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Part II
Argument a).
Now, given that we have have clearly elucidated on our premise that Allah does not represent a god or a deity (like Zeus or Jesus), but rather Truth and Reality itself, we will attempt to answer the question of what this may imply in terms of human worship in the physical realm.
As far as Islam and the Qur’an are concerned, everything was created by the One who possesses the Divine Name of The Creator. All events and singular instances of this life, along with all the happenings and provisions of any particular person, were planned long ago (metaphorically speaking, since time began with the universe) by The Source of creation and the universe, otherwise denoted by “Allah.”
Now, since we have argued that Allah is not a god, then He obviously does not act (or react) to whatever His creation does in a fashion that reflects human personality. As the Qur’an says, Allah is free of all needs. The One Truth has no need for our prayers, nor our submission. Yes, He is self-sufficient. When we sin, He doesn’t feel any personal angst against us, consequently resulting in Him “punishing us.”
Does this mean our prayers and actions have no affect on us? Absolutely not. However, there are misunderstandings concerning concepts like the necessity of prayer or refraining from sinful activities. To expound on this, it’s essential that we keep in mind the following fact: Allah is One, and the only Real Existence.
Since The Truth is Absolute, humans inhabit a physical world that’s rooted in duality. As this is the case, having a mindset where one is in constant tune with The Reality (and not with the lies of this temporary life) can be interpreted- theologically speaking- by being in harmony with the Truth. This process detaches one’s mind from everything in the material realm- whether that be money, family, sect, yes; everything that humans essentially deal with on every level of society and civilization, otherwise regarded as the dunya.
In this vein, prayer then becomes a mechanism whereby one detaches completely from the material world. It’s similar to meditation, and it is indeed our assertion that all human forms of prayer or meditation have positive affects on an individual (we however argue that Islam has the perfect form of prayer). Why? Because all forms (from weak to strong) of attachment to the worldly life (dunya) always result in pain and unwanted circumstances.
Think about it. If one was primarily concerned with the heavens, what would it matter to him if his wife left him, or if he lost all his money? Anxiety is the root of all disease, and anxiety is the result of the ego not getting (or not getting enough of) what it wants. This is why some are so attached to the worldly life, that they would kill themselves if they were to lose all their wealth. Yes, their whole existence was attached to the $, and so when it went away, so did they.
It is precisely because of these reasons that the Qur’an says that humans only hurt themselves because of the recoiling of their own excesses. Their excesses caused them destruction, and since Allah is only Reality and Truth, and not a god who gets emotionally angry with his own creation; He does not wrong humanity, but humanity only wrongs itself.
Argument a).
Now, given that we have have clearly elucidated on our premise that Allah does not represent a god or a deity (like Zeus or Jesus), but rather Truth and Reality itself, we will attempt to answer the question of what this may imply in terms of human worship in the physical realm.
As far as Islam and the Qur’an are concerned, everything was created by the One who possesses the Divine Name of The Creator. All events and singular instances of this life, along with all the happenings and provisions of any particular person, were planned long ago (metaphorically speaking, since time began with the universe) by The Source of creation and the universe, otherwise denoted by “Allah.”
Now, since we have argued that Allah is not a god, then He obviously does not act (or react) to whatever His creation does in a fashion that reflects human personality. As the Qur’an says, Allah is free of all needs. The One Truth has no need for our prayers, nor our submission. Yes, He is self-sufficient. When we sin, He doesn’t feel any personal angst against us, consequently resulting in Him “punishing us.”
Does this mean our prayers and actions have no affect on us? Absolutely not. However, there are misunderstandings concerning concepts like the necessity of prayer or refraining from sinful activities. To expound on this, it’s essential that we keep in mind the following fact: Allah is One, and the only Real Existence.
Since The Truth is Absolute, humans inhabit a physical world that’s rooted in duality. As this is the case, having a mindset where one is in constant tune with The Reality (and not with the lies of this temporary life) can be interpreted- theologically speaking- by being in harmony with the Truth. This process detaches one’s mind from everything in the material realm- whether that be money, family, sect, yes; everything that humans essentially deal with on every level of society and civilization, otherwise regarded as the dunya.
In this vein, prayer then becomes a mechanism whereby one detaches completely from the material world. It’s similar to meditation, and it is indeed our assertion that all human forms of prayer or meditation have positive affects on an individual (we however argue that Islam has the perfect form of prayer). Why? Because all forms (from weak to strong) of attachment to the worldly life (dunya) always result in pain and unwanted circumstances.
Think about it. If one was primarily concerned with the heavens, what would it matter to him if his wife left him, or if he lost all his money? Anxiety is the root of all disease, and anxiety is the result of the ego not getting (or not getting enough of) what it wants. This is why some are so attached to the worldly life, that they would kill themselves if they were to lose all their wealth. Yes, their whole existence was attached to the $, and so when it went away, so did they.
It is precisely because of these reasons that the Qur’an says that humans only hurt themselves because of the recoiling of their own excesses. Their excesses caused them destruction, and since Allah is only Reality and Truth, and not a god who gets emotionally angry with his own creation; He does not wrong humanity, but humanity only wrongs itself.
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