I am sure brothers and sisters had come across this word karma in Sanskrit. Most of all, many people in the world understood it in a rather weird way for me, hehe. If you watch this American TV series, "My Name is Earl" starred by Jason Lee then perhaps you will also find the notion about karma.
I am fan of Earl (Jason Lee) and his retarded brother in the series, lol. The character presented a premise for the movie which sounds like, "You know the kind of guy who does nothing but bad things and then
wonders why his life sucks? Well, that was me. Every time something good
happened to me, something bad was always waiting round the corner: karma.
That's when I realized that I had to change, so I made a list of
everything bad I've ever done and one by one I'm gonna make up for all
my mistakes. I'm just trying to be a better person. My name is Earl".
In this movie, Earl is trying to erase his evil deeds by trying to correct things which he has done to others while he was a bad person. He makes a long winding list for that and my colleagues were laughing hard watching Earl's stupidity in quest to get a "better" luck, lol. So, people talk about karma as something related to luck whether it is bad or good.
This concept is actually an ancient Indian theory which prevails in philosophies of ancient Indian religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, and others. Hinduism is actually an umbrella term for these bunch of religious thoughts taught by ancient Indian sages and teachers. It also being a shade for folk religions in Indian sub-continent besides of the Vedic ones.
The word karma frames the notion of the deeds of sentient creatures which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect and this cycle is known as samsara. The Malays had absorbed the word into Malay language but the meaning in Malay is, suffering. In explaining this, there are few interpretations which develop into theories proposed by those religions in order to explain the effect of deeds. People only use the words but they are at lost on how does the word works. I am sure those who study Malay language could distinguish which one is Sanskrit derived and which one is original ones. Which one is Arabic derivation and which one is Persian derivation and so on.
Retaliation is Based on One's Deed
Well for Muslims, we have the concept of العمل and it is also translated in English as deed or action. Every sane and mentally healthy person actually knows that they would receive the fruits of their deeds. The deeds are like the seed which they thrust on the Earth and they will reap the result of what they had planted. They will achieve success when they work on it.
Why they do not know this matter and why have no confidence on what is there for them? While they also listen to whatever they believe and have confidence in it, whether it is a firm verse of the scripture revealed by the God the Highest or the sayings of the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w? Both of these had brought certainty and confidence to those whom the God the Highest has enlighten their heart with His light.
Quran
Quran
Now, open up your eyes and carefully listen with your ears to some of the sentences from the scripture... from the hadiths. May you receive awareness and wake up from your long sleep. Thus with it, you will strive hard with your good deeds in order to save your self during, "the day where no treasure nor son is useful for you, except that you who come to Him with pure and clean heart" (Surah al-Shu'ara 26:88-89).
The God the Highest says which means, "And for the God is whatever in the heavens and whatever in the Earth for Him to retaliate on those who commit evil with their actions and to reward those who perform good deeds with their actions" (Surah al-Najm 53:31).
Some glimpse on ancient Indian philosophical view about the earth and heavens related to deeds. This one is philosophical. It is not religious nor related to the teachings of prophet Muhammad s.a.w! This is my philosophical experience as a young guy who studied Brahmanism with Indian Buddhism framework yet I was also a student in Islamic traditional system which was absorbed into national education stream. There is a cosmological notion about land of actions and land of birth in the previous Brahmins' scriptures. I guess it was the Srimat Bhagavatam as far as I could remember. It explains the planetary systems and I also read those "stimulative" labeled scripture which is more likely some kind of gospel for the Indians. The Earth and its surrounding is known as the physical universe. This physical universe is one of the four regions in the universe. The other three universe are the Earths of Retaliation where souls or beings reaping their deeds. In those regions, they could not commit anything independently as in the physical Earth. Other three regions are the hell, the paradise and the subterranean heavens or Hollow Earth inhabited by weird creatures. So, in physical Earth the creatures or beings in their forms could produce deeds independently either the bad ones or the good ones.
"And that, there is not for man except that for which he strives. And that his efforts is going to be seen. Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense. And that to your Lord is the finality". (Surah al-Najm 53:39-42)
"Paradise is not (obtained) by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensated for it and he will not find besides the God the Highest a protector or a helper. And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, even as much as the speck on a date seed" (Surah al-Nisaa' 4:123-124).
If we look at the notion wishful thinking, I had found many fellow Muslims (bigots) ourselves who condemn others to the hell without contemplating on ourselves. How courageous they are in throwing out those words as if they had gotten the stamp from the God the Highest to stamp others with the stamp of the hell. Who they think they are? Why they shamelessly thinking that they are favored by the God the Highest even if they are practicing? How do they know that the God the Highest favor them? Is it their wishful thinking or the revelation from the God which reaches them? As far as I know, "revelation" by the mean of those which is sent through the heavenly emissary, archangel Gabriel a.s to human-being is already stopped after the revelation which is piled as the Glorious Quran is completed.
So, where did they get this "wishful thinking" that they are the dweller of paradise and violently and harshly saying things to other creatures of the God the Highest? As for people of the scripture, I consider Muslims as people of the scripture too. We could say that most Arab tribes during the period of ignorance were without scripture and 'most' of them worshiped dates, palm trees, stones and other gods introduced from the Levant world as the Levantines were seafarers who sailed to other lands and bringing with them other foreign cultures. However, Muslims were people who are revealed with scripture, namely the Quran. From beginning of his prophethood, prophet Muhammad s.a.w was revealed with scripture which was the Surah al-'Alaq 96. So, how could this notion only being labeled to the Christians and Jews? Why not everyone together contemplate some more, having more insights rather than spewing "holier than thou" speeches and checking the chronicles of the world besides shooting words without we realize that we are burdened with 'responsibility' on our deeds and our speeches is a part of the deeds. Our thought is also a part of deeds and actions. It only come to materialize when we use our articulations, our hands, our eyes and others because we 'choose' to commit those acts!
So, whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's wight of evil will see it! (Surah al-Zalzalah 99:7-8)
"The God does not charge a soul except (with that within) its capacity. It will have the consequence of what good it has gained, and it will bear the consequence of what evil it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over those who disbelieve You" (Surah al-Baqarah 2:286).
Whover perform charity thus it is for himself. Whoever commit evil thus it is for himself. And your Lord never tyrannize His servants (Surah Fussilat 41:46)
The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present (before it) and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that evil was a great distance. And the God warns you of Himself, and the God is the Most Kind to servants (Surah Ali-'Imran 3:30).
And fear a Day when you will be returned to the God the Highest. Then, every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly (Surah al-Baqarah 2:281).
Hadiths
Say the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, "The holy spirit (Gabriel a.s) whispered to my heart, choose whatever life you wanted to live since you will die, love whatever you wanted to love since you will be separated to it and do whatever you wanted to do since you will be recompensed with it".
He further says, "Goodness never perish, and sin is never forgotten and the Executor of the Retaliation (the God the Highest) never dies. You will be recompensed according to what you had done".
In another sacred hadith that he received while he was sleeping, he says in his own words that the God the Highest says, "O my servants, those are just your deeds. I am reckoning them for you and I will fulfill the retaliation upon you. And for those who receive goodness thus say, 'Praise be to the God, Lord of the universe' and if you get other than that, curse no one but himself!"
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w also mentions that, "Never curse those who were already dead since they indeed receiving whatever they had done".
And in another hadith he says, "Indeed there will be a slave boy who is placed higher than his master in the paradise and the master will be asking the Lord, 'Was not this my slave boy while we were on the Earth?' The God the Highest thus will be saying, "I am just recompensing whatever he had done in the Earth!'"
Quotes
Ali r.a mentions, "The world is the place for deeds and there is no material upcoming for those deeds in the world. The hereafter is the place to reap the deeds and there is no deed there! Thus, perform your deeds in the place where there is no retaliation there since the hereafter is not the place for deeds".
Hasan of Basra said, "The God the Highest says to the dwellers of paradise, 'Enter into the paradise because of My Grace, be eternal there because of your good intentions and accept everything according to your deeds'".
All of the evidences from the scripture's verses and hadiths and quotes proving that there are retaliations on beings' deeds. And it is just a reminder for everyone including to ourselves. Why not for a reminder? This matter is known by everyone whether scholars or public... Even down to those who are ignorant among them.
Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!
The God the Highest says which means, "And for the God is whatever in the heavens and whatever in the Earth for Him to retaliate on those who commit evil with their actions and to reward those who perform good deeds with their actions" (Surah al-Najm 53:31).
Some glimpse on ancient Indian philosophical view about the earth and heavens related to deeds. This one is philosophical. It is not religious nor related to the teachings of prophet Muhammad s.a.w! This is my philosophical experience as a young guy who studied Brahmanism with Indian Buddhism framework yet I was also a student in Islamic traditional system which was absorbed into national education stream. There is a cosmological notion about land of actions and land of birth in the previous Brahmins' scriptures. I guess it was the Srimat Bhagavatam as far as I could remember. It explains the planetary systems and I also read those "stimulative" labeled scripture which is more likely some kind of gospel for the Indians. The Earth and its surrounding is known as the physical universe. This physical universe is one of the four regions in the universe. The other three universe are the Earths of Retaliation where souls or beings reaping their deeds. In those regions, they could not commit anything independently as in the physical Earth. Other three regions are the hell, the paradise and the subterranean heavens or Hollow Earth inhabited by weird creatures. So, in physical Earth the creatures or beings in their forms could produce deeds independently either the bad ones or the good ones.
"And that, there is not for man except that for which he strives. And that his efforts is going to be seen. Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense. And that to your Lord is the finality". (Surah al-Najm 53:39-42)
"Paradise is not (obtained) by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensated for it and he will not find besides the God the Highest a protector or a helper. And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, even as much as the speck on a date seed" (Surah al-Nisaa' 4:123-124).
If we look at the notion wishful thinking, I had found many fellow Muslims (bigots) ourselves who condemn others to the hell without contemplating on ourselves. How courageous they are in throwing out those words as if they had gotten the stamp from the God the Highest to stamp others with the stamp of the hell. Who they think they are? Why they shamelessly thinking that they are favored by the God the Highest even if they are practicing? How do they know that the God the Highest favor them? Is it their wishful thinking or the revelation from the God which reaches them? As far as I know, "revelation" by the mean of those which is sent through the heavenly emissary, archangel Gabriel a.s to human-being is already stopped after the revelation which is piled as the Glorious Quran is completed.
So, where did they get this "wishful thinking" that they are the dweller of paradise and violently and harshly saying things to other creatures of the God the Highest? As for people of the scripture, I consider Muslims as people of the scripture too. We could say that most Arab tribes during the period of ignorance were without scripture and 'most' of them worshiped dates, palm trees, stones and other gods introduced from the Levant world as the Levantines were seafarers who sailed to other lands and bringing with them other foreign cultures. However, Muslims were people who are revealed with scripture, namely the Quran. From beginning of his prophethood, prophet Muhammad s.a.w was revealed with scripture which was the Surah al-'Alaq 96. So, how could this notion only being labeled to the Christians and Jews? Why not everyone together contemplate some more, having more insights rather than spewing "holier than thou" speeches and checking the chronicles of the world besides shooting words without we realize that we are burdened with 'responsibility' on our deeds and our speeches is a part of the deeds. Our thought is also a part of deeds and actions. It only come to materialize when we use our articulations, our hands, our eyes and others because we 'choose' to commit those acts!
So, whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. And whoever does an atom's wight of evil will see it! (Surah al-Zalzalah 99:7-8)
"The God does not charge a soul except (with that within) its capacity. It will have the consequence of what good it has gained, and it will bear the consequence of what evil it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our Protector, so give us victory over those who disbelieve You" (Surah al-Baqarah 2:286).
Whover perform charity thus it is for himself. Whoever commit evil thus it is for himself. And your Lord never tyrannize His servants (Surah Fussilat 41:46)
The Day every soul will find what it has done of good present (before it) and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that evil was a great distance. And the God warns you of Himself, and the God is the Most Kind to servants (Surah Ali-'Imran 3:30).
And fear a Day when you will be returned to the God the Highest. Then, every soul will be compensated for what it earned, and they will not be treated unjustly (Surah al-Baqarah 2:281).
Hadiths
Say the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w, "The holy spirit (Gabriel a.s) whispered to my heart, choose whatever life you wanted to live since you will die, love whatever you wanted to love since you will be separated to it and do whatever you wanted to do since you will be recompensed with it".
He further says, "Goodness never perish, and sin is never forgotten and the Executor of the Retaliation (the God the Highest) never dies. You will be recompensed according to what you had done".
In another sacred hadith that he received while he was sleeping, he says in his own words that the God the Highest says, "O my servants, those are just your deeds. I am reckoning them for you and I will fulfill the retaliation upon you. And for those who receive goodness thus say, 'Praise be to the God, Lord of the universe' and if you get other than that, curse no one but himself!"
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w also mentions that, "Never curse those who were already dead since they indeed receiving whatever they had done".
And in another hadith he says, "Indeed there will be a slave boy who is placed higher than his master in the paradise and the master will be asking the Lord, 'Was not this my slave boy while we were on the Earth?' The God the Highest thus will be saying, "I am just recompensing whatever he had done in the Earth!'"
Quotes
Ali r.a mentions, "The world is the place for deeds and there is no material upcoming for those deeds in the world. The hereafter is the place to reap the deeds and there is no deed there! Thus, perform your deeds in the place where there is no retaliation there since the hereafter is not the place for deeds".
Hasan of Basra said, "The God the Highest says to the dwellers of paradise, 'Enter into the paradise because of My Grace, be eternal there because of your good intentions and accept everything according to your deeds'".
All of the evidences from the scripture's verses and hadiths and quotes proving that there are retaliations on beings' deeds. And it is just a reminder for everyone including to ourselves. Why not for a reminder? This matter is known by everyone whether scholars or public... Even down to those who are ignorant among them.
Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!
No comments:
Post a Comment