The only right way

For example, the New Testament of the Bible was written almost two thousand years ago, and the Old Testament began to be written more than three and a half thousand years ago. This means that the Bible as a whole was created over a period of about 1600 years (from the 15th century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D.), and it is all connected and consistent.

It is strange that 2000 years after the Bible was written, people all over the world have not changed their ideas about God and the world order. How could these people know everything and know it in such detail, touching every aspect of life that exists, describing, structuring, and creating a set of rules with specific historical examples that are duplicated in both the Bible and the Qur'an? These rules are relevant at all times, there is nothing in them that contradicts common sense. How is it that 2000 years after the creation of the Bible and 1400 years after the creation of the Qur'an, nothing similar to these Holy Books has been created? There is no doubt — what is written in them must be believed.

We can also assume that the Bible has been rewritten many times by unscrupulous people who have changed the text or the meaning of the Scriptures, maybe by not all of them, but some specific ones, but maybe not. But the same can be said of the Qur'an because there is no 100 % proof of the original version. After all, 1400 years have passed. We are not going to get direct proofs in our time, too many possible variants of events could occur over such a long period of time. We have to start with what is indisputable — the recognition of a single God: both in the Bible and in the Qur'an. This is the foundation of truth. This truth can be understood and proven even by our earthly mind and logic. Everything in these Holy Books is based on it.

And how would the Lord allow unscrupulous sinners to change the text of His Word or make another book more famous and authoritative? It is obvious to a believer that such a thing cannot happen.

I'll say more. There is no point in seeking answers to questions about the authenticity of these Books, for there is no argument for not believing in the truth of Scripture since there is no more popular, perfect, orderly alternative with the same concept — of One Creator, the Lord God. As you can see, based on the logic we applied earlier in the book, if there is no clear evidence that something is not true, it would be more advantageous and less risky to believe it.

As it is said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." This means that to whom it is given will hear the truth and the essence. A righteous person will understand everything as soon as he begins to read the sacred texts; such a person is given to "hear".

In many ways, the Bible and the Qur'an are almost word-for-word, conveying meanings and historical events that complement each other harmoniously and do not contradict each other in the essence of the laws. We discussed this earlier in this book.

Many people doubt whether they should study the Holy Scriptures, or whether they should believe in their own truth. Why do you believe your mentors, teachers, preachers, priests, and other authority figures? Why do you go to them for advice, why do you listen to everything they say, why do you dance to their tune?

Just remember that you are listening to the word of ordinary people and there is the Word of God. What could be more authoritative?

Everything that exists in this world and the Universe has its origin in the Word of the Creator. Read the Holy Books and believe only in them. Live by the Word of God and not a step to the left or the right. And all the people and institutions to whom you turn for religious advice — they cannot speak for themselves, they can only help you to explain the Holy Texts.

It is the same with religions: when in doubt, go to the source and read and study the sacred texts for yourself.

I have included sayings from the Bible and the Qur'an in this book to support the argument.

The words of these Books must be handled with care, they are sacred.

Trust the Scriptures, there are no other divine texts known to mankind today. If they do appear, I am sure that in the 21st century of technology, we will be able to tell whether they are true or whether they are lies created by man.

To follow the right path in life, you should first study the Holy Scriptures and read the Bible and the Qur'an from beginning to end at least once in your life. Read them with faith, with acceptance, not with denial, but with humility. Then you will understand everything the first time, and you will not have to study and try to understand it all your life. You will find the truth, and then you will just live it and contemplate it. Otherwise, your life will not be enough for you to find the truth, and sooner or later you will seek it. Scripture, like faith, is either accepted or not. The choice is ours.

For those who have come to know the truth of the Bible and the Qur'an for themselves, it is abundantly clear that it is a guide to life. I did not find any fundamental semantic differences between the Bible and the Qur'an; on the contrary, I saw only similarities between them. I saw the same true laws and norms. These are the basis for serving and pleasing God.

For example, the 10 biblical commandments are the foundation of the Gospel. None of these commandments are rejected in the Qur'an. On the contrary, the same laws are preached in the Qur'an, and they are also fundamental and most important there. The definition of the worst sins, the so-called mortal sins, is absolutely identical in these two great Books. It is equally negative. The most important qualities of man are love, forgiveness, mutual respect, humility, patience, mercy, persuasion, hospitality, favor to the disadvantaged, and moderation in everything — all these fundamental qualities of a believing man are equally important in both the Bible and the Qur'an. Everything is identical, from the rules of life in certain circumstances to the smallest details of a person's personality.

As for believers of different Abrahamic religions, I can only say one thing. Study both the Bible and the Qur'an, emphasizing the points they have in common. Base your understanding on the meaning that is universal to both the Bible and the Qur'an.

Even the word "kill" (unbelievers) can mean not the taking of life, but the killing of sin in them. For example, the suppression of hypocrisy, the suppression of lying, the suppression of lust.

Turn to the Creator, turn to Him every day and for the whole of your life, in the morning and the evening. Do not expect any benefit from your requests and appeals to the Creator, but simply believe in them every day, obviously, absolutely convinced, as if you already have everything you ask for. One thing you must realize is that no one knows if what they ask for will be beneficial in the future.

Many more thoughts, theories, and beliefs about our universe and our existence may arise over time. In about 100 years, there will be virtually none of the people living on the planet today. Then there will be thousands more generations, each of which will have different theories about the origin of everything, different meanings, and so on, just as it was before our generation. But for some reason, of all the thousands of theories and assumptions, only one has proven to be viable over the centuries: there is God, He is one, and above all, He was and will be, only He should be worshipped, one should trust Him, ask Him, fear Him, love Him, fulfill His will by studying His Word — the Bible and the Qur'an. So maybe it's not a theory after all? Think about it.

Is this knowledge not worthy of being taught in educational institutions, since it is the basis of man, his meaning, and his purpose?

Faith and love

So faith is the foundation of the individual, the main test, like the fidelity test of a wife or husband. Everyone has the choice to change or not to change, to believe or not to believe.

There are many things in life that tend to push a person away from believing when things don't go the way they want. Life is a trial, from the first breath you take to the last. Poverty and wealth, sickness and health, tears and joy, love and hatred — absolutely everything in this life is a test. It is necessary to always remember this and treat this or that situation accordingly, to look at your life from the outside and analyze it. Because, as is often the case, when a person is poor, he or she is always trying to get out of the "pit" and it does not work — then the person falls. Know that if you have food in your refrigerator, clothes in your closet, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are already richer than 75 % of the people. If you are healthy and don't have a terminal illness, you are luckier than the millions of people who will not survive this week. If you are reading or listening to these words right now, you are luckier than the millions of deaf and blind people. So don't complain. There are thousands of reasons to believe, to love, to live, to be grateful, and to be happy. You just have to see them. And what you don't have, you can make.

Both sorrow and joy are your test. You must have patience in your faith. Do everything according to the laws of the holy texts, and so be it. This is the only way to obtain the best for your future. Your suffering can be a blessing for you. It is the Creator's way of saving you from further suffering. How can you be sure that you will stand the test of prosperity, that your end will not be a tragedy, a drowning in sin? Many years ago, my grandmother said something that I still remember: "Man can endure any sorrow, but joy and wealth cannot." This expression fits in here as well as it can, because you never know what is going to be good for you and what is not.

Faith is an absolute conviction at the level of awareness of the truth, a constant certainty of the realization of the expected and the certainty of the unseen. "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God" (Bible).

A believer is one who has believed and then has no doubt and fights the battle on his way with works, possessions, soul, mind, and heart. He is one who is certain without seeing and faithful without seeing.

And, as it is said, blessed is he who has believed without any apparent proof and has passed the test of faithfulness.

The consequence of faith is the fear of God. This is what makes a person live righteously.

Faith in God and His Word (the Scriptures) must be the highest and most important quality of man.

True faith implies a dedication to it for the rest of one's life and at every moment, regardless of the circumstances that surround us.

The process of believing is the perfection of an unquestionable, clear, absolutely convinced, even explicit recognition, as in seeing, of the existence of God, the recognition of His greatness, and the great importance of the fear of displeasing the Lord.

It's up to us whether we have faith or not. Everyone must make his own choice. Whether that choice leads to the right path or not depends on the person. That is the only thing that is entirely up to us, even though everything is predetermined, but as it is written, a man has to make that choice. A righteous person has to ask the Creator for it is he who is predestined to have this choice, the choice of faith. It is either the way of faith or the futile eternal search for truth.

There is no need for a reason to believe or not to believe. Faith, like love, is far more useful and life-giving than any other human quality. Neither self-confidence, nor willpower, nor perseverance, nor cheerfulness and positivity, nor even patience, nor intelligence, nor physical strength — nothing can compare in power to faith for a human being. It is the power of the mind and the most powerful thing in man. Therefore, a person should not choose it but should strive for it with all his strength, strive, and ask the Almighty to strengthen it, because there is nothing more useful for a person than faith.

It is also said in the Holy Books that everyone can be with God by believing and loving. If we love one another, that is, if we do good to one another, then "God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him" (the Bible). So the presence of love in your life is proof that God is with you. And you don't have to wait for a sign or a vision to prove God's presence. Faith and love in your soul is enough, as it says: "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

The word "love" has many meanings. When I say love, I mean kindness to everything around me. There is a higher love. It is when you are willing to sacrifice your soul for someone. This is God's love revealed to us when He sent Christ to suffer for us.

You could say that love comes from faith, and you could say that faith comes from love. Both are logical, but it is said: "The greatest of these is love."

Love is called the queen of the virtues. Without it, the other virtues cannot exist. Without love, they simply become vices and passions.

Faith without love becomes fanaticism and ritualism. Hope without love is despair, it is sadness and despondency. Intelligence without love is cunning, but intelligence with love is wisdom. A heart without love is a stone or a block of ice.

Above the law there can only be love, above the truth, there can only be mercy, and above justice, there can only be forgiveness!

Love is above the law, above truth, and above justice, because the foundation of mercy and forgiveness is love, on which these virtues are based. For this reason, justice without love becomes cruelty, mercy becomes condemnation, and humility without love becomes hypocrisy.

Love binds souls together, both in this world and in the next. In the Bible, God commanded us through Jesus Christ to love one another and to do good, but the one who has loved God above all else is already an eternally successful person.

With your unwavering faith and righteous deeds, you will accumulate real wealth, imperishable and eternal, with which, at the hour of death, you will not suffer in agony, but will leave with a smile on your face and a clear belief in entering eternal life as your reward.

There is such a parable.

One infant asks the other, "Do you believe in life after birth?

The believer says, "Of course, there is life after birth, and we are here to become strong and ready for what comes after.

"This is all nonsense. There is no life after birth. Can you imagine what such a life might be like?" asks the unbeliever.

The believer: "Well, I don't know all the details, but there would be more light and joy, and we would eat with our mouths, for example.

"That's ridiculous, we have our own umbilical cord and it feeds us. And no one has ever come back from there. Life simply ends with birth."

Believer: "No, I don't know exactly what our life will be like after we are born, but one way or another we will see our mom and she will take care of us."

"Mommy?" asked the unbeliever. "Do you believe in Mommy? And where is she?"

"She is everywhere, she is all around us. Because of her, we live, and without her we are nothing."

An unbelieving child, "That's nonsense. I haven't seen a mother, so obviously she doesn't exist".

"No, I don't agree. In fact, sometimes, when everything around us is quiet, you can hear her singing or feel her caressing our world. I believe that our real life doesn't begin until we are born!"

And do you?

The primer of life

Every cruelty, every sin, the more serious ones, from theft and murder to waging war, all these are meaningless. These "victories" are not to be boasted about, they are not to be wished for, because even war ends in peace, and the perpetrators will still have to answer for what they have done, both in this world and the next. Strength is not in war, or in proving one's superiority, but strength is in faith, in piety, and pleasing God — in what is true and eternal. Here is the answer to the age-old question: "Who is the strongest?" He who is with God.

It is important to first decide whether you are on the side of good or evil, true power or false power, life or death, the Lord or nothingness. If you are on the side of God, then you must obey His Word, otherwise, you are just like any other unbelieving sinner, it's all about intention and action. Jesus said, "Believe my works." The Bible says, "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who are righteous."

Therefore, fighting the real enemy — your passions — is your real war. The sacred texts say, "You should reign over sin." This is actually the answer to the question of how to pass through this life with dignity. The answer to the question of how to please your Creator, to Whom there is soon to be a sojourn. Perhaps the reward in this world will not be long in coming.

Before entering eternal life, it is important to sincerely repent of all sins before the Lord, recognizing that the Lord God is one and the same for all and that there is no other God.

At the end of earthly life, man should fill his soul by doing good, not by satisfying earthly wants and needs. The accumulation of wealth in heaven is a worthwhile thing to do in this life.

If you have this kind of baggage in your life, without any heavy sins, then your end in this world will be easy and beautiful with the knowledge that you did your best. It is as if you were about to take the most important exam of your life, and you know for sure that you are 100 % prepared for it.

I would like to emphasize one bad human quality that, in my experience, has caused the most trouble on earth. Pride, vanity, and ego are among the greatest sins in the Qur'an and the Bible. In my opinion, this is the first thing we all need to work on. Pride is the root of sin! It is necessary to restrain the mind from superiority over others, from exaggerating one's personal importance, to work on self-control, and much more. After all, self-control is a false concept: in spite of your outward tranquility, you are capable of holding back everything inward. This is good, but it is better to change yourself on the level of awareness and conviction, not on the level of self-control, and simply be a person without such a vice.

There is no need to judge each other in anything ("Judge not that you be not judged") — not to exalt oneself or to diminish anyone. This is the Creator's right and power. We are all different. Each of us is given strength for one aspect of life or another to a different degree. Some are psychologically stronger, some are physically stronger, some are gifted in mathematics and some in linguistics, some in negotiations, some in IT. Every believer must do his best not to upset God. Therefore, there should be no diminishing or devaluing of any person. He may be doing the best he can with the little you can see of him. And you, who do much as you think, use only a small part of the strength the Lord has given you. And in essence, you are less than this man before God. Yet you allow yourselves to condemn him.

All the more so never complain that your parents could not give you anything. It was probably the best they could do. They did their best. I come from a simple family, far from rich, but I am immensely grateful to my parents for everything. I know they work as hard as they can, 100 percent, all my life. And I thank God for giving me such parents.

Do not give up praying. There is no need to ask for anything but forgiveness and mercy. The Creator knows better than you what you need.

Prayer (conversation with God) and penance (sincere regret) should be done as seriously as possible, in the full awareness that the Lord is close to you and is listening to you attentively. He is the Creator of everything, not a big boss or even a president! It is impossible for us to comprehend even a little of His greatness and power. Just bow down and ask for forgiveness. When you realize even a little bit of the greatness of God, which is what the righteous and believing people come to, then you will happily fall face down on the ground, stretch out your hands, and ask for forgiveness. This realization will reveal your need for love and fear of the Lord.

In the book of ECCLESIASTES in the Bible, it is written that man should do what is given from above, do it for the good of mankind, and enjoy what he has done.

The most vivid examples of people who were pleasing to God and who lived according to the laws of the Scriptures were the prophets.

A man can spend his whole life searching for the meaning of life, trying to understand the innermost things, and trying to live according to different teachings, directions, maybe even some sects, but he will not find what he wanted to find and he will not do what the One he was searching for expects of him. And the other will simply trust in the Lord and obey His commandments, and he will be greater to God than the thousands who have searched all their lives.

No regrets

If a person has faith in God the Creator, the One, it is illogical to accuse such a person of unbelief or false faith or false religion. First, only God can see and judge whether a person believes or not. Second, that person may be better than you. Third, he may belong to any religious denomination because he was born into a certain society, certain traditions, and circumstances beyond his control that led him to this or that religion. Fourth, what is religion? It is not just complicity. It is, first of all, a way of life: intentions, thoughts, emotions, actions, and, finally, a connection with God. The mere fact of belonging to a religion doesn't fully reveal one's personality. One can be a Buddhist but live according to Islamic law, is such a person unrighteous? Fifth, if you are sure that this is the case, then as a believer you should first try to guide such a person in the right direction, but do not rush to judgment. Sixth, the commandments and laws of every Abrahamic religion say that you are not to exalt yourself above others. And that is exactly what a person who accuses someone of bad faith is doing. Why do many Muslims, Christians, and Jews do this? They think they are righteous, or more righteous than others, and so they tarnish themselves with sin. After all, as the Scriptures say, do not exalt yourself before anyone. In time, when such a person turns to God, he will realize that he has been acting arrogantly. Why should we not simply carry out the injunctions of the Holy Books? That would certainly be the right kind of faith.

It's even worse when people are arrogant toward their relatives. This happens for several reasons. One of them is being exposed to the influence of society. In such a case, regrets are inevitable.

Don't worry about what society thinks of you. Spend more time with your loved ones.

Imagine that when you talk to each other, it may be the last time you meet. This may be your last embrace. And then, all of a sudden, you pass away in a quarrel, in resentment, or pride. The reason for this haughtiness can be a perfect trifle. A deed not done in time. Therefore, you should live as if it were the last day of your life. Then there will be no place for pride and arrogance. It will not be difficult for you to say "Thank you." It will not be difficult for you to say, "I am sorry." You will have no desire to offend anyone, you will have no desire to laugh at anyone. You will just be happy.

Man begins all his actions with a thought. Our mind is given to us from above for this very purpose. Thinking leads to intending, and intending leads to feelings and emotions, which can be different for the same action. At this point, the mind intervenes to choose the emotion that suits it best. Simply put, it chooses between good and bad. Bad means harming the soul, and good means benefiting the soul. Often our flesh causes our mind to make bad choices in order to satisfy its earthly desires. Therefore, to do right, that is, for the benefit of our true self, for the benefit of our soul, it is necessary to control our mind in choosing the right emotion. This is called emotional control in life. It is easy when you remember that by making the wrong choices (anger, greed, lies, alcohol, lust, etc.) you are only harming yourself and only yourself.

On the road!

So, first of all, the realization of death, of leaving this life, gives one a clear vision of the truth of the existence of the Creator of all things, the Original Source.

The next step is the realization of the necessity to accept His Word — the Holy Scriptures.

Then, weighing the possible risks that may exist after this life, a person makes the most important choice — to have faith or not.

The best help in this decision is the remembrance of death. It gives rise to true faith based on piety.

This is followed by an understanding of the need to study and analyze all the books of the Holy Scriptures without exception. Belief in these books comes from recognizing the obvious fact that there is a Lord God. It is on this reality that the concept of the Scriptures is based. The holy texts give a real, clear realization that everything that is said in them is true.

Each of us has a choice to make from an infinite number of paths.

No one is forcing you to follow any one of them. The choice is yours. But remember that the present life is only an ordeal for which you'll have to answer.

Following this comes the acceptance of life from the perspective of the sacred texts.

The beginning of the true path is faith. Then it is the fear of God that produces the qualities that enable one to be righteous and wise. This, in turn, teaches you how to manage your own life.

To be pleasing to the Most High becomes the goal of man. This is the true purpose of life for every soul.

It is the beginning of ministry, the formation of a way of life. It is learning God's Word and using it to guide your life. Therefore, the most important thing is to live according to the laws of the Scriptures.

It is worth repeating once again that the law of the Lord God is undeniably the only true law. All the rest is vanity.

The only right way is the way of faith in the Primary Sourse, our Creator, the Lord God, and the way of observing His laws along with your earthly virtues according to your abilities for the benefit of mankind and the glory of God. It is the way of thinking with the cognition of the real, the true. The way that will bring an end to wars and suffering, the establishment of justice, and the reign of love. The way that will be the source of happiness for everyone in this world and the way to eternal Paradise life.

There is very little time left. Study the law of your Creator. Enforce it soon. And everything else you need for a happy life, both this life and the next, the Lord God will give you. Don't even doubt it.

I sincerely say that the purpose of creating this book was and is to make people happier, and to make the world spiritually cleaner and kinder, to please our Creator. That is my desire and that is my ultimate goal. I am absolutely convinced that the only way to make people happy is to guide them to follow the path that leads to pleasing the Most High!

If the Lord wills it and my book succeeds in leading at least one person to the only right way, then it is a success! This path can only be traveled with the Word of the Creator. This is the Guidance — the Holy Bible, and the Holy Qur'an.

I wish you all to follow this straight way! I wish you happiness and eternal true life in the one Holy Spirit! Be acceptable to the Lord God Most High, both by your deeds and by your repentance, and let Him forgive you.