Religions & The Way to God Controversy

Younus AlGohar responds to book tweeted to him called ‘Ceasefire! Religions and the Way to God Controversy’. He explains to metaphorical and hypothetical understandings about the phrase ‘Way to God’ and why spirituality is essential to reaching God.

Main points:

• Some people rigidly refuse to believe in God and attack those who believe in God. What's the difference between them and promoters of extremism? The attitude and policy, that of ‘My way or the highway,' leads one to become a social extremist. Tolerance is the basic element of a free society.

• Currently, religions and the way to God are two different things. Religions don’t direct people to God, rather direct them to believing in God. Only mysticism directs people to God.

• The hypothetical meaning of 'Way to God': you are covering a distance between you and God, and finding union with him. You know where he is. The metaphorical meaning of 'Way to God': To think about God, become obedient to God, uphold the divine law and live life according to it. In this practice, your character won’t change and you won’t become divine.

• When religions were in their purest form, reaching God was difficult. The results of practising the religion are not seen instantly, but rather on the Day of Judgement when God will summon all the souls to hold them accountable for their deeds in the phenomenal world. In spirituality, one gets the reward instantly in form of God's nearness and love.

• Lord Ra Riaz says, ‘Neither is God far from you nor is he close to you. He is within you. Explore yourself; he is beyond the veil of You.' With the help of spirituality, whoever becomes divine and unified with God is better than all others, regardless of their gender or sexuality.

You can watch the live recordings of these videos every day at 22:00 GMT on http://younusalgohar.com

Can’t access this video? Watch it on Daily Motion.

Listen to this speech on the go with SoundCloud.

New Video: The True Islam

The only form of true Islam that I know of is the Islam in which a Muslim strictly follows Prophet Mohammad and he seeks all sorts of guidance from Prophet Mohammad.

In true Islam, dependency of a Muslim’s spiritual growth and nourishment lies on his relationship with Prophet Mohammad. He understands that the source of true knowledge is Prophet Mohammad, not the Quran. 

‘Reach the essence of Prophet Mohammad. O’ fool, you do not know that Prophet Mohammad himself the religion.’ - Rumi

In our eyes, true Islam is that in which a Muslim’s Kaaba, source of guidance, knowledge and benevolence is Prophet Mohammad. One who leaves Prophet Mohammad and seeks guidance only from the Quran is misguided. Whoever has left Prophet Mohammad and follows the Quran only, will become a Wahhabi, Shia or Barelvi. Whoever makes Prophet Mohammad the source of their guidance, knowledge and benevolence will become a Sufi. Such a person will become a lover of Prophet Mohammad.

We admire the Islam in which Prophet Mohammad is the alpha and omega.

One who depended solely on the Quran, the Quran misguided them. However, for one who follows Prophet Mohammad, Prophet Mohammad said that to kill one man is to kill the entire humanity. Prophet Mohammad’s teachings do not allow a follower to let their neighbour go to sleep hungry. Prophet Mohammad forgave those even who were caught committing adultery. He sheltered them. Why wouldn’t a sinner refrain from sinning when Prophet Mohammad shows so much kindness?

Besides Prophet Mohammad, there is nothing good in Islam. If Prophet Mohammad is not in your Islam, then your Islam is nonsense.

True Islam is not meant to seek guidance from the Quran.

Similitude of the Quran can be given as a brick and cement. The difference between the Quran and Islam is the same as it is between cement, brick, sand and a building.

In simple words, the Quran was raw material and with that raw material, Prophet Mohammad built the building of Islam. It is like a teacher’s manual; it is not for the students.

If the Quran was meant to be given to the Muslim Nation, it would have been compiled and given the shape of a book by the Prophet Mohammad himself, but he didn’t do it.

Umar bin Khattab explained the nature of Biddah (Innovation). There are two types of Biddah: Biddah Sahiya (bad innovation) and Biddah Hasanah (good innovation). He caused the religion of Islam to fall into the ditch of bad innovation. So the Quran is raw material with which Prophet Mohammad built the building of Islam. The source of knowledge is not the Quran.

If it is Quran, for the sake of argument, then why did Prophet Mohammad say, ‘I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gateway to it’?

So the lesson for today is that the Quran is not the source of guidance and knowledge.

Quote of the Day: This Understanding That...

'This understanding that you are the best is the root of all evil.' - His Holiness Younus AlGohar