here's another opinion.

Bismi Allah Arrahman Arrahim.

Greetings of Peace.


I am just sick and tired of watching all of us jumping at each other's throats, all claiming we are right when in fact each side has its own version of the truth.
It seems as if no one hears me, no matter how much I talk. It seems as if people hear the echo of their own thoughts constantly as they focus on finding a similar situation in their own life to tell me about. I know too well how that goes, because I find myself doing the same thing.

As aware as I try to be, I myself still fall in the trap more often than I wish to count. It just creeps up on me.

I tell everyone I meet, basically, the same thing, that God is one; that this is His Kingdom and that all of us are the servants he created out of love for the sole purpose to love Him back. In his eyes we are all equals.
I tell them that the only thing that matters to Him is the nature of our heart, not our skin color, weight, height, stature, status, or our rank. We all have our Origin in Him; and that all differences are but man made and created.

In my personal opinion, “Religion” should be written Re-legion. If one is willing to follow it, he is simply stating that he is choosing to serve God’s Rule, and God's purpose(love), rather than Selfish-Pride; and we all know where that comes from.

In my opinion God sent the first revelation to mankind, way back then. It came from one place however, and from one line of people, they were to be called The Jews, later on.

After Abraham, Jacob, and his twelve sons, the revelation to Abraham fell by the wayside. Out of selfish reasons, the so-called Religious Jews (rabbis) have failed to keep God's convenant, and failed to share the knowledge with the rest of mankind. Their own deeds caused the rest of Egyptian Jews their encounter with slavery, until Moses came.

Despite the miracles God had performed right before their eyes, they sinned and transgressed.
God's forgiveness of their deeds only increased their arrogance. They exalted themselves above the rest, and abstained from sharing God's Guidance and His directions. They did not minister to the poor, and the afflicted. Only the priests or rabbis, the wealthy, and the nobles were guaranteed closeness to God. The sick, the lepers, the prostitutes, and those stricken with poverty, were shunned, ostracized, and deemed unworthy of God's grace and His mercy.

What was intended for all mankind to see, was kept hidden until the coming of Jesus Christ, (peace and blessings upon him). He came to demonstrate that God is available to all of us, and that God's Temple is in every heart; that one cannot find, or see God anywhere, if one cannot find Him first, in their own heart.
But for those with power, whose wealth was made and sustained by the sweat of the poor and the ignorance of the laymen; that meant trouble. We can identify that very behavior in many of today's so-called religious people around the world.

Jesus is in fact, God’s biggest blessing to mankind. A chosen one, brave beyond measure, who knew his destiny before hand, but did not back up when the going got though, nor did he cowered.

A man who showed his people by doing rather than sweet talk, that love is, the only way. From love comes trust. And trust is the only condition where one is more willing to let go completely, and surrender all control.

Jesus is my hero, by all means, and so is Abraham. Another hero is Moses, who gave up palaces, wealth, and powe, and wandered in the wilderness, scorched by the sun, dehydrated, and hungry.

Job! Oh Job! He is the perfect example in endurance, trust, faith, and patience. The man really was tried by fire, yet did not waver nor did he flinch, though he questioned:
“God! Why me? What have I done to deserve what is happening to me?”
God told him it was nothing personal, he restored everything he had, and gave him some more.

What can I say about Joseph, about his love, his faith in God, and his forgiveness for his brothers’ acts. I personally know people who have put their whole family in prison, for a lot less than what Joseph’s brothers have done to him.
History's pages are blackened with records of Kings, Potentates, and Dictators who murdered their sons, or their siblings, or their parents, for the sole sake of a position of power above all.

It is fact that Jesus’ message did not find acceptance among those who ranked high in society, from King Herod, to the High Priests of that time.

It is a fact that his teaching and his Gospel was not committed to paper until forty years after his ascent to heaven.

It is a fact that his disciples and his followers were persecuted for many years afterwards.

And the fact stays that many of those who lived at the same time Jesus did, wanted him dead and gone for good, but not many enough, to obliterate the seeds of his teaching that fell upon fertile soil and receptive hearts, and yielded its fruits abundantly, until the High Priests could contain it no longer but had better adapt.

I can almost hear King so or so, say to his scribes:
“Ok! Let's see here. You can give them this scroll, this one, and this, and this letter too, and while you're at it, change this slightly to mean this. The High Priests will not say a word. After all, it was them who persecuted him first."

Is that altogether unlikely?

Let us go few steps back before we go forward, and let us try to understand this Story of mankind.

God creates man, gives him a companion, and paradise to dwell in. He tells them:
“You can do anything you want, and eat all you want, from any tree you want, except that one."
Satan comes minutes later, and whispers in their heads:
"The only reason God does not want you to eat of this fruit, is because you'll know as much as He does, or you'll be like angels, or you'll live forever."

Adam and Eve, like little children we once were, could not resist the temptation, they disobeyed their Lord.

Did Adam and Eve know Satan's nature? Did they know he was their enemy? Did they talk to him face to face? I don't know. Maybe they mistook him for someone interested in their welfare, and someone who cared, like the child who follows a predator because he has some candy in his pocket.

Or maybe even then, Satan opperated from within, to lure the unsuspecting, innocent souls.
How else can we explain hideous crimes committed by some of the most unlikely people, who only few minutes later, when reality sets back in, find themselves most surprised by the turn of events, and says it was like something took over them.
Insanity, they call it nowadays, sometimes, schizophrenia, or other appellations.

After the fact, God said:

“OK! You chose to learn the hard way, and so be it. Go and find out for yourselves what the consequences of eating that fruit are, then make your decision of who you will listen to from then on to eternity.

"Be brave, courageous, and trust that I am with you always, even when you do not see me. Do not fear. Be merry, and of good cheer, I am only a call away. When you can't handle things on your own, just call my name. I'll be there quickly.

The afflicted freaked out. Trying to patch things up on their own, over and over, and over, and forgot to call upon God. The wicked persisted in their wickedness. Then came Noah.

Noah was mocked, ridiculed, and teased to death, by his people. Very few were saved from the flood. Among those who perished, was Noah's son. It just goes to show that Righteousness is not genetic or transmissible, but rather strived for with determination, will, steadfastness, and courage. That religion in a way of life, not a life without the way.

Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, all came and said, follow me, let me show you the path that leads to God. What would you have said, if you were a messenger from God, to mankind? How would you have proceeded?

The first Commandment to Moses was “Thou shall put no other gods with thy God.”, followed by the nine others, each, only attainable if we heed the first one, under all circumstances.

Is it not true that when one takes all focus off of the material things, there is little left to fight, or argue about? The Ten Commandments, are for all mankind to live by, for a possible harmony. Look at today’s inter-racial happily married couples throughout the world, and tell me that, love is not possible among mankind of all nations.

Tell me then, why the wall of China and the wall of Berlin were ever erected?

Tell me why does man persecute man when God clearly told the children of Israel, that if a man kills a life, it is as if he killed all life, and if he saves a life, it is as if he saved all life?

Tell me why corruption still gets between a child and his parents, when Jesus said clear and simple, “Do unto others as you want done unto you,” and said to love one’s neighbor more than oneself, even our enemy, and to turn the other cheek and pray for your persecutor’s salvation, and to forgive seventy seven times seven?

How else can you show unconditional love?

Some six hundred years after Christ, came a messenger from a different line of Abraham, from his son Ishmael, as foretold in the Old Testament. He says in words similar in meaning, to the following ones:

”You know what? All of you guys, the Lord says to surrender all control to him, to focus on only him, and He will see you through this last step. He also clearly say, this is His last message to mankind, that He had completed His teaching, and His guidance. Should any of you need to know more, I will give you the Qur'an, in it all is clarified and made comprehensible, to those who sincerely seek God's Way, and His pleasure.

Since we miserably failed to unconditionally love one another, God gave us another chance, by asking us to surrender all control to Him, knowing that with His help and his grace we can
finally, love one another.

Yet still today, not many Christians, Jews, or Muslims are capable of such a love.

We isolate ourselves from others, and put barriers between us, and by doing so, we cut ourselves from God’s blessings. How else does God manifest Himself except through willing vessels.

I would like to take this opportunity to praise God, and thank Him for blessing me with the life He made mine, and for turning all obstacles in it, into stepping blocks, allowing me to reach higher, to find peace in the midst of chaos, and serenity in strife. I thank Him for sending me His blessings, through some Muslims, some Jews, and some Christians. I thank Him for the gift of tongues, so that I can read the Qur’an and the Bible, Old and New Testament. To me they say the same thing.

To each one of us, personally, God is saying:

“Rejoice, and know that I am God.”

Don’t let any one tell you any different. Go now! Go inside your heart, your inner chamber if you wish to call it, and find God, that He may direct all your steps from now on until forever. Ameen.

Enough ranting until next time! Should you need some more, just visit my page, and read my portfolio. It is a book in the writing, inshaa Alaah. With nothing but the naked truth in its crude form, as far as my perception and understanding is concerned, based in my own experiences, this lifetime around.

May God bless all mankind with understanding, and a discerning heart, and an eye to see, beyond the seen.

Love.

Rachael10.