Heart is the Source of Truth

    I used to think that it is only my opinion to think of some people as if they have been in touch with the truth more than others.  These individuals always appeared to me as if they have sat with the ultimate source of light and their faces have become radiant as a result.  Until I heard same words from the lady in the following YouTube video who is interviewing Ahmad Deedat, then I noticed it is a universal feeling just like the sense of beauty.   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R657A-WoR14

    I am not a fan of debates generally as I am not sure if arguing would ever touch any one's heart.   On the contrary, debates usually hurt the other side and it is a battle that has to have a winner at the price of some one else being the loser.   Nevertheless, I deeply admire Ahmad Deedat (God bless his soul) mainly because I find him motivated purely for God, in the talks that I have seen from him.  In other words he is doing what he does out of love of God which is "Tagva".  

   That said, it does not mean that whatever he says is always right.  You don't have to be perfect to walk, or while walking, the path of God but if you keep walking that way you get closer and closer to perfection. As a result you get to see more of the light and consequently, your heart reflects more of the original light to others.  

    Ahmad Deadat to me also represent a perfect example of how our heart can be the prime source of our knowledge and how it can lead us to the truth.   

    Last but not least, Ahmad Deadat's legacy is an outstanding  proof of Quranic concept that everyone can find the truth regardless of his or her physical/ historical profile.  That is to say, it does not matter what color our skin is, or what hardships we have gone through in the past.  All matters, in deed, is our heart and if we can fill it in with the love of God. 

Relationship with People of Other Faith

    Living in a community with ethnic and cultural diversity is a fact of life today; this requires socializing and interacting with people of all sort of faith including atheists and polytheists.  Accordingly, as a true believer in God, one would like to follow God’s wish on his or her relationship with disbelievers. There are many verses in Quran which specifically instruct believers not to take God’s enemies as a political ally or a cultural guru,  the way I understand it.  In contrast, there is a common controversial interpretation of the same verses, which prohibits any friendship or any relationship at all with Jews, Christians or others.  So one would wonder what God’s command on this subject is. 

4:144 

O you who have believed, do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do you wish to give Allah against yourselves a clear case?

5:51

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides

not the wrongdoing people.

5:55

Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].

5:56

And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed - indeed, the party of Allah - they will be the predominant.

5:57

O you who have believed, take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allah,

if you should [truly] be believers.

9:23

O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you -then it is those who are the wrongdoers

60:1

O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allah , your Lord. If you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking means to My approval, [take them not as friends]. You confide to them affection, but I am most knowing of what you have concealed and what you have declared. And whoever does it among you has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way.

60:8

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah 

loves those who act justly.

60:9

Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, and 

then it is those who are the wrongdoers.

 (Quoted from www.Quran.com with Sahih International translation)

   While the above are not all verses that address this subject, they well reflect Quran’s stand on this matter.   Evidently, the key word representing the forbidden relationship is taking someone as “Vali” or “ ولی ” in Quranic terms.  I believe the quoted translation “Sahih International” has rightfully turned “Vali” to ally with someone, which is the underlying concept as clarified in the last two verses: 60:8 & 60:9.    

   Having read the above verses, one would come to the realization that God does not want us to commit our self, neither politically nor culturally, to the front of his apparent enemies, the disbelievers or even the untrue believers who are proactively aggressive toward believing in God and toward his true believers.  That is to say, God expects us to treat our neighbors, our coworkers, our classmates, and our comrades only with mutual respect and friendship that will do justice to their friendship, as specified in last two verses again.  

   Applying these verses to our time, one may find going to watch and praise certain carnivals which promote immoral values against God’s teachings, would be taking a cultural front against God.   In political realm, you may find backing a party or an individual would be synonymous with moving a country or a community away from the right path.  It has to be emphasized that although it is true that our take on Quran is absolutely personal and relative, what matters to God is our motive and our intention of doing or not doing something (Tagva).

   On a personal level however, true love between two people, would require spiritual intimacy which essentially demands believing in the same God and the consequent life values.  This is why, it is most often, almost impossible to love someone whose understanding of world (whose culture) is too far from ours unless we have spent enough time together to unify our minds and our spirits.  In other words, we can convert our once enemy spirits into eternal mates no matter how far they are by the magic of divine love, God’s willing.  

60:7

Perhaps Allah will put, between you and those to whom you have been enemies among them, affection. And Allah is competent, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

صدق الله العلي العظيم

Is "love" mentioned in Quran?

   True love, I believe, ultimately means you deprive yourself from apparent joys because of your beloved.  True love, also makes you endure seeming hardships that you would otherwise never do.  Yet, in both cases you feel like your love for your beloved is nurtured by those very acts and you feel closer to your beloved more than ever before.  

By the way of example, if you really love someone essentially you have to deprive yourself from the joy of many other relationships which are in conflict with your true love.  Similarly, you may sometimes have a hard time enjoying a meal alone and you rather postpone eating a simple food for a while until you will have it together.  The result of both is certainly strengthening your relationship with your beloved.

Having defined love this way, I believe, the word “Taghva” which has been repeated many times in Quran represents the same notion. Let’s have a look at a few verses in which “Taghva” is used.  (from www.Quran.com)

2:2

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, guidance for those conscious of Allah “-

2:3     

                                                               

“Who believe in the unseen, establish

 prayer, and spend out of what We 

have provided for them,”

  9:109

“Then is one who laid the foundation of his building on righteousness [with fear] from Allah and [seeking] His approval better or one who laid the foundation of his building on the edge of a bank about to collapse, so it collapsed with him into the fire of Hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”

22:37

“Their meat will not reach Allah , nor will their blood, but what reaches Him is piety from you. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and give good tidings to the doers of good.”

5:27

“And recite to them the story of Adam's two sons, in truth, when they both offered a sacrifice [to Allah ], and it was accepted from one of them but was not accepted from the other. Said [the latter], "I will surely kill you." Said [the former], "Indeed, 

Allah only accepts from the righteous.”

I was trying to avoid using web sites’ works directly in my writings for copy right concerns, but the original text is so powerful and so beautiful that any human’s word even to its best sounds nothing compared to Quran voice.

In 2:2 which is almost at the beginning of Quran, God has made it clear that it is the “Motagin” , the righteous, for whom this book will be a guidance.  In the next verse God describes who they are in practice by naming their specific acts which are believing in the unseen, doing their prayers and giving away from their worldly gains.  Can anyone do these from the bottom of heart unless one has prioritized God in their heart over all others or better say unless one truly loves God in his or her heart?

Furthermore, “Taghva” is named as the only pre-requisite to quality for guidance by Quran. In other words, it is this relationship with God, when present in the heart that will lead us to the truth above any other humanly developed knowledge.  This is of extreme importance and will have to come back to it in future.

9:109, 22:30, 5:27, I believe, in theses verses God is clarifying that it is the intention of doing something that matters most.  That is to say, if one does an action out of pure love for God, it will elevate us and will reach God otherwise it will not be accepted or will be ineffective.  Out of two buildings, for example, which were built for worship, the one that was founded out of God's love "Taghva" will lead to God and the other may end up in hell.  Similarly, when the sons of Adam offered sacrifice to God, it was the one that was done for him which was accepted, although they may seem the same in appearance. God only accepts the deed that is done out of “Taghva” which, in fact, means out of love of God.  That is the God-loving-status of heart that is the cause and motivation for the good deeds of a true believer.  "Taghva" is indeed a divine expression of love that will strengthen our relationship with God and  will enable us feel closer to him in our heart. 

As we perceive the way “Taghva” has been referred to in the above verses and many others, considering their context, we may come to the conclusion that “Taghva” actually means “love of God” in practical terms.