the only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam

[Gharib]

Could it be said though that any person claiming to know the Will of God and "path to Paradise" is claiming without enough knowledge, since nobody truly knows what life is about - or what happens after death?

How do you know that no one knows what life is about? Or that no one knows what happens after death?

 

[Aquitaine]

How do you know that no one knows what life is about? Or that no one knows what happens after death?

Honestly, because we're all just Human. In fact we're so incredibly blind that we can only see a tiny section of the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum. Our ears can only process certain frequencies, and our sense of smell is nothing superior (for example Dogs can hear and smell much better than we can, Sharks can smell much better too, other creatures have Sonar which Humans do not posses etc). Just think about how blind and ignorant Humans really are, the only reasonable conclusion is that we simply don't have the sensory tools nor the intellectual capacity to fully understand what reality is.

Finally, no-one knows what happens after death (if anything) since dead people are..... dead, so they can't exactly give us insight into their post-death experiences lol

 

[atanu]

Honestly, because we're all just Human. In fact we're so incredibly blind that we can only see a tiny section of the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum. Our ears can only process certain frequencies, and our sense of smell is nothing superior (for example Dogs can hear and smell much better than we can, Sharks can smell much better too, other creatures have Sonar which Humans do not posses etc). Just think about how blind and ignorant Humans really are, the only reasonable conclusion is that we simply don't have the sensory tools nor the intellectual capacity to fully understand what reality is.

Finally, no-one knows what happens after death (if anything) since dead people are..... dead, so they can't exactly give us insight into their post-death experiences lol

This is not the subject of the thread, I am afraid. The subject is as below.

How do you interprete this verse?

"Verily the only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam." [Quran 3:19]

The point is to know what "the Author" of Quran meant.

Do you think that the Author of Quran, by Islam, He meant the Revelation that came to Muhammad, or He meant submission to God?

My position is that it should be interpreted this way:

"Verily the only acceptable religion to Allah is Submission to the God's commands..[/B]

 

[Aquitaine]

This is not the subject of the thread, I am afraid. The subject is as below.

Sorry, I suppose I was drifting off topic.

 

[Gharib]

Honestly, because we're all just Human. In fact we're so incredibly blind that we can only see a tiny section of the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum. Our ears can only process certain frequencies, and our sense of smell is nothing superior (for example Dogs can hear and smell much better than we can, Sharks can smell much better too, other creatures have Sonar which Humans do not posses etc). Just think about how blind and ignorant Humans really are, the only reasonable conclusion is that we simply don't have the sensory tools nor the intellectual capacity to fully understand what reality is.

Finally, no-one knows what happens after death (if anything) since dead people are..... dead, so they can't exactly give us insight into their post-death experiences lol

I'm sorry but what you've said just there is nothing more than a mere belief. If you wish to believe that we don't know much because we don't have better hearing or smelling than dogs then that is nothing more than a belief which you find comfort in believing in.

Your beliefs are no more valid than mine.

It is a fact that dogs can hear and smell better than we can, but that doesn't make your beliefs true simply because you coat them with a fact that has nothing to do with the discussion at hand.

Humans are more intelligent than all creatures, I say we do know a whole lot more than you think we do. See how it works?

 

[atanu]

Sorry, I suppose I was drifting off topic.

Nothing to be sorry about. No matter what you do reasoning will not take you anywhere in this thread. So, better surrender.

 

[Aquitaine]

I'm sorry but what you've said just there is nothing more than a mere belief. If you wish to believe that we don't know much because we don't have better hearing or smelling than dogs then that is nothing more than a belief which you find comfort in believing in.

Your beliefs are no more valid than mine.

It is a fact that dogs can hear and smell better than we can, but that doesn't make your beliefs true simply because you coat them with a fact that has nothing to do with the discussion at hand.

Humans are more intelligent than all creatures, I say we do know a whole lot more than you think we do. See how it works?

I'm tempted to respond, but I don't wanna continue to drift off-topic in this thread - thus I'll leave you guys at peace

 

[F0uad]

Well, even there might be verses that are revealed as a single verse, in this case it is clearly related to the verses before and after it.
And most Translations of Quran agree about that, it is meant "submission to God" and not the particular revelation to Muhammad:

Check it out:

al-Imran 3:19

Thats why Sunni Muslims use commentaries of the companions and the prophet(saws) to understand those verses.
You asked for our interpretations we gave them what do you want more?

This thread is laughable i guess people here who aren't Muslims want to tell other people what Islam is, i advice Non-Muslims asking questions on the Dir.

 

[Tiberius]

Yes, I can kind of agree. Though the claim is not necessarily false.

But it does tend to be subject to exaggeration, much like most advertising.

In any case, without any way to actually TEST the claims being made, why should we believe those claims? Is there some way to test whether God (be he the Christian, Muslim, etc variety) prefers one religion over another?

Actually, yes. If God does interfere in Earthly affairs and also prefers a particular religious belief, then we can expect that people who hold the favoured belief will have better lives. For example, greater wealth, increased happiness, fewer illnesses, etc.

Do Muslims fit that pattern?

 

[InvestigateTruth]

But In any case, without any way to actually TEST the claims being made, why should we believe those claims?

We should not.

Is there some way to test whether God (be he the Christian, Muslim, etc variety) prefers one religion over another?

Yes, I think there is. By examining their History, teachings and Books.

Actually, yes. If God does interfere in Earthly affairs and also prefers a particular religious belief, then we can expect that people who hold the favored belief will have better lives. For example, greater wealth, increased happiness, fewer illnesses, etc.

Yes, I agree mostly. However, consider the possibility that, if a religion is indeed a preferred way by God, the betterness of people is still dependent on acting as per religion, and not just saying I believe and not following those teachings.
Consider Quran says, if you kill a person, you killed entire humanity, and also has said if a Muslim kills another Muslim that is like Shirk (greatest sin in islam). Now look at Muslim countries and tell me if they follow these basic teachings of Quran. Or Quran says, there is no obligation in Religion. Now look at History of Islam and even now, how some Muslim countries force others to follow Islam.

Do Muslims fit that pattern?

I believe every Religion has a period which is fruitful. In case of Islam, indeed the revelation of Muhammad caused Arabs to progress and be significantly ahead of Europe in terms of science and culture during the period of Islam which according to Musim Hadithes was 1000 years. Muhammad Himself said that the end of My People comes in 1000 years, after that True Islam would not exist and only a name will remain with many Mosques which are filled with people, but there will be no guidance in them.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Thats why Sunni Muslims use commentaries of the companions and the prophet(saws) to understand those verses.
You asked for our interpretations we gave them what do you want more?

This thread is laughable i guess people here who aren't Muslims want to tell other people what Islam is, i advice Non-Muslims asking questions on the Dir.

But many of those translators in my link are Sunni Muslims, aren't they? So, you are saying they are wrong.

 

[Tiberius]

But In any case, without any way to actually TEST the claims being made, why should we believe those claims?

We should not.

Is there some way to test whether God (be he the Christian, Muslim, etc variety) prefers one religion over another?

Yes, I think there is. By examining their History, teachings and Books.

Lol. You are contradicting yourself.

First you say that without any way of verifying claims, we should not believe those claims, then you say we can figure out which religion God likes most by examining the text containing the claims of each religion.

How can we find out anything by examining the unverifiable claims which you have just agreed that we shouldn't believe?

 

[InvestigateTruth]

How can we find out anything by examining the unverifiable claims which you have just agreed that we shouldn't believe?

Can you eleborate what you mean by unverifiable claims? and why do you think they are unverifiable?

 

[Monotheist 101]

I don't understand. If many religions claim to be the true and exclusive path to God, and even if we assume that exactly one of those claims is true while the others are not (which is not a given in my opinion), surely that still leaves the matter of deciding which one would that true faith be, doesn't it?

I think the meaning of Islam (submission) can be taken as the true faith..submitting yourself to God..Its not a hard idea to wrap your head around..The problem that I see with people trying to associate cultural ideologies to Islam..Islam is the religion of submitting yourself to God..If you truly do that..you will find truth in the Quran and its revelation..If people concentrate on the negatives associated with Islam due to propoganda and cultural influence then they will never run out of points to dispute..Islam is simple..believe in one God..submit yourself only to him..everything else is secondary and depends on individual perception..

To answer the OP yes only submitting ourselves to Allah (God) is acceptable according to Islamic and Quranic thought.

 

[LuisDantas]

Thanks for your post, Monotheist.

I wonder how Muslims feel about people (like me) who state that they can't possibly believe in the existence of God, much less decide that the Quran reveals its will.

What does lack of acceptability mean in this case? And what are the consequences?

How often do Muslims turn out to believe that everyone would be Muslim were it not for some sort of personal shortcoming or failure? How certain are they of that, and how gracefully do they deal with the evidence that it may not be so?

Come to think of it, how gracefully are Muslims expected to deal with the existence of kafirs?

 

[Monotheist 101]

Thanks for your post, Monotheist.

I wonder how Muslims feel about people (like me) who state that they can't possibly believe in the existence of God, much less decide that the Quran reveals its will.

What does lack of acceptability mean in this case? And what are the consequences?

How often do Muslims turn out to believe that everyone would be Muslim were it not for some sort of personal shortcoming or failure? How certain are they of that, and how gracefully do they deal with the evidence that it may not be so?

Come to think of it, how gracefully are Muslims expected to deal with the existence of kafirs?

I think the Quran is clear on its view of Atheism
“Did nothing create them or did they create themselves?”
[Surah at-Toor (52):35]

The consequences of disbelieving in Allah (God) be it by denying his existence(Allah), associating partners with him (christianity, hinduism etc) is the same..God says he is well aware of those who have transgressed.

Ultimatly no Muslim has the right to claim that a non-muslim is definatly doomed for Hell..We donot have such knowledge only God possess these answers..IMO we should be more concerned with our personal moral conduct..

Muslims donot say that it is the shortcomings of the world that is the reason behind everyone not accepting Islam..Islam is nothing that can be pushed on anyone..non of the matters concerning the heart are.. If you look into the Islamic concept of creation and Satan..you will realize that we believe that it is the rejected one that leads us astray..

As for your question about the existence of Kafirs..IMO it is non of my business..God is all powerful and if he wants to guide someone to him he will..I have no say in the matter.. All concepts derived from my understandng of the Quran..

Quran 2.6-7
6. "Surely, (as for) those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether you have warned them or have not warned them, they will not believe."
7. "Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and over their eyes is a covering, and there awaits them a great punishment."



You should keep in mind...Human beings are not going to judge who awaits this punishment..God is saying he is the Judge..and he knows everything.


“Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.” (Quran 2:256)


“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” (Quran 10:99)


“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole self to God, and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they do, then they are on right guidance. But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message. And in God’s sight are all of His servants.” (Quran 3:20)


“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.” (Quran 5:99)


A true Muslim is not concerned with matters of this material world (including identifying a disbeliever), A true muslim is concerned with the day that he will present himself to God and answer for every decision or action we made..


IMO Islam has been misrepresented by alot of people..It is a simple religion..a massive religion..bound together by the belief and unity of One God..it transcends all cultural boundaries..If you were to say right now that you believe in one God..you would technically be a Muslim..its as simple as that..all these other arguments about Kafir and non believers are useless..they serve no purpose..non of my business


Hope that clarifies my stance on your queries..

 

[YmirGF]

IMO Islam has been misrepresented by alot of people..It is a simple religion..a massive religion..bound together by the belief and unity of One God..it transcends all cultural boundaries..If you were to say right now that you believe in one God..you would technically be a Muslim..its as simple as that..all these other arguments about Kafir and non believers are useless..they serve no purpose..non of my business

I do appreciate your somewhat liberal stance on this interpretation, however if one says, "I believe in one god" and yet adamantly rejects that Muhammad was a prophet of god, there is zero possibility that said person could be considered to be a Muslim. For example, it's all very well and good for Muslims to "grandfather" earlier prophets into their theological lineage, however, such claims are somewhat superficial as those earlier prophets are in no position to agree or disagree. It's like me claiming my father loved 3 day old pieces of bread. There is no way to validate the claim either way.


That said, I tend to side with the Muslims in this thread who insist that Islam and only Islam, is acceptable and is the "right" religion - according to the Qur'an and the great preponderance of Islamic scholars. There is a small sliver of hope held out to Christians and Jews, the People of the Book, who follow their religion in very fundamental terms. The rest of us are simply out of luck.

 

[Monotheist 101]

That said, I tend to side with the Muslims in this thread who insist that Islam and only Islam, is acceptable and is the "right" religion - according to the Qur'an and the great preponderance of Islamic scholars. There is a small sliver of hope held out to Christians and Jews, the People of the Book, who follow their religion in very fundamental terms. The rest of us are simply out of luck.

The issue with accepting Muhammad is a complicated one IMO..I hold the belief that If a person is a true monotheist..there is no way that they will not find guidance or truth in the Quran..The definition of Muslim is one who practices Islam..the definition of Islam is submission to God..accepting Muhammad is not the only way to submit myself to God..it is part of it..but not the whole premise.. Allah says he is aware of the context of a persons life and the condition of their heart..A good person remains good regardless of whether he follows Buddha or Muhammad or Jesus..I believe that Allah will judge everyone accordingly he is a fair judge..if no one else had a chance..that would not be the attributes of a fair judge IMO.. these are ideas that are fed by leaders of opposing sects denominations to prove that they are the chosen/rightly guided ones..the reality of which is..if they had been rightly guided they would not concern themselves with pity arguments like this...Who cares who the messenger is..did we get the message?

IMO a person can be Muslim(One who submits himself to Allah) without accepting Muhammad or the Quran..what is most important is a concious understanding of the uniqueness and oneness/indivisibility of God. One has to be a theist to be Muslim tho..if you dont believe in a God..why concern yourself with what he has to say?

 

[LuisDantas]

I think the Quran is clear on its view of Atheism
“Did nothing create them or did they create themselves?”
[Surah at-Toor (52):35]

The consequences of disbelieving in Allah (God) be it by denying his existence(Allah), associating partners with him (christianity, hinduism etc) is the same..God says he is well aware of those who have transgressed.

So disbelief is considered a transgression? How wide and how orthodox an interpretation of the Quran would such a identification of disbelievers with transgressors be?

I'm not sure Christianity or even Hinduism qualify as disbelief in Allah, either.

Ultimatly no Muslim has the right to claim that a non-muslim is definatly doomed for Hell..We donot have such knowledge only God possess these answers..IMO we should be more concerned with our personal moral conduct..

While I agree... in all honesty, it troubles me that the view of kafirs as "transgressors" may be widespread among Muslims. Even if they often remind themselves that they ought not to be certain that God is displeased with us, it is still not a belief that helps in attaining good communication and trust with others.

Muslims donot say that it is the shortcomings of the world that is the reason behind everyone not accepting Islam..Islam is nothing that can be pushed on anyone..non of the matters concerning the heart are.. If you look into the Islamic concept of creation and Satan..you will realize that we believe that it is the rejected one that leads us astray..

And yet we are transgressors? But due to the fault of Shaitan, not our own? Is that your view, or perhaps a standard Muslim view?

It seems to me that it would make us a bit ambiguous, at one time both victims and wrongdoers.

As for your question about the existence of Kafirs..IMO it is non of my business..God is all powerful and if he wants to guide someone to him he will..I have no say in the matter.. All concepts derived from my understandng of the Quran..

Fair enough. All the same, I can't help but wonder if there isn't some degree of mistrust or (at least potentially) despisal of kafirs.

Not necessarily from you, or even from most Muslims, but still, we are called transgressors, aren't we?

Quran 2.6-7
6. "Surely, (as for) those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether you have warned them or have not warned them, they will not believe."
7. "Allah has set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing, and over their eyes is a covering, and there awaits them a great punishment."



You should keep in mind...Human beings are not going to judge who awaits this punishment..God is saying he is the Judge..and he knows everything.

I'm not sure it is reasonable to expect human beings not to be judgemental. Particularly if they believe that we _rejected_ faith in God (which is not a given for a Kafir).

“Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.” (Quran 2:256)


“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” (Quran 10:99)


“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole self to God, and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they do, then they are on right guidance. But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message. And in God’s sight are all of His servants.” (Quran 3:20)


“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.” (Quran 5:99)


A true Muslim is not concerned with matters of this material world (including identifying a disbeliever), A true muslim is concerned with the day that he will present himself to God and answer for every decision or action we made..

That sounds inspired and well-meaning, but surely a true Muslim still exists in this world and has legitimate interest in matters of safety, personal space, society and economy. We all live in the same world and influence each other's well-being and quality of life.

At some point judging the character of others is a practical, genuine need. It is not fair to expect Muslims (or anyone else) to avoid that entirely.

IMO Islam has been misrepresented by alot of people..It is a simple religion..a massive religion..bound together by the belief and unity of One God..it transcends all cultural boundaries..If you were to say right now that you believe in one God..you would technically be a Muslim..its as simple as that..all these other arguments about Kafir and non believers are useless..they serve no purpose..non of my business


Hope that clarifies my stance on your queries..

It does, but it also brings more questions.

 

[Monotheist 101]

And yet we are transgressors? But due to the fault of Shaitan, not our own? Is that your view, or perhaps a standard Muslim view?

It seems to me that it would make us a bit ambiguous, at one time both victims and wrongdoers.

We have the free will and power to not be affected by his influence..ultimatley we pave our own path..satan just gives us ideas..we always possess the ability to reject him..thus we are solely responsible for an action/crime after it has been commited..