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  4. Ambition and the Quran

Ambition and the Quran

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Issues / Questions
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  • M Offline
    M Offline
    mmkhan
    wrote on last edited by
    #55

    True but since this thread is about "ambition", and Allah says "properties" . . .

    Therefore True Believers must have "wealth". . .

    Those who do not have "wealth" cannot strive with their "properties"

    It is better for them to feed themselves and not burdening other people, rather than thinking about something else. . .

    Arabic word is amwaal plural of maal, I don't think it means properties. Please take a look at other translations here.

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    • M Offline
      M Offline
      mmkhan
      wrote on last edited by
      #56

      It depends on people and their circumstances, there are many different circumstances in rl and to brush them all over with a very stringent black and white criteria is for one not realistic and two, takes the verses in a very narrow sense that would contradict other places where we told to do good with what we have in different ways. No one can argue that taking time off to teach illiterate kids is a good act, an altruistic act, it doesn't have to involve money and it would benefit society. if one has the ambition to do good, then there are a million ways of doing so regardless of financial wealth. Properties can be taken as whatever you have in terms of assets. If you don't have financial assets, doesn't necessarily mean you're out of the running. You may have other assets as valuable. God is not unaware of the realities.
      Your reasoning here is as bad as that of those who want the poor shipped off to some island and left to fend for themselves since they are a burden on society. It's almost as if we're reading different books here, which we well can be since I see no evidence of such in the quran. It is unrealistic, shortsighted and absurd.

      Salaam,

      Very well said and I agree handshake

      May Allah bless you pr
      mmKhan

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      • H Offline
        H Offline
        hawk99
        wrote on last edited by
        #57

        Peace,

        My ambition is to serve God with all my heart and to make the world a better place, by any means that the lord
        has given me at my disposal, by means of money, physical strength, wisdom, being a good example, or through
        acts of kindness. To position myself were I can do the most Good. Striving is an ambitious act in itself if it is to
        gain knowledge to have a positive impact on those around you, or to become a professional to cure societal or
        health issues Even the ambition to become a soldier to protect one's homeland is a wonderful sacrifice. Being
        rich and righteous is a very good thing because the rich can do more with more money that another who wishes
        to do the same with less money all things being equal. Also ambition can be understood with the connotation
        of striving which makes it easier to understand in an Islamic context.

        God bless

        peace

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        • M Offline
          M Offline
          Man_of_Faith
          wrote on last edited by
          #58

          Too true brother hawk. The best ambition is to strive in the cause of God in whatever way one can. That distinguish one with faith against those who only talk.

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          • M Offline
            M Offline
            muslims
            wrote on last edited by
            #59

            When you respond with 'the calling card of "true believers" is wealth, and the poor can go hang', it's begging responses that will be contrary to those opinions.

            Really ? Please read again . . .

            Therefore, I believe True Believers are not useless, lazy or weak people (ie. worst than livestock)

            True Believers are those who are excel in major aspect of life and according to the injunction of Allah, only they are the True Believers. . .

            Does is it sound like what you said , "'the calling card of "true believers" is wealth, and the poor can go hang'" ?

            Nope. . .the True Believer are those who are "grateful" to Allah, ie. those who understand their life and use it with balance and justice.

            This requires us to maximize our "sense perception", because one cannot truly be "grateful" to Allah if he have not really use his "sense perception to understand life and reality"; ie. the Deen. Those people are the dumb, blind and deaf. . they are like livestock .

            And it is He who produced for you
            hearing
            and vision
            and hearts
            little are you grateful.
            23.78

            Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His soul
            and made for you hearing
            and vision
            and hearts;
            little are you grateful.
            32.9

            As we can see, there is connection between "sense perception", being grateful to Allah and the status of becoming a "True Believer".

            Therefore, the True Believer are those who maximize the hearing, vision and heart to understand the signs around them, to understand reality and life . . . and use it to bring balance and justice to benefit humanity etc. It is these kind of things that we must look to determine whether one is a "True Believer". It is one of the "determining factor" of becoming a True Believer. . . Is he aware of the reality or live in illusion ?

            Contradictorily, the Disbelievers are those who live in illusion (religion, wealth, property, women etc. . anything) . . .

            And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind

            They have hearts with which they do not understand <- they have wasted their sense perception
            they have eyes with which they do not see
            and they have ears with which they do not hear

            Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray <- useless people
            It is they who are the heedless
            7.179

            Who are these people ? They are mostly those who are poor, lazy, weak etc. . . . Those who have wasted their sense perception, reality and life. Those who have no ambition in life and living in illusion or "Mutasyaabihat Context of Life", interpreting things that Allah says "No one knows except Allah", and create more divisions after the other.

            And of the people are some who say,
            "We believe in Allah and the Last Day,"
            but they are not believers.
            They deceive Allah and those who believe
            but they deceive not except themselves and perceive no
            In their hearts is disease
            so Allah has increased their disease
            and for them is a painful punishment because they used to lie.
            And when it is said to them,
            "Do not cause corruption on the earth,"
            they say, "We are but reformers." <- reform in the name of Allah, religion etc
            Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters <- creating division, and kill each other
            but they perceive not. <- because they thought that what Allah want, it is religion!
            2.8-12

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            • M Offline
              M Offline
              muslims
              wrote on last edited by
              #60

              Arabic word is amwaal plural of maal, I don't think it means properties. Please take a look at other translations here.

              Doesn't matter. . the point is if you have nothing, then you cannot give anything.

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              • M Offline
                M Offline
                Man_of_Faith
                wrote on last edited by
                #61

                And some people are so obsessed with earthly materials that they cannot think beyond this.

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                • M Offline
                  M Offline
                  muslims
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #62

                  and some people . . .

                  No! indeed, man transgresses.
                  Because he sees himself self-sufficient.
                  (96.6-7)

                  I have Allah only (illusion, mutasyaabihat, by god) , and that is enough. . . there is no need for the Deen, ie. the system of reality.

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                  • M Offline
                    M Offline
                    Man_of_Faith
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #63

                    And now are we not bringing in the wrong hammer are we not? What does that verse have to do with the context here?

                    Self sufficient in the verse means the person thinks that he acquires things due to his own cleverness.

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                    • S Offline
                      S Offline
                      savage_carrot
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #64

                      Really ? Please read again . . .
                      Yes, really. Please read again...

                      Therefore True Believers must have "wealth". . .

                      Those who do not have "wealth" cannot strive with their "properties"

                      It is better for them to feed themselves and not burdening other people, rather thanking about something else. . .

                      These are your replies and are exactly what I paraphrased in response 'the calling card of "true believers" is wealth, and the poor can go hang'. In fact, you're still saying it. If you don't agree with it, it would be great if you can scrounge up quotes in your other posts saying 'i think the poor should be taken care of because i don't think most poor people are lazy buggers who should get off their asses and feed themselves' and lay this entire side issue to rest...you know, stuff unlike ' the Disbelievers are those who . . . (are deaf dumb and blind) . . . They are mostly those who are poor, lazy, weak etc. . . .who have no ambition in life and living in their illusion.' I don't need to explain why and how this sentence is horribly wrong and riddled with generalisations plus weird connections galore, and having nothing much to do with reality and/or the quran. Your wide black and white brushstrokes cutting across whole swathes of people in varying circumstances is abysmal.

                      If you can't and want to stick to your guns which you probably will given your spotted history, it's no skin off anyone's back but it would be advisable then to go back to the '"circumstances" . . the "issue" of this thread'. Heed this well, because your usual games, inclusive of constant repetitive and off topic postings until you get the last word, are tiresome and earn you demerits.

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                      • M Offline
                        M Offline
                        muslims
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #65

                        Self sufficient in the verse means the person thinks that he acquires things due to his own cleverness.

                        What different does it make with who those who abuse their "sense perception", reality and life ? None . . .

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                        • M Offline
                          M Offline
                          muslims
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #66

                          Yes, really. Please read again...

                          These are your replies and are exactly what I paraphrased in response 'the calling card of "true believers" is wealth, and the poor can go hang'. In fact, you're still saying it.

                          Actually, what did you understand when I said "those who are excel in major aspect of life and according to the injunction of Allah" ?

                          Is it about wealth alone ?

                          The wealth part is the answer to the issue of this thread, (refer here). .
                          The reality of today's world where almost everything needs money, vs. the Stone Age.

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                          • M Offline
                            M Offline
                            Man_of_Faith
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #67

                            You mean I have acted so oppositional that I have lost my right for guidance?

                            Can you please explain what I have done?

                            Is it not you who begun being arrogant, which is one of the worst traits God knows?

                            And also taking God's decreed words out of context just to fit into flawed arguments.

                            Who has lost sense perception?

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                            • M Offline
                              M Offline
                              muslims
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #68

                              You mean I have acted so oppositional that I have lost my right for guidance?

                              Can you please explain what I have done?

                              Is it not you who begun being arrogant, which is one of the worst traits God knows?

                              And also taking God's decreed words out of context just to fit into flawed arguments.

                              Who has lost sense perception?

                              Since when this is about "you" and "me" ? confused

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                              • M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Man_of_Faith
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #69

                                And what does your verse have to do with the context?

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                                • S Offline
                                  S Offline
                                  savage_carrot
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #70

                                  Actually, what did you understand when I said "those who are excel in major aspect of life and according to the injunction of Allah" ?

                                  Is it about wealth alone ?

                                  The wealth part is the answer to the issue of this thread, (refer here). .
                                  The reality of today's world where almost everything needs money, vs. the Stone Age.

                                  Like I said, lay it to rest or get back to the topic. If this is getting back to the topic, it is not a response to my post and shouldn't be addressed to me. If this is a response to my post it is not laying anything to rest so...get back to the topic. If you do not understand this concept, please PM and do not derail this thread any further. Thanks.

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                                  • M Offline
                                    M Offline
                                    muslims
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #71

                                    And what does your verse have to do with the context?

                                    Those who abuse their "sense perception" and the "reality" . . the Deen
                                    and they see that there are no need for improvement of life etc. . because "he sees himself self-sufficient"

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                                    • M Offline
                                      M Offline
                                      mmkhan
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #72

                                      Doesn't matter. . the point is if you have nothing, then you cannot give anything.

                                      I don't thing there is anyone who has nothing.

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                                      • M Offline
                                        M Offline
                                        muslims
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #73

                                        Like I said, lay it to rest or get back to the topic. If this is getting back to the topic, it is not a response to my post and shouldn't be addressed to me. If this is a response to my post it is not laying anything to rest so...get back to the topic. If you do not understand this concept, please PM and do not derail this thread any further. Thanks.

                                        Okay. . .

                                        "those who are excel in major aspect of life and according to the injunction of Allah" = wealth confused

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                                        • M Offline
                                          M Offline
                                          Man_of_Faith
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #74

                                          Peace,

                                          In the context God means those who believe they acquired all their possessions due to their own cleverness.

                                          Just like the verse with the two men with gardens.

                                          That is why the pasting of that verse here was out of context.

                                          Anyway the topic derailed completely and we are not answering the questions of the author of the thread.

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