Darren's Question
From your profile: "the Prophet Muhammad sought to improve Christianity by rejecting the Trinity and articulating with greater clarity and detail what we must do in order to get along with others in this life, as well as how to stay well and safe." I'm curious: could you expand a bit on this?
Thank you, Darren, for reading my stuff carefully enough to want to know more.
Muslims regard the Koran as a warning and a reminder [of how to avoid sin, error, pain and hell] and regard the Koran as the final and best version of monotheism.
Its punishments are not as harsh as those found in the Old Testament and its ideas are more clearly stated than in the New Testament.
Islam is therefore a complete guide for living since it pronounces on aspects of personal, social, legal economic and political issues.
It is political precisely because those who understand even a little about politics and the legal system know that who gets to control the interpretation of the Koran depends on the political system that chooses its leaders.
It then becomes abundantly clear that our failure to have the best possible leaders in the best possible government with the best possible laws to enable us to lead the best possible lives, is undeniably a failure of our political system.
Now that we know it has failed and will continue to fail, we must consider the nature of the reforms necessary to set things right again.
To do so, we must submit to Truth and Reality. If we seek truth, act upon it and speak it without fear or favour then we are on the right path.
If we deny that there is even a problem, then we our well on our way to perdition.
Why would we deny that there is a problem?
I would suggest that this is everything to do with the malign effects of suffering from all or any of the Seven Deadly Sins of
- pride
- envy
- anger
- lust
- sloth
- greed
- gluttony
I hope this is reasonably clear!
Comments
I probably have way too many questions and don't want to monopolise your time, but here are a few of my more pressing ones:
(1) Does Islam address why it doesn't believe in the trinity?
(2) If its working from the same basic morals as Christianity, in what ways is its advice clearer on how to live?
(3) Is its conception of suffering purely related to us suffering in this life or does it posit a 'hell' afterlife for non-believers?
Many thanks
Darren
(my other questions still stand though! :o) )
(2) The Koran is clearer than the New Testmanet and more humane the Old Testament. You can read it yourself if you don't believe me. I recommend the Penguin N J Dawood translation.
(3) Those who believe in God and do good works, they shall not fear nor shall they grieve.
http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/reward.html
has a selection of verses on this theme with a commentary.