Dear Fayyaz,
Re: Response about contradictions in theology
Also posted at www.WorldMuslimCongress.org
As a Muslim activist who firmly believes in Allah being lord of the Universe;
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ I will reiterate the purpose of religion as I have come to understand personally.
Those who see the essence of Allah’s love for his creation, appreciate that he has not deprived any community in the world with a message of how to live in harmony, with least conflicts, the way he had created.
The dearest human to God, is the one who does not mess with the intricate harmonic web he has created, he loves the one who submits to the system he has created and contributes towards keeping it intact.
All the religions were revealed (or exist) for one singular purpose: to bring harmony within an individual and with others. Remember God has sent peacemakers to every tribe.
Definitely, they seem to contradict each other, but in essence, they don’t, at least to me. Religion is not the problem, it is the individual who does not get the religion that causes the problem.
Security is basic to human survival, and the perceived threat from some one who is different causes one to deny others’ divinity. The bottom line for all religion is similar – but different. To Muslims God says, know each other, the best among you is the one who does good to fellow beings (49:13).
God reserves the right to reward and punish those who mess the harmony in his creation. Remember, how many passages end with the words, God knows and God is aware of everything thing we do? There is wisdom in it, and hadiths enhance that; the story about some one giving water to a thirsty animal may wash off a persons wrong doing in lieu of the act of kindness; the one who knocks on the neighbors door and shares the food with the neighbor vs. the one who prays all the times.
Let’s learn about each other and also learn that God wants us to live in harmony. Other religions do not have to be wrong for mine to be right. All of them are God’s will. We believe, ours is an all encompassing ( but some Muslims don’t ) one final deen, but then Allah tells us, let others believe what is dear to them.
My chosen faith gives me the peace, harmony and confidence to be a better human as your faith gives to you. Neither of us is wrong. We will be wrong when we focus on belittling each other rather that expressing our goodness, that our religion (whichever) is suppose to make us.
As Muslims, we need to reflect Islam in us through our behavior and through our acts. Theology gets beaten when we are nasty to others. Only those who do not get the religion will be nasty to others.
I hope this answers your question. I don’t mind engaging on this topic, as I have spent endless hours into understanding Pluralism and co-existence.
Jazak Allah Khair
Mike Ghouse
In a message dated 2/20/2012 7:27:24 A.M. Central Standard Time, fayyaz.shah@gmail.com writes:
ASA, Mike, I seek some guidance. I agree with your scenario that 90+% chance is that scenario will playout as you suggested. The way I understand that is that Allah (SWT) will decide based on the baggage that people carried and environment that they were in, that who did better deeds, whether that person was Christian, Muslim, Budhist etc. However it does not mean that all theologies are correct. Because they contradict each other. As an example, Quran say that God is one and does not have a begotten son, but some Christian believes that God had a begotten son. These two things cannot be accurate at the same time.
Thoughts?WassalamFayyazOn Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 12:34 AM, <MikeGhouse@aol.com> wrote:
This note and previous notes are posted at www.WorldMuslimcongress.org for access to the general public. You are welcome to also become a member by sending an email to worldMuslimcongress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. The forum and website is about nurturing the pluralistic values of Islam.WAS,Brother Yousef,Some among us may not like what I am about to share.
This is in reference to your sentence, “Thus, whereas you and I may fundementally disagree on Hathrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s claim to be the Promised Messiah (and surely one of us is right and the other wrong),..”
Neither of us has to be wrong, nor are we wrong. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to your or my belief. It is a simply a leap of faith. There is nothing tangible to back up the unceasing circular logic of justifying it.We are shaped by our beliefs. If you and I were to exchange our Grand Kids with the permission of our kids, and raise them with Sunni and Ahmadi beliefs, give them a PhD and all the possible theological education – and twenty years down the road if you pit them against each other in a debate – my Sunni grand boy or girl raised as Ahmadiyya will strongly believe in Ahmadiyya beliefs, and your grand kid, will strongly believe in Sunni (Shia or whatever) tradition. Both the traditions are no more than an unwavering belief, is it not?Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs…. Wicca, Native Traditions and all of us have our versions of the truth. They were all revealed (or exist) for one singular purpose: to bring harmony within an individual and with others. Remember God has sent peacemakers to every tribe.Respecting other versions of truth does not weaken my faith, or anyone’s faith. On the other hand it should enrich us, knowing that, everyone is seeking the truth his or her own way.In religion, facts don’t matter; it is the faith that matters and I am pleased with my faith as you are with yours.
We have find ways to rise above pettiness of belittling others and respecting the God given space to each one of us.(Please read this note in conjunction with my previous note below)Mike Ghouse.. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assalamo-Alaikum MikeMany thanks for your email below. Whereas people may not agree on all things including in matters of faith, I think they should always have a respect for each other and where they do debate, debate in the spirit of discovering the truth, not seeking to belittle the other. I also think that many a time we fail to put ourselves in the shoes of others and fail to realize that we each do not have any kind of inherent right to the truth. Each persons truth is almost certainly shaped be such persons upbringing and environment. Thus I would hope that I would never be so arrogant as to think that I am somehow special, that I in any way deserve to be a part of what I consider to be the truth. Accordingly, I cannot then therefore seek to judge others who believe in a different sect or religion to me or who even have no religion at all. As a believer in God, I believe that such judgement is the sole preserve of God and thus the very person I may seek to belittle because of their contrary beliefs to mine may very well be far closer to God than I am or ever will be.Thus, whereas you and I may fundementally disagree on Hathrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s claim to be the Promised Messiah (and surely one of us is right and the other wrong), only Allah knows which of us are closer to him and for all I know, you may be much closer to Allah than I and indeed any friend of Allah’s is a friend of mine whether that person be from a different sect, religion or even of know religion at all.By the way, I am from the UK but currently live and work in Kuwait.WassalamYousef.. . . . . . . . . . . .From: MikeGhouse@aol.com [mailto:MikeGhouse@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 8:15 AM
To: dallaspakistanis@yahoogroups.com; worldmuslimcongress@yahoogroups.com; PakistaniAmericans@yahoogroups.com; pakistanpost@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Muslims Together – Ahmadiyya Muslims February 19, 2012AAJust as I respect the Shia, Ismaili, Bohra, Sunni and Sufi traditions, I respect the Ahmadiyya for believing in their spiritual leader Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, that is what the faith is all about. Neither the Ahmadiyya has to prove anything, nor have others to disprove anything. After all, no one but you is responsible individually for your beliefs, and there is no compulsion in the matters of faith.The problems emanate from the quoting Hadith and Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Irfan is right, if we stick with the Quraan, we would have fewer conflicts.Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has set an example for us to follow in an issue like this; when the Quraish objected to his signature as Muhammad ar Rasool Allah, Prophet Muhammad agreed to change it to Muhammad bin Abdullah, because he understood, and respected a different point of view from the Quraish, who did not see him as the Prophet. Applying the same principle here, I have no problem accepting Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as a great spiritual Master in the league of Ajmeeri Khawaja, Bulle Shah, Data Shakar Ganj, Nizamuddin and host of great men and women for propagating the message of Prophet Muhammad.Let’s learn to respect Ahmadiyya Muslims as fellow Muslims. I want to be clear that I do not accept Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as the Promised Messiah, but respect him for his work, and respect the Ahmadiyya Muslims for their belief. There is a difference in accepting and respecting, in the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).The ill-will and belligerent attitudes of (a few) Muslims towards Ahmadiyya Muslims is shameful. If we follow the Prophet and truly believe that he was Rahmatul Aalameen, we need to show that it in our character. Shame on us if we become a Zahmat to others that is not what Prophet Muhammad was all about. He was a Rahmat to the humanity and we better follow him, if we claim to be his Ummah.Jazak Allah Khair
Mike Ghouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .