Doesnt religion seem a little strange?

aallya

I come from a Muslim family, and lately have had to deal with several issues regarding whether or not religion of any kind makes sense, and whether God exists at all. While pondering, it occured to me that Muslims (to the best of my knowledge) claim that they belong to the correct religion by virtue of the fact that Mohammed completed religion/the message that God was trying to convey to mankind. First there was Jewdaism, then Christianity, then Islam, after two previous failed attempts.

To me, this seems like a contradiction to our very perception of attributes Muslims give God. It is said he is all knowing and all powerful etc. Surely, if that were the case, and hes has power and supremity that we cannot even fathom, then this whole 'completing the message' scenario, would never have existed because he would have known exactly what to do first time around?

I dont think that saying anything related to how mankind was at fault would truly answer that question because if God is all knowing then he would know what was needed to get through to mankind if he wanted the message to be delivered.

Anybody have any insight on this question?

arnoldyasin

Peace,

I know exactly what you mean, many answers I found in this book

http//www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/ICR/ICR.htm

salgan

Peace Aallya

Religion was invented by men/women to control other men/women. while we uphold any religion we will never truly be free as it is there to control and manipulate us it takes our freewill and shackles it .Do you really need religion to no what is right or wrong .

Peace Salim
May The Force be with you

wildguest1956

Hello,

Here is a good read for you, I think
http//www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/kt/KT.htm

Especially chapter 2.

Peace

wildguest1956

Intersting too is the exposition of verses 540 to 48 by parwez here
http//www.tolueislam.com/Parwez/expo/expo_005.htm

zenje

Peace aallya,

First there was Jewdaism, then Christianity, then Islam, after two previous failed attempts.
With that reasoning, then "Islam" failed as well. It's important to remember non of the messengers of God preached these religions.

Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Nazarene, but he was a monotheist who submitted; he was not of those who set up partners.

peace

aallya

I see your point, I know that they were trying to preach Islam, but the message was not delivered properly. Or something along those lines. That is what I mean, each time they were meant to complete the message but that wasnt the case.

Also, whats up with the verses about alcohol, there were three, the first warned against its dangers, the second asked us to stay away from mosques/praying and the third one supposedly forbade it. Why wasnt that just the case in the first place? Everyone says that the reason it came down in three separate revelations was because after the first one came down, it was realised that such a revaltion wasnt enough and that there needed to be more stricter guidelines. If my information is correct, then that doesnt make a whole lot of sense does it? God should be all knowing!

unknownuser

Not forbidden, apparently.

Let's get this straight

God sends down the first revelation to Muhammad, to read. This is in a period of time where Arabs were dominated by materialism and paganism, worshipping hundreds of idols.

Muhammad completely transforms their lifestyles. No more paganism (i.e. their old religion is gone), no more murdering little girls, no more female violence/mistreatment. Vast improvements in character all round.

Yet God, the all-powerful had to slowly tame these Arabs by revealing the "prohibition" in small succeeding steps over several years? brickwall

zenje

Peace aallya,

I see your point, I know that they were trying to preach Islam, but the message was not delivered properly. Or something along those lines. That is what I mean, each time they were meant to complete the message but that wasnt the case.
The message was delivered properly and completely, at all times. What the people did with the message is the question. And that's why I said, if that's the criteria, then "Islam" failed too. Look what they did with God's message after.

As for the alcohol question, search the forum, there's active threads going on right now on that subject.

Peace )

Navid

The message was delivered properly and completely, at all times. What the people did with the message is the question. And that's why I said, if that's the criteria, then "Islam" failed too. Look what they did with God's message after.

Thank you zenje! All the other prophets didn't fail to give the message of God at all. It was after their death that the message was altered.

Peace

Mohammad_Saleem_Khan

Does presnt highly technologically advanced world requires a supersticious concept of a supernatural diety to be accepted as master lord of universe and to rely upon. Every civilzation has given a name to such a non existing supernatural diety since ages in all languages and these languages have been developed by human itself during an evolutionary course of milloion of years and attributed words names to objects, state, activites. So is the case with thsat diety. In english it is "GOD" in hindi it is"BHAGWAN", in farsi it is "AHARMAN & YZDAN" in egypy it was "OSIRIS" in greek it was "SATURN" "JUPITER" etc. and in arabic it is "ALLAH" which may have its originn from dead aramic or hebrew.

So the first point is to define what GOD is? what is its concept? than define what is a religion? why a human need it? if not than what is it that human should take guidance from?

Moreover why maculine gender like "HE", "HIM" "HIS" are used for Allah or God? every thing is differentiated and recognised, identified, specified from its opposite, so if God is HE a male than it must be different from a female, and differnce is based on physical structure, so Allah or God must be having male organ and also reproductive organ also otherwise that God cant be called as HE HIM HIs, but this all unacceptable.

All explanations, clarification should be logicall and scintific and justifiable.
Why a person should seek guidance from a book existing in arabic language attributed to a supernatural male diety, is that diety commonluy called as ALLAH or GOD is arabic? why should a person first take pains to learn arbic language and than seek guidance. If allah is master of entire universe than it should have sent guidance in all languages to all people of world but why arabic? why one should follow arabs and arabic cultural and customs?

How can one explain logically that this mterialistically arabic book called as Quran and other scriptures as claimed by aother reliogionists such as bilble etc are from that unseen supernatural non material diety? is it logically acceptable?

Suppose a person to day declares that he is a messenger of god and reveletions are being sebnt down upon him by an unseen spicie called as angel, will any one believe on him?

So the concept of a humanly God is self created and illogical.
Wha we have with us in front and around us is nature and its laws in universe, which we are supposed to accept and follow. As faras the creator is concerned we are not obliged to serach it out and to implore and beg to it, worship it su[persticiously please it by bowing down , prostrating, offering sacrifices of animals, that creator what ever it is does not demand us to do all these ritual self made worshipping activities.

All those persons who are called as prophets or messengers are actually reformers, revoluionists, intellegent philosphers who mioght have revolotionalized thier socities in which they live and they all must have ben messengers of laws of nature.

The cretaor of this universe does not at all ionterfere in human matters, not concerned with any activity. Laws have been gine to us by that creator which we have to follow, Tjhat LAW is actually God or Allah.

Quran was also written by Mohammad arabic in his mother language in arabic society after deep observing nature and his society. He must have been a great philospher, tourist, traveller, trader, ihtellegent person a wealthy powerful educated man of his time whio revolutinalized his system.

Constructive positive comments/replies are highly appriciable and respected.

Mohammad saleem Khan

Jack

welcome M.S.K,

Moreover why maculine gender like "HE", "HIM" "HIS" are used for Allah or God? every thing is differentiated and recognised, identified, specified from its opposite, so if God is HE a male than it must be different from a female, and differnce is based on physical structure, so Allah or God must be having male organ and also reproductive organ also otherwise that God cant be called as HE HIM HIs, but this all unacceptable.

The 'he' referring to 'God' in al-quran is not gender specific but merely limitation of language.

Wakas

peace aallya,

I understand your questions as I had the same ones. I will briefly discuss what I have learnt from my studies so far with regard to these questions...

It is true to say whilst names such as "Judaism" "Christianity" were later given to what past prophets delivered, al quran of course has a different take on it. They all had the same message submisison to God (muslim), monotheism and being righteous. Even today, we see this going on to some degree with "Islam", with Sunni, Shia, Wahabi etc.

Now onto the crux of your questions why not get it right first time around?

Over thousands of years, civilisations/communities/societies develop as time goes on. Whilst core things, such as stealing, murder, being charitable etc remain constant in all societies throughout time, the finer things can change, e.g. in terms of what is best to do for XYZ, attitudes to ABC.

During this progression, there will eventually come a point when no further advancement takes place to any significant degree. At this point, no further revelation is necessary.

An additional point...
This life is a test, and from my experience the test is finely balanced. If everything was on a plate for you, i.e. right first time round, only one version to choose from, no variables, then some may consider it too easy. The way it is at present requires one to think, recognise core values and patterns and then choose... making it much more individual.

Also, I think humans have a tendency to distort things no matter what... so if al quran is the final revelation and distortion was going to happen with "Islam" as well (and all revelations), it is important to set examples of distortion before, to serve as a reminder and warning for future generations.

With these questions it is very important to consider the other side of the coin and see what the options are etc.

I come from a Muslim family, and lately have had to deal with several issues regarding whether or not religion of any kind makes sense, and whether God exists at all. While pondering, it occured to me that Muslims (to the best of my knowledge) claim that they belong to the correct religion by virtue of the fact that Mohammed completed religion/the message that God was trying to convey to mankind. First there was Jewdaism, then Christianity, then Islam, after two previous failed attempts.

To me, this seems like a contradiction to our very perception of attributes Muslims give God. It is said he is all knowing and all powerful etc. Surely, if that were the case, and hes has power and supremity that we cannot even fathom, then this whole 'completing the message' scenario, would never have existed because he would have known exactly what to do first time around?

I dont think that saying anything related to how mankind was at fault would truly answer that question because if God is all knowing then he would know what was needed to get through to mankind if he wanted the message to be delivered.

Anybody have any insight on this question?

unknownuser

The 'he' referring to 'God' in al-quran is not gender specific but merely limitation of language.
In my understanding, a 'God' as thought to be the Creator of Universe can neither be gender specific nor limited to language. The word 'he' is purely physical and applied only to humans or idols in various forms. The word is stressed as a male superlative and sometimes denoting general characteristics referring to both males and females.

zenje

Peace MSK,

Moreover why maculine gender like "HE", "HIM" "HIS" are used for Allah or God?
Why "it"?
peace

ayani

aallya

here is a quote from a Facebook group i am on, called "Quran Alone"

The Qur'an reiterated and reinforced the true Religion of humankind that has continued since the appearance of human beings - worship of God alone. Thus, salvation is closer to those who worship One God, do good works in righteousness and believe in the Last Day. Muslims, Christians, Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Agnostics, etc. who believe in these things, may be in the Grace of God for salvation.

i agree that religion can be strange, and find myself more and more petitioning God in my own words, and stepping away from labels. i believe that God necessarily transcends the contents of any text or organized faith, that there is One God, and that to Hu we are all returned. that is the message of the Quran.

tarikh

Peace, God has decreed only one religion since the beginning and that's to worship Him alone. We violated this law in the previous life and this is our last chance. God didnt just create us for no reason. He created us to worship Him, but then, He could have created us as robots. This can only mean that we did something wrong before and our exam is to worship God, that is to fulfil the purpose of our creation.
Now when others claim this and that, the one and only religion has got nothing to do with them.

SwedenMajidah