Righteousness (Taqwa) is constituted in all religions. No religion preach to be insincere, immodest, noisy, greedy, coward, selfish and grandiose. There are two distinct tenets in Islam.First is the commands of Allah (God) and the second is his WILL.The COMMANDS are in the book of Allah (Quran) But his “WILL” can only be known through his WISDOM – Hikma (not through knowledge) Allah commands you to do good and eschew evil but it is because of his WILL, the good and evil exist.
In religion Islam in addition to Righteousness (Taqwa) a set of disciplines established, a code of conduct called the Sharia.Islam followers adhere to this Sharia and follow the lifestyle of prophet Muhammed. However Islam followers adheres to the lifestyle of Muhammed (pbuh) to be righteous, the erroneous man commit sins in small and large quantities continuously as a routine
Religion followers classify sins as minor and major (in Christianity as well) repent for his sins and follies, do supplications and claim his sins are pardoned and rewarded. But in reality it is not. Sins cannot be pardoned and rewarded but has to be REALIZED by his own self (soul) before or after life.
There were disciplines in Christianity and in Judaism few decades ago but those disciplines got obsolete with time Ex. fasting. However discipline a follower of Islam or whoever disciplined in any religion. How he behaves in situation and circumstance decide who he is.How can a man’s birth decide his religion?
How can someone label himself as a Muslim, a Christian, a Hindu by his birth religion? There is no community is superior and special before God.There is no community sin less and another community sin large. All mankind sin in small and large quantities.
One may question what if someone ascribe someone else for Allah which is shirk in Islam which is considered as a major sin.Monotheism or polytheism, worshiping one God or many Gods. Worshiping a God with statue or without a statue,During your conventional prayers whatever enters your mind other than God is an idol.Meantime What is a major shirk and a major sin more than being insincere to
your own fellow being ?Can there be a better prayer and a greater religion than being conscience to the feelings of your fellowmen?When a man is doing an insincere act to his fellowmen, he rejectsAllah (God) and commit the evil act.
Reject Allah means he ascribe evil in the place of Allah and commit that insincere act.Isn’t that Shirk ? When wrong doing, without classifying the wrong doing as minor and major.Think you are wrongdoing for God.When doing right, REALIZE you are doing right to God.Therefore do not flatter about your disciplines and show superiority until you undergo temptation and test.
However, generally Islam followers show superiority over the sharia more than other religion followers.The reason for that is Islam followers does not know or understand the difference between, Disciplines and Righteousness (Taqwa) And Religion Islam and Spiritual Islam.In plain words Islam followers uphold discipline more than righteousness (Taqwa) Islam followers comprehend Taqwa (Righteousness) as fear of Allah As Islam followers fear of Allah, there are other religious followers who are fear of their God/Gods.
Religion Islam is theology which distinguishes differences of mankind and divide.Spiritual Islam is wisdom (hikma) which distinguishes uniformity of mankind and harmonize.Basically all religions are based on theology.All religions and religious scholars distinguish the differences between religions.
They claim their religion is superior and special than the other. But in every religion there is a spiritual doctrine which unites all mankind to a central truth.Righteousness (Taqwa) is the objective and disciplines are means to reach the objective.
But loose, shallow and ignorant followers (man who continuously sins) think adhering to disciplines is righteousness (Taqwa) which is not. If a man follow disciplines lifelong and cannot achieve the required
Righteousness (Taqwa) what is the use of those disciplines which he boast.However the fact is, follow the disciplines (principles) to achieve the required spiritual elevation.
The purpose of man’s birth on earth is to elevate his soul from greediness (Haiwan) to generosity (Insan) by serving humanity.Not to believe and worship a God loosely.Loosely means you believe a God and while believing you commit sins and classifying the sins as minor and major for your own convenience claiming to be said in the Quran which is not.
The strength of a man’s belief depend how Righteous he is. In spirituality sin is a sin. In spiritual Islam and in rational thinking sin is a sin.How can sins be classified as minor and major ?who decides which sin is minor and which sin is major ?The misunderstanding with Islam followers is that they say they are
believers (muslim) while committing sin.Which cannot be the case.A man cannot call him a believer (Muslim) if he is committing sins.In logical terms,A man who does not commit a sin is a believer.A man who commits sin is a disbeliever.
If a man calls him a believer while committing sins, he is not a believer but a follower.A loose, erroneous, shallow and ignorant follower.A man can elevate his soul from greediness to generosity religiously or irreligious.
There is no necessity a man should elevate his soul only religiously.The simple logic is.Religiousness cannot bring Righteousness. But Righteousness would lead you towards religiousness.However
Although religiousness is a dogma, being a little religious without exaggeration is no harm because amid your youthful distractions and mischievous acts rightly or wrongly remembering God few times a day influence a man to think of something higher than him which restraints his transgression But When you see a man who is indiscipline do not condemn him as he is careless, Your task in this world is not to give Dhawwa to a none muslim and convert him as a Muslim and to embrace Islam.
It is not your task to tell your fellowmen that my Allah is better than your God and my prophet is special than yours,That is the task of Allah (God), If Allah wanted He could have created the entire world Islam and made all into one community.So that it was easy that all mankind could be one ummah (one community) But he (God) did not do that,
Therefore Your task in this world is to know God (Allah/Bagwan) To seek him (God) within you,He who knows himself, knows me (Allah/God) – Sayings of Muhammed.Man arafa nafsahu, fakad arafa Rabbahu.
You can only do that by serving humanity without religious divisions.Man generally takes his birth religion as his religion. He takes ownership of the religion he is born to.
Although mankind is divided into religions by birth, we all mankind follow one religion, only in different names, forms and rituals, but behind all these names, forms and rituals, there is one and the same SPIRIT, and one and the same TRUTH (Quran 5.83)
Religion in the ordinary sense of the word, as known by the world, is the creeds. There are not many religions in the world, but there are many creeds. And what does creed mean? Creed means a cover over the religion. There is one religion and there are many covers. Each of these covers is called ‘Christianity,’ ‘Buddhism,’ ‘Judaism, Hinduism, Saivam, Islam, Salafi, Ismaili, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, protestants, Evangelist and all denominations belong to all religions etc.,
When you take off these covers, you will find that there is one religion, and it is that religion which is the religion of the heart.
A human who is spiritual does not condemn a church, a temple, a mosque or creed or a certain form of worship. He says it is the world of variety. All human must have his choice of food, his choice of dress, his choice of expressions and his choice of worship. Why must the followers of one faith think that the others are heathens or pagans? A follower must not think that only my religions is superior not yours.
The word referred in the Quran as believers is referred to a purified soul.Not to a man born to a family following Islam or pronouncement of Kalima.Kalima is a fundamental discipline for a loose follower.Kalima is not compulsory for a true follower (righteous follower) A believer is a person who has a pious mind and a purified heart.
That mind which fears not, which is beyond life’s anxieties and worries, which is above reproaches, which by its innermost joy makes even the body feel light.
The pious feels exalted, piety is purity from all things and conditions of earthly life which pull man down to the earth. Man usually consider him as his body and his face. But man is his soul.Life ends, body goes to the soil but soul lives.
While man living on earth, a man belong to any religion, creed or philosophy, wearing any costume, bearing any name, performing any rituals, who is able to exercise his belief in sincerity, modesty, tranquility (peacefulness) content, bravery, selfless, simplicity and self effacement CONSCIOUSLY or UNCONSCIOUSLY, religiously or irreligious is considered to be a BELIEVER BEFORE THE EYES OF ALLAH
(God/Bagwan)
If a man cannot purify his soul during the life on earth, the soul naturally undergo self purification (self realization) It depends how severe your soul is attached with worldly matters More severe your soul for earthly attachments, the longer the time it takes for purification (REALIZATION) which is termed as HELL.
How lighter your soul for earthly attachments, the less the time it takes for purification (REALIZATION) and merge with the light of God which is termed as HEAVEN.
A soul belong to any religion, creed or philosophy which has REALIZED its belief in sincerity, modesty, tranquility, contentment, bravery, selfless, simplicity and self effacement is considered to be a believer before the eyes of Allah/God/Bagwan.
Not necessarily BEFORE THE EYES OF ANOTHER SHALLOW BELIEVER. Man living on earth, claim him to be a believer (Muslim) but can hardly be a believer because he is always shallow, loose and an erroneous follower committing sins time to time, repenting to pardon his sins and sinning as a routine.
Man after life, his soul will undergo REALIZATION purify his heart and become pious in mind which is called Nirvana in Pali, Najat in Arabic, Mukthi in Hindu and Salvation in English. Majority of the souls attain the state of Muslim (Total submission) after life.Very few indeed attain the state of “Muslim” during earthly life. They are named as vicegerents of God (Allah) – (Friends of Allah – enlightened souls) Saaliheen, Shuhada, Muththakeen, Waliyullah, Raliallahuan. Rishi, Muniwar, Yogi, Saints etc.,
However
In religion Islam, an Islam follower is called as a Muslim and a true follower is called as a Moomin.But In Spiritual Islam, only a purified soul is entitled to use the name Muslim. He can be Ahmad, John, Lee hwang, Jay Singh, Samarasekere, Ramasamy.He can be a Chinese, a Mongolian, an American, a German, a Tamil, a
Korean or an indigenous.It is that purified soul which is referred in the Quan as a believer (Muslim) Not to a person born to a family following Islam by birth.
In conclusion,
Life is sometimes IGNORANCE and sometimes a REALIZATION. Man has manifested (birth of his soul) on earth as a purified soul (muslim) When man living on earth he becomes insincere, immodest, noisy,
greedy, coward, selfish and impressive on earth. He takes everything belongs others willingly, enthusiastically, excessively and by force,
He is pretentious and cultivates demon qualities and attributes. He loses the purity of his soul becomes ignorant and prone to sins. He can neither be called a Muslim nor a believer but a shallow follower of his religion.
However
Man cannot get union (seek God – know God) with God unless he purifies his polluted soul. Man arafa nafsahu, fakad arafa Rabbahu – Sayings of Muhammed. His polluted soul has to undergo REALIZATION.
Like seeds, a man’s past good and bad actions are ready to germinate under the influence of a suitable environment. Every soul born on earth is available to blossom, ripen, awaken, flower, REALIZE and enlighten in his own time and own manner.
Azgar Nuhman – Freelance journalist and a Sufi author
