(Not) Understanding Islam

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(Not) Understanding Islam Dec 24, 2023
I heard something very shocking today. A person was asked about fasting with the intention to lose weight and he said that a person who does that will have wordly reward (weight loss) but no reward in the hereafter! (As if he is an advocate of God to know and to decide in God's name!).

And then this person quoted two verses from the Qur'an, Surah Hud; ayah 15 and 16.

"Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments - We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they therein will not be deprived.
Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do."


And this is totally out of context!!! 
These two verses have nothing to do with believers but with those who deny the Truth and refuse Qur'an as a guidance and choose rather to live worldly life with no limitation nor moral obligations.

And such people as this full of facts knowledgeable man are authorities in Islamic world! What a disaster. 

Every true Muslim/ah lives life with the ultimate intention to be on Allah's path all the time. Whatever we do we try to gain God's satisfaction with us. Even if we work for a salary our background intention is not worldly life, but independence and ability to help ourselves and others. If we fast voluntarily to lose weight we have an intention in the background to suppress our Ego and control it and not let it rule over us. We do not live to follow desires, therefore we must be fit and healthy to be able to perform our duties with ease and grit. 

How this knowledgeable man reached the conclusion of Hellfire for those who are training their Ego and forbidding it to excessively enjoy food, gaining weight, losing health and decreasing performance of all good deeds, is unknown to me. Only I can guess that he is not understanding Islam deeply, regardless of knowing many facts by heart. 
Memorising many facts does not mean that a person is able to understand them on a deeper level or in multiple dimensions. 

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “To whomever Allah wills goodness, He grants him understanding of the religion.”
Sahih by B&M
People do not know who will get reward from Allah for what and who will not, and they do not know to whom Allah will forgive and whom He will punish. But still people judge on behalf of Him thinking that they are entitled. Nastagfirullah! Nauzubillah!
Many people think that we shall rather do deeds for Allah or there is no reward at all, as if they never heard ayats:
"Whoever does a good deed - it is for himself; and whoever does evil - it is against the self. Then to your Lord you will be returned.” (Qur’an; 45-15)
"Their meat will not reach Allah , nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you....." (Qur’an; 22-37)


Whatever we are doing we are doing for our own benefit, as Allah does not need our prayers, our fasting, charity or anything. That does not benefit Him in any way but it benefits us. We control our Ego and reach levels of having reassured souls as a result (nafs Mutmainnah), we equally stay away from sins when we are fasting voluntarily for weight loss as we do when we are fasting obligatory fasting to obey Allah's order, we remember Allah more and read Qur'an more while fasting and we build more empathy and we share more with the poor and needy.

Whatever we do there is a background intention to do it on Allah's path and with mentioning His name. Bismillah - with Allah's name (we start everything).
But many people understand BISMILLAH as doing it for Allah and then they expect Him to fight for them, to protect them, to feed hungry instead of them etc. They think it is their right to expect from Allah quick answers to their prayers, just because they pray or fast for Him. 
But when people understand that they do things for their own benefit, just with Allah's name, then they will fight for themselves, they will prepare everything for protecting their lives, families, wealth, land, countries etc. And they will pray to Allah to enable them to feed the poor and to enable them to do good deeds, they will not ask Him to feed the poor Himself, with no their involvement whatsoever.
 
Islam is not A or B, islam is A and B and C and D and all letters unified with the same background of doing everything the way He wants it and as He orders it. Our benefit is in this world and Hereafter when we do deeds with His name, but for our own good in the end, as He does not need anything from us for Himself. He is above any need. 

Honestly, people who think that they will fast for Allah, awaiting His reward in Hereafter, but they will remain fat, diabetic and sick in this world...they misunderstood everything. Our duty is to help ourselves and help each other by sharing, and taking care of ourselves and that is what we will be questioned for. And by taking care of ourselves and each other we will earn His rewards as well. 

Shamoosa
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