THE QURAN IS NOT A "MUSLIM BOOK"

Who the Quran is for and its role in the future of the world.

This is a document prepared for researchers asking about the Quran; who it is for, what is its function, and what is its relationship with other religions. The explanation is provided in question and answer style, divided into four parts. Part I: The function of a religious scripture from God and why He sent many to the human race. Part II: Why the Quran is not a Muslim Book. Part III: The Quran’s role in the future of humankind and America’s participation in this process. Part IV: How people of all religions can use the Quran’s information to achieve happiness in this life, followed by success in the Hereafter, without changing their religious identity.

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THE QURAN IS NOT A "MUSLIM BOOK"

Who is the Quran for? Is it only for Muslims, or can people of other religions read and follow its message?
A common belief around the world is that the Quran is a religious scripture meant only for those who are known as Muslims. That is why it is often referred to as a "Muslim Book" or the "Book of the Muslims."

It is quite natural to have this belief, because most religions have a scripture and a defined group of followers associated with it. For example, the Bible is known as the religious book of the Christians and the Vedas are scriptures associated with the Hindus.

While the Quran is associated with Muslims, it is actually a scripture from God for the whole world. Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, and everyone from all religions and faiths are equal inheritors and audience of the Quran’s message. It is their scripture as much as the Muslims and can be followed in any language.

Assumptions for the purpose of explanation.
To make it easier to explain why the Quran is a book for all people, the following two assumptions have been made:

1. You believe in God and His eternal Kingdom of Heaven.
2. You know that the primary role of all humans is to develop their souls on Earth to make it to Heaven after they die. If they succeed, they will live blissfully with God in Heaven forever. But if they fail, they will go to Hell and live miserably with Satan in it forever.

If you did not know or believe any of this earlier, the Resources section will help you find out exactly why you and everything was created; proof of God’s existence; who Satan and the angels are, along with some other information that is critically important to your soul, whichever religion you follow.

THE QURAN IS NOT A "MUSLIM BOOK"

What is the function of a religious scripture from God?
The primary role of all humans is to develop their souls on Earth to make it to Heaven after they die. To do this, they must worship God alone and lead a righteous life. However, the hard reality is that most people will not make it to Heaven. They will fail in their responsibility to make it to Heaven because they will not worship God alone, and will not lead a righteous life that pleases Him.

The reason for this is the ego. The ego is inspired by Satan, man’s most ardent enemy, who wants all humans to fail and not go to Heaven. He is constantly trying to mislead them by playing with their ego to prevent them from realizing and doing what they must do to succeed.

So to ensure that they are protected from being misled by Satan and instead do the things that will develop their souls to take them to Heaven, God has decreed for all humans a set of instructions they must follow. These “instructions” are what constitute a religion from God, while a “scripture” is the source that contains those instructions. Everything humans must to do on Earth to lead a happy life and prepare their souls for the Hereafter is detailed in God’s scriptures.

God has also placed a natural instinct about Him in every human being and given them complete freedom to choose their own spiritual path. But without God’s guidance, it is very easy for Satan to mislead people without their realizing it. Therefore, while everyone is free to choose their spiritual pursuit, the safest and surest way to achieve happiness in this life followed by success in the Hereafter, is to follow God’s guidance from His scriptures.

It is very important for all humans to understand this because the good or bad consequences of their works in this life are irreversible in the Hereafter. Heaven and Hell are final, eternal destinations of all human souls after their life on Earth. There is no rebirth as a human or any other creature after death in this world, and absolutely no more chances to try again if they fail. To face God’s awesome presence in the Hereafter, the soul has to be developed by doing specific things that please God, not what people think should please God.

Monotheism and the System of Submission to God alone.
All scriptures from God are based on the theme of monotheism—which is belief in only One God—and contain a complete system of Submission to Him ALONE.

“Submission” is the religion whereby we recognize God’s absolute authority, and reach an unshakable conviction that God alone possesses all power; no other entity possesses any power that is independent of Him.

The natural result of such a realization is to devote our lives and our worship absolutely to God ALONE. This is the First Commandment in all the scriptures, including the Old Testament, the New Testament, and God’s Final Testament, the Quran.

Quoting examples from other scriptures, we have:

Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One God!
Therefore you shall adore the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
(Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Mark 12:29-30, Quran 3:18)

Let us meditate on God, His glorious attributes,
who is the basis of everything in this universe as its Creator,
who is fit to be worshiped as Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient
and self existent conscious being,
who removes all ignorance and impurities from the mind
and purifies and sharpens our intellect.
(Gayatri Mantra, Yajur Veda.)

But why are there are many scriptures from God? How are they different from each other?
God’s instructions have been delivered to us by His specially appointed messengers called Prophets such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, David, Moses, John, Jesus and Muhammad, to name a few. Since the reason for creation and primary role of all humans is the same, the essence of all scriptures from God is also the same.

However, as per God’s will and knowledge, different communities in different eras have needed different kinds of tests and conditions to fulfill in order to redeem themselves to God. The scripture they received would have all the information required for that. But other than certain laws, rites, practices, examples and other information that were local and relevant to the community that received a scripture, the principles of monotheism and how to lead a righteous life are common to all scriptures from God. For example, God does not prohibit idolatry, adultery, gambling and stealing in one scripture but allow them in another.

Therefore, the only differences between God’s scriptures are in the laws and information that was meant specifically for the community that received their scripture.

As the human population increased and progressed, God sent additional scriptures in accordance with His knowledge of what each community of people needed at that time to succeed. For some, they would be receiving a scripture for the first time. For others, it would be an update of a scripture sent earlier. This update could contain new, revoked or modified instructions; a reiteration of practices to be continued; or a restoration of some information that became lost or corrupted over time.

For example, in Matthew 5:17 of the New Testament, we see Prophet Jesus saying, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Bible, Matthew 5:17, New International Version ).

The important thing to know about God’s process of sending scriptures in succession is that every community is required to follow the scripture when it comes to them, even if it means no longer following what they were following up till then. An example of this process is software updates which must be installed when they are released because they are designed to meet the needs of the day. At some point, older versions will no longer be relevant or valid.

There is a general acknowledgement that God’s scriptures have been lost or corrupted over time. So if people want to follow God’s exact system of Submission to Him, how can they?
An unfortunate fact about the human race is that whenever God has sent them His guidance, they have almost always ended up disregarding it, leading to loss or corruption of the scripture. It is an acknowledged fact that several passages across God’s scriptures are missing or have been injected with alterations never decreed by God. That is one of the reasons why there are so many sects and ideologies across religions with everyone believing that what they have is the right information to follow.

However, some missing information or few inaccuracies isn’t a reason not to follow God’s guidance. For those who really wish to be guided by God, He will guide them in the right path and make them recognize the truth that very much exists in His scriptures, despite the distortions afflicting them.

The problem is that people do not want to follow God’s guidance in the first place. What they really seem to want to follow is their own opinion or what they find convenient to follow from whatever they blindly inherited from their parents.

All scriptures from God guarantee dignity, happiness and success for those who uphold His guidance. The great prize of course is an unimaginable joyous existence in the Hereafter forever. On the other hand, those who disregard God’s guidance will experience chaos, animosity and misery in their lives individually and collectively. This is evident from the unhappy state of the world today across all religions and societies.

To know how to follow God’s exact and unaltered message to the world is covered in part II titled, 'Why the Quran is not a Muslim Book.'

THE QURAN IS NOT A "MUSLIM BOOK"

The Quran was revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad over 23 years from 610 AD in the cities of Mecca and Medina in Arabia. It is the last scripture revealed by God and His Final Testament to humankind. It consolidates the messages delivered by God’s prophets into one book, representing a single, unified system of Submission to God alone for the world.

Though the people who originally received the Quran were gentiles—meaning those who had not received a scripture previously—the Quran is meant for all people, independent of their religious, social, cultural or geographical background. It is not the exclusive ownership or domain of the people of Arabia, or any community that may make such a claim.

Since the Quran is God’s final message to the human race till the end of the world, He has preserved its content exactly as it was from when it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Unlike all other scriptures from God which have been afflicted with several distortions or lost some of their content over time, the Quran is the only scripture in existence that is intact, down to every letter. Not a single piece of information is missing or altered from the original Arabic text, the language in which it was revealed. This can be confirmed by referring to a copy of the Quran anywhere in the world.

Another aspect to note is that Arabic is an existing language, among the five most widely spoken around the world. Because of this, the Quran’s message can easily be translated and verified. The languages of many previous scriptures from God are much lesser known comparatively.

All this is not a coincidence or something that just happened out of nowhere. It is part of God’s divine plan to let humans always have His exact, original and unaltered message to them so they may live happy on Earth and forever in Paradise after they die.

Up till now, only a small percent of the projected human population has come into existence. The majority of humans are yet to come into this world and inherit God’s purified and consolidated message. The corruptions plaguing all religions including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, will simply die out and "Submission" will prevail. Any source or scripture that proclaims a spiritual system after Quran will not be one revealed by God.

Therefore, with a common scripture for all people, the future is not really about being a Jew, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, or anyone else. These are just generic terms that identify people by their religious lineage today. They don’t determine whether the people actually know much about, or follow the religion they were brought up under. The future is really about choosing total Submission to God alone or not. God’s guidance is available to everyone and He alone will Judge them equitably.

And this is why the Quran is not a Muslim Book, or a scripture only meant for those who are known as Muslims today. The Quran is God’s book of Submission to Him ALONE for all people to lead a happy life on Earth and achieve success in the Hereafter.

Even those who are from traditional Muslim background must follow God’s system correctly, if they want to be counted as true Submitters. There are no special privileges for them by virtue of their previous connection with the Quran.

More about the Quran’s role in the future of the world and how people of all religions can use it to achieve peace and happiness in their lives, without changing their religious identity is explained in parts III & IV.

But before that, let us let answer two logical questions you may be wanting to ask about preservation of the Quran’s content and corruption of practice.

1) If the Quran is totally intact today, is it possible that its content can be lost or corrupted someday?
The Quran is God’s Final Testament to humankind; a single, unified scripture representing all His scriptures and messengers. Since it is for all people till the end of the world, God has preserved its content and made it impossible to alter or destroy. The Quran is protected by the presence of a numerical code based on the number 19 that guards every letter and word of the Quran. This is a unique phenomenon never found in any human authored book. Every element of the Quran is mathematically composed, proving beyond doubt that God exists and that the Quran is His complete and final message for the world. Besides authenticating every letter of the Quran, any attempt to distort its content will be exposed and eliminated by the code. This superhuman phenomenon is the most powerful and immutable ‘information encryption technology’ that cannot be duplicated by humans.

2) If the Quran’s message is intact does it mean there is no corruption in the way it is followed?
Indeed, the religion of Submission to God alone described in the Quran is definitely corrupted. But it is corrupted only in the way it is followed, not in its scriptural content, which is totally intact and original. All other religions are corrupted both in the way they are followed, and in their scriptural texts which are not fully intact or have been altered from the original.

The corruption in practice of the Quran’s message by Muslims is for the same reason all other religions from God are corrupted in practice-which is that people do not actually follow God’s guidance from their scripture. Instead of following the Quran alone, what Muslims really follow are manmade rules, blind traditions, conjecture, and false interpretations by their religious leaders and scholars. Despite the command not to follow any source other than Quran for religious guidance, they follow other books such as the Hadith and Sunnah, which were never decreed by God. The Hadith and Sunnah are Satanic innovations blasphemously attributed to Prophet Muhammad about 200 years after his death. They are "supposed" sayings and traditions of the prophet which are often contradictory and also have nothing to do with the Quran. They can never be proven, and even if that were possible, they cannot be followed because they were never decreed by God or the prophet in the first place!

The Hadith and Sunnah are similar to what Christian scholars have maintained for years that some portions of the Old and New Testaments are not what was originally delivered by the prophets of Israel and Jesus. Rather, as in the case of the Gospels, they are reflections of people who in all likelihood, never met Jesus and so recorded only what they gathered from oral traditions about Jesus and his message.

The Jews have a similar situation with the books of the Mishnah and Gemarrah which are traditions followed in place of the original messages brought by the prophets of Israel.

Corruption of practice is different from corruption of content:
While Satan will not be able corrupt or destroy the Quran, he can certainly mislead people or repel them from it. As pointed out in the beginning of Part I, the ego is Satan’s primary tool to inspire people to follow their own opinion instead of God’s guidance.

Another method Satan uses quite successfully to lead people away from God’s guidance is to make religion appear difficult and inconvenient to follow. This is a totally opposite picture to how God has designed religion. God’s purpose of sending scriptures is so that people may lead happy lives and develop their souls to return to Him forever after they die. God knows that if He made religion difficult, people would not follow it. So He has made religion an enjoyable practical system of life that blends beautifully into everyone’s day, with plenty of freedom to pursue life as they wish, as long as righteousness is maintained. You can certainly have a lot of fun. You can sing, dance, study, travel, enjoy sports, marry, have children, feast, own fabulous homes and luxuries, achieve great professional success and so on. Do anything you like, as long as long you live within God’s parameters of righteousness defined in His scriptures. God wishes for people convenience, not hardship in practicing religion, so they follow it and benefit from it. Once you lead your life in accordance with God’s guidance, you can experience a life of dignity, respect and good provisions, because your actions will have God’s approval. (See “Humanity is not a Religion,” to understand why most people don’t follow their religion at all, or follow it quite incorrectly.)

Of course, God can simply banish Satan and make everyone follow His guidance. But it is God’s system to allow Satan to present his point of view so the distinction between those whose hearts are pure or denying is made. God has given humans their eyes, ears and brains, and they are responsible for using them. Therefore, on the Day of Judgement, no one will be able to blame God for their fate if they don’t make it to Heaven. They will not be able to claim that they did not have God’s exact guidance to follow in their hands.

The sad truth is that like with millions who became victims of Satan’s influence in the past, millions more will continue to be misled by him and make the wrong choice. They will continue to disregard God’s guidance and live by their own opinions instead. Only the lucky few who’s hearts are sincere will kill their egos and make the right choice.

How the Quran will benefit the world in the future is covered in Part III titled, "The Quran’s role in the future of humankind and America’s participation in this process."

THE QURAN IS NOT A "MUSLIM BOOK"

With the Quran, God’s message to the world is now complete. All the messages delivered by God’s prophets have been purified and consolidated into one. Today’s corrupted religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam, will simply die out and “Submission” will prevail.

This process is already well underway with the easy availability of information on the Internet. People from all over the world can now access God’s message directly, think about it independently and then decide how they want to pursue their lives thereafter.

Since Submission is for the world, it will flourish in America as well. The basis for it already exists in the country. As it may be with other countries, the founding principles of America are the same as God’s principles of Submission defined in His scriptures. Here are a few with specific reference to Quran.

• The Quran assures equality among all people with equal rights for men and women.
  - The American constitution establishes these same rights.
• God allows absolute freedom of religion, expression, economy etc.
  - The American system follows the same.
• The Quran prohibits all forms of aggression and also prohibits any compulsion in religion because people must make the decision to pursue religion for themselves. They have complete freedom to choose their own spiritual path.
  - America does not force anyone to pursue spirituality or follow a particular religion.
• The Quran specifically mentions that God loves those who trust in Him.
  - The national motto of the United States of America is ‘In God we trust.’
  
  The currency of the United States is the only currency in the world that carries this phrase. The US Dollar is one of the strongest currencies in the world and the standard by which all currencies are measured. This is not a coincidence.

As mentioned in Part II, the future is not really about being a Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or anyone else. Nor is it about following a Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or any other scripture. The future is about Submitting to God and following His guidance which He has ensured is intact and available to everyone. This choice is available to everyone and is independent of anyone’s name, race, culture or religious background. The Quran does not disregard or repel from the Old and New Testaments or any scripture from God. Rather, it upholds them and restores God’s system of Submission that has always existed in them. It is the humans who have caused the destruction of God’s scriptures by discarding God’s guidance in favor of their opinion.

But that is all in the past. In future, humans will not be able to blame the absence of a complete scripture nor can they dispute over which religion to follow. All previous messages from God are represented by one unified system of Submission to God alone in one book - The Quran.

(More about how people of all religious can use the Quran’s information for peace and happiness while maintaining their religious identity, is explained in Part IV.)

America’s participation in establishing Submission in the world.
Inevitably, America will play a significant role in establishing Submission in the world. This can happen soon after it recognizes that (1) The Quran is the scripture of the American people as much as anyone else’s (2) The mathematical code of the Quran is a real ‘Miracle of God,’ encompassing all His previous miracles, and (3) God has chosen Submission to be restored from America, which started with the discovery of the mathematical miracle of the Quran in America.

From the very beginning, God has always sent miracles to instill reverence in people so they take Him seriously for their own good. Therefore, the mathematical miracle of Quran will play a major part in helping people to come into Submission because it proves the existence of God, the intact nature of the Quran, and many other matters for those who need such assurances. A wonderful feature of this miracle is that unlike all previous miracles of God that could only be witnessed by the people they were sent to, the mathematical miracle of the Quran is a perpetual miracle that can be physically verified by anyone, anytime.

Because of Americans' belief in free expression, it has been possible to create awareness of the mathematical miracle. It is only a matter of time before the advanced levels of intelligence and technology available in America will test the mathematical code and recognize its significance for the world. Though Satan will keep trying to confound it, the American system will give the mathematical miracle of the Quran a fair verification so people can make informed decisions.

How can America help to restore Submission in the world? Can it use the Quran’s information for its global peace keeping efforts?
A nation that upholds God’s laws is guaranteed prominence among the nations of the world, victory, prosperity and happiness, while a nation that violates God’s laws incurs a miserable life. God’s judicial, financial, and other social laws and systems for effective functioning of societies are detailed in the Quran. Country leaders only need to establish them and govern their countries in accordance with God’s revelations. America already enjoys the prominent position of being the most important community among all nations today. Whatever direction it takes on any matter has an impact on the rest of the world in some way or another. Therefore, one of the best ways it can help the world to have peace, security and happiness, is education about God’s system. An excellent way to deal with people who misuse religion to cause disruption on Earth is to know the scripture better than they do. The right information disseminated at the governmental level worldwide will create the social pressure required to subdue the perpetuators of falsehood in a peaceful manner.

Here is an example to understand how this can work: Up till now, many Muslim women across some societies have been subjected to inequality and oppression in the name of religion. The internet has arrived at this time by God’s leave so women can find out the truth from the Quran for themselves. By knowing the truth women are able to stand up for their rights and claim the freedom and benefits they are entitled to. In the same way, education about God’s truth around the world can create the support required to prevent people who do destructive acts in the name of religion.

Benefits of the Quran for the world.
The Quran contains invaluable information that will shortly change the course of history and benefit the world in a manner that humans may never have known before. The Quran has the long awaited answers to everyone’s most urgent questions such as, why were we created, the purpose of our lives, how we came into this world, where do we go from here, is the theory of evolution correct, and much more. Here are just five examples by which you can recognize how man’s perception of life is about to change forever.

The reason why humans were created.
Humans have always wanted to know why they exist—where did they come from, why did they come here and where are they going. Several possibilities have been offered, but no one has actually provided an irrefutable and provable answer. The Quran tells you exactly why you and everything around you were created by God so you have a logical reason to worship God alone and follow His guidance.

Death and the Hereafter.
Death is a mystery for humans. People across religions have various perceptions of what happens to the soul after humans die. Some think it stays around on Earth for a few days before going to God, while some believe that the soul of a dead person can communicate with people on Earth. Some think that Hell is a temporary place, while others believe that the human will be reborn as another human or creature. All of these are wrong. The correct picture is made known in the Quran so people can prepare for the Hereafter accordingly.

The end of the world.
Most scientists have concluded that our planet will end someday, just like all other celestial bodies end at some time. The Quran tells us that the world will end in 2280 A.D. and outlines the sequence of events on the Day of Resurrection. Everyone will then be judged by God and assigned to their final places in Heaven or Hell forever.

No more search for aliens.
Once you find out why you, along with all the animals, stars, planets, and everything else were created, you will realize that life exists only on planet Earth. We are not going to find any aliens in space. So science fiction movies can remain what they wonderfully are: science fiction for entertainment. Satan has tried to manifest many events to make the world believe that there are aliens in space but everything has remained in the ‘maybe’ zone. While research to discover and possibly harness space can continue, think of the billions of dollars that will no longer need to be spent searching for aliens. Some of this money can be used to relieve poverty, a move that will be greatly appreciated and rewarded by God manifold.

A modern day miracle of God to confirm important events.
Simple to understand but impossible to imitate, the mathematical miracle of the Quran proves the existence of God and confirms several aspects about the world that humans need to know. Since it authenticates the content of the Quran, the previous scriptures, events, names and miracles of Moses, Jesus and other messengers mentioned in the Quran are thus also confirmed and authenticated. The mathematical miracle of the Quran is a perpetual miracle that will keep manifesting itself till the end of the world, demonstrating that God is far ahead of and far more powerful than the humans He created.

Here is what the Quran says in chapter 74, verses 30 to 37, about the mathematical miracle of the Quran.

Over it is nineteen.
We appointed angels to be guardians of Hell, and we assigned their number (19)
(1) to disturb the disbelievers,
(2) to convince the Christians and Jews (that this is a divine scripture),
(3) to strengthen the faith of the faithful,
(4) to remove all traces of doubt from the hearts of Christians, Jews, as well as the believers, and
(5) to expose those who harbor doubt in their hearts, and the disbelievers; they will say, "What did GOD mean by this allegory?" GOD thus sends astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. None knows the soldiers of your Lord except He. This is a reminder for the people.
Absolutely, (I swear) by the moon.
And the night as it passes.
And the morning as it shines.
This is one of the great miracles.
A warning to the human race.
For those among you who wish to advance, or regress.

How people of all religions can use the Quran’s information to achieve happiness in this life followed by success in the Hereafter, without changing their religious identity is covered in Part IV.

THE QURAN IS NOT A "MUSLIM BOOK"

Please pay special attention to the section that talks about the most important criterion for making it to Heaven. It applies to all humans, whichever spiritual path they follow.

When people begin to consider following Submission from Quran, one of the first things they want to know is how it affects their religious and cultural familiarity.

When considering following Submission from the Quran, one of the first things people must understand is that Submission to God alone is not a new spiritual idea or religious approach. Every scripture from God, including the one you are familiar with, contains a system of Submission to God alone. The Quran is only the culmination of a series of messages from God to several communities, consolidated into one unified scripture that God wants the world to follow. It is your scripture as much as anyone else’s.

A natural concern you may have is whether following Submission to God from the Quran requires you to change your name or cultural profile, or anything like that.

Please be assured that nothing of the sort is required. God has designed the human race in a variety of languages, colors and cultures. Since Submission is a global religion for all people, it is not required to make any changes to your religious, cultural or legal identity.

This will be easier to understand once you know what the words Muslim and Islam mean. The words Muslim and Islam are just the Arabic words for "Submitter" and "Submission." Islam is not a name but a description of one’s total submission and devotion to God alone. Submission to God is not governed by the language you speak or by the name or title you use for God. Nor is the religious, cultural, or geographical background of anyone a factor in determining whether a person can or should practice Submission to God.

Therefore, to follow Submission to God from the Quran, you do not need to know how to read, write or speak Arabic, or use the words Muslim or Islam to express your spiritual pursuit. You can certainly use the words God, Submitter and Submission (or equivalent terms) in English or in any language you want. You also do not need to change your name, legal or religious identity, or adopt any cultural practices that you associate with those who are Muslims. There is no “conversion” process involved, and no clergy through whom you have to route your spiritual connection with God.

As regards reading the Quran to follow the guidance, you can read it in any language you prefer, because unless you understand what it says, you won’t be able to follow it. God chose to reveal the Quran in Arabic because of its unique accuracy and efficiency among all languages, especially when dealing with the precise statement of laws. But it is perfectly alright to read a Quran translation in any language.

It is also very important to know that following Quran does not mean you must discard the scriptures and messengers that have been part of your religious lineage. As explained earlier, God sent scriptures in succession in accordance with His knowledge of what the people needed at that time. Though the Quran is God’s final edition of His guidance for the world, it does not reduce the value or importance of any scripture or messenger before it. No later scripture ever does that about any previous scripture or messenger. Every scripture and messenger had a unique, invaluable position and role to play in the history of humankind. Therefore, you must continue to believe in the scriptures God revealed and continue your love and respect for the messengers who brought them.

This aspect is highlighted multiple times in the Quran by God commanding people to believe in all His scriptures and not make distinction among any of His messengers.

Here is an example quoting verse 136 of Chapter 2 of the Quran, which says, ‘Say, “We believe in GOD, and in what was sent down to us, and in what was sent down to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Patriarchs; and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and all the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them. To Him alone we are submitters.”’

Jews and Christians particularly, will find the information in the Quran quite familiar to what they already know from their scripture. Often referred to as ‘people of the scripture’ in the Quran, they will recognize it as a closely connected continuation of the Old and New Testaments. Many names, instructions, lessons, practices and history from these Testaments have been reiterated in the Quran. Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran with an entire chapter (19) named after her. In fact, the Quran specifies that the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians), will actually get twice the reward for recognizing and continuing with what is essentially the last segment of their own scripture.

Quoting from the Quran, Chapter 28, verses 52 to 54: ‘Those whom we blessed with the previous scriptures will believe in this. When it is recited to them, they will say, "We believe in it. This is the truth from our Lord. Even before we heard of it, we were submitters." To these we grant twice the reward, because they steadfastly persevere. They counter evil works with good works, and from our provisions to them, they give.’

Please rest assured that you can certainly retain your religious and cultural heritage. Following Submission to God from the Quran does not mean you have to abandon your connection with the religion you have identified with all your life. Remember that the Quran is only the culmination of a series of messages from God which would not have come about if your scripture did not exist before it. Therefore, if you follow Submission, for all practical purposes, you will be a Jewish Submitter, Christian Submitter, Hindu Submitter, Buddhist Submitter, Zoroastrian Submitter, Muslim Submitter, or any other Submitter as per your religious lineage.

However, if you prefer to follow a previous scripture from God, you have complete freedom to do so but please keep in mind the following:

1) There is no existing scripture from God other than Quran that is intact. Though the truth very much exists in the other scriptures, you may not be able to identify the falsehood that has crept into them. This will bring you back to the existing global problem where everyone believes that the information they are presently following is the correct information. The advantage of having a unified, intact scripture from God is that humans no longer need to think about where they can access God’s accurate word from.

2) Because of missing portions and alterations, the complete system of Submission decreed by God with all the laws and practices to be followed, does not exist in the previous scriptures any longer. For any system to work perfectly, all its parts must work together. Applying only parts of a system is like trying to build your soul all your life on snacks instead of nutritious, wholesome meals. God’s comprehensive system to help you build your soul in huge proportions to face His awesome presence in the Hereafter is fully detailed in the Quran.

3) Even if theoretically you did have a complete previous scripture from God in your possession, God has updated and consolidated all His previous messages into one unified scripture for all people. Since the Quran represents all of God’s previous scriptures, religions and messengers, it is your scripture as much as anyone else’s. So when you follow the Quran, in essence, you will be continuing to follow your own scripture anyway.

Very important information for people of all religions, including Muslims, about the most important criterion that determines the fate of their soul.
The most important condition that determines if a person will be admitted into Heaven is whether the person worships God alone or not. A person who does not worship God alone will not go to Heaven. God has placed in every human being a natural instinct about Him. It is the responsibility of every human to recognize this instinct and worship God alone. God’s scriptures, which are based on the theme of monotheism, also point out that the principal duty of all humans is to worship God alone.

It is not enough to just ‘believe in God’ like in acknowledging that God exists. In order to enjoy God’s grace on Earth and develop your soul for the Hereafter, you must worship God alone and never set up any other entities as partners with Him. Most people who believe in God do not worship Him alone. In one way or another, they set up partners or ‘idols’ beside God, then love or worship them as much as God - sometimes even more. This constitutes idolatry or idol worship, the most gross offence of all. Idolatry is the only offence that God does not forgive, if maintained till death.

To help readers know more about this most important criterion that determines the fate of their souls, below are some descriptions of idolatry they should consider carefully. Please be absolutely clear about this matter and take a deep look at your beliefs and worship. If you die in a state of idolatry all your works will be nullified and you will be a loser in the Hereafter.

What is idolatry?
Idolatry (or idol worship) is not restricted to worshiping man-made statues and icons as it is popularly believed around the world. The simplest form of idolatry starts with believing that anyone or anything besides God can help you in this life or the Hereafter. All religions are corrupted with the idea that saints and messengers can help people in this life, die for them, or will intercede for them in the Hereafter.

These beliefs make a complete mockery of God and His messengers because they imply that God is unaware of people’s minutest actions, and needs one of His own creations to help Him with His judgment. It also demonstrates the true egoistic and cowardly nature of humans to try and find someone else to carry their load of sins for them. It is the responsibility of all humans to use their life to develop their own souls for which they will account to God directly for their deeds.

Another major form of idolatry prevalent across religions is the mentioning of other names along with God. Many people are just not able to mention the name of God without mentioning another name along with Him.

Here is an example of how Muslims commit “Shirk” (or idolatry) by mentioning another name along with God.

The proclamation of faith (or Shahaadah) decreed by God is: “There is no god except God.” In Arabic, this statement is “La Elaaha Ella Allah.” However, this proclamation is violated when Muslims add Prophet Muhammad’s name after it. Adding another name along with God and failing to make the same proclamation for other messengers, also violates another command to not make distinction among God’s messengers.

Other forms of idolatry include:

• Worshipping anything or anyone dead or alive; natural or man-made objects. This includes setting up tombs of the dead as holy or sacred places of worship.
• Relying on talismans or consuming foods and drinks that are supposed to be blessed and holy.
• Astrology, tarot reading, numerology and similar occult ideas. No one knows the future except God and there are no short cut solutions to happiness or receiving any provisions. Imploring God is the only legitimate supplication. He will grant you your wishes if He so wills in accordance with His knowledge of what is best for you. Those who claim to have found solutions to their problems by using these occult ideas are because they deserve to go down that route. In the Hereafter they will be losers for not relying on God alone to relieve their problems.
• Innovating religious laws never decreed by God. For example, a dietary prohibition not instituted by God represents idolatry.
• Reverencing and worshipping human beings such as saints, prophets, messengers, religious leaders and scholars
  - by making them partners with God or setting them up as lords and masters besides God;
  - by loving them as much as or more than God;
  - by giving them power of intercession;
  - by claiming that they are God in human form;
  - by assigning sons and daughters to God.
• Following self-proclaimed spiritual leaders and gurus. These are agents of Satan who send millions of people to Hell with their fake assurances of happiness and salvation. They ask you for your money to bless you and pray for you. They promise you quick fixes through special prayers, holy foods and religious symbols. Please think about this logically. If happiness and salvation could so easily be achieved, why would God send us His detailed scriptures about how to lead our lives? Why would God build in all humans the natural instinct to worship Him alone as the Supreme Power if someone or something else could fix everything for them instead? If you submit to God alone and do what pleases Him, He will bless your affairs with His guidance.
• Making anything or anyone more important in your life than God. An example of this is your profession or property. You can certainly pursue and enjoy them greatly, as long as you don’t become preoccupied with them, which will distract you from remembering, appreciating and worshipping God.

Idolatry will nullify all your works.
God alone is worthy of all praise and worship. He is far above needing partners, having children or being represented in a physical form. Therefore, please be absolutely clear about what idolatry is all about and the eternal consequences of it. If you maintain idolatry until death, all your works will be nullified and you will be a loser in the Hereafter. Most people who believe in God do not make it to Heaven because they nullify all their works by committing idolatry in one way or another. One can always repent from any offence, including idolatry.

Additional criteria to ensure you make it to Heaven.
In addition to worshipping God alone, you must also believe in the Hereafter and lead a righteous life.

Belief in the Hereafter: After death, you will be judged by God who will assign you to Heaven or Hell both of which are final, eternal destinations of the Hereafter. There are no more lives or chances to try again if you fail.

One of the reasons many people do not take their responsibility towards God seriously is because they think that God will never punish anyone for eternity. Some believe that Heaven and Hell are not eternal. Some think that a messenger or family member will intercede for them and keep them out of Hell. And some think that all humans will keep being born again as humans or other creatures based on the previous deeds of that soul.

Leading a righteous life: God has given all humans freedom to pursue any vocation they desire for pleasure or profit without limits. However, whatever they do, their actions must be righteous and acceptable to God. Following God’s guidance is the safest and surest way to leading a righteous life because it helps you make the right choices and quickly recover from mistakes you make.

The Quran is not a "Muslim Book" : End Points
God willing this information has helped you understand why the Quran is not a Muslim Book and how it can help you achieve happiness in this life, followed by success in the Hereafter. However, as mentioned earlier, you have complete freedom to choose your own spiritual path. The decision you should take first is whether you want to follow God’s guidance or not. After that, you can decide the source you want to use for God’s guidance. The following points can help you with your decision to follow God’s guidance or not.

1. Beware of the ego.
It is the ego that brought humans into this world and it the ego that sends people to Hell. Because of the ego, millions of people do not worship God alone—the principal duty of all human beings. Because of the ego, people choose to disregard God’s guidance and chose to live their lives by their own opinions instead. Because of the ego, people seek dignity among their peers even though none of these people can or will help them on the Day of Judgment. Because of the ego, people commit idolatry and nullify all their good works.

2. Find out why you were created and the purpose of your existence.
God created all humans for the same reason. There cannot be different reasons for this. If you know why you were created, you will have a logical reason to worship God alone and follow a system of life decreed by Him. You will realize that you are far better off trying to make it to Heaven with God’s guidance than trying to make it on your own. God’s system is perfect and assures the promised rewards if followed correctly. You can never make a perfect system for your soul and you can never guarantee it will work for you or anyone else.

From the Resources section, you can follow the link to know the reason for your creation explained from the Quran. If you wish to also find this answer from other references, it is possible you may find some difference between them and the answer from the Quran. For example, some may not say that Heaven and Hell are final destinations of the Hereafter. Or some may not refer to Satan specifically as a representative of evil. But what you are likely to realize is that all of them talk about the following:

a) God is the Creator and Supreme Power of the Universe whom you must Worship alone. b) You are really a soul in human form, as are all other creatures—souls in their respective physical forms. c) You must lead a righteous life. d) After death you will have to account to God for your life on Earth. e) An evil force will constantly try to harm you and lead you away from God. f) All scriptures from God contain a system of life aimed at protecting you from evil, make you happy on Earth, and live a better existence after your death.

In a nutshell it comes down to the three criteria for success which is that:
(1) you must worship God alone,
(2) you must lead a righteous life and
(3) you will be accountable to Him after death in this world.
This is your starting point. After that you can search for the exact answer to why you were created, what happens after you die, and so on. Where to find the exact, provable answer to all these questions has been explained earlier in this document.

3. The world’s status quo shouldn’t prevent you from making the most important decision of your life.
Don’t let the current situation of the world prevent you from taking the steps you need to take to make it to Heaven. Whatever is happening today is no different from the chaos and unrest the world has always experienced whenever it has disregarded God’s guidance. Race, religion, greed… are just various platforms Satan uses in different ways to instigate oppression and animosity in the world. Mass media sensationalism can sometimes magnify one problem and make it sound like the world’s biggest and only problem. It just appears louder and bigger than before because the world is so well connected today. But the truth is that even if the world manages to isolate and nullify one problem, hundreds of other problems plague the world.

The only way for the world to come out of its problems and be united is to restore God’s true guidance in it. The Scriptures show that all communities eventually triumphed and experienced peace and prosperity when they followed God’s guidance.

God’s laws are designed to work perfectly in our world. Don’t let Satan ever fool you into doubting how God’s laws can work because the people around you do not apply them. If people think God’s laws cannot work, it is because they don’t allow them to work. How many people including yourself actually know God’s laws in His scriptures to think this way about God’s wisdom? God’s system works perfectly for those who kill their egos and allow it to work for them. Don’t worry about what others do. Everyone has to account to God directly for their deeds. In the Hereafter, no one is going to come to your rescue because everyone will be worrying about their own fate. You have to worry about your own neck and make your own decision to follow God’s guidance or not. If you choose to follow God’s guidance, He will create the circumstances to make His system work perfectly in your life within the environment around you.

4. All messengers of God followed God’s system of Submission.
Remember that all messengers of God were created for the same reason and had the same responsibility as all other humans towards God. Outside of their function to deliver God’s messages to us, they were also required to follow the message they brought. If they did not, they ran the same risk of not making it to Heaven like all those who put their souls at risk by not following God’s guidance.

We can learn a lot from their examples of righteousness and steadfastness. They depended on God alone for their own salvation and the success of the missions they were sent for. They preached the worship of God alone and never claimed that they were divine or had the power of intercession or forgiveness. They never asked anyone to reverence or idolize them, or set them up as gods besides God. All of them are now enjoying Paradise with God. If you truly love and respect them, then do as they did—worship God alone and follow His guidance. Remember that loving messengers is fine. But idolizing them is not, as described in the earlier section on idolatry.

5. Submission will prevail.
The era of a harmonious world as prophesied in God’s scriptures is already in process. The corruptions plaguing all religions are being weeded out in preparation for Submission to be established on Earth. God’s word will prevail as it has always prevailed, despite Satan’s attempts to prevent it. So it is not for humans to attack or condemn people for their circumstances. Everyone is placed into this world under certain circumstances in accordance with God’s perfect plan to help humans succeed in making it to Heaven. When humans oppress one another because of race, religion or anything else, they are objecting to God’s will, much to their own detriment. So the real war humans must declare on is not on each other, but on Satan. Therefore, don’t let Satan prevent you from taking the decision to do what can give you eternal life. Appeal to your heart and study God’s word carefully so you will recognize what you should do to strengthen your relationship with God. The exact formula to enjoy Happiness, Now and Forever, is available for you whenever you want.

Resources

To know more about the topics covered in this document, please visit the website links provided in this section.

• Why you were created, the purpose of your life
• Proof that God exists, Quran, fully intact scripture.
• Who are Submitters: You may already be one.
• Monotheism: The foundation of all God’s religions.
• How nations can have peace, security, prosperity.
• End of the World: 2280 AD.
• Death: What happens after we die.
• Heaven and Hell , The Day of Resurrection
• The Myth of Intercession.
• Evolution: Humans did not evolve from monkeys.

For Christians

How to truly love and respect Prophet Jesus:
- Find out and follow the truth about his message.

• Development of the Christian Doctrine.
• More about Christianity/Judaism

For traditional Muslims

To truly love and respect prophet Muhammad, do as he did:
- Worship God ALONE and follow Quran ALONE for religious guidance.

• First Pillar, True Shahaadah of Islam
• Quran: All you need for salvation
• Hadith and Sunnah: Santanic innovations

You do not need to read Quran in Arabic.
Authorized English Version of Quran

All Quran verses quoted in this document are from Quran, The Final Testament, Authorized English Version, translated from the original, by Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D. Some expressions to explain certain points have also been taken from this translation.

The Quran is not a “Muslim Book” © 2017, Masjid Tucson. All rights reserved.