"There is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever Watchful.
Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens
and in the earth belongs to Him. Who is there that can intercede
with Him except by His leave? He knows what is before them and
what is behind them, but they do not comprehend any of His
knowledge except what He wills. His throne extends over the
heavens and the earth; it does not weary Him to preserve them both.
He is the Most High, the Tremendous."
This verse, also called the throne verse seems to be a very powerful description of what he is for believers. It just made me wonder how most followers use this in daily life, I know in some other religions they have a similar belief which helps them stay good under god's view.
14 comments:
In comparison to the bible, i would say that the view stated in the throne verse is basicly the same as in parts of the bible. ""For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it" (passage from bible) there are so many more passages like this that are so similar as to be the same in thier descriptions of God. It seems that what differs is the understanding of what the passages are saying, the actual interpretation of the passages. Follwers of islam are apt to interpret passages differently, though this is not supposed to happen it does as there are theological debates within the Muslim community about how the passges were meant to be read. this is the same with Christian theologists. so if there is any debate among Christains and Muslims as to whether they are actually worshiping the same God it all depends on the individuals interpretation of the book they are reading. If you simply just read the passages as they are i believe they are definatly describing the same God. And i only state this because in the christain community when George Bush stated that he belived that muslims and christains worshiped the same God, there actually was some critisism amoung christans saying the was only trying to be politically correct but was actually theologically inaccurate.
Verses like the throne verse are so refreshing to read. They set forth a straight and narrow path. It tells believers to trust in the God, whichever one you might worship, for this God will help you time of need, be there to comfort you in hard times, and show you the way that leads to the afterlife that you are seeking. Many Muslims have different ways of reading the Qur'an. Some take it literally and some take it figuratively but I think that it is safe to say that all Muslims would take a passage like this very literally and follow the words very carefully because it lays out very clear what God can do for his Muslim people.
I dont know the exact name of the prayer in Judaism, but I know for a fact there is a prayer like this recited in Judaism, and it is directly related to the asking of forgiveness. I think this passage is particularly interesting because it is a constant concept throughout all three of the the major world religions, and it discusses why G-d is viewed the way that He is in the Muslim religion. I think there is the concept of being watched over, as if G-d is a protector, but also the concept that G-d is guiding people indirectly by watching them. That is, people that feel they are being watched over act a certain way, so as to not disappoit Him.
I like this verse because I think that anyone who believes in one God can relate it to their own beliefs...the verse is univeral for monotheism. Reading this out of context, it would be hard to place exactly what religion this verse is from. It is also a positive and reassuring passage for those seeking guidance and for believers. I think "The Earthquake" is an interesting interpretation of Judgement Day. I do not think it is meant to be taken literally, but it is a powerful passage that gives the clear message of God.
I believe verses such as this one are refreshing to read as well. Like Jenni commented, it is the universal passage of monotheism. Verses such as these provide a constant reminder that He is above all. It almost seems poetic in the sense that the passage elaborates on His knowledge and throne. Which brings back the concept of open interpretation. This verse has a relaxing tone and almost dream-like imagery. All of these factors add to it's refreshing essense.
As Jenni pointed out, this passage seems to encompass the fundamental conception of God in many monotheistic religions. He is essentially described as the most powerful, but many verses in the Qur'an, including those quoted by Polizzatto, express this idea in a variety of different ways. Describing God as the "Ever Watchful" and the father of all creation helps Muslims understand the profound nature of God and bring them closer to Him. I think that these types passages are important for believers because they make Allah more familiar to the Islamic community and can only strengthen their faith.
I feel like this passage is saying that God is watching over everybody "the Ever Watchful". He is there to guide you and aid you in decisions. Even if they don't believe in the same exact God they have the idea that somebody is their when you need Him.
I think this is a wonderful verse that everybody should read if they believe in one divine God. This verse brings encouragement to all those who believe in such things and hope for one day that when you, the believer, dies you will see Him in His throne watching over you and the people you care about. I still think it is quite amazing how my religion and Islam compare to each other. They are quite similar along with other verses through the Qur'an. I think this passage has a right to be taken literally because you want to believe such a God is looking over you and the people you care about in heaven without becoming tiresome. He has so much capacity for love it is amazing. Basically, he loves his job and we should be greatly thankful that someone like that is watching over us.
This verse is interesting because, it doesn't say that you have to worship in a certain God, just one to help you get through the tough times and the same one to seek guidance from. There are many different religions in the world but, I think the figure of God is the same, someone that leads a people in the right direction, someone who seeks peace on earth. It's up to you to believe in whatever God you chose to or not believe in but, that God's central being is somewhat the same across all religions.
This verse is very inspirational because it really portrays God as what we have always known him as, it brings everyone, all those who have a God to believe in, together. This is what we are here for, to worship our God, our "ever living", "ever-watchful" God. We believe he knows all and is everywhere all the time and is always with us. No matter what religion you are, what God you worship, this verse bring everyone together as one who believe in a God so powerful he can create the world, and that is very refreshing.
I think the "throne verse" is very interesting to read. It's basically stating the God is all-mighty and everything that you do should be done through him because he has the final say-so in everything. It also means that its not plausible to question weather he's real or not. It's either you believe it or you don't. Everything you do or say God is being watched over by God, so they have a more cautious approach in doing things.
I think this verse can be applied to all monotheistic religions. To me, this verse is explaining how powerful and almighty God is. It explains how God knows everything and can see everything going on in our lives, even though we are not able to see Him. This verse supplies faith to the believer, it reminds us that there is someone "up above" controling our lives and the world around us.
Caitlin's post was interesting to me about the idea that no God is better than any other just as long as I find the right one for me and you for you. I know this could go down the path of a theological debate because of my beliefs but I find that the passage that Robert posted about the "everlasting" God and "ever watchful" becomes that much more of a testament to a Muslim that their god, Allah, is the true and only God. I guess that leads me to ask the question...I assume that because Muslims believe in One God, Allah, that He would be the only one to believe in...so Do muslims believe that any god (as long as it's good for you) is an ok god to follow? (This is stemming from caitlin's response.
I also thought Robert's comment about the similar views between Islam and other religions about "staying good" in God's view was very interesting. I always feel like there is a tension of being good, doing good works, being saved by grace alone, etc. I'd like to know the Muslim view on good works. Do they believe good works to be bonus points in a sense? I have too many questions. Thanks for that interesting topic Robert.
This is a very powerful verse that sums up the Muslim view of God. This shows just how big a part of life God is to them, as He looks over nearly all aspects of life. In the Catholic Church we say a creed similar to this one, only this one seems to be solely about God and His control over us as we are called to serve Him. Its always good to see a group of people with such a strong faith in God and an idea of what they are supposed to accomplish with their lives.
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