Re: Philosophy of hedonism
Peace diwana
I want to address your assumptions above. Firstly I do admire some of the Sufi positions, but many of the things said about them are misnomas. Firstly, this idea of people becoming lazy that cannot be true, because one article of Sufis is to undertake khidma of society. That is to do work for random people and ask for nothing in return.
Okay ... now I want to deal with your statement:
To try to become like the angles is not only degrading the importance and value of being human but also to negate the intention of Allah.
I am going to say my bit and you can say what you like after this because I believe arguments are wrong and furthermore about these issues. What I have argued about our purpose of life is from the scripture. The meanings are taken from hadith and commentaries of Sahabis and from contemporary scholars of today.
Okay so here is my explanation and please try to understand it this time.
There is the animal and there is the animal condition
There is the angel and there is the angelic condition
Angels are a form of being whose worship is perfect however they don't have an animalistic disposition that makes it difficult for them to worship. Humans on the other hand are in great disadvantage ... this concept is Qur'anic. To find the truth, to be put in this world whilst forgetting the previous existence and to have desire and then the Shaitan let alone all the physical obstacles in this life is our disadvantage. When man can exceed and conquer these to purify and polish his worship and focus on God whilst ignoring these distractions makes him better than even the angels.
It is true that Allah (SWT) has given us carnal desires but it is also true that we are expected to be in charge of them not to let them be in charge of us. He has put blessing in us to our animal conditions in halal things only, but sin if we use them for haram things. These conditions are for us here on this Earth and in reward we are inshaAllah due many fold more bounties of similar nature but pure ones.
Every pleasure in this Earthly life is attached to fatigue, but the pleasures of Akhirah in Jannah are not tainted with this fatigue, they are pure and abundant. The condition of Jannah is pleasure and it may even be akin to sensual pleasure. But what greater pleasure can there be to see ones Lord? That it is in our fitrah to be attracted to beauty therefore to be attracted The Beautiful is only natural ... this attraction is best served by love and love is the highest form of worship. It goes to show that people who absorb themselves in temporary and worldly pleasures are worshipping those things. It does not mean we are not allowed to enjoy pleasures, yes, but our focus must be Allah (SWT) and for every pleasure we experience we thank Allah (SWT). This is my position and I wish not to argue any more on this topic.