Evil is a strange concept.
We know it is the opposite of "good" but what exactly does "evil" constitute?
There are some actions, thoughts and intentions that most human beings can agree are "evil" at their core, but even this is problematic... Because evil requires a confluence of actions, thoughts and intentions.
If someone performs an action that is heinous but had no negative intentions, is this an evil deed or simply an accident?
Similarly, if someone thinks something terrible but does not act upon it, does this constitute evil?
What if someone has negative intent in an action but no harm comes of it?
The answer to the above would often fall into the gray area of uncertainty that makes most of our lives, things are not black and white... but for many people the final of the above scenarios is likely the worst. If one has negative intent towards another and means them harm - even if no actual harm occurs - this seems worse than the others.
The world has been made to exist with poles and polarity, for every positive there must be a negative, and between the two there lie varying degrees of each. This is because the world is by nature subjective. Everything that exists must be perceived to exist to exist. By this I don't mean that I subscribe to the naive belief that things outside our perception do not exist, but they cannot exist for us if we don't see them.
If there is a major conflict on the opposite side of the world, unless I make an effort to see it or discover more about it, or it makes an effort to make itself known to me - it doesn't exist for me. It obviously exists for the people living it, but we all have bubbles around us that shelter us from what is outside our perception. What happens elsewhere to all intents and purposes, simply doesn't exist...
Maybe that's the true nature of evil...?
Maybe evil is ignorance... maybe that's why it is impossible to eradicate evil from this world and why it is so pervasive. When another is suffering and we do nothing, that is wrong... but when another suffers and we don't even know of the event... that's a more subtle flavour of evil.
It's impossible to know everything, that's a given, a person cannot be expected to know of all the harm happening to every person, but, not making an effort to try to inform oneself is wrong. Passing by a crime without taking some action (be it calling for help or reassuring the victim after the fact) is wrong. Speaking out about one form of violence while blatantly ignoring another is wrong. The point is to make oneself aware of what is out there and to try and help... and if you feel helpless to do anything... then pray. Prayer is the least and the most that you can do to help someone in need.
There will always be more ignorance than knowledge in the world, ignorance like knowledge spreads easily from person to person, but ignorance cannot stand in the face of knowledge. Let us all try to think critically and interact with information we are given, look outside the facts to find the truth. That is possibly the only way to make a small impact on evil in this world.
After all, the "good society" the Greek philosophers spoke of is today known as our "knowledge society" isn't it?
Friday, April 19, 2013
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Let's talk
There are many news articles out there that talk about religion... Perhaps rightly so, many news articles talk about views held by some Muslims that are misogynistic, racist, prejudiced, condescending, snobby and a host of other adjectives.
It is very difficult to defend against these perspectives, because they are truly held by co-religionists of mine. Some Muslims do carry these perspectives as do some Christians, some Atheists, some Hindus, some Jews, some Buddhists, etc... but the thing of real concern to me is found below the articles, in the comments. More and more often, in more and more diverse sources I find people who are frankly, quite reasonable holding views such as "Islam's values [being] incompatible with those of Canada," or the rejection of "Shariah Law" (which by the way is preposterous, in Canada the only law that can exist is Canadian Law... According to some definitions of the word "Shariah," it refers to the way in which the world and universe are ordered... by this definition, everything must live by Shariah Law, besides this definition, there is no other threat of any other set of laws coming into Canada, I would personally fight against any laws that I felt were unjust or impinged on anyone's rights).
These opinions and comments are disconcerting because they carry some truth to them. Why are there so many Muslims who carry radical perspectives? If Islam is a religion of peace, then why is it surrounded by war? What kind of backwards people follow a faith that subjects women to such hardships and makes people into suicide bombers?
There are so many ways to answer these questions, but no one will listen. You can shout from every rooftop in every city, yet people will still ask, "Where are the moderate voices of Islam?" The moderate voices of Islam are in your everyday life, in the Dentist who works on your teeth (okay, fine, I get it - you hate dentists, it doesn't mean they're out to get you), in the cab driver who takes you home after a long night, at the checkout of the Walmart where you get groceries.
Just asking for moderate voices is not enough. People in society have to listen to the voices all around them. People always ask, why aren't Muslims taking accountability for getting their message out there? I think it's a two way street. It isn't just up to Muslims to tell people that they have the same hopes and dreams and aspirations as anyone, it's up to those who are asking for answers, to listen to those answers. By, the way, it seems obvious to me that all people regardless of religion, race, creed, etc... hold the same basic desires. We all want what's best for ourselves and our families. How we go about doing this differs, but the basic desires are always fundamentally the same.
There are Muslims who carry radical perspectives, maybe there are more Muslims than Christians who carry these perspectives. Maybe it has something to do with socioeconomic factors. It can even be argued (I would say unsuccessfully) that there are religious differences that contribute, but just quoting lines from translated Qur'anic verses out of context (keeping in mind it's a pretty hefty book), without any reference to who translated it, why they translated it from Arabic and the background of what the translator wished to accomplish doesn't do much. The Qur'an can mean anything anyone wants it to mean. It's meant to be allegorical and to have multiple meanings, and yes, some of those meanings can be taken in a very negative light, but the same can be said of anything that encounters the human mind.
There are many uneducated and ignorant individuals who are Muslim throughout the world... and maybe this can be excused, compare people living in Agrarian Muslim majority countries with Agrarian Christian majority countries (yes, you may have to go back in time a bit) and you'll likely find comparable levels of education about social matters and egalitarian ideals. However, those who live in a privileged society, owe it to themselves to learn more about a faith with 1.3 billion+ adherents before calling them backwards and ignorant. Who is more ignorant, the educated one who has books in front of him and refuses to read them, or the one who cannot read?
So, let's talk... and listen to each other.
It is very difficult to defend against these perspectives, because they are truly held by co-religionists of mine. Some Muslims do carry these perspectives as do some Christians, some Atheists, some Hindus, some Jews, some Buddhists, etc... but the thing of real concern to me is found below the articles, in the comments. More and more often, in more and more diverse sources I find people who are frankly, quite reasonable holding views such as "Islam's values [being] incompatible with those of Canada," or the rejection of "Shariah Law" (which by the way is preposterous, in Canada the only law that can exist is Canadian Law... According to some definitions of the word "Shariah," it refers to the way in which the world and universe are ordered... by this definition, everything must live by Shariah Law, besides this definition, there is no other threat of any other set of laws coming into Canada, I would personally fight against any laws that I felt were unjust or impinged on anyone's rights).
These opinions and comments are disconcerting because they carry some truth to them. Why are there so many Muslims who carry radical perspectives? If Islam is a religion of peace, then why is it surrounded by war? What kind of backwards people follow a faith that subjects women to such hardships and makes people into suicide bombers?
There are so many ways to answer these questions, but no one will listen. You can shout from every rooftop in every city, yet people will still ask, "Where are the moderate voices of Islam?" The moderate voices of Islam are in your everyday life, in the Dentist who works on your teeth (okay, fine, I get it - you hate dentists, it doesn't mean they're out to get you), in the cab driver who takes you home after a long night, at the checkout of the Walmart where you get groceries.
Just asking for moderate voices is not enough. People in society have to listen to the voices all around them. People always ask, why aren't Muslims taking accountability for getting their message out there? I think it's a two way street. It isn't just up to Muslims to tell people that they have the same hopes and dreams and aspirations as anyone, it's up to those who are asking for answers, to listen to those answers. By, the way, it seems obvious to me that all people regardless of religion, race, creed, etc... hold the same basic desires. We all want what's best for ourselves and our families. How we go about doing this differs, but the basic desires are always fundamentally the same.
There are Muslims who carry radical perspectives, maybe there are more Muslims than Christians who carry these perspectives. Maybe it has something to do with socioeconomic factors. It can even be argued (I would say unsuccessfully) that there are religious differences that contribute, but just quoting lines from translated Qur'anic verses out of context (keeping in mind it's a pretty hefty book), without any reference to who translated it, why they translated it from Arabic and the background of what the translator wished to accomplish doesn't do much. The Qur'an can mean anything anyone wants it to mean. It's meant to be allegorical and to have multiple meanings, and yes, some of those meanings can be taken in a very negative light, but the same can be said of anything that encounters the human mind.
There are many uneducated and ignorant individuals who are Muslim throughout the world... and maybe this can be excused, compare people living in Agrarian Muslim majority countries with Agrarian Christian majority countries (yes, you may have to go back in time a bit) and you'll likely find comparable levels of education about social matters and egalitarian ideals. However, those who live in a privileged society, owe it to themselves to learn more about a faith with 1.3 billion+ adherents before calling them backwards and ignorant. Who is more ignorant, the educated one who has books in front of him and refuses to read them, or the one who cannot read?
So, let's talk... and listen to each other.
Monday, March 11, 2013
The Life of Pi
The book "The Life of Pi," was an interesting work written by Yann Martel... Amongst the things I found most interesting lay in the way it was marketed as a book that will "make you believe in God."
Intriguing! It will convince one of the certainty of God? That's a book that I need to read... so I did (don't worry if you haven't read the book or watched the movie, there won't be too many spoilers here).
The book is actually a lovely piece of prose filled with metaphors... and those metaphors deal with belief.
In the novel, fantastic events happen to the protagonist and at the end they are explained in 2 ways, a "realistic way" and the way of "mythos." After reading this novel, most would agree that not knowing the truth of events, we would all wish for mythos over "reality"... and that is the genius within this book.
The metaphors within it act to point out to us that there are multiple ways of interpreting and explaining phenomena we perceive... Our many holy books and scriptures often sound fantastical and "unrealistic" to some, however that does not mean that they are false accounts. Oftentimes, metaphors are needed to explain reality. Sometimes reality is too harsh for the human mind to accept or want to accept, sometimes reality makes less sense than fantastical metaphors, and sometimes we just want to believe in a perspective which allows us to live in our world happily.
If given a choice between believing that we are always loved by a supreme being who has created everything, and believing that the world is an empty place created by random chance, where thoughts, feelings, emotions have no life beyond our own, where there is no true purpose, no true meaning... many would choose to believe in the plan... we are wired to want to do so.
But this wiring points us towards something... Why are we "wired" to want to believe? Is it some psychological flaw in the general human psyche, or is there truly something inside of us that wishes to tell us something deeper exists? What about the spiritual experiences of thousands of years of collective memory where we have had individuals who have "experienced" God?
We can never know the truth with our limited minds, however we can choose to believe in whatever we want to. As in "The Life of Pi," in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I choose to follow what the metaphor of my very existence shouts out to me. I believe!
Intriguing! It will convince one of the certainty of God? That's a book that I need to read... so I did (don't worry if you haven't read the book or watched the movie, there won't be too many spoilers here).
The book is actually a lovely piece of prose filled with metaphors... and those metaphors deal with belief.
In the novel, fantastic events happen to the protagonist and at the end they are explained in 2 ways, a "realistic way" and the way of "mythos." After reading this novel, most would agree that not knowing the truth of events, we would all wish for mythos over "reality"... and that is the genius within this book.
The metaphors within it act to point out to us that there are multiple ways of interpreting and explaining phenomena we perceive... Our many holy books and scriptures often sound fantastical and "unrealistic" to some, however that does not mean that they are false accounts. Oftentimes, metaphors are needed to explain reality. Sometimes reality is too harsh for the human mind to accept or want to accept, sometimes reality makes less sense than fantastical metaphors, and sometimes we just want to believe in a perspective which allows us to live in our world happily.
If given a choice between believing that we are always loved by a supreme being who has created everything, and believing that the world is an empty place created by random chance, where thoughts, feelings, emotions have no life beyond our own, where there is no true purpose, no true meaning... many would choose to believe in the plan... we are wired to want to do so.
But this wiring points us towards something... Why are we "wired" to want to believe? Is it some psychological flaw in the general human psyche, or is there truly something inside of us that wishes to tell us something deeper exists? What about the spiritual experiences of thousands of years of collective memory where we have had individuals who have "experienced" God?
We can never know the truth with our limited minds, however we can choose to believe in whatever we want to. As in "The Life of Pi," in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, I choose to follow what the metaphor of my very existence shouts out to me. I believe!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Where do thoughts go?
The concept of duality within the self has been rejected by many great minds who study cognition. It is argued that since alteration of the physical structure of the brain results in alteration of the thoughts of an individual, it is impossible for thoughts to be distinct from the brain that created them.
A very compelling argument to be sure, if one does not have a brain then they cannot have thoughts... But I wonder about it...
A thought does not have a physical form, in fact we cannot isolate an area of the brain where a specific thought forms. We have found areas of increased activity associated with different actions and specific thought patterns and behaviours, but this does not effectively isolate where that thought really comes from. As such, we cannot truly know what happens to these thoughts.
As a hypothetical experiment, let us examine the possibility of dualism and presume that the material body is what gives expression to the thought. That is, our bodies exist for the sole purpose of giving life or voice or expression to our thoughts. Our thoughts and psyche represent an ephemeral existence that lies somewhere within the physical form that gives it expression. If this were to be the case, death of the brain would result in a mind that may not die with the body, but exists without a receptacle or body to give it expression.
When you think about anything, these thoughts find expression as a "voice in your head." This voice can then interact with the world through physical expression or it can remain within "your head." Either way, the fact that there is an "ear to listen" to the voice means that it is being heard, it has a physical expression... This can be likened to the philosophical dilemma made popular by Bart and Lisa Simpson, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" If a soul exists as thoughts, and no one is around to hear it, does it have physical expression? Does it exist?
The same can be said of our tree in the forest, if no one is around to hear it, perhaps the argument can be made that it does not make a sound, for the existence of sound requires a listener. However, the existence of the tree and the forest... that is more difficult to debate. If no one knows of the existence of a forest, does that negate it's existence?
Of course, this whole premise rests on several assumptions, and in science the theory that makes the fewest assumptions is presumed correct until a null hypothesis can be found to disprove the initial theory. This means that looking at it from a scientific perspective, dualism meets with a great deal of resistance. The concept requires too many assumptions for a scientific mind.
... If a theory makes many assumptions but cannot be dis-proven does that mean it is wrong?
A very compelling argument to be sure, if one does not have a brain then they cannot have thoughts... But I wonder about it...
A thought does not have a physical form, in fact we cannot isolate an area of the brain where a specific thought forms. We have found areas of increased activity associated with different actions and specific thought patterns and behaviours, but this does not effectively isolate where that thought really comes from. As such, we cannot truly know what happens to these thoughts.
As a hypothetical experiment, let us examine the possibility of dualism and presume that the material body is what gives expression to the thought. That is, our bodies exist for the sole purpose of giving life or voice or expression to our thoughts. Our thoughts and psyche represent an ephemeral existence that lies somewhere within the physical form that gives it expression. If this were to be the case, death of the brain would result in a mind that may not die with the body, but exists without a receptacle or body to give it expression.
When you think about anything, these thoughts find expression as a "voice in your head." This voice can then interact with the world through physical expression or it can remain within "your head." Either way, the fact that there is an "ear to listen" to the voice means that it is being heard, it has a physical expression... This can be likened to the philosophical dilemma made popular by Bart and Lisa Simpson, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" If a soul exists as thoughts, and no one is around to hear it, does it have physical expression? Does it exist?
The same can be said of our tree in the forest, if no one is around to hear it, perhaps the argument can be made that it does not make a sound, for the existence of sound requires a listener. However, the existence of the tree and the forest... that is more difficult to debate. If no one knows of the existence of a forest, does that negate it's existence?
Of course, this whole premise rests on several assumptions, and in science the theory that makes the fewest assumptions is presumed correct until a null hypothesis can be found to disprove the initial theory. This means that looking at it from a scientific perspective, dualism meets with a great deal of resistance. The concept requires too many assumptions for a scientific mind.
... If a theory makes many assumptions but cannot be dis-proven does that mean it is wrong?
Sunday, February 24, 2013
In the dark
I was thinking of a good metaphor to describe spiritual struggle and an interesting analogy struck me.
Inner spiritual struggle could be visualized by a person having a large object (an obstacle) blocking their path to a source of light. With the large obstacle in one's way, one cannot see the source of the light directly, but one is able to see reflections of the light and glimmers of it in many places. However, the source of the light is the true goal... So, how can one reach the source? There are 2 ways. A person can travel far enough of a distance from the obstacle so that the source becomes visible, and then look for a way to skirt around the obstacle with their new perspective. Or, alternately, one can travel deeper into the shadows looking for a way through or past the obstacle directly.
The first path seems easier at first, it is truly easy to look at the positives in one's life and build upon these positives and travel further from the spiritual obstacles within ourselves until we are truly able to see the entirety of the light. However, this takes a great deal of time, and it may very well be that the shadow cast by our obstacles makes this path an unfeasible one... if a wall is tall enough and wide enough, you may never see what is on the other side, or if the light is hiding completely within the darkness, this path will yield no fruit.
The second path brings with it many risks and potential difficulties. Traveling deeper into the shadows of one's own negativity brings the possibility that one will never be able to find even the glimmer of the light again. However, if one is successful, the rewards are tremendous. This path requires vast amounts of patience, it means that one must truly face up to the deeper shadows within. To squarely and unflinchingly acknowledge internal faults, and to chip away at these faults bit by bit.
Facing the darkness is difficult because it can seem counter-intuitive... How can one discover the beauty within oneself by focusing on one's faults? However, for me, this seems to be the surest path to discovering the true beauty within. By working through the inner obstacles, by struggling to face one's own faults and inadequacies the light becomes apparent.
Going into the darkness within will eventually yield the light inside of the dark.
Inner spiritual struggle could be visualized by a person having a large object (an obstacle) blocking their path to a source of light. With the large obstacle in one's way, one cannot see the source of the light directly, but one is able to see reflections of the light and glimmers of it in many places. However, the source of the light is the true goal... So, how can one reach the source? There are 2 ways. A person can travel far enough of a distance from the obstacle so that the source becomes visible, and then look for a way to skirt around the obstacle with their new perspective. Or, alternately, one can travel deeper into the shadows looking for a way through or past the obstacle directly.
The first path seems easier at first, it is truly easy to look at the positives in one's life and build upon these positives and travel further from the spiritual obstacles within ourselves until we are truly able to see the entirety of the light. However, this takes a great deal of time, and it may very well be that the shadow cast by our obstacles makes this path an unfeasible one... if a wall is tall enough and wide enough, you may never see what is on the other side, or if the light is hiding completely within the darkness, this path will yield no fruit.
The second path brings with it many risks and potential difficulties. Traveling deeper into the shadows of one's own negativity brings the possibility that one will never be able to find even the glimmer of the light again. However, if one is successful, the rewards are tremendous. This path requires vast amounts of patience, it means that one must truly face up to the deeper shadows within. To squarely and unflinchingly acknowledge internal faults, and to chip away at these faults bit by bit.
Facing the darkness is difficult because it can seem counter-intuitive... How can one discover the beauty within oneself by focusing on one's faults? However, for me, this seems to be the surest path to discovering the true beauty within. By working through the inner obstacles, by struggling to face one's own faults and inadequacies the light becomes apparent.
Going into the darkness within will eventually yield the light inside of the dark.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Intercession
As Isma'ili Muslims, one of the primary differences between our belief system and that of many other groups deals with the concept of intercession... That is, that we believe an individual requires some intermediary between themselves and God.
Why the difference?
It deals with belief. Although many different groups of traditions both within and without the Muslim world share our perspective of what God is, there is no universal agreement on what this belief means in a practical sense.
When I think of God, I think of an infinite and non-existent entity that makes up the being of everything that exists, everything that can exist, everything that does not exist and everything that cannot exist... A circle whose perimeter is everywhere but whose center is nowhere.
How can one interact with something beyond conception? ... Better yet, how can one love It?
It definitely is possible for us to love a concept, we are all adept at loving the thought of what a person could be rather than the reality that is in front of us, but this is not easy to do in our daily lives. It is not easy to love God... No one said it was. Only a select few throughout history have been effectively able to do this, to love the concept of God, to love the true Essence.
But what about the rest of us?! For God is All-Merciful... How could He leave the 99%+ of humanity behind while leaving only a few to love the essence?
For the rest of us, we have religion, we have our own paths and our own journeys. Eventually if we follow them truthfully, I believe we will learn to love the Essence in our own ways.
For Isma'ili Muslims, this path to God requires an intermediary, it requires us to focus our attentions on a medium between ourselves and God. For us, this medium is what we call our "Imam." This does not mean that our doctrines say that our Imam is God, the concept of God would make such a belief very simplistic. However it does mean that we reach God through loving creation. Through a love of the creation, we love the creator...
A piece of clay is turned into a beautiful piece of pottery and has become an object of wonder now that it has been shaped and moulded. The world is full of clay, we walk over it every day, we walk past it all the time, but it is beneath our notice. When it is turned into a work of art it becomes noticed. This is the nature of the spirit. The Essence is the clay that surrounds us all the time, but it needs to be turned into a form that we perceive and can interact with for us to appreciate all of the potential beauty around us. The piece of art realizes where it has come from, but the casual observer cannot see this.
Each of us looks for the clay whether we know it or not, many of us need to look at pottery to appreciate the clay. What's your pottery?
Why the difference?
It deals with belief. Although many different groups of traditions both within and without the Muslim world share our perspective of what God is, there is no universal agreement on what this belief means in a practical sense.
When I think of God, I think of an infinite and non-existent entity that makes up the being of everything that exists, everything that can exist, everything that does not exist and everything that cannot exist... A circle whose perimeter is everywhere but whose center is nowhere.
How can one interact with something beyond conception? ... Better yet, how can one love It?
It definitely is possible for us to love a concept, we are all adept at loving the thought of what a person could be rather than the reality that is in front of us, but this is not easy to do in our daily lives. It is not easy to love God... No one said it was. Only a select few throughout history have been effectively able to do this, to love the concept of God, to love the true Essence.
But what about the rest of us?! For God is All-Merciful... How could He leave the 99%+ of humanity behind while leaving only a few to love the essence?
For the rest of us, we have religion, we have our own paths and our own journeys. Eventually if we follow them truthfully, I believe we will learn to love the Essence in our own ways.
For Isma'ili Muslims, this path to God requires an intermediary, it requires us to focus our attentions on a medium between ourselves and God. For us, this medium is what we call our "Imam." This does not mean that our doctrines say that our Imam is God, the concept of God would make such a belief very simplistic. However it does mean that we reach God through loving creation. Through a love of the creation, we love the creator...
A piece of clay is turned into a beautiful piece of pottery and has become an object of wonder now that it has been shaped and moulded. The world is full of clay, we walk over it every day, we walk past it all the time, but it is beneath our notice. When it is turned into a work of art it becomes noticed. This is the nature of the spirit. The Essence is the clay that surrounds us all the time, but it needs to be turned into a form that we perceive and can interact with for us to appreciate all of the potential beauty around us. The piece of art realizes where it has come from, but the casual observer cannot see this.
Each of us looks for the clay whether we know it or not, many of us need to look at pottery to appreciate the clay. What's your pottery?
Friday, February 1, 2013
Why Ask?
There are many ways to pray, but one of the most common one that exists deals with requesting or asking for things in our lives. These prayers of request are extremely common and are seen in most faiths, where something is asked for, be it help with specific circumstances or general aid with troubles, or spiritual obstacles.
Speaking from a Muslim perspective, the question must arise... why?
I mean, God is supposed to be omniscient right? Why would I need to ask for anything? If I really need anything and I'm a good person, why would I need to specifically ever ask? Shouldn't bad things go away on their own, shouldn't good flood to me through my deeds? Would a good person even truly need to ask for anything?
These are great questions... the answer, as with most things - depends.
In my personal perspective, I would say that over time, all negative events are temporary. Even the worst of all situations cannot perpetuate indefinitely and eventually some positive aspects of life will become manifest. However, this does not take away the fact that in many faiths, prayers for the easing of difficulties are encouraged...
Rumi once said something that really struck a chord with this topic, so I will quote him - from his philosophical work - Fihi ma Fihi, "God says, 'Oh my child, I would answer your smallest petition and slightest complaint without delay, if it weren't that the voice of your complaint is so sweet to my ears. My answer lingers unspoken in hopes that you might complain again and again, for the sound of your voice is so sweet to me.'" Now obviously, when Rumi mentions the word, "child" it is a metaphor for the fact that God has created us, but the importance here is in the fact that God wants to hear from us. He loves us and wishes for even a word of complaint from our mouths.
So, are our pleas even needed?
I look at this question from the perspective of a family. When I was young, we would sometimes go to restaurants and grocery stores, and at times my dad would give me money. He would ask me to pay for the things that he was buying in order to feed and sustain the family. When I used to give the money to the cashier, I would always feel a sense of accomplishment... I helped! In some way, I am helping to feed my family!
The money came from my dad... Most of the important items that were bought were picked out by one of my parents... yet... My father in his love and grace gave me the means to help him.
Prayers of request are the same. God does not need any help to fulfill our prayers, he knows what we need, when we need it. He lets us help Him through His grace. We are given the ability to help, we are given the power to accomplish what needs to be done. If we didn't pray, we wouldn't be left alone... He would still take care of us and our needs because He can do no less, He loves us.
These prayers are our way of helping ourselves, so go ahead. Ask for what you want! Anything at all. After all, it isn't necessarily in your control what you receive, but it is in your power to "make God smile."
Speaking from a Muslim perspective, the question must arise... why?
I mean, God is supposed to be omniscient right? Why would I need to ask for anything? If I really need anything and I'm a good person, why would I need to specifically ever ask? Shouldn't bad things go away on their own, shouldn't good flood to me through my deeds? Would a good person even truly need to ask for anything?
These are great questions... the answer, as with most things - depends.
In my personal perspective, I would say that over time, all negative events are temporary. Even the worst of all situations cannot perpetuate indefinitely and eventually some positive aspects of life will become manifest. However, this does not take away the fact that in many faiths, prayers for the easing of difficulties are encouraged...
Rumi once said something that really struck a chord with this topic, so I will quote him - from his philosophical work - Fihi ma Fihi, "God says, 'Oh my child, I would answer your smallest petition and slightest complaint without delay, if it weren't that the voice of your complaint is so sweet to my ears. My answer lingers unspoken in hopes that you might complain again and again, for the sound of your voice is so sweet to me.'" Now obviously, when Rumi mentions the word, "child" it is a metaphor for the fact that God has created us, but the importance here is in the fact that God wants to hear from us. He loves us and wishes for even a word of complaint from our mouths.
So, are our pleas even needed?
I look at this question from the perspective of a family. When I was young, we would sometimes go to restaurants and grocery stores, and at times my dad would give me money. He would ask me to pay for the things that he was buying in order to feed and sustain the family. When I used to give the money to the cashier, I would always feel a sense of accomplishment... I helped! In some way, I am helping to feed my family!
The money came from my dad... Most of the important items that were bought were picked out by one of my parents... yet... My father in his love and grace gave me the means to help him.
Prayers of request are the same. God does not need any help to fulfill our prayers, he knows what we need, when we need it. He lets us help Him through His grace. We are given the ability to help, we are given the power to accomplish what needs to be done. If we didn't pray, we wouldn't be left alone... He would still take care of us and our needs because He can do no less, He loves us.
These prayers are our way of helping ourselves, so go ahead. Ask for what you want! Anything at all. After all, it isn't necessarily in your control what you receive, but it is in your power to "make God smile."
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