What is Religion and how is it meant to Operate ?

Religion first of all is about thinking and questioning why we are here on this planet and in this existence.

Once we know why we can then choose to live in the appropriate way in accordance with those reasons. The word choose is important cos we have been given free choice (God has given us this). So we can choose not to if we like too.

This search for truth starts with is there really a higher power that created us and everything? (The one we call God or Allah or Jehovah etc). If we find that there really is such a power then we can ask about it. What is its nature. Why has it sent our souls here, to this planet and put us in the bodies that we are in. What is the point? And more importantly has there been any communication from it.

Depending on what we find we can then go on different routes.

If you choose Islam (the fastest growing religion right now and which the media is actively attacking and smearing), then its book (the Quran) says that there is a very good end point for those who believe in God and his messengers and books, and who can humble themselves in the sight of God and are active in doing good and are happy to be obedient to Him. This removal of ego (or arrogance) is super important (in other religions too by the way, but especially so in Islam). And in order to enter this path we need to first work on ourselves to remove our ego and become humble in God's sight. If we cant do that then the door way may not open for us and God will not accept us into his dominion. And i think you will find many who reject religion because they are unable to lose their arrogance and be humbled. So they revolt against God and declare a war. But the real reason is their inaiblity to tackle their ego. And these types are blocked from seeing divine light.

For those who are willing to be humbled and are happy to be servants to God ie do acts of service for him through helping other humans especially the poor and less fortunate, then the Almighty opens the doors of faith to them and they see light when they walk through. And to them Religion is bliss. It isnt darkness. And they become happy and content in their life and depsite going through difficult situations that God may test them with. In fact the stronger your faith the more testing you will get as in this way God raises your postion in the next life. Those who are not tested as much may get lower postions. So if you are getting tested then that is good. 

At the end (ie after death and when this world ends), for the believers there will be Heaven. A blissful place to live for ever and enjoy your final life. An amazing existence. The biggest bliss and joy there will be to see God's face. Some will be granted more access than others to this bliss, depending on their deeds in this life. This is the amazing thing in Heaven. To reach it we need to connect to God now (in this life) and to increase the stength of this connection always. So that we feel closer and closer to Him. Then you will experience bliss in this life too. So you may be in a smaller heaven, and despite the testing you go through. Becuase you will be happy to sacrifice.

For a group of people who have attained faith and bliss they will try to call society to what they have found and also warn them that if they continue on their path being oblivious of this higher power that they may end up in trouble after death. Obviously many will not like this warning and the media (which maybe controlled by the rich and arrogant) may launch scathing vitriol on the believers and try to character assassinate them as arrogant people who think they know better and so on. But they are simply warning them of something that they believe is true, and its up to the people if they listen or not. So the people will be made to deride the believers or at least look at them with suspicion. The believers will also be calling people to God and Heaven and to the world of Spiritual Light. Some may respond and some may not. It may be a tough time for them, but they will have to be patient and take on the difficultie as best as they can. Similar to how the prophet pbuh and the sahaba were in Mecca at the start. "Who are you to come and tell us how to live and what will happen ?", "How dare you try to impose your beliefs on us" etc even though they are not imposing anything, just calling and inviting.

Soceity may then either responde positively to the message of those believers or it may persecute them. They will have to persevere. But they are promised that the truth will win at the end and that their struggle will be counted. 

Once the victory comes and society responds to the call, then a nation state may be formed and the seed of a new type of society on earth. One that has faith and whose faith is central to its life. This society will implement justice for all its citizens and look after them very well. It will not force anyone to be a believer and will be able to live side by side with other faiths. Also it will try to invite other societies to the truth it has found, but without force. It will also try to defend the rights of any oppressed people and speak the truth against any tyrants that may be living or ruling. It will not be afraid of waging war against them until they stop their oppression, as doing this is part of worship of the Almighty super power. Tyrants and oppressors will obviosly feel intimidated by such a state and so they may label them as backwards or violent people and so on, so that they can protect themselves and prolong their rule. But God will be on the side of the good, so victory will be given to the believers again and goodness and spritual light will spread the earth.

All this would have started with someone that God has chosen to send as a messenger and prophet to mankind (and there are many that God has chosen over the history of humanity), he would then invite his close friends and relatives and this chain reaction would spread to engulf the world ! The power of faith and sacrifice and patience and perseverance leads to amazing results.To produce a new way of life that is perfectly in balance with nature and reality as well as fully connected to and aligned with the Creator of reality. This is basically what Islam is I beleive. Realignment with the Creator. Removal of Ego (arrogance). And we operate in the service of God. Doing works that He is pleased with. Helping the poor, feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed and as well as passing the message of truth and thinking. where we question reality to find our true purpose and meaning. Where we reach the light of spirit and access it daily.

Salam !

Feedback welcome 

11 jan 25

Other Questions:

1) Where does Love come in ?

    When we connect to our Creator, whom we know is Loving and kind, we then also sense this love and love then slowly enters our hearts (if it hadn't yet entered that is). Move over our loving Creator instructs us to show love and care towards all his creatures so this moulds us into the way of love. Furthermore we are told that He loves his prophets and messengers and especially the last one Muhamed (pbuh), and instructs to send our love and salutations to him daily and as much as possible. This is what pbuh means ('peace be upon him', which is a rough translation of the actual thing in arabic). So by sending love daily to our Prophet love also enters and swirls in our hearts daily. This cultivates loving hearts and loving people i think. We are also taught how much our Lord loves us, especially how much he loves those who come back to him after being lost in the wilderness of non belief. He welcomes them back more than a mother who had lost her baby and just found him, i believe.

Also in the advanced stage of Islam, known as Ihsaan, this is where we perfect our faith and practice and build up an even closer relationship to Allah. And here is where love becomes much more magnified in the daily life and is filled with meditations and remembrance of Allah the most beautiful. The area of Sufism deals with this section and is all about purification of the self so that it becomes cleaner and thus closer to its maker who is very very pure. So the idea is that the purer we become the closer we can be to our Lord. And this closeness is the secret to happiness and bliss within this life. The closer you can come to the infinte, the happiers your life and state becomes.