As is usual, the symbols { } are used to bring clarity to the reader.

Murder and mayhem! Where O where will it all end and why must such a thing be? That is a good question but the depths of that question can only be answered by ALLAH for sure. However, the outlying causes for this seemingly non-ending ‘hell’ is written in the records:

  1. This peaceful and tranquil world is both deceptive and illusionary causing man to forget his CREATOR LORD.

The life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But best is the Home in the Hereafter for those who are righteous. Will you not then understand?   Q (6: 32)

  1. Man commits errors in judgment and ignores the rules of the game (obedience to his CREATOR) and therefore he finds himself in a mess by stages from what his own hands have passed on before him.

Whatever misfortune happens to you, is because of the things YOUR HANDS HAVE PASSED ON, AND FOR MANY (A SIN) HE GRANTS FORGIVENESS.

Nor can you escape through the earth; nor have you, besides ALLAH, any one to protect or to help.       Q (42: 30-31)

  1. He got there in his arrogance when he swore fealty to ALLAH, which he eventually forgot by being dazzled by the potential ‘delights of this world’. He also voluntarily wanted to take on the challenge of a lifetime which according to the minds of men would be simple but in reality turned out to be a nightmare.

When your LORD drew forth from the Children of Adam – from their loins – their descendants and made them TESTTIFY concerning themselves (saying): “Am I not your LORD (WHO cherishes and sustains you)?” They said; “Yes! We do testify {acknowledge this our total dependence on YOU as a venerable fact}”! (This – {your sworn oath is being recorded} lest you should claim on the Last Day of Judgment: “Of this we were never mindful”:

Or lest you should say {as an unacceptable excuse because you took that oath for and on yourself} “Our fathers before us took false gods but we are (their) descendants after them: will YOU then destroy us because of the deeds of men who followed falsehood.     Q (7: 172-173)

WE did indeed offer the TRUST {of exalted excellence} to the Heavens and the Earth and the mountains but they refused to undertake it {the tests of leadership}, BEING AFRAID FROM THIS: BUT MAN UNDERTOOK IT: – HE WAS INDEED UNJUST AND FOOLISH {to himself};

(With the result) that ALLAH has to 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.       Q (33: 72-73)

  1. Because this is a beautiful but deceptively treacherous planet with so many pitfalls, traps and wonders, in order to keep this planet balanced, so the program can continue, there must be troubles, turbulence and wars so that one ‘notion’ (similar to the word idea) will not be allowed to swallow up the whole planet.

Abdullah bin Abbas stated: ‘The nation that is involved in misappropriation of trust (embezzlement), ALLAH will fill their hearts with terror for their enemies. The nation that is engaged in fornication, will experience great numbers of death. The nation that cheats in measure, will have their sustenance curtailed. The nation that legislates against the truth and justice, will experience great bloodshed and the nation that breaks it’s contracts, will be subdued by the enemy.’               (Mishkaat)

These thoughts don’t excuse war and mayhem; for the human soul must bring its ‘report card’ of success or failure with him on the Last Day of Judgment. If we all live in an atmosphere of candy land experiences, what would be the purpose of that and thus our so-called sincere actions would be totally suspect!

“The first obligation after Iman {faith} is the repulsion of the enemy aggressor who assaults the religion and the worldly affairs” {causing turmoil and degradation of the worshipers}. Ibn Taymiyyah.

By ALLAH’s Will, they routed them; and David slew Goliath; and ALLAH gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever (else) HE Willed. And did not ALLAH check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief: But ALLAH is full of bounty to all the worlds.     Q (2: 251)

(They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right, (for no cause) except that they say, “Our LORD is ALLAH.” Did not ALLAH check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of ALLAH is commemorated in abundant measure. ALLAH will certainly aid those who aid HIS (cause); for verily ALLAH is FULL OF STRENGTH, EXALTED IN MIGHT (ABLE TO ENFORCE HIS WILL).   Q (22: 40)

BUT AFTER THEM grew a lazy lot and/or those who valued the gift of faith as being something of a burden or a less-valued thing.

But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts, soon, then, will they face destruction

EXCEPT those who repent and believe and work righteousness: for these will enter the Garden and will not be wronged in the least.     Q (19: 59-60)

Therefore, by throwing off the protection of real devotion, they will eventually receive hardships upon themselves. Such hardships can be climate change or ecological disasters but they can also be ‘other cultures’ raising up who are ‘primitive’ in their thinking and behavior set loose to tear and rend and create havoc and bloodshed.

This has been a lesson to man from the very beginning. If one civilization messes with the Divine Laws and becomes super relaxed on one’s duties, the result will be hardships and tragedy for that civilization. And the souls that need that refreshing ‘kick in the stomach’ are put in place to receive that ‘kick’ as a ‘healing’ for their souls IF THEY CHOOSE TO COME BACK TO THE WAY, AND ACCEPT THEIR CONDITION AND ARE PATIENT UNTIL ALLAH WILL CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES HIMSELF – ALLAH ALONE KNOWS BEST.

“Do not look down upon any Muslim, for even the most inferior believer is great in the eyes of ALLAH.”    Abu Bakr

So, on understanding that this planet is, and always was, a testing ground and that this planet has a miniature microcosm of a very minute aspect of paradise and hell (feelings of exultation and feelings of wretchedness) or one can say contrasts of great climate with lush vegetation versus barren, harsh deserts with death one every side, one can see that Earth is indeed setup with a perfect and well-coordinated Divine Plan. Therefore, cursing the darkness due to ‘conditions’ or criticizing things beyond one’s knowledge is NOT the best way to go.

ALLAH did NOT tell people to ‘remain stupid’ or fall into a stupor or to except defeat. Rather one has to accept the current system and ‘work’ towards righting the ‘ship of life’ so to speak. Many people treat living or life in general as being born and ending at death. If this were so, most of the rules of ‘created reality’ would not make any sense. Once a person is created, he begins a journey until Judgement – wherever or however that may come about.

ALLAH’s PLAN is too complex and finely tuned to really understand it but we have been given the gist of it in Islam. That is like saying we have been given the gist of what ALLAH is by understanding HIS MOST HOLY NAMES. However, we are not able to comprehend fully as to ‘knowing’ of ALLAH but we don’t have to!

So, in reality the religion has been made easy for people who have ‘faith’ as JUDGED BY HIM and not by us! That simply means that you or I don’t even get to move our eyelashes if HE doesn’t permit it. That is how ‘high’ we are and how HIGH HE IS!

What does all this mean? Well, like any good self-correcting perfect machine, the system is flawless. Besides this, it is self-correcting, fluid and will (eventually) get a person to where he belongs in the Hereafter – the good place or the bad place when the ‘time appointed’ comes about. For the ‘good place’ that is for the one who puts his trust in ALLAH.

So conquering armies butchering people may sound evil but they are well-known by ALLAH and serve a purpose. Whose purpose do they serve? Most definitely, they serve HIS PURPOSE and conquering armies may be headed for Hell and defeated peoples may be headed for Paradise – eventually. This depends on the sincerity of turning to HIM in Truth and HIS COMMAND OF JUDGMENT and ACCEPTANCE. So, who do we serve in our hearts? If the answer, in truth is the ONE and ONLY GOD, then HIS GIFT of Paradise is a sure thing.

Some Muslim commentators on television have reported the ‘treachery’ of Paul as to him being a ‘closet villain’ against truth. What about this?

It would be better for all concerned to concentrate more on Tauheed, Aqeedah and character issues than trying to solve ancient riddles! Also, when dealing with Comparative Religion, it is better to stand fast on solid ground than move around a slippery slope! First of all, I classified Paul as a ‘generic’ Muslim and I stand by that statement and have written various things about that including how valuable or invaluable a ‘tool’ he became for those who had mischief in their hearts.

The big issue that some people harp on about is the following:

“For if the truth of GOD has more abounded through my lie {my deficiencies} unto HIS GLORY {GREATNESS}; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?”   Romans (3: 7)

He also is reported to have said; “For ALL have sinned {have deficiencies} and come short of the GLORY of GOD.”    Romans (3: 23)

However, due to 2 Peter (3: 15-16) written by Peter’s secretary (ALLAH KNOWS BEST):

even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you;

As also in ALL his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things HARD TO UNDERSTAND, WHICH THEY THAT ARE UNLEARNED AND UNSTABLE WREST, AS THEY DO ALSO THE OTHER SCRIPTURES, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION {DAMNATION}.

To keep it short, how to solve the problem by analogy? Well, Ibn Taymiyyah died and was buried in a Sufi cemetery. Why? Because he was a Sufi that is why! However, he had a higher calling than Sufidom and he wrecked a lot of phony Sufis because he knew the difference between reality and fraudulence.

Some Sufis have been attributed to saying strange, wild things like; ‘I became drunk from her wine’. This, might possibly mean that he became intoxicated through the wisdom of the religion? Anyway, most people claiming to be Sufi this or that are indeed frauds and deluded people.

Why can’t people learn to talk ‘just plain English’? Well, I understand that there are different ‘fruits in the basket’ of life and not everyone is white and comes from America. Still, it is a good idea to speak clearly and frankly to the general populace instead of ‘club talk’ if, of course, one knows that the human speech will be passed on to the general public as the Prophet’s Sunnah suggests. This means simply speak to the level of your audience so that they can understand what is going on.

So, what is the lesson here? The lesson here is that I AM NOT a Sufi, Selafi, Maliki, Hanafi or whatever. I am a Muslim first and foremost following mostly the school of ‘X’ but being very flexible so as to GROW in religious maturity and understanding with the understanding of loving Prophet Muhammad (pbh) and his Companions especially the first four Caliphs and that I should seek out lawful knowledge from the cradle to the grave!!!

Paul, the enigma, touched upon certain mysteries, such as ‘Principalities’ that if not clearly understood, might and in reality did, create certain havoc within the later community of so-called Christian scholars. Of course they were warned but the arrogant and bombastic among them NEVER seem to learn and that is one reason the mess was created.

From the article, ‘The god of the North: A Demagogue Arises’

“So HE (ALLAH) rewards the good and confuses the careless and throws off the constant rejecters who are in general condemned to never find their way {as they won’t repent from their errors}. That is because they have repeatedly been given chances and have thrown them away. So the foolish think that they can overcome (or outlast) THE GOD and that GOD’s Master Plan is WEAK. So much for GOD’s gifts! So as the Quran and other scriptures declare, those people are led to delusion by following or believing what is in their dispositions.

If ALLAH were to hasten for men the ill (they have earned) as they would fain hasten on the good, then would their respite be settled at immediately: But WE leave those who rest not their hope on their meeting with US, in their trespasses, wandering in blind distraction.    Q (10: 11)

But how to get them there? By telling the truth but having the truth sound a little complicated. Complicated enough to cause the devils among men to see what is not there and to be rewarded for it ( their selfish aggrandizement) while those who are careless and spurn clear knowledge will tag along after the one who colors the crime as a virtue. Hence, Brother Paul and his unintended mission. Mission accomplished!!! ALLAH ALONE KNOWS BEST!

Not by his smarts but by a Plan set in motion long ago. Truly, the whole world could have been made up of only all believers but that was not meant to be.

If it had been your LORD’s Will, they would ALL have believed – ALL who are on Earth. Will you then compel mankind against their will to believe?    Q (10: 99)”

 

How do we know that Jesus (pbh) was in the ‘tomb’ along with the dead man? According to Matthew (12: 39-40) Jesus would be alive during this time frame doing something special in deep concentration – perhaps as a special empath or one who could take upon himself that what has occurred to another and cause healing especially if those hurts came upon him – not from others but in the process of healing the ‘other’ and raising that individual to life. However, this concept is quite mindboggling and it would be better and much saner and rational to wait until his return for the most correct answer! ALLAH ALONE KNOWS BEST!!!

And he said unto them {those who had wrongful designs} “You will surely say to me this proverb”, ‘Physician, heal thyself: {for} whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, {you} do also here in your country {on yourself}.’    Luke (4: 22-23)

But he answered and said unto them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of the prophet Jonas:

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly {alive}; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth {alive}.”                                                       Matthew (12: 39-40)

Do the records show this possibility? Yes, but it needs understanding:

{She} Came behind him {Jesus} and touched {just} the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stopped.

And Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, “Master, the multitude throng about you and press about you and you want to know who touched you {as in ‘how is it possible’ that one can tell who touched you with so many people here in this throng}.

And Jesus said, “Somebody has touched me; for I perceive that {a healing} Virtue is gone out from me.      Luke (8: 44-46)

David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, has waded through many a sleepless nights, one can only suppose, in struggling with his anxiety about defeating ISIS especially on ‘homegrown’ soil. There are things in his so-called ‘plan’ that make sense. These things would be that Muslims learn about not being ignorant about their religion. That would be totally awesome and great, IF that was done especially since other religious populations are basically ignorant about their own religions.

O! The poor Muslims are being required to do what others are NOT being requested to do and that is stand up and show your Britishness! What exactly does the word ‘Britishness’ mean? Is it popping into a pub for a game of darts and a couple of mugs of beer? Is it listening to the Rolling Stones or the Beatles while strolling down the avenue with a cute little girlfriend like Twiggy? And when Jesus the Christ (pbh) returns, will he be expected to show his ‘Britishness’ if he were to ever live there?

Such stuff and nonsense is cloaked in the virtuous words of solidarity but in practical terms shows that religion, especially the Christian religion, as we are talking about Britain, is a ‘ritual’ of feel good and comfort of self especially if it requires little or no understanding. In other words, religion is a private thing that can be used in any way seen fit without actually studying it and to know what the (founder) of that faith actually required people to do for salvation!!!

Whatever one does, it is very impolite and rude to bring up the words of Jesus (pbh) and compare his ‘ideas’ with modern ‘Britain’. This is the same way throughout the whole world no matter the religion! Even the Hindus when challenged to go back to their original language and their most influential, authentic book, will refuse to act on it! Of course the book is holy like the Bible but having it and acting on it is like the difference between night and day!!!

One would like to see each group of earnest religious thinkers spend time in actually seeking out (with understanding and real truth as one’s guide) the various ways to get to the ‘Promised Land’. As we learn in life and also in religion, men and Earth are corrupting influences. Therefore, a once good ‘apple’ has now turned partially rotten, so go and get another apple but one that is newer. The same analogy holds for religion.

The older the religion is, the more I suspect it to have changed to some degree. Therefore, in all probability, the newer the religion (NOT sects or weird cults but religion with ‘massive followings’) should present a more ‘truer picture’ of what is really true versus what is considered fabricated. So, bring forth your evidence if you are telling the truth and without propping up one’s belief in covering up inconsistencies, compare and contrast the unity and harmony of the ‘Written Word’ with the actuality of what is logical. Be not afraid of what type of religion wins in the end. Just follow the clearest and most truthful of pathways to enhance one’s chances of spiritual success.