Is Buddha considered a prophet?

Some say so.

It is possible given his teachings (God, devil, heaven, hell, do good, etc).

Also there is a mysterious character mentioned in the Qur’an called Dhul Kifl

The name means “the one from K-f-l” - which is the same as “the one from K-p-l” (Arabic has no “p” and the equivalent letter is “f”)

So how does this mean Buddha?

Guatama Siddhartha was a prince born in “Kapil(vastru)”

so he was “the one from Kapil/Kifl”

anyhow - that's one theory to explain it.

Other explanations for the name include Ezekiel - however that is not accurate because Ezekiel is mentioned in Hadith as Hizkil.

God knows best

[2:31-33] God's answer to the angels

"and He (God) taught Adam (the first human) 
Nouns (the properties/attributes of things),
all of it (language)
then he (Adam) explained them (the meaning of things) to the angels

so He (God) said (to the angels):
    'give me news of these (things') nouns (that they had just been explained by Adam)
    if you are truthful"

"they (the angels) said:
    glory be to You (God)
    no knowledge to us
    except what You taught us
    Truly You are the Knower the Wise"

"He (God) said
    'O Adam, give them (angels) news of their (things) nouns (/names)'
so when he gave news of their nouns, He (God) said:
    'didn't I say to you (angels)
         indeed I know unseen of the skies and the earth
         and I know what you (angels) make apparent
         and what you were concealing"
[2:31-33]

This verse is a continuation of the heavenly conversation being held between the angels and God about the creation of humans.  God reveals to the angels His wisdom behind creating human beings that are capable of acts of both good and evil (corruption, bloodshed, etc) and ultimately what humans have that angels do not!

Language (and Intelligence)

• God taught Adam (the first human) Nouns (literally; "the names" or "Names").  This not only indicates that Adam knew what things were called, but that he was given the ability to refer to objects via words and symbols (as opposed to simply showing the objects themselves like animals, or young babies - a unique ability). 
• All of "it" (a feminine singular) possibly referring to "language" - i.e. the ability to manipulate nouns via verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc (symbolic reasoning).  It is believed that language is intrinsically linked to intelligence. And hence, the ability to manipulate symbols implies Adam had intelligence.  
• This also indicates there was an "Adamic language" which all subsequent languages are ultimately derived from - this would explain why all languages have a common structure and it is a well accepted theory that all languages today stem from one common, ancestral language.

Teaching (and Intelligence)

• Adam explained (literally "demonstrated") the meaning of objects by talking about them to the angels ( An ability to talk on his own and convey meanings! this is something artificial intelligence cannot fully do yet - though there are some which pass the turing test, they are far from true semantic manipulation - like we humans are able to do).

Unsupervised Learning (and Intelligence)

• After Adam had explained their meanings to the angels, God tells the angels to explain what they had been explained by Adam. However, they respond that they cannot learn anything other than what God had taught them directly.  It is analogous to a computer which is programmed or trained beforehand with knowledge (supervised learning) vs a computer which can learn new knowledge in real-time (unsupervised learning).   Thus God highlights to us the gift that humans have yet angels lack (since humans are able to learn new knowledge, unsupervised, in the world we live in, during real time)
• Whereas Angels merely repeat what they have been told to do.  They retain information but do not manipulate it.  They are simply stone floors that hold puddles of water.   Human beings, however, are soil that can absorb the water and grow green sprouts or weeds.  they can manipulate the information given and form links to create NEW information.  This is the basis of unsupervised learning.   These links can be lateral and random (as with purely creative thoughts or mixed up dreams) or they could be logical (as with mathematics, science and language, etc - inference, deduction, abstraction, etc).  To deny our innate ability to create "links" between information would be to deny a God-given gift to humanity.  We are not angels that merely transmit information - we are humans that can grow new information - which explains humanities innate tendancy to diverge on every issue, whereas angels would be united and unopinionated. Unfortunately, this "gift" also carries the risk of growing weeds among the plants (false information or conclusions - but then again, it can be argued that we learn more from mistakes than anything else)

After God reveals to the angels part of His wisdom for the creation of humanity, He reminds them that He knows everything (even the unseen things - forces, microorganisms, atoms, spirits, etc), including what is made apparent or concealed by people or angels (e.g. inner thoughts, intentions, desires, etc)

So to summarise:
humanities innate tendencies to kill and cause corruption in the earth are side effects of our God given ability to teach, learn and talk (hallmarks of true intelligence).
The double-edged sword of Intelligence

Historically, was the punishment for apostasy in Judaism the death penalty?

Although many will claim that you cannot leave Judaism, was it always the case?

6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
[Deuteronomy 13:6-11]

This is reminiscent of the penalty for apostasy in Islam:
“It is not permissible to shed the blood of a Muslim who bears witness that there is no god except God and that I am His Messenger, except in one of three cases: a soul for a soul (i.e., in the case of murder); a married man who commits adultery; and one who leaves his religion and splits form the group (main group of Muslims).” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6878; Muslim, 1676)

“Whoever changes his religion, execute him.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2794).

However, it should be noted that:
"Not every Muslim who falls into kufr is a kaafir and apostate. There are reasons why a Muslim may be excused and not judged to be a kaafir, for example: ignorance, misunderstanding, being forced, and making mistakes". 
[http://islamqa.info/en/14231]

How can I tell the difference between my own thoughts and God's voice?

Even the prophets and messengers of God hear His message via angels, visions, dreams, etc (as opposed to hearing God’s voice directly - that is a rare thing in history).

But we are not in that category. So we simply have to worry about differentiating between our own thoughts and Satan’s voice!

What do you do to go to heaven?

Behave as a good child would behave toward his/her parent.

They would be…

Obedient.

Helpful to their brothers and sisters.

Doing the chores that are given to them.

Not rejecting their parent’s authority.

Not claiming that they have more parents or no parents. etc

What if i believe in Allah but I'm not a Muslim, will i still burn in Hell?

action without belief is fruitless - belief without action is dead

The son of Mary a.s. said it best in [James 2:14–19]

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.

16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?

17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

If logic is done correctly, can it be used to answer all questions humans ask?

Logic fails at self-referencing statements.

Lets take this statement: “i am a liar, right?”.

It cannot be analysed logically because it refers to itself and becomes infinitely recursive (you would never come to a conclusion regarding its truth).

E.g.

   If i am telling the truth

      then my statement ("i am a liar, right") is true

         thus i must be lying.

But If i am lying

   then my statement ("i am a liar, right") must also be false

      so i am not a liar

         hence i must be telling the truth.

But if I am telling the truth...

   (And so the recursive cycle goes on).

What is a good version of the Qu'ran for an outsider?

To be honest most translations in english that ive read are quite bad. The international one (abdullah yusuf ali) uses archaic words and doesnt translate the word God into english making it seem like the arabic word "Allah" is a proper name..whreas it simply translates to "The God".

There is the Dr. Muhsin Khan translation which adds hadith into the translation and provides almost every possible translation for arabic words which can have more than one english equivalent. However this is far too confusing for someone who wants to just study the quran in its pure form.

There was a nice project which attempted to translate the quran into english and keep the rhyming prose. It was very good and captured alot of the beauty from the original arabic but it wasnt completed (the immaculate rose was its title). Here is an extract. (Chapter 94 consolidation)

It is possible that the majority of translations are bad because the translators are native english speakers and hence lose the essence of the more advanced arabic literary techniques in the quran. The best english translation ive come across which use clear easy to comprehend fluent english are by native arabic speaking translators.

The best (in my opinion) by an egyptian translator

• The Qur'an (2004), by M.A.S. Abdel-Haleem, is published by Oxford World Classics.

Followed closely by a jewish iraqi convert who does a good job of linking certain verses to the old scriptures

• The Koran (1956) by N. J. Dawood is published by Penguin. Dawood, a native Arabic speaker from Iraq's now defunct Jewish community, is said to have preferred comprehensibility to literalism in translation, making his version comparatively easy to read. The first edition of the Dawood translation rearranged the chapters (suras) into more or less chronological order, but later editions restored the traditional sequence.

Finally. If you want to study it more deeply. Word for word. There is the online arabic corpus (corpus.quran.com). It allows you to check the exact meaning of each arabic word and its usage throughout the quran. Including root words.

Is it haram to win money in competitions?

There is a misconception held by most muslims. They think it is the money that makes gambling haram (forbidden). Its not. Its the element of chance.

The qur'an forbids all "games of chance" (maiser). Meaning if a game is based more on chance (like roulette) than skill (like chess) then it is forbidden.

Most game have a mixture of both so you should see if the element of chance is greater than the element of skill. If any noob could beat an experienced player then you know it is more chance based.

In fact the wisdom behind this rule is partly to avoid people winning unjustly. If someone wins a game of their skill this is fair. Yet if someone unskilled beats another player more deserving, this is unfair and can quickly lead to arguments between the players (especially if they have invested money into the game). These arguments cause division and it is this which is truly evil. It can also get someone used to the idea of winning without working hard for it, etc. So there are many bad effects.

So like most laws in islam, this is preventative. It isnt so much the game of chance itself which is evil, but it is a road to evil.

God knows best

Why are muslim women allowed to look at unveiled men?

Perhaps men would also have to veil themselves if they faced the same risks that many women do. However, outside of prison, "unveiled" men are not usually subject to harrassment, molestation or rape (God forbid), and if they are it is hardly ever by women. Sadly, the reverse cannot be said for "unveiled" women.

Like many rules in islam, this one is preventative. Its a "safet first" type mentality.

Sure it is slightly oppressive to women, just as seat belts are oppressive to people riding in cars, however it is for a greater good.

Y-H-W-H

Y-H-W-H is written (in Arabic) as:  يهوه
"O He (who is) His"
Y = O
H-W = He (is)
H = His

The name Y-H-W-H is a name of God used in the Bible.
It is pronounced (in Hebrew and Arabic) as "yehuweh" with the vowels - or if pronounced quickly - "yehuwh"
(think about the name "Matthew" - the "ew" is the shortened sound for this Holy name)

Al Khidr (Nature) and Al Qadr (Fate)

In the Qur'an, chapter of the Cave (18), there is a mysterious story of Moses (a.s.) and his boy (Joshua a.s.) setting off to meet a servant of God whom had more knowledge than Moses (a.s.). Unlike many stories found in the Qur'an, this one is unique as it is not found paralleled in any other source or scripture. 

The servant whom Moses (a.s.) met was called "Al Khidr" (The Green).  The title "THE green" indicates that this may not necessarily be a person since a person is not usually called "the" green, rather they would be called "Green one" if it were a description.  Therefore it is more than likely that "al-khidr" is a metaphor or personification of "nature" itself.

Nature (Al Khidr) is God's servant and it, like everything else, acts by following God's decree (Al Qadr). Al-Khidr said: "...and I did not do it of my own will..." [18:82].  The core message of this story is a question asked by many atheists "why would God allow natural acts of evil to happen to good people?" (e.g. one example given in this story is of "al-khidr" / "nature" killing an innocent child - which often happens in the form of diseases, accidents, wars, etc). 

God addresses this sensitive issue by teaching us that everything decreed by God (including the bad things) happens for a good reason and we will only ever understand this reason if we are patient and wait to see the benefit that comes from such disastrous events. However, as human beings, we were created forgetful and may find ourselves questioning God's decree and decisions which seem unjust, wrong, forbidden and even evil (just as Moses a.s. did with al-khidr).  But we must remember in these times to remain patient because God's wise plan will be revealed in good time ("...That is the interpretation of that which you could not have patience" [18:82]).

[2:30] The angels' question about the creation of humans

"and when your Lord said to the angels:
      'Truly I am creating a successor in the Earth'
They said:
      'are you creating in it (earth) one who corrupts in it (earth)
       and sheds Blood
       and we glorify with Your praise
       and we hallow You?'
He said:
     'Truly I know what you all do not know'"
[2:30]

This is a heavenly conversation taking place between God and the angels. 
The angels ask God why would He create humans (not just the first human: Adam a.s.) when they are capable of committing acts of evil (i.e. corruption, killing, etc).  They further add that angels are capable to do the good deeds (e.g. glorifying God, hallowing God, etc) already - so how could that be the reason for creating human beings, especially since they are capable of diluting their good deeds with evil deeds.
God's reply to the question implies there is a very good reason that only God knows.

From this verse,
1) we learn about God

• God created humans after He created the angels and Earth
• God knows all and we do not (implying God always has a good reason for doing anything, it is not just done thoughtlessly without reason, so we should trust His wisdom even if we do not know what it is.  When we question God it should be done with the intention that there is a good reason, we simply would like Him to reveal to us the answer.  The wrong intention would be to question God as if He made a mistake or did something without reason because He knows all and is Most Wise, yet our knowledge and intellect is very limited.  It is like a student who questions a chess grandmaster why he would sacrifice his queen - the grandmaster knows full well why he did it, but perhaps the student is not ready for that lesson)

2) we learn about the Angels

• Angels can ask questions
• Angels know the possible consequences of humans
• Angels do glorify and hallow God

3) we learn about humans

• humans were created to be successors on Earth (implying that we will stay a while, then die, but a younger generation will succeed after we are gone. It could also mean that Adam a.s. was placed to succeed other beings already living on the Earth - jinn?)
• humans are capable of causing corruption in the Earth and killing (shedding blood)

 

[2:29] earth and sky

"He is the one who created for you all that is in the earth

then He sought to proportion the sky

so He proportioned them seven skies.

and He is knower of all things"

[2:29]

This verse adds to the reasons why it would not be wise to reject God.

• Everything on Earth was created for us!!! (in other words - were we not to be created, this world may not be created!  This may emphasise the fact that this life is merely a test / simulation - not a place of everlasting joy)
• God knows everything

As a display of God's knowledge, He reveals some secret knowledge of how the skies were made.

• The skies are proportioned (not random)
• There are 7 skies

[2:28] Life & Afterlife

"How (can) you reject God?
and you were dead so He gave you life
then He brings you death then He gives you life
then to Him you return"
[2:28]

Birth

Death

Resurrection

Judgement

This verse gives us good reasons not to become a rejecter (kafir):

• Birth:  God gave us life when we were dead (so we should be grateful)
• Death:  all living things die, it is decreed by God (so we should be mindful of Him and not just think life is about fun and play)
• Resurrection: this is a reminder that there is an afterlife, that death is not the end, but the transition to the next life -and resurrection day (yowm el-qiyamah)  (so we should be doubly mindful and doubly grateful)
• Judgement: after we are resurrected from our graves, then we will be returned to God for the day of judgement (yowm el-deen) regarding our intentions and actions in this life - the outcome of which will determine our place in paradise or hell.

[2:27] The disobedient

"(The disobedient are...)

those who break God's promise after its contract

and they cut up what God ordered in it

to reach corruption in the earth

They are the losers"

[2:27]

From this verse we learn about the behaviours of a disobedient person (al-fasiq):

• They are the losers
• They break God's promise that they agreed to follow (if they would do this for God's promise, then they would do it for anyone's)
• They cut up God's orders (pick and choose and take them out of context) to cause corruption (e.g. take the verses of jihad to justify killing innocent people, etc)

[2:26] God's Parables

"....so as for those who believe
so they know that it (the example) is the truth from their Lord
and as for those who reject
so they say 'what did God intend by this example?'

He leads many astray with it (the example)
and He guides many with it

and He doesn't lead (one) astray with it except the disobedient"
[2:26]

From this verse we learn:

• God's examples are sometimes clear and sometimes obscure (especially those which are explaining deeper meanings or those which humanity does not yet understand.  Many examples that were once obscure have become clear as modern science develops).  When there is an example which is not immediately clear...
• a believer will know it is the truth simply because God said it (regardless of whether they comprehend it or not)
• if they did not accept it until they understood it, they would be a rejecter
• God's examples can guide people (those who grasp its true meaning) or lead people astray (those who misunderstand its true meaning). 
• For example, "He exits from between the spine and ribs" [86:7].

• properly understood, this verse reads: "He (i.e. man) exits from between the spine and ribs (i.e. the womb)". The confusion may occur because the verse immediately preceding talks of mans development during the stages as a sperm cell.  It then jumps to his stages as a baby in the womb.  This is a perfect medical summary of man's development and so those who understand its proper meaning are guided through this example.
• However, many have been lead astray because they misunderstand the proper meaning of the verse - they mistakenly think the verse refers to "the sperm" (mentioned in the previous verse) rather than to "man" mentioned in the first verse, which would be a contradiction since sperm does not exit from between the spine and ribs. So many people hastily conclude that such an error cannot be in a book of God and thus reject the Qur'an and become more misguided. 
• 
  
• God only leads astray someone who is disobedient.  This shows us the importance of obeying God's commands.  It may be that someone believes in God but disobeys the commands (i.e. smoking, drinking alcohol, fornication, etc) and due to that they become one of the astray (confused about their faith, etc) and the astray are not on the correct path.

The world of daemons / jinn

One explanation for how daemons / jinn could exist among us without us being able to perceive them, yet they can perceive us - is if we are 3d beings living in a 4d universe!  There are actually many scientific theories to suggest this is the case based on strange phenomena we experience - i.e. why everyone perceives light travelling at the same speed[1] or the expansion of the universe [2].

So how does this explain the world of daemons?  If daemons were actually 4d beings, they could see (and even interact with) us 3d beings, yet we would not see them.  The same way a 2d flatlander (or stickman) would not be able to see us (off the paper) yet we could see it.  We could show ourselves to the 2d flatlander by touching the 2d plane (paper) and it would see a strange shape appear in the sky, grow larger (the cross section of our finger) and then disappear (as we take our finger away) - similar to the experience people have when reporting daemon sightings (as if they appear out of nowhere).

This theory could also explain how daemons can transport matter across large distances in an instant (as with the ifrit who transported the queen of shebas throne to Solomon a.s. temple).

[1] Einstein’s special theory of relativity, postulated to explain how light moves at a constant speed relative to all observers, can best be expressed in four dimensions. Instead of considering space and time independently, he proposed a unified vision of spacetime. In his general theory of relativity, Einstein made use of the concept and described gravity using a dynamic four-dimensional model. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/physics/2014/04/how-many-dimensions-does-the-universe-really-have/

[2] New submitter TaleSlinger sends this quote from Nature: "Afshordi's team realized that if the bulk universe contained its own four-dimensional (4D) stars, some of them could collapse, forming 4D black holes in the same way that massive stars in our Universe do: they explode as supernovae, violently ejecting their outer layers, while their inner layers collapse into a black hole. In our Universe, a black hole is bounded by a spherical surface called an event horizon. Whereas in ordinary three-dimensional space it takes a two-dimensional object (a surface) to create a boundary inside a black hole, in the bulk universe the event horizon of a 4D black hole would be a 3D object — a shape called a hypersphere. When Afshordi's team modeled the death of a 4D star, they found that the ejected material would form a 3D brane surrounding that 3D event horizon, and slowly expand. The authors postulate that the 3D universe we live in might be just such a brane — and that we detect the brane's growth as cosmic expansion. 'Astronomers measured that expansion and extrapolated back that the Universe must have begun with a Big Bang — but that is just a mirage,' says Afshordi." - https://science.slashdot.org/story/13/09/14/1822201/study-our-3d-universe-could-have-originated-from-a-4d-black-hole

[2:26] The Mosquito

"God is not too shy to strike an example 
even a (female-)mosquito
even what is above her..."
[2:26]

On the surface
This part of the verse talks about how God is able to give any example - even something as small as a mosquito or smaller.
The wording used in the verse allude to having a deeper meaning ("what is above her" is unusual.  Many have simply written this off to mean "what is smaller than her" or "what is bigger than her"). 

A deeper meaning
The hidden meaning is actually only hidden due to our lack of knowledge of the world.  The verse is exactly what it states: - there are smaller, living creatures (i.e. parasites and mites [1]) that live on top of ("above") mosquitos! (some of which lead to well known diseases - e.g. malaria)

The second subtlety to note is the Arabic word used for mosquito ('ba3udatan') is phrased in the feminine form. Interestingly the mosquito mites and parasites are only found on female mosquitos [2](since those are the ones which suck blood)!

Who better to know about His creation than the Creator Himself?

======================
[1] The water mite Thyas barbigera [...] parasitizing mosquitoes
[2] "Malaria is transmitted among humans by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. Female mosquitoes take blood meals to carry out egg production, and such blood meals are the link between the human and the mosquito hosts in the parasite life cycle" - http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/mosquitoes/

Which is the most important and why: Health, Wealth, Knowledge or Time?

Q: Which is the most important and why: Health, Wealth, Knowledge or Time?

A: I don't know if there is a right or wrong answer for this question.
We will be questioned about each of these on Judgement Day [1,2]

But my personal opinion is:
1) knowledge
2) health
3) time
4) wealth


My reasoning is:
knowledge can guide you to improve health and wealth while spending time and wealth wisely.
what good is time without health and knowledge?
what good is wealth without the rest?

Note:
Ironically, most people prioritise them in the complete opposite order!

============================
[1] “The son of Adam will not be dismissed from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he has been questioned about five things:
his life and how he spent it,
his youth and how he used it,
his wealth and how he earned it and how he disposed of it,
and how he acted upon what he acquired of knowledge.”
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2422; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1969) 
[2] “Take benefit of five before five:
Your youth before your old age,
your health before your sickness,
your wealth before your poverty,
your free time before you are preoccupied,
and your life before your death”
(Narrated by Ibn Abbas and reported by Al Hakim)
 

Everything is decreed! So why is it fair to be judged?

Argument:  Fate exists - everything is decreed.

Q:  So why is it fair to be judged and rewarded or punished since we have no control?

Short Answer: 
We are not judged on our actions alone but we are judged by our intentions [1].  This is because the choices we intend are what our free will truly has control over, whereas the outcome of these choices are predestined [2].

Long Answer: 
Our deeds are decreed, but our intentions are not.  If our intentions are inclined toward good, then our reward for the good deeds we are decreed to do are multiplied [2]. If not, we get what was written for us.

This is fair because we are all likely destined to do more sin than good (it is easier to make a mistake than to do good), yet we all have a way to enter paradise by multiplying the reward for the good deeds we do (by our intentions) and thus outweigh our sins.  We may even receive a reward from a sin if our intention was to avoid doing it [2].

Even someone who is decreed to do many good deeds  (e.g. fasting) could incur no reward for those good deeds by failing to have the correct intention [3].  Similarly, someone decreed to do many bad deeds could avoid having them counted against them if they were committed unwillingly (e.g. done while insane or sleeping etc) [4]. 

So the good and bad deeds God has decreed for each of us are more akin to opportunities from which we can multiply reward and nullify punishments based on our intentions governed by our free-will.

[1] "deeds are judged only by intention." 
The Messenger of God (s.a.a.s) said:
“Verily, deeds are only with intentions.
Verily, every person will have only what they intended.
...Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, then his emigration is for whatever he emigrated for.”
[Sahih Bukhari 54, Sahih Muslim 1907]

[2] The Messenger of God (s.a.a.s.) said:
that God said: “Verily,God has ordered that the good and the bad deeds be written down.
Then He explained it clearly how (to write):
He who intends to do a good deed but he does not do it, then God records it for him as a full good deed,
but if he carries out his intention, then God the Exalted, writes it down for him as from ten to seven hundred folds, and even more.
But if he intends to do an evil act and has not done it, then God writes it down with Him as a full good deed,
but if he intends it and has done it, God writes it down as one bad deed.”
[Bukhari and Muslim].

[3] Prophet (s.a.a.s.) has said: 
"Perhaps a person fasting will receive nothing from his fasting except hunger and thirst."
 [Ibn Majah, Ad-Daarimee, Ahmad, al-Baihaqi, Sahih]

[4] The Messenger of God (s.a.a.s) said:
“The Pen is lifted from three:

1. a child until he reaches puberty;
2. an insane man until he comes to his senses;
3. one who is asleep until he wakes up.”

[Recorded in Abu Dawud #4403, and Ibn Majah #2041]

[2:25] Delights of Paradise

"and good news to those who believe and do good deeds, truly for them is
gardens
rivers flowing from under it
Every time they are provided from it (gardens)
of provisions of fruits
they say 'this (provisions) is what we have been provided before'
and comes from it something resembling it (fruits)
and for them (those who believe) purified partners in it (gardens)
and for them everlasting in it (gardens)"
 [2:25]

From this verse we get a glimpse of some of the rewards of paradise.  First we learn that those who receive the good news of paradise are those who:

• believe
• do good deeds

and of the rewards which are mentioned are:

• gardens

and in these gardens are:

• flowing rivers
• provisions
• fruits
• purified partners
• no death nor decay ("everlasting")

Some of the interesting points to note are:

• each of the rewards listed emphasise "in it" (i.e. in the gardens) - reminding "those who believe" that they should be patient and wait for the "gardens" before expecting such rewards - not to expect these in this life (although it may be provided in this life too for some - however these are not the rewards promised here)
• all the rewards ("gardens", "rivers", "provisions", "fruits", "partners", etc) are in plural - indicating the abundance of the rewards
• the provisions resemble the provisions we receive (and enjoy) in this life (but despite their appearances, they are NOT the same - they are better)
• the rivers flow "under" the gardens (?)

The following points may be allegorical:

• "gardens" (may also be literal greenery but also alludes to the fact that this place is one which contains provisions "growing" from it - as with the points made in the verse)
• "fruits" (may not literally be referring to fruits like apples and pears - but the "fruits" "growing" in the "gardens" may be symbolic like the "fruit" of knowledge or other metaphorical "fruits" in this life which produce abundant provisions)
• "rivers"

Debate with an Atheist 2

Original statement (by an atheist):

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." [Isaiah 45:7]

This verse is clear and unambiguous and shows that God created evil. There has been a lot of obfuscation and apologetics regarding this verse, but it is still there in all of its glory. There is no way around the conclusion that God is evil.

My reply:

Your logic is flawed. Creating somthing doesn't make you the same as the thing you created. Good people can cause evil as evil people can cause good. A baker can create a cake but he is not a cake himself. God created evil but He is good.

Why did He create evil then? The angels asked Him the same question when He created humans. His reply? “I know what you do not know”

J.L.'s (Agnostic Atheist) reply:

The problem comes when the entity you call God knowingly creates evil aware that it will cause problems in the future (omniscience). In my opinion that is evil. If I knowingly create an antimatter bomb that I know will come in contact with matter and destroy the Earth, then that would make me evil.

My reply:

So was Einstein evil? Since he was aware that his work would directly contribute to the creation of an atom bomb. It's the two sides of a single coin in my opinion. To give something the capacity for greatness it innevitably comes with a risk of being misused for evil.

For centuries people have dreamt of creating an artificial intelligence that is self aware..able to think outside it's original design parameters...adapt learn and grow...have a mind of its own...truly greater than a program repeatedly running a set of fixed rules..unable to disobey (like angels?)..yet at the same time they fear that such an intelligence would turn on us for the worst...suddently it is capable of evil

So if a person managed to create such a brilliant a.i. would they hesitate? Would that make them evil? To create this advanced ai (although it has the potential to be evil)?

J.L's reply;

No because they are not omniscient. An omniscient being would know everything past, present and future. If God is not omniscient that why even call it God? Reminds me of a quote by a philosopher...

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent. Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent. Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God? -Epicurus

Note: I respect that you have great debating skills and I thank you for being respectful throughout this debate. I wish there were more theists like you.

My reply:

Thank you. My respect to you too.

To the Greek philosopher I say that his second is true. He is able but not willing (for if He had willed it not to happen it would not happen)

And so evil only happens by His will. To this I agree. However to conclude He is malevolent is short sighted. And to this i disagree. Although I did wonder this myself "why would God chose to let some people do evil?" And an answer occurred to me. If He prevented everyone from committing evil, (which He can easily do) then how would you know if humans were ever able to commit evil? If we could...then why doesn't anyone? No one would even know what evil was. So then it occurred to me. Perhaps evil is needed in the world. Perhaps it even teaches some people to be better people. It contrasts against good to make us appreciate the good more.

Anyhow that is just from my own reflection and God may allow evil for far greater reasons which we do not know but He knows. And He is the wise and knowing (omniscient).

J.L's reply:

You are correct, evil may be necessary even if it seen as a negative phenomenon. At least we agree on that. If it weren't for the "evil" extinctions that have happened in the past human beings may never have come to existence. It is up to human beings to know the difference between necessary "evils" versus evils that can be stopped or prevented (i.e. rape, genocide, murder, exploitation etc.). I am honored to share this piece of rock orbiting a humdrum star in an immense Universe with a respectful and courteous individual such as yourself. I just want you to remember, question everything.

My reply;

Agreed.

P.s. thank you. It has been a pleasure and honour exchanging thoughts with you.

Debate with an atheist

Debate topic:  Do atheists confuse "absence of proof" with "proof of absence"?

Details:

Proof of absence = you can prove it does not exist.

Absence of proof = you cannot prove it exists.

Note: they are not the same

Answer from J.P. (an atheist):

No doubt some atheists are so because there is no proof that god exists. Others of us are so because we have some reason to believe that god does not exist.

I don't think logical dynamics has anything to do with it for many people.

For myself, it is the fact that given the nature of the world, and given human nature, I find the existence of "evil" (purposeless harm) to be inconsistent with the existence of a being who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good. The evil is there, so god must not be. Or whatever god is, it is not something I need to worship.

My reply:

So for you.. the existence of evil excludes the existence of an all merciful God.

What would you define as evil? I define it as Harm done to someone or something greater than the benefit it brings to someone or something else? But I can find no example of evil (as defined above) other than that committed by us.. humans

You may reply why would God permit humans to commit evil? But did you consider that if He didn't...then we wouldn't be able...so would we have free will or would we be like any other creature?

Then your real debate is not with the existence of evil but the existence of our free will which has the potential to do evil and the potential to question it.

If you could have a world without evil (but also without free will) would you prefer it? (Of course then you'd have no choice in the matter of belief I suppose )

J.P's reply:

There is no debate as to the existence of evil. A sufficient condition for the existence of evil is harm in the absence of beneficial purpose (i.e., harm done for the sake of harm).

You are pretty much begging the issue when you say that god created us to have free will. Animals have free will ... I can see nothing that would be inconsistent with being an animal and being "free." As for human free will, I see nothing that would be inconsistent with free will and being created so as not to do evil (no animal does evil, and they are all free).

I also have no problem with the idea of a life form that is of a higher order than humans - but it is not worthy of worship, since it is lesser than perfect - it cannot be all knowing, all powerful and all merciful.

My reply:

I refer to the free will which permits us to decide our own codes and rules to follow or break. An animal cannot break it's own instinctive rules of behaviour. Humans often do. This is the free will I refer to in humans and other higher life forms that may exist

J.P's reply:

That's an ad hoc definition of free will. Also, humans cannot break their own instinctive rules of behavior (and yes, we have them). Do we really get to "decide our own codes and rules to follow or break"? That's a fairly substantial claim to make.

Just because we don't know what they are, how do you know animals don't have codes and rules to follow? Are you confusing "absence of proof" for "proof of absence"?

My reply:

animals have instinctive rules for behaviour which they cannot break. Whereas we humans also have them BUT we can (and do) break them at will (we are not r*completely* reactive zombies enslaved to our desires and habits). This gives us the ability to create (something animals cannot do) and also the potential to abuse or do evil (e.g. g. Smoke while aware we are killing ourselves)...something animals also cannot do.

That free will. Without it...no creation or evil.

Which will it be? Give up every humans ability to disobey and create for the sake or ridding the world of evil?

J.P's reply:

I'd rather rid the world of evil. By the way - the absence of evil would not eliminate free will. I mean, is the only function of god to justify the existence of evil? That's what you seem to be saying.

My reply:

No. My point is that human type free will (intelligent autonomous behaviour... as opposed to animal like autonomous behaviour) is a double edged sword capable of creation and disobedience. It is this disobeience from the natural order of things which may result in evil.

My point is that God ultimately permits humans to make our own decisions. To follow His natural order or to disoey (which can lead to evil). If He stopped all evil then there'd be no point creating us with the intelligent free will we possess.

J.P's reply:

If god created humans with free will (as you say), and did so in order that we could choose other than the "natural order" of things (as you say), and evil is the result of our use of free will to disobey natural order (as you say), then it is god who created evil, since he created the free will that causes evil. Q.E.D.

The all-merciful deity created the evil that makes our lives miserable.

We can go on like this forever. I do not believe in this god thingy, you believe in your god. I'm not out to convince anyone, and you are certainly not going to convince me. Thanks for the discussion.

My reply:

I agree that God created evil. (That does not make Him evil as a baker who makes bread is not bread)

I was simply demonstrating that the existence of evil is not proof of the absence of God

What are your views on Muslims fasting for one month in the Ramadan?

I think it's quite amazing how something can transform the behaviour of a whole population of people. for one month of the year I witness even the least practising muslims become better human beings. More generous,calm, forgiving, conscientious, well spoken, etc. (And thats the least practising muslims ive met). If only they were like this the whole year round.

This is a healthy practise on the physical level and (as with all laws from God) is there to prevent a harm done to someone or something OR better human character in some way. I think this is the latter. Teaching people multiple things like self restraint, discipline, generosity, empathy, etc

Is it right to call SHIA a Kaafir?

Kafir (rejector) is a title that depends on the individual. In their heart. And it is wrong to attribute it to any group of people. This is the mistake many people have done throughout history. A muslim may be a kafir...but it doesn't mean all muslims are kafir. Unless you can see inside their chests? So don't fall into this trick of labels and generalisations. Humans are more complex than that.

I think it's only helpful to focus on what deeds can lead to kufr.

Afterlife: I don't believe in God. Am I going to hell purely by virtue of disbelief?

Every good deed gets the reward of what the person did it for (their intention). If you don't believe in God or His rewards (in paradise) then chances are you wouldn't have done it for Him or paradise but for worldly reasons. Hence your reward will be in this world.

I have failed God time and time again. I feel unworthy of His forgiveness. If I can't forgive myself, why should God?

God is more forgiving than you.

Don't despair of His mercy. Just repent and turn back to Him. Aim to become better from your previous failings.

If at first you don't succeed... try try again

Could there ever be another prophet in Islam? Would the prophet reunite Muslims or create more chaos?

The next prophet of Islam will be jesus (a.s.) son of Mary (r.a.) who will defeat the false messiah (antichrist), unite the religions and rule from israel and there will be a period of peace on earth called the messianic era