Religions and the World

It has always been huge challenge to understand the religions, faiths and related concepts. Different questions have always been floating around e.g. who has created all this set up(universe), what is the purpose of the creation, what are the responsibilities of the human beings in this vast universe, where will we be heading to after death and what will happen to us then etc? These and similar questions lead people to different beliefs as these are very important questions and one needs to find answers for them.

A faith is the starting point in life. After one starts having a particular faith, comes the need to live according to its demands and that is where a religion becomes necessary. Other way around is that one reaches a faith through a religion as every religion describes a faith. A religion is the mean to take a way in life in pursuit of fulfillment of the universal role.

What is the religious condition of our present world, what could be changed and how, what are the challenges and what might be the future of world in religious dimension? These are few questions presented and answered here. The topics discussed are: followers of different religions, current state of the Muslim world, responsibilities of religious people, status of the West in context of religion and challenges there, different cultures and priorities, Pakistan and its people, Islam as religion and way of life and freedom of choice.

Followers of different religions:

Many a times it is argued that religions are the cause of conflicts and problems. This argument is strong one and seems true in many cases but I feel problems are not religions themselves rather these are changes in the religious contents, related beliefs, misinterpretation of the religious teachings, its misuse and corruption/misunderstanding/ignorance of the followers that creates such a negative outlook. In reality religion is the source of peace and guidance for the mankind; it tells the purpose and others realities of life.

What one observes today in the name of religions is due to many different reasons and had religions been followed in their true spirit the world would have been in a very good shape. Solution of the problems however is not abandoning of the religions rather one needs to study different religions at high priority basis, confidently, broadly and critically to understand not only the messages they carry but also to compare the strengths of them, and to know reasons behind religious conflicts and problems. I would say problems we are facing today could only be solved through proper study and practice of religions there is no other way out although many might disagree to this argument.

Interestingly followers of three major religions having divine scriptures i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, want to see their respective flags high but when it comes to understanding and practice of religion then all three are miserably disappointing; those fights that one observes today are more for personal, political, egoistic and emotional reasons than for truth and justice! Who is paying at the end for all that tussle and egoistic wrangling? It is common man. These are the normal human beings of the planet who look towards religious people with astonishment and think what are they doing and who is right of them? And probably all of them are wrong to a good extent. The big scholars of all religious groups try to prove their respective religion as best and try that their followers don’t go anywhere else otherwise they (scholars) will lose the power.

People normally try to see a religion through thoughts, eyes and acts of its followers which is a natural phenomenon but it is important to observe religion and conduct of followers separately to make a correct comparison and opinion. In reality followers of all three major religions i.e. Jews, Christians and Muslims harmed the religion and that resulted into chaos and confusions for the people. Internal story of Muslims and the current situation is not really healthy and encouraging one, same is the case of Jew, Christian and other religious groups although every one of them thinks that they are doing pretty fine but none of them is at the satisfactory level if true religious criterions are applied. Frankly speaking I find those people more positive and peaceful who are not that religious or even call themselves atheists. Had all religious groups been following the real religious teachings, there have been peace, mutual respect and tolerance. One positive sign, however, are the young generations belonging to different nations that are in general peace loving, open minded and wise.

It is expected that religious people concentrate more upon peace than wars because this is what majority of people desires. They should stop dreaming of ruling the world and should instead focus on learning and following true message otherwise unnecessary conflicts will continue and none will be able to know true purpose of religions. Current world order that is more secular and materialistic in nature is clear indication that followers of the religions have failed to follow their respective teachings. Any system should, however, move ahead until people of the world get satisfactorily educated about religions, religious freedom and goal of life but whenever and wherever possible positive necessary adaptations should be made. System of the world is the reflection of the people living on it if majority of human beings will be fair then system will also be fair and vice versa! Hence, enough attention should be given to the enlightenment of human beings.

Where are Muslims standing?

Muslims particularly Arab brothers, in general, are much away from the knowledge and practice of Islam although they might think they are going quite well and right. Actually they are not correctly analyzing and comparing their current situation with that of the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his companions and also to the present world situation. They currently are followers of the world instead of leading it; have lost the real value, understanding and respect of Islam from their hearts and minds and as a result are caught up in so many problems, miseries and confusions! Actually Muslims know the reality but their goals and actions are in contradiction to it. That is also the reason why they get emotional quite quickly, lose temper at petty attacks and revert to violence otherwise deeper a person gets into religion; stronger, confident and controlled he becomes.

Current situation is a complex one: Islam is the last, best and only acceptable religion with God (Allah) but Muslims themselves are not enough confident and sure of it although they claim the truthfulness of Islam. They don’t give required importance and value to Islam; majority of them lacks the broader knowledge and practice of it. Muslims are looking more towards west and are either extremely impressed by it or hate it while west finds the Islam and Muslims as a threat. Muslims want to see themselves as leaders of the world but lack required vision, depth and power.

They need to understand that respect is only possible through following Islam and not in any other way because a Muslim is the one who follows Islam! They should know Islam is not dependent upon them and it is not personal property of them, if they will not give right attention and value to it then Allah (SWT) will chose other people for this purpose and I feel sooner or later such people will be on forefront! Although there are some signs of improvement in Muslim world but one sees no signs of a rapid, huge and positive change in near future! In reality non-Arab Muslims currently are a bit better at understanding, respecting, spreading and practicing Islam! Arabic countries posses everything one can wish for but they are distracted unfortunately and without Arab world coming back on right track things would stay complicated for all!

Need to be realistic and positive:

In west, especially in Europe, Christianity is more an identity than religion and far from something to be practiced today. Only a miracle could revive Christianity in west especially in Europe but I don’t think such a miracle is possible or would happen. I think, now a days, people can't be that much played with as flow of information is very high, fair and rapid in that part of the globe and above all people there have tried and tested Christianity to its fullest. Christian fellows, in this situation, might look for new places where people are less aware, sharp, rich and intelligent. A trick which they use is to create doubts about Islam and also to create hate against Muslims and they have been using these factors quite effectively. People of the west especially European young generation is quite intelligent, well educated, open minded and little concerned about Christian preaching and teachings and that is evident from the number of people becoming non-religious (i.e. abandoning Christianity or religion altogether) or adopting other religions and very few church visitors.

My Jew fellows had been much loved ones of God, they were bestowed with much respect, knowledge, many prophets and books but at different occasions they could not hold on and follow the path in required way. Not all Jews or Christians are angels or all what Israel is doing is correct, there are fanatics among them but such people exist in every group and nation! Any nation/group which is pushed against the wall reacts and so is the case with Israel too, if people try to attack them unfairly then they will naturally react. It is expected from Israel that they go for restraint, fairness and understanding than using force blindly and brutally because it is not good for anyone at the end! Peaceful means should be preferred over force and war. Jew fellows naturally are quite intelligent, wise and strong; young Jews are friendly, smart and open minded, it is hoped they come forward for the peace, justice and prosperity of the world, it will not only be good for them but for world at large too.

Muslims should not forget that Islam asks for controlled and fair relations with followers of all religions especially with people of book i.e. Jews and Christians, it is also mentioned that there are good people among them and it is told too that talk with them in best and intelligent way! Young Muslims have to be very responsible and careful as their unnecessary emotionalism could cause many problems. Muslims should concentrate more upon peace, learning and practice of Islam than other matters; to convince someone else, personal conviction and practice should be strong first. There are positive signs of a change in Muslim world but not of a rapid and big one. Muslim world somehow wasted last few centuries and as a result is weak and divided as compared to rest of the world; if Muslims want to bring Islam as world system then others will resist it and there would be a continues conflict and no one would reach anywhere, let the people of the planet observe and decide themselves in freedom and that is the teaching of Islam also!

Western (European) world:

Religious experience of the west, especially of the Europe, has not been that good rather it caused so many fights and bloodshed within that part of the world. Religious leaders there played all those games which today are being played by the Muslim religious leaders e.g. misinterpretation/manipulation of religious teachings, division of the people into different sects, imposition of the religious rules by force, power struggle, materialistic gains using religion etc. They have tested and tried different religions especially Christianity but it did not really help and in addition to that many different ruling systems and belief systems have also been experimented with. These are the reasons why one finds there such a repulsion among people particularly in young generation against Christianity and other religions as well; they prefer to be non-religious than being part of any specific group. They have learnt a great lesson from their past and don’t want all that chaos and conflicts once more.

Westerners generally are quite fair, sensitive and open minded people. They accept what their mind and heart tells as right and reject what they feel wrong; this is a great human quality and sign of a fair people! One feels particularly positively surprised at the nice nature of Western young generation who are sincere, fair, trustworthy, peace loving, motivated, faithful, wise, active, well educated, good at management, mentally and physical sharp and strong. They are not generally very religious though; it is greatly admiring that they have reached a position where they are neutral, independent and free. It is not an easy task to deny those beliefs, religions and customs which dominate your society but your own heart and mind doesn't accept them; this requires a lot of courage, reflection and struggle!

One feels huge respect for the people of Europe since they fought bravely and gave so many sacrifices to achieve current religious, philosophical, political and other freedoms and they should protect it in future. That neutral and positive position however should be used correctly and for the benefit of Europe and world at large. Western fellows, intentionally or unintentionally, are looking for a religion as without it peace, ultimate purpose of life and satisfaction is not possible. In this pursuit some of the young people might opt for Christianity as their forefathers and society had been on this path but can’t be contended there for long because there is no required peace in it anymore.

People would be told by their Christian fellows that see this is the religion of your ancestors so why don’t you adopt that; such a choice seems to be an easy and natural one but some easy choices can prove to be very costly later! What I feel is as Christianity no more has got the strength to keep a person satisfied so although at start those who would return to Christianity would feel a bit satisfied for sometime but sooner or later will start again the old process of dissatisfaction, irritation and contradictions! Some might be lost in this process while others would sooner or later realize the reality. Anyhow, everyone is free for his/her choices and alone answerable at the end in front of the Creator for his/her decisions!

Burqa, minarets, integration and cross cultural marriages:

These issues are quite hot and in spot light these days in Europe. Muslims there want the right of burqa(veil) for females, and mosques with minarets while others especially some people at higher ranks don’t really like those ideas. Actually these are just symptoms of deeper philosophical and ideological differences at the bottom and if these issues are settled down some new would emerge sooner or later. I personally feel both parties should show reasonable flexibility and understanding instead of making it a matter of personal insult, ego and grudge. Muslims should bear in mind that these are not Islamic states so they can’t have all what one could have in a homeland. At the same time it is expected from western nations especially people at higher ranks that they don’t try to misuse situation, dependence and conditions of Muslims living in west as they are like guests and far away from their homelands and families. Both parties should adopt realistic approach, cooperation and understanding as people have to live together besides having differences of faiths, religions, cultures, histories and priorities etc.

Scholars of Islam have defined different levels of covering for females and “Burqa” is probably the highest level of it but some other levels are also permitted for example leaving face open while covering other parts of the body. Similarly minarets of mosques are also not must, one can have mosques without them too as main purpose of a mosque is not to have big minarets rather its main purpose is as a place for worship and gathering! So Muslims should not waste too much energies over these issues and should instead focus upon learning and practicing important aspects of Islam e.g. attracting more Muslims towards mosques for five compulsory prayers, paying Zakah and learning Qur'an and Hadith etc. Muslims should also not forget that they are already enjoying many benefits in west e.g. shelter, education, jobs, social securities, freedom of practicing many aspects of their religions and more; so they should keep their demands realistic and appropriate. At the same time those people of the west who preach hate against Islam or Muslims and use it for their vested interests should be carefully handled.

As far as matter of integration is concerned, I think both parties need to know what they really mean from integration, what are the mutual expectations, what are the hurdles, what are limits and realistic solutions/possibilities. I felt concept of integration is a bit vague and has not been analyzed in a deeper and realistic way, which is causing many differences and misunderstandings. Instead of keeping this matter unclear it needs to be studied and solved properly.

In my opinion it is not necessary to marry a Muslim man or woman belonging to other culture just to know about his/her religion or culture; that information could be obtained even without getting into cross cultural bond! It is best if one marries among people of own nation/tribe as in this case a person in general shares same language, culture, nature, history, philosophy, priorities etc and that makes living together quite comfortable. More than 90% people marry in their own nation/ethnicity as it is the most natural way but of course cross cultural marriages are also open option although there one needs huge sacrifice, understanding and tolerance. One should get married at the start of maturity in youth; it helps a lot in feeling stronger, focused and responsible. It is right of the world on Muslims and followers of other religions to inquire about their faiths, religions and values, at least Muslims are bound to share it if someone asks! One should stay confident but respecting in this process of learning about faiths, religions and cultures!

Pakistan and Pakistanis:

Pakistan was created with a special purpose and that has been to establish an Islamic state, to adopt Islam as way of life and spread this message in the world but unfortunately we have been somehow distracted from this very purpose and goal! Our forefathers belonged to different religions but they then converted to Islam; it was a quite brave, difficult but right decision as to adopt a new faith and religion is one of the most difficult decisions of life, I think. Although they had to pay huge cost for this big step but fortunately stayed steadfast and because of that today it is easier for us to follow Islam and practice it! They, however, in general could not properly learn, explore and practice Islam which till today has been a big weakness of Pakistanis.

People of Pakistan themselves are also to be blamed for failures although they have been facing grave internal and external challenges in way to achieve their goals. One of the biggest mistakes has been that we tried to adopt the golden period of Islam without deeply understanding our ground realities and gradual implementation methodology of Islam. Right approach is to know the time and space needs and then their respective solutions and connections be found from Islam instead of imposing it blindly and all of a sudden.

Pakistanis have huge love, emotions and respect for Islam and that love is sometimes misused, mainly because their knowledge and practice of Islam is not that solid and deep! Many external and internal forces have been intentionally or unintentionally using these sentiments and determination for their vested interests! For example external powers supported Pakistanis for the Jihad/Qital but true scholars of Islam were not taken into confidence in this regard; in many cases motivation of those forces behind such acts was political than religious one. Unfortunately after having new land we almost never got any sincere and caring leadership; most of the leaders were just selfish, greedy and pawns; that has left deep aftereffects.

Now if Pakistanis are expecting any good in future then they have to abandon corruption, cheating and cowardliness on individual and collective levels! We don’t want and we don’t need to occupy any other land and if some people have such a desire it is not a wise and realistic one, I feel. Every land should mainly concentrate upon internal improvement than external fronts otherwise none might get corrected at the end. Pakistanis by nature are peace loving, friendly and nice people; respect, love and sincerity are the ways to deal with Pakistanis, we dislike disrespect and defeats.

Young people are quite intelligent and feel proud as Muslims and Pakistanis. They are having good insight into the problems of the country but so far are not united, and don’t have capable, wise and trustworthy leadership. Some of them want to adopt other cultures at any cost and as a result they are a bit confused and virtually no where. Young ones should be aware and proud of great and brave Islamic heroes and should be confident that they posses the best religion and philosophy! Future of Pakistan is mainly dependent upon young blood, if they will take right track then future would be better and if they faltered then future would be accordingly. As youth they have energies and strength which needs to be utilized properly and positively. We can't afford to deviate from our goal but we have to plan, analyze and reflect deeply, wisely and realistically to reach the destination.

Islam the religion and the way of life!

Different religions that one sees today are because people took different ways, developed differences, got away from the path and created confusions but not all could realize the causes, diversion and effects that came as a result! At the end it is the decision of the Creator what way of life He likes for human beings as He is the Creator, the Sustainer and the Owner of everything! In reality religion from the Creator (Allah Almighty) has always been the same and it was Islam; all the Prophets have been following and preaching it!

Islam has got the power to connect, guide, support and strengthen everyone no matter who, where and when tries to hold to it; it is the way to the peace and prosperity in this world and guarantees eternal success of Hereafter! It contains all that is required to live peaceful and purposeful life in this world and also tells all that what will happen after death! One finds true balance, happiness and strength in life through Islam; it is the way to use one's capabilities in best and most productive manner. Islam also guides how it should gradually be understood and brought into different spheres of life and provides guidance for everything, be it politics, economy, education, banking, international relations, socialism, spirituality, worship, customs, laws and so on. The contents and philosophy of Islam should be studied openly, unbiased and bravely to get the clear, broader and true picture of it, and to understand connections between life and Islam.

For spiritual strength it is necessary that Qur’an be recited/read regularly and directly in its original language i.e. Arabic and its meanings should be understood too: hence one needs to learn basic Arabic language at least to be able to recite Qur'an. In previous religions and scriptures so many changes have been made by the human beings that they have lost their real contents, message and strength! That makes them insufficient for human needs and creates much confusion: human knowledge can never compete the knowledge of the Creator! The message of Islam is in the purest form and contains all the human needs till the end of life on this planet! Some people say Qur’an is only for understanding and practice, well it is its main function but its recitation with or without understanding is source of spiritual purification, strength and protection from evils so this aspect should not be ignored.

It has been a common mistake that people started to worship different entities other than one true Lord! There have been so many different idols ranging from planets to human beings to animals to different materialistic entities etc! Worshiping the people (e.g. Prophets and other virtues person) or any other entities, intentionally or intentionally, needs to be avoided as creation and the Creator can not be equated or mixed! One of the biggest challenges for the people is to face and overcome reality of sects in Islam, I feel it might prove to be one of the biggest tasks in near future; I personally call it bigger challenge than finding the true religion among religions. One should know about sects but should not incline totally or blindly to anyone of them, don't adopt anything without having a broader picture. My conclusion is that there is no room for sects in Islam and one big reason for the current confusions and internal fights are these sects.

Last Prophet Muhammad(Peace be upon him) is the role model, blessing and mercy for whole mankind till the end of life on earth; his life has been well preserved and documented and that makes it easy to understand and follow Islam. Prophet(Peace be upon him) explained the true and basic meanings of revelations and demonstrated them by practice! The chain of prophethood has ended at Muhammad (PBUH), holy revelations have ended with Qur'an and religions have concluded with Islam; there will be simply no further changes in these aspects! Prophet Jesus(Peace be upon him) will descend again but he will not bring any new religion with him rather will follow the current religious rules and regulations! In human history, many false messengers/prophets have been emerging with their forged books and claims, people should be aware of this trap! Human guides however will always remain on earth to teach people about already revealed truth, revelations and right path; none should be followed blindly though.

Here it should be quite clear that Islam allows the existence of other religions and their practice, if someone thinks that his/her faith and religion is true/right then he/she can freely stick to that! In simple words the Creator (i.e. Allah (SWT)) declared that now Islam is the only acceptable way of life to Him but if someone wants to take any other choice at his/her own will and responsibility, he/she is free although such a choice will lead to failure, loss and rejection at the end!

Freedom of choice:

It is not possible to live happily without a faith and religion but at the same it is also not possible to force someone for a faith or religious choice. It is the personal matter of a person which way he/she finds true and follows it. This freedom of choice should be respected and people should not be forced for any religious choice as the Creator does not allow that.

Let everybody live his/her religion/system/way but keep on learning and sharing the philosophies and knowledge in a decent way, leaving the decisions upon individuals since everyone at the end is personally answerable for his/her choice(s). It is the right of every country, nation and individual to choose the way according to personal wishes, understanding and priorities. People should sincerely respect this freedom of choice and should strongly support it; this approach leads to peace, tolerance and understanding. There is no compulsion, everybody can decide freely and independently, one should however make sure that a decision is made after enough study, research and conviction.

These are my personal views and observations and everyone can agree or disagree; feel free for comments. Best wishes =)

And Allah (SWT) knows best.