Is the believer moved by love of God, or by self-interest?

11:18 ص - - 0 التعليقات


Materialists claim that the believer in God, exactly like the atheist, is motivated by self-interest, because they expect to be rewarded a great interest, an eternal paradise after death. 

However, this materialistic analysis is illogical, why? Because the logic of interests is strongly connected with the near time, and without this closeness of time it won't be called interest. The closer the fruit the more it becomes an interest, this is the logic of interests, like when you put a land for sale and announce that its price will be doubled after 5 years, you'll find many people wanting to buy it, but if you say it will be doubled after 15 years you'll find less costumers, and if you say after 40 years they'll be a lot less, and if you say after 70 years they'll laugh at you, and if you say it will be doubled after death they'll call you crazy! 

This is the logic of interest, which is entirely inapplicable to the idea of paradise in the afterlife, after we all turn into dust and the whole world ends. Notice how fragile the connection is between the believer in God going to heaven and self-interest, which makes the whole idea unconvincing as the rest of the materialists' analyses.   

According to this idea, there is no value for the love of God after the believer goes into heaven and survives hell, all the love will be poured into heaven! This is logically unacceptable. And according to this idea, after believers in God go to heaven they won't love God because who enters paradise will not be taken out from it! Doesn't this make us doubt the whole materialistic analysis and its inconsistency with reason? 

Thus, the law of self-interest isn't what motivates the believer in God. They are moved by a moral motive which is the love of God, and the love of the existence of the God, because He is a symbol of good. The true believer in God adopted their faith because they love good and is ready to sacrifice their interests for the sake of good, which opposes the law of self-interest. The true believer is even ready to sacrifice what's called the guaranteed interest. So is it logical, according to the logic of interest, to sacrifice a guaranteed interest for an unguaranteed interest that only comes after the end of the world and the whole universe?  

Many believers in God, but not all of them,  do try to join the two ideas, in that they want paradise and yet they don't want to sacrifice their self-interest, but that's a contradiction caused by their preference of their self-interest. Therefore, the idea of self-interest corrupts faith, and a thing can't be built on what corrupts it.




Our True Identity..

10:24 ص - - 0 التعليقات



There is no true identity for man without religion. Actually, what is identity? All the things humans attach themselves to such as nation, country or tribe etc.., are all superficial. True identity lies in the deep connections and attachments. We all know that those attachments are shallow and there is a deeper one. We know that the nation or family name doesn't change much. If we were in a different country we would still be us, and if our name or family name is different nothing real has changed. A person his name is John for example, can't he be Richard, George or Omar? It's only a change of letters and their arrangement. Those are the information in your Identity Card. Nothing in your ID card can determine your identity more than religion, because it is a connection with the deep and constant, at least you view it this way.      

Thus, lack of religion makes a person lacks true identity, except those attachments which aren't deep and not specific to the individual himself, (you know things from their relationship with yourself, and you know yourself from your relationship with God).

That's why who strictly adhere to those shallow attachments is called a fanatic. Extreme attachment to a nation is called chauvinism or Nazism, extreme loyalty to skin color and race is called racism, and extreme attachment to a certain sect is called sectarianism. All those images are ugly and despised, and all can be destroyed by logic and doesn't stand up for criticism. There is no real difference between being an Asian, European or African, being black or white, and being German, French, Indian or Chinese.    

What is the difference that can really differentiate? Nothing can clearly differentiate more than religion. The choice between good and evil is the clear difference, this choice is the true identity. Who has lost his religion has lost his identity. There is no real value for the ID card except where it's needed, it's more valuable to the government employee than it is for its owner.

One of the signs of the superficiality of the common identity attachments is that they attach to the close blood relationship, the new nation or new home country. There is no value for the old home or the old blood relationship, this is a proof of superficiality.  

Atheism is a true lie. Even the atheist deep down is attached to his old religion. Israel is an evidence for that, it's a secular government and many of its leaders are atheists, and yet they came to serve what they call a national project, while it's a religious one.

Immanuel Kant assures that identity is built on the basis of our relationship with others. But he didn't clarify its mechanism. Religion, however, organizes one's relationship with others, which means that religion is the basis of identity not others.  

Identity is the answer to the deep question: who am I and why do I exist? When one says: I'm a slave to God for the rest of my life, here identity is accomplished. True identity is found in slavery to God, it can't be changed by the change of one's home country or any other attachment, because it's deeper than all of them. One's home might change, so is one's language and customs, but religion doesn't change except by free choice. All the other information required for identity are unnecessary, thus identity is reached when slavery to God is reached, {I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me} the Quran. All other identities had been acquired through culture, and true identity is discovered by an internal motivation and from what one has consciously chose from his/her religion, not from all one knew about religion without choice. True identity isn't reached by an outer pressure or an external motivation, the person has searched and found that s/he is a slave to God. Here one has stopped and became a person with identity.      






Can We Live a Good Life?
10:48 ص - - 0 التعليقات



Is it true that no one can live a good life in this world? So that the life of the believer will only be patience with this life and its tests?

My feeling tells me that God doesn't abandon his slaves. Who is walking on the path of God and surrendered themselves to Him, God will be with them. God has promised the believers with a good life in this world, not only in the hereafter : {whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer-We will surely cause him to live a good life} {whoever is careful of (his duty to) God, He will make for him a way out, and provide for him from where he does not expect, Whoever puts his trust in God, He shall suffice him} The Quran.


We can see this in the stories of the prophets. If you see what happened to the prophets you'll know that God didn't abandon his slaves. God didn't abandon Josef for example, it's true that he had been thrown into a well and entered prison, but let's not forget that he made up his mind to advance to the woman who tried to seduce him and that has its retribution. Those adversities are tests from God, but the end is always best for the pious, in this life and the hereafter. 

The prophet Muhammad in the battle of Badr was scared, because they were only planning to attack a caravan and didn't expect to find the whole army of Quraish. However, God replaced their fear with security and peace and they defeated Quraish.


The Issue is tied, and tied with a delicate bond. I see this in myself, that the more I'm pure in the inside and close to God the more life becomes good and easy. And if I taint this purity and move away from God I see the effect of that in everything around me, like being followed by bad luck. That is why I started to fear my sins because I know they'll eat me from the inside.   


Moses peace be upon him had gone through horrors, he entered the pharaoh's castle and mocked his religion, even though his status is bad, because he's not an Egyptian, killed an Egyptian, doesn't speak clearly and has no one on his side except his brother, but did God abandon him?


Notice that even prophets encounter problems as a result of their mistakes. Look at the harsh lesson Moses took when was asked: who is the most knowledgeable on Earth? And he said: No one is more knowledgeable than me. Look at how difficult his situation is when Alkhidr dealt with him and addressed him as he addresses someone who knows nothing, even though Moses is a prophet! Also look at the Quran's admonition for the prophet Muhammad and how harsh it is.   


It's impossible that there is no way to live a good life in this world. Doesn't everything has a solution? Notice how Abraham peace be upon him was never harmed even though he's among enemies, even the fire they sparked to burn him didn't harm him. 


It's not only that God preserves them from harm, we also see that God treats them with warm-heartedness and love, like the pumpkin tree God had put to keep the prophet Jonah's body from cold, for he had came out of the sea feeling cold, and God had put the tree to hug him with its leaves and cover him from cold and humidity, He didn't only save him from the whale.


The prophet Josef peace be upon him became a minister after he came out of prison, and his brother was with him {thus did We plan for the sake of Josef}. Why was his brother with him? Because Josef loves him and feels safe with him. Have you seen the Godly kindness? Josef gets out of prison to have the state within his hands, his brother with him, and his mother and father prostrate before him, have you seen the extreme kindness?


The Quran says that if a punishment was to come it only comes to wrongdoers who didn't care about the path of righteousness, and not to honest believers {We sent a sandstorm against them, except the family of Lut, whom We saved at the break of dawn}. Also, Ishmael wasn't sacrificed, he was ransomed with a great sacrifice, and the name of Ishmael and Abraham remained immortal and their enemies were forgotten except those mentioned in the context of the story of Abraham. Those who were looked down upon by others God made them the most dignified. {indeed, your enemy is the one cut off} and here is the name of the prophet Muhammad repeated five times a day across the globe.


In this moment and in every moment there is someone who prays for the prophet, and his name is mentioned in the call for prayer (Adhan), not the name of those who hated him from Quraish. While who said he'll be cut off because he has no children are the ones who were cut off. Actually, is there any one whose name is mentioned like Muhammad? He is considered the most influencing character in history!


Notice when Solomon peace be upon him said : {My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me}, did he imagine that the jinns, wind, and birds will be part of his kingdom? No, he was imagining a normal kingdom, because he can't imagine that the wind will carry him or that the birds will talk to him or that the jinn will work for him, i.e. he didn't only become king of humans but also animals, jinns, and even insects. Reflect upon the divine giving, it's something you don't expect { And will provide for him from where he does not expect}, God's giving isn't like the giving of humans. At the same time God will not let your faith go to waste, even when you have mistaken and sinned God doesn't abandon you and doesn't neglect your faith { Allah was not going to make your faith to be fruitless }, and yet atheists say that God is cruel and merciless!

Look how God treats His prophets to see how merciful and warm-hearted He is. Notice the aged Zackary who {prayed to His Lord in secret}, he prayed to God not to leave him alone with no children even though he's old and his wife is barren, and yet she becomes pregnant and gives birth. This means that God answers the call of the honest and righteous people. God is loving and forgiving, and also his grip and strong, and the matter is in your hands. You decide what your relationship with God is like, do you continue on the path of slavery to God or do you stop at a certain point? 


One of the righteous people once said that he sees the effect of his sin in his ride and childe, and that's is true. From my experience, if you honestly asked for forgiveness this effect wears away. Look when the prophets glorified God and asked for His forgiveness the effect of the sin immediately went away, as in the story of Jonah who went away in anger, { had he not been of those who glorify God, he would have remained inside its belly until the Day of Resurrection }.


The prophet Muhammad used to ask God for forgiveness more than a hundred times per day. Asking God's forgiveness isn't mere utterances, it's a return to God. So seek God's forgiveness as soon as you find yourself doing a bad deed, {And those who, if they commit a shameful act or some wrong against themselves, remember God and seek forgiveness for their sins}. We need to constantly ask the refuge of God to protect us from falling into sin, and we need to ask for His forgiveness for the bad things we did or thought about. The Devil starts with an idea or an image to end with an act.


Who didn't surrender his life to God doesn't understand those meanings. Who doesn't believe in God or is ignorant of faith might imagine that Muslims can sin all they like and God will take care of forgiving those sins as soon as they ask for forgiveness. However, when a true Muslim commits a sin he has actually deviated from the path of slavery to God a little, and his quest for forgiveness is a return to this whole path and not only from this particular sin he committed, he's asking to forgive being away from Him. God said: { And those who, if they commit a shameful act or some wrong against themselves, remember God and seek forgiveness for their sins} i.e they did it while being away from God. As for who intentionally do bad deeds and then ask for forgiveness afterwards: {repentance is not of those who constantly commit sins, and when death approaches one of them, he says, “I repent now"} this isn't what seeking forgiveness is.


Repentance is for who have intended to live their whole life for God, and if deviated from this path they immediately ask for forgiveness and return to it. This person feels afraid and regretful when s/he asks for forgiveness. The Arabic word "estegfar" which -means asking forgiveness- came from the word "tagfeer" which means: to bury, as if it's one bad thing that you want to bury while the rest is good. You can't ask for forgiveness for a life path you chose, you can't say : God I've chosen my life path to be a selfish materialist so forgive me this sin! The whole issue is about your choice for your path in life. God forgives those who are on the right path but made a mistake and then regretted it. In other words, what this believer did is that he refuses to have this evil as his/her life path so they seek forgiveness to return to their original path. And this person isn't like who sins all he likes and then says: when I grow old and sick I'll go to Mecca and repent there! When life was about to leave he said I'll repent!     


The bet is on life }my prayers and my sacrifices, and my living and my dying are all for God, the Lord Of The Creation{. You can't say that that person is repentant, it's life that left him, i.e had life been a little longer he wouldn't have repented. This is like the person who takes your car and plays around with it even though you wanted it and asked him to give it back, and when its fuel is about to finish he comes back and says : I came to give it back as you asked! This is a foolish and snaky act.


Slavery to God doesn't only mean that you get beaten and be tortured for the sake of God. Slavery to God is to know God in prosperity so that he knows you in adversity, so know God in your good times and they'll continue : {whoever fears God-God will create for him a way out}. Dealing with God is built on morality, and who repent after life left them aren't acting morally, because they gave God their attention when the most important thing to them has or almost went away which is life.


We should have a wondering philosophical spirit and meditate what happens around us and not marginalize it just because it has happened.