What will take for you to say, I have had enough of a God who tests me, puts me through trials and afflictions, yet doesn’t do anything about it…
Everyone has a breaking point…For some it may simply be boredom, being bored of life despite having everything, for someone a loss of a child, a parent, poverty, loss of a spouse, loss of subsistence…It could be anything…It could be something which shakes the very foundation of your belief in the Almighty…
I don’t want rote responses such as, ‘oh, I have strong enough faith never to be shaken by Him…’…That’s a load of crap…Everyone’s faith is shaken once in a while…However, what would be the breaking point of your faith in which you become so fed up that you rebel against God and try and find ways to shun His commands…
Ever thought about it?
It is OK to assume in a position of comfort to lull yourself into a belief that your faith is rock solid and that nothing can put a dent in it…But trust me, God has a way of testing His subjects with some very strange circumstances…
Keep in mind belief for me starts from the 5 daily prayers, not just the agnostic view of ‘someone being up there’, so if you miss out on this criteria alone, you don’t have much faith to begin with, so this whole argument is sort of moot for you…
So, what would it take for you to finally say, WTF man?
Re: What will it take to shake your belief in God?
hmm, i think mentally u'll always know hez up there, and iwth you at all times, all mighty, all knowing and all wise.
but in ur heart, you may not feel him all the time...but yes, there are some breakeven points, where you just wonder if u've gone beyond ur capacity. If you're being punished instead of being tested.
But Mentally u'll always know...he loves u more than you love urself.
What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
What will take for you to say, I have had enough of a God who testing me, putting me through trials and afflictions, so let's just get down accept His trials and be a good believer...
Everyone has a breaking point...For some it may simply be boredom, being bored of life despite having everything, for someone a loss of a child, a parent, poverty, loss of a spouse, loss of subsistence...It could be anything...It could be something which shocks you to the very foundation into obeying and believing wholeheartedly in the Almighty...
I don't want rote responses such as, 'oh, I already have a strong belief and I don't need to be shocked into believing in Him...'...That's a load of crap...Everyone's faith is revived and renewed once in a while...However, what would be the moment in your faith in which you become so fed up that you just embrace God and try and find ways to obey His commands and please Him as best as possible...
Ever thought about it?
It is OK to assume in a position of comfort to lull yourself into a belief that your faith is rock solid and that nothing more can strengthen it...But trust me, God has a way of testing His subjects with some very strange circumstances...
Keep in mind belief for me starts from the 5 daily prayers, not just the agnostic view of 'someone being up there', so if you miss out on this criteria alone, you didn't get much of a shock or faith to begin with, so this whole argument is sort of moot for you...
So, what would it take for you to finally say, aight man, let's do it?
Re: What will it take to shake your belief in God?
I came very close to it during some extreme testing times in 2004, but after a brief period of bewilderment, it just made my faith stronger. This was after the death of my children.
Back in younger days, after someone very close to me was attacked and murdered in pakistan (you may have heard of iffat awan case) I had walked away from religion for some time, while I did not stop calling myself a muslim or gave up belief in god, I was mostly indifferent towards religion. That was temporary although over a long period of time, but things returned to normal for me eventually.
I dont want to think what would make me say WTF and walk away. I dont want to be tested like I have been tested already, or close to it, or more.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
Initially in the other thread you said it sort of made you walk away from religion...Is it the same things which after much pondering brought you back?
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
when i walked away from religion I was 19, at the most extreme, I was a muslim by name but agnostic in my actions. I did not pray for a long time, did not fast, etc etc. The awakening at that time took place because a good friend of mine an Indian named Hari started asking about islam, I had to study, and while it was more from an academic viewpoint, reading it brought me closer, and alhumdulillah showed Hari the right path as well.
In 2004 which was my most trying times, I was angry at god, I was upset, but I knew there was more to it, especially because I had an experience months before that kept me thinking about it more. The only peace I could find was in prayer, and only ay I could make sense of it was thru faith, and as I looked at not just the best outcome, but also the worst outcome that we could have seen, with the sense of loss came a sense of thankfulness. I dont know any more than that, why, but I am closer to God now than I have been at any time in my life.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
Talking about the greatness of Allah, and continously praising Allah. Remembering Allah in good times, and in bad times. Reminding others, through dawah and tableegh, who is the Creator and Doer of all things, and to Whom all affairs go for decisions.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
Yes. There’s no ceiling for hidayah (guidance), which brings you closer to your Creator. In spiritual sense, the purpose of life is to attain the highest success of all - success in the heirafter. The worldly gains and losses are all but transient. Obedience of the Creator, sacrifice (in any shape or form); strengthen one’s faith and give understanding as to what the real purpose of one’s life ought to be.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
the word is 'hidayaT not hidayah.
how do you know that the ‘creator’ actually wants you to be close to him? you’d bore him to death!.
did you see these nangoo pangoo folks?
they have forsaken all ‘wordly gains and losses’ and seem to have a pretty darn good ideas of a ‘purpose’ of life. Why haven’t you joined them yet? One of them has a nice shiny digital camera for taking pictures of other nangoo pangoo sadhoos.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
Yaar, I recently saw the movie Star Gate, again. They had these poor Egyptian folk praying to these alien extra terrestrials and believed all the lore and stories. When I hear people talk like that, it reminds me of that movie. Those poor egyptian peeps remembered those alien gods in everything they did.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
You draw your religious spirituality and inspiration from movies?
What if you were born during the times to Isa :as: and saw him revive the dead, heal the lepers, cure the blind or saw Musa :as: when he parted the Red Sea or when Egypt was hailed with burning fire? Would you draw any spirituality from those?
Naysayers have always been there, from the time of Nuh :as:, Lut :as:, the people of Aad e.t.c…They met their ruin…
Do these incidents not affect you in anyway or do you believe that they are just make believe stories?
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
It’s not the Creator, who is in need of creations, it is the other way around. We are the ones in continuous need of Creator’s mercy and forgiveness.
No one is asking to forsake the world at any level. That’s not the point. However, don’t be unabridged and grieved by the success and losses of this world; that the real purpose of life is let go.
Clearly, any loss in the heirafter is extravagant, and so is the success and cannot be compared to anything in this world.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
The existance and oneness of the Creator is faultless. If you don’t deny that, then why not praise the Creator, and do the deeds that He is well pleased with one.
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
What’s wrong with that? The entire world is drawing all sorts of inspriation, ideas of romance, love, health, truth and god knows what else from the entertainment media. Haven’t you seen Iron Chef?
I would if ALL that actually happened. Historical Jesus was an angry child who used to beat up other kids. Metaphorical biblical tales weren’t the literal events people have learned to believe.
If they don’t believe our lore, their doom is nigh. Why don’t you provide a better argument.
They are exaggerations. Did you konw that benazir once claimed that dirt from her father’s grave cured illnesses?
Re: What will it take to strengthen your belief in God?
yaar, why does the creation take itself so seriously that it needs "continuous need of Creator's mercy and forgiveness." Creator is a one cruel, sadistic person, I tell ya.
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No one is asking to forsake the world at any level. That's not the point. However, don't be unabridged and grieved by the success and losses of this world; that the real purpose of life is let go.
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did you see those nangoo-pangoos? they 'let go'.
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Clearly, any loss in the heirafter is extravagant, and so is the success and cannot be compared to anything in this world.
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How can you learn to swim sitting in your living room and watching National Geographic speacials. If you want to master the water, go to the water.
