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.

The Christmas Myth

At this time of year, Deception reigns supreme on Earth. In western countries, especially, this deception is masked by glitz, glamor and a false sense of “spirituality”. The Christmas season, falsely dubbed the celebration of (Jesus ) Christ’s birth, is nothing but an excuse for profiteering by unscrupulous criminals aided by the Church.

 The deception originated with the “religious” myth that Jesus was born on the 25^th of December in a manger in Bethlehem. It was further compounded by the stories of “the Nativity” which eventually led to the creation of a physical monument proudly displayed by the Church today. At some point in the development of this deceptive ritual, the fable of “Santa Claus” was invented. The Church quickly embodied this falsehood as “Saint” Nicholas, a third century Roman Catholic Bishop from Turkey, about whom many legends had developed. How the alleged birth of Jesus became an excuse for deception, drunkenness and blatant commercialism is an untold story, fully supported by the clergy of western societies everywhere and enthusiastically embraced by the “faithful”.

 Although the basis of this “season” is known to be falsehood, churches everywhere uphold these ‘celebrations’, extolling their virtues to the faithful. Once more, the clergy has taken the lead in misdirecting the congregations. “Christmas” celebrations take the form of drunken ribaldry, open blasphemy and blatant lies about Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). This ritual is mixed with known Pagan customs and cloaked with a misinformed sense of “religious” duty. Not one “religious” leader in any western society dares to condemn this farce and risk losing his relevance to the society. This deception is so ingrained in western society today that even overworked and under-paid parents voluntarily ascribe their meagre contributions to their children as gifts from “Santa Claus”.  It is considered “traditional” to incur debilitating debt in acquiring tons of unnecessary, useless items at this time of year in a blind frenzy of “Christmas celebrations”.

All written records show that Jesus, in his lifetime, was relentlessly persecuted by the “religious” leaders of the day. He was not favored by the political leaders either for criticizing social excesses. According to Christian doctrine, he suffered indignity upon indignity from his enemies. It would seem from a routine perusal of the Christmas “celebration”, that he continues to suffer indignities even to this day from his so-called supporters. If he were to return today, how would he react towards this “celebration”?  It is unfathomable to consider a ritual of deception, overflowing with lies, observed with alcohol and pork (universally condemned as unfit for human consumption), a fitting tribute to one of Allah’s blessed messengers.

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Is Revelation "Spiritualism"?

Are these Instructions Spiritual?

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful:
"Verily the Day of Sorting Out is a thing appointed-
The day that the Trumpet shall be sounded, 
And ye shall come forth in crowds;
And the heavens shall be opened
As if there were doors,
And the mountains shall vanish as if they were a mirage.
Truly Hell is as a place of ambush;
For the transgressors a place of destination."
(Quran 78: 17 - 22)

The more I study the teachings of the Quran, the more convinced I become that the Message is not about “spiritual” truths but metaphysical truths. People have, for years, related to Allah’s Messages as other-worldly teachings and explanations of a “supernatural” nature. Therefore, “clerics” and their benefactors have been able to dupe “believers” into thinking of Allah’s teachings as “spiritual” matters, outside of human normalcy.  However, nowhere in His messages does Allah refer to any of His information as being “spiritual”.  In the pages of the Quran, Allah promises physical rewards and punishments to humans.  He describes events that will either physically please believers or physically harm wrongdoers. He also describes Paradise and Hell as physical environments.

Spiritualism conjures up wispy, other-worldly, mental concepts and impressions from the information given to us by Allah. It detracts from the practicality which the instructions convey and allows us to not take Allah’s commands as seriously as we should. The idea that the messages of Allah deal with “spiritual” matters tends to make them seem less practical as the rich, informative sources about Life and human society which they really are. Spiritualism creates a dichotomy in the human mind that retards the growth of Faith and undermines our Beliefs. It negates the passion with which the prophets taught the message to society in times past. If we recall the persecution which the messengers received because of these messages, then we should be suspicious of the loving embrace given by contemporary society to clerics and “holy men”. Truth and Falsehood cannot coexist in the same space without conflict, but relegating Allah’s instructions to the realm of “spiritualism” neutralizes the impact on Human Laws.

Metaphysics, on the other hand, gives information about things unknown about our physical environment, without diminishing their impact. We can acknowledge such information because it provides explanations for events and things which we observe but do not understand.  Things metaphysical abound in the Earth environment, especially in our own selves.  We can observe our physical bodies and be conscious of things metaphysical about them. What is the power that makes our limbs operate? What are we? Why do we struggle to live only to die at some stage? Why do we not have control over our length of life? What happens when we die? These are all metaphysical questions that only our Creator can definitively answer.  Our science cannot fathom these things nor provide any realistic answers to these and other questions. It is only through Allah’s messages to humanity that any remotely satisfactory insights can be had. To negate this vital information by assigning it to the realm of “spiritualism” is nothing short of folly and arrogance. Allah’s instructions are very clear, effective and practical, as can be seen from the visible character and behavioral changes that take place in those who apply them.

Treating the knowledge of Hell and Paradise as “spiritual” concepts has been disastrous for the development of human society. Without conceiving of Hell as a real place of real, physical torment, as explained to us by Allah, wrongdoers more easily dismiss the reality of the Day of Judgment. Treating this crucial, upcoming event as a “spiritual” idea, materialists can comfortably reject this horrendous warning as inconsequential conjecture. Humans fear that which they conceive as threatening their physical wellbeing so couching Allah’s information in “spiritual”, ephemeral terms negates the reality of the upcoming threats about which He warns.  Paradise also becomes an ephemeral, “pie in the sky” concept, minimizing the need for conscious striving to attain it. Today’s clerics refer to Revelation in futuristic terms, creating the impression that Allah will address humanity’s shortcomings only after death.  Meanwhile, people bogged down by the stress of day-to-day life conveniently ignore Revelation as a relevant source of practical information. Death is accepted as a relief from this rough and tumble world and an end to all its disharmony and strife. It is not viewed as a doorway into the new environment which Allah tells us about in His messages. 

 Without treating the information given us in the Messages of Allah as metaphysical teaching, humans disregard the lives of species which we cannot see or hear in our environment.  We commit crimes every day and do wrong in the face of Allah without considering the consequences in this life and the life to come. We relegate Allah’s definitive information to the realm of the supernatural and ephemeral but raise human conjecture to the realm of practical knowledge. We stumble along desperately searching for knowledge, grasping at straw mirages but arrogantly overlooking the Revelations of Allah, Graciously given for human guidance in an unfamiliar world environment.  When will we come to our senses and accept the Revelations of Allah?

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The Muslim Mindset Towards Life

 

The Final and Complete Message To All Mankind

Life is a series of unforeseen events with which we all must contend when they happen to us.  According to a well-known saying, “the best laid plans of mice and men do sometimes go astray”.  We all encounter these moments. We even have a name for them: “Murphy’s Law”. Although we know that these moments will occur throughout our lives, many of us react to them as if they shouldn’t happen to us. We have coined terms for these events which imply that we view them as unnatural phenomena. We speak of people having “good or bad luck” or “good or bad fortune”, thereby relegating the process of Life to the whims and fancies of irrational Chance. 

The Muslim mind knows differently. By the Mercy of Allah, through His Quran, Muslims have been taught that Allah controls everything that happens in our lives. The concepts of “chance”, “luck” and “fortune” are frowned upon as fruits of ignorance. Every Muslim knows that nothing happens in the Creation without the knowledge and design of Allah, The Creator and Master of All things. In the Muslim mindset, there are no accidents or misfortunes; only tests from Allah for which consequences and rewards are predetermined.

The Quran informs every believer that human life is constructed in this fashion. It also informs us of the correct response and attitude to adopt when we each face these events in our personal lives.

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

Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger,

Some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your toil.

But give Glad tidings to those who patiently persevere –

Who say, when afflicted with calamity: ‘ To Allah we belong,

And to Him is our return’ – they are those on whom descend blessings

From their Lord and Mercy; and they are the ones that receive guidance.”

(Quran 2: 156 – 157).

It is only ignorant folk who misunderstand the relationship between Man, his Lord and his Life. In their view, God (Allah) is some sort of glorified servant who must give them whatever they need when they request it. He must protect them from the unwanted events of Life or face their indignation and wrath.  If He does not perform as they wish, they “punish” Him with disbelief and disobedience to His commands. They reserve for themselves the right to question, modify and reject any of His instructions that go contrary to their desires. In their misguided view, they consider themselves essential to His existence and not the other way around. That explains why “atheists” take pride in their professed denial of His existence. They demand that He “proves” His existence to them before they will acknowledge Him.

The Islamic attitude to life leaves no place for such arrogance and stupidity. By acknowledging that Allah is the Only Creator of all things (God), Muslims recognize who is the Master. We understand that we are dependent on Him, this universal environment belongs to Him and He has the authority to tell us how to behave in it. Every conscious Muslim understands that his personal life is a daily event presented to him for his development by His Lord and not a product of Chance. We understand that it is unacceptable to disobey Allah’s instructions in any form and that no good can come to us from such action. That is the reason that we hold His Messages to all mankind in such high regard, especially His final message, the Quran. It is also the reason that we hold the prophets as behavioral exemplars, especially Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). We know that “from Allah we came and to Him is our return” and that is enough for us. Whatever calamities or joys befall us each day, we accept it and persevere because Allah has already informed us to expect it. Allah and His Prophet spoke the Truth.

Assurances Of The Quran (pt 2)

**The masculine pronouns “ he and his”, used in this article, are flexibly interchangeable, depending on the gender of the reader.** 

This is the Book in which there is no doubt!

In His message (the Quran), Allah puts so many assurances as to outcomes of following His instructions that all believers in this message have nothing to fear from the very beginning. He does not make promises of instant wealth and well-being. Nor does He offer fame and fortune. Allah, in His message, helps the believer to keep focused on the big picture: the final goal of life in the earthen environment and how to achieve it. Allah assures the believer that he will have to contend with the vicissitudes of everyday life but will be victorious if he follows the guidance provided by the Quran. He helps the individual believer to reconcile his individual situation to the guidance of the Quran, no matter what his condition at his acceptance of Islam.

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

We said (to Adam and Eve): Get ye down all from here (Paradise); and if, as is sure,

There comes to you Guidance from Me, whosever follows My Guidance;

On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

(Quran 2: 38)

Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger,

Some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil);

But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere;

Who say when afflicted with calamity:

 “To Allah we belong and to Him is our return.”

They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord,

And Mercy; they are the ones that receive guidance.”

(Quran 2: 155 – 157)

In contrast to this, non-Islamic philosophies offer no qualified assurances. They offer no ultimate goals for human life. Rather, they create schisms in our views of life: either “religious” or “secular” inclinations. They cannot harmonize these “opposing” viewpoints to create a homogenous life philosophy. They give contradictory guidance to reach any of their goals and these goals cannot be permanently guaranteed. Their sources of guidance are based on speculation and conjecture, constrained by the limited intelligence and imagination of imperfect men and subject to the corruption of ego and lies. Unbelievers in Allah’s message live their entire lives in ignorance and doubt. They subject their wills to crowd rule, power-hungry rulers and lying politicians. They submit to inconsistent rules of behavior, contradictory laws and double standards. Unlike Islam, they have no criterion for judging anything and build societies detrimental to human life. Even their deities are corrupt reflections of their earth-bound imaginations and lusts. The most incomprehensible factor is that none of their adherents actually believes wholeheartedly in the veracity of the philosophies for which they live and die.

If non-Muslims wonder why true believers are so passionate about the teaching and practices of Islam, it is solely because of the assurances that Allah has given to every believer in His Message. It is not because of promises of skin-deep, materialistic rewards or increased possessions. It is not because of promises of personal fame and fortune. It is not because of desire for conquest and greatness. And it is certainly not because of promises of personal safety and unconditional protection from enemies on Earth. So why do believers tolerate persecution and world-wide antagonism against Muslims? Because amongst all His OTHER assurances throughout the Quran, Allah has informed every believer of his hidden status in life and the real implications of his acceptance of Islam:

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

Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods;

For theirs (in return) is the Garden (of Paradise).

They fight in His Cause, and slay and are slain.

A promise binding on Him in Truth, through the Law (of Moses),

The Gospel (of Jesus) and the Quran:

And who is more faithful to His Covenant than Allah?

Then rejoice in the bargain which you have concluded.

That is the achievement supreme!”

(Quran 9: 111)

In light of such powerful assurances, guaranteed by the Only Creator of The Worlds, how can any truly intelligent person refuse to accept Islam and patiently persevere in its practice? Where else can anyone find the wisdom and guidance, backed by the Knowledge of the Author of Creation Himself, that is contained in the pages of the Quran? What does your current lifestyle stand on?

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