Are We TRULY Made in the Image of God?

 In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:

"Say: He is Allah,

The One and Only;

Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;

He begets not,

Nor is He begotten;

And there is none like unto Him."

(Quran 112)

I recently had a conversation with some co-workers in which we explored the relationship between Humans and our Creator. In the course of the discussion, the old fictitious myth that Man was created in the “image” of God was introduced as the basis for a series of unfounded arguments believed by zealous but ignorant people.  This myth is reinforced by Biblical teachings [Genesis 26 – 27] in which God is reported to have made Man in His own image and likeness. The confusion created by this teaching is further reinforced by the common understanding of these terms:” a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing, photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible (Dictionary.com)”. Likeness = “the fact or quality of being alike; resemblance (Dictionary.com)”. It is no wonder therefore that zealous Christians have been led to accept statuary and other depictions of God as a Man possessing extraordinary powers. It is also no wonder that this deliberate fabrication has been used to establish the idea that Jesus (peace be upon him) could be God’s “begotten” son.

Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) has been credited with the writing of the book of Genesis by some Christians while others claim as many as 10 different authors, including Adam and Noah. As with much of Christian literature, this is nothing but conjecture. The multitude of reinterpretations of the Christian Bible refuses to acknowledge the fact that this book is a political fabrication that owes its creation to Emperor Constantine and did not exist in the lifetime of Jesus (pbuh), whom it claims to glorify. Not only is it a fabrication, but it is constantly being reinterpreted to suit the contemporary political norms and fads of each society it encounters.  Therefore, whatever its current believers understand can realistically be viewed as temporary beliefs. Who originated the myth that Man was created in the “likeness and image” of God may never be known, but common logic can defeat this untenable concept when closely examined with an open mind.

If we use the commonly-understood meanings of the above terms, then every human being encountered on the entire planet looks just like God: in color, ethnicity, height and size. There is absolutely no visible difference between them. Even a blind man knows how ridiculous this idea is.  The insurmountable problem with this idea is that no human being could exist according to Exodus 33:20 (“no man may see me and yet live”); John1:18 (“no man has seen God at any time”), 1 John  4:12  (“at no time has anyone beheld God”). These statements from the Bible are as contradictory as one can find anywhere. This leads to the realization that someone is lying here, the question is who? Unfortunately, the average Christian cannot face the realization that he/she is being duped and shuts down the mental faculties when confronted with this contradiction. Something’s wrong with a philosophy that claims, on one hand, to be “the word of God” yet contradicts itself on the other hand.

Christian Bible students usually approach their biblical studies with the preconceived notion that the contents of the book are true. Despite the wealth of information from Christian historical sources that contradict this preconceived notion, many seek merely to justify their beliefs than to verify their views. Zeal is no substitute for wisdom. Serious students of the Bible need to examine the stories told there for veracity and common sense and they need to be aware that myriads of myths abounded in Jewish society from which these stories came. The First Testament section of the Bible consists mainly of pro-Jewish stories. The New Testament section consists of Jewish and non-Jewish stories about the social turmoil created in the Roman dominated society by the work of Jesus (pbuh). It also reports the response he received from both Jewish and Roman officials. Not all reports were written by eyewitnesses and many doubtful events have been chronicled and included in the book. Students need to be mindful that these writings originate from a time predating universal education, when only select people could read and write, and they have undergone many corruptions in translation, especially into English (see foreword of any English translation). Sufficient documentation exists to enlighten any serious researcher into biblical history as to the dubiousness of all the content of the Bible. There is no reason for Christians to remain zealous and ignorant about their beliefs today.

The fact that humans do not control all the processes of reproduction is proof enough of our creation. Some invisible hand controls aspects of which we have no notion or experience. To acknowledge that being as Allah, the Creator, is not nonsensical or far- fetched. But to insinuate that we are the “image and likeness” of our Creator is ridiculous indeed. To create an image of anything, there has to be a visible reference or mental concept.  Humans are simply one of a myriad of species created on planet Earth by a yet unseen Creator, attested to, throughout history, by a multitude of human messengers endowed with qualifying abilities. The only verifiable pronouncement we can make on the topic of human creation is that we, as are all other creatures throughout the universes, are creations of Allah.

Religious Dogma vs The Quran

Criteria for Informed Action

There is no other realm of learning in which information is subjected to as much abuse as “religion”. For whatever reasons, students of “religious” doctrine are expected to unquestionably accept “religious dogma” which violates every standard of wisdom and reason. There is nothing which is left unaffected by this trend. Despite everyone’s free access to the “sacred” textbooks of their respective “religions”, many believers suspend their own understanding of what they read in the texts and accept the interpretations of their clergy, even when these interpretations contradict the “scriptures” before their very eyes. The interpretations of the clergy are substituted for the true meaning of the “scriptures”.  We are thus conditioned to distrust and dispute our own understanding of the “scriptures”.

This is not a rare condition. Most of us are taught (and accept) quite spurious information when it comes to the field of “religion”. Here wisdom and reason do not apply. Most of us are taught (and believe) that the “scriptures” relate to our “spiritual” development as humans; therefore we do not look to our “religious” doctrines for practical guidance in our everyday lives. We develop our societies without the practical guidance of our “religious” teachings and fit our “religious” behavior into the “legal” confines afforded us. In our practical, day to day existence, our “religious” teachings become secondary information.  Correspondingly, we exist in a schismatic mental state concerning “religion” throughout our lives.

This writer has no idea when or where the idea of “scripture” being “spiritual” originated. Every “religious” text ever studied was presented as practical guidance for daily life, as additional information to the knowledge humans already possessed. In all cases, “scripture” presents itself as a correction of the information that individual human lives and societies are built upon. However, because its high standards often contradict accepted social norms, “scriptural” dictates are relegated by human society to the sideline of “religious” doctrine. This is tolerable, since “religion” has been redefined in contemporary society to be nothing more than a “collection of personal, spiritual beliefs”. We can “practice” our “religions” so long as we do not disturb the social order by so doing.

The Quran upsets the whole applecart because it demands its followers build their daily lives according to its declared principles and instructions.  Allah’s Book does not tolerate being sidelined, labelled or given a back-seat. It makes its message super clear to all readers. The message is practical and multi-faceted. It is not a “spiritual” treatise, nor will it allow anyone to treat it as such. It handles physical and metaphysical issues with equal poise and balance.  It demands that those who believe in it should read and understand its message and practice it daily, despite the sentiments of the unbelieving society. The Quran constantly appeals to “men of understanding” to ponder over the signs of Allah that surround them. It unceasingly appeals to the wisdom of the individual believer, not emotional zeal, to sustain Faith and follow the commands of Allah. It creates in a believer an educational relationship between the Creator of Everything and His devotee, culminating in the awareness of and surrender to the opinions of Allah about human life and actions. It refuses to be pigeonholed as a “spiritual” treatise and clearly beckons to all users as a beacon and criteria for informed, practical action in a misinformed world. It stands out as an inflexible, indisputable standard in a world full of dubious standards. Because of its incessant challenges to the wisdom of its readers, the Quran will never be clumped with other “religious” dogma which litter the path of humanity and distract humans from their ultimate destiny. It cannot.

Belief in God vs Believing God

God's Teachings

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:

“O you that believe! Fear Allah and believe in His Messenger,

And He will bestow on you a double portion of His Mercy;

He will provide for you a Light by which ye shall walk

(Straight in your path), and He will forgive you (your past);

For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

(Quran 57: 28)

There is a dichotomy in the minds of many believing souls, of which they may not be aware. It is the misunderstanding that “believing in God” is the same as “believing” God. This may come as a shock to many believers, but these two concepts refer to vastly different stages of faith.

Believing in God is the first step, the awakening in the soul that leads you towards a God-conscious life. It is an introductory phase in your search for truth and real knowledge. This comes about as a realization that there has to be more to life on earth than just careless play and amusement. There is an insatiable hunger within for tangible knowledge of your reality of being, your purpose of life, your humanity. It is the point when you realize that the “knowledge” that has been foisted upon you, so far, is nothing but a lot of speculative junk, devoid of true substance; disconnected from the universal scheme of things. This “knowledge” leaves you ignorant of your reality; who you are and what is your purpose of life. It leaves you earthbound, trapped in the harsh struggle for material subsistence with no concept of a higher purpose or exit strategy. It holds out no promise of a “future”; you live; you die; finito! You become another lump of dirt.

 Your whole existence, according to this “knowledge”, is merely a product of chance. Somehow you simply arrived in this time, on this planet, for no other reason than to claw and struggle to the top of the food chain. And after you arrive, then what? Indulge in distractions for your own amusement and self-gratification until your body can no longer sustain itself and dies; another useless, ungrateful airsucker who lived and died without ever knowing why it existed in the first place. During your lifetime, you may even dabble in “religion”, but on your terms. If the “religious dogma” does not conform to your desires, or attempts to censor your activities, then you openly ignore it. You may even profess “belief in God” but, by your actions, demonstrate that you do not “believe God”. You reinterpret or ignore every command you dislike that emanates from your scriptures and act immorally to achieve your goals, despite the tenets of your scriptures. You justify your actions with the observation that “everyone else does it.” You live your life according to the trend of the majority of society and try to fit in, despite the still small voice within you crying out for answers to reality.

Believing God is the phase where you live according to the tenets of your scriptures. It is the stage in life where you have come to the realization that revelation is not for comparison with your opinions but for direction of your life and actions. The scripture becomes your educational source. You are no longer in competition with your Creator. You are now in submission to Him and allow yourself to be taught by Him. You are willing to discard the speculative, error-prone, earth-bound education you had been previously given and the haphazard actions stemming from it. You no longer mentally subject God to your will; you subject yourself to His Will and hold yourself accountable to Him for your actions and intentions in life. You embrace the purpose and guidance He gave you through His message and His prophets. You reject what He condemns and you practice what He recommends. You remake yourself gradually into the creature that He tells you, through His message, that you were created to be. You believe in the promises He makes to you in His message. You become a “fan”, a believer in the message of your Creator, and dedicate your life to pleasing Him. This does not imply that you recluse yourself from other human beings. On the contrary, it inspires you to reach out to other humans and encourage them to adopt the message of the Creator. 

 

Believing God is a gradual process. It does not happen immediately that you start “believing in God”. It is an educational process that culminates in an unshakeable Faith in the veracity of the teachings of the prophets of God. Like any other educational process, you have to develop faith that the information you are receiving comes from a credible source and is reliably accurate. It requires you to study and ponder over the information you receive and apply its recommendations in your daily life. It also requires you to develop the recommended mindset to fully absorb the implications of the teachings you receive. A closed mind is no friend to an open book; you have to be willing to discard previously-accepted views and inclinations that are inconsistent with the new knowledge. Faith, like most human characteristics, is developed step-by-step. As you replace erroneous knowledge with scriptural knowledge, it becomes increasingly harder for you to indulge in old, harmful behaviors and your life and character changes. You will begin to evaluate your old indulgences by new scriptural values and, over time, shed the incompatible ones. Scriptural knowledge clearly defines the features and characteristics that a human being needs to develop to claim its humanity and the rewards of cultivating them in this life and the upcoming future that God promises us. 

 ***********************************************************************************
Ready for deeper Insights, DOWNLOAD MY FREE BOOK
***********************************************************************************

Black Muslim Vs Muslim

I very recently discussed the topic of Black Muslims and Muslim Blacks with some Christian brothers. They wanted to know if the Nation of Islam was the same as regular Muslims. When I told them that Black Muslims (as members of NOI call themselves) are not Muslims, they were thoroughly confused.  This article is designed to remove that confusion from the minds of those who sincerely want to know the difference between Black Muslims (NOI) and Muslims.

1.       The Nation of Islam (Black Muslims) is purely a racially-biased, American organization, created in America about 1934 by Elijah Muhammad (originally named Elijah Poole of Detroit, Michigan).

2.       His “… mission was to restore and to resurrect His lost and found people, who were identified as the original members of the Tribe of Shabazz from the Lost Nation of Asia. [The lost people of the original nation of African descent…]”. (1)

3.       Black Muslims believe that “The Honorable Elijah Muhammad identified the Master as being the answer to the one that the world had been expecting for the past 2,000 years under the names Messiah, the second coming of Jesus, the Christ, Jehovah, God, and the Son of Man. When the Honorable Elijah Muhammad asked Him to identify Himself He replied that He was the Mahdi. He signed His name in 1933 as Master Wallace Fard Muhammad [emphasis mine] to express the meaning of One Who had come in the Early Morning Dawn of the New Millennium to lay the base for a New World Order of Peace and Righteousness on the foundation of Truth and Justice; to put down tyrants and to change the world into a Heaven on Earth.” (1)

4.       Their core belief “12. WE BELIEVE that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long-awaited “Messiah” of the Christians and the “Mahdi” of the Muslims.” (2)

Islam, to the contrary, is the name of the universal lifestyle practiced by billions of people worldwide for more than 1500 years. It was propagated and established by Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him) of Arabia, who brought the Quran to humanity. Practitioners of Islam are called “Muslims”, not “Islamists” as is the current American coinage. To be accepted as a Muslim, there are several core principles that one must understand and uphold.

1.       You must truly believe that there is no other God (Creator, being worthy of worship) than Allah and Muhammad Mustafa is His final prophet and messenger.

2.       You must not worship other beings or associate any other "gods" with Him (especially impersonations of Allah).

3.       You must accept the Quran’s instructions as the Laws of Allah and the Hadith (teachings of the prophet) as the indisputable explanations thereof. These two sources are the foundation of the Islamic life; anything else is a corruption.

4.       You must practice the obligatory duties as ordered by Quran and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

5.       You must accept Islam without reservation and discard conflicting pre-Islamic beliefs and practices.

The Nation of Islam, as an organization, has done a lot of uplifting work in the Black communities of America. That, however, does not make them Muslims in the true sense of the term.  In the light of Islam, they are comparable to every other socially responsible organization in the nation which is striving to clean up communities and help people. Their call, as they define it, is not to Islam. They neither preach Islam nor practice it; therefore, they cannot truthfully call themselves “Muslim”, nor can they truthfully call their lifestyle “Islam”. Using the term “Allah” does not change their philosophy because their definition of it is totally contrary to the Quran’s.  This is a commonly-used Arabic term familiar to both Arab Muslims and Christians and does not legitimize the philosophy of the Nation of Islam. It can, however, confuse people who are unwilling to enquire about Islam outside of racial boundaries and prejudices.

America today, as every Western society, has a visible population of Muslim Black people. Because of its ingrained racism and “Christian” prejudices, American society has chosen to dismiss Muslim Blacks as being affiliated with the Black Muslim organization (NOI).  However, this misinformation can be easily cleared up by those of us seeking correct knowledge about the lifestyle of Islam. A simple library or internet search should point you in the right direction. Or better yet, visit a Muslim mosque (not a NOI facility) and ask for some information.

Refs: (1) excerpted from NOI website, "History of NOI";

           (2) excerpted from NOI website, "What The Muslims Believe"