Cruelty and oppression has no real faith
Some follow a religion tradition but struggle to grasp what genuine faith requires.
Example, worst of hell are for those who reject God and oppress people. In contrast, since there are 7 Heavens the best of Heaven is reserved for those who are most beneficial to humanity. Also, there are degrees of virtue and ranks in heaven and like in Dante’s inferno, evil and hell also has its ranks.
Why is this knowledge important?
Some people are cruel and harm others deliberately as they believe themselves to be superior. The same people then attend Synagogue, Church and Mosque etc. thinking there behaviour is okay.
Let’s explain, faith is holistic and requires belief and action. Without belief, action is empty and without action, belief is abstract. Since every verse in the Torah, Bible and Quran was revealed in a specific context, its actual meaning can only be understood when understanding the context.
Example, the Quran says, “surely, those who believed in God, and those who are Jews and Christians and Sabians, whosoever believes in God and in the Last Day and does good deeds, all such people will have their reward with their Lord, and there will be no reason for them to fear, nor shall they grieve”. This Quran verse explains that other faiths besides Muslims will enter Heaven.
Muslims may despise the oppression of Palestinians or American imperialism in the Muslim world, but Muslims cannot despise righteous Jews and Christians. These people are protected by Quranic verse. In contrast in other faiths, the “sanctimonious” believe only their kind will receive salvation.
This is why hate comes easy to some people. Why is this info vital? Humans have discriminated against others for millennia, thinking it is okay. Those who feel racial or ethnic superiority, must know, that according to the Torah, Bible and Quran, God dislikes those with feelings of superiority.
If feelings of superiority stems from your faith, then your understanding or your faith is defective.
God may have had historic favourites but those days are long gone. Nobody, because of lineage, race or ethnicity is exempted from being a good human. Nobody will be held liable for another’s sin. It is illogical and an excuse for criminals, otherwise what is the point of law and divine judgement?
The bottom line is simple, faith without good action, reason and logic has no genuine value.
When you are a racist, an oppressor or a regular criminal, a priest cannot absolve your crimes since nobody has been delegated divine authority since the final messenger. God’s grace is not cheap, it requires asking forgiveness from those knowingly harmed and paying compensation for historic crimes.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress