This is Al-Islam - Do you have doubt?
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HUMAN BEINGS ARE THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF ALL CREATURES.
There are various creatures in existence that can not be compared to human beings in size and population. Some are stronger and some have exceptional abilities. Nevertheless, the rational sense (al-Aql) that human beings are known with put human beings above all other creatures.
The world is guided by human rational sense. Allah communicates only with the rational sense.
HUMANITY IS NOTHING BUT THE HEART.
Human being is a conscious creature. An unconscious person is as good as dead. The value of the body is measured against the Mind.
Consciousness is guided by the Heart. Without an urge, there is no motivation of the mind and therefore there is no consciousness. A person falls asleep.
A human being does not engage in a voluntary act until there is an urge. A person, once engaged in an act, does not stop until there is satisfaction. The cycle of Desire and Satisfaction is what directs all our conscious activities.
An urge (desire) is based on Love and Hatred. Therefore, life is nothing but Love and Hatred.
The Heart is the seat of Love and Hatred.
AL-ISLAM IS NOTHING BUT AL-IMAN AND AT-TAQWA.
Al-Islam is a guide for the Heart. Allah does not look at our body and possessions but our Hearts. The best of human beings in the sight of Allah is the best of them in Heart.
Al-Iman is the decision to live a rational life while at-Taqwa is the preservation of that decision at the attention.
Decision is the choice of self among the various and often conflicting urges.
Attention is the Working Memory where all conscious activities are processed and then stored accordingly.
Keeping Allah and the Hereafter at the Attention is the work of at-Taqwa.
Al-Iman is the revolutionary decision that a person takes to become a new person at adulthood. It is the first step in instilling al-Aql in the heart.
It starts at adolescence when a person begins to gain awareness that there is the other side to life.
The choice of either al-Iman or al-Kufr is based on individual 'Will' and not the environment or the up-bringing.
At-Taqwa is the preservation of al-Iman.
Foremost among at-Taqwa is AZ-ZIKR (ر which is to keep the decision alive. AS-SALAAT ( ) serves this purpose.
The implementation of the decision naturally follows. The replacement of al-Hawa with al-Aql in what is known as the greater struggle ( .) One can not remain stagnant if not he falls. This is also known as Good Deed ( ة.
Self-assessment is the next. One has to take account of himself to assess his progress periodically. A persons present day must always be better than yesterday. This is AL-MUHAASABAH (ة.
One has to be vigilant if not he will slip from the way without realizing. We should understand that Satan is tactful and gradual in pursuing his goal.
AL-IMAN
As an Adolescent goes through the struggle to uncover the reality of life, he soon discovers and realizes that there is the Hereafter. He now feels a sense of awareness but not without implication he is now confronted with a conflict The conflict to adjust to the new reality in defiance of his Hawa or to remain with al-Hawa and damn the consequences.
Al-Iman has various meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Among the meanings are; Awareness, Faith and Decision. Our concern here is that of Decision.
Decision is the intended choice that a person makes out of conflicting options. The person who does not have options can not be regarded to have decision. Children generally do not have the ability to decide; they simply submit to their desires.
At Adolescence, human beings begin to have the ability to have a say in the kind of life they live. It is this ability that creates the conflict and confusion found among the Adolescents. In our case here, it is this ability that calls for a decision concerning whether a person is to submit totally to or to rebel against .
A person prior to adolescence had lived a life based on fallacious beliefs known collectively as al-Hawa. It is due to the new mental capability that he is able for the first time to asses and decide a way for himself instead of just trying to cope with life as it had been.
This however, is in sharp contrast to the simple and seemingly free life that he had lived. Instead of just submitting to the desires, he now has to regulate the desires in line with his rational thoughts.
The decision is whether to undergo this strenuous endeavour and wait for the fruit or to continue to enjoy the deceptive life regardless of the consequences. The valences are equal. It is whether to take shelter in the temporary shade or to be patient to reach home where there is the permanent shelter.
If he chooses the rational way, he is said to have al-Iman if not he is a Kafir.
This al-Iman however, must be based on awareness if it is to be meaningful and must be preserved by at-Taqwa.
Allah guides those that have taken the rational decision to Himself by the process of the life itself. The formula is simple. Test your hypothesis by practicing it until it is confirmed to you and you move forward. In that way, a person grows in awareness.
As this struggle continues, the Heart is purged of fallacies till the time when the Heart completely conforms to the self and there are no worries again.
It must be mentioned that as this traveler moves along the path of guidance, he is repeatedly confronted with encounters of which he has to decide. If he remains determined on his positive choice, his iman is reinforced if not, it is weakened or even abandoned.
It is not where one started his journey but where one is and where he died. Successful are those indeed who died with the positive choice.
It is very easy for a person to decide to become a Muslim as any tragic even could trigger that (i.e., send someone into his real self and make him to take the right decision). Our problem however, is the preservation of the Decision. It is easy said than done is a popular saying.
The Decision that a person takes to avoid the reality is known as al-Kufr. A person that decides to compromise between the reality and falsehood has committed ash-Shirk. The person who is yet to decide is still a child.
A Human being has a brain and a heart.
The brain is the centre where all conscious information is processed.
The heart is the centre of meaning, feeling and actual awareness. The heart is the focus of life. Allah does not look at the body or wealth of anyone but the heart.
The information a person has must always be differentiated from the actual meaning of the information at heart level. Put in another way, the information must always be differentiated from how the person actually feels about it.
There is one nature and one truth and our assertion is that al-Islam is this truth. This must be practically seen to be so in real life.
A person must be completely convinced and fully aware of al-Islam before he can be regarded as either a Mumin or a Kafir. wants a person to love (worship) Him out of conviction and no more.
A person who is yet to be fully convinced of al-Islam is a Jahil.
AL-OURAN IS SIMPLE, CLEAR AND ENOUGH
Al- Qur'an contains the direct words of to human beings.
These words do not bring any new nature or reality into existence instead, they explain the existing reality, which a person can feel and confirm. We say (meaning, has said the truth). How could we have confirmed?
The Qur'an is complete, self-explanatory and sufficient. Among the things that make the Qur'an complete is Obey and learn from the Prophet.
Learn from the prophet because human beings are often blinded from seeing the clear truth due to selfish desires. Put in another way, the Prophet (and by extension, the Imams) are complete manifestations of the teachings of the Qur'an (at various time).
Obey the prophet because human beings exist as a community and a community needs a just leader that must be obeyed.
This is where the importance of al-Hadith comes in. But al-Hadith unlike the holy Book is not free of adulterations.
The Qur'an, instead of being sent through Muhammad, is sent along with Muhammad. Allah says Obey Allah and obey the Prophet.
Therefore, the Qur'an is accessible and meant for all human beings as direct communication from to mankind.
If we can take the pain to attach a booklet to our products and make the contents very simple and clear, we should expect to be ahead of us in simplifying His message and making issues very clear so that common people can understand. The goal is the understanding dont forget.
The Qur'an is very simple and clear but where truth is bitter, it becomes incomprehensible.
AL-QURAN AND AMBIGUITY
Language is human invention and it is as imperfect as the inventors.
Allah has to communicate to us in our language because the goal is to create understanding in us.
This necessitates that Allah sets down clear and unambiguous parameters upon which all the contents are interpreted. By this, the words of become very clear despite the defects of the language.
Among these parameters are that Allah is absolutely Just, Powerful and All Knowing.
The Qur'an is meant for the understanding of every human being not just the prophets and the Imams.
The idea that the holy Book can only be interpreted through al-Hadith is restricting al-Islam to al-ahadith alone whereas the prophet ordered that we hold onto the Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bait together.
The holy prophet and Imams made it very clear that their words must be weighed and judged according to the Qur'an to verify their validity.
The prophet went further to say that if anything is reported of him and it is against the reality, it must be thrown away because he could not have said anything that contradicts the reality.
WHO GOES TO HELL?
Allah is absolutely just and no one will go to hell until it is determined that he is fully aware and convinced of the truth but chose to rebel against it.
Actions are therefore judged according to the intention behind it.
Since we do not know the intention of people for certain, we cannot conclude that this or that person will go to hell except where it is explicitly stated by Allah.
Meanwhile, we have all the right to condemn the activities of a person as abominable. We also have the right to judge on the apparent evidences available to us but true judgment lies with Allah
That is a community that has gone for it is what it earned and for you is what you earn and you shall not be questioned concerning what they use to do.
The faith of a person is not determined by what the earlier generations chose to do. However, this does not mean that we should not learn from their experiences and failures.
The idea that if Ali had become the first Caliph, the situation of the present Muslims would be better is completely false. We should always remember that Allah is sustaining Iblis. The whole idea is to give us a choice in our life.
THE BRAIN
The brain is the greatest asset that any human being has. Human beings are insignificant compared to other delicate or mightier creatures of . It is the brain that put human beings above all other creatures.
Therefore, any attempt to prevent a person from using the brain is to be regarded as the worst crime. The prophets were sent to do the opposite. They take us from darkness into light and then discuss with us.
CONCLUTION
Al-Islam is not a traditional institution. It is awareness. Awareness is not inherited. An Adult has to see and make his own decision.
The choice a person makes in life about al-iman is not determined by his nature of parenthood neither does his choice affect that of his generation. Again, we are talking of the justice of Allah. Do not forget, Allah has no relatives - nearness to Him is determined by the choice an adult makes in life and in this, all human beings have identical opportunities..
Al-Islam does not belong to anyone anyone who chooses the path of Allah becomes the custodian of it.
Everyone is responsible for himself and judgment would only be based according to the level of understanding of the individual. In al-Islam, there is no blind imitation. The holy Qur'an warn us not to accept what we do not understand. This however, does not mean that we should not seek clarification for things that we do not understand well.