Being believer does not mean being Guided

[InvestigateTruth]

The concept of believing that Quran is word of a God who is somewhere up there, is very very different than being guided to the Right Path.

The difference is this:

Quran is a Book that will guide you to the Right Path, Only and Only if you meet certain conditions, but it does not guide everyone to the Right Path. Just believing in it, is not the same as "being guided", but following it, thinking about its verses and understanding it correctly

I will establish this from the verses of the Quran:

ذَ ٰلِكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ لَا رَیۡبَۛ فِیهِۛ هُدࣰى لِّلۡمُتَّقِینَ
ٱلَّذِینَ یُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡغَیۡبِ وَیُقِیمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنَـٰهُمۡ یُنفِقُونَ
وَٱلَّذِینَ یُؤۡمِنُونَ بِمَاۤ أُنزِلَ إِلَیۡكَ وَمَاۤ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ وَبِٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ هُمۡ یُوقِنُونَ​

أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ عَلَىٰ هُدࣰى مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

"This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guide for the righteous
Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them
And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter
It is they who are ˹truly˺ guided by their Lord, and it is they who will be successful."

" Quran 2:2-3


You see, How much requirements are there, than just saying a Shahada?


Thus Notice it does not say, this Book is a guide for just everyone, any believer.

It does not say, it is a guide for the disbelievers either.


It is for this reason, a Muslim, in everyday Prayer several times, says,

اهدنا الصراط المستقيم

Oh, Allah, Guide us to the Right Path.

It means, Guide us, by your Quran to the Right Path. As the Quran, is the Book that Guides you to the Right Path.



So, believing that Quran is the Guide, is only the beginning point. You must first come to this point, so that, then you seriously follow it, read it, think about it, understand it. But not everyone would understand it. You would have to be Righteous متقين
(Truely, God fearing).

Once you are truely God fearing, then God will give the knowledge to understand the Book:

وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَۖ وَیُعَلِّمُكُمُ ٱللَّهُۗ...
"...Fear God, and He will teach you" 2:282

 

[firedragon]

"This is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guide for the righteous
Those who believe in the unseen and keep up prayer and spend out of what We have given them
And who believe in the Revelation sent to thee, and sent before thy time, and (in their hearts) have the assurance of the Hereafter
It is they who are ˹truly˺ guided by their Lord, and it is they who will be successful."

" Quran 2:2-3


You see, How much requirements are there, than just saying a Shahida?

Sorry mate. This is just bonkers. "And" or "wa" does not mean the book is only for those who fulfill all conditions. You are seriously misunderstanding it. And I truly cannot understand why you have to cut and paste Arabic sentences from somewhere.

This is like saying "Football is good for whites, blacks, girls, boys, fathers, mothers, and anyone beyond the age of 5" means you have to be black+white+girl+boy+father+mother etc etc etc all at once.

Good God.

 

[Link]

Per Quran, all that is required to be guided is to believe in God. "Whoever believes in God, God guides their heart". Now it means people who believe in God, God will set aright their actions and guide them to the true guides of the time as well.

The thing is Quran also shows a lot of people convince themselves but are lying to themselves about faith in God. So belief in God can't just be a hunch we rely on, but it must be actually based on seeing his signs and also witnessing him in the clear horizon. Imam Hussain (a) says "O who he is in the clear horizon".

Quran misguides the oppressors, "and it does increase the unjust/oppressors except in loss".

The Quran wants us to be truthful to ourselves about God, see if we truly believe he is the being worthy of worship. If our actions are for the dunya yet we convince ourselves we love God more, then really we are tricking ourselves we believe in God.

Also all that is required per Quran is to desire the next world.

 

[WonderingWorrier]

Quran is a Book that will guide you to the Right Path, Only and Only if you meet certain conditions, but it does not guide everyone to the Right Path. Just believing in it, is not the same as "being guided", but following it, thinking about its verses and understanding it correctly

Muslims that only believe the words of the Quran, are equal to unbelievers.

As the Quran states:

"Those who deny Allah and His messengers, and (those who) wish to separate Allah from His messengers, saying: "We believe in some but reject others": And (those who) wish to take a course midway,-

They are in truth (equally) unbelievers; and we have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment.

To those who believe in Allah and His messengers and make no distinction between any of the messengers, we shall soon give their (due) rewards: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful". Quran 4:150 - 152


So those that can't sort true messengers from false messengers around the world clearly don't understand the message of the Quran. Because they can't hear one messenger correctly without hearing them all correctly. That is a certain condition.

 

[Link]

I was thinking about your topic. One of the things about reflection, it should increase in fear of God and make you less attached to Dunya:

Imam Jaffar (a) said:


Knowledge is the basis of every sublime state and the culmination of every high station. That is why the Holy Prophet said, 'It is the duty of every Muslim, man and woman, to seek knowledge,' that is, the knowledge of precaution (taqwa) and certainty. Imam 'Ali (‘a) said, “Seek knowledge, though it be in China,” meaning the knowledge of gnosis of the self, in it is contained knowledge of the Lord.

The Holy Prophet said, 'Whoever knows his own self knows his Lord; moreover, you should acquire that knowledge without which no action is correct, and that is sincerity ... We seek refuge with Allah from knowledge which has no benefit', that is, from knowledge which is contrary to actions performed with sincerity.

Know that a small amount of knowledge requires a great deal of action, because knowledge of the Hour requires the person who has such knowledge to act accordingly during his entire life. ‘Isa (‘a) said, 'I saw a stone on which was written, "Turn me over", so I turned it over. Written on the other side was "Whoever does not act by what he knows will be doomed by seeking what he does not know, and his own knowledge will be turned against him." '

Allah revealed to David, 'The least that I shall do to someone with knowledge who does not act by his knowledge is worse than the seventy inner punishments which result in My removing from his heart the sweetness of My remembrance.' There is no way to Allah except via knowledge. And knowledge is the adornment of man in this world and the next, his driver to Paradise, and by means of it he attains Allah's contentment with him.

He who truly knows is the one in whom sound actions, pure supplications, truthfulness and precaution speak out; not his tongue, his debates, his comparisons, assertions or claims. In times other than these, those who sought knowledge were those who had intellect, piety, wisdom, modesty and caution; but nowadays we see that those who seek it do not have any of these qualities. The man of knowledge needs intellect, kindness, compassion, good counsel, forbearance, patience, contentment and generosity; while anyone wishing to learn needs a desire for knowledge, will, devotion (of his time and energy), piety, caution, memory and resolution.


And said:

Caution and fear are the legacy of knowledge and its measure; knowledge is the ray of gnosis and the heart of belief. Whoever is denied caution is not a man of knowledge, even if he can split hairs in dealing with obscure items of knowledge. Allah said,

...إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاء....

Only those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge fear Allah. (35:28)

Men of knowledge are ruined by eight things: greed and miserliness, showing off and partisanship, love of praise, delving into things whose reality they cannot reach, affectation by taking excessive pains to beautify their speech with superfluous expressions, lack of modesty before Allah, boastfulness, and not acting upon what they know.

‘Isa (‘a) said, 'The most wretched of all people is he who is known for his knowledge, not for his actions.'

The Holy Prophet said, 'Do not sit with every presumptuous caller who summons you from certainty to doubt, from sincerity to showing off, from humility to pride, from good counsel to enmity, and from abstinence to desire. Draw near to the person with knowledge, who summons you from pride to humility, from showing off to sincerity, from doubt to certainty, from desire to abstinence, from enmity to good counsel.' None are fit to preach to creation except that person who has gone beyond these evils by his truthfulness. He sees the faults of speech and knows what is sound from what is unsound, the defectiveness of thoughts, and the temptations of the self and his fancies.

'Ali said, 'Be like the kind, compassionate doctor who places the remedy where it will be of benefit.' They asked ‘Isa (‘a), 'With whom shall we sit, O Spirit of Allah?' 'With one the sight of whom reminds you of Allah,' he replied, 'and whose speech increases you in knowledge, and whose actions make you desire the next world.'


And said:

Contemplating death kills desire, cuts off the roots of heedlessness and strengthens the heart with Allah's promise of life hereafter.

It refines nature, breaks the signs of passion, extinguishes the fire of greed and renders this world vile; this is the meaning of the Holy Prophet's words: 'To reflect for an hour is better than a year of worship.' That hour of reflecting is the moment when you unite the ropes binding you to this world and fasten them to the next. The descent of mercy from Heaven never ceases when death is remembered in this way. If a person does not reflect on death, and on his own lack of any means to escape it, on his great incapacity, on the length of time he will spend in the grave and his bewilderment at the Resurrection, there is no good in him.

The Holy Prophet said, 'Remember the destroyer of pleasures.' When asked what that was, he replied, 'Death. Whenever one of Allah's servants remembers this when he is wealthy, this world is constricted for him. Whenever he remembers it in hardship, it is expanded for him.' Death is the first station of the next world and the last station of this world. Blessed is he who shows himself generous and benefits at the beginning, and blessed is he who has done his best at the end.

Death is the closest thing to accompany the son of Adam, although he deems it to be the furthest away. How much man inflicts on himself? What weaker creature is there? In death lies the rescue of the sincere and the destruction of the wrongdoers.

That is why some yearn for death while others hate it. The Holy Prophet said, 'If a person loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him; and if a person hates to meet Allah, the Allah hates to meet him.'

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Per Quran, all that is required to be guided is to believe in God. "Whoever believes in God, God guides their heart". Now it means people who believe in God, God will set aright their actions and guide them to the true guides of the time as well.

The thing is Quran also shows a lot of people convince themselves but are lying to themselves about faith in God. So belief in God can't just be a hunch we rely on, but it must be actually based on seeing his signs and also witnessing him in the clear horizon. Imam Hussain (a) says "O who he is in the clear horizon".

That is right. But, the OP is about the Quran. Is Quran a guide for everyone? It is not, as the verses of Quran says.

Yet, God, does not only guide through the Quran:

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ٦٩

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways.1 And indeed, Allāh is with the doers of good

How to strive for God?

Quran misguides the oppressors, "and it does increase the unjust/oppressors except in loss".

Who is the most oppressor according to the Quran?

"So who is more unjust than one who lies about Allah and denies the truth when it has come to him? Is there not in Hell a residence for the disbelievers?"

39:32

The Quran wants us to be truthful to ourselves about God, see if we truly believe he is the being worthy of worship. If our actions are for the dunya yet we convince ourselves we love God more, then really we are tricking ourselves we believe in God.

Also all that is required per Quran is to desire the next world.

Yes, very true.
But if one, worships Allah for fear of Hell, or for entering Heaven, Has he worshiped God for God, or worshiped God for his own benefit?

"Allah knows what is in their heart"

 

[Link]

That is right. But, the OP is about the Quran. Is Quran a guide for everyone? It is not, as the verses of Quran says.

Yet, God, does not only guide through the Quran:

وَٱلَّذِينَ جَـٰهَدُوا۟ فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمَعَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ٦٩

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways.1 And indeed, Allāh is with the doers of good

How to strive for God?



Who is the most oppressor according to the Quran?

"So who is more unjust than one who lies about Allah and denies the truth when it has come to him? Is there not in Hell a residence for the disbelievers?"

39:32



Yes, very true.
But if one, worships Allah for fear of Hell, or for entering Heaven, Has he worshiped God for God, or worshiped God for hos own benefit?

"Allah knows what is in their heart"

The best way to worship God is to know that it is for our own benefit. To love him knowing he is the best reward.

The harshest fire is Ali (a) on the darkness, there is in ziyarat, we say "Peace be upon you O Pain upon the people of hell", and this opens doors to defeat dark magic and evil jinn as well. To use Ahlulbayt (A) as missiles against the darkness by connecting to them as much as possible and concentrating their light and help against the darkness. It literally burns the evil Jinn and subdues the dark magic.

The literal fire on skins is true, but it pales to the spiritual fire on the darkness I mentioned. So it's merciful of God to try make us avoid that pain which is a much greater pain and is inevitable if we turn dark to eventually come to it when we awaken, by telling of the skin type fire (which is painful as well) and the type of bad food.

Recognizing the light of God burns darkness is also an important part of the journey to God and recognizing who God is.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

The best way to worship God is to know that it is for our own benefit. To love him knowing he is the best reward.

I don't want to say that again.
Kindly, Don't make things up.
But quote verses of the Quran that is about it, and show what Quran answers, not yourself.

 

[Link]

I don't want to say that again.
Kindly, Don't make things up.
But quote verses of the Quran that is about it, and show what Quran answers, not yourself.

وَمَنْ جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ | Whoever strives, strives only for his own sake. Indeed Allah is free of need of all the worlds. | Al-Ankaboot : 6

 

[Link]

We can't benefit God. That's just a fact. In fact, even honoring the Prophet (s) is not for the benefit of the Prophet (s) nor his family (a):

قُلْ مَا سَأَلْتُكُمْ مِنْ أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ | Say, ‘Whatever reward I have asked you is for your own good. Indeed my reward is only upon Allah, and He is witness to all things.’ | Saba : 47

 

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And I have not created the jinn and the humans except that they should Worship Me. 56I do not desire from them any sustenance and I do not desire that they should feed Me. 57Surely Allah is the Bestower of sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

وَمَنْ جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ | Whoever strives, strives only for his own sake. Indeed Allah is free of need of all the worlds. | Al-Ankaboot : 6

How do we stive though?

And how do you reconcile the verse you quoted with the verse:

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways.1 And indeed, Allāh is with the doers of good


It says, we are to strive for God but, will result for your own good.

 

[Link]

How do we stive though?

And how do you reconcile the verse you quoted with the verse:

And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways.1 And indeed, Allāh is with the doers of good


It says, we are to strive for God but, will result for your own good.

It means recognizing God as the best reward and that sustenance of God in a way that is linked to him. There are many verses about sustenance of God being better then what the world has to offer. The Quran also says "let this be what those who compete, compete about" and so the drinks and rivers in paradise is really about recognizing God's sustenance which is veiled to a great degree in this world, but people can still connect to that and drink from it in this world.

In short belief in God and love of the world don't go together. Anyone who truly believes in God, will abandon the dunya - believing God's sustenance is a better reward and that God is the best reward.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

It means recognizing God as the best reward and that sustenance of God in a way that is linked to him. There are many verses about sustenance of God being better then what the world has to offer. The Quran also says "let this be what those who compete, compete about" and so the drinks and rivers in paradise is really about recognizing God's sustenance which is veiled to a great degree in this world, but people can still connect to that and drink from it in this world.

In short belief in God and love of the world don't go together. Anyone who truly believes in God, will abandon the dunya - believing God's sustenance is a better reward and that God is the best reward.

What is the Substance of God though?

 

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What is the Substance of God though?

Sustenance means Risq, and Risq-allah is stated to be better and more everlasting. It's light, but not just knowledge and wisdom, but power and sincerity and the virtues but not just that, it has a proximity to God and brings one towards God and it's blessings that bring you close to God and it's his emanation as well.

It has "a taste" in the words of Sufis. You can scent it, taste it, embrace it, use it, seek it and guard it.

Also it is a tranquility. It's also another way to express the light emanating from Imam towards his followers. Remember in ziyarat Jamiah Imams (a) are the source of blessings and all good starts from them, emanates from them, and is towards them as well.