My indentity in this world
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Hello everyone, welcome
I begin this topic relying on a suggestive and cooperative audience. As always, I welcome everyone to be part of this post regardless their religious backgrounds. I would appreciate it more if people logic with me based not on a religious book as righteousness.
I take this matter seriously as it generates a generous amount of thoughts during my active days. Recently, unlike before, I noticed a slight change as I exercise daily. I run, sweat, and energize my body a lot more than I used to. Truth to the matter is that my life is complex. I believe that I put many barriers and limitations every time I try to shape my attitude. I put so much effort in understanding myself and my identity within this world that I feel it is not worth the extra mile.
From my perspective, life is a wild challenge. Every living aspect is a survivor and every choice is self-imposing itself on us rather than being masters of choice. Anybody is born with their unique identity and we serve our purpose in this world whether we think we chose to live or not. It is just not up to anybody to change the world. For instance, we have no remembrance of a previous life or visions of what life is going to be after we rot in the graves. It went on and it goes on. We are here, and we are living until our timer sets off. Whoever thinks has the best version of how life is going to be after we die is as good as the guy next to him.
I believe that my life conditions are better than so many people and worse than many others that lived before me, within the present, or later to be existent. Is it true that the winner of the challenge is the specie that produces more offsprings and dominates others?
I find myself in a dead end conversation when it comes to where we are going along life. What is our purpose, and certainly what can I achieve for myself in this life? I've heard it all from the theories of the big bang and evolution to human beings that lived in heaven along angels. I ask any Muslim and the answer I get is that we are sons of Adam, and we live to worship God Almighty.
I respect Islam to a certain degree since my childhood experiences was lived in an Islamic country and I can not deny the fact that I love some of the brotherhood, family, friends, and self values that it teaches. I guess that makes me a good Muslim and paradise is mine. But am I such a bad guy when I say I strongly disagree with some Islamic teachings? Will I be fried in hell if I have an opinion of my own?
What is God is beyond the human capability to reason. God can be existent or not depending on how do you look at the big picture. Of course reason demand from every creation a creator so I guess God is my creator and I am his tool. If choices come with the illusion of relevance to my freedom to pick, then why am I born with this identity? In other words, when I try to build who I am, why couldn't I pick from the start who could've been my parents.
I just think that it is not up to us to decide whether we think we are making a difference or not. Same thing goes on when I ask God for help. I shoot an arrow in the dark and hope for results. I am Muhammad?s companion when God grants a wish but I am also an infidel when he gives me a blind eye. I?ve been there and I hate it. I guess I am a hypocrite that way but I try to think that God is also about light touch. He doesn?t want me to be so dependent on him which can be fun and frustrating along the road.
It is not a question of whether God exist or is a myth but rather it is more about faith. I love fasting Ramadan because I take care of my health and set boundaries to some disturbing needs and emotions and it serves me to discipline myself. I like giving money to someone in need but I don?t do it all the time because I am not rich and I don?t want bums to be dependent on my salary. It is more for me than it is for people in need of help that I decide to contribute my time and money. I just don?t like to pray 5 times a day because I get so excited in being good to God that I screw up and feel like an idiot. I just don?t want to do it. Not yet.
So, dear audience feed me back with your opinions. Let me know if I am screwing up or am I in the road of success.
Thanks
SiMohamed
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I like what you have written
Will I be fried in hell if I have an opinion of my own?
No, I feel that heaven would be boring if everyone believed in the same stuff. I feel that you are on the road of enlightenment, it is many roads that come to the same basic conclusion. I feel it dosent matter at all what you believe as long as that belief does not hurt anyone or anything. Its the most basic teaching of every religion, dont hurt anyone or anything.
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Salam Weinmar,
You said "I just don?t like to pray 5 times a day because I get so excited in being good to God that I screw up and feel like an idiot. I just don?t want to do it. Not yet."
I understand, I too struggle somehow with prayers, at least the 5 times a day, but mainly with the actual physical prostration of prayer...I am not really sure as to why I do,...I have some ideas, but feel lost for my reasoning. Let me explain first, I am somewhat lazy ...I will admit that. I am not good at doing a specific number or prayers a day, let alone at specific times. I find that I am not doing anything like watching tv or something, and so I could. But here is the second reason I have to always make wudu before prayers...Its not that I don't like cleansing myself, its that I feel torn about having to do it. For instance, maybe i passed gas earlier that day , or went to the restroom..I feel torn that I should wudu after every reststop, and every flatulance. Thats one reason..another reason is I feel like I am praying all day, I read at the very least 4 surahs a day, I've read the Quran more than 14 times, I praise god and supplicate every time I eat, wake, breath, before sleep, when I walk, feel the wind, see the birds, feel the rain, look at the sky, the list goes on and on....I am always it seems in a state of Euphoric prayer. I have ayats written and printed and literally posted on my desk wall at work, I reflect and praise god, and recognize him at work. I speak of him, make relations through this site in his name, vision, word, and his hope for all of us. I am in constant prayer. I feel I am at the greatest balance, and peace I have ever known or could imagine with God, through the Quran.
I admit, and value, and love the actual form of prayer, like the sunni way, bowing, prostrating..I feel closer in some ways, for instance, I feel more humble and small, and vulnerable in that prayer, which makes me recognize on another level that god is so omnipotent. I believe that I should do these prayers, I really do. I think they are for my benefit. I think they are necessary to an extent, and that god promotes this in the Quran. I feel we are only more enriched, blessed and peaceful when we do submit these prayers to him.
But I always find, I am usually almost always reading the Quran at the time of prayer, and I don't want to lose my connection, not that I will actually lose a connection, but I don't want to break away from reading it to perform prayer, and I reason it by telling myself I am praying while reading.
But like you...I feel like I don't really have a reason or know why I do not just do my prayers 5 times a day. Or even 3. I want to! I really do! And sometimes I get on a roll, and will set my alarm to each prayer and do it, for days..but then...i fail again to do them.. '(
I pray to god always to instill in my strength and motivation to perform them, and I ask him to show me the truth to my laziness reasons so that I can change them. I only hope that one day, I will be more submissive and give my time and effort into wudu and the prayers.
Maybe we can help each other somehow...I don't know how,..but maybe there is something, something...that will spark the romance in us to desire and seek these prayers as if they are our food and meals, and that we cannot be satisfied until we do them pr Inshaallah
God bless!
Honor
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I feel it dosent matter at all what you believe as long as that belief does not hurt anyone or anything. Its the most basic teaching of every religion, dont hurt anyone or anything.
Nah, Islam is more complex than that. People argue me when I say I do Ramadan more for myself than for Allah.
What I get is that the same people who argu with me base their action on God's mood. They think God is only happy if they do a good deed. Smite and thunder will fall on their sleeping body if they misbehave. Crazy stuff.
They say that I should do Ramadan for Allah before I do it for myself, but isn't Ramadan a thing for me to do to keep my physical and emotion health better? If God himself wants Ramadan he can do it himself but I guess it is for us to do for a reason. So when i do Ramadan from their perspective, it is just to keep God's wrath from my face. He is only happy if I do it for him.
If your dad tells you to not run after your soccer ball if you lost it from the sidewalk, would you obey him to keep him happy or would you obey him for your own freaking safety? I mean my dad would beat the crap out of me when I did that mistake and now i know why lol...
I totally agree with you man. Don't intend to be selfish you will have a good personality. What more to ask?
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Dude, keep your focus on the right things, and choose the right thoughts, ask god for whatever you want (like knowledge, guidance) and be grateful to god, and you will be fine. And of course be kind to people and verify every belief and claim.
Will you burn in hell? Yes, if you're not at peace.
In my view of "hell," a lot of people "burn" in hell, including myself, from time to time, because of our wrong thoughts and actions.And even though the quran tells you to, don't fear your creator. Nothing to fear if god is fair and just and most merciful.
and don't assume that it's your destiny to do something. You don't know your fate. So do whatever you want to do.
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ask god for whatever you want (like knowledge, guidance) and be grateful to god, and you will be fine.
Funny thing. I asked God to give me the power to fire bolts from my hands like in video games but it never happened. I was so disappointed. I still am. Let's see if knowledge and guidance would be a more reasonable thing to ask for lol..
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Nah, Islam is more complex than that. People argue me when I say I do Ramadan more for myself than for Allah.
What I get is that the same people who argu with me base their action on God's mood. They think God is only happy if they do a good deed. Smite and thunder will fall on their sleeping body if they misbehave. Crazy stuff.
They say that I should do Ramadan for Allah before I do it for myself, but isn't Ramadan a thing for me to do to keep my physical and emotion health better? If God himself wants Ramadan he can do it himself but I guess it is for us to do for a reason. So when i do Ramadan from their perspective, it is just to keep God's wrath from my face. He is only happy if I do it for him.
If your dad tells you to not run after your soccer ball if you lost it from the sidewalk, would you obey him to keep him happy or would you obey him for your own freaking safety? I mean my dad would beat the crap out of me when I did that mistake and now i know why lol...
I totally agree with you man. Don't intend to be selfish you will have a good personality. What more to ask?
All of your actions are for your gain only - if you go astray, it's only for your bad (and possibly those around you). Think about it, is an omnipotent omniscient being affected by your choosing or refusal for fasting? No. It's for yourself, to teach a lesson and to flush toxins out of the body.
peace