Because ALLAH is AL-Mubeen/AL-Zaahir (THE EVIDENT) we can use Comparative Religionin a constructive way showing the unity of the GODHEAD when it comes to the 3 religious expressions of Monotheism (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). We call upon HIM (the – Khayr-un Naasireen – the Best of Helpers) to help us in understanding ourselves and the universe around us in a profitable and uplifting way!
If one looks at the world in its terribly shattered state, then indeed! We are in troubled times! And what is meant by the phrase ‘the mind is the builder’!
By looking at the term ‘paralogism’ (Noun) paralogisms (pl.) = a piece of illogical or fallacious reasoning, especially one which appears on the surface to be superficially logical or which the reasoner believes to be logical – one can really feel that society is going to ‘hell in a handbasket’ idea!
Mind being the builder must piece together concepts into logical clumps in order to perceive the actual world around us as it appears to us in a rational, logical or even an illogical way.
Hence, people who continually harp on faulty reasoning processes like the world being flat, this election was stolen, a man who is turned into a ‘god’, an invader who blames the other side for having invaded and other numerous vices or Anti-christ like activities as opposed to what the GOOD BOOKS DECLARE (if they are read and correctly understood at all), have one thing in common: a diseased heart that leads to a diseased mind and hence, diseased choices come about!
So, as mind is the builder, it will build upon these influences or a set of actions whether they be moronic or rational and hence, what is built upon will be acted upon and followed as in the saying ‘birds of a feather flock together’! This, as to what has been put in place, will determine among many things the future admission into the devious club called the Gog and Magog:
Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri narrated that: the Prophet (pbh) said, “On the day of Resurrection ALLAH will say, ‘O Adam!’ Adam will reply, ‘Labbaik our LORD, and Sa`daik’. Then there will be a loud call (saying), ALLAH orders you to take from among your offspring a mission for the (Hell) Fire.’ Adam will say, ‘O LORD! Who are the mission for the (Hell) Fire?’ ALLAH will say, ‘Out of each thousand, take out 999.’ At that time every pregnant female shall drop her load (have a miscarriage) and a child will have grey hair. And you shall see mankind as in a drunken state, yet not drunk, but severe will be the torment of ALLAH.” (When the Prophet (pbh) mentioned this), the people were so distressed (and afraid) that their faces got changed (in color) whereupon the Prophet (pbh) said, “From Gog and Magog nine-hundred ninety-nine will be taken out and one from you. You Muslims (compared to the large number of other people) will be like a black hair on the side of a white ox, or a white hair on the side of a black ox, and I hope that you will be one-fourth of the people of Paradise.” On that, we said, “ALLAHU-AKBAR!” Then he said, “I hope that you will be) one-third of the people of Paradise.” We again said, “ALLAHU-AKBAR!” Then he said, “(I hope that you will be) one-half of the people of Paradise.” So we said, ALLAHU AKBAR.” (Bukhari)
Of course this hadith must be put in its proper setting and that should be done only by Islamic scholars as they might be able to explain the several factors being intertwined in this saying such that some may enter Hell-Fire for only a very brief time; some are appointed to enter but with Muhammad’s intervention some will be rescued from this fate as the sons of Adam will appeal to various prophets until they (mankind) have to come to the only one (Muhammad) that is appointed to help; some (worthless piece of trash) will be taken out from Hell by THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DO IT showing that HE AND HE ALONE (ALLAH) IS THE MOST MERCIFUL OF THE MERCIFUL and accomplishes what HE WILLS with no interference from anyone and etc.
So, the mind is the director moving the human being into certain choices as he either builds upon his status quo or reflects on changing or elevating his thought processes.
Thus, the human being has the right to be wrong and the right of self-correction until a certain period of time being that time at some point near his death rattle in which to enter the state of having a sincerity for being one who truly desires to believe! Or just before the sun rising from the west instead of the east. Hence, the saying:
You will know them by their fruits. Do {logical} men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?
Even so every good tree {of deeds} brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree {of deeds based on false and selfish ideals} brings forth evil fruit {destructive results}. Matthew (7:16-17)
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Luke (6:43)
Even a young man is known by his actions–whether his conduct is pure and upright. Proverbs (20:11)
Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear. Proverbs (25:12)
As in life, an extension or expression of reality can be found:
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet uses the expression – ‘to thine own self be true’ and this is an example of art imitating life. And how often has it been noted that art, as an expression, often mimics life?
And this corruption has been honed by the individual such that, that individual had planted his seed of desire and chosen by his own freewill to continue on his journey of delusional, self-destruction even when being admonished to do otherwise. Why?
It is a power trip that feeds the ego and the desire to elevate oneself based on pride and selfishness and not on the virtues preached by Holy Writ! Therefore, the meandering soul (going away from the LIGHT will find more comfort in darkness or devious behavior in order to believe in doing this makes him an elevated human being or someone clever and self-loving.
In reality that person defaces his spiritual beginnings and instead of dining with angels, he dines with swine! This reinforcement brings home the idea of ‘birds of a feather, flock together’ (for their comfort in belonging and anointing themselves as winners instead of the real reality of them being losers)!
“What led {all of} you into Hell Fire?”
They will say: “We were not of those who prayed;
“Nor were we of those who fed the indigent;
“But we used to talk vanities with vain talkers;
“And we used to deny the Day of Judgment,
“Until there came to us (the Hour) {the final time of sorting out} that is certain.”
Then will no intercession of (any) intercessors profit them.
Then what is the matter with them that they turn away from admonition?
As if they were affrighted asses,
Fleeing from a lion!
Rather, every person among them desires that he would be given scriptures spread about.
By no means! But they do not {even} fear the Hereafter,
Nay, this surely is an admonition:
Let any who will, keep it in remembrance! Quran (74:42-55)
Because above all we are spiritual bodies which don’t decay, living inside physical bodies which do decay and change, we have the connector which is the mind that connects the spirit essence with the physical essence yielding actions of the body as to giving off its expressions of hate, love, likes, dislikes, etc.
Therefore, the mind then can direct the body to function towards achieving results/actions on this planet. This boils down to actions of good or evil depending on how elevated or corrupt the individual has become.
In the beginning, we were only a spiritual essence and could ‘feel’ alive in the harshness of space which had no meaning for us as to our survival. But when we obtained a physical body, we were put under the physical laws of the universe. And like the physical stars in the heavens, we must be born and grow and die by having our physical state altered!
For that is the medium we find ourselves in! That is the physical world with a physical presence as dictated by the CREATOR to WHOM from before we have pledged our unswerving loyalty.
Therefore, it is the fruits garnered by the individual that will determine his acceptance or rejection on the Last Day of Judgment. A perfect and flawless system taking into account all things and giving one’s soul a chance to be either elevated or condemned by their own activities which were pledged from before when most men hastily took on the CHALLENGE (Quran 33:72)
HE {THE ONE GOD} will (then) amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys ALLAH and HIS Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.
WE did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it; {for} he was indeed unjust and foolish {and unprincipled (hasty) in his behavior}
(With the result) that ALLAH has to {now} punish the Hypocrites, men and women, and the Unbelievers, men and women, and ALLAH turns in Mercy to the Believers, men and women: for ALLAH is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Quran (33:71-73)*
This is the reason why we are told to make dhikr or invocation (supplication) to our LORD so as to bring back a remembrance to whom we really are and to strengthen the spiritual bond which does not die and so become aligned with the spiritual forces for Good and not evil!
Hence, we are told correctly with 100% surety of success to follow and obey Prophet Muhammad (pbh) in acceptance and good cheer – as much as we are capable of doing!
*By a default in understanding Quranic verse (33:72), it seems very logical that this event took place in the spirit realm before mankind had a GOD-given body-type. And the only lawful, physical body-type concerning humans that we know of was the singular creation of Adam who was ‘directly formed’ by the ONE GOD!
And they {mankind} will be marshalled before the LORD in ranks (with the announcement), “Now you have come to US (BARE) {without flesh} as WE created you FIRST: aye, you thought that WE should not fulfil the {promised} appointment made to you to meet US!” Quran (18:48)
The rest of the bodies were formed from Adam and his partner’s interaction to multiply the species or to have pure vessels so that the spirits (souls) could enter into this type of existence legally. Therefore, it does make sense that the following Biblical verse is an earlier interpretation of man’s spiritual domain before the ‘Challenge’ found in Quranic verse (33:72) occurs:
The Earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the spirit of GOD (our collective consciousness) was hovering over the face of the waters. Genesis (1:2)
If this is a cyclical process, we now have a further explanation of the Prototype ADAM and our adam which may be derived from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas’ declaration concerning the 7 heavens and the 7 earths found in the Quran and discussed in the Tafseer Bil-Ma’thur by Imam Suyuti. To be blunt – one should leave it at that!
The reason for this is that each soul is responsible for its own destiny: salvation or damnation! There is no ‘let’s hook ourselves up to someone’s lucky star. Besides, Islam does not require one to go beyond the limits set by the Prophet of Islam (pbh).
The Prophet Muhammad (pbh) once asked a companion: “(Is it true) that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night?” The companion replied that the report was indeed true. The Prophet then said: “Do not do that! Observe the fast sometimes and also leave (it) at other times. Stand up for prayer at night and also sleep at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you and your wife has a right over you.” (Bukhari)
The Prophet Muhammad (pbh) said: “Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. . .Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise).” (Bukhari)
And so it goes!
