Why I think there is one right religion

[Sabour]

So are you saying that Islam is a private club or system prescribed by God? And I know what Islam means. But I think you are referring to the modern day interpretation of Islam. I apologize if I'm wrong in my assumption. But if I'm correct, then which Islam are you referring to? Sunni "Islam"? Shi'ite "Islam"? Sufi "Islam"? Salafi "Islam"? Shaafi "Islam"? Hanafi "Islam"? So many options... tell me which is the right "Islam"? Let's establish that before we decide if "Islam" is the right "religion"!

NO brother I agree with you .. May God bless you.. I am ashamed of myslef because I kinda know what you said but didn't know how to explain it in English. I was struggling and no one understood me lol

 

[Aamer]

Well actually this is what I believe but that was not what I wanted to discuss in this thread. But I certainly want to discuss that later as now I am going to "Friday prayer" and than I have to study for my midterms.

But we will surely discuss that if you want.

Go pray your Jumma brother. But keep an open mind. Islam has nothing to do with religion. And religion has nothing to do with God. But Islam has everything to do with God. Oh and beards and funny hats have nothing to do with Islam. Only a few will understand what I just said. But there is no right religion. There are only two choices... Monotheism or Ignorance. Peace!

 

[chinu]

Well actually this is what I believe but that was not what I wanted to discuss in this thread. But I certainly want to discuss that later as now I am going to "Friday prayer" and than I have to study for my midterms.

Firstly.. best of luck ! to you for your prayer, Secondly, for your midterms, Thirdly, I hope you could be able to concentrate in both of these things.

But we will surely discuss that if you want.

There's no need to discuss I already know why you think that Islam is the one and only right religion. Simply Because its yours, that's-it

 

[9Westy9]

And why do you think God doesn't exist?

I never said God doesn't exist. It's up to you to provide evidence that he does exist.

 

[Sir Doom]

Well personally I think you need to refine the word God. If there is more than one God and each one wanted different things, who wins ?

That's between them.

 

[LuisDantas]

Sorry but I think we are all living in the same world... so yes one true shoe size. Religion is men searching for God. Not God searching for what fits us

According to some. If that is true, then perhaps there is indeed just one true religion.

However, that is a problematic definition of religion: difficult to test, to delimit and to extend to represent the actual variety of religions. It struggles even with Abrahamic Faiths alone.

After all that, it is still not clear why only one among that severely restricted sample of faiths would be "true".

 

[Agnostic75]

If a God exists, that does not necessarily mean that any religious book is true. That is a good starting point. Put the books under the test and see. If Quraan is the true word of God, you will feel that God is speaking to you. It sounds crazy, but try it.

Which parts of the Quran are you referring to?

Many intelligent people have studied the Quran, and have rejected it. Humans lived over 50,000 years ago, and none of them had the Quran to live by.

And I disagree about what you said. Being a Muslim or Christian is not about what you are born to, it is about if you believe in it and practice in it.

You are wrong since chance, and circumstance largely determine what people believe. For example, the odds are far higher that people who grow up in Iran, and have studied Islam, and other religions a lot will accept Islam instead of some other religion. In addition, the odds are far higher that people who grow up in the U.S., and have studied Islam, and other religions a lot will accept Christianity instead of some other religion. If all that mattered was an honest desire to find the truth, people who study all major religions would choose the same world view no matter where they lived, but that is not the case.

In the U.S., authors Kosmin and Lachman wrote a book that is titled "One Nation Under God." The provide lots of statistics that show that geography, race, ethnicity, gender, and age influence what people believe. For example, the book shows that people who live in the Western U.S. tend to be much more religious than people who live in the Northeast, and that women are much more likely to become theists than men are.

It would be very unreasonable for you to claim that you would have become a Muslim no matter where you grew up.

I do not believe that a God exists who condemns all homosexuality, and requires women to cover most of their bodies.

Bassam Khoury says that Islam is not a peaceful religion. He wrote an article about that topic at http://www.answering-islam.org/Terrorism/peace-loving.html?. Khoury speaks Arabic, and at http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/khoury.html, there are links to some other articles that he wrote.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

I know what God chose by putting the scripture into the test.

OK. But there are no scriptures which pass the test better than my own scriptures.

 

[Sabour]

I never said God doesn't exist. It's up to you to provide evidence that he does exist.

Sorry am a little bit confused. So do you believe that God exists?

That's between them.

Well so if someone's opinion didn't take place, will that make him God? What is the definition of God for anyways I am interested in knowing

According to some. If that is true, then perhaps there is indeed just one true religion.

However, that is a problematic definition of religion: difficult to test, to delimit and to extend to represent the actual variety of religions. It struggles even with Abrahamic Faiths alone.

After all that, it is still not clear why only one among that severely restricted sample of faiths would be "true".

Because they have different major practices.

Which parts of the Quran are you referring to?


Many intelligent people have studied the Quran, and have rejected it. Humans lived over 50,000 years ago, and none of them had the Quran to live by.



You are wrong since chance, and circumstance largely determine what people believe. For example, the odds are far higher that people who grow up in Iran, and have studied Islam, and other religions a lot will accept Islam instead of some other religion. In addition, the odds are far higher that people who grow up in the U.S., and have studied Islam, and other religions a lot will accept Christianity instead of some other religion. If all that mattered was an honest desire to find the truth, people who study all major religions would choose the same world view no matter where they lived, but that is not the case.

In the U.S., authors Kosmin and Lachman wrote a book that is titled "One Nation Under God." The provide lots of statistics that show that geography, race, ethnicity, gender, and age influence what people believe. For example, the book shows that people who live in the Western U.S. tend to be much more religious than people who live in the Northeast, and that women are much more likely to become theists than men are.

It would be very unreasonable for you to claim that you would have become a Muslim no matter where you grew up.

I do not believe that a God exists who condemns all homosexuality, and requires women to cover most of their bodies.

Bassam Khoury says that Islam is not a peaceful religion. He wrote an article about that topic at Is Islam a peace-loving religion?. Khoury speaks Arabic, and at Articles by Bassam Khoury, there are links to some other articles that he wrote.

I was talking about the Quraan as a whole. But what do you mean by Which parts of the Quran are you referring to? I think I can help quoting some verses if you like.

And just like many intelligent people rejected the Quraan, many have also accepted it. Intelligence is not everything, some people read the Quraan with predetermined ideas and results. If you seek the truth you can see it bright and clear.

And about Islam, it is not just about faith, it is about faith and practicing. So if you're born a muslim this doesn't mean that you have a free ticket to paradise. If you refer to the Quraan, you will always see the word "and do rightous" or the word " and who do good deeds" following the word "those who believe". For that reason even one is born muslim and was convinced that islam is the truth, this is not enough. When you are true to yourself to search for God, you will surely be guided. God will not leave you if you began searching for him.

And I was born to a muslim family, but I wasn't a practicing muslim until one year back from now and I was asking my self the same question you asked me.

About homosexuality, what do you mean by condemns all homosexuality. Do you mean it should be okay to practice it? Or you meant that all homosexuals will go to hell?

I am sorry I didn't check the articles, do you want me to check them and get back to you ? Personally I prefer if you just tell me a summary about his claims.

And believe me once you start looking for God with all your heart, he will send you signs and you will find the way.

 

[Sabour]

OK. But there are no scriptures which pass the test better than my own scriptures.

Too bad some people were already dead and can't read your scriptures. God was unjust to them

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

And believe me once you start looking for God with all your heart, he will send you signs and you will find the way.

Yeah. And sometimes it will be the Christian God and sometimes the Islamic God or the Roman gods.

But my God is the finest God of all... I really do think so.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

Too bad some people were already dead and can't read your scriptures. God was unjust to them

Not my God. My God is entirely just.

So you believe that your God is unjust... since many people were already dead before the Koran was written and so couldn't read it?

 

[Sabour]

Not my God. My God is entirely just.

So you believe that your God is unjust... since many people were already dead before the Koran was written and so couldn't read it?

I was looking forward to this comment.

Actually you are wrong. Islam is not a religion that the prophet Muhammad came with.

The word Islam means peace acquired by complete submission to the will of God.

Quraan: 21:25 And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."


So God was sending us messengers to tell us about Islam and God sent messengers to all nations:


Quraan 35:24 Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner.

ll the scriptures that were before the Quraan were meant for people of that time.

But since Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was the final messenger, he was sent to all mankind.

Quraan: 21:107-108 And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. 107 Say, "It is only revealed to me that your god is but one God; so will you be Muslims [in submission to Him]?" 108

That is why Quraan was preserved.

Quraan Verse (15:9): Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

Actually you are wrong. Islam is not a religion that the prophet Muhammad came with.

The word Islam means peace acquired by complete submission to the will of God.

Quraan: 21:25 And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."

So God was sending us messengers to tell us about Islam and God sent messengers to all nations:

Who were those messengers? Why have the history books never heard of them? And why is there no record of any scripture?

But since Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was the final messenger, he was sent to all mankind.

That's a fine opinion, but I see no reason to believe it.

I don't mean to offend you. I'm just saying what seems most true.

 

[Sabour]

Who were those messengers? Why have the history books never heard of them? And why is there no record of any scripture?



That's a fine opinion, but I see no reason to believe it.

I don't mean to offend you. I'm just saying what seems most true.

Abraham, as he received the Scrolls of Abraham[13]
Moses and Aaron, as they received the Tawrat (Torah)[14]
David, as he received the Zabur (Psalms)[15]
Jesus, as he received the Injil (Gospel)[16]
Muhammad, as he received the Qur'an
Other prophets, of whose books we don't know (may include Jacob, Ishmael, Jonah and others[17])

Actually I would like you to refer to this.

There is no record of any scripture because there massage was meant for that age only. I am not sure what do you mean why history books never heard of them ?

I understand you have no reason to believe me. But when someone believes his opinion is right, he doesn't listen to others. I am not asking you to believe what I am saying is true. I am just saying that we should consider it. We can't just shut our minds. God gave us mind to think. God is not lost and we have to find him. We are lost and we have to find God.

Any question is welcomed brother.

And this is a list of prophets and people mentioned in the Quraan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Quranic_people_mentioned_by_name

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

Abraham, as he received the Scrolls of Abraham[13]
Moses and Aaron, as they received the Tawrat (Torah)[14]
David, as he received the Zabur (Psalms)[15]
Jesus, as he received the Injil (Gospel)[16]
Muhammad, as he received the Qur'an
Other prophets, of whose books we don't know (may include Jacob, Ishmael, Jonah and others[17])

Have you ever studied humanity's history? Humans existed at least 50,000 years before Abraham.

So why was your God so unjust as to let all those people die without being able to read His scriptures?

I understand you have no reason to believe me. But when someone believes his opinion is right, he doesn't listen to others.

Why not? Why won't you listen to me? I can listen to you even though I believe my opinion is right. We can't just shut our minds, you know. You can never learn about the right religion if you do that.

God gave us mind to think. God is not lost and we have to find him. We are lost and we have to find God.

Actually God doesn't want to be found by us. That's a common mistake.

And this is a list of prophets and people mentioned in the Quraan.

We are all prophets, I think.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Trial and common sense over time.



*

That's not 'Source'!. By trial and time, you may only discover truth, but what is the source?

 

[Iti oj]

That's not 'Source'!. By trial and time, you may only discover truth, but what is the source?

We are the source just as we are the truth!

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Yes thank you, to each age its book. Now we are living in the same age.

We have to see how Quran defines a Period (or Age).
When we look in to this in the light of whole Quran, we see every time a people's period comes to end, God reveals a new Book to guide them.

"To every [Ummah] people is a term appointed: when their term is reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation)." Quran 7:34

According to this verse EVERY people (ummeh) has a period, therefore Ummeh of Islam also has a period.
Now the Question is how long was the Period of Ummeh of Islam. There are at least Two Hadithes, both indicates 1000 years:

The Prophet said, “If my (Ummah) Community keeps on the right, it is going to enjoy an age of one day, and if it becomes corrupt, it will have an age of half a day.” [Al-Munawī cites it in Fayd al-Qadīr from Shaykh Muhyī al-Dīn Ibn ‘Arabī.]


If you are Sunni and you are not sure the above Hadth is Authentic, Here is a Sahih Hadith:

Volume 9, Book 93, Number 624: (Also in Volume 9, Book 93, Number 559)
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:

Allah's Apostle said, "Your stay (in this world) in comparison to the stay of the nations preceding you, is like the period between 'Asr prayer and the sun set (in comparison to a whole day). The people of the Torah were given the Torah and they acted on it till midday and then they were unable to carry on. And they were given (a reward equal to) one Qirat each. Then the people of the Gospel were given the Gospel and they acted on it till 'Asr Prayer and then they were unable to carry on, so they were given la reward equal to) one Qirat each. Then you were given the Qur'an and you acted on it till sunset, therefore you were given (a reward equal to) two Qirats each. On that, the people of the Scriptures said, 'These people (Muslims) did less work than we but they took a bigger reward.' Allah said (to them). 'Have I done any oppression to you as regards your rights?' They said, "No." Then Allah said, 'That is My Blessing which I grant to whomsoever I will.'




In Hadithes the 'relative' period of stay of people of Muhammad is explained in comparison to the duration of Christianity and Jews.


Muslims Period: equivalent to Afternoon till sunset
Christians period: equivalent to noon till afternoon
Jews Period: Equivalent to Sunset till noon

So, let's calculate Moslems period.

Christian period was about 600 years (From revelation of Jesus till Muhammad's)
Jews Period was about 1600 years (From Revelation of Moses till Jesus's)

Putting into equation:

sunrise till noon (Jews) = noon till afternoon (Christians) + afternoon till sunset (Muslims)

1600 years = 600 years + Period of stay of People of Muhammad

Period of Islam = 1600 - 600 = 1000 years.

I can't agree more to your second line

Let me ask you this: Why Muslims do not keep the Sabath Law?

 

[Nakosis]

Okayz I think we are on the same side based on your definition. But what about the other aspects like what there is after life, and how do you get past this test, assuming that you believe this life is actually a test?

I believe the conflicts of life refine a person's spirit. Life test one's spirit and it can be very abrasive if one is not ready for it. So I try to become mentally and spiritually prepared for whatever comes next. The test for me is not to give up and not to give in. Hopefully along the way I will find out what is true.

And can you explain your last line ?

I don't believe it is necessary that your belief and my belief be the same in order to respect you as a person. We, men create religions. Perhaps well intended but they are the result of the human mind.

Religion tries to keep true to the words of a Prophet but we can't help but twist into it the darkness of our own thinking. So it is a mistake to put your trust into any religion without reservation. Not to say religions can't be helpful but they will always be a shadow of the truth.

Inside you, inside everyone is the essence of the truth. You have to find that truth inside and it is not an easy thing to do. It is a light inside that is surrounded by darkness and only occasionally do you get a glimpse of it.

Just to get a glimpse is wonderful, magnificent. We create and hold onto an image of it. We walk towards it thinking to have found the truth not realizing that we are again surrounded by darkness and are no longer heading towards the truth but an image of the truth that we ourselves created.

But what can you do? It is all we have to go on. The light is real, the images are not.

The image I follow may not be the same one you follow but we are both seeking the same light.