I often wonder what I should respond with when I am asked what do you believe. Truth is, what I believe changes with the experiences I have. I don't know what it is I believe really, I am more interested in experiencing life than contemplating the meaning of it. I think we find meaning as we journey down the path. I do think there is no big plan, there is no ending to our paths. We are made of energy and energy doesn't disappear, it simply disapates. What do you think?
What is it truly to experience? Life is so extremly short, one day you turn 16 and the next they turn you in to your grave. On the authority of Abdullah bin Omar, who said: The messenger of Allah took me by the shoulder and said: "Be in the world as though you were a stranger or a wayfarer." Life is basicly waking up, eating and going back to sleep. When I think back at my life and every pleasure from material things I´ve ever experiences it feels so meaningless and short. The (material) things which ye are given are but the conveniences of this life and the glitter thereof; but that which is with Allah is better and more enduring: will ye not then be wise? [Al-Qasas 28.60] So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised!- [AL-MAARIJ 70.42]
I just tell people I believe in life. It kinda bugs me to hear people talk about how meaningless life is and that the only things worth experiencing are beyond the grave. If you ask me, whatever else happens you are guaranteed to experience death and whatever lies beyond some day, so there is no reason why you shouldn't take advantage of life on this wonderful planet while you are here. Why live for a fairy tale death when you can live for a real-life paradise on earth. Earth is what you make of it, after all. Of course that isn't to say that you shouldn't seek the gods, but I see no reason why someone cannot seek both the god of their choice and a pleasant life on Earth. After all, what kind of god would make an amazing planet like Earth with snowy mountains and computers and trees and flowers and dogs and butterflies and big exciting cities and quiet comfy villages and sunsets and cool breezes in the summer and delicious hot tea on a cold morning and quiet streams and raging rivers and many other wonderfull things, and then tell his/her people that they must live for death. Life is for living, death is for dying. Whatever happens you're getting both, so you might as well make the best of it while you can.
What I mean by experiencing is to recognize every moment. They way you or I veiw life is little more than state of mind. I try to be a filter to all I see and hear and feel. I want to let it flow through me so I can keep what is worthwhile and let the rest pass right through me. Experiencing life is embracing every moment of it.
Embracing every moment of life is not as easy to do as to say though is it? There is no person in this world that can claim that s/he enjoys every second of life but appearently many people try to. Allah(may he be exalted) is just and he gives the one who wants to enjoy this life as much as possible the means of doing so but, Allah(may he be exalted) says (interpretation of the meaning): Whosoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world, We give him thereof, and he has no portion in the Hereafter.[Shura 42.20] Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of this world. But the good righteous deeds that last, are better with your Lord for reward and better for hope.[Kahf 18:46] If you do want so you can enjoy, enjoy as much as you like and can but do remember that the refrainer of pleasures -death- will reach you and if we would follow your suggestion that the hereafter doesn't exist and that you will just lie in a grave forever then you and I have both lost but if we would follow the truth which messanger after messanger has delivered to his people then indeed those who disbelieve would never prosoper. Allah(may he be exalted) asks an interesting question, as he says (interpretation of the meaning): Say: Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds.[Kahf 18:103-104] By the way Il be leaving tomorrow, inshallah to Syria for one month which means that I would probably not be online as much.
Yes yes, we're going to hell. The BOOK says you must make your life miserable so the BOOK won't hate you. All praise the mighty BOOK! For the BOOK says that we must not enjoy anything or do anything which would make us happy because death is the ultimate goal of life. Maybe if I cut off my pinky finger the BOOK would really be impressed and give me extra cake when I'm dead. Why stop there though? I really should just forgoe all pleasure, eat nothing but oatmeal and break my lower back so I'm paralysed and won't worry about my dirty evil penis anymore. I should probably also squirt boiling oil up my nose so I can't smell anymore and rip out my eyes so I can't see anything which would give me pleasure. Then I'll just lay in a hospital bed for the rest of my life reciting lines from the BOOK and the BOOK would love me so much for it he would send everyone else to hell so I can have heaven all to myself when I die. After all, why the heck would the BOOK want us to enjoy our time on this planet that the BOOK claims to have created?
hahaha I don't think a person should "enjoy" every moment of thei life, I think people should recognize as much as possible and find some kind of ryhme or reason when the hard times hit. But I am not gonna believe something or do something because a book says I should. That would not require very much thought on my part if I let someone do my thinking for me...
