Yes. I am a curious creature of God. And I always have questions in my mind on why are things the way they are and why do people act the way they do. Some think I overanalyze matters. I just want answers. As Prof Datuk Ibrahim Bajunid (Deputy Vice Chancellow of INTI Laureate International Universities) says, "Tough questions do matter. If we do not find solutions, problems will not go away".
Prof writes, "If a child asks, "Is there God?" or "Where is God?", do we prevent the child from asking further or even punish the child?
He adds;
"Some strict parents and families would not allow "taboo questions" while others encourage these questions. Other families engage in confronting and resolving issues based on trust and parental insights"
"Some strict parents and families would not allow "taboo questions" while others encourage these questions. Other families engage in confronting and resolving issues based on trust and parental insights"
I grew up with parents and grandfolks who would find time to answer my questions, some, trivia and totally silly on the hindsight, but so very pertinent to me at that young age. I asked why is the sky blue and why did my mat salleh friends like to call me a "flat nose Asian". I thought my nose looked fine.
I even asked mum where babies came from and she told us with a scientific approach. Questions like that.
But there are just some answers you MUST believe in, because it's a spiritual matter -- and it's faith that makes you believe. This was said to me by my Sunday school teacher, when I asked him time and time again, my confusion with the Holy Trinity.
He said, it's faith. And if we love God, we must have faith and believe what is written in the scriptures. This shut me up. To face the wrath of God for not believing in his scriptures, was not something I was willing to risk going to hell for. But admittedly, the confusion was still there.
He said, it's faith. And if we love God, we must have faith and believe what is written in the scriptures. This shut me up. To face the wrath of God for not believing in his scriptures, was not something I was willing to risk going to hell for. But admittedly, the confusion was still there.
Now that I am a revert, I'm now settled on the issue of the Trinity. Yes. There is only ONE God. The Creator Almighty. But what if I hadn't reverted? Would I still be confused secretly?
Answers can be found. Should be sought. Faith brings us to believe that there is only ONE GOD and that Prophet Muhammad (phuh) is the messenger of Allah. And insyaAllah, I will continue to learn and understand the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). And that is just it. I am only human. To accept without understanding or appreciating the meaning behind it, fails to convince me. I cannot follow a rule, a statement, a guideline blindly if I do not believe nor understand the reason behind it.
But that's just me.
Anyway, reverting to Islam has changed some lifestyle changes in my life. One, is to refrain from pork. They tell me it's because Allah forbids it because the flesh of the swine is dirty -- and will make you ill.
I was not a pork meat lover, but yes. I have had my share of eating it. Some say, if it's cooked properly, all the 'bad worms' inside it will die. Some say the worms will never die and it will affect you in the long run. Some say that swine meat was forbidden in those days because they are scavengers of the forest and they eat faeces.
But I don't like "some say" answers. So, I am on a quest to find out why. Not that I want to eat it. But this will be a start. Just like my search for the hijab/aurat issue is still in WIP.
This is what I have found out so far.
Pork is forbidden in the Qur'an - by Jafar
5:3 Forbidden to you are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
We are given only one explanation - that it is an abomination
6:145 Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
However, we have not been told WHY it is an abomination. People have tried to attempt explanations, such as one given by Dr. Zakir Naik athttp://www.islamicvoice.com/february.99/… and quoted in the reply by Slave of God, and also http://www.webziner.com/islam/whypork.ht… You can find more by doing a google search.
It must be realized that all these explanations are pure speculation - they may be right or wrong. Muslims do not say to their Lord: "Give us a full explanation, and only then we will obey." Rather, we obey our Lord wholeheartedly even if the reasons are not always clear to us. The prohibition of pork is one such issue where I do not think the explanations that people have speculated upon are satisfactory, that is, the reason is not yet clear, but we follow the instructions regardless.
I have not tasted pork, although I have been told that it tastes like chicken, in which case, I am quite satisfied with having chicken. There is no need at all for me to have pork. Allah has filled the world with so many alternatives to do and enjoy that going against Allah's prohibitions does not make any sense at all. It is just a simple test for the worshippers of God to show their devotion.
IMPORTANT: Prohibition of eating pork does not imply that pigs are evil. There is nothing in Islam to my knowledge that actually declares the animal to be evil, or anything of the sort. Not eating pork is a very simple means of showing our devotion to our Lord.
5:3 Forbidden to you are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
We are given only one explanation - that it is an abomination
6:145 Say: "I find not in the message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is an abomination - or, what is impious, (meat) on which a name has been invoked, other than Allah's". But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- thy Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
However, we have not been told WHY it is an abomination. People have tried to attempt explanations, such as one given by Dr. Zakir Naik athttp://www.islamicvoice.com/february.99/… and quoted in the reply by Slave of God, and also http://www.webziner.com/islam/whypork.ht… You can find more by doing a google search.
It must be realized that all these explanations are pure speculation - they may be right or wrong. Muslims do not say to their Lord: "Give us a full explanation, and only then we will obey." Rather, we obey our Lord wholeheartedly even if the reasons are not always clear to us. The prohibition of pork is one such issue where I do not think the explanations that people have speculated upon are satisfactory, that is, the reason is not yet clear, but we follow the instructions regardless.
I have not tasted pork, although I have been told that it tastes like chicken, in which case, I am quite satisfied with having chicken. There is no need at all for me to have pork. Allah has filled the world with so many alternatives to do and enjoy that going against Allah's prohibitions does not make any sense at all. It is just a simple test for the worshippers of God to show their devotion.
IMPORTANT: Prohibition of eating pork does not imply that pigs are evil. There is nothing in Islam to my knowledge that actually declares the animal to be evil, or anything of the sort. Not eating pork is a very simple means of showing our devotion to our Lord.
Nice view. :)
ReplyDeletedear daphne,
ReplyDeleteselamat berkenalan. Sy renny juga orang sabah. Saya tertarikh dengan post kamu. Sebenarnya isu triniti memang sering kali jadi bahan debat bukan saja orang islam kepada kristian tapi kadang kala sesama kristian. Sebab itu, bila jawapan tidak ditemui some christian will convert to another religion.
But for me personally, ini adalah berbicara tentang iman. Iman itu adalah dasar dari segala sesuatu yang kita harapkan dan bukti dari segala sesuatu yang tidak kita lihat. Dalam Yohanes 1:1 (John 1:1) Pada mulanya adalah Firman; Firman itu bersama-sama dengan Allah dan Firman itu adalah Allah. Kemudian saya petik Yohanes 1:14, Firman itu telah menjadi manusia dan diam diantara kita, dan kita telah melihat kemuliaanNya yaitu kemuliaan yang diberikan kepadaNya sebagai Anak Tunggal Bapa penuh kasih karunia dan kebenaran.
Though saya tidak punya ilustrasi yang betul untuk gambarkan, tapi saya pegang begini (berdasarkan bible), Pada mulanya adalah Firman. Dalam Genesis 1 pun Tuhan berkata "berfirmanlah Allah"... sebelum langit dan bumi ada, Allah sudah ada. Sebab itu dalam revelation 1: 8 katakan Aku adalah Alfa dan Omega, firman tuhan yang Allah yang ada dan yang sudah ada dan yang akan datang. Firman Tuhan juga telah menjadi manusia yakni Tuhan Yesus Kristus.
Dan ketika Yesus diangkat di Surga Dia, menjanjikan bahawa kita tidak akan bersendirian tapi dikirimnya kepada kita Penolong iaitu Roh Kudus.
Kalau analisis dengan akal fikiran manusia juga tidak akan dapat jawapan. Sama halnya, Yo 3:16 katakan barangsiapa percaya kepada Ku tidak akan binasa melainkan beroleh hidup yang kekal'. Kalau dianalisis betul, pasti kita akan cakap, betul kah dosa kita sudah diampuni dengan kematian Yesus di kayu salib?
Tapi itulah namanya faith, by grace (kasih karunia) . Oleh Roh Kudus lah yang membuatkan kita menerima kebenaran firman Tuhan. Bezanya, orang muslim dengan kristian is that mereka x menerima yang namanya by grace atau oleh kasih karunia. Since kamu sudah convert saya rasa sedikit sebanyak kamu sudah belajar, untuk kamu masuk surga, perlu buat banyak kebaikan, supaya ada pahala. Tapi yesus mengatakan siapa yang percaya kepada Nya TIDAK AKAN BINASA melainkan beroleh HIDUP yang kekal.
Kerana oleh kasih karunia Tuhan kepada kita melalui iman percaya kita kepada kematian dan kebangkitan Yesus di kayu salib kita beroleh hidup yang kekal. Tuhan Yesus menjamin kehidupan yang kekal di Surga.
I think, itulah only by grace.
Apapun, apa yang saya tulis ni just respon kepada pa yng menjadi persoalan kamu. Apapun, keselamatan ni pilihan. Saya cuma sampaikan apa yang saya imani. Sebab itu saya percaya, kalau sya mati hari ni, even right after o wrote this i believe saya hidup bersama dengan Tuhan Yesus di Surga. Puji Tuhan.
Tuhan memberkati.