Friday, February 22, 2013

Come to Common Terms


The world is divided today. People are divided into multiple groups by their identifying with particular religion, sect, nation and races. Almost every individual seems to be divided from others into a particular identity, a particular corner of his or her own making. There is very little common between people of same religious, national and ethnic background. However, irrespective of all the labels and discursive constructions, the truth is that in reality there are only two major groups in the world. One is the group of people that believe in God and the other is the one that does not believe.
Of the groups that identify with a religion, many are such that they exhibit more faith in their own personalized judgements and they try to make the religion say what they want it to say. Most often these people carelessly take liberties regarding God and fabricate concepts and beliefs regarding Him. These people arrive at false beliefs about God by means of their own reasoning and believe that all such understanding is from Him. Moreover, the common man is too afraid to think about death and afterlife to confront facts about God and His religion seriously. Although, as human beings we all sail in the same boat and we all have to die. The false priests or the leaders that are thinking for us today and modify our judgements are not going to die for us, neither are they going to come with us after our death. Since we have been provided with judgements and understanding, it appears strange that we remain confined to particular beliefs and groups without searching for the truth itself.

Among all the religions of the world, Islam is characteristically different and serious regarding its approach and applicability. It is not the religion of priests, however, it is the religion of the One who sent his very own words to us in a book form in shape of Quran. Every individual upon earth who fears the wrath of God and is serious in his or her search for the God, ought to read this book at least once in his lifetime because the wrath of God is not a thing to be taken lightly. All the believing people of the world, be they Christians, Muslims or Jews or any other sect ought to read this book because all the believers have the same goal, that is to seek the truth and die as the beloved of the God. A believing, God fearing person never fabricates things of his own making and never ascribes false beliefs to God. There are people that say all religions are true. Had those people that say all religions are true feared God, they would have sought a proof from the God itself wherein God would have said so to them. Nowhere upon earth does one find an authentic verified proof wherein God might have said that all religions are true and would have allowed us to do what we wish to do with our lives. However, Quran mentions that we ought to do only what Allah wants us to do and for that we have to see what his prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told us to do and told us as to how should we live our lives, both individually as well as socially. Although he was just a human being and did not claim divinity, but he was the messenger of Allah and Allah revealed to him all that he wanted us to follow and do. This is what Allah ordered him to tell the believers:




(Chapter 46 verse 9 & 10)



Al Quran Chapter 72- Verse 20-26


Besides this, prophet Muhammed (pbuh) was just a messenger and a human being like us. The difference being that he received the revelation of God just as all the prophets had received the same before him. He did not order us anything new to do, what he ordered was already there and every prophet before him had done the same. But since their messages had been corrupted by false priests, God would always send a new messenger and the last of them all is Muhammed (pbuh). In this way, there is very little difference between people of other religions and Muslims, since all believe in one God and believe in his prophets. The little difference that exists ought to be sorted out and resolved for the betterment of humanity. Not because I think so but because God warns us in Quran about difference and misconceptions about hereafter and warns us to refrain from having false hopes and beliefs about God.




Qur'an 3:19-20 Surah Ale-'Imran


3:64-71   Surah Ale-'Imran (The Family of 'Imran)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The beginning of Quranic revelation


Narrated `Aisha:
(the mother of the faithful believers) The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food likewise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read. The Prophet added, "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3)
Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with
his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint
Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything
that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity.afflicted ones." Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Naufal bin Asad [??] bin `Abdul `Uzza, who, during the pre Islamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain Alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while. Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah Al.Ansari while talking about the period of pause in revelation reporting the speech of the Prophet "While I was
walking, all of a sudden I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the same angel who had visited me at the cave of Hira' sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I got afraid of him and came back home and said, 'Wrap me (in blankets).' And then Allah revealed the following Holy Verses (of Qur'an): 'O you (i.e. Muhammad)! wrapped up in garments!' Arise and warn (the people against Allah's Punishment),... up to 'and desert the idols.' (74.1.5) After this the revelation started coming strongly, frequently and regularly." 

This was the start of a revelation that was later on compiled into a book form called as Quran. Almost 1420 years have passed since the revelation of Quran and the world progressed immensely in all aspects of life. Science progressed immensely and so did human understanding. Is it not a sign clear enough for those that do not believe in Muhammed as God's messenger that even today we do not find a single conflict in Quran although when it was revealed so little was known about the world and universe. Can any human being write a book that could have stood this test.