Why am I "turning away" from God?
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Peace,
Sometimes we lose faith, or start doubting, when things don't go our way, when we get frustrated, when we don't get what we want. It's normal, I've been there too.
I'd like to ask you... when you say that God almost never have answered your prayers, how do you know? How do you know they were not answered? I guess the answer would be that you didn't get what you asked for... am I right?
But I think that we need to try to see God in more contexts than a prayer-answerer. When we see God in a more full way, then we won't lose faith even when our prayers aren't answered (as it seems). We know that God is there anyway.Haven't you gone through things in life where you learnt something? Perhaps hard or difficult times? Did you learn something? Did you grow in some sense? Then God has indeed moved you in the direction of growth. Growth is, by the way, many times painful, due to our own resistance (that we often are not even aware of) or weakness. Growth is to gain strength where we before were weak. This is especially true for emotional areas. This is where most of us have lots to learn.
Many times, our disappointments, frustrations and losing of faith is due to our own narrow expectations. The worst part is that these expectations mostly are subconscious... we are not aware of them. Having wrong, or misaligned, expectations sets us at odds with life. It's like swimming against the stream, or at an angle. Had we not been so spiritually blind, we'd be able to swim along the stream, and things would be easier. But challenges and difficult and unpleasant moments will always be there. They are also there for our growth and learning! It's a blessing in disguise!
Just admit openly to God, when in private, with open words, and full of emotions if you can... that you feel you have a weak faith. Ask God to strengthen your faith and open your eyes, and let peace and happiness come in. Ask God to grant you success in growth and show you the truth. This is what I do. I'm always battling myself with similar issues... but I'm improving and I'm gaining more and more sight. We need Sabr, part of which is patience and leaving it to God, surrendering. But let God do the answering... don't decide how it should be answered! Just pray, and then leave it.
There is Christian minister, Joel Osteen, who speaks alot of sense. Just disregard whenever he mentions Jesus, it's not so often. And don't allow your critical mind to get caught up in negative criticism... but instead just relax and listen to the message. Many of his sermons are quite good in my own personal opinion. It was quite some time I listened to them, but I remember I liked many of them. I hope these may have some relevance to your situation
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSuEVYf1EiA - Are you listening?
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BAshKeUIm8 - The God who closes doors
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMpHls34VdY - Trust God's timing
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlkuJz6Bs8Y - How You Can Trust the Faithfulness of God
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIetbploceY - Don't fight it
https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI59mMbxGzE - God's dream for you is biggerPeace group
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Peace,
If your prayers are never answered there is something wrong in the approach. You need to look within yourself and see what it can be. Remember the fundamentals do good and have faith. You need to build up faith for the unknown and you need to unite rather than disunite and look to it that you become purified and you help others. Behavior plays the biggest role in God's realm and it must not be forgotten, second to faith in God alone.
We need also to remember that guidance is a blessing from God and unless you get nearer to God and receive guidance in life you will not "feel" God's presence in your life.
I had not felt much of God when I was 25 and before that nearly nothing, but once I closed in on 30 I realized I was blind because God was there all along. Between 25-32 I have done an enormous lift in my personal development with end to alcohol and gotten a better character overall and no association/shirk. These changes in living made the necessary adjustments to actually feel God's presence in my life. Now I do not believe that God exist but I know God exist.
But if you feel "abandoned" by God start look at what you might be doing wrong. Perhaps you do not see the things that God does for you? You are maybe not appreciative? Maybe you treat others poorly, that is a major negative point. Maybe God does not occupy your mind 24/7?
As you see there are many reasons why you do not feel God in your life, and that your requests are denied. My requests are granted pretty much every time I pray for something. That is not to sound arrogant or boastful, but as an example of how things can be if you approach and befriend God.
There is a lot to do, but it helps giving yourself to God and let God provide for you and help you in your daily life and you will see a difference in time. It often takes years to have a strong bond with God and much self-improvement. And you need to be steadfast and patient and convince yourself that God definitely exist and is there alive and kicking. Try to ponder upon existence and use all the advancements in cosmology and science we have which people of the past did not have. See that it is weird to think it would all exist out of mere coincidence. And then image a mighty energy in the universe often called Allah or God and, God willing, he you will some time begin to develop faith. Faith does not come without trying to reflect yourself. Make it a habit of sitting down in a recliner or a place of your choice and just think and think and think. Be open minded.
God bless you
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What is it specifically, that you have been asking him for?
Personally, i have been passing through hardship recently. They say whatever does not kill you makes you stranger. My Islamic philosophy has really changed. I asked myself at certain points why my supplications and even charities weren't getting me what i sought.
I began to feel sinful, i began to think to myself, "maybe Quran alone isn't the way forward, maybe i really deserve this pain, maybe i have always being a bad person and must inevitably pay for my wrongs".
A point was reached that i cut down on my supplication and charities. I said; "screw it, stop over-stretching your limit to do things because you want something from God, just be yourself, do things because they are right and let this be consistent, then GOD will see you through".I also learnt that God 's attribute of Mercy tend to be blown out of proportion. God is merciful, but He also stated He is Just. So if justice entails you losing your job, mariage etc then.....
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What is it specifically, that you have been asking him for?
Personally, i have been passing through hardship recently. They say whatever does not kill you makes you stranger. My Islamic philosophy has really changed. I asked myself at certain points why my supplications and even charities weren't getting me what i sought.
I began to feel sinful, i began to think to myself, "maybe Quran alone isn't the way forward, maybe i really deserve this pain, maybe i have always being a bad person and must inevitably pay for my wrongs".
A point was reached that i cut down on my supplication and charities. I said; "screw it, stop over-stretching your limit to do things because you want something from God, just be yourself, do things because they are right and let this be consistent, then GOD will see you through".I also learnt that God 's attribute of Mercy tend to be blown out of proportion. God is merciful, but He also stated He is Just. So if justice entails you losing your job, mariage etc then.....
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They say whatever does not kill you makes you stranger.
rotfl Sorry, I just had to enjoy that typo.
I also learnt that God 's attribute of Mercy tend to be blown out of proportion.
Yes, God's mercy is waaayyyy bigger than we can grasp. Even that which we can see seems, like you say, to be big out of proportion.
Peace -
The thing not to loose sight of is that God knows and can, we do not know nor can. God can always right any "wrong" He may du us and He can even right any wrong we do ourselves, and he knows what is before us and what is behind us and how everything will ever fit, therefore he can do with us "miracles".
When we ask ourselves why God is not "answering" our prayers let us remember a narration in the Qur'an which is very much to the point. Prophet Ayub who seemingly was being punished for nothing. He was patient and he did not loose his trust in God. Let us not forget that.
Let us not forget that when we seem to be abandoned, God may be giving us in fact the greatest of the gifts patience and trust. We see that animal, the dog, so humble, so trusting, a dog always believes that its master will return no matter how many days he waits, he never believes his master will do anything worng to him, even while being made to do awful things (like swallowing medicines or undegoing "ridiculous treatments". If we could be as trustful of our Master as that animal. Why is the dog man's best friend, why was it with the sleepers of the cave, guarding the entrance... Trust, unflinching trust, and patience.
How difficult it is for a dog to feel despondent and loose trust! Because it has patience and trust.
May be God wants us to have that treasure, or may be other mny treasures we cannot think of. When we loose trust in God we loose a big chunk of ourselves, because we simply loose trust. Or my be our faith up till then was a childish faith, a "miracle" type of faith. May be we must mature and go deeper than the ruffled surface of ourselves...
Diamantine, be kind to yourself, love yourself, God loves you, He made you specially the way you are. Have trust, trust that you are worth everything, no matter what the environment may give you to think. God made you and therefore you are rightly made and perfect as the human you are. And trust.
Salaam
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Bytheway... sometimes we know things, or believe things, intellectually... but we don't feel them. Sometimes we understand things and see them as obvious on a theoretical level, but they don't feel alive in us... we don't reallyget it. This is how I have felt many times.
So, actually, one's spiritual development is a gradual process, never ending. Don't get frustrated about theory about God. Just go back to basics, be simple and be yourself, and surrender to God your frustration. Pray for understanding. This is an underestimated thing to do... to ask God to open us up and let us be able to see the truth, whatever it may be. I'm saying this because often the things people say and advice seem very sensible and true, but still seem just like disconnected theory as far as one's own life is concerned.What I've personally found miraculous is to find a mantra and keep using it as a prayer to God for forgiveness and renewal... e.g. astaghfar. It doesn't matter if the grammar is perfect, as long as you know and have a feeling what it means to you. Try consistently asking God for forgiveness... it is wonderful, and it does wonders, really.
All the best
Peace -
Since a few months ago (last year) I have been doubting His intervention in other creature's life or at least my own life. I still believe He exists but I hardly pray because I often don't feel He would answer.
What should I do?
What is your proof that He answers your prayer and intervenes in your life?Salamun alaiki sister.
I think you may be swept by all the wonderful advice that everyone is giving you. So let me refrain from giving any advice, let me just simply respond to your question, how I know God has intervened in my life.
The greatest proof that God has intervened in my life is that He has created me as a human being ? not as a plant, an insect, a brid or even a monkey ? as a full blown human! But that?s not all. The World report on disability (WHO/World Bank, 2011) estimates that 15% of us are disabled people, that?s 1,050,000,000 people. God has already done me a tremendous favor by creating me in a full human form and saving me from accidental disabilities. Because of this huge favor ? I breath in refreshing air, I walk on this beautiful planet on my two feet, devour its mind blowing beauty, hear its heart-soothing music, interact with people of all sort, work for earning a decent living ? and eat and drink from the delicious foods and drinks our Master has provided us. Even if I was disabled in some way or become disabled today ? I do not think I can ever be grateful enough for what I already have had.
God?s mercy didn?t end just there! As per WB report, 1 in 8 people in the current world suffers from chronic mal-nutrition because they do not get enough to eat. God has intervened in my life and my children?s life by not making us take birth in one such poor families. Because I do not need to worry about three meals a day (now 2 due to Ramadan), I get the time to philosophize here on free minds!
Worldwide number of people who cannot read is about 800 million. God has intervened in my life by allowing me (financially and intellectually) to receive education so that I can read in at least 2 languages. This has given me the opportunity to read some magnificent books and learn from them first hand ? most important of which (to me) being the Qur?an.
Scientists estimate human beings have been on this planet as a distinct species for at least 50 thousand years. Only the last 2000 years can be considered some sort of ?developed? phase of this journey. Industrial revolution happened within last 200 years. How blessed I have to be to be born in an era when I carry around a cellphone in my pocket ? checking my emails several times a day and riding on metro rails and motorized transport on daily basis?
These gifts are already too much for me to appreciate in one life-time, but guess what - God?s intervention did not end there. In addition to creating me as a human he sent me down to the best parents in the universe (per my assessment), gave me the fortune to take the best woman in the world (per my assessment) as my wife and gifted me with the best children I can imagine. How can I ever be grateful enough?
You may think ? all these is pretty normal. Is it? Think again. Take the following examples
- Have you heard of the guy whom his father tried to throw into fire because he didn?t agree to worship dolls? I am taking about a guy named Abraham.
- Have you heard of the guy whom his mother had to throw in a river because she wasn?t sure she can save him from an ongoing genocide? In irony of fate the little boy gets to be raised in the home of the same vicious tyrant who was running the genocide. You probably guessed it right ? I am talking about Moses.
- Or how about the person who from his childhood had to deal with the agony of everyone around him calling him an illegitimate child (not necessarily using this diplomatically correct term). He lives his life among the poorest and the most oppressed of the society ? and then.. you know the story of Jesus.
- Or to the least, the guy who was born orphan, lost his mother in childhood and once adult experienced the death of each of his sons while they were mere children. Yes talking about Muhammad here.
And as far my understanding goes, all these people were way higher than me in expressing their gratitude to the Master of the universe.
When I compare the fortune, the comfort, the luxuries that I am enjoying day in day out ? with what these guys had to go through in their lives I become scared, feel ashamed and ask my Master ? am I really worthy of all the favors that He has given me unsolicited? My head comes down to ground ? unable to carry the load of gratitude and reverence for my Master. I feel like as if I was starving and suddenly some unknown person has left me a trillion dollar check and I am searching for the donor to at least get an opportunity to say ?Thank you.?
You ask me how God has intervened in my life.. how else can I wish Him to intervene? Should I wish him to intervene to take the freedom away from me so that I lose my free will to choose my course and then face the consequences? Should I wish him to intervene to take the freedom away from me so that I lose the joy of trying things and failing again and again so that I can try again and be successful? Should I wish him to intervene to make me other than a human?
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Best regards,
Arman
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Peace,
Why not ask for God to intervene? Why would it remove your freedom? It would only show that you regard that God as the supreme command. You are still free to choose in this life and it is pretty much a sandbox. But if you ask God you may get provisions you did not otherwise have or knowledge and wisdom you did not know of. And wealth is the least important.
God bless you
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Since a few months ago (last year) I have been doubting His intervention in other creature's life or at least my own life. I still believe He exists but I hardly pray because I often don't feel He would answer.
What should I do?
What is your proof that He answers your prayer and intervenes in your life?Peace,
I would just like to say
http//www.insetdesigns.com/images/Footprints-in-the-Sand-2.jpg
God bless
peace
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Peace Hawk.
I will add to your post ,that GOD does not go on strike either!!!!
IF GOD SHOULD GO "ON STRIKE"
How good it is that GOD has never gone on strike
because He was not treated fair in things He did not like.
If only once He had given up and said"That s it I am through"!
I have had enough of those on earth,so this is what i will do!
I will give my order to the sun" Cut off the heat supply"!
And to the moon-"give no more light",
and run the oceans dry".
Then just to make things really tough.
and put the pressure on.
Turn off the vital oxygen till every breath is gone!.You know He would be justified,if fairness was the game.
For no one has been more abused,
nor shown so much disdain,
than GOD, and yet He carries on supplying you and me.
With all the favours of His grace... And everything for free!.People say they want "a better deal", and so on strike they go.
But what deal have we given GOD, to whom all things we owe?
We do not care who we hurt to gain the things that we so like.
But what a mess we would all be in if GOD should go on strike!GOD bless you.
Peace. -
I had that feeling a lot in the past. thinking if I'm nice and a good person all will be fine but it doesn't work that way.
Being just is also letting yourself being treated just. that's just the law injustice to others is wrong but letting yourself being treated that way has the same effect and I realized I can't blame it on the Creator. I hope this helps a bit.
Take care.
Peace xx