What does 'islam' mean to you?
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And when did I say nature controls everything?
I have a sneeking suspicion that this would be a futile debate to have with you. Let's just say that it is what I believe and I happy with it. It is NOT what you believe you are happy with that.
If you have a specific question about my beliefes I would be happy to answer it but I am not about to go on a long drawn out debate that will go no where with a mind not willing to accept let alone tolerate differnces.
Peace to you and I hope you can respect my position if not tolerate it
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Peace,
Who said anything about rejecting GOD viz-a-viz nature? I wonder how poeple can write books without NATURE? Amazing ideaPeace
firstly you have an over due reply regardin Al Salatu Al Wusta in the pig thread, thanks
well no games here
God or nature
if you believe in both then prove it via the Quran
Very funny indeed ?
well you have to explain nature first to make me believe in it as whatever you consider it
nature is a system created by God to serve this Testing Life, NOTHING MORE
The ignorance is coming from people who reject NATURE as creation of GOD, hence the Quran.
Well, I don't reject nature as a combination creatures, as I said previoulsy it is a system created by our God to serve the purpose of this testing life and possibly many other purposes that I don't know
but what the Quran has to do with it please?
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Peace sawtooth,
I admire you thoughful and constructive posts. Reality speaks for itself.
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Peace
and who created nature from the first place?
werll I guess saw and danish will quickly say God for sure lol
so in effect you worship the nature and give it all the credit and God for you is oput of the picture or I should say nothing but a symbol
well I guess that is not too far from atheism, possibly a new atheism cult? wink
peace
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Who said anything about rejecting GOD viz-a-viz nature? I wonder how poeple can write books without NATURE? Amazing idea
Peace
firstly you have an over due reply regardin Al Salatu Al Wusta in the pig thread, thanks
well no games here
Then don't start games. Like few others, you seem to go off-track. Stick to the subject matter and answer the questions underlined above.
God or nature
if you believe in both then prove it via the Quran
Prove what?
well you have to explain nature first to make me believe in it as whatever you consider it
Sorry, can't make you believe in NATURE. Reflect upon it with your mind, eyes and ears wide open. Perhaps you can then evalutate and write your own book about your experiences.
nature is a system created by God to serve this Testing Life, NOTHING MORE
Hence my point. lol
Well, I don't reject nature as a combination creatures, as I said previoulsy it is a system created by our God to serve the purpose of this testing life and possibly many other purposes that I don't know
but what the Quran has to do with it please?Once again, your statement in bold above clarifies my point. Funny, isn't it? roll
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and who created nature from the first place?
werll I guess saw and danish will quickly say God for sure lol
OBVIOUSLY, speaking for myself and no need to guess. Quran never created the NATURE but the NATURE CREATED THE QURAN, thus everything written in the Quran is by virtue of NATURE. Comprende!!!
so in effect you worship the nature and give it all the credit and God for you is oput of the picture or I should say nothing but a symbol
well I guess that is not too far from atheism, possibly a new atheism cult? wink
In effect, you are miserably side-tracked. Stay focused.
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Who said anything about rejecting GOD viz-a-viz nature? I wonder how poeple can write books without NATURE? Amazing idea
Peace
firstly you have an over due reply regardin Al Salatu Al Wusta in the pig thread, thanks
well no games here
Then don't start games. Like few others, you seem to go off-track. Stick to the subject matter and answer the questions underlined above.
what question is that?, you failed to put the question in a logical manner, also I didn't get what you mean by viz-a-viz, it sounded like you were saying a sarcastic comment so I gonred it really, sorry, I have no answer to that question lol
but please don't forget to reply to Al Salatu Al Wasta
God or nature
if you believe in both then prove it via the Quran
Prove what?
your point
well you have to explain nature first to make me believe in it as whatever you consider it
Sorry, can't make you believe in NATURE. Reflect upon it with your mind, eyes and ears wide open. Perhaps you can then evalutate and write your own book about your experiences.
you see you are a confuser, I don't even understand what you believe
i have put the question to you bluntly
God or Nature
i have even given the option of Both
how simpler way I can put it? at least I didn'y inckude encryppted words like viz-a-viz lol
danish, do you believe in Allah and the Quran and the other scriptures, the prophets, the angels and the judgment day?
how more bluntly i can put it to you?
nature is a system created by God to serve this Testing Life, NOTHING MORE
Hence my point. lol
well that is why I have included the option of Both, but it seems to me that you give the credit to nature more than God, and that is my point, now let's put my point again
do you believe in Allah, the Quran and other scriptures, the prophets the angels and the jusgment day?
did you see I included any nature in the above?
Well, I don't reject nature as a combination creatures, as I said previoulsy it is a system created by our God to serve the purpose of this testing life and possibly many other purposes that I don't know
but what the Quran has to do with it please?Once again, your statement in bold above clarifies my point. Funny, isn't it? roll
and I have no problem accepting that unless y0ou failed to express it, butr I didn't see you mentioning God, his books, his prophets, his angels, and the jusgment day as the centre of everything happened, happening and just about to happen or will happen in zillions of years
wher is nature fitting on the above, well do you know what "Laghaw Al hadith" is?
very funny indeed lol
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OBVIOUSLY, speaking for myself and no need to guess. Quran never created the NATURE but the NATURE CREATED THE QURAN, thus everything written in the Quran is by virtue of NATURE. Comprende!!!
Thanks you for making my point, that is what the Quran calls atheism in Arabic is "Kufr", now I'm not saying you are, I'm just saying what you say is
In effect, you are miserably side-tracked. Stay focused.
well, me or you?, you say that the Quran is written by nature and that is the most funniest thing I have ever heard, who needs to be focused here?, well I'm always focused and I never dodge a comment when I'm cornered, remeber Al Salatu Al Wusta lol
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You are still missing it. No religion preached my brand of paficism. True the quakers preached complete pacifism but I do not and have never followed their teachings. If anything, the closest cultural beliefe system to my own would have to be somewhere between the Native North Americans and the Austrailian Aboriginals. I believe in no son of god, I believe only in teachers sent to lead by example with no expectation of the people. I believe in a single creator, and a link between all of creation.
You said that vigilance leads to aggression. Well, if the victims of colonialism had been vigilant, they would have picked up on the gold,gospel and glory thing and hounded the the would-be colonialists out. Sadly, that didn't happen and one of the reasons as Tutu put it, is the result of the Bible. So you may not be preaching their or any other brand but you are against vigilance and so are they, at least in the case of their victims. They dont mind being vigilant themselves.
I respect where you come from but find your position unteneable. You cannot learn values from nature without subjectively adding your own to it.
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Peace sawtooth!
OK Leyla, first you just MUST tell me one of these "holy wars" between NA. Sure there was warfare but "holy wars"? When I refer to NA and Aboriginals I am not thinking in terms of anything religious. I am thinking in cultural terms.
That?s the problem. Both religion and culture are modern eurocentric terms with a modern eurocentric interpretation developed from a confluence of Roman/Christian ideas and superimposed on people who, linguistically and conceptually, don?t have a relation to these terms as we want to understand them.
In societies like these every cultural activity was and is religiously significant and vice versa.
War as well was impossible without the involvement of the ancestor spirits, the approval of theshaman?, vison quests etc.. Being a good warrior was seen as a spiritual duty. War has, unfortunately, always to be justified by the common worldview, in every society. Osama Bin Laden does so via his Wahhabi Sunni Cult. Bush does so via his American Freedom and Democracy Cult. There?s no difference to be taken here. And so callednative? (better indigenous) people were not better here per se. They were not naturebound Disney fluffy bunnys. Don?t exoticize them. They wouldn?t like that as well. Ever heard about the term `positive discrimination???For the sake of discussion I should say that I seperate religion and spirituality.
And for the sake of discussion you should alsi seperate the culturally bound term religion from d?n that the qur?n teaches.
D?n is not so much about your theology as more about your actions. Of course theology, theory, matters. In every worldview, theistic, atheistic or whatever. But it will never suffice to make you develop your self and the society around you to the better.
D?n has this goal.I personally see no need to study, analyze, memorize or carry around any book in order to know god. Nor do I see any reason to put anyone else between myself and the creator as is practiced in any religion involving preiests rabbis or any other term for the same. I have a very personal relationship with the creator that does not rely on anyone else's words or translation of words.
I respect that. I am sure it helps you to develop your self to a certain extent.
But you shouldn?t make claims about something that you did not study.
If you didn?t study the qur?n as much as we try to do, if the experience of truth didn?t come to you when confronted with that book, ok.
That?s your business. I will not have to deal with it. You have to make your experiences and confrontation with Absolute Being (Allah) on your own.But, simply If you don?t study the qur?n then don?t make claims about it. That?s too easy.
By the way I don?t believe in necessary human mediators between me and the Truth (Allah) as well.
When I study the qur?n in that moment it becomes a personal dialogue between me and the Peace (Allah), in that moment it becomes directly revealed to me and my personal situation.
It is not a sacred scriptue that needs to be kissed all the time. It talks to you and you talk to it.It involves the here and now. It involves myself and my place in the circle of life. God created noah and moses and cane and able and the whole famdamily that everyone is so into, but he also created me and MY family. Now I can either choose to spend time and energy on the who what and where of 2500 years ago, or I can live inthe here and now and know the creator in my heart, in the wind and the water, in the earth beneath my feet and even in the squirrels and rabbits that seem to think I spend all summer tending a garden simply so they can bulk up for winter.
The creator reach out to different people in different places in different ways for a reason.
Wow, sorry, I have to apologize. It almost seems to me as if you did study the qur?n ...... . wink
The stories of Noah and Moses and Jesus etc. are in the qur?n described as `archetypes for people of the core? (12/111).
So, yes, I agree. What does matter for us is not their perceived historicity but the significance that these archetypes take when they become a part of your personal dialogue with Allah here and now in your life. Just like the....uh... squirrels and rabbits.
I also agree on the rest. Pretty qur?nic reasoning that you have here.My sister uses the church and what she gets from it as a means to her ends and that is totally fine, in fact it is a beautiful thing and I hope and pray that it does fill her with a joy that I have attained. Different strokes for different folks
I would join the hopes and prayers for your sister. And it?s good for you that you have achieved a spiritual joy.
I can not judge your experiences. They are valid for you.
However, one thing that is easily forgotten when talking about personal spirituality
There is nothing relative to the Truth Itself. It does not subject to our personalities.
It stays the one and only Truth.Take care,
Leyla
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Leyla Thanks for reminding us of surah 82.
However, I am not sure (yet) if I would accept your interpretation here entirely.
See,
I would say that now the command is also for God.
And also I would say that now no soul has power aught for another as well.
I agree that surah 82 is in a certain way describing a specific event, though.
However, this event is a developing process, a stretched event, if you want. Starting with creation and culminating in resurrection.
A process of destruction and termination.
See, when you look at e.g. 82/2 this is not something that just will happen sometime in the future. It is happening now already. It has started already with the creation of the universe. The whole universe in constantly in a state of loss, moving towards its creator.
Humanity itself is constantly in a state of loss as well (e.g. 103/2?).
As some people say, you constantly die since the day you were born. You can not escape this eternal law.
This does not begin in the future. It will find its culmination, its climax then, yes. But it started with creation already, it is part of Allah?s d?n.
What will be seen in the future is already recorded now (82/10-11).
And it was already written down/ordained by Allah before (9/51).
With this in mind I see it as possible to read 82/14-15 as `the wrongdoers are in the hellfire, since they entered the process of the rulings of God?.
This is what is already ordained now for every wrongdoer. This is how the laws of the d?n are working now for them.
The only way to change these workings is to change your identity from a wrongdoer to someone better, to step into another flow of the process.
Then 82/13 applies. Again it will apply now already.I'm sorry I can't agree with you here because chapter 82 is a series of 'izaa's or 'whens'. Further, 82/5 says the nafs will get to know what its put forward and kept back. This concords nicely with al-quraan's concept of ajl. When your ajl runs out, that's it.
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Danish NATURE/SIGNS/GUIDANCE has, is and always will be our teacher, without which there would be no books. In other words, NATURE has taught man to write books, not the other way round.
Danish, is your criteria al-quraan? Im just asking because nowhere does al-quraan say this. Al-quraan asserts that Ar-rahmaan taught al-quraan and evolved al-insaan and taught him al-bayaan. Its fair enough if its not criteria, I'm only asking as I don't want to waste time.
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Leyla, first, when it comes to the hstory of the north american people, war was not faught like you think. At various times attacks where made, kidnapping etc but mostly over survival and territory. Cultural beliefes were very similar. Also, in MANY tribes, the wars were faught by putting TWO people out there to count coup. The first one to smack the other with a stick won, end of story. Pretty damn enlightened if you ask me.
Now as for the quoran, I have never once said that I studied it, now would I really. I don't see any need to study something that was obviously intended for a people of a certain geographic area, if in fact it was "god's" word. Why else would it be in such a geographically specific language. Second, why would I pour over pages trying to analyze it? Nt my cup o tea. I have stated MY beliefes and done my best NOT to step on anyone else's, though being human it happens.
Also, please remember that when you discuss anything with me, the only language I speak is English, regretably, and do not have a working understanding of arabic at all. Nor to I have a translater program. Any reference to the koran and it's verse's is lost on me without at least a briefe paraphrasing. I am not here to argue faith, or to seek any kind of epiphany or spiritual answers. Just to discuss the various philosophies and workings and perhaps how they directly effect the workings of the world on both persoanl and global scales.
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Peace be upon you Sawtooth,
personally see no need to study, analyze, memorize or carry around any book in order to know god. Nor do I see any reason to put anyone else between myself and the creator as is practiced in any religion involving preiests rabbis or any other term for the same. I have a very personal relationship with the creator that does not rely on anyone else's words or translation of words. It is not steeped in language or even history. It involves the here and now. It involves myself and my place in the circle of life. God created noah and moses and cane and able and the whole famdamily that everyone is so into, but he also created me and MY family. Now I can either choose to spend time and energy on the who what and where of 2500 years ago, or I can live inthe here and now and know the creator in my heart, in the wind and the water, in the earth beneath my feet and even in the squirrels and rabbits that seem to think I spend all summer tending a garden simply so they can bulk up for winter.
The creator reach out to different people in different places in different ways for a reason. I respect those differences. I don't always respect what man chose to do with the knowledge presented to him, but I am still human for the time being and not without my own faults.
I have no religion or faith, but I have deep spiritual beliefes and an ever growing personal philosphy that works for ME. That is all I am saying here. My sister uses the church and what she gets from it as a means to her ends and that is totally fine, in fact it is a beautiful thing and I hope and pray that it does fill her with a joy that I have attained. Different strokes for different folks
I see no error in your comments and I see no contradiction with what the proclomation (quran) states. You are correct, thee is no book tha needs to be carried around as "Holy", but what I dont want you to miss is that the "Book" that is being discussed in this proclamation(quran) is teh UNIVERSE and Its Laws, which were set in place by the Source of Creation. Yes, the God teaches us through creation, and the human is part of that creation. Man , from time to time, reaches a level of ONENESS(thats the key) and PEACE (the other key) that allows him/her to INTUIT divine Law. Sometimes it is written down and these messages become 'Holy" books, etc.
The word "religion" means to "tie back". The focus of religions are to tie man back to God, because right now man thinks he is seperate from the God, not realizing the connection of all things.
Once you are tied back, you dont need "religion", you dont necessarilly need these books, because they were pointing you to the BOOK(Universal law) anyway. I know the verses of this reading(quran) you are not familiar with, but let me make you familiar with this one verse so you can keep it in mind while discussing nature.
(4153) "We will show them Our signs in the horizons and in their spirits, until (it) becomes clear/explained for them that it (is) the truth ...."
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Peace be upon you brother MQ,
idolfree1 wrote
Peace be upon you MQ,
If the God blesses someone, there is nothing the human can do about it, likewise for the "punishment". If I choose to jump off a building, no one can change the laws of gravity to keep me from falling to the ground.Yes, but that's just one person. Chapter 82 is dealing with an event of a huge proporition. An entire change takes place and the command is pointed back to Allah.
That which is law for one person is law for everyone. Yes, chapter 82 deals with an event of huge proprtion, I agree, but it is each choice we make that makes life changing effects. It is Huge D he command is always to the Unifying/Governing princple of life, that which we describe as "God/Allah".
I think you've limited your metaphorisation to just signs in the self, Kylester. Don't forget that signs also exist in the earth (51/20-21)
I am not forgetting the worldy signs, they are the same as within. But I talk a lot about the inner signs becaus these are the ones that effect the behavior of man and ths the outer world. The God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in thier spirits(nafs).
I view the message of the God as a RIGHT NOW message. The human is a GROWTH, always in a state of BECOMING, so we have to be in the NOW.
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I disagree, each day is momentous when we maintain our AWE of creation, and likewise, the time of judgement, (the effects of our choices) are momentous.That's great but al-quraan already has concepts for this taqwa and hamd.
I am not following, I have taqwa as "the protection of oneness" and hamd as "exaltation". Please elaborate according to your understanding of those words how these words address the previous statement.
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Can you imagine how a person would act if they treated each decision with the AWE of a momentous occasion? This is how it should be, but most of mankind are lulled to sleep, waiting for a FINAL Judgement, which there will be because there is cause and effect in all things, but we have to concentrate on the day to day judgementsObservation of the world will tell you that not how it works.
How so? When I observe someone who is careful in thier decisions, takes time to think them through and leaves emotion out of the picture, they succeed over the one who rushes to decide, not caring of the effects, not understanding how they can be life changing, who chooses based on emotional influence.
Warmongers are currently pillaging the world, buddy. Thier judgement hasn't come yet. Al-quraan says to follow inspiration and endure UNTIL the judgement of Allah comes (HATTA yahkum Allah.., 10/109)
Sometimes effects come right away, sometimes they take longer time, but they always come. You have to see the logic in making BIG each and every choice over making big only the total effect.
So it appears to me that there's a time delay in the law of equal and opposite reaction.
Time is an illusion of seperation, when we realize that all is ONE, then what we do to another we really do to ourselves.
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Now as for the quoran, I have never once said that I studied it, now would I really. I don't see any need to study something that was obviously intended for a people of a certain geographic area, if in fact it was "god's" word. Why else would it be in such a geographically specific language. Second, why would I pour over pages trying to analyze it? Nt my cup o tea. I have stated MY beliefes and done my best NOT to step on anyone else's, though being human it happens.
So because a text is in particular language, it must have been meant for a particular people? So no book really has a chance in your....well, 'book' because all texts must come in some language.
Sadly sir, your logic doesn't follow. This book which you never once said you've studied has never limited itself to an ethnic or linguistic group. It's laws can function in any human situation and produce the same result.
Of course you're not stepping on anyone's toes. In fact, you're better than anyone who claims to believe but refuses to judge with the book. The Quran itself asserts this. I respect your candor but you shouldn't feel disturbed, this is only a discussion.
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Peace be upon you MQ,
fact, you're better than anyone who claims to believe but refuses to judge with the book.
Which "book" are we judging by "quran" or the "Universe"? If its the universe, then Saw tooth , I think, fits that category. The God tells us to judge by what has been revealed to us, this includes people other than followers of "quran", we are ALL to judge by the Book, this must be universal law.
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Peace be upon you brother MQ,
That which is law for one person is law for everyone. Yes, chapter 82 deals with an event of huge proprtion, I agree, but it is each choice we make that makes life changing effects. It is Huge he command is always to the Unifying/Governing princple of life, that which we describe as "God/Allah".Agreed. Each small choice which you make (with taqwa or without) ends up in evoking this major event. I can't see that 'Allah' is a 'unifying principle' though. Allah is how is He describes Himself and His ahkaam/laws are different.
I am not forgetting the worldy signs, they are the same as within. But I talk a lot about the inner signs becaus these are the ones that effect the behavior of man and ths the outer world. The God does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in thier spirits(nafs).
Agreed. I'm just concerned about how your interpretative style, man. It's limitng the scope of the book.
I view the message of the God as a RIGHT NOW message. The human is a GROWTH, always in a state of BECOMING, so we have to be in the NOW.
It is, but it's also an eternal prediction of social living as well.
I am not following, I have taqwa as "the protection of oneness" and hamd as "exaltation". Please elaborate according to your understanding of those words how these words address the previous statement.
Taqwa is mindfulness of Allah through the obedience of his laws. It leads t self-preservation. Hamd is a state of relief or thankfulness which Nuh and his followers experience when they escaped. It's these heightened states which help us to maximise our day to day living in the light of Allah.
How so? When I observe someone who is careful in thier decisions, takes time to think them through and leaves emotion out of the picture, they succeed over the one who rushes to decide, not caring of the effects, not understanding how they can be life changing, who chooses based on emotional influence.
Well, take cancer of the lungs. One cigarette won't give it to you. A hundred might not trigger it. But your judgement will come ultimately.
Sometimes effects come right away, sometimes they take longer time, but they always come. You have to see the logic in making BIG each and every choice over making big only the total effect.
The total effect is what im arguing for here. It exists.
Time is an illusion of seperation, when we realize that all is ONE, then what we do to another we really do to ourselves.
Sadly, in this earthly consciousness, we live in these string of moments. So this is how we need to play it. Be alive in every moment and be prepared for the ultimate judgement.
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Well if you look at it geographically, each area has a history of some great teacher or teachings sent by the creator to help heal the ways of the people. Now what if, just what if... They were all right? What if they are ALL right given the time and place? This is what I am talking about. I don't believe there is ONE single teaching to follow, but wisdom braught to all corners of the world. So no matter which one you choose to look at, if you choose to at all, you are in fact gaining the knowledge of the creator. Geography and culture is so different as you travel the world and those differences directly affect the actions of the people and how they live so it makes sense that the creator would impart wisdom that would suit the people, doesn't it? I mean in some areas it makes sense for survial for a man to have more than one wife (ratios of men to women and such) and in others areas such as the remote mountains of Tibet, women marry the entire family of brothers. The religious teachings, all having been claimed to be braught by the creator, reflect this. If you were looking down and running everythig, wouldn't you want the laws you present to represent the individual needs of the people in question?
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......If you were looking down and running everythig, wouldn't you want the laws you present to represent the individual needs of the people in question?
Good question sawtooth. Herein lies the question is there a universal essence to man?
I contend that there is. And I contend that this is essence can be discovered though the facticity of our existence. For example, we cant be human without physically being human, so our existential reality MUST speak of our essence etc etc.
Once our essence has been understood, we must seek a system whereby the essential needs are met. So far as I have witnessed through my reading, al-quraan is the book which fulfils the need to the letter. I understand that this is simply an assertion and nothing short of actualisation of its promises will be objective.