Unless a man is amenable to self-reproach, empathy and compassion, he cannot receive God’s mercy.
Jesus said it differently: “unless a man is regenerated from above, he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven’ … or … ‘love your neighbor as you love yourself.”[1] Mercy is the grace-gift of ‘forgiveness and restoration (i.e., restitution)’ as made manifest in the Parable of the Prodigal Son; but its receipt is contingent upon:
a man’s repentance or remorse for the error of his way;
a similar empathy towards his fellows;
and reverence for his superiors.
Sin or error is referred to as man’s ‘gravitation to earth’ in Al’Qur’an, and directly implies an abject immersion in materialism without the countering restraint of spiritual truth. The principle itself is manifest in the Law of Gravity: i.e. without the Spirit or God’s ‘Word of Command’ as an opposing force the entire Universe would then collapse into a gigantic black hole. Physicists still wrestle with the principle some three centuries after Newton said it existed. Recently it has been mathematically determined[2] but scientists are loathe to identify it as did the venerable Englishman.
In another analogy, children do not grow-up but rather from the head downwards. They begin with eyes closed, then opened followed by smiles and head movements, then they gain control of arms and torso. After a year, the little tykes begin to walk and cause no end of mischief. This process of incarnation is a manifestation of ‘gravitating downwards’. Upon reaching the age of reason, a man will soon look consequently to the stars and incline himself to things beyond the confining principles of dense material as did Ibrahim.[3] Nevertheless, without actualizing the spirit of remorse for either the loss of divine principles or memory of pre-incarnate existence, he will either forget the stars or merely use them to apologize for continued error as do astrologers and magi; whereupon he continues with pleasures of material gains under imagined auspices.
However, a man of faith will experience a profound remorse for the lack of spiritual guidance and will begin his search for God. In response to this activation of faith, in mercy God runs to meet this man and reveal Himself for the sole purpose of the man’s restoration to His Kingdom. However, the revelation is ‘private’ and the chief desire and goal of God’s Mercy: a reason many men seek the company of other men away from distraction by fishing, walk-abouts or hunting for example, being thus surrounded by the mosque of pristine creation.
The man of faith continually and quickly turns in repentance after every error or sin, upon which God forgives and restores the man to His Grace in mercy, according to sincerity. Each time a person turns in repentance to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy they seek the restoration of grace lost. Moreover, if a man is not in sin but lacks understanding, each time he turns his query to God with a sincere heart God will turn to Him in mercy and grants an answer according to the man’s ability. This is why the Qur’an is called a Mercy from God given to the Prophet. The practice of daily prayers is the discipline that should help us to acquire mercy continually, but because of hypocrisy (insincerity) and ignorance it fails because the Lord requires an informed sincerity of heart rather than the vain ambition of beggars.
Therefore, without faithful repentance, men cannot enter the Mercy of Restoration to God’s Kingdom; neither here nor in the hereafter, as no other provisions are made for rehabilitation. Without the sincere repentance that conforms one’s behavior to the moral imperatives of divine law man cannot obtain God’s Mercy. Without it, we only continue in subjugation to the Law of Gravity and collapse himself to the black hole of infinitely dense futility. Such is the Law of Mercy, but there are contingency clauses: if man does not forgive his companions, and if he does not submit himself to his betters, he will not be forgiven no-matter the pro-forma petitions. Why? This is because un-forgiveness and pride are benchmarks of insincerity. The Grace of God descends only as a Mercy and Guidance to those who are earnest. So be careful.
If a man does not communicate with God, God will not communicate with him.
“communion: the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings.” (Oxford Dictionary)
Communication is essential for every aspect of life but the concept of Communion refers to an especial intimacy at the very core of unity, whether for good or for evil. Secret Societies engender then guard this rapport with vile oaths; religious groups think they express it through ritual; and spouses experience it in the undefiled marriage bed. Marraige is the best analogy for Communion with God and is often referred to throughout Judeo-Christian Scripture by the term ‘Know’: ‘And Adam knew his wife’ for example. This ‘knowing’ is an integral component of a man’s growing conviction and increasing faith, whereby he consciously encounters the guidance of God as discussed in the Law of Grace.
Religious ritual is not communion with God. It is nothing more than a coin placed in the slot of a metaphysical telephone that allows us to place a call to heaven. It is protocol; a discipline performed for our community and selves but certainly not for God—Who requires it of us for these reasons but certainly doesn’t need it. It is ‘we’ who need to both talk to and listen to His response. After placing the call it is time to talk, to enquire, to make entreaty, to request help, and to ask for forgiveness.
During intimate converse there is exchange and what men desperately seek from God in exchange for their worship is the Mercy of His forgiveness and Guidance. But God’s answers are not as readily available as are sound waves vibrating from phones or the sweetened lauds that follow a lover’s embrace, which is why ‘prayer and patience’ are married in ‘Al’Qur’an’; for without a conscious period of patient ‘waiting upon the Lord’ we return to affairs of the world and miss His response. For this reason, the Prophet said that ‘the ‘remembrance of God is better than solat’ or ritual prayer.
In remembering God, we practice an active ongoing communion, and some ‘talk’ to Him as if He were sitting on their shoulder. Indeed, Al’Qur’an says He is ‘closer than our jugular vein’. I accept this as reality and care not to know the mechanism. I often go about in continual conversation with Him, lost in a pre-occupied expectation awaiting answers—much to the exasperation of my wife at times. Is this piety? Heavens no! It is my approach to the active remembrance of God that has come to be a regular and natural expression of my faith as habit. Without this intimate communication with God, I have nothing of value to share with when talking or writing.
The question then, is ‘How does God reply’? The answer to this query is what makes life so very exciting and stimulating—a bit like a good mystery-adventure-drama only better because you’re the star! God’s responses are immediate at times but most often they are delayed. They come in a myriad of forms, at the strangest of times, and very often are complete surprises or even present as answers to forgotten prayers. Often, they might oppose what one expects and desires; or be of a nature that is not readily comprehended; or are far greater than what one asked for.
Dreams and visions are certainly encountered, but more likely one meets the divine response in relationships with other people. This includes challenges; unexpected circumstances; disappointments; a good book; the wise counsel of an elder or spouse; the innocent response of a child; the observation of nature; the remarks or deeds of an enemy; perhaps calamity or even the behavior of a pet! All of these require patience, fortitude and conscious observation via personal discipline if one is to discern God’s various modes of rejoinder. Otherwise, one is tossed to and fro on the high seas of life without a pilot’s license; or reduced to reading omens like animists, which brings us to the Islamic concept of Taqua, without which we cannot perceive the divine response to prayer and thereby follow God’s guidance.
To comprehend this metaphysical reality imagine walking a tightrope suspended above hell: The only aid available is the rope, your strength and the balance beam in your hand. In order to complete the walk, one must be constantly on guard to balance each step. The expanse crossed represents our earthly respite (individual life); the rope represents Scripture and the examples of God’s messengers; your strength represents personal discipline and faith according to what is written; and the balance represents God’s help or response to prayer. In order to utilize the balance beam, one must be sensitive to any loss of balance in order to adjust the beam and maintain the equilibrium that stabilizes each step. This requires consciousness and conscience, our two guardians against the perils of evil. What man or nation can discharge such a feat without God’s help?
Since our individual and collective powers of discernment constantly fall short, many pitch themselves to flammable infamy rather than call upon God in the manner of His Prophets. Without Taqua it is impossible to hear God, let alone obey Him well enough to fulfill the destiny of our service to Him, which is to our benefit and certainly not His. Without Taqua we are doomed: many fall and do not know it till flames engulf them. That is why service to a Rightly Guided Imam is essential because most people have no inclination to develop Taqua. Those who do have discovered a secret which many a mystic Sheikh has perverted: the discipline of quiet meditation (taffakur) or contemplation in remembrance of Allah.
The modern world corrupts and exploits the purpose of this time by calling it holiday instead of Holy Day. However, it is divinely commanded to be a period of withdrawal from the world, and not a plunge into its miserable delusions of pleasure. It is a specified interval intentionally reserved for interfacing with God in order to discern His Will through the many signs He gives; both collectively and individually. It is a time set aside to listen to the ‘wee small voice’ within each of us, closer than our jugular and more potent than any pineal ‘third eye’ of New Age shamans, or dense gray matter of humanists. But how can a man hear and obey this voice when he is constantly inundated by the press of earthy life in a modern world full of vain distraction?
When commoners sleep men and women of God rise to pray and seek God’s counsel; patiently seeking the sapience inferred by our collective cognomen (homo-sapiens or ‘wise man’) and the blessed direction needed to adjust the balance beam. They do so, fully expecting an answer, having no doubt it will come in due season. Therefore, do not be swayed by lesser minds into thinking ritual, good deeds or even charity are sufficient for the communion of divine guidance. If you lack the will or desire to actually communicate with God, as did the Israelites at the foot of Mt. Sinai, then submit your service to an Imam who is so disciplined but be careful not to worship him as do sectarians. Leave him in peace, follow his example to the best of your ability, and obey his counsel with the assurance of God’s Blessing as did the men of Ibrahim and the Companions of Mohammad.
Without intimate communion with God, men cannot validate faith or righteous guidance as discussed in the section on obedience. This is why many succumb to false doctrines and sectarian kahunas whom Satan transforms to dimmer tinsels that eclipse truth. It is easier to ‘gravitate to earth’ under the pretense of serving God in this manner. One can always discern the wolves of this game by the extreme emphasis they place on ritual technique rather than the substance of comprehension. Here, a corollary caveat is: the greater the pageantry (ritual), the lesser the divine communion. This occult principle of propaganda is exhibited commonly under symbols (idols) of nationalism with its celebration of heroes; which includes celebration of Mohammad’s birthday as initiated by the Fatimids for example, or the Shi’ite deification of Ali and Hussein. It is for this reason that symbols (icons), idols and hero worship are expressly forbidden in Islam.
Communion with God, as with your wife, is a private matter not to be subjected to the immodest exhibitionism so readily applauded these days. However, as is effortlessly witnessed, sectarian envoys of Satan place grandiose displays of tribal power as a safety net under the tightrope of their ritual and substitute pretense for genuine taqua. The ancient anti-messianic ploy is a mirage that never fails to enlarge hell. I suggest we revert holidays to Holy Days; and gravely consider the fact that if we do not genuinely communicate with God rather than iconic substitutes, there is a rather unholy spirit eagerly awaiting the intimate converse.
The Law of Worship
If a man does not worship God alone, he will perish
Worship means many things to many people, but to God it means slavery to His Will for our everlasting benefit. The derivation of the term in English comes from the ‘recognition of worthiness’. In ancient Hebrew it literally means “to bow down’ or ‘prostrate’ oneself before a king. The root words in Hebrew essentially mean ‘to grovel like a dog and lick the master’s hand’; not a particularly acceptable image in the eyes of most men. However, I would rather grovel than become part of Hells’ ongoing expansion program.
It is worth the effort to review the Judaic commandment from the King James Translation, Deut. 5: 6-10:
- I am the Lord thy God, Which brought thee out of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other Gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.
On review of this passage, we understand why Protestants abbreviated it and Catholic authorities especially discouraged reading the Bible. The text also confirms my commentary on the use of symbols. This latter phenomenon is a major component of all sectarian divergence, especially that of occult fellowships. Symbolism constitutes a form of subliminal idolatry. To excuse this, even the use of the Crescent and Star, is a lie that cannot be defended on the Day of Judgment.
Idolatry in the Hebrew is the word hebal which means vanity or ‘worthlessness’. This brings us full circle to the definition of Worship, which is the acknowledgement of that which is worthy or superior in essence! To whom then do sectarians bow when they prostrate under symbols or photos placed on a parade ground or in prayer and meditation rooms? This is not so difficult to understand as it is a straightforward matter, for there is, unfortunately, no excuse!
The Law of Worship, like all other Spiritual Laws, brooks no compromise and carries a distinct warning. It is a law that bears within it the concepts of honor and love. If a man breaks this law, he then is paying honor and respect to an enemy of truth, no matter how high his deluded aspiration might attempt to ascend. God will not accept his prayer and deed, no matter how wonderful or glorious it appears in the eyes of men. Bring the matter of symbolism (iconography) up in any religious or political forum and sectarian deviants will surge in its defense and threaten to marginalize all who do not agree with their apologies. The non-pugnacious lot will politely excuse you as not being ‘worthy’ of membership in their clique, which includes most politicians; then return to the pretense of exalted punditry.
One should not underestimate the power of symbols or the duplicitous intelligence of those who wield them. An example is Mu’awiyah who raised the Qur’an itself as an icon that altered the course of history in his favor. The results were that soldiers on the battlefield obeyed the transcendent idol rather than the command of God’s Viceroy, Hadrat Ali, at the very moment the usurper would otherwise have been defeated. Was this a cunning exploitation of man’s superstitious nature? Yes it was; one called pragmatics:
The process of interaction within the triadic unity of sign–designatum–interpretant is called semiosis. Morris decomposed this process into the three dyadic relationships-processes: (1) syntactic studies relations among signs, (2) semantics studies relations between signs and their designata, and (3) pragmatics studies relations between sign-vehicles and their interpreters.[4]
The power of symbolic idolatry is such that it causes men to ignore divine guidance, in this case, Hadrat Ali’s command to attack. The immense power of this fetishism is a tool of psyop conditioning used to silence one’s better judgment, especially in public venues. In this instance, the result was an act of obedience to an inanimate object, the written Koran, whereas the substance of the Koran was completely ignored. The defeat of Ali was the result of the cunning manipulation of superstitious peer pressure.
In paying honor to an idol one expresses love, veneration, reverence and obedience to other than God, a term that means ‘He who decides’. Therefore, it is better to grovel in the dirt floor of a shed than the finest marble floor of a Mosque displaying the Star of Isis & Crescent Moon of Mythras.[5] Am I imagining this?
[1] ‘Born-Again’ is a common and popular mistranslation for ‘regenerated from above’
[2] It is now known as the ‘Black Force’: an energy field so huge it dwarfs all previously calculated energy in the physical universe, including the ‘Big Bang’.
[3] Animals cannot and do not gaze at the stars.
[4] Neural networks and Intellect: using model-based concepts / Leonid I. Perlovsky; 2001, Oxford University Press, Inc.
[5] This symbol actually represents the horns of a bull worn as a head-dress by Nimrud, grandson of Noah and King of Babel who contended with Ibrahim. It is a constant feature of both Mythraic and Baal Worship from ancient antiquity through to its modern derivatives. In ancient Haran, the moon-god cultus called him Sin, a term traced through Accadia to the Dravidian Culture of the Hindus Valley which is present day Pakistan. The star represents Isis or the ancient Chaldean goddess Ishtar. See appendix. They were elevated to use in Islam by the Turks during the 16th century.