Hipótesis tipo de cambio y exportaciones de aciete

This is a brief and objective look (for “outsiders”) at the nature of Islam. It is perhaps a “definition of Light through the shade of human sight”. It of course only represents my understanding (and could be expanded), and I hope it helps to “humanise” and thus

“familiarise” people with each other. The prime purpose is to encourage people to stand up for what is better, and regardless of their beliefs (if any), to fight for what is right.

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In order to believe that a scripture is “Divine”, one must either already believe in God, or be open to Him.

One does not need absolute proof of God, because there can be no individual concept of Him without the human’s own existence. That is to say, God can only ever be a human conception, the “human-God” relationship (as far as the human is concerned) requiring existence of the human.

God is “perceived” by the human, therefore God “comes from” the human. He is “a part” of the mind or psychology, as much as anything is a part of the personality. He is essentially the “definite Unknown”, religion being the manner of connecting.

Past a certain point of probability, religion is (as I described) an extension of the human personality. If someone follows it, it is because he or she intends to. This intention should be the result of recognising factors (for instance values) which a person recognises as “good” (having already done so or not). This is one way of describing how religion always exists in people (the other being the nature of the “human-God” relationship). Its potential is forever there, even when it is dormant.

The “Book” (the religion) is simply the form that it takes. It is the manifestation of “what cannot be expressed or represented”. The belief or religious experience does not need the “Book” (per se).

The “Book” gives a manifestation to (or awakens) a “commitment”. This acts as a buffer against irrelevant or empty distractions, allowing better definition or true utilisation of human potential.

The “Book” is the “star” or “Ideal” to which the person walks voluntarily. In this sense, the Path is what matters, not the supposed destination.

The path can be anything, which is where the “signs” along the way come in. The path of human conscience is united under the concept of “goodness”, but differentiations will occur in the way that people confront their conceptions of these qualities.*

religious person will do so as a religious value, but they only joined the religion because they agreed with its values. He/she sees “goodness” as “the right path”, whereas the atheist sees it as the “right action”. The religious person holds the concept of “Destination” as an ideal, but it is actually the Path (and only the Path) which matters.

A path without a destination will never end, but a destination without a path is non-existent. One cannot be without the other, but for as long as we are alive, the destination must always be a destination.

It is the unobtainable Ideal, that star in the great reflection of our souls. It is to the religious person what “righteousness” is to the non-religious. There is little difference except one holds to the transcendent ideal of “purpose through path”, believing or acknowledging the “right” and “wrong” directions.

In short, the objectivity of morality is an instinctive tool rather than an instinct, a means to an end rather than an “experience” in time.

Having established “the ideal of the Divine”, the person will be faced with the “anti-Ideal”. This is negativity whether it be in thought, word or action, and like “goodness” it can be recognised by its effect on individuals and wider society.

Negativity derives from the same source (the conscience), and thus is as important in our daily lives as “righteousness”. It helps to guide us just as pain keeps us from harm, but it will not welcome us should we stray.

“Objective goodness” gives rise to “objective badness”, and negative actions will be perceived as seeking to turn one from the direction (path) of the Ideal. The religious or spiritual person acknowledges preconceived accountability or responsibility for this, just as “anti-ideals” such as regret or remorse punish (e.g. if you killed the person that you loved, there would be a fire in the heart).

“Belief” is simply “acknowledgement”, and it does not pertain to dogmatism. All ideas, beliefs and decisions are derived from “principles”, and hence are essentially similar. What is important is not the belief or interpretation, but the principles behind them. Humanism is the marriage between reason and progressive thinking.

*People interact with “good” and “bad” in various ways. Some may live in episodic

oscillation between them (e.g. a devout atheist), whilst others will actively counter “badness” with “goodness” (e.g. concepts of karma). Others will do this whilst engaging in forms of prayer or meditation to address unconscious and unacknowledged (past or future) negativity (it is essentially a still more active/conscious approach to karma). This will often be buried deep inside the self, waiting to manifest or re-emerge.

The spiritually-free person will generally believe that their method is the best (in all respects for them according to their values) whilst acknowledging there are other ways.

Praying without committing good deeds is like pursuing a rainbow (the destination to which they are not travelling), whilst good deeds without prayer are a person’s choice.

In an Islamic context, prayer, pilgrimage and avoidance of certain things complement/comprise the best path according to the Muslim’s belief.

“Surely this Qur’an guides to that which is MOST upright.” Qur’an 17:9

Pilgrimage is basically a large prayer, so I include it when I mention “prayer”. Here are the reasons for prayer in an Islamic context:

1) Glorify and remember Him (17:110-111, 20:14) 2) Avoid indecency/ask forgiveness (3:17, 29:45)

However, if we examine 21:47, 23:102-103, 42:40, 90:11-17, 99:7-8 and 101:6-9, it becomes clear that “good deeds” are what matter. Prayer is a means of “cancelling” the negativity of misdeeds, but the only way to raise the level of “positivity” is by committing good deeds. It should be noted that prayer is “obligatory” in order to follow the “best guidance”, missing it meaning that misdeeds will not be cancelled for that time.

“Say: My Lord would not care for you were it not for your prayer.” Qur’an 25:77

“Whoever follows the right way, it is for his own soul and whoever errs, he errs only to its detriment.”

Qur’an 39:41

You cannot make up for a “missed prayer” (the ritual is not what counts), but you can make up for the effect of that missed prayer.

There is a common statement that to be a “Muslim” one must believe in God, His angels, the Books, the Messenger and the Last Day:

As stated at the beginning, in order to acknowledge such activities as beneficial, one must already have a concept of “God”. It starts as the “Ideal”, the potential of human nature. For example, the Qur’an makes a distinction between those who believe (based on their own inferences) and those who do not believe yet do good deeds:

“The dwellers of the desert say: “We believe.” Say: You do not believe but say “We submit”; and faith has not yet entered into your hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger then they doubt not and struggle hard with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah; they are the truthful ones.”

In short, if you recognise the Qur’anic way of life as “better” rather than “worse” for society as a whole, then according to the Qur’an you should follow (obey) its precepts. However, that is only between the person and God.

Adhering to the general principles of the Qur’an will mean that you are developing “positivity” regardless of whether you pray. Now let us see:

“Most surely you will taste the painful punishment. And you shall not be rewarded except what you did. Save the servants of Allah, the purified ones. For them is a known sustenance, fruits, and they shall be highly honoured.”

Qur’an 37:38-42

“Whoever does an evil, he shall not be recompensed but the like of it, and whoever does good, whether male or female, and he is a believer, these shall enter the garden, in which they shall be given sustenance without measure.”

Qur’an 40:40

Unbelievers will be repaid for what they do. Since an unbeliever is not committed to following the Qur’an (the path of righteousness), he/she is more likely to commit misdeeds amongst the good ones. There is thus no guarantee that unbelievers who do good deeds will fare as favourably in the balance (21:47), primarily because they may not be as mindful (38:70). On the other hand, believers who do good deeds will be much more likely to receive a “known sustenance”.

The principles of the Qur’an are consistent with many religions and “precepts of conscience”: “And the soul and Him Who made it perfect, then He inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it.”

Qur’an 91:7-8

However, a deliberate willingness to avoid prayer will render one an “unbeliever” or

“hypocrite” according to the Qur’an. To believe in God one must actively acknowledge what is “better” and “worse”, and live according to that. This includes accepting that constant prayer (for the specified reasons and based upon established notions of God) is advisable. Someone who accepts the Qur’an is someone who recognises it (i.e. they see it) as the best way.

I want to emphasise that this is a completely psychological and closed system, based on individual experience and not the views or coercions of others. Just like God, the Qur’an is important to the person because of the person, not because of others. One should never say: “You are a hypocrite because the Qur’an says so”; one should say: “You are a hypocrite according to what you say and what you do”. Likewise, one should not say: “You are a non- Muslim because of my understanding of the Qur’an”, but rather: “You are a non-Muslim since you say you are or are actively hostile to doing good”.

Having acknowledged the non-descript “God” and adopted a set of values by which to live (in this example the Qur’an), the great “anti-Ideal” will exhort one to acknowledge the concept of accountability (this may occur before the Book). After all, there is no meaning to light

without darkness. Just as “God” represents the most high and noble ideals of love, compassion justice, mercy etc., the “sum of all negativity” is represented by complete separation from them (in this example we call it “Hell”). There is no point in seeking a destination unless there is a difference between “here and there”.

Like Heaven, Hell must stay an intellectual concept rather than something that can be studied. Based on an established recognition and conscious, committed desire of God, Hell becomes something of which we are spiritually aware:

“And they who say: O our Lord! turn away from us the punishment of hell, surely the punishment thereof is a inseparable. Surely it is an evil abode.”

Qur’an 25:65

Thus belief in the “Last Day” will be established.

Since the Qur’an is a Message, one cannot accept it without believing in the Messenger and the embodiment by which it was “transmitted” (angels). The nature of angels is not a concern, but their importance lies in the fact that they are a means by which God “inspires” or controls. That is to imply, everything is a product of God. Clouds bring lightning, but the lighting is a “product of God”. We (perhaps!) cannot recognise angels, but since we believe in God, we believe that he can create and use them. We believe in “angels” but we know nothing of them except allegories. At this point we read 3:7:

“He it is Who has revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical.”

Angels exist as much as the word “angels”, and we believe in them as long as we believe in God’s ability to inspire (since they are how He does it).

Belief is based on one’s way of life, not absolute interpretations. For example, Iblis (the Devil) is described as an unbeliever even though he had just talked to God (38:74). In sum, the process thus follows:

1) Through conscience, the person develops a heightened sense of “better” and “worse”. 2) The person turns towards the “Ideal” representing the potential of all human

goodness/selfless pleasure.

3) The person acknowledges the “anti-Ideal” and how it gives meaning to the light. 4) The person develops/adopts a set of values meant to guide them along the best path (using reason and progressiveness together).

6) Modification of views based upon irrefutable data, keeping in mind the origin and the purpose of belief, thus the concepts of “better” and “worse”, “right” and “wrong”.