The Quran: God’s Message to the Jews and Christians
[5:15] O people of the scripture, our messenger has come to you to proclaim for you many things you have concealed in the scripture, and to pardon many other transgressions you have committed. A beacon has come to you from GOD, and a profound scripture.
[5:16] With it, GOD guides those who seek His approval. He guides them to the paths of peace, leads them out of darkness into the light by His leave, and guides them in a straight path.
In 5:16 what does it mean to seek God’s approval?
To do what God is asking of us – see previous verses. The highest achievement someone can obtain is to have God’s approval.
[3:173] When the people say to them, “People have mobilized against you; you should fear them,” this only strengthens their faith, and they say, “GOD suffices us; He is the best Protector.”
[3:174] They have deserved GOD’s blessings and grace. No harm ever touches them, for they have attained GOD’s approval. GOD possesses infinite grace.
Good News
[9:20] Those who believe, and emigrate, and strive in the cause of GOD with their money and their lives, are far greater in rank in the sight of GOD. These are the winners.
[9:21] Their Lord gives them good news: mercy and approval from Him, and gardens where they rejoice in everlasting bliss.
[9:22] Eternally they abide therein. GOD possesses a great recompense.
How do we know we have God’s approval?
If we have God’s approval He guides us to peace. So if we feel anxious or stressed then that means that we still need to strive to do better.
Does being happy mean that you have God’s approval?
It is one metric. It requires a deeper looking into someone’s life to determine if they are truly happy. Do they have contentment, peace and fulfillment, and is it sustainable. If so, then it is probably a better sign that they are actually happy.
Happiness is an exclusive quality of the soul.
Introduction – Perfect Happiness: Now and Forever
One of the most elusive objectives of every human being is “Happiness.” The Quran reveals the secret of attaining perfect happiness in this life and forever. We learn from the Quran that happiness is an exclusive quality of the soul. Thus, a body that attains all the material successes it longs for – money, power, fame, etc. – often belongs to an unhappy person. Happiness depends totally on the degree of growth and development attained by the soul, the real person. The Quran provides a detailed map towards perfect happiness for both body and soul, both in this world and in the eternal Hereafter (Appendix 15). In the numerous verses throughout this proven Testament, God personally guarantees the believers’ happiness, now and forever:
[10:62-64] Absolutely, God’s allies will have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. They are those who believe and lead a righteous life. For them happiness in this life, and in the Hereafter. Such is God’s inviolable law. This is the true triumph
Can someone who doesn’t believe in God alone be happy?
By prescribing to what God decrees for us it will provide benefits, but the ultimate benefit is attributed to the worship of God alone. If someone gives to charity irrespective if they believe in God or not they will reap the physical benefits of the act in this world. The same goes for giving to charity, doing good deeds, fasting, meditating etc. But the eternal happiness and peace of mind comes only with the worship of God alone.
[57:27] Subsequent to them, we sent our messengers. We sent Jesus the son of Mary, and we gave him the Injeel (Gospel), and we placed in the hearts of his followers kindness and mercy. But they invented hermitism which we never decreed for them. All we asked them to do was to uphold the commandments approved by GOD. But they did not uphold the message as they should have. Consequently, we gave those who believed among them their recompense, while many of them were wicked.
Doing the good deeds without the worship of God alone is like a seed that is placed onto thin soil. It will not grow to its full potential.
[2:264] O you who believe, do not nullify your charities by inflicting reproach and insult, like one who spends his money to show off, while disbelieving in GOD and the Last Day. His example is like a rock covered with a thin layer of soil; as soon as heavy rain falls, it washes off the soil, leaving it a useless rock. They gain nothing from their efforts. GOD does not guide disbelieving people.
The criteria for being happy is in 2:62 and 5:69
[2:62/5:69] Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the converts; anyone who (1) believes in GOD, and (2) believes in the Last Day, and (3) leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.
What was concealed in the scripture?
One example is that they claim that Isaac was Abraham’s son that he was going to sacrifice.
Genesis 22:
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”
Ismail was 14 years older than Isaac. Therefore Isaac would never be Abrahams only son. Additionally we see that when Ismail and Isaac buried Abraham it says that Abraham had two sons.
Genesis 25:
8 Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people. 9 Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah,
Appendix 9 – Abraham Original Messenger of Islam
One of the prevalent myths is that Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Although Islam, total submission to God alone, is the only religion recognized by God since the time of Adam (3:19, 85), Abraham is reported in the Quran as the first user of the word “Islam” and the one who called us “Muslims” (22:78). Abraham’s exemplary submission to God is demonstrated by his famous willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ismail, when he thought that that was God’s command. As it turns out, such a command was in fact from Satan.
God Never Ordered Abraham to Sacrifice His Son
God is the Most Merciful. He never violates His own law (7:28). Any person who believes that the Most Merciful ordered Abraham to kill his son cannot possibly make it to God’s Heaven. Such evil thought about God is grossly blasphemous. Nowhere in the Quran do we see that God ordered Abraham to kill his son. On the contrary, God intervened to save Abraham and Ismail from Satan’s plot (37:107), and He told Abraham: “You believed the dream” (37:105). Undoubtedly, it was a dream inspired by Satan. God’s irrevocable law is: “God never advocates sin” (7:28)
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