Strive to know God.

[Spirit of Light]

I was reading an article about Islam when this words was a part of the text.
To me it say all about whatvtrue Islam is all about.

Some will disagree with this words, some will see the truth in them the way i do.
No matter what you take away from this words, it is all about the connection between a servant and his/her God.

Living a good Muslim life, praying ritually five times a day, keeping the hard fast of Ramadan, going on the arduous Pilgrimage to Mecca, giving generously to the poor, rearing one's offspring in the fear of God, is all of it a jihad.

"You shall believe in God and in His messenger, and strive with your possessions and with your selves. That is better for you, did you but know" (61:11). "O you who have faith, fear God, seek means to come to Him, and strive for His sake; so may you prosper" (5: 54).

Enjoy my friends.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Living a good Muslim life, praying ritually five times a day, keeping the hard fast of Ramadan, going on the arduous Pilgrimage to Mecca, giving generously to the poor, rearing one's offspring in the fear of God, is all of it a jihad.

"You shall believe in God and in His messenger, and strive with your possessions and with your selves. That is better for you, did you but know" (61:11). "O you who have faith, fear God, seek means to come to Him, and strive for His sake; so may you prosper" (5: 54).

I do not see any benefit in praying five times a day, keeping a month-long fast when one eats and drinks at night, and rearing offspring in fear of a God or Allah (i.e., brain-washing your children). Travel to Mecca is not at all arduous now, one alights right there by plane; but yes, no harm in seeing things and visiting places, though I will prefer something greener than Mecca and would like to avoid crowds. I am not a sheep or a goat. I will also not like to stone a pillar thinking that I am stoning Satan. But of course, you may have your different views now. Now that Allah has sent you his 'heavenly maid'.

Sure, I will, if you can provide me any evidence of your Allah and there being a message and a messenger. I have prospered even without believing in any God or Allah. I am nobody's servant nor I will ever be.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I do not see any benefit in praying five times a day, a month-long fast when one eats and drinks at night, and rearing offspring in fear of a God or Allah (i.e., brain-washing your children). Travel to Mecca is not at all arduous now, one alights right there by plane; but yes, no harm in seeing things and visiting places, though I will prefer something greener than Mecca and would like to avoid crowds. I am not a sheep or a goat. I will also not like to stone a pillar thinking that I am stoning Satan. But of course, you may have your different views now.

Sure, I will, if you can provide me any evidence of your Allah and there being a message and a messenger. I have prospered even without believing in any God or Allah. I am nobody's servant nor I will ever be.

As i said before, i have no wish to convert anyone.
The OP was made before I found the text very good, i wanted to share it yes. Because it explain very gently how a muslim should be.
And i knew many would disagree with the text, that is why i actually put that in the part i wrote my self.

But i do welcome your words and others words in my OP.

 

[shunyadragon]

I was reading an article about Islam when this words was a part of the text.
To me it say all about whatvtrue Islam is all about.

Some will disagree with this words, some will see the truth in them the way i do.
No matter what you take away from this words, it is all about the connection between a servant and his/her God.

Living a good Muslim life, praying ritually five times a day, keeping the hard fast of Ramadan, going on the arduous Pilgrimage to Mecca, giving generously to the poor, rearing one's offspring in the fear of God, is all of it a jihad.

"You shall believe in God and in His messenger, and strive with your possessions and with your selves. That is better for you, did you but know" (61:11). "O you who have faith, fear God, seek means to come to Him, and strive for His sake; so may you prosper" (5: 54).

Enjoy my friends.

Striving to know God? Trying to hard to justify one's own belief system as 'what is true of an one of the many conflicting belief systems is not what 'it is all about.' All this does is establish an intense circular reasoning that justifies what one believes.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Guy, this is in journals. It's not a debate thread. Mind your forums.

 

[Spirit of Light]

Striving to know God? Trying to hard to justify one's own belief system as 'what is true of an one of the many conflicting belief systems is not what 'it is all about.' All this does is establish an intense circular reasoning that justifies what one believes.

I think you misunderstand the meaning of striving here. It is not about trying to hard. It is about doing it the way God ask us to do. And for some it will feel like they strive to become better at following God

 

[Rival]

Striving to know G-d and doing what He wants is the whole meaning of life, in my way of seeing it.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I do not see any benefit in praying five times a day, keeping a month-long fast when one eats and drinks at night, and rearing offspring in fear of a God or Allah (i.e., brain-washing your children). Travel to Mecca is not at all arduous now, one alights right there by plane; but yes, no harm in seeing things and visiting places, though I will prefer something greener than Mecca and would like to avoid crowds. I am not a sheep or a goat. I will also not like to stone a pillar thinking that I am stoning Satan. But of course, you may have your different views now. Now that Allah has sent you his 'heavenly maid'.

Sure, I will, if you can provide me any evidence of your Allah and there being a message and a messenger. I have prospered even without believing in any God or Allah. I am nobody's servant nor I will ever be.

I always scratch my head with rituals. I get some of it. The rest.. eh.

I like the indigenous adage that we do not own the land, its the land that owns us.

 

[PureX]

"Strive to know God"

Why?

1. It's not logically possible, and wildly arrogant to then presume that it is.

2. The attempt often generates dangerous delusions of grandeur and expectation.

3. The more we think we know, the less willing and able we are to learn (how we're wrong). Presumptions of knowledge close off the mind and spirit.

As a taoist I would suggest just the opposite. Seek NOT to understand "God", but rather to align oneself with the flow of "God's" Creation through humility and spontaneity.