format_quote Originally Posted by
Eric H
Greetings and peace be with you Insaanah;
I pray that we might all have eternal salvation, despite all our differences.
In the spirit of praying to a just and merciful God
Eric
Greetings Eric,
I pray that you will open your heart to the truth, and reflect on the messages you've had over the years, reflect on how Allah guided you to the forum, and enabled you to be of those fortunate enough to receive His message, on different occasions, in different ways, and from different people, and reflect on the fact there cannot be lots of opposing and contradictory truths that lead to the path of salvation, from a Just and Merciful and Wise God.
O People of the Scripture, why do you confuse the truth with falsehood...? (3:71, part)
Allah is the Truth:
That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allah is the Most High, the Grand. (22:62)
And there is only One God:
And your god is one God. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. (2:163)
Allah is the truth and there is only one God, so only one truth.
No doubt, salvation is only through Gods Mercy, but we must also strive, in our beliefs and in our actions. It's not enough to pray that God grants salvation to everyone despite our differences, but then not to do anything about it, and not be prepared to make the change. As sister Aprender said, it is a big change, but it is something you have to do for yourself. When we go into our graves, nobody is going to come with us, and we will be entirely responsible and answerable for ourselves.
Even Muslims, we cannot just say "We believe" and then just pray for salvation without striving and doing deeds. Then how much more so for those who are not yet Muslim, but pray to achieve salvation, yet are wanting to keep on the familiar road they are on, and not wanting to or do not feel able to, make the change? The change to the way of all the people mentioned below, who will be familiar:
And We gave to him [him = Abraham], Isaac and Jacob - all of them We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good.
And Zachariah and John and Jesus and Elias - all were of the righteous.
And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot - and all of them We preferred over the worlds.
And some among their fathers and their descendants and their brothers - and We chose them and We guided them to a straight path.
That is the guidance of Allah by which He guides whomever He wills of His servants.
But if they had associated others with Allah, then worthless for them would be all that they did.
Those are the ones to whom We gave the Scripture and authority and prophethood. But if the disbelievers deny it, then We have entrusted it to a people who are not therein disbelievers.
Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so from their guidance take an example. Say, "I ask of you for this message no payment. It is not but a reminder for the worlds." (6:84-90)
And [beware the Day] when Allah will say, "O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, 'Take me and my mother as deities besides Allah ?'" He will say, "
Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.
I said not to them except what You commanded me - "Worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord". And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are, over all things, Witness. (5:116-117)
Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). (3:64)
O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. (4: 171)
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you [the religion] after a period [of suspension] of messengers, lest you say, "There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner." But there has come to you a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And Allah is over all things competent. (5:19)
This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God, and that men of understanding may take heed. (14:52)
Remember the door of repentance is always open before death, but the sooner it is done, the better, as how does anyone know when death will come? By your own admission, you're not the spring bunny you once were. Time for some serious thought, I think.
I think many of us here would love to welcome you into the ummah one day, but this is not for us, but for yourself.
format_quote Originally Posted by
MustafaMc
When I was a senior in college, during Christmas break I read portions of the Qur'an about Jesus, Mary, and other people I knew from the Bible and at first I disbelieved because it said Jesus was not the Son of God. I kept reading anyway and then it was like a light bulb suddenly coming on when I saw that the Qur'an made more sense than what I believed as a Christian. Do you find it strange for someone to become a Muslim after reading only a few ayat of the Qur'an?
Perhaps not strange, but awe-inspiring, amazing, miraculous, and humbling. While Allah even says many times that guides whom He wishes, if you think how many people oppose Islam, and present their "rational" arguments against it, when a person embraces Islam, it is to me as Allah says He will give life to the dead, and how He makes the pasture grow after being whithered and dry, and if you add the fact that as humans we have the capacity to rebel and reject, yet still the truth was accepted after reading a few ayaat. I'm not sure exactly how one puts that in words...