend on them to get accurate figures for many uses. Do you worship logarith tables? No. you dpeend on them, but you are not idolizing them. Would you set them aside because you might feel that you give them too much importance? No. You use them when you need to use them or when you feel that they will help you, but you are not obliged neither to use them nor not to use them at any particular occasion. And God still exists while you are using logarithm tables.
You would not think that you are setting God below them because youuse them instead of asking God for logarithms. In fact, God has it so arranged thatmankind has the ability to use logarith tables, and has the ability to use Qur'an. But Qur'an like logarithm tables are of no use if you do not use them properly. You do not think of tricking when using a logarithm table. You would get everything wrong. So with Qur'an you trick at youw own peril. But there is no question that there is any danger in using Qur'an for what its right use is, serve as a guide for those who...Salaam
I can't see any problem there.
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I think I may have done idolatry/polytheism if I take Qur'an as "something perfect and holy" which tells me what to do.
For example, if the Qur'an 'tells' me that I have to take responsibility for Allah's obligations, then why should I believe that Qur'an is the truth?
I don't believe that I have to do such thing (in bold). Such command does not in rhythm with instinct which Allah gave to me.
Allah is the One who has full right to tell me what to do, not the Qur'an.
I think Qur'an contains Allah's commandments, but the Qur'an itself does not have right to command me.
And I think the Qur'an is not the main source of the knowledge.
In order to seek the real knowledge, we should go towards Allah, we should ask Allah to teach us.
Salm.
As long as Allah will remain and mean "One and only deity for worship". It will be hard to understand what our obligations are to Rabb.
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Become whole and pure.
Salaam
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As long as Allah will remain and mean "One and only deity for worship". It will be hard to understand what our obligations are to Rabb.
Hard? Not really, I suppose.
At least I know/understand one of my important obligations.
I know strongly that one of my important obligations is to obey my Owner/my Master.
The hint/instruction (for that obligation) embedded in me. The hint exists in the area of my mind, I can feel it, I know clearly that I must obey my Owner.
And Praise be to my Creator, I know that my Owner is Him, and I understand that my Owner is my only Master, my King.
Related with "worship", I am not against this word. No.
I think that I can also worship God. Why not?
It is more secure to worship God alone, than worshiping other(s) or worshiping other(s) beside God.
However, even if I want to worship God, then my worship cannot prevent me from doing my obligations, such as to obey God, to serve God, and to trust God.
Salm.
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Hard? Not really, I suppose.
At least I know/understand one of my important obligations.
I know strongly that one of my important obligations is to obey my Owner/my Master.
The hint/instruction (for that obligation) embedded in me. The hint exists in the area of my mind, I can feel it, I know clearly that I must obey my Owner
Salm.
How and what do you say the obedience is or by which acts of yours do you manifest it?
If it is only embedded in you. Does not help anyone, please share with rest aloud.
Regards,
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How and what do you say the obedience is or by which acts of yours do you manifest it?
By obeying God's commandments according to my ability.
I can understand some of His commandments, especially the basic commandments, because they're quite clear and make sense.
And if I still confuse about something (e.g. whether God order it or not, whether something is right or not), then I try to put myself in neutral position, I prefer to wait until God help me to understand it.
If it is only embedded in you.
Whether you really do not feel any instinct related with your Creator?
I tend to belief that actually every people have it.
Salm.
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Peace,
May I help Javalatte?
- God, your Master and my Master, is One, so serve The Almighty with whole your heart
- Choose no likeliness of anything in neither Heaven nor Earth and use it as an idol to get closer to God
- Avoid buying (believing) any useless narrative
- Honor your mother and father
- No adultery
- No murder
- No stealing
- Be kind to your neighbor (allegorical for like all people)
- Be content with what God bestows on you and do not be jealous
- No false testimony
There you have a list of thousands of years old commandments. Want to hear more?
That may be to keep a commemoration day for God once per week.
Want more?
I think even people who just grew up with "Christian values" but are atheists know the above list. Many schools even teach that information still as part of specific class subjects.
Have faith
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May I help Javalatte?
Of course, brother. That helps a lot.
Thank you very much. D
Salm.
Still no answer. What are those commandments?
You can read the answer above (Reply #1 mentioned by brother MoF.
If you want to know more about God's commandments, I suppose you can ask him.
Salm. )