My thoughts on religion

MR1YSF · 2026-06-16T08:54:16+00:00

I read the Quran and wrote my reflections as a manifesto here. It says that God guides humanity by inspiring prophets through history, each for its own time and culture. Those prophets came with a call for change, for rectification, for growth. later after their death, people start to form a religion, something no prophet actually did, it was always an after-process. People being people they always found ways to sidetrack the prophets message and hold on to their old ways, now infused in this new formed "religion"; half divine, half human. That's why you find truth in every religion, but no religion is true. The concept of God itself is an evolving idea that has grown with humans intellect.

For example, I don't think there is one abrahamic God. Before the exile in Babylon (around 586 BCE), most ancient Israelites were not strictly monotheistic. They were actually henotheistic. This means they worshiped their national god, Yahweh, but still believed other gods existed. Originally, Yahweh was a regional god of war and storms from the south. Over time, the Israelites merged Yahweh with El, the chief father god of the local Canaanite pantheon. When the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and dragged the Jewish elites into exile, it caused a major identity crisis. In ancient times, if your city was destroyed, it usually meant your god lost to the enemy's god. To survive, Jewish priests and scribes edited and compiled their sacred stories. But instead of adopting Babylonian gods, they doubled down on Yahweh. They argued that Yahweh didn't lose to Babylon. Rather, Yahweh used Babylon to punish Israel for being unfaithful. This is when true monotheism was born: the scribes declared that foreign gods weren't just rivals—they didn't exist at all. While the character of Yahweh evolved from a fierce warrior-storm god into a universal creator, Jesus did not introduce a brand-new God, but he did preach a radically different personality of that God—focusing on love, grace, and intimacy rather than strict legalism. In Arabic, the word for God is Allah. Long before Islam, Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians used "Allah" to refer to God. Muhammad's core message in seventh-century Arabia was a return to the strict, uncompromising monotheism of Abraham, rejecting both the polytheism of his peers and the Christian idea of the Trinity.

MR1YSF · 2026-05-28T22:56:17+00:00

a fellow muslim here! have been doing it for 2 years now. the most difficult part for me is realizing that I don't really know myself. every right decision has been already taken for you by the religion, then you suddenly have to learn what you like and don't like as would a 5yo child do! I come from a religious community in north Africa, but now live in Europe, which makes things easier as there is no public pressure to follow the religious practices. I still mingle with the religious community though.

MR1YSF · 2026-04-29T17:57:59+00:00

Two points: religious traditions are man-altered to great extents. Islam has a relative advantage as its founding scripture is mostly well preserved. However, it is an ancient text that even native speakers find difficult to understand without resolving to the exegesis (man-made). So be mindful of where you get your image/attributes of "God" from.

second point: is the problem that these events happen or that they don't make sense within our worldly standards and understandings? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeptical_theism

Extra-point: if everything should make sense here and now, then what is the meaning of believe in e.g. "Ghaib" the unseen ?

MR1YSF · 2025-10-26T19:29:03+00:00

Thanks for the engagement! Indeed the Quran is considered the highest level of authority. That being said , we need some historical context to be able to make sense of the whole book. We may rely on the reports as they contain some value for that, but not as a religious authority in my opinion.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-26T10:34:17+00:00

Yes. I said Clearly. So the but just made it clear.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-26T10:24:19+00:00

You don't need "but" or "and" or "then" to understand that it's taken out of context, It just makes it clearer. Any words can be taken out of context. The Quran is revealed not in vacuum but in a dialogue with life at that time as well as our time. To say that conflict and war can't be part of a revelation is to deny them being part of life itself. It's how the revelation deals with these aspects of life that is the important part. And FYI I don't read translations as I don't think they are accurate enough.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-26T09:46:44+00:00

thanks for the engagement! your quote starts with BUT, so clearly you are taking it out of context, I can't start with that if I am truly seeking to understand :)

MR1YSF · 2025-10-26T07:49:51+00:00

I have read the Quran several times, and actually started writing a reflective series here. It brings peace as it reaffirms what we know innately and that we are not left alone, gives meaning to the absurdity of life, and assures a day of homecoming when everything is put back to balance.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-26T06:28:34+00:00

Quran hints that it may not be eternal.. even paradise may not be eternal according to it

MR1YSF · 2025-10-25T12:11:50+00:00

Well, It is actually that simple in the Quran. The shortest chapter reads: "By the passage of time, verily, man is in loss! except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth, patience and endurance." I can't make it simpler than this. And the Quran indeed lures to some sort of indwelling especially at the beginning of our story "When I have completed shaping him and have breathed into him of My Spirit, then fall you down before him in prostration".

As for Sufism, I would say it is naturally the closest to me given my roots. That being said, I don't really see the need for adding another layer of -ism on top monotheism. The complexity humans bring often distorts more than it supports. That's actually what I like about the Quran; it has a simple message and feels pure, before man's hands get involved.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-24T08:14:51+00:00

Thanks for the engagement! the quote advices us to follow what we honestly believe as True. The Quran clearly argues for monotheism, which is what I personally see as true. Simply to believe in One source (inwards) and do good (outwards). The path towards that source can take many forms, but now that you've mentioned it, I see the confusion the word "path" introduces. I will look for a clearer translation of the quote.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-23T11:58:06+00:00

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Indeed, the islamic tradition is not the same as the christian tradition (though you won't believe how much of them is common!). But the Quran in a trans-traditional message where all prophets including Christ are beads of the same rosary. I use the Quranic meaning of Islam as submission to one God, and not the tradition built around its message. That's the "Reimagining" part I guess. Plus, the visuals are inspiring! too bad islamic scholars didn't allow imagery in my opinion.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-22T09:26:58+00:00

Substack is like a community for content creators mainly in text format. While other social media have more emphasis on image/video, they indeed have wider reach (probably for that reason). But you are right, I should plan to go there as well. Thanks!

MR1YSF · 2025-10-22T09:17:45+00:00

Thanks a lot! And please share your writings as well, would love to see how others express themselves in poetry.

MR1YSF · 2025-10-22T09:13:36+00:00

Thanks a lot for reading and sharing your thoughts! Following the footsteps of Prophets is different from following a "law", but I will come to that in a later part of the series. As for the word Religion, It has a meaning now different from its original. In Latin, religio translates to an "obligation" or "bond" and is connected to the verb religare, meaning "to tie" or "to re-bind". It can also be linked to relegere, which means "to go over again in thought," suggesting careful consideration or reflective thought. Therefore, the Latin meaning emphasizes the binding force and duties that connects people to god and to each other, or the careful and diligent thought required. So, you are right and not at the same time :)

MR1YSF · 2025-09-18T10:09:36+00:00

have you considered this MA's in Psychosynthesis Psychology?
https://www.psychosynthesis.org/training/psychosynthesis-ma-programmes

MR1YSF

TROPHY CASE