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tawakkull · 18 days

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 233

Karama (Wonder)

Before explaining karama, since there is a close resemblance between it and miracles (mu‘jiza) in respect to their occurrence, we will first briefly examine miracles.

Derived from the root verb A-Ja-Za, meaning “that which people cannot imitate,” a mu’jiza (miracle) is the extraordinary state, event, word or attitude which God creates at the hands of a Prophet to show the truth of Prophethood, confirm the Religion, and generate conviction and contentment in the hearts of believers. It is beyond the power and ability of other people. A Prophet works a miracle according to God’s will in order to demonstrate his Prophethood in an undeniable and indisputable way. The miracle is created by God, not the Prophet. The Qur’an, other Divine Scriptures, and the Prophetic Traditions all mention numerous miracles worked by the Prophets, and refer to the consequences of believing or not believing in them.

As for karama (wonder), this word is derived from karam, the root meaning of which is honor, munificence, and bounty. Karama is used to designate extraordinary states, words, acts, and effects displayed by saints through God’s will and creation. To give a more detailed description, the extraordinary states displayed by the Prophets to demonstrate their Prophethood are “miracles,” while such states exhibited by the saints who have succeeded in purifying their souls and refining their hearts in adherence to the true Religion are considered to be “wonders.” Similar extraordinary states and acts can sometimes be witnessed in some people who have no belief in and adherence to the true Religion. But these states and acts are called “gradual perdition,” as they usually cause particularly the unjust, dissolute and sinful people gradually to descend into perdition.

From another viewpoint, a wonder (karama) is an extra miracle like gift of God with which He honors His servants who love and obey Him and whom He loves; it is God’s unusual or exceptional treatment of these servants for following the Prophet. The beloved people of God have divided this treatment into the spiritualkarama and the karama that is beyond the normal laws of life and creation:

As for the wonders that are beyond the normal laws of life and creation, they consist of certain extraordinary performances such as increasing a little food or drink without making any addition, being able to remain hungry for days without eating or drinking anything, covering great distances in a very short time, being present in many places at the same instant, walking on water without sinking, and moving some objects from afar. The devoted people of God have never considered such performances as a virtue, nor have they sought them; if God creates such things in their hands, they try to conceal them. Fearing that such extraordinary performances may be the cause of gradual perdition, the faithful servants at the door of God have turned to God with repentance, penitence, and contrition, scrutinized their sincerity, and renewed their devotion from the heart. Furthermore, some of them have likened such wonders to playthings of children and never attached any importance to them. The respected scholarly saint Ahmad ar-Rifai maintained that such wonders should be kept concealed, and he emphasized following the way of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Some others with the same approach have regarded wonders such as flying in the air and walking on water as the acts of some animals, and stressed that the main wonder is being able constantly to pursue God’s good pleasure and approval while trying to remain distant from other kinds of extraordinariness. They have prayed, saying, “O my God! Favor my ‘secret’ with familiarity of Your Essence, and do not test me as one who is familiar with Your secrets!” They have preferred to remain shut off from all other kinds of extraordinariness than belief, knowledge of God, and love of God, and they have not even sought spiritual pleasures.

Nevertheless, there may be some sincere ones who view wonderworking as a gift from God and make it a means of praising and thanking Him. However, it is always possible for those who have not yet been able to purify their souls completely to fall into conceit and pride. For this reason, if such a gift and performance, which is regarded as a fruit of nearness to God Almighty, causes one to become distant from God instead, then it must be more prudent to keep one’s heart distant from everything, including spiritual pleasures, other than His approval and good pleasure purely for His sake.

However, miracles are not like wonders. First of all, since miracles are displayed to confirm a Prophet in his Prophethood, to silence the opposing side, and reinforce the believers, they concern the spirit of the Divine Messengership, and a Messenger is obliged to display them when necessary. For Prophethood is one of the basic pillars of the Religion, and the most important support of religious life. Miracles are granted to draw attention to this pillar and support, and they are able to silence the opposition. Miracles have other benefits such as reinforcing the believers, offering a proof for the truth of the Divine Message to those who are sincere in their quest for the Straight Path, and depriving the obstinate unbelievers of their excuse for denial. It is for all these reasons that Prophets are obliged to display miracles.

Numerous books have been written concerning the meaning, content, sorts, and truth of miracles. The Nineteenth Letter, included in The Letters by Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, is one of them. Those who want more information about miracles, in particular the miracles of our Prophet, may refer to those books. Here we will be content with a quotation from Mawlana Shibli an-Nu’mani[1] about the spiritual life of our Master, upon him be peace and blessings:

Just as the “natural” world has disciplines and laws of its own, manifested in whatever takes place in it, such as the alternation of the day and night, and the spring and the winter, and the opening of flowers in spring, the trees yielding fruits in summer, and the harmonious movement of some stars in the heavens, so too does the world of spirituality have laws and rules particular to it. In the same way that the sun, the moon, the stars, and the events that take place on the earth display continuity according to certain laws that have been appointed for each, guidance and deviance, mercy and punishment, the Divine Messengership and the realities relating to it occur in accordance with certain Divine laws. The Prophets are chosen by God and sent at the time which He wills. People either accept or reject them. Those who accept them and believe are saved, while the others, who reject them, suffer loss and punishment. As a dimension of the struggle between the Prophets and those who reject them, God Almighty creates certain wonders that are beyond our capacity at the hands of those perfect ones whom He chose and sent to us as His Messengers…

However, just as we are unable to know completely how the flowers come into existence in spring or how the trees yield their fruits, of which we are in need, or how some stars move around their appointed orbits, or why the trees grow from seeds, or how the seeds are formed, or the exact nature of the mysterious relationship between our bodies and the sustenance we take, so too we cannot comprehend fully or exactly why the Prophets are chosen as Prophets and sent at different times. We can only know the fact that some persons are chosen and sent to certain people with the mission of Prophethood, and that they realize important revolutions, concentrating on such basic matters as belief and religious life.

In fact, it is a miracle that the Prophets emerge as Prophets, and all the states of their manners are silent proofs of their Prophethood. Those with open eyes immediately know and understand them without needing another sign; those who are not deaf know them from their messages; and those who are able to use their intellects confirm them. But there have always been others with a lower level of sight, hearing, and understanding. Therefore, in order not to deprive the latter of knowing the Prophets, God Almighty created miracles which would cause their guidance and silence the deniers. As a matter of fact, miracles were displayed to such people. Indeed no one among those who were fortunate enough to recognize the Prophets by virtue of their good conduct and character demanded miracles from the Prophets.

Distinguished personalities such as Aaron and Joshua, who were in the company of the Prophet Moses, and the Apostles around the Prophet Jesus, and “the first and foremost” to embrace Islam from among the Companions of our Master, upon him be peace and blessings, never demanded miracles. They unhesitatingly confirmed their Prophets, whom they knew by their absolute truthfulness, their trustworthiness, their dedication to their cause and communication of God’s Message, their sinlessness, and unerring and undeceiving intelligence and prudence, their straightforwardness in their relationship with people, and their untainted altruism.

Those distinguished followers of the Prophets never demanded miracles; but if they witnessed some miracles of their Prophets, this increased their confidence in their way and urged them even more to follow it with greater zeal.

As for the others, such as the Nimrods, Pharaohs, and Abu Jahls,[2] they insistently demanded miracles from the Prophets; but when they witnessed the miracles, such as the fire being cool and peaceful for the Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace (21:68–69), the Flood, in which the people of the Prophet Noah, upon him be peace, drowned (11:42; 54:12), the invasion of the residences of Pharaoh’s clan by floods, locusts, vermin and frogs, and water turning into blood while the Prophet Moses, upon him be peace, was still in Egypt (7:133), and the moon being split into two by the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, (54: 1), they described them as magic and continued in their obstinate denial. There were indeed those who came to belief from among those who witnessed these and similar other miracles, but the others who insisted in their denial did not abandon their way. Nevertheless, many among the believers increased in their belief, certainty, and conviction in the face of such unusual Divine acts.

After having assigned tens of pages to the meaning, content, and nature of the miracles, Shibli an-Nu’mani then gives answers to the objections raised by some concerning the miracles. He sums up his views as follows:

Although miracles are extraordinary, they are not impossible. Even though they are rare with respect to their occurrence, they are accomplishments which the infinitely Powerful One has created time and again.

Such extraordinary events do not show continuity like what we perceive as ordinary “natural” events. However, it is only because of their continuity that we view those latter events as ordinary. Each of them is, in fact, a miracle; indeed, all events of creation, origination, giving life, and causing to die, as well as many others, are miracles. Since the miracles of the Prophets happen outside what we see as the “usual or normal laws of nature,” we call them miracles. What we see as normal or usual laws of nature are, in fact, excuses for us to be able to observe and describe what we call “natural events” and continue our life. Such events have no creative effect at all in their own coming into existence.

Belief is not always the result of an apparent effect or sense- perception. Seeing is something, while comprehension is another thing, and evaluating our sense-perceptions is completely different from both. As for belief, it is a spirit or meaning which Divine Will kindles in the consciences of those who can evaluate, free of any prejudice. No one can kindle it by means of apparent causes.

The emergence of such a spirit or meaning in the heart or conscience partly depends on being open to believing in the Unseen. The haughty, obstinate ones, the unjust deniers, the distorting commentators, and those who crawl in the net of false imitations can in no wise attain belief unless extra Divine aid comes.

If a conscience is open to the Unseen and ready to believe, its owner believes in both miracles and the message intended by them.[3]

* * *

The considerations of Elmalili Hamdi Yazir concerning the subject are also worth quoting. After setting forth a powerful defense in his monumental Qur’anic commentary against the thinkers and philosophers who deny miracles, he gives invaluable explanations, which we can summarize as follows:

Humankind has seen many pharaohs, ranging from those who claim divinity to those who deny everything beyond matter, from those who use humans like slaves and brutalize them to those who regard them as animals, from those who put a ban on the freedom of thought and speech to those who degrade and mock the Religion and religious life, and from those who ignore the events that are extraordinary in occurrence or spiritually to those who deny the limitlessness of the Power. Even though these pharaohs are not based on any right or substantiated truth in their claims and actions, they have been able to impose their wishes on the masses with brute force. Without needing to justify their plans even once, they have always applied brute force with the belief that “might is right.” These are such rebellious spirits that they neither recognize God and the Prophet nor accept Messengership and the miracles. They are examples of those who have disrespect for both the creation and the Infinite Power Which creates. It is useless to spend time hoping whether they will reform their ways; what we should do concerning them is to avoid provoking them so that they do not bite people. Both miracles and wonders are manifestations of Divine favor for unprejudiced persons and acts of stirring up certain inherent tendencies. Even if thousands of such acts are displayed before those with deformed characters, they are not in the least affected by them.

Even though miracles and wonders resemble each other in appearance and occurrence, they are different in essence. Miracles are extraordinary states or events that confirm the truthfulness of the Prophets in their claim of Prophethood. They are the means of coming to belief and salvation for some, while they cause the destruction of haughtily obstinate ones. As for wonders, they are special favors of God Almighty bestowed for adherence to Prophets.

Miracles are displayed to confirm the claim of Prophethood and silence the deniers, while wonders are and should be kept concealed as a mystery of God so long as there is not something that requires their exhibition.

Besides being a proof for Prophethood, miracles are such exceptional Divine gifts which awaken hearts to the Divine Message that they are binding on anyone who witnesses them or hears of them from a reliable source. As for wonders, they are God’s gifts that are particular to those who have been favored with them and are binding on no one.

When a Prophet works a miracle, he can comfortably describe that extraordinary state, action, or word, which God Almighty has created in his hands as a miracle; indeed, he is obliged to display it. But at whatever level they are, saints cannot claim any similar extraordinary accomplishment when they are favored with a wonder. More than that, they shudder with fear that such an accomplishment may be the beginning of their gradual perdition, or that they are consuming here the fruits that will be given to them in the Hereafter for their good deeds.

A Prophet who works miracles proclaims his mission with a miracle, using it as grounds for conveying his Message and the fundamentals of the religious life he must communicate. As for the saintly people of God, they see whatever gift and effulgence they are favored with only as a reflection of the miracles of the Prophet they follow.

A miracle indicates the truth of the office of Prophethood, which is one of the essential pillars of Divine Religion, while wonders and other accomplishments or Divine gifts, such as the discovery of some realities that are hidden to common people, are evaluated as the fruits of following a Prophet.

Truthfulness, trustworthiness, freedom from sin and any mental or physical defect, intellect or perfect sagacity, and being a Prophet receiving Divine Revelation are the prerequisites for any unusual accomplishment or state to be accepted as a miracle. However, in addition to the fact that a saint favored with wonder-working can never be regarded, and indeed never is, as a Prophet, he or she is not necessarily expected to have perfected the other attributes mentioned as well.

As discussed before briefly, a Prophet displays extraordinary things by God’s creation, and is doubtlessly certain that they are miracles—but saints feel doubt about the extraordinary things that originate from them whether purposely or unaware, because unless these are intended for guidance knowingly, they may be a test for them involving the risk of loss.

It is a fact that sometimes, because of some necessity or need, and sometimes with the intention of serving a religious purpose or under the unavoidable influence of the spiritual state they are in, some saintly people of God may display some extraordinary things within the limits of Divine permission. However, they should view this Divine gift as a reward for their adherence to the Prophet they are believing in and following, and never attempt to use it as a means of personal credit. Whether a saintly friend of God works it knowingly, or it appears purely as an unexpected Divine gift, a wonder resembles a miracle with respect to its occurrence. For example, miracle- like wonders, such as being unexpectedly offered some food or water in time of dire hunger or thirst, exhibiting extraordinary behavior in time of war, covering a great distance or extraordinarily performing many things in a very short time (shortening of distances or expansion of time, respectively), breathing temporary life by God’s leave to someone who has just died, walking on water without sinking, and traveling in the air as if flying, like the Prophet Solomon, upon him be peace, have been frequently witnessed.

Both the Qur’an and the books of the reliably narrated sayings of our Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, mention similar and other kinds of miracles worked by different Prophets. We read about many extraordinary states, action, and words of respectful saints in the books that narrate their lives. Here we will be content with a few examples:

It is narrated in the same books that some saints, such as Abu Sa’id al-Harraz[5] and Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani, spoke with corpses.

There are many other miracle-like wonders worked by saints, such as flowing water parting and opening a passage for the saints, some saints not dying even though they were poisoned many times, the shortening of distances, wild animals serving them, their prayers being instantly accepted, their being prevented from eating and drinking any forbidden thing, their observing events that occurred in distant places, and their being protected against their enemies. All these events demonstrate that wonder-working is undeniably real, and some saintly friends of God have been honored with it.

The extraordinary states and actions which proceeded from our Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, from his birth until his Prophethood, are of the same nature as wonder-working. However, the wonders and gifts which are, in one respect, a means of honor for saints, are only of a primordial degree in proportion to the gifts and honors of the office of Prophethood, and they are regarded as drops that emerge from the atmosphere of the Prophet whom the saints follow. For this reason, the friends of God never think of using such Divine favors in promoting themselves, nor do they pursue them. Neither do they damage their relationship with God based on their servanthood by making use of them for personal credit. They try their best to keep the favors that come without demand concealed, and they even check their relationship with their Lord, fearing that these acts may be a test for them. They renew their devotion to Him and only pursue His approval and good pleasure. This is what is most suited to the faithful servants of God, the Ultimate Truth.

Those faithful servants of God turn to Him a few times a day with the petition of their awareness and admission of their innate impotence and poverty; they are enraptured with the joy of being the servants at His door and always move with thankfulness for being on His way. They are in turmoil with the hope of attaining His constant company. Consequently, they are shut off from anything— whether it is a spiritual discovery or wonder-working, or spiritual pleasures, or any other kind of favor—other than intense longing to meet with God. They consider themselves to be nothing within nothing, recognizing others as much more virtuous than themselves, always living as examples of utmost humility and the deepest sincerity toward God, and they are so compassionate and magnanimous toward people that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for their happiness; they abandon all desires and expectations for any Divine gifts that will come to them in the world, they pursue only God’s approval and good pleasure at every instant of their lives.

These heroes are primarily distinguished with such qualities as equipping as many hearts as possible with belief, endeavoring that the Religion becomes the life of all humankind, illuminating all dark souls, trying to remove all the hardship and troubles that their community suffers, showing the same degree of sensitivity to preserving the honor of others that they show to preserving their own honor, asking for the good of all Muslims as much as or even more than they ask for their own good whenever they stretch out their hands to pray to God, praying every morning and evening for mercy toward and forgiveness of the Community of Muhammad, saying, “O my God! Have mercy on the Community of Muhammad! O my God! Forgive the Community of Muhammad!”; they act so magnanimously and tolerantly that they forgive those who have done them harm, embracing everyone with love, mercy, and generosity, showing the utmost care in adhering to the Religion down to its smallest detail, and following the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, step-by-step in their life. They try to fully represent the elevated morals and virtues that the Qur’an portrays and are resolved to remain distant from all evils and vices, such as resentment, vengeance, hatred, jealousy, suspicion, and enmity. Each of these qualities is a wonder to be sought and much more valuable than the other wonders that are manifested as some extraordinary actions or events, some examples of which we have mentioned above.

Indeed, the greatest wonder is living a life completely according to the precepts of the Qur’an, and those who are the nearest to God must be the representatives of this spirit.

O my God! Make us among Your servants who are sincere and who have been endowed with sincerity in faith and in the practice of the Religion, and who have achieved piety and righteousness, and abstinence from all forbidden things, big or small, and whom You have made near to You, and who are well-pleasing to You, and with whom You are well-pleased, and who love You and are loved by You, and who stand in awe of You, and whose character has been molded by the Qur’an! Amen! And bestow blessings and peace upon the Master of those who love You and are loved by You, and on his Family and Companions, whom You made near to You.

[1] Mawlana Allama Shibli an-Nu’mani (1857–1914) was a Muslim scholar from India. He founded the Shibli National College in 1883 and the Daru’l-Mussanifin in Azamgarh. Shibli was a versatile scholar, especially in the fields of history and literature. He was also a poet. His famous work is Siratu’n-Nabiyy. (“The Life of the Prophet”). However, he only managed to write two volumes of it, and his disciple Sayyid Sulayman an-Nadwi made use of an-Nu’mani’s material and his own and wrote the remaining five volumes of the work after the death of his teacher.

[2] Abu Jahl, ‘Abr ibn Hisham (d. 624 CE) was the most obstinate and merciless one in opposition to the Prophet Muhammad in Makka. Abu Jahl, meaning the Father of Ignorance, was the name given to him by the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. He was killed at the Battle of Badr two years after the Prophet’s emigration to Madina.

[3] an-Nu’mani, Asr-i Saadet (“The Age of Happiness”: Turkish translation of Siratu’n-Nabiyy), vol. 3, under the heading of “The Spiritual Life of Our Prophet.”

[4] Muhammad ibn Hasan Abu Ubayd al-Busri (d. 859) was a famous Syrian scholar and Sufi. He is regarded as one of the greatest saints.

[5] Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan Ali al-Ahdal al-Husayni (d. 1604) was one of the saints from Yemen. The Sufi order of Ahdaliya is attributed to him.

[6] Abu Sa’id Ahmad ibn ‘Isa al-Harraz of Baghdad, a cobbler by trade. Author of several books including some which have survived, the date of his death is uncertain but probably occurred between 892 and 899.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #convert islam #revert islam #revert help #revert help team #help #islam help #converthelp #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

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eemoo1o · 1 year

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Shadow has never been stated to be 18 or 20 though, he has only ever been stated to be physically 15 /nm

(Long post ahead. Tags are also important in advance. I will admit this post spirals into a tangent on how this matter started as well as stuff about other characters, and despite all linking together under the same theme-gazebo, it kinda derails, so feel free to read at your own pace.)

I don’t know much about the games—and that may make you feel “oh then why are you..” yeah, I mean like I don’t check manuals or have played them but I watch analysis videos, avidly Google shit and revisit the wikis now and then.

Just putting that out there.

The Sonic News Network wiki page merely renders him as ageless, whereas the Sega Wiki wiki page (where I got my information from last post) stated three (kinda) ages for the character:

(Please note that the Wiki is themed in a darker grey to what the image is here. Same with the following. I turned the exposure up on each for visual clarity.)

Oh, look, they even included a canon birthdate!

Oh…

Well, I know Wikis aren’t always accurate, so to back up the apparent evidence I had, if I’m just to Google his age just to double check—

Hey! That’s the game, damnit.

Think this was my mistake in the previous reply, so I suppose I should apologise. And I do. I think my train of thought was: “He’s 18 years of age (y), with some range in other games (17-22y respectively)”, which isn’t right—but every source I could find on the character’s age came up with 18y and not 15y, so I stand by the claim that even though he’s “ageless” (immortal, basically) he’s physically 18.

It also doesn’t make much sense that he is “ageless”—perhaps due to his origins of being put into stasis like some sort of autobot, or something—when a physical age for him has been stated to be 18 (which makes sense, as Knuckles was, by technicality, the original Shadow, having been invented seven years before Shadow was, and as far as I remember is meant to be a year or two older (16 or 17) than Sonic (15)—it also makes sense because Rouge is also 18, apparently, and I’d have imagined them to be of very similar age). Technically that should just let him do an Edward Cullen and be 18 forever.

(I will note that I’ve never liked the prospect of Shadow being immortal. Or the duration it took for him to come out of stasis just to link to Dr. Robotnik somehow. Perhaps I’m just biased, but to me it feels heavily unjust—I wanted Shadow and Sonic carrying their rivalry all the way to the old folks’ home, damnit. And now that vision is ruined.)

Overall, being immortal really doesn’t suit Shadow’s character, in my opinion, and just feels like a plot point now simply discarded and forgotten. It really wasn’t necessary in the first place, and making him 18 (immortal or otherwise) would have been much easier, rather than the oh-so-enigmatic “ageless” genotype we all know and love today.

To remedy this, I like to think red-eyed Shadow is different to brown-eyed Shadow in the sense of age and therefore backstory. I made a post on it—in fact I think it’s probably the post right before this one on my blog—but currently my main focus is going to be on Prime, which is why I’m now so bitter about Shadow’s age, and Sonic character ages as a whole.

None of it really fits, and I think they all need to be updated (Sonic and Amy’s, especially). I mean, I know Amy’s was back in the day, but with how she’s depicted now as opposed to back then, even post-redesign (she went from an 8yo Sonic recolour to a 12yo what-we-know-now). I mean, I know her main, more “well regarded” character arc is learning how to mature, but with her literally being fucking 12 is just a pisstake.

Sonic’s age is less annoying as opposed to Shadow and Amy’s (respectively) because I don’t think too much into it until I notice it doesn’t suit him due to the situations he’s in. Yes, he’s young and he’s a teenager—a cocky one at that, which is one of the many good things Hardcore Sonic Fans (aka the “bronies” of this fandom, for lack of a more adequate word) praise Prime for depicting—so it’d make sense for him to be such (15yo), but to me it’s make much more sense for him to be like 16.

I’d be willing to say “maybe even 17”, but 16 just seems so perfect and on the nose. It’s such a nitpicky little detail but to me Sonic’s age wouldn’t seem so absurd if they just made him 16. It’d both make an immense difference and yet basically none at all that would force any impact on his characterisation.

Amy’s the most absurd—her age still hasn’t been updated from 12 and even though it’s an improvement from her being 8, it’s still ridiculous. If you’re (and by that, I mean the creators, not you, the anon) not going to change Sonic’s age, at least change hers. To me, she seems like she should be a year younger than Sonic at least.

Same could be said for Tails. To me he feels similar to Amy, or at least in the terms of arcs. He should be younger than Sonic, and either the same or younger than Amy, too. He’s still eight, and with how his character has evolved over the years, especially in the modern era, he needs to be just a mite older, like 12 or something.

I feel like Shadow’s age, I most have a problem with for literally being 50 (I don’t care if he’s “physically” 18 or whatever. He’s not Edward Cullen, although that too is also pretty creepy) and as for the coma thing, put it like this: if Timmy fell down the well at 8 years of age and woke up from his head-trauma-induced coma 50 years later, he isn’t automatically excused from picking fights or relationships with kids.

I added the “relationships” into it because this (the thing with the coma) seems to be the primary excuse for Sonadow shippers (I suppose with Rougeow it isn’t so bad because she’s canonically 18, probably to make her past sex appeal to humans somewhat legal, but still). I mean, I’ve seen the same being said for other ships, but not really. The primary ship seems to be for Sonadow, seeing as Amy’s age is always disregarded anyway, especially in the Sonamy side of the fandom.

Shadow was my favourite part in Prime, I’ll admit—I liked his banter with Sonic, and I liked his voice actor (oh, Ian Hanlin, how I love your vocal range so)—which is why my anger for Shadow’s age and backstory made a resurgence (it was either mid-last year or the one just before, where I went through a Sonic phase on my blog after revisiting Boom, and somewhere during that I’d said the same thing, although not to this much feedback from an anon/anons).

I also made the post about Shadow’s eyes because if noticed they were brown in Prime but didn’t really pick up on what exactly was off until I’d googled it. One could argue they’re red for TV as opposed to the games, but in Sonic X they’re red, like in the games, and in Sonic Boom they’re a more saturated colour, making them mostly dark red, borderline brown.

So, I assume as the modern era of Sonic-based media progresses/progressed, they’ve turned from brown to red. It’s subtle but I hope it says a lot. Mostly for his backstory, because god, do I hate Shadow’s backstory.

#i assume you’re the same anon as this morning? /gen q #asks #anon asks #anonymous #answering an ask #sth ages #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #ages in sonic are fucked #this is a very /nm and /lh post/reply posed in an opposite manner I do realise so apologies if it comes off as seriously defensive #it isn’t I just like theatrical flares in my posts sometimes /gen #tangent #lol maybe I should make a sonic side just to organise this stuff #/gen thoughts on the matter #sonic prime #sonic boom #sonic x #amy rose #knuckles the echidna

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m-c-gs-storyblog · 9 months

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USF SPEECH SNEEK PEEK

In the vast expance of the universe, it is impossible for humanity to be its sole inhabitor. In the near future, we may reap what we sow as a result of brodcasting our progress throughout the universe. Perhaps as a way to make ourselves more interesting or as a way to communicate with extratarrestials. However, is it the most intelligent thing to broadcast our existence to a potentially dangerous species? A species that does not share our morals, our code of conduct, and most importantly, our empathy for other sapiant spieces. currently, we can only conseptualize only three types of alien socities. The parasitic spieces, a hive-like spieces, and a techlologicly superior spieces. Moreover, these theorized spieces may not even view us as intelligent and may view us the same way we view the humble ant colony. This is why for humanity for ensure we have a good first contact with extratarrestials, we must do two things: we must come togeather under a common flag when the fate of the world is at stake and we must bolster our planitary defences.

While the idea of coming togeather under a common flag may not be appealing to all the global leaders, for fears of losing athority over their countries in times of strife. It is a neccessity when the fate of the spieces is at stake. Furthermore, it ensures that those living under those athorities have a chance to live, create, work, and survive whatever force may endanger us. In an ideal world these things would be handled democraticly with voting from the people of the nations and in turn, voting from the leaders of a nation. ultamatly the desision will be made by the planet and its people under a common flag. Alternativly we can remain seperated and decide through military power who shall lead the earth into the future. However, when the dust settles and the victor is named, we may not have a planet to fight for anymore and our spieces would be as doomed as it would have been had an alien spieces glassed our planet. With this in mind, take a minuite to imagine a world that does not squabble over the metals in the ground, or the right to a piece of land bacasue of its elements. Where humanity does not fight over food, land, water, or wealth. A world at peace. Moreover, if we can not settle differeces be it with relligion or claim to a terratory. If war is unavoidable it can be decided off-world. let petty wars be fought off-world to ensure humanity is safguarded from the horrors of nucular annilation and the dread of war. This not only ensures civilians are safe but to also ensure that those whom wage war can state their cause is just by recruting people to fight in space for said cause. Making it more difficult for those to endanger the lives of civilians with petty wars. While many wouldn't take to this for fears of their cause being unjust and therefore, people not enlisting. Some might to to acts of terrorism to make political statements, others may turn to activism to change policies. while these are welcome in countries in which it is permitted others will disagree and fight tooth and nail to not be involved in a world government. Others will welcome the oppertunity and reap the benafits of said allience.

These benafits should include, access to technology, building methods for arcatecture, orbital defence from below and above in the senerio of hostile invasion be it foreign or domestic. These will be the first steps in ensuring humanity's safty as well as a global standard for technology which allows for a greater understanding of said technology and faster distrabution of innovations in technology between nations. universiel standard for education and garentieeded resources when innovations are made. furthermore, to ensure this new form of government is never used against the people. To rule over then and exploit the people they are tasked with protecting. the people will have the right to bare arms and this right shall not be infringed upon by any government offical or state or system. Any government offical that violates these rules shall get the sword and it shall be weilded by the people to strike down corruption and manipulation where ever when ever it spawns.

These ideas are radical because they are so different from what we are accustomed to. Becasue of this many will label me a madman. However, I ask of you would you rather have a world of peace, or a world of perpetual war, conflict, strife, were the world could be ended with the press of a button or worse. We are culled by any alien spieces that wishes to, simply on a whim. we must come togeather under a common goal, under a common flag. To ensure we are not vaporized out of existance again like many species have on our planet. we must understand that with this technology we could be mining gold, iron, cobalt, and a myriad of other elements. We could be assembling great ships that take our spieces to the next planet or our own moon. We could be so much more than what we are if we put aside our differences and come togeather for the sake of our spieces.

#humanity #the next step #A future for all of us

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schatzwiederentdeckung · 1 year

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Eat Your Moral Spinach: Justice Helps Us Improve Our Communities and Our Selves

I am interested in the virtue of justice because I think that it is the hardest to define. More than any of the other virtues, I think that the definition is subjective, since the virtue sits at such a complicated intersection between the individual and their environment. In his writings, Plato sets justice apart from other virtues and claims that it functions in both individuals and societies. Modern-day social movements are making strides towards justice. However, these ideas of justice are not the same. I would define justice as the desire to improve oneself so that the larger society might improve. Since justice exists in the space between individual and society, I think that one of the best ways to cultivate it is by seeking education. By understanding others’ points of view and learning more about the way our society is organized, it is easier to grow in the direction of cooperation and coexistence.

Plato's ethics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato-ethics-politics/

In my opinion, Dorothea Dix is an exemplar of justice. She conducted investigations of many state institutions—jails, almshouses, etc.—and documented the mistreatment of the mentally ill. She repeatedly petitioned state and federal legislators for better facilities and standards of care. While she was often denied and ridiculed, she continued to work in healthcare as a nurse and reformist until just a few years before her death. She was responsible for the founding of nearly thirty-five hospitals.

Biography of Dorothea Dix: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470530/

Galtung divided his table of basic needs into “outer needs” and “inner needs.” Based on those names, I would have guessed that justice would align more with the outer needs, but in actuality, I think justice reaffirms an individual’s inner needs: freedom and identity. Living in a just society, or with a just mindset, encourages one to live in full connection with themselves and others. I also think that justice is related to Seligman’s concept of positive relationships. Our relationships include more than our connections to family and friends—they are connections to everyone around us. Working to strengthen a sense of justice makes those connections deeper and more authentic.

Galtung's basic needs approach: https://www.transcend.org/galtung/papers/The%20Basic%20Needs%20Approach.pdf

If I were looking for justice, I would look for someone setting goals or making suggestions for the improvement of society. G.E.M. Anscombe offers a convincing argument for using language like “just or injust” instead of “right or wrong.” She explains how right/wrong language comes from the divine law conception—a framework that is no longer in play, but which continues(d) to govern moral language. In her essay Modern Moral Philosophy, she says, “if the divine law obliges not to commit injustice by forbidding injustice, it really does add something to the description ‘unjust’ to say there is an obligation not to do it” (p 18). She provides much more detailed analysis of the language of justice, but I think this quote is an interesting place to “enter the forest of justice,” since it bridges two different ideas of morality.

#justice #relationships #reform #philosophy #Plato

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hubertseth · 1 day

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Salient issues on language, culture, and society.

Addressing something is quite difficult as it brings the challenge of getting the attention of the masses or the generalized others, spreading awareness on salient issues in Language, Culture, and Society requires attention in various fields or studies, but it is important to know and be aware of salient issues that are found in our present time. Many issues have plagued Languages, Cultures, and Societies for a long time, issues like language diversity, cultural discrimination, societal inequality, linguistic diversity, preservation or death of languages and cultures around the world, the challenges and effects of technology on language both positive and negative, and etc., this also includes the effect of technology on society, some of the issues that I mentioned have existed for a long time and have prevailed, and some are issues that arose due to the rapid changes and advancement of the world. addressing this issues are the first step that we have to take in hopes of finding solutions or ways to cope with these salient issues that we have today.

Language diversity or linguistic diversity concerns itself with the varieties of language, there are 7,139 languages in the world, and this are so-called official languages so this does not include language that have not been recognized by governments or nations, and each of these language have their own distinct and unique way of expressing, however languages around the worlds are slowly dying due to globalization and other factors that leads to the death of a language, and this would surely lead to the death of a culture that uses the same language.

Language diversity is even the cause of language barriers, due to the differences in the way we communicate would cause problems and challenges would arise such as miscommunication, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation, and this would stir up conflict and arguments at different levels from interpersonal relations to international relations.

There are also issues that sprout from inequality and discrimination, this type of issues are found almost everywhere in the world, where individuals who do not speak the language of the majority of people often experience unjust and unfair treatment from others, especially those who speak the language of the majority, discrimination of minor language should not be an issue, especially the discrimination of others, according to (Fernand De Varennes, 2021), n his research "Language, Minorities, and Human Rights," the author highlights that the choice of language by governments and their citizens is a significant issue in numerous ethnic or minority conflicts worldwide. Despite international and national laws traditionally viewing language selection for official state functions as a state prerogative, this stance has often needed to be more effective and sometimes misguided in various instances. It is unfortunate to think that this is the reality of today's world where there are few to none that do not practice or promote discrimination. These issues are still prevalent, especially in educational institutions where the institution or the government does not include minor languages just like native languages, or languages of ethnic groups

Since language is deeply connected to culture, what affects language either being negative or positive would also affect the culture that is connected with it, if a certain language is being discriminated then that would also imply that the culture that uses that same language would also be discriminated, this would obviously lead to negative effects on people of that culture facing discrimination but there is also a possibility of a positive effect on the people's mental state (Adriana Faur, 2007), suggested that it is anticipated that experiencing discrimination will have negative psychological consequences, but it was also proposed that it would help people of cultural minorities become more resilient and mature.

Similar to how discrimination of a language would affect its culture surrounding that language, the death of a language would surely lead to the death of a culture, in the same concern of globalization and its effect on many cultures, traditions, and practices. Media plays a big role in globalization as the access to the internet would highlight social media platforms and exposing individuals from around the globe to this platforms, and since it is a tool used all around the globe it uses English as its main language, and due to its massive influence to its users, this would also influence the language that they use and the things that they normally do, media is a tool that is used to influence people and to expose them to the world, though it can be used as a tool to promote diverse cultural practices and traditions, but due to the presence of discrimination and inequality, as Westerns have more power or influence on the internet, the majority of other cultural practices would be disregarded by most people.

Societal inequality is also a prevalent and salient issue as the world as the unequal distribution of privileges, opportunities, and power is a rampant issue in our world, with no society that has equality among its members and this includes the political, economic, and financial, and material aspects of the society where there is conflict and chaos over power and resources.

Technology today plays a big role in our societies, some are even founded out of technology, some would not exist without technology, and some are dependent on technology. The advancement of human technology triggered a rapid change in our world and of course the societies in our world, this would force us to adapt to the changes to keep up with the world, but sometimes we do not realize that the slow and constant changes in our world have made rise to new issues and new opportunities.

The influence of technology also brought change that I consider to be an issue since it had a negative effect on the preservation of culture and language, through its influence it made people want to follow what the majority of people are doing, and what they are saying, forgetting the importance of preserving the heritage and practices of the diverse cultures in the world.

Though addressing these issues is the first step, it is the proper way of doing anything, to take the first step, to address these issues to promote awareness in our community and hope to find and discover solutions or ways that we can cope with these issues or at best avoid them from happening in the first place.

References De Varennes, F. (2021). Language, minorities and human rights (Vol. 45). Brill. Faur, A. (2007). A qualitative analysis of cultural discrimination stress. The University of Toledo.

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the-hem · 6 months

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A Brief History of Messianic Movements

Michael Das.

Independent Researcher, Washington DC.

Abstract.

Jesus Christ wasn’t the first Messiah. The earliest civilized culture on earth, the Babylonians believed the god Marduk would send a Messiah King to their city, the Jews started believing in a Wasp of God during the Roman occupation, they still believe in Mashiach, a mass movement meant to dislodge mankind from an embedded state of ignorance and spur it to spontaneous enlightenment. Hindus believe Krishna will return, Buddhists call Him Maitreya, many around the world still await the return of Jesus. There are specific requirements for a Messiah, some all cultures share, some are unique. One is the belief the Messiah will bring salvation from corruption and disorder. This paper argues which Messianic faith has the most potential to address burgeoning social diseases and heal the world most effectively.

Introduction. What is a Messiah?

The word Messiah is derived from messah, alligator fat used during ancient Egyptian religious rituals, Warwick (2014): "Anointed One" Others call him the Messiah or messeh from the Egyptian word to "anoint with crocodile fat".

Before the term Messiah came to be exclusively associated with Jesus, it was generally and liberally applied to anyone thought to be a prophet. I don’t want to focus on what we already know about Jesus, but to look at how other cultures used this word and whom they thought would perform His duties.

Jews and Egyptians populated the world together long before most others, circa 3500 BCE and obviously the idea of an anointed one stuck with the one long after the other died out. The Mesopotamians had another called Marduk, the Sun-Calf.

Neujahr, 2014 compresses it all together, stating we pin our hopes on a Messiah “…to advocate the future coming of a native dynast who will expel foreign rulers and institute an age of peace and plenty.”

Only one, Judaism says we have to do it ourselves, here and now. The others do make for the telling of incredible tall tales, however.

2. Marduk, the Future King of Babylon.

An important religious artifact, a statue of the god Marduk, was stolen and “mad dogs roam the city biting citizens, friend attacks friend, the rich beg from the poor, brother eats brother, and corpses block the city gate,” Neujahr.

Marduk, in response to the calamity, says a new monarch will bring the statue back into the City and all goodness will return with them:

“A king of Babylon will arise and he will renew the house of announcement,10 the Ekursagil. He will draw the plans of Heaven and Earth in the Ekursagil. He will change its height. He will establish tax exemptions for my city, Babylon. He will lead me and bring me into my city, Babylon, and the Ekursagil forever.”

History does not recall whether or not the king showed.

3. The Kalki Avatara of India.

The Bible says Jesus rides back into our lives for a second time on a white horse, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war” -Revelation 19:11.

This is not dissimilar to the projections for what is called the Kalki, “The Most Brutal” of Vishnu, the Reformer God: “He will be seated on a white horse with a naked sword in his hand, blazing like a comet”, Britannica, n.d.

Circumstances that will bring this most heavy-handed of godheads out of the Realm of Vishnu to the earth include a humanity that has abandoned duty, surrendered itself to the whims of the wicked and unjust, and permitted miscreants to rule the world.

The Kalkin appears in many places in Indian lore:

The Padma Purana states in 6.71.279-282 this will take place when the tenth version of Lord Vishnu appears:

“The tenth incarnation known as Lord Kalki will be the supreme chastiser of the envious and irreligious and will kill by the thousands such people so as to make way for the devotees to set up a society centered around God.”

This same theme is echoed in the Srimad Bhagavatam:

“Thereafter…, the Lord of the creation will take His birth as the Kalki incarnation and become the son of Viṣṇu Yaśā. At this time almost all the rulers of the earth will have degenerated into plunderers.”

While it might be wishful thinking to hope God would do in the thousands of scum that deserve what’s coming to them, the Buddhists say only the Friendliest, Maitreya Buddha will do.

4. Maitreya, The Future Buddha.

In Messianic terms, Jesus has two lives, Krishna has 10, Buddha has 5, FPMT, (2022):

In the future, because of the growth of delusion, the beings in this world will degenerate – their lifespan will decrease and their lives will be filled with much suffering. When human life expectancy has decreased to only ten years, Maitreya will manifest in the form of a great spiritual leader and demonstrate the path of virtue. In particular, he will spread the teachings on loving kindness and, as a result, the fortune of the humans in this world will begin to improve – they will gradually give up their deluded attitudes and harmful behavior and their lifespan will start to increase.

Maitreya is said to begin His duty to enlighten and dimly burning human community as a pilgrim Himself, a kind of saint called a Bodhisattva.

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who postpone their own salvation in order to help all sentient beings. The bodhisattva is an ideal type, not a depiction of an historical person like the Buddha. Bodhisattvas have some of the characteristics of Christian saints. They are compassionate figures who help worshipers. Unlike saints, however, they are not associated with historical persons, hagiographies, or martyrdom.

4. The Yazidi and the Magi.

The Yezidi, a Middle Eastern faith that conjoins aspects of Hinduism and Islam, trace the origins of their religion through the Magi, the very same that foresaw the coming of Christ Messiah. They believe the Prophet Daniel, the First Magus was an ancestor, prepared the Magi of the future to recognize and find the Star of Bethlehem and find the Christ Child. Sim.ca (2019)

Yazidis also believe Jesus/Isa brought spiritual light, and just like Muslims was also going to bring Salvation to the world, predict a future with a monarch who will rule with the approval of the gods, reverse a situation of foreign domination, restore the proper functioning of the native cult, and institute a period of prosperity, and with his imminent arrival, a legitimate native dynast to set all the social and natural disorder aright...

The Yezidi, “Angel Protectors” aren’t the only ones that have a problem with “social and natural disorder” nor were they the first. The Jews had an allergy to it from the beginning.

5. Mashiach: The Twilight of Ignorance.

The Jewish notion of a Messiah or Mashiach is defined as a “A priest king” who will, as Isaiah said, situate himself and the following will take place, mfa.gov.il (n.d.):

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9).

The Hasidim, “shepherds of the world” state, on Chabad.org that Mashiach is more broadly defined as a time when the Jewish people will be lead back to the Land of Israel, and “Nation shall not lift a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Micah 4:3), also "The earth shall be filled with knowledge of G‑d as water covers the seabed" (Isaiah 11:9).

Soon, Jews believe and hope, soon.

Conclusion: Right here, a Dwelling Place.

All of the models for a Messiah emphasize the creation of a safe place, one that is free of politics, corruption, violence and delusion about our places in creation, and the gnawing emptiness beside us where our God used to before He stopped being dear to us.

The faiths I analyzed indicate the Rider on the White Horse will come during a time of nearly untenable strife. Only one, however, Judaism, says He can be invited with an act of devotion:

“From the dawn of time, G‑d envisioned for Himself a "dwelling place" right here on Planet Earth. And He put us here to fashion this home. To transform darkness into light, the end-product of our labor of love.”

So let us love.

References:

Bodhisattva Maitreya (article). (n.d.). Khan Academy. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/beginners-guide-asian-culture/buddhist-art-culture/a/bodhisattva-maitreya

Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. (2022, March 16). Who is Maitreya Buddha? FPMT. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-issues-for-2010/april/who-is-maitreya-buddha/

The image of the Messiah in Judaism and Christianity. (n.d.). Https://Mfa.Gov.Il/MFA/IsraelExperience/Religion/Pages/Image_of_Messiah_in_Judaism_and_Christianity.Aspx#:~:text=The%20Hebrew%20word%20%22Mashiach%2C%22,such%20as%20the%20prophet%20Elisha). Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/Religion/Pages/Image_of_Messiah_in_Judaism_and_Christianity.aspx#:~:text=The%20Hebrew%20word%20%22Mashiach%2C%22,such%20as%20the%20prophet%20Elisha).

kalki. (n.d.). Salagram.Net. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.salagram.net/kalki.html

Kedmi, R. (n.d.). The image of the Messiah in Judaism and Christianity. The Image of the Messiah in Judaism and Christianity. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/IsraelExperience/Religion/Pages/Image_of_Messiah_in_Judaism_and_Christianity.aspx#:~:text=The%20Hebrew%20word%20%22Mashiach%2C%22,such%20as%20the%20prophet%20Elisha).

Messiah the Bright Morning Star. (2019, February). Sim.Ca. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.sim.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/messiah-bright-morning-star.pdf

Moshiach: An Introduction. (n.d.). Https://Www.Chabad.Org/Library/Article_cdo/Aid/1157486/Jewish/Moshiach-An-Introduction.Htm. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1157486/jewish/Moshiach-An-Introduction.htm

Neujahr, M. (2014, June 4). “Royal Ideology and Utopian Futures in the Akkadian Ex Eventu Prophecies.” “Royal Ideology and Utopian Futures in the Akkadian Ex Eventu Prophecies.” Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.academia.edu/617757/_Royal_Ideology_and_Utopian_Futures_in_the_Akkadian_Ex_Eventu_Prophecies_

ŚB 1.3.25. (n.d.). Srimad Bhagavatam. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/3/25/

Vishnu | Hindu deity. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Vishnu

Warwick, W. W., IV. (2014, May 28). The origins of the Messiah and its Egyptian connections - was Jesus a Pharaoh? - Warwick. The Origins of the Messiah. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://www.academia.edu/2118772/The_origins_of_the_Messiah_and_its_Egyptian_connections_was_Jesus_a_Pharaoh_Warwick

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twatkcox · 10 months

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[TWATKRant XVIII]

If I publish this one, will I end up going to hell?

My name is Keihancarl X, and as of today, I become a misotheist. I decided to express my hatred to God for putting me through this kind of unjust misery that I experienced since childhood.

Well yeah, so many good things happened including the recent POF event, but I’m not at all grateful to God. He doesn’t deserve my gratitude at all, in light of the never-ending pandemic as well as some upsetting moments since March. You see, there are some things I wanted to do but for some reason, I couldn’t do this nowadays. It is certainly God’s way of taking away the only fun I had outside of spending time in front of the PC. Yeah, right, thank God I’m starting to become suicidal when I’m feeling down (hopefully, I won’t resort to killing myself when that time comes).

Before you start calling me out for this, let me tell you that as a non-practicing/lapsed Christian, I still acknowledge that God exists. I still consider myself a Catholic, if for no other reason than to dissuade others from making me ditch Christianity and convert into a more restrictive religion (I don’t have to mention it here). Only that I was starting to question his motives regarding his plans for me, as he was straying me off the intended path, and into a life of misery and darkness. I mean, my life is completely f***ed up, my family had completely fallen apart, and my mind is filled with negativity and violent thoughts.

Did I mention that my life is completely f***ed up? Yes, you heard it right. I’m not the same person as before, not to mention that my body is just a walking hollow vessel. I don’t need to explain further, but all I can say is that I’m starting to drift further away from reality and into a life of lifelessness. Unless someone would try to talk me out of it, counsel me out of it, or whatever, I’ll always stay the same.

If God was really putting me into a test, then he had overdone it. I’m still suffering from all the things that are weighing me down, and I badly need some help. I really need someone to talk to, but I’m not good with communication. I was also thinking of seeing a psychiatrist, but I fear that he/she’ll make me take meds for life.

Now come to think of it, I just don’t understand why I have to hate myself when I could simply hate God. I mean, he makes everything difficult for me, not to mention that he is sort of like a devil in disguise.

Life sucks, I know. Blame God for it.

A divine intervention. An unexpected voice coming from above. A weird but life-changing dream. These may be a sign that I’m about to find light at the end of the tunnel. I hoped so, maybe this will solve all the conflicts that I’m having at the moment, and would probably fix all of the problems within my family. And who knows, maybe someone is worthy of my gratitude one of these days. But only if he shows up, even in a form of an unexpected stranger I’ll encounter along the way.

My mind is in a state of mess right now, and so is my well-being. I hope what I just said won’t concern you that much. I’m somewhat fine, and still hanging, but probably not for long. I hope it wouldn’t end like that.

#life crisis #rant #non-believer #God issues

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wisdomrays · 11 months

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KARAMA (Wonder): Part 1

Before explaining karama, since there is a close resemblance between it and miracles (mu‘jiza) in respect to their occurrence, we will first briefly examine miracles.

Derived from the root verb A-Ja-Za, meaning "that which people cannot imitate," a mu'jiza (miracle) is the extraordinary state, event, word or attitude which God creates at the hands of a Prophet to show the truth of Prophethood, confirm the Religion, and generate conviction and contentment in the hearts of believers. It is beyond the power and ability of other people. A Prophet works a miracle according to God's will in order to demonstrate his Prophethood in an undeniable and indisputable way. The miracle is created by God, not the Prophet. The Qur'an, other Divine Scriptures, and the Prophetic Traditions all mention numerous miracles worked by the Prophets, and refer to the consequences of believing or not believing in them.

As for karama (wonder), this word is derived from karam, the root meaning of which is honor, munificence, and bounty. Karama is used to designate extraordinary states, words, acts, and effects displayed by saints through God's will and creation. To give a more detailed description, the extraordinary states displayed by the Prophets to demonstrate their Prophethood are "miracles," while such states exhibited by the saints who have succeeded in purifying their souls and refining their hearts in adherence to the true Religion are considered to be "wonders." Similar extraordinary states and acts can sometimes be witnessed in some people who have no belief in and adherence to the true Religion. But these states and acts are called "gradual perdition," as they usually cause particularly the unjust, dissolute and sinful people gradually to descend into perdition.

From another viewpoint, a wonder (karama) is an extra miracle like gift of God with which He honors His servants who love and obey Him and whom He loves; it is God's unusual or exceptional treatment of these servants for following the Prophet. The beloved people of God have divided this treatment into the spiritualkarama and the karama that is beyond the normal laws of life and creation:

As for the wonders that are beyond the normal laws of life and creation, they consist of certain extraordinary performances such as increasing a little food or drink without making any addition, being able to remain hungry for days without eating or drinking anything, covering great distances in a very short time, being present in many places at the same instant, walking on water without sinking, and moving some objects from afar. The devoted people of God have never considered such performances as a virtue, nor have they sought them; if God creates such things in their hands, they try to conceal them. Fearing that such extraordinary performances may be the cause of gradual perdition, the faithful servants at the door of God have turned to God with repentance, penitence, and contrition, scrutinized their sincerity, and renewed their devotion from the heart. Furthermore, some of them have likened such wonders to playthings of children and never attached any importance to them. The respected scholarly saint Ahmad ar-Rifai maintained that such wonders should be kept concealed, and he emphasized following the way of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Some others with the same approach have regarded wonders such as flying in the air and walking on water as the acts of some animals, and stressed that the main wonder is being able constantly to pursue God's good pleasure and approval while trying to remain distant from other kinds of extraordinariness. They have prayed, saying, "O my God! Favor my 'secret' with familiarity of Your Essence, and do not test me as one who is familiar with Your secrets!" They have preferred to remain shut off from all other kinds of extraordinariness than belief, knowledge of God, and love of God, and they have not even sought spiritual pleasures.

Nevertheless, there may be some sincere ones who view wonderworking as a gift from God and make it a means of praising and thanking Him. However, it is always possible for those who have not yet been able to purify their souls completely to fall into conceit and pride. For this reason, if such a gift and performance, which is regarded as a fruit of nearness to God Almighty, causes one to become distant from God instead, then it must be more prudent to keep one's heart distant from everything, including spiritual pleasures, other than His approval and good pleasure purely for His sake.

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cdcore · 1 year

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GETTING INTO MUSIC VOL. 1 -- Rap

Hey, internet! Initially, I was planning on making this a video project --- something I will likely still do in the future --- but I wanted to get some content out in the meantime! I think many of us have been faced with the age-old "what type of music are you into?" question. So many times when I ask people about their music opinions I hear the same answer. every. single. time. "I like a little bit of everything, except rap and country!" This is always really frustrating for two reasons! First, now I have no idea what you're actually into and enjoy music-wise.

Second, I think anyone who is a fan of either of those genres immediately feels bad hearing someone dismiss an entire genre in front of them, especially when they each have large enough artists and subgenres that the person could probably find music they liked within either genre if they took the time to dig. I think a lot of us (myself included) tend to start off enjoying music pretty passively --- maybe we only listened to whatever our friends' played, or that one Michael Bublé CD mom had that she would endlessly play on repeat.

For a large portion of people, I think music exists more as background noise than anything, hence people not really having a solid answer when prompted with the "what music do you like?" question. That takes us to our topic today: actively discovering and enjoying new music! As an avid rap fan for the past few years, I wanted to start this series off with rap.

I'm hoping to deconstruct the genre as a whole, list the characteristics commonly seen in online discussions and Billboard Top 100 lists as ideal rap ability, and hopefully drop some helpful recommendations along the way! 1) WRITING If rap really is just a guy spitting poetry, I would argue this is the most important part of his music. I am heavily biased given my background as a former English major, but something that really draws me to rap personally is that deeper emphasis on writing compared to some other genres given lyrics are the primary focus. We're going to focus on two umbrellas for rap writing: the thematic content --- or message of the piece --- and the syntax, basically how words are rearranged in the sentences themselves. The absolutely beautiful thing about rap is it can be as profound and nuanced as you want it to be. By its nature, rap has routinely been a discussion point in social and political culture for basically as long as it has existed. Its roots in Black culture and the often anti-establishment way it grapples with poverty, crime and racial injustices cause ire often, especially among conservative outlets, which see the genre as supporting crime. For writers like Kendrick Lamar, Nas and many others, the goal is to paint vivid pictures of the intersection of race and poverty across cities within the United States, showing how those structures lead to the routine gang, drug and crime culture cities face.

They argue that American courts, law enforcement and government structure are built on institutions that profit from racial discrimination and unjust punishment, leading many into poverty and therefore crime to make ends meet. Lamar himself won a Pulitzer for his album "DAMN." while in it sampling FOX's own coverage of him and their beliefs that rap has culturally harmed African Americans more than "racism in recent years." Rappers routinely satirize this depiction of them as violent criminals to poke at how media and the nation seem unable to attack the real root of the intercity conflict: poverty. With all that being said, your enjoyment of rap doesn't have to be that deep either!

For every nuanced, thematically dense rap album out there is an equal amount of silly, weird esoteric songs that are just meant to be listened to for fun. Artist Tyler, the Creator has a song about waiting to pick someone up and being frustrated with how long they're taking (It's titled, "Come on, Let's go if curious).

Rapper Aesop Rock has a song about how cool his cat is ("Kirby") and what it's like to be a kid who doesn't want to eat his green beans ("Grace"). There are millions upon millions of dance-instruction songs, and a limitless supply of songs and freestyles just flexing how rich, successful and famous rappers are. It's part of what makes the genre so diverse and nuanced --- rappers can make plenty of layered introspection on culture and religion when they want, and still have dumb, fun songs flexing their vehicles too. If you're looking for some larger commentary, some classic albums are: To Pimp a Butterfly, Illmatic, 4.44, among others.

More recently, J.I.D.'s The Forever Story serves as an impressive look into his life, family loyalties and career changes. Some other recent albums with good messages are GHETTOLAND, All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ and GHETTO GODS. If you're wanting weirder albums that focus on less common topics in rap, Aesop Rock's more recent albums come to mind immediately. For more of your hype-inducing songs focused on flexing wealth and success, Her Loss is a pretty solid contender for this, Lil Wayne's The Carter III does this very well, and for a more indie pick I might go with Solar Flare by Kill Bill: the Rapper and Rav. Now, allow me to be your AP Language teacher again and talk about the technical aspect of writing: literary devices. Any Scholastic Book Fair kid knows that writing comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. One of the most fun parts of rap is how clever the wordplay can be at times. It's very common for double and triple entendre to exist, lines that simultaneously show off multiple meanings at once. Homophones, or phrases that sound similar are often used to employ these more complex meanings. Jay-Z was particularly famous for this with lines like: "I'm not a business man/I'm a business, man/let me handle my business, damn." When listening it can sound like he's just repeating business man twice with more emphasis on the second. In reality, he's conveying through that homophone that he is not a scrappy capitalist, but rather has made such wild success for himself financially that he as a brand and cultural identity creates wealth like that of a full business (allowing him the credibility to handle his own business as he asks for later in the line). Beyond clever double meanings in lines, rappers find insane ways to hold multiple simultaneous internal and external rhymes across multiple verses. Rappers like MF DOOM and Eminem come to mind for their complex, multi-syllabic rhyme schemes.

To see what I'm talking about, check out this video:

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On a raw vocabulary level, the aforementioned Aesop Rock is known for having one of the most complex, diverse vocabularies of any rapper. He and rapper Lupe Fiasco are known for their word choice and metaphor stacking, with earlier Aesop Rock works almost being cryptic with just how buried they are in complex figurative language. There's also a simple beauty in rappers delivering messages directly as is. Tupac was known for prioritizing his message over everything else, speaking directly to the listener --- this is something Jimmy more recently has done on that GHETTOLAND record I mentioned. If you’re looking for funny, sometimes dumb bars, my mind immediately goes to people like 21 Savage and Kanye --- if you still feel morally comfortable listening to him given all that he's done. For more of that traditional homophone-heavy, double-entendre work check out: Nicki Minaj, Lil' Wayne, Eminem and Jay-Z. Your lyrically conscious rappers are going to be Kendrick, J. Cole among others, and more esoteric wordplay comes from Lupe Fiasco, MF DOOM, Black Thought and Aesop Rock. 2) SOUND I am infinitely less qualified to talk about instrumentation, music theory and vocal delivery as someone with minimal background in playing and learning music. As a result, I'm going to make this section as brief as I can, though there is a few key points I think need to be hit. A big part of rappers is how they deliver their lyrics vocally --- this can be everything from the rhythm they're rapping (usually called flow), their actual pitch if there's singing involved etc. Issues of annunciation separate rappers from the derogative "mumble rap" category, and a lot of this I think comes down to personal preference more than anything. I think it is worth noting that rapper Eminem is known to be excellent in the actual technicals of delivering rap. He's able to control his breathing well which allows him to rap longer, he can rap incredibly fast and with multiple rhythms seamlessly. Artists like Smino and JID have stood out recently as well for just how often their vocals are varied in pitch, rhythm and more. For a final footnote, production is the instrumentation behind rap. Rap has a long history of sampling, or taking existing sounds or portions of music and reincorporating them into a new track. With some artists, this can be done to further drive their theme which can work very poignantly! As someone with little production and music theory knowledge, unfortunately, all I can do is recommend the classic greats of making interesting, catchy beats. The Alchemist, Kanye West, Madlib, Pharell and J-Dilla all stick out. So does Nujabes. There are a lot of really interesting experimental production artists in Injury Reserve, JPEGMAFIA, and Danny Brown if you just wanna hear new crazy sounds also!

That concludes my first look at the genre of rap, and I hope it inspires you to check out one of the many artists I mentioned here. What artists should I have included? Are there any aspects of rapping I missed? Feel free to reply with anything you think I should've expanded on. Thank you and have a wonderful day!

#rap #new music #music #pop music #Youtube

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frizwoods · 2 years

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Howard County Criminal Defense Lawyer

Criminal Defense Lawyers In Howard: The Best Defense Against Unjust Prosecution!

Whether it's a misdemeanor or a felony -whether you plead guilty or go to trial- a criminal conviction can affect many aspects of your life, including employment, housing, education, insurance, credit, professional licensing, immigration status, and voting.

The potential penalties are significant. Depending on the crime committed, you might face up to years in prison, hundreds of dollars in fines, and even deportation. A prosecutor may pursue charges against you even if you aren't guilty. So how can you ensure the best possible outcome in your criminal case?

The answer is to look for a qualified Howard county criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. A good defense attorney will protect your rights, challenge the prosecution's case against you, and help you achieve the best possible outcome under the circumstances.

How To Choose The Best Criminal Lawyer For Your Case?

When you're facing criminal charges, choosing the right attorney to defend you is important. Not all lawyers are created equal, and not all have the same experience or qualifications.

Here are some things to look at while choosing a criminal defense lawyer:

1. Experience

You want to work with a lawyer with experience handling cases like yours. Ask about the lawyer's experience in court and whether they have handled cases similar to yours in the past.

2. Qualifications

Make sure the lawyer you choose is qualified to practice law in your state. In most states, attorneys must pass a written exam and be licensed by the state bar association.

The best way to determine if an attorney is licensed in your state is to contact the state bar association.

3. Resources

A good criminal defense lawyer will have the resources to investigate your case, hire expert witnesses, and mount a vigorous defense on your behalf.

Ask about the lawyer's resources and whether they have the staff and financial resources to take on your case.

4. Reputation

Your lawyer's reputation is important. Ask around and see what others say about the lawyer you're considering.

You can also check with the local bar association to see if any complaints have been filed against the respective lawyer.

5. Personality

You should feel comfortable with your lawyer and confident in their ability to defend you.

Be sure to interview the lawyer before hiring them and ask questions about the lawyer's experience, resources, and personality.

Don't Wait To Hire A Criminal Defense Lawyer:

If you've been charged with a crime, don't try to go it alone. The sooner you get in touch with a qualified criminal lawyer Prince George's county Maryland service, the better your chances of achieving a favorable outcome in your case.

A good lawyer will protect your rights, challenge the prosecution's case against you, and help you achieve the best possible outcome under the circumstances.

So don't delay- contact a Maryland DWI Lawyer today!

Find Us on Google Maps: ( FrizWoods LLC )

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projectcubicle1 · 2 years

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Legal Business Requirements for 2022

Legal Business Requirements for 2022: All You Need To Know

Instead of employment, many people desire to own successful businesses. While being the master is a significant step ahead to a great future, the process of starting a business is demanding. One thing is that having legal requirements in place for your new business can be tiring, time-consuming, and intimidating. But, you cannot afford the luxury of ignorance in business requirements such as legal funding or having a business licence. Failure to obey legislation (intentionally or unintentionally) attracts potential fines and damage to the business's reputation. Though complying with the legislation puts your business out of the government's black book. It also protects against illegal acts by customers, employees, suppliers, and competitors. To start a business successfully in the coming year, you should know some of the legal requirements. But first, what is legal funding? Legal funding is a law cash pre-settlement funding that will help you get through your business plans while settling your pending cases. To give an example of a legal funding, lawsuit funding companies will settle company-vehicle accidents to help you remain operational. You can access same-day accident loans with the right firms to ensure your customers don't feel stranded with no goods or services provided. Above all, always seek professional advice to ensure you get the proper insurance for your business. Better still, you can talk to several expert insurance brokers who regularly have special member deals.

What You Should Know About Legal Business Requirements for 2022

Personal Assets Protection It would be best to consider the measures to protect your assets in starting your business. The truth is budding businesses take time and struggle to make profits. So the thought of failure is not something you would want to entertain. Besides, even the firm and successful businesses might fall victim to unjust lawsuits that waste their energy, time, and money. But, worry not. A proper and legal way to protect your assets and financial security from lawsuits would be by forming an LLC. Just as the name suggests, a Limited Liability Company will limit the extent of the business owner being vulnerable to damage caused by customers. Therefore, when a customer sues you for receiving damaged products or poor service, they will be unable to involve your finances or bank account. Do intense and thorough research on the requirements of forming an LLC. It's a long process that needs you to take time and do it properly by the book. Still, there are other forms of business registrations that you should scrutinize like: - Domains - DBA - Trademarks Business Insurance

There are several business insurance policies that you should consider. While some are not mandatory, others are advisable and compulsory. Business insurances include; General liability insurance: both advisable and compulsory coverage for any business. It will insure against common liabilities such as personal injury occurring while working. It also covers damage to company property. Product liability insurance: covers suspected harm from faulty products and might be critical for businesses that produce and sell any goods. Professional liability insurance: This shields the business against claims of professional neglect caused by any employee. Commercial property insurance: It provides extra coverage for land and properties vulnerable to damage from issues like vandalism, flood, and fire. Workers' compensation insurance: covers employees who succumb to injuries while working. It's a mandatory requirement for any business with employees. Auto liability insurance: covers accidents caused by business-owned vehicles and employees driving the company vehicles. Permits and Licenses Nearly all types of businesses need licenses and permits to operate lawfully. If you plan to start a food business, you'll need both state and local licenses to start. Still, employees require individual licenses and permits for specific types of work. You can get a business licence and permits from your state or town. Because things are digital nowadays, it would be easier to apply for them online from respective official websites. Better yet, you can visit their offices for a physical application. Still, you will need a general business licence to start and operate your business in your current town of business. Usually, permits and licenses require paying a fee considering the type of business you start. Of course, a clothes shop will not need the same business licence as a liquor store. Is it your first time in business? It would help to involve a lawyer or seek professional consultancy where you need help. Better yet, you can reach out to the city hall offices for their direction of agencies that help businesses meet their legal requirements properly to start. Note that operating without proper permits and a business licence will incur serious legal consequences. Therefore, ensure you have the correct requirements to start a business before you even begin running it. Also, remember that getting all the proper documents may take some time. So, consider this before jumping to open your business. Tax Payment You must register your business with the correct tax agencies both in state and locally for tax payment. The government tax agency will give your business a unique and individual EIN. Fortunately, you can quickly obtain this number from your country's official tax payment website, just like how Social Security numbers function for individuals. Furthermore, your state may provide you with an ID number. Most likely, all the necessary information is on the website. But, you can still work with a tax agent or an accountant when you need help. Usually, small and new business or start-ups find it hard to get through registering and paying tax at first. It would also help to determine the type of taxes your business needs to pay. Taxes include income tax or sales tax for any products or services you provide. As an owner, you'll have to plan and pay property tax for a real estate business. For example if you have a property in San Diego, you should know about San Diego Estate Planning. Apart from checking on the type of tax to pay, also figure out which you need to pay online or on paper. Lastly, when it comes to federal income tax purposes, you can opt to have your business under "S corporation" or a "C corporation." A C-corporation is a structure with more complications whereby the business pays its taxes. Contrary, an S-corporation tax payment is through the returns of its owners. Final Thoughts on Legal Business Requirements Even though it's your dream to own a business, the starting process is undoubtedly complex. However, if you're ready to handle all the legal business requirements and legal funding for 2022, everything will fall in place with a solid start. Most importantly, some of the requirements are things you can easily handle alone. Still, there's always legal help you can seek if you face hitches along the way. Don't give up! Read the full article

#business #businesslicense #businessrequirements

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tawakkull · 9 months

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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 133

Karama (Wonder)

Before explaining karama, since there is a close resemblance between it and miracles (mu‘jiza) in respect to their occurrence, we will first briefly examine miracles.

The spiritual karama or wonder is the sum of perfect belief, good deeds, sound knowledge of God, heartfelt love for God, and perfect devotion to God, the Ultimate Truth. The people of God usually refer to this state, which is a gift from God, when they talk about karama. Profundity in knowledge and efforts to disseminate it, effectiveness in endeavors to guide others, the effort to love God and make others love Him, and the resolution and performance displayed to enable the Muhammadi spirit to blossom throughout the world can also be included as examples of this kind of Divine gift or karama. As for the wonders that are beyond the normal laws of life and creation, they consist of certain extraordinary performances such as increasing a little food or drink without making any addition, being able to remain hungry for days without eating or drinking anything, covering great distances in a very short time, being present in many places at the same instant, walking on water without sinking, and moving some objects from afar. The devoted people of God have never considered such performances as a virtue, nor have they sought them; if God creates such things in their hands, they try to conceal them. Fearing that such extraordinary performances may be the cause of gradual perdition, the faithful servants at the door of God have turned to God with repentance, penitence, and contrition, scrutinized their sincerity, and renewed their devotion from the heart. Furthermore, some of them have likened such wonders to playthings of children and never attached any importance to them. The respected scholarly saint Ahmad ar-Rifai maintained that such wonders should be kept concealed, and he emphasized following the way of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings. Some others with the same approach have regarded wonders such as flying in the air and walking on water as the acts of some animals, and stressed that the main wonder is being able constantly to pursue God’s good pleasure and approval while trying to remain distant from other kinds of extraordinariness. They have prayed, saying, “O my God! Favor my ‘secret’ with familiarity of Your Essence, and do not test me as one who is familiar with Your secrets!” They have preferred to remain shut off from all other kinds of extraordinariness than belief, knowledge of God, and love of God, and they have not even sought spiritual pleasures. Nevertheless, there may be some sincere ones who view wonderworking as a gift from God and make it a means of praising and thanking Him. However, it is always possible for those who have not yet been able to purify their souls completely to fall into conceit and pride. For this reason, if such a gift and performance, which is regarded as a fruit of nearness to God Almighty, causes one to become distant from God instead, then it must be more prudent to keep one’s heart distant from everything, including spiritual pleasures, other than His approval and good pleasure purely for His sake.

A miracle is an extraordinary accomplishment created by God at the hands of a person who has been distinguished with Prophethood and who possesses its basic characteristics; it is not possible for us to perceive how it actually occurs. Although miracles are extraordinary, they are not impossible. Even though they are rare with respect to their occurrence, they are accomplishments which the infinitely Powerful One has created time and again. Such extraordinary events do not show continuity like what we perceive as ordinary “natural” events. However, it is only because of their continuity that we view those latter events as ordinary. Each of them is, in fact, a miracle; indeed, all events of creation, origination, giving life, and causing to die, as well as many others, are miracles. Since the miracles of the Prophets happen outside what we see as the “usual or normal laws of nature,” we call them miracles. What we see as normal or usual laws of nature are, in fact, excuses for us to be able to observe and describe what we call “natural events” and continue our life. Such events have no creative effect at all in their own coming into existence. Belief is not always the result of an apparent effect or sense- perception. Seeing is something, while comprehension is another thing, and evaluating our sense-perceptions is completely different from both. As for belief, it is a spirit or meaning which Divine Will kindles in the consciences of those who can evaluate, free of any prejudice. No one can kindle it by means of apparent causes. The emergence of such a spirit or meaning in the heart or conscience partly depends on being open to believing in the Unseen. The haughty, obstinate ones, the unjust deniers, the distorting commentators, and those who crawl in the net of false imitations can in no wise attain belief unless extra Divine aid comes. If a conscience is open to the Unseen and ready to believe, its owner believes in both miracles and the message intended by them.[3] * * *

We do not have substantiated or confirmed information about how the “law of causality,” which we regard as responsible for the apparent continuity of “natural” events, works in nature. We have only partial and relative knowledge about this matter. For this reason, we have no right either to deny the forces originating in Divine acts and wisdom, and the substantial causes the Almighty creates and employs, or to regard the law of causality as an absolute principle responsible for everything that happens, thus attributing impotence to the Absolute Divine Power by claiming that “that thing is impossible.” Leaving the existence of the spirit aside, simply, the speed in the shining and extinguishing or the appearance and disappearance of a light shows us the rapid events of creation and extinction that happen. But unfortunately, those with hardened hearts are blind to all these observable and similar occurrences and drown in despair in every matter which their narrow minds cannot grasp and with which they are entangled. More than that, among those are some who never accede to anything which does not suit their interests or taste, even if that thing is a truth, nor do they avoid committing any wrong to fight with it. Each of these is a pharaoh, and what they do is pharaohship (absolute despotism).[4] Humankind has seen many pharaohs, ranging from those who claim divinity to those who deny everything beyond matter, from those who use humans like slaves and brutalize them to those who regard them as animals, from those who put a ban on the freedom of thought and speech to those who degrade and mock the Religion and religious life, and from those who ignore the events that are extraordinary in occurrence or spiritually to those who deny the limitlessness of the Power. Even though these pharaohs are not based on any right or substantiated truth in their claims and actions, they have been able to impose their wishes on the masses with brute force. Without needing to justify their plans even once, they have always applied brute force with the belief that “might is right.” These are such rebellious spirits that they neither recognize God and the Prophet nor accept Messengership and the miracles. They are examples of those who have disrespect for both the creation and the Infinite Power Which creates. It is useless to spend time hoping whether they will reform their ways; what we should do concerning them is to avoid provoking them so that they do not bite people. Both miracles and wonders are manifestations of Divine favor for unprejudiced persons and acts of stirring up certain inherent tendencies. Even if thousands of such acts are displayed before those with deformed characters, they are not in the least affected by them.

We read in the Qur’an (2:49) that the Prophet Jesus, upon him be peace, revived the dead by God’s leave. Similarly, it is narrated in reliable books that just like some saintly people of God, such as Abu Ubayd al-Busri,[5] Shaykh Ahdal,[6] and Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani, revived dead animals. When, during a war, Abu Ubayd beseeched God to revive his dead horse, God Almighty restored the horse to life. Shaykh Ahdal called to his cat that had just died, and the cat was revived by God’s leave and approached him. Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani ordered the bones of a consumed chicken, “Rise up, by God’s leave!” and the chicken came to life and stood up. These are only a few examples; many others can be found in relevant books. It is narrated in the same books that some saints, such as Abu Sa’id al-Harraz[7] and Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani, spoke with corpses. There are many other miracle-like wonders worked by saints, such as flowing water parting and opening a passage for the saints, some saints not dying even though they were poisoned many times, the shortening of distances, wild animals serving them, their prayers being instantly accepted, their being prevented from eating and drinking any forbidden thing, their observing events that occurred in distant places, and their being protected against their enemies. All these events demonstrate that wonder-working is undeniably real, and some saintly friends of God have been honored with it. The extraordinary states and actions which proceeded from our Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, from his birth until his Prophethood, are of the same nature as wonder-working. However, the wonders and gifts which are, in one respect, a means of honor for saints, are only of a primordial degree in proportion to the gifts and honors of the office of Prophethood, and they are regarded as drops that emerge from the atmosphere of the Prophet whom the saints follow. For this reason, the friends of God never think of using such Divine favors in promoting themselves, nor do they pursue them. Neither do they damage their relationship with God based on their servanthood by making use of them for personal credit. They try their best to keep the favors that come without demand concealed, and they even check their relationship with their Lord, fearing that these acts may be a test for them. They renew their devotion to Him and only pursue His approval and good pleasure. This is what is most suited to the faithful servants of God, the Ultimate Truth.

Indeed, the greatest wonder is living a life completely according to the precepts of the Qur’an, and those who are the nearest to God must be the representatives of this spirit.

[3] an-Nu’mani, Asr-i Saadet (“The Age of Happiness”: Turkish translation of Siratu’n-Nabiyy), vol. 3, under the heading of “The Spiritual Life of Our Prophet.”

[4] Yazir, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili (“The Qur’an, the Language of the Religion of Truth”), 2:2238.

[5] Muhammad ibn Hasan Abu Ubayd al-Busri (d. 859) was a famous Syrian scholar and Sufi. He is regarded as one of the greatest saints.

[6] Shaykh Abu’l-Hasan Ali al-Ahdal al-Husayni (d. 1604) was one of the saints from Yemen. The Sufi order of Ahdaliya is attributed to him.

[7] Abu Sa’id Ahmad ibn ‘Isa al-Harraz of Baghdad, a cobbler by trade. Author of several books including some which have survived, the date of his death is uncertain but probably occurred between 892 and 899.

#allah #god #islam #muslim #quran #revert #convert #convert islam #revert islam #reverthelp #revert help #revert help team #help #islamhelp #how to convert to islam #convert to islam #welcome to islam

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