Belief in AlQuran

[SarahY]

Belief..

Some random thought?s i?d like to question/share

Many people are of the opinion lots of people can be ?muslim? (not that i disagree) how are you defining the term muslim?

Another thing, IF the purpose of Quran is a guidance ?ya ayuha allathina aminou? is a common phrase you will see, addressing those who believe so who is that? (the ones that aminou (look at chapter 49 for example) the ?muslims?? the believers of the Quran or what? The guidance seems to implicate commandments however I know people are of the belief Quran isn?t needed.

What?s the point in following it if it?s not needed? If you can be a Muslim without it? Does being muslim give you jannah?

Also the term kafir comes to mind. If a person comes across Quran reads/studies it yet rejects it does that not make them a kafir? Yet what if that person believed in God? Doesn?t that make them a muslim?

Possibly my preconceived notion of muslim is making me think this all sounds like an oxymoron though i always thought a muslim got jannah. However if they reject Quran then that makes them a kaffir? and kufr gets you jahanam as far as i am aware. (See verse 9:68, )

Who would choose hell? No one.

2:109 ? aren?t ahl alkitab believers? Some are mushrikeen but there are believers so if a believer of God is simply a muslim then it's really not much??

Sorry if it sounds disjointed random thoughts going through my head

Comment as you like

Salam.

[imfromjakarta]

Salamun 'alaikum Sarah,

Muslim = a person who has knowledge about him/her self, including its strength and weakness as a human, that's why s/he realize that there is a potential divine power that control him/her and all the materials or non materials surrounding him/her (please read QS 6:76-79). S/he also request to the potential divine power to make him/her muslim (not to let go that knowledge obtained in QS 6:76-79) until the day the s/he die (please read QS 2:128).

Sometimes when I'm spirituality feeling down, I read an scientific article that explain Allah is exist. I read it over and over again, although I already knew the content of that article.

ya ayuha allathina aminou, my interpretation about this common phrase addressing to those who already muslim that want to become mukmin

The definition of mukmin is already defined in QS 2:8, it just lack good deeds as in explained in QS 2:62 and QS 5:69 where part of good deeds is to acknowledge the function of messenger, follow the messenger and obey the messenger (please read QS 4:170). People especially muslim and mukmin can find out everything about the messenger from the Book (please read QS 4:174)

I refer muslim as a single individual who try his best to follow commandments in QS 6:151-153 but when we refer to mukmin, I am talking about more than two-three muslim who work together, hand in hand, lead by messenger/rasul, who try their best/persevere to make God's rules in the Book as an absolute rules to govern their life as community (umat = nation)

kafir is someone who hide the truth of God's messages, s/he not just people who read Books (Taurat, Injil and al-Qur'an) once a while and decide not to follow the Book of Guidance, as a matter of fact, s/he knows the truth of God's messages in the Books and decide to hide the truth for his/her own reasons. For example, if you read carefully in hadith created by human (Bukhari and co) you wil notice that there are a lot of hadith that discourage to fight again tyrants/dictators.

There are a lot....a lot of persons who choose to to go to Hell....you name it any profession...for example drugs dealers. They prefer all the material things that this world/dunia offer to them.

[TheIndian]

There are a lot....a lot of persons who choose to to go to Hell....you name it any profession...for example drugs dealers. They prefer all the material things that this world/dunia offer to them.

Salaam

I agree with your post but I don't think it's so easy to predict who will go to Hell. The final judgment is for Allah alone, and nobody - even ourselves - can know if we are destined for Jannat or Jahannam. Regarding drug dealers, the Qur'an does not mention these but it does heavily indict the mushrikeen. So, some drug dealers whether criminals or corporations may not be bad - it depends on their intentions. Even the mushrikeen, they may change their views later on and become believers during their lifetimes. So, we cannot judge the people in my opinion.

[imfromjakarta]

Salamun 'alaikum,

Salaam

I agree with your post but I don't think it's so easy to predict who will go to Hell. The final judgment is for Allah alone, and nobody - even ourselves - can know if we are destined for Jannat or Jahannam.

I totally agree with you in terms of who go to Heaven and who go to Hell only Allah has knowledge about it. However Allah asked us to judge using the Books, it applies for people who receive Taurat, Injil, (please read QS 5:44-45 and QS 5:47) as well as al-Qur'an. All the decision using judgment from the Book must be fair to all parties involve in dispute.

Allah also ask us to maximize our senses to figure it out who are people who setup partners with Allah (mushrikeen). I wrote an article in my mother language about people who do misconduct by associating partners with Allah, total there are around 16 act of misconduct that can be use to identified who are the mushrikeen.

Regarding drug dealers, the Qur'an does not mention these but it does heavily indict the mushrikeen. So, some drug dealers whether criminals or corporations may not be bad - it depends on their intentions.

The calculation done not by intentions but by actions performed by people. Please read QS 2:81 and QS 2:225

Even the mushrikeen, they may change their views later on and become believers during their lifetimes. So, we cannot judge the people in my opinion.

I  myself was a mushrikeen before I found out the truth in al-Qur'an and try my best to follow QS 6:151-153

[Wakas]

I find it is best to let AQ define how it is using its words/concepts. Hence, read what it says about these things.

I also find that when constructing a belief system, it is best to ensure a solid foundation and then build on that. And of course, bringing pre-conceived notions to the table is unlikely to result in a beneficial study.

Pretty much all the tools that are needed to conduct high quality study are available now, it is simply a matter of time/effort/will.


If you prefer to read a book, rather than go through Quranic occurrences, Toshihiko Izutsu is one of the best students of AQ I have read, e.g.
http://free-minds.org/forum/index.php?topic=16391.msg217929#msg217929

He discusses: muslim/kufr/iman in the above book in detail.

[Rev.John]

Belief..

Some random thought?s i?d like to question/share

Many people are of the opinion lots of people can be ?muslim? (not that i disagree) how are you defining the term muslim?

Another thing, IF the purpose of Quran is a guidance ?ya ayuha allathina aminou? is a common phrase you will see, addressing those who believe so who is that? (the ones that aminou (look at chapter 49 for example) the ?muslims?? the believers of the Quran or what? The guidance seems to implicate commandments however I know people are of the belief Quran isn?t needed.

What?s the point in following it if it?s not needed? If you can be a Muslim without it? Does being muslim give you jannah?

Also the term kafir comes to mind. If a person comes across Quran reads/studies it yet rejects it does that not make them a kafir? Yet what if that person believed in God? Doesn?t that make them a muslim?

Possibly my preconceived notion of muslim is making me think this all sounds like an oxymoron though i always thought a muslim got jannah. However if they reject Quran then that makes them a kaffir? and kufr gets you jahanam as far as i am aware. (See verse 9:68, )

Who would choose hell? No one.

2:109 ? aren?t ahl alkitab believers? Some are mushrikeen but there are believers so if a believer of God is simply a muslim then it's really not much??

Sorry if it sounds disjointed random thoughts going through my head

Comment as you like

Salam.

Just a few questions:

1. Muslim means submitter to God? If that is true then I agree with you that anyone who submits to God is Muslim

2. If someone lives their life according to the Quran but never reads it, are they wrong?

3. I do not know what jannah means, but why would it be restricted to Muslims (in the narrower meaning of the word)?

4. Many people (including myself) read the Quran and do not reject it, yet I have not converted to Islam. Am I still a kaffir?

5. How can someone who believes in God be an "unbeliever" just because they are in a different religion?

Once again, just a few random thoughts.

[nsws1988]

Thanks for the link, Waqas. 

[Ahmad Bilal]

1. Muslim means submitter to God? If that is true then I agree with you that anyone who submits to God is Muslim

2. If someone lives their life according to the Quran but never reads it, are they wrong?

3. I do not know what jannah means, but why would it be restricted to Muslims (in the narrower meaning of the word)?

4. Many people (including myself) read the Quran and do not reject it, yet I have not converted to Islam. Am I still a kaffir?

5. How can someone who believes in God be an "unbeliever" just because they are in a different religion?

All very good questions...

1. Actually, "muslim" simply means one who is peaceful, or one who submits. The concept of God doesn't even occur in this word's usage, and the idea of it specifically referring to the act of submitting to God depends on the context.

2. I wouldn't think so. The Qur'aan says that the "ahlu al kitaab" (people of the book), which many determine to be the Jews and Nazarenes, can also be viewed as believers. Therefore, if Jew lives according to the Torah, which is also a revelation from God, he shouldn't be found guilty, nor should a Nazarene who lives according to the Torah and Evangel.

3. Jannah simply refers to "paradise", and it's not limited to those who call themselves "Muslims".

4. No. The idea of "kufr" is not based on 'converting to Islaam', it's about accepting God's signs and avoiding idolatry. Therefore, in that sense, 'converting' is not a requirement of anyone, as long as you believe in God, believe in His angels (or controlling forces), believe in His messengers and scriptures, and believe in the judgement.

5. That's a good question, and I think that depends on how a person perceives God. For example, Trinitarians believe in God, but they are rebuked in the Qur'aan. People who believe that Jesus was 'God Incarnate' believe in God too, but they're also rebuked in the scripture. I think it's important to believe in the complete oneness of God, assigning no partners to Him whatsoever. As long as you do this, I think you'll be okay...

God knows best.

[Rev.John]

All very good questions...

1. Actually, "muslim" simply means one who is peaceful, or one who submits. The concept of God doesn't even occur in this word's usage, and the idea of it specifically referring to the act of submitting to God depends on the context.

2. I wouldn't think so. The Qur'aan says that the "ahlu al kitaab" (people of the book), which many determine to be the Jews and Nazarenes, can also be viewed as believers. Therefore, if Jew lives according to the Torah, which is also a revelation from God, he shouldn't be found guilty, nor should a Nazarene who lives according to the Torah and Evangel.

3. Jannah simply refers to "paradise", and it's not limited to those who call themselves "Muslims".

4. No. The idea of "kufr" is not based on 'converting to Islaam', it's about accepting God's signs and avoiding idolatry. Therefore, in that sense, 'converting' is not a requirement of anyone, as long as you believe in God, believe in His angels (or controlling forces), believe in His messengers and scriptures, and believe in the judgement.

5. That's a good question, and I think that depends on how a person perceives God. For example, Trinitarians believe in God, but they are rebuked in the Qur'aan. People who believe that Jesus was 'God Incarnate' believe in God too, but they're also rebuked in the scripture. I think it's important to believe in the complete oneness of God, assigning no partners to Him whatsoever. As long as you do this, I think you'll be okay...

God knows best.

Thank you for your very good answers. Unfortunately people like me (non-trinitarian Christians) are still branded as "unbelievers" just because of the name "Christian"

[Ahmad Bilal]

Thank you for your very good answers. Unfortunately people like me (non-trinitarian Christians) are still branded as "unbelievers" just because of the name "Christian"

Well, that's the problem with traditional Islaam. Nobody can decide who is an "unbeliever" except God. In fact, traditional (orthodox) Muslims would consider those who reject the hadiyths as "kafiroon"/unbelievers, simply because they're beliefs are different.