Ever since I can remember, I have been a student of Life. As a young child, I can remember looking at the stars in the night sky and trying to decipher the messages I was convinced that they contained. I believed then that if I could unravel the messages, I would learn the true meaning of life. I had questions I needed answered throughout my teenage life and could find no satisfactory explanation in all the books I read or from all the "learned" people I questioned. And I had a lot of questions I wanted answered convincingly. What exactly is a “human being"? What is my purpose for being? What is the purpose of Death? Is the Day of Judgment real? Why is there a Day of Judgment? What is Heaven? What is Hell? Why do evil people seem to prosper while good people suffer? Who or what is God? Who or what is the Devil? Why was he after humans? Most importantly, after I die, what happens next? To me, these have been vital questions that must be answered for me to enjoy my existence on planet Earth. My heart and my brain were not satisfied until that day when the Quran came into my life and began giving me startlingly clear insights into my Life and its purpose.
What I am Not
The information you will read here is not a scholarly treatise. I am not a “Quranic Scholar”. I am not a Muslim Imam. I am not thoroughly versed in the Law and history of Islam and the Quran. I do not know all the Hadith (teachings attributed to Prophet Muhammad Mustafa [peace be upon him]). I am not a Guru or Spiritual Leader of any kind. The Quran is written in Arabic and I am not an Arab nor do I speak the language. I study the English Translation of the Quran provided by Yusuf Ali. I am not the most learned of Muslims you will ever meet nor am I the best example of a practicing Muslim. I am not trying to convert you to Islam or to turn you away from your beliefs. I am not an evangelist of any sort nor am I a prophet or messenger of any kind. As a matter of fact, those who know me will tell you that I am not a “religious” man. I am simply a man who has found a message that answers my questions and that I can believe in.
What I Am and Why I am Writing
I am a father of 6 children and grandfather of several more. All of my kids are already grown and are raising children of their own. Like me, they have questions about Life and its purpose and meaning. This information is primarily for them. If it benefits anyone else, I pray that they will pass this on to those they love and cherish. I have been a student of the Quran for many years and will continue to be until the day of my last breath. I was 21 years old when the Quran found me. I say this seriously, because I had given up on ever finding the answers I needed to make my life worthwhile. I had not known that the Quran existed nor what was its message. I had been an avid student of the Bible until it could no longer stand up to in-depth scrutiny nor answer my questions. Empty religious dogma and rituals did not quench my thirst for knowledge nor did they interest me any longer. Then I existed in the land of the bewildered, until I met a Muslim from whom I demanded a look at the message that had shaped him into the man I had come to know. That encounter changed my life, as I hope this information I present here will help to change yours. The information I present to you is a condensation of the insights into Life that the Quran gave me and is a purely personal perspective. It does not represent the views of any Muslim sect nor is it sanctioned by any “religious” authority. These are my personal Quranic insights into my personal questions about Life. Your answers may be different. May Allah guide you in your quest for truth and knowledge.
Necessary Tools for Understanding This Information
The perspectives presented here are all derived from my study of the Quran. I shall be quoting citations from the English Translation of The Quran by Yusuf Ali. Although there are many other translations, I have found this one easy to understand yet most elegant in translation. It is not my purpose to agree with his conclusions or his approach to the message. However, he provides extensive, informed background and insights into the conditions existing during the time of exposition of the Quran and for many events mentioned by Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] in the Quran. In some instances, I shall write the entire verses I am citing, while at others I shall quote the beginning and end of the verses. Therefore, I would encourage interested readers to acquire a copy of this translation of the Quran so that they can follow the context in which I write and draw my conclusions. Check with the Muslim mosque in your area to see if you can receive a copy of the Quran (it may be free of charge). I must caution you that the Nation of Islam and the Ahmadiyyah Movement are not credible sources for obtaining materials on Islam. You will fare much better seeking out the Sunni mosques in your area. As you read the Quran, in book form, please keep in mind that this entire message was presented by Muhammad [pbuh] as a live, spontaneous, continuing dialogue, at various times, over a period of 23 years to an audience of real people who used it to change their personal lives and communities.
My Philosophical Approach
In my studies, I read the chapters of the Quran in sequence. I have found this practice most enlightening and informative and I will be commenting on sequential verses and chapters of the Quran. Sometimes, one verse may provoke lengthy insights, at other times, I may require several verses to obtain the insights I comment upon. It is not my purpose to create a scholarly treatise or alternative interpretation of the Quran. I am simply sharing my personal insights into my personal questions about life, as obtained from my current study of the message of the Quran. Personally, I accept the Quran according to its own definitions of itself. I take it at face value. You do not have to. Personally, I have accepted Islam as my lifestyle. You do not have to, nor am I asking you to. Personally, I accept the Quranic concept that the entire expanse of the Universe, with all its myriad life-forms, planets, constellations and solar systems, is the work of only One, Indivisible, Unimaginable, Omnipotent and Omniscient Being to whom it will always belong. You do not have to. The Quran claims itself to be a Message from this Being, which it calls Allah, to all humans and intelligent creatures on planet Earth. This is the philosophical approach that I accept and use in my study of its teachings.
One Simple But Necessary Request
The only request that I make of my readers, is that they study this Message, without religious prejudice or bigotry, for the purpose of understanding what it is presenting to them. Approach the study of the Quran with the same healthy curiosity that you would any other book that you have never read before. I am aware that such a request may be impossible for some of you, but I feel that it is the only way that you will be able to appreciate the depth and insights of the Quran. If you engage in a dialogue with the Quran, it will speak to you like it continues to speak to me.
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