Posts by Hannah Diaz

I see how it is... you've got a lot of critiques flying around... maybe you're secretly a sports columnist or something 😁, just kidding 👍

Hmm. Chaos is chaos, I guess... the root of everything is just too much of one thing, and honestly, when people say "the light is cast," it reminds me of that old saying about "the die being cast"! 😉

What you mentioned about that guy could probably be boiled down to something shorter... just get a sense of the animal... realize you aren't that person... and there you go, that's the realization right there 🙂

Sometimes I picture a person as a lantern moving through the dark and the shadows... there’s light ahead, illuminating a bit of the path... but behind them is just darkness... stuff they briefly light up before the 'darkness'—which covers pretty much everything, really—takes over again

Later...

Here's wearyhawk83... and I put it in an image format for you...

dustyskipper3 said:I really only know about Evliya Çelebi. I'm not quite sure how he ended up being called just Evliya, but I do know he was an travel writer. It seems to me that even his surname, Çelebi, translates to "gentleman," which makes his whole name roughly equivalent to "holy gentleman" when you look at it that way. In reality, though, his full name was Evliya ibn Dervish Mehmed Zilli.

Evliya... translated... friend... there you go, dustyskipper3, just a simple translation.😉

Susan Price30 said:But there isn't anything wrong on Wikipedia... if you look at those religious textbooks and see the extremes they go to just to 'defend' the indefensible, things might start making more sense to you.

😁...That's an interesting take... I guess if I cherry-picked only the bits that suited my own agenda I'd end up saying the exact same thing... but like you said... we aren't really ☕

Look, you're entitled to your opinion... but it's just yours. I can agree or disagree, whatever, that's your call... but I think a little bit of basic respect during a conversation—you know, actual dialogue—would probably go a long way here.☕

John Jones3 said:I have no idea how anyone gets from that point to the Wikipedia definition of jihad—or how non-Muslims view the term today. Fighting your own internal demons is the biggest battle a person can face—and honestly, winning it is pretty much impossible.

But then again, you also read this part:

Jihad
Some information in this article or section may be unverified or unreliable. (Talk)
Please check for inaccuracies and correct them as needed, citing your sources.

I guess true victory only comes through a spiritual mentor... someone who’s actually survived those states themselves.🙂

John Jones3 said:Can someone actually explain what jihad is?

Just an internal struggle... with myself, I guess.👍

Jeremy Alvarez5 said:I guess I should probably start by saying that I don't really know if this is the right place to bring this up, but maybe it is? Anyway, I was just sitting here thinking about how much things have changed lately, and honestly, it’s kind of wild when you stop to actually look at it. I mean, I'm probably overthinking this—I tend to do that—but there's just something about the way everything feels so different now compared to a few years ago. It’s like we all collectively decided to change direction overnight, or maybe it just crept up on us while we weren't looking. I don't know. I was talking to Hannah Diaz the other day about something similar, and they had this interesting take on it, though I might be misremembering the details. It really makes you wonder if we're all just reacting to the same stuff or if everyone is just seeing things through their own little lens. It’s probably a bit of both, I suppose. Just a thought, really. Not trying to make a huge deal out of it, but it's been on my mind.

I really can't get behind what Grace said. Honestly, it felt pretty gross when she suggested that someone here shouldn't be working a job just because they mentioned one of those imams. I guess whether her opinion is actually based on anything solid or not doesn't even matter that much—it’s more about the principle of the thing. I mean, what is the point of having a forum like this if we aren't supposed to have an actual dialogue?

I guess I’ve drifted a bit toward the more... shall we say, ribald side of things, mostly because there isn't much else intelligent to talk about right now. Honestly, some of these topics feel like they belong more in a political debate than in a discussion about spirituality, if that makes any sense. Maybe I'm just overthinking it, though.

I guess the cool thing about all this is that change can happen regardless of everything mentioned here—or even things we haven't talked about yet. It isn't really about picking out specific traits and claiming they’re the sole reason someone gains wisdom or undergoes a transformation. Since we're living in an era where information travels from one side of the US to the other faster than ever before, we basically learn from every single conversation, every article, and every study out there. I think we just start making these little generalizations by weighing our own personal experiences against everything else we're absorbing.

For sure... I enjoy messing around too. 😁
There's a saying: "Don't let a single day pass without learning something valuable."

Take care... keep growing. 🙂

wearyhawk83 said:The real issue here is awareness. Most people actually make things way more dangerous by trying to sweep everything under the rug instead of facing it. But once people actually realize what's going on? Nobody can just walk past and ignore it anymore. They start looking for solutions and taking action. Every single one of them.

Yeah, I guess maybe instead of saying "awareness," you could say "enlightenment"—like looking through the darkness toward the light... it feels a bit more religious than that, maybe? Or am I overthinking it?🤷

And honestly, being "indifferent" is basically just having a dead soul. People like that are basically "walking corpses."🙂

Jeremy Alvarez5 said:I mean, if we actually were, we'd basically be stuck in an endless cycle of incestuous relationships.

That wasn't really what I meant by "relationship"... hehehh... so you're actually siding with Grace... nice.😁

There really is no end to human stupidity... people just have this weird urge to overdo everything... which, honestly, is pretty obvious looking at your post.😉

Susan Price30 said:No, we aren't.

That's a bummer... from what I've gathered, those English rose varieties... they look great with all those petals and everything, but they barely have any scent... which, honestly, kind of defeats the whole purpose of a rose being a rose, I guess.☕


I've got one just like it right here... this one's just for you... *mwah*

Susan Price30 said:I know.🤣

I don't notice anything at all, honey 🙂 though maybe I'm just exhausted 🤔 so why don't you just lead the way here regarding what we should write so it meets your standards? May God reward you... *mwah mwah*

Anyway, Susan Price30... what genre would you even call that music in your signature? 🤷

Question? ☕...still waiting!

Even Susan Price30 is leaving us... well, hope you have a peaceful and bright night, wishing you the best...

Susan Price30 said:Man, some people get awfully sensitive about free speech and the right to an opinion!

Are you planning to declare a 'forum jihad' or just kick anyone with a different view off the thread?
By the way, who actually owns the copyrights to the posts and threads on this forum? Is it the owner and admins, or someone else entirely?

Gee, we were all just dying for your input... but since you're here, I guess I'll let you have your say.😁

Do you realize this is a completely different thread? There’s already a dedicated discussion going for that specific performance... I was just giving him a few pointers on what to do next. Do you need some guidance too?☕

My bad... maybe you actually had a question related to the topic at hand?

John Jones3 said:jihad refers to holy war within Islam...
The goal of a holy war is the expansion of Islam...
In this struggle, only adult men participate—those who lay down their lives become martyrs and enter paradise...
In regions like Africa and India, jihad has served as a mere pretext for genocide...

As for what jihad actually means to you, I couldn't possibly know. What I wrote above is the official interpretation—if you have a better one, feel free to share.

I guess you’ve said your piece... but you’re totally in the wrong thread. There's a specific topic for "Fear of Islam," so maybe just move over there...☕

wearyhawk83 said:Why would anyone even insult animals?

An animal eats because it’s hungry. They don't kill for sport or find joy in cruelty, they don't trash their environment, and they don't know what hate is. They aren't petty, and they won't hurt anyone just because they're having a bad day or because some astrological alignment is off.

The animal kingdom lives in a state of harmony that humans will never achieve—and honestly, never have. Humans are so pathetic that we've managed to convince ourselves our hearts are massive and noble, even though they're really just made of flawed, messy matter. It's just that nobody wants to face that reality.

wearyhawk83, why do you always jump straight to the negative? Who's doing the insulting? I was just laying out the facts... the ones that actually exist, even if we try to hide them... I get what you're getting at, and honestly, that's exactly my point... we're talking about the same thing.😉

Being human isn't easy... and yeah, maybe we are pretty pathetic.

John Jones3 said:So these are supposed to be the "chosen ones"? The ones rushing into jihad?

If you look at history—specifically the Inquisition or the Crusades—that’s when you saw the most saints and spiritual leaders. I doubt Muslims will ever outdo the Christians of that era.

Look, jihad is a pretty broad concept, but you really ought to know that... even standing up for the underdog counts as jihad... that's how it works. I guess your perspective on it is a little narrow, but whatever... we all make mistakes, right? So, maybe just give some thought to what jihad actually means.😉

casualtiger2 said:What does slavery have to do with spirituality?

I mean, everything is subject to something, right? I guess the whole point for us humans is to actually become *human*—and I don't mean just existing at some primal, animalistic level or worse. We're meant to reach our true potential, the way we were originally designed. That’s where spirituality comes in, I suppose... it's the tool that lets us function as conscious beings so we can actually know the creator and, by extension, finally figure out who we really are.

ironnomad9 said:Who are the saints?
Has anyone here ever had the honor of meeting even one of God's chosen ones?
And how does one actually become one of them?

Just some food for thought, I guess...

1. They turn their backs on this worldly life for the sake of Almighty Allah,
2. Their virtues pretty much outweigh any flaws they might have,
3. They lean entirely on God, pouring all their energy and effort into being obedient to Him,
4. Everything they think about is centered on the afterlife,
5. Since they’ve found salvation themselves, they act as intermediaries through whose intercession others find peace,
6. In everything they do, they rely on their Lord,
7. They’re constantly chasing after God's pleasure and love,
8. They steer clear of both major and minor sins,
9. They’re always first when it comes to prayer and striving on the path of faith,
10. They’re too busy worrying about their own shortcomings to bother judging anyone else's flaws, and...
11. Based on the good news in the Quran and Hadith, they’ll enter Paradise without having to face judgment,
12. They’ll receive their book of deeds in their right hand,
13. They are true scholars,
14. Their inner selves are far more beautiful than their outward appearance,
15. Their tongues affirm the oneness of Almighty Allah, their bodies submit to Him, and their hearts are completely sincere,
16. They study the Quran and live strictly by its teachings,
17. They fight the good fight on God's path,
18. They have ascended to the highest spiritual stations,
19. They’ve fully aligned their will with God's will!
20. They’re usually the first to enter the mosque and the last to leave,
21. When they’re owed something, they accept it, but when asked for help, they give generously... and when they judge the world, it’s almost like they’re judging themselves,
22. They never lose sight of God and are constantly in remembrance of Him,
23. They experience profound spiritual states,
24. They actually find sweetness even in the midst of trials,
25. If they aren't given anything from this world, they remain grateful; if something comes their way, they give it away,
26. They don't depend on anything or anyone, because they are truly with their Lord!

This totally reminds me of how I used to be... back when I was a kid (and honestly, even now), I could never quite nail the word "tomorrow"... so instead, I'd just say... futa... haha!

slymaker9 said:I am curious how spiritual leaders would define the concept of power.
What does power actually mean to a spiritual person?🤷

Jesus already laid it all out for you, and he did it perfectly.

If anyone keeps searching after that... well, I guess they aren't going to find anything at all.😉