April 9, 2025 • 21 mins
Self-defined philosopher.I am a self-defined philosopher, drawn to the endless pursuit of understanding, reflection, and growth. My journey began with a desire to bridge my cultural roots and my experiences living in the United States for over 30 years. It continues through my exploration of spirituality, identity, and knowledge.I believe that true wisdom comes from questioning both the external world and my internal experiences. By engaging deeply with topics such as faith, culture, technology, and human connection, I seek to cultivate a balanced perspective rooted in both tradition and progress.For me, philosophy is not confined to abstract theories but is a practical approach to understanding the world and my place within it. It is the constant effort to align my actions, beliefs, and values in harmony, recognizing that learning is a lifelong process.Through curiosity, empathy, and a commitment to growth, I strive to remain open to new insights while honoring the wisdom of my heritage. I approach each day as an opportunity to deepen my understanding, refine my thoughts, and contribute positively to the world around me.
my email address gholamrezava@gmail.com
Twitter account is @rezava
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SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Hello, my name is Reza Sanjida, and this is part
two of The Philosophy of God.
If you haven't listened to partone yet, I strongly recommend
starting there, because thisepisode builds directly on that
foundation.
For those of you who've alreadylistened to the first episode,
(00:20):
welcome back.
I'm excited to continue thejourney we began together.
If you've been following along,you know that today's episode is
dedicated to two importantpeople In my life, my son, who
sparked my interest inphilosophy, and my 13-year-old
granddaughter, whose curiosityabout Ramadan led me to reflect
deeply on its true meaning.
Last time, we explored the ideaof God of East and Western
(00:42):
tradition from differentreligious and philosophical
perspectives, but this timewe're diving into Islam, the
religion of Middle East.
Now, before we continue...
I want to acknowledge somethingimportant.
I grew up in a Muslim countryand I am a Muslim.
(01:04):
It's natural that my backgroundand experiences may influence
how I approach these topics.
But my intention here is not tobe biased or to elevate one
belief system over another.
Instead, my goal is to explorethese philosophies and religions
with an open mind, acknowledgingtheir unique perspectives and
shared quests for understandingthe divine.
(01:25):
Whether it's theinterconnectedness found in
Eastern traditions, thestructured monotheism of Western
faiths, or the blend of bothfound in various philosophies,
each offers valuable insights.
My aim is to seek understanding,not to judge or promote.
As we move forward intodiscussing Islam, I hope to
approach it with the sameobjectivity and curiosity that I
(01:46):
have brought to all thetraditions we've explored so
far.
So let's set the scene.
Islam is considered the latestof the major religions.
It emerged in the seventhcentury CE, which is not that
long ago if you really thinkabout it.
And unlike other faiths wherethe founders' lives are kind of
(02:09):
shrouded in mystery or ancienthistory, we know a lot about
Prophet Muhammad, his life, hismission, even his governance.
All right, so let's start withthe basics.
Where did all of this begin?
The Arabian Peninsula, which washistorically known as Hejaz,
specifically Mecca and Medina.
Now, what's interesting is theregion's social climate at the
(02:30):
time.
It was heavily tribal withconstant conflicts over
resources and honor.
Idol worship was widespread andmoral standards were, let's just
say, inconsistent.
The blatant injustice and unfairtreatment of the poor compared
to the extravagantly wealthy.
Mecca was a major hub fortravelers and merchants from
across the region, creating arich mix of cultures and cross
(02:50):
connections between differentparts of the world at that time.
Yet, despite this diversity, thepeople of Mecca held strongly to
their local identities andcustoms.
And the thing is, this regionwas dealing with all kinds of
social issues, slavery, tribalwarfare, injustice.
It was a rough place.
And it's into this environmentthat Islam was born.
Another important point tounderstand is this.
(03:13):
Even though Mecca was a majorcenter for trade and culture, it
wasn't a center for recordedknowledge.
It was a bustling city wherecaravans came and went, where
goods from the Far East, Africa,and the Mediterranean passed
through.
But when it came to education,scholarship, or preserving ideas
in written form, there wasalmost nothing.
Knowledge in Mecca wasn'twritten down in books.
(03:35):
It was passed along through oraltraditions, poetry,
storytelling, and memorizedtribal histories.
People celebrated eloquentspeech and poetic expression,
but there was no formal systemfor collecting, preserving, or
building on that knowledge.
Literacy was rare, and evenamong the elite, reading and
writing were not widespreadskills.
Now compare that to places likePersia, where real institutions
(03:58):
of learning, early forms ofuniversities, already existed.
Scholars in Persia were studyingphilosophy, medicine, astronomy,
and law.
They were writing, translating,and archiving knowledge.
Travelers from Hejaz regularlypassed through Persian cities
and even went as far as India,where thriving civilizations had
established schools of thought,science, and spiritual texts.
(04:20):
So you'd think that with allthat exposure, some of that
intellectual culture would havetaken root in Mecca.
But it didn't.
Despite being surrounded byliterate and sophisticated
societies, Hejaz remained aplace with no books, no written
history, no libraries, nothingwas formally documented.
Even Muhammad himself, beforehis mission, was a merchant.
(04:42):
He traveled through many ofthese advanced regions, trading
goods from the Far East andbeyond.
He interacted with differentcultures, languages, and belief
systems.
Yet, when he returned to Mecca,he came back to a society that
was still deeply rooted in oraltradition, with no formal
education or writtenintellectual record.
And here's something remarkable.
Muhammad himself was illiterate.
(05:02):
He could not read or write.
So the very fact that the Qurancame through him, flawlessly
structured, deeply profound andpreserved word for word, is
nothing short of extraordinary.
It wasn't just a new spiritualmessage.
It was the first structured,written, and preserved book to
emerge from a culture that hadnever produced one before.
(05:28):
I should mention that, just likeduring the time of Jesus, when
people were expecting a prophetand longing for change, there
were many who claimed to be thenext prophet from God.
In fact, even before Jesus ofNazareth revealed himself,
others were already making suchclaims.
A similar situation existedbefore and during the time of
Muhammad.
(05:49):
Now here's something you mightnot hear often.
Muhammad wasn't the only oneduring that era claiming to be a
prophet.
There were others.
For instance, Musaylimah, alsoknown as Musaylimah the Liar,
claimed prophethood duringMuhammad's lifetime.
He was from the central Arabianregion of Najd and managed to
gather a substantial following.
He even tried to positionhimself as a co-prophet.
(06:10):
After the death of Muhammad, heled a rebellion which ended with
his defeat in the Ridda Wars.
Then there was Tulayah ibnKuwaylid, another man who made a
similar claim.
He also opposed the early Muslimstate, but later accepted Islam
and went on to fight alongsideMuslims in subsequent campaigns.
Even more fascinating is thestory of Saja bint al-Harith, a
woman from a Christian Arabtribe who also claimed to be a
(06:32):
prophetess.
She briefly allied withMusaylimah, although their
partnership didn't last long.
But here's the thing.
None of them had a message thatlasted.
Their claims were short-lived,often driven by political
ambition or tribal influence.
Muhammad, on the other hand,brought a message that
transformed not only hisimmediate community, but
eventually an entire region andbeyond.
(06:55):
His life was marked byintegrity, consistency, and a
deep sense of purpose.
He was known as al-Amin, thetrustworthy, long before he ever
claimed prophethood.
The Quran, revealed over 23years, addressed everything from
personal faith to societalstructure, ethics, law, and
spirituality.
That level of depth, clarity,and enduring impact, truly
(07:17):
unmatched.
Now here's where everythingreally comes together.
Muhammad wasn't just a prophet.
He was a leader in the fullestsense.
He didn't just preach, hegoverned.
He resolved disputes, made laws,and brought warring tribes into
a unified society.
He started with a small group offollowers in Mecca, faced years
(07:40):
of fierce opposition, andeventually migrated to Medina.
But Medina wasn't just a safehaven.
It became the birthplace of anew kind of community.
There, Muhammad established afunctioning state grounded in
shared values and mutual rights.
One of the earliest politicalcharters in history, the
Constitution of Medina, came outof this.
It brought together varioustribes, including Jews and
(08:03):
pagans, under a single civicagreement.
And later, when he returned toMecca, he did so not with
vengeance, but with forgiveness.
That moment of reconciliationmarked the unification of most
of the Arabian Peninsula underIslam.
But the transformation wasn'tjust political, it was also
spiritual and intellectual.
(08:23):
The Quran played a central rolein this transformation.
It's not just a book of prayersor theology, it's a guide for
life.
It addresses everything frompersonal ethics to legal
principles to social justice.
And here's what's trulyextraordinary.
The Quran was revealed over aperiod of 23 years, often in
response to real-life events.
Yet it remains preserved wordfor word, unchanged since
(08:44):
Muhammad's time.
That level of preservation isalmost unheard of when you look
at other major religions.
Think about this.
With earlier prophets like Mosesor Jesus, we have very limited
historical records, mostlywritten decades or centuries
after their lifetimes.
We don't have any writings fromJesus himself, but with Muhammad
we have detailed documentation.
(09:05):
His sayings, decisions, and theway he led.
We even know how he interactedwith friends and enemies alike.
And that's the difference.
Muhammad wasn't just deliveringa message.
He was building a living modelof that message.
He embodied the Quran, led acommunity, and laid down a
framework that guided not onlyfaith, but law, society, and
(09:25):
governance.
It was a complete blueprint forhow to live as individuals and
as a people, that combination ofspiritual depth, practical
governance, and preservedhistorical record.
That's what sets Islam apart.
Now that we've looked at theorigins of Islam and the
(09:45):
uniqueness of its message, let'stalk about what came after, the
impact it had on the world.
Shortly after the early Islamiccommunity was established, we
enter what historians call theIslamic Golden Age, roughly from
the 8th to the 13th century CE.
This was a period ofextraordinary growth in science,
philosophy, literature,architecture, and governance.
(10:06):
Cities like Baghdad, Cordoba,Cairo, and Damascus became
global centers of learning.
Scholars didn't just preserveknowledge from ancient Greece,
Persia, and India.
They translated it, challengedit, and expanded it.
Muslims led the way in fieldslike mathematics, astronomy,
medicine, chemistry, law,sociology, and philosophy.
Institutions like the House ofWisdom, Beit Hikma in Baghdad,
(10:29):
were among the first models ofmodern universities.
Scholars such as Khwarizmi laidthe foundations of algebra.
Ibn Sina advanced medicine,while Razi revolutionized early
chemistry.
And thinkers like Farabi andAverroes, Ibn Rushd, shaped
global philosophical discourse.
This intellectual revival wasn'tjust about academic achievement.
(10:50):
It was part of a broader Islamicworldview that encouraged
seeking knowledge, reflection,and understanding the universe
as a sign of God.
And that legacy still echoestoday.
Many of the advancements in theRenaissance and modern science
can trace their roots back tothe Islamic world.
It was a time when faith andreason walked hand in hand, and
(11:10):
the message of Islam translatednot only into spiritual renewal,
but also into a globalcontribution to human progress.
Now I want to shift to somethingmore specific, Ramadan and the
practice of fasting.
You see, my granddaughter askedme a simple yet profound
(11:30):
question.
Why do we fast for 30 daysduring Ramadan?
And what is the true purposebehind it?
These questions are at the heartof today's discussion.
Because Ramadan, like so manyreligious practices, is layered
with meaning.
It's not just about abstainingfrom food and drink.
It's about discipline,reflection, compassion, and
(11:51):
ultimately a deeper connectionwith God.
So let's explore.
Let's break down what Ramadantruly means, not only from a
religious standpoint, but alsofrom a philosophical and
spiritual perspective.
Fasting during Ramadan is one ofthe five pillars of Islam, an
essential practice meant to drawbelievers closer to God.
But it's more than just aphysical act.
(12:11):
It's a form of spiritualtraining, a way to cultivate
patience, gratitude, humility,and empathy.
There's even a verse in theQuran that highlights something
important.
Fasting is not a new concept.
It was practiced by earlierreligious communities too.
But the purpose is consistentacross traditions, to achieve
righteousness, purify the soul,and become more conscious of
(12:32):
God's presence.
When my granddaughter asked whywe fast, for 30 days, it made me
reflect on how this period ofabstinence is meant to detach us
from worldly distractions andrefocus our attention on what
truly matters.
It's about disconnecting fromthe physical to reconnect with
the spiritual.
And it's about recognizing ourown weaknesses, shortcomings,
and dependency on somethinggreater than ourselves, God.
(12:56):
What's fascinating is that theidea of fasting or intentional
deprivation exists across manyreligions and philosophies.
In Buddhism, monks, fast tocultivate mindfulness and
discipline.
In Christianity and Judaism,fasting is used as a form of
penance and purification.
So why is fasting so universal?
Maybe it's because there'ssomething deeply human about
(13:18):
sacrificing comfort to gainunderstanding, something about
stepping beyond the body'simmediate desires that helps us
see more clearly into the natureof our soul.
In Islam, Ramadan is a time totest our willpower, to build
compassion for the lessfortunate, and to cleanse the
heart from arrogance andselfishness.
But above all, it's a way todraw nearer to God.
(13:39):
Ramadan is often described as ajourney of purification, a time
when Muslims strive to cleansetheir hearts from traits like
anger, greed, envy, and pride.
By denying the body, we nurturethe soul.
It's also a reminder of ourmortality and dependence on God.
Every moment of hunger or thirstis a prompt to remember who we
are and why we're here.
It's a humbling experience thatfosters gratitude for even the
(14:02):
smallest blessings.
But there's another beautifullayer.
Fasting isn't just about denyingourselves.
It's also about giving ofourselves.
During Ramadan, charity isemphasized more than ever.
The act of zakat, charitablegiving, and even small acts of
kindness are meant to bring uscloser to compassion and
empathy.
So, when my granddaughter askedme about the goal of Ramadan, I
(14:24):
realized the answer is bothsimple and deeply profound.
It's about seeking God'spleasure and mercy.
It's about becoming a betterperson, more patient, more
compassionate, more aware of theblessings we often take for
granted.
All right, let's take a deepdive into this idea.
My own view of God is a singularand separate entity from all
(14:47):
dualities.
I'll connect it with myopposition to Pascal, my belief
in divine love, and howNietzsche's philosophy contrasts
sharply with my own.
As I continue this journey, it'simportant for me to clarify
something fundamental to my ownunderstanding of God.
I believe God is a singular,transcendent entity, completely
separate from all dualities.
(15:08):
Unlike many philosophies andreligious traditions that see
divinity as intertwined withnature or embedded within
everything, my belief is thatGod exists above and beyond all
creation.
He is not simply the sum of theuniverse, nor is he limited by
the cycles of nature or theinterplay of opposites like good
and evil.
light and darkness, life anddeath.
(15:29):
He exists beyond all that.
He is absolute, eternal, andunchanging.
In my view, this world, with allits beauty and suffering, joy
and pain, is a creation, a test.
It is not an extension of God,but rather a stage upon which we
as conscious beings navigate ourown journey toward or away from
him.
And this journey is defined bychoice.
(15:50):
Some philosophers, like BlaisePascal, have approached belief
in God from a pragmaticperspective.
Pascal's wager essentiallyargues that even if we cannot be
certain God exists, it isrational to believe in him
because the potential rewardseternal happiness far outweigh
the potential losses, finitepleasures.
But to me, this argument isfundamentally flawed.
(16:12):
It reduces belief to a kind oftransaction, a bet placed out of
fear of loss or desire for gain.
It views faith as a calculatedrisk rather than a genuine
relationship, and that is notwhat faith is about.
I reject Pascal's approachbecause to me, belief in God is
not about hedging my bets orsecuring a reward.
It is not about fearing hell oreven striving for heaven.
(16:35):
It is about something fardeeper, love.
I believe in God, not because itbenefits me or because I'm
afraid of punishment.
I believe in God because I haveexperienced something
transcendent, something beyondthe physical, something rooted
in love.
And that love is nottransactional.
It is not dependent on worldlysuccess, comfort, or the
(16:57):
avoidance of pain.
Love itself, I believe, isdivine.
It is the thread that connectsthe soul to its creator.
And in that love, there ispurpose, meaning, and direction.
This life, with all itscomplexity and hardship, is a
test, a proving ground where ourchoices reveal whether we will
choose God or the distractionsof this world.
It's a journey of the heart, ofdrawing closer to something pure
(17:20):
and eternal, even wheneverything around us seems
fleeting and uncertain.
Now let's contrast this with thephilosophy of Friedrich
Nietzsche, a brilliant mind, butone whose conclusions stand in
direct opposition to my own.
Nietzsche famously declared, Godis dead, God remains dead, and
we have killed him.
What he meant by this was not aliteral death of God, but rather
(17:43):
the rejection of traditionalreligious and moral structures
by modern society.
To Nietzsche, the absence of Godcreated a moral vacuum.
A world where humanity had tofind meaning on its own, without
reliance on divine authority.
In a way, Nietzsche saw themadness of the world as evidence
that God, or at least humanity'sbelief in him, was no longer
(18:03):
alive.
The moral decay, the violence,the selfishness, all signs that
humanity had abandoned anyhigher purpose or guiding
principle.
But here's where I fundamentallydisagree with Nietzsche.
To me, the chaos and sufferingof the world do not prove that
God is dead.
Rather, they are proof thathumanity has turned away from
him.
God remains untouched by themadness of the world.
(18:25):
His existence is not contingentupon whether people believe in
him or obey his commandments.
If there is madness, it isbecause we have chosen it.
And this, again, ties back tothe idea of life as a test, a
test of whether we will chooseGod or life itself, whether we
will seek truth and love orsettle for comfort and illusion.
You see, where Nietzsche saw theworld's madness as evidence of
(18:45):
God's absence, I see it as acall to return to God, and the
path back is paved with love,the kind of love that is
selfless, pure, and notdependent on material gain or
fear of punishment.
It is through love that wetranscend the superficial and
connect with something greater.
It is through love that we findmeaning even in the darkest
moments.
This, I believe, is the greatestdifference between a true
(19:07):
believer and an opportunist.
The opportunist, like Pascal'swagerer, seeks to gain something
from belief.
The true believer seeks God forhis own sake because love
compels them.
And that is the test of lifeitself, to see whether we choose
God or the distractions of thisworld, to see whether we are
guided by love or by fear, bytruth or by illusion.
(19:28):
The madness Nietzsche saw isreal, but it is not evidence of
God's death.
It is evidence of our ownfailure to see him, to choose
him, to love him.
This life is a journey, a test,and a calling.
a calling to return to God, toembrace love, and to recognize
that our purpose is not tosimply survive or thrive in this
world, but to connect with theeternal reality beyond it.
(19:58):
This was part two of ThePhilosophy of God.
We've explored the historicalroots of Islam, the unique role
of Muhammad, the message of theQuran, the legacy of the Islamic
Golden Age, the deep spiritualsignificance of Ramadan and some
of the philosophical questionsthat define our relationship
with the divine.
These are big themes, history,belief, discipline, love and
(20:18):
purpose.
And I hope they spark somethingmeaningful in your heart and
mind.
Thank you for listening.
Please like and share.
We'll continue to build on theseideas and explore where this
journey of thought takes usnext.
We'll see what the philosophy oflife reveals along the way.
Until then, take care, staycurious and never stop seeking.
Peace be with you.
Hello, my name is Reza Sanjida, and this is part
two of The Philosophy of God.
If you haven't listened to partone yet, I strongly recommend
starting there, because thisepisode builds directly on that
foundation.
For those of you who've alreadylistened to the first episode,
(00:20):
welcome back.
I'm excited to continue thejourney we began together.
If you've been following along,you know that today's episode is
dedicated to two importantpeople In my life, my son, who
sparked my interest inphilosophy, and my 13-year-old
granddaughter, whose curiosityabout Ramadan led me to reflect
deeply on its true meaning.
Last time, we explored the ideaof God of East and Western
(00:42):
tradition from differentreligious and philosophical
perspectives, but this timewe're diving into Islam, the
religion of Middle East.
Now, before we continue...
I want to acknowledge somethingimportant.
I grew up in a Muslim countryand I am a Muslim.
(01:04):
It's natural that my backgroundand experiences may influence
how I approach these topics.
But my intention here is not tobe biased or to elevate one
belief system over another.
Instead, my goal is to explorethese philosophies and religions
with an open mind, acknowledgingtheir unique perspectives and
shared quests for understandingthe divine.
(01:25):
Whether it's theinterconnectedness found in
Eastern traditions, thestructured monotheism of Western
faiths, or the blend of bothfound in various philosophies,
each offers valuable insights.
My aim is to seek understanding,not to judge or promote.
As we move forward intodiscussing Islam, I hope to
approach it with the sameobjectivity and curiosity that I
(01:46):
have brought to all thetraditions we've explored so
far.
So let's set the scene.
Islam is considered the latestof the major religions.
It emerged in the seventhcentury CE, which is not that
long ago if you really thinkabout it.
And unlike other faiths wherethe founders' lives are kind of
(02:09):
shrouded in mystery or ancienthistory, we know a lot about
Prophet Muhammad, his life, hismission, even his governance.
All right, so let's start withthe basics.
Where did all of this begin?
The Arabian Peninsula, which washistorically known as Hejaz,
specifically Mecca and Medina.
Now, what's interesting is theregion's social climate at the
(02:30):
time.
It was heavily tribal withconstant conflicts over
resources and honor.
Idol worship was widespread andmoral standards were, let's just
say, inconsistent.
The blatant injustice and unfairtreatment of the poor compared
to the extravagantly wealthy.
Mecca was a major hub fortravelers and merchants from
across the region, creating arich mix of cultures and cross
(02:50):
connections between differentparts of the world at that time.
Yet, despite this diversity, thepeople of Mecca held strongly to
their local identities andcustoms.
And the thing is, this regionwas dealing with all kinds of
social issues, slavery, tribalwarfare, injustice.
It was a rough place.
And it's into this environmentthat Islam was born.
Another important point tounderstand is this.
(03:13):
Even though Mecca was a majorcenter for trade and culture, it
wasn't a center for recordedknowledge.
It was a bustling city wherecaravans came and went, where
goods from the Far East, Africa,and the Mediterranean passed
through.
But when it came to education,scholarship, or preserving ideas
in written form, there wasalmost nothing.
Knowledge in Mecca wasn'twritten down in books.
(03:35):
It was passed along through oraltraditions, poetry,
storytelling, and memorizedtribal histories.
People celebrated eloquentspeech and poetic expression,
but there was no formal systemfor collecting, preserving, or
building on that knowledge.
Literacy was rare, and evenamong the elite, reading and
writing were not widespreadskills.
Now compare that to places likePersia, where real institutions
(03:58):
of learning, early forms ofuniversities, already existed.
Scholars in Persia were studyingphilosophy, medicine, astronomy,
and law.
They were writing, translating,and archiving knowledge.
Travelers from Hejaz regularlypassed through Persian cities
and even went as far as India,where thriving civilizations had
established schools of thought,science, and spiritual texts.
(04:20):
So you'd think that with allthat exposure, some of that
intellectual culture would havetaken root in Mecca.
But it didn't.
Despite being surrounded byliterate and sophisticated
societies, Hejaz remained aplace with no books, no written
history, no libraries, nothingwas formally documented.
Even Muhammad himself, beforehis mission, was a merchant.
(04:42):
He traveled through many ofthese advanced regions, trading
goods from the Far East andbeyond.
He interacted with differentcultures, languages, and belief
systems.
Yet, when he returned to Mecca,he came back to a society that
was still deeply rooted in oraltradition, with no formal
education or writtenintellectual record.
And here's something remarkable.
Muhammad himself was illiterate.
(05:02):
He could not read or write.
So the very fact that the Qurancame through him, flawlessly
structured, deeply profound andpreserved word for word, is
nothing short of extraordinary.
It wasn't just a new spiritualmessage.
It was the first structured,written, and preserved book to
emerge from a culture that hadnever produced one before.
(05:28):
I should mention that, just likeduring the time of Jesus, when
people were expecting a prophetand longing for change, there
were many who claimed to be thenext prophet from God.
In fact, even before Jesus ofNazareth revealed himself,
others were already making suchclaims.
A similar situation existedbefore and during the time of
Muhammad.
(05:49):
Now here's something you mightnot hear often.
Muhammad wasn't the only oneduring that era claiming to be a
prophet.
There were others.
For instance, Musaylimah, alsoknown as Musaylimah the Liar,
claimed prophethood duringMuhammad's lifetime.
He was from the central Arabianregion of Najd and managed to
gather a substantial following.
He even tried to positionhimself as a co-prophet.
(06:10):
After the death of Muhammad, heled a rebellion which ended with
his defeat in the Ridda Wars.
Then there was Tulayah ibnKuwaylid, another man who made a
similar claim.
He also opposed the early Muslimstate, but later accepted Islam
and went on to fight alongsideMuslims in subsequent campaigns.
Even more fascinating is thestory of Saja bint al-Harith, a
woman from a Christian Arabtribe who also claimed to be a
(06:32):
prophetess.
She briefly allied withMusaylimah, although their
partnership didn't last long.
But here's the thing.
None of them had a message thatlasted.
Their claims were short-lived,often driven by political
ambition or tribal influence.
Muhammad, on the other hand,brought a message that
transformed not only hisimmediate community, but
eventually an entire region andbeyond.
(06:55):
His life was marked byintegrity, consistency, and a
deep sense of purpose.
He was known as al-Amin, thetrustworthy, long before he ever
claimed prophethood.
The Quran, revealed over 23years, addressed everything from
personal faith to societalstructure, ethics, law, and
spirituality.
That level of depth, clarity,and enduring impact, truly
(07:17):
unmatched.
Now here's where everythingreally comes together.
Muhammad wasn't just a prophet.
He was a leader in the fullestsense.
He didn't just preach, hegoverned.
He resolved disputes, made laws,and brought warring tribes into
a unified society.
He started with a small group offollowers in Mecca, faced years
(07:40):
of fierce opposition, andeventually migrated to Medina.
But Medina wasn't just a safehaven.
It became the birthplace of anew kind of community.
There, Muhammad established afunctioning state grounded in
shared values and mutual rights.
One of the earliest politicalcharters in history, the
Constitution of Medina, came outof this.
It brought together varioustribes, including Jews and
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pagans, under a single civicagreement.
And later, when he returned toMecca, he did so not with
vengeance, but with forgiveness.
That moment of reconciliationmarked the unification of most
of the Arabian Peninsula underIslam.
But the transformation wasn'tjust political, it was also
spiritual and intellectual.
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The Quran played a central rolein this transformation.
It's not just a book of prayersor theology, it's a guide for
life.
It addresses everything frompersonal ethics to legal
principles to social justice.
And here's what's trulyextraordinary.
The Quran was revealed over aperiod of 23 years, often in
response to real-life events.
Yet it remains preserved wordfor word, unchanged since
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Muhammad's time.
That level of preservation isalmost unheard of when you look
at other major religions.
Think about this.
With earlier prophets like Mosesor Jesus, we have very limited
historical records, mostlywritten decades or centuries
after their lifetimes.
We don't have any writings fromJesus himself, but with Muhammad
we have detailed documentation.
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His sayings, decisions, and theway he led.
We even know how he interactedwith friends and enemies alike.
And that's the difference.
Muhammad wasn't just deliveringa message.
He was building a living modelof that message.
He embodied the Quran, led acommunity, and laid down a
framework that guided not onlyfaith, but law, society, and
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governance.
It was a complete blueprint forhow to live as individuals and
as a people, that combination ofspiritual depth, practical
governance, and preservedhistorical record.
That's what sets Islam apart.
Now that we've looked at theorigins of Islam and the
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uniqueness of its message, let'stalk about what came after, the
impact it had on the world.
Shortly after the early Islamiccommunity was established, we
enter what historians call theIslamic Golden Age, roughly from
the 8th to the 13th century CE.
This was a period ofextraordinary growth in science,
philosophy, literature,architecture, and governance.
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Cities like Baghdad, Cordoba,Cairo, and Damascus became
global centers of learning.
Scholars didn't just preserveknowledge from ancient Greece,
Persia, and India.
They translated it, challengedit, and expanded it.
Muslims led the way in fieldslike mathematics, astronomy,
medicine, chemistry, law,sociology, and philosophy.
Institutions like the House ofWisdom, Beit Hikma in Baghdad,
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were among the first models ofmodern universities.
Scholars such as Khwarizmi laidthe foundations of algebra.
Ibn Sina advanced medicine,while Razi revolutionized early
chemistry.
And thinkers like Farabi andAverroes, Ibn Rushd, shaped
global philosophical discourse.
This intellectual revival wasn'tjust about academic achievement.
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It was part of a broader Islamicworldview that encouraged
seeking knowledge, reflection,and understanding the universe
as a sign of God.
And that legacy still echoestoday.
Many of the advancements in theRenaissance and modern science
can trace their roots back tothe Islamic world.
It was a time when faith andreason walked hand in hand, and
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the message of Islam translatednot only into spiritual renewal,
but also into a globalcontribution to human progress.
Now I want to shift to somethingmore specific, Ramadan and the
practice of fasting.
You see, my granddaughter askedme a simple yet profound
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question.
Why do we fast for 30 daysduring Ramadan?
And what is the true purposebehind it?
These questions are at the heartof today's discussion.
Because Ramadan, like so manyreligious practices, is layered
with meaning.
It's not just about abstainingfrom food and drink.
It's about discipline,reflection, compassion, and
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ultimately a deeper connectionwith God.
So let's explore.
Let's break down what Ramadantruly means, not only from a
religious standpoint, but alsofrom a philosophical and
spiritual perspective.
Fasting during Ramadan is one ofthe five pillars of Islam, an
essential practice meant to drawbelievers closer to God.
But it's more than just aphysical act.
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It's a form of spiritualtraining, a way to cultivate
patience, gratitude, humility,and empathy.
There's even a verse in theQuran that highlights something
important.
Fasting is not a new concept.
It was practiced by earlierreligious communities too.
But the purpose is consistentacross traditions, to achieve
righteousness, purify the soul,and become more conscious of
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God's presence.
When my granddaughter asked whywe fast, for 30 days, it made me
reflect on how this period ofabstinence is meant to detach us
from worldly distractions andrefocus our attention on what
truly matters.
It's about disconnecting fromthe physical to reconnect with
the spiritual.
And it's about recognizing ourown weaknesses, shortcomings,
and dependency on somethinggreater than ourselves, God.
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What's fascinating is that theidea of fasting or intentional
deprivation exists across manyreligions and philosophies.
In Buddhism, monks, fast tocultivate mindfulness and
discipline.
In Christianity and Judaism,fasting is used as a form of
penance and purification.
So why is fasting so universal?
Maybe it's because there'ssomething deeply human about
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sacrificing comfort to gainunderstanding, something about
stepping beyond the body'simmediate desires that helps us
see more clearly into the natureof our soul.
In Islam, Ramadan is a time totest our willpower, to build
compassion for the lessfortunate, and to cleanse the
heart from arrogance andselfishness.
But above all, it's a way todraw nearer to God.
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Ramadan is often described as ajourney of purification, a time
when Muslims strive to cleansetheir hearts from traits like
anger, greed, envy, and pride.
By denying the body, we nurturethe soul.
It's also a reminder of ourmortality and dependence on God.
Every moment of hunger or thirstis a prompt to remember who we
are and why we're here.
It's a humbling experience thatfosters gratitude for even the
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smallest blessings.
But there's another beautifullayer.
Fasting isn't just about denyingourselves.
It's also about giving ofourselves.
During Ramadan, charity isemphasized more than ever.
The act of zakat, charitablegiving, and even small acts of
kindness are meant to bring uscloser to compassion and
empathy.
So, when my granddaughter askedme about the goal of Ramadan, I
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realized the answer is bothsimple and deeply profound.
It's about seeking God'spleasure and mercy.
It's about becoming a betterperson, more patient, more
compassionate, more aware of theblessings we often take for
granted.
All right, let's take a deepdive into this idea.
My own view of God is a singularand separate entity from all
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dualities.
I'll connect it with myopposition to Pascal, my belief
in divine love, and howNietzsche's philosophy contrasts
sharply with my own.
As I continue this journey, it'simportant for me to clarify
something fundamental to my ownunderstanding of God.
I believe God is a singular,transcendent entity, completely
separate from all dualities.
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Unlike many philosophies andreligious traditions that see
divinity as intertwined withnature or embedded within
everything, my belief is thatGod exists above and beyond all
creation.
He is not simply the sum of theuniverse, nor is he limited by
the cycles of nature or theinterplay of opposites like good
and evil.
light and darkness, life anddeath.
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He exists beyond all that.
He is absolute, eternal, andunchanging.
In my view, this world, with allits beauty and suffering, joy
and pain, is a creation, a test.
It is not an extension of God,but rather a stage upon which we
as conscious beings navigate ourown journey toward or away from
him.
And this journey is defined bychoice.
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Some philosophers, like BlaisePascal, have approached belief
in God from a pragmaticperspective.
Pascal's wager essentiallyargues that even if we cannot be
certain God exists, it isrational to believe in him
because the potential rewardseternal happiness far outweigh
the potential losses, finitepleasures.
But to me, this argument isfundamentally flawed.
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It reduces belief to a kind oftransaction, a bet placed out of
fear of loss or desire for gain.
It views faith as a calculatedrisk rather than a genuine
relationship, and that is notwhat faith is about.
I reject Pascal's approachbecause to me, belief in God is
not about hedging my bets orsecuring a reward.
It is not about fearing hell oreven striving for heaven.
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It is about something fardeeper, love.
I believe in God, not because itbenefits me or because I'm
afraid of punishment.
I believe in God because I haveexperienced something
transcendent, something beyondthe physical, something rooted
in love.
And that love is nottransactional.
It is not dependent on worldlysuccess, comfort, or the
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avoidance of pain.
Love itself, I believe, isdivine.
It is the thread that connectsthe soul to its creator.
And in that love, there ispurpose, meaning, and direction.
This life, with all itscomplexity and hardship, is a
test, a proving ground where ourchoices reveal whether we will
choose God or the distractionsof this world.
It's a journey of the heart, ofdrawing closer to something pure
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and eternal, even wheneverything around us seems
fleeting and uncertain.
Now let's contrast this with thephilosophy of Friedrich
Nietzsche, a brilliant mind, butone whose conclusions stand in
direct opposition to my own.
Nietzsche famously declared, Godis dead, God remains dead, and
we have killed him.
What he meant by this was not aliteral death of God, but rather
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the rejection of traditionalreligious and moral structures
by modern society.
To Nietzsche, the absence of Godcreated a moral vacuum.
A world where humanity had tofind meaning on its own, without
reliance on divine authority.
In a way, Nietzsche saw themadness of the world as evidence
that God, or at least humanity'sbelief in him, was no longer
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alive.
The moral decay, the violence,the selfishness, all signs that
humanity had abandoned anyhigher purpose or guiding
principle.
But here's where I fundamentallydisagree with Nietzsche.
To me, the chaos and sufferingof the world do not prove that
God is dead.
Rather, they are proof thathumanity has turned away from
him.
God remains untouched by themadness of the world.
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His existence is not contingentupon whether people believe in
him or obey his commandments.
If there is madness, it isbecause we have chosen it.
And this, again, ties back tothe idea of life as a test, a
test of whether we will chooseGod or life itself, whether we
will seek truth and love orsettle for comfort and illusion.
You see, where Nietzsche saw theworld's madness as evidence of
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God's absence, I see it as acall to return to God, and the
path back is paved with love,the kind of love that is
selfless, pure, and notdependent on material gain or
fear of punishment.
It is through love that wetranscend the superficial and
connect with something greater.
It is through love that we findmeaning even in the darkest
moments.
This, I believe, is the greatestdifference between a true
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believer and an opportunist.
The opportunist, like Pascal'swagerer, seeks to gain something
from belief.
The true believer seeks God forhis own sake because love
compels them.
And that is the test of lifeitself, to see whether we choose
God or the distractions of thisworld, to see whether we are
guided by love or by fear, bytruth or by illusion.
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The madness Nietzsche saw isreal, but it is not evidence of
God's death.
It is evidence of our ownfailure to see him, to choose
him, to love him.
This life is a journey, a test,and a calling.
a calling to return to God, toembrace love, and to recognize
that our purpose is not tosimply survive or thrive in this
world, but to connect with theeternal reality beyond it.
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This was part two of ThePhilosophy of God.
We've explored the historicalroots of Islam, the unique role
of Muhammad, the message of theQuran, the legacy of the Islamic
Golden Age, the deep spiritualsignificance of Ramadan and some
of the philosophical questionsthat define our relationship
with the divine.
These are big themes, history,belief, discipline, love and
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purpose.
And I hope they spark somethingmeaningful in your heart and
mind.
Thank you for listening.
Please like and share.
We'll continue to build on theseideas and explore where this
journey of thought takes usnext.
We'll see what the philosophy oflife reveals along the way.
Until then, take care, staycurious and never stop seeking.
Peace be with you.
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