How does abstaining make me a better muslim, and why?
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peace be upon you zenje
With all due respect, I hadn't exhausted the idea of abstaining from food and drink, indeed abstinence from sex and one's spouse as mentioned in other posts here was not the conclusion but the starting point to re-evaluate my thinking at the time. I was attempting to find 'alternatives' to my traditional thinking if you will, attempting to think out of the box. The key to my post is that it simply asks more questions, hopefully ones that lead in the right direction. It feels as if most of what I have been brought up to believe is sourced in corrupted translations, so why not attempt to understand the concepts and guidance a fresh?
You quoted me as if I intentionally abstained from sex in order to derive a 'benefit' from it. There was no such process involved, it was just a very personal observation which I chose to share to see if anyone else had a similar experience.
In response to your close, I have been researching the 'benefits' of abstaining from food and drink, I am still to reduce the information down into simple facts, which I hope I may present here, that is if anyone is interested.
My main issue at the moment is that I do not understand Arabic, so I am tied to interpreting translated works. Inevitably errors in understanding will creep in, hence my plea for more input.
d
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Salaam darcus,
It feels as if most of what I have been brought up to believe is sourced in corrupted translations, so why not attempt to understand the concepts and guidance a fresh?
Tread carefully on that path, sometimes we tend to discount "everything" while using that understanding. Believe me, I understand that more than than your average joe, i.e. removing bias and starting afresh... but with what I've seen here in the past few months is 'losing balance' and going to the other extreme... to the point where we lose sense of everything. I won't go into details, but again - tread carefully.You quoted me as if I intentionally abstained from sex in order to derive a 'benefit' from it.
Well, I apologize if I made it seem so... but you did mention a benefit and the whole thread is a question as to 'why' we do what we do. Since sawm, according to me, includes (but not exclusive to) abstention of food, I didn't understand why you concentrated on "everything else" except the food/drink.I do appreciate your observations, infact I might add, they're quite intelligent. It's just that, sometimes I feel we try and look so deep into words and calculations, that we miss the basic picture that's all around us. Reminds me of this zen 'hadith' about a fish looking for water. Or in another instance, a investigative reporter who was accepting an award for journalism... took an onion (as an analogy)to represent a story that a reporter would investigate. So each time you look further into it, you'd be removing a layer of the onion, one layer after another, that by the end of it, you'd have nothing at all.
Sorry to have drifted away there, but I hope you got my meaning. Maybe I shouldn't ha even written this stuff on this thread and just to clarify, I don't mean to undermine your efforts or discourage you, in any shape of form. I also hope that others will help with further input.
Peace be with you.
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Peace be upon you Zenje,
Reminds me of this zen 'hadith' about a fish looking for water
Can we hear it?
Brother Darcus has just cause because the idea that "eat and drink" is not literally has validly come up. Further, you are able to think more clearly when you restrict yourself from sex for a time.
I always wondered why sports athletes , especially boxers, were told not to have sex before a big game/fight.
We have to connect these "disciplies" to some type of reason. 2187 is talking about sex with your spouse, then "eat and drink" comes in out of no where. Further, it is telling us to eat and drink, not telling us not to. Eat and drink elsewhere refers to the consumption of spiritual food(wisdom). So one can rightly state that it is possible that we are to "eat and drink" at night as nightimne is best for spiritual understanding, but durin the day abstain from sex and possibly talking to energize you and keep you in the "recieving" mode, unlike talking with is "giving" mode.
These are just thoughts, but they are valid. I do recognize your warning, but we cannot scare away credible thoughts.
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Salaam bro,
We have to connect these "disciplies" to some type of reason. 2187 is talking about sex with your spouse, then "eat and drink" comes in out of no where.
See I don't feel that it comes on out of nowhere. I think it's all connected. A form of discipline. On the other hand, the reading is full of verses like that, where at one point it's saying something, on the next verse, something totally different.
I like the points you gave about athletes, etc... please do not feel that I'm trying to scare away credible thoughts. It's just that sometimes, I have had the experience where when we look for a 'reason' as to why we fast or anything for that matter, as long as it's not clearly stated, then, while the reason may be a good one... it would be (IMO) a mistake to think that THAT is the reason we fast, etc. Because the day you find a glitch in that reason, the whole doctrine crumbles. Not sure if I'm clear, wish I could come up with an example, but I'm supposed to be working right now! twisted
In regard to the fish story... when/if I find it, I'll post it @ the book thread.
Peace!
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Peace be upon you Zenje,
See I don't feel that it comes on out of nowhere. I think it's all connected. A form of discipline.
Very well could be. I have been studying meditation lately. It is said that one should not have the feeling of "fullness" when they meditate. I think it has to do with the Chi/Kundalini/Ra/ (Ruh) that flows thought the body.
I think we will get the answer soon. D
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Peace be upon you Zenje,
Isn't it interesting how it all seems to be 'connected'?
Yes, very much so, and that is what manifests faith, when we see how everything is connected. D
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Peace Darcus,
You have made a list very much like mines o
Like me, you have more questions than answers. Making the list for me was clarifying. I have been thinking in reference to "your woman" that the commitment of armed struggle is not enjoined on woman. I don't see a reciprocal command for woman i.e., do not approach them, the men.
Also that those who cannot participate in this "hajj" or don't have family members participating are obligated to abstain the fixed total of 10 days.
I also think that there are different levels of hajj as in the 9 sura the "greatest hajj" is mentioned using a comparative which leaves room for a great and greater hajj. This greatest hajj is warfare.
Please continue to post your thoughts. Thanks
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Peace be upon you,
This greatest hajj is warfare.
I too see the logic in lesser and greater "hajj", I am not sure that the greatest hajj is warfare however, it has been my position that the greatest hajj is like the Geneva Convention, a world gathering.
The lower hajj would be day to day discussion with mankind.
I would think that the physical battle would be the LOWEST hajj, in fact, I would even list that under JIDAL, not HAJJ.
Please share any further verses you might have that would correct my thinking.