I’m a good person. Why should I become religious? | Alireza Panahian

I’m a good person. Why should I become religious?

What is religion? Religion is NOT a program for doing good deeds and abandoning bad deeds. Religion is NOT a program for becoming good.

During the wartime, I used to go to physiotherapy. There was a doctor, who treated people there. His appearance wasn’t religious. But, he stayed in the afternoons and treated people for free. Later, I saw him studying the Qur’an. He said, “I like the Qur’an.” When he was doing physiotherapy on the patients, who were mostly soldiers, he would recite the Qur’an.

He asked, “Is there a dictionary I can use, because I don’t understand some of the words? But, I’m not a religious person!” He recited the Qur’an, liked reciting it and enjoyed it, but he was not religious. I said, “So why do you come here to treat people in the afternoons?” He replied, “To satisfy my conscience. I have become a doctor using the money of this country. I want to spend a part of my time working for free to calm my conscience.” I asked, “You just want to fly this much?”

He replied, “Yes, I don’t need religion. Religion wants to force me to do good deeds by promising me Heaven. I am doing this myself. In general, our family never lies.” Nice! Then, he asked, “Aren’t I a good person?” I replied, “You are a minimal person.” He asked, “Why?” I said, “You are just ready to accept religion now. Do you yourself accept this that you become satisfied with yourself, and then you die and finish?” He replied, “No, sometimes I think, ‘Why has God created us?’” I said, “See, being satisfied with yourself can’t be your goal.” Now that you have become satisfied, you can die! God is a witness; this way of thinking is very upsetting! This cannot be the goal.

What is religion? A program to reach God Himself, Himself, Himself, Himself, Himself, Himself! Religion is a program to reach to God. On the way, you should do good deeds too so that you may reach God, and you’ll become good too. These are not that important. Don’t become proud that you are a good person! Leave it. Put them aside and don’t look at them.

How much have you attached yourself to God, become close to Him and enjoyed? God, I want to reach to You Yourself. God, You Yourself are the answer to all my hidden and unspoken needs. Religion is NOT a program for doing good deeds and abandoning bad deeds. Religion is a program to reach to God. On the way, you should do good deeds too so that you may reach God, and you’ll become good too. I should reach to God Himself, attach myself to Him, see Him, look for Him, and enjoy Him. From God Himself, Himself, Himself, Himself, Himself, Himself.

God said, “I have created everything for you, and I have created you for Myself.” (Mashariqu Anwar al-Yaqin fi Asrari Amir al-Momenin, p. 238)

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