It is impossible.

[Shahrukh K]

Do understand that you cannot ask a valid question about yourself, because you do not know whom you are asking about. In the question "Who am I?"‟ the "I"‟ is not known and the question can be worded as: “I do not know what I mean by "I"‟” So, you see, it is not possible to solve this question of how to talk about the (apparent) duality in Unity. 
What you are, you must find out. Scriptures can only tell you what you are not. You are not of the world, you are not even in the world. The world is not, you alone are. You create the world in your imagination like a dream. As you cannot separate the dream from yourself, so you cannot have an outer world independent of yourself. You are independent, not the world. You need not know "why and how"‟,there is no end to questions. 
Life is a dream imposed on us by powers we do not know, for purposes we cannot grasp.
All Efforts for liberation from this ignorance or to go beyond this dream is also part of the dream.

It is impossible to know "who am i" 

[Shahrukh K]

It is impossible to know "who am i" with your efforts, it will come to you effortlessly.
So whatever you do in the direction to know "who am i" , the pursuit or search for truth or reality, takes you away from your own very natural state, in which you always are. It's not something you can acquire, attain or accomplish as a result of your effort, because it is `acausal'. It has no cause, but somehow it will come to you in this life or another. 

So stop trying......

[Maisam Haider]

On 9/1/2021 at 9:25 PM, Shahrukh K said:

Life is a dream imposed on us by powers we do not know, for purposes we cannot grasp.

"People are asleep, they will wake up when their eyes will open...and the eyes open when they get shut." Imam Ali (عليه السلام) - not verbatim (not exact words). 

[Shahrukh K]

Who am I?

Am I my name?
No, of course not! I could have any number of names, and yet I my Self would not be changed on that account. 

Am I this hulk of a body that sits here? 
No. I am an awareness not merely an inert mass of bones and flesh. Over the years, this body has changed, and become different in appearance from what it once was, but I that which "I am" has never changed. And when, one day, this body falls away, and decays in the earth, I shall not be in the least bit affected by these events. It would be foolish to think so.

Am I, then, this mind—this bundle of thoughts, desires, past memories, and peculiarities that makes up my individuality, my Nafs? 
No. I cannot be this fluctuating mind, this kaleidoscope of thoughts, impressions, and images. For I am the one who watches this display, this subtle show, from within. I am the Witness, the Judge, and the Critic, on whose screen these thoughts and images are projected for my viewing. They arise from me, like bubbles rising out of the ocean, or like clouds forming in the sky. They are evanescent; they quickly change and pass away, but I, like the deep ocean or the clear sky, remain pure and unchanged by their passing.

Then who am i ?

I do not know.

[313_Waiter]

2 hours ago, Shahrukh K said:

Am I, then, this mind—this bundle of thoughts, desires, past memories, and peculiarities that makes up my individuality, my Nafs?

I agree with what you’re saying. But it’s difficult to convince materialists (the religion of the atheist scientismists) who say the brain “produces” this “I”ness (consciousness). Whilst there appears to be an apparent cessation of bodily function when the brain shuts off, this is not evidence that the brain produces consciousness. As Rupert Spira says, there has been no consciousness-independent experience, thus it feels more correct to say that consciousness produces (what we call) “the brain”, or that “the brain” is a localisation of consciousness. It feels more dogmatic to say that the brain produces the only thing that has been experienced (consciousness).

 

[Dave follower of The Way]

I'm sorry I don't understand the point of this kind of circular logic.  Maybe it isn't even logic - to me it just seems like hot air.

Who am I?

Maybe the question is hard for me to answer if I see myself in isolation.  But I am called by a name and given an idenity by an external being.  By the being who is all knowing and who created me.  For this reason I can live in confidence that I am valuable and special to the almighty creator of the universe.  What a privilage - how affirming.  This gives meaning and direction and confidence in life.

Who am I?

I am a Child of God

I am a member of God's Kingdom

I am a friend of the Almighty

I am a sinner saved by grace

[Shahrukh K]

We did not come here to eat, sleep, reproduce, indulge in desire, and then die. 
I am here to attain the status of Adam (or state of paradise) where i simply watch the world, not indulge in it. Become a witness only and see how the world/body with which i associated myself earlier is eating sleeping walking earning its livelihood etc. and praise Allah the aleem, the hakim.   
But As long as (i think) i try to attain this i suffer, the day when i stop trying (i know that all the acts of body are not mine) all my suffering ends. But you cannot attain this state without the will of Allah.
Only thing "i"can do is to force my nafs to remember (this is freewill)
"i am not this body, but i am" 
I am not my efforts, but i am
I am not what i gain, but i am 
I am not my success,but i am
I am not my failures, but i am
I am not my feelings, but i am
I am not what i lost, but i am.  etc.
After "all else" has been negated, real (i am) remains.
So live this life as it comes to you or as per the will of Allah and wait for the moment when you stop trying because every event has its own time.

[layman]

Salam,

Who am I?

We are not static, we evolve based on time.  We have origin and we will return to the origin.

Our origin is from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) and each one of us is given Ruh.  The Ruh is pure.

Descended to this world, the Ruh are imbedded with nafs (souls) and given a body.  We have to ensure our nafs are constantly clean so we won't oppress our Nafs.  If we lack or slack, make repentant.

When we die, the Ruh and Nafs are removed from the body.  In the Barzakh, and hereafter our Nafs are judged and cleaned.  The after the cleaning process, our Nafs unite with the Ruh as one Pure entity.  Only Pure Ruh will enter Heaven (Pure place).

Then our Ruh will be returning to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) in a journey that will last as long as Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) will it.

 

Who am I?  We should know the state that where and what we are now.   If we are loss, then follow Ahlulbayt (عليه السلام).  Stick to them spiritually and follow their sunnah physically.  Ahlulbayt and Quran are not separated.  If we believe in Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) and His Words (Quran), then we and Ahlulbayt should not separate.  Otherwise, we will go astray.  Then we will not know who we are!  Hopefully.

Wallahualam.

[313_Waiter]

6 hours ago, Shahrukh K said:

I am not this body, but i am"

The body doesn’t seem completely separate to the  “I am”

[Shahrukh K]

On 9/16/2021 at 2:09 PM, layman said:

We are not static, we evolve based on time. 

Salam brother layman,

What do you mean by we are not static ?

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Shahrukh K

[layman]

On 9/19/2021 at 4:34 AM, Shahrukh K said:

Salam brother layman,

What do you mean by we are not static ?

Alaikum salam Bro,

We are on a journey from Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) and returning toward Him.  Once we all are created in the realm before we come to this world, we are separated from Him (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى), and by nature we yearn to return back to Him. During the journey to return, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) make us to live in this world.  Then we will in barzakh and then in hereafter where all of humans gather in huge gathering before going to heaven or hell. 

The journey doesn't stop there.  In the hell, the unclean souls will taste different types of punishment on continuous basis according to different types of sins and to the exact measure.  Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) has infinite types of punishment.

While the heaven, life keeps changing and always new blessings will appear.  Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) has infinite types of blessings to all pure souls.

Whatever type of technology and advancement we see in the today, will be nothing compared to technology and advancement in heaven.  So so sophisticated. Everything is excitement.  Interstellar travel between galaxies is not longer bound by space and time.  Everything is new on continuous basis and the souls will increase in purity as the journey in heaven continues toward Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى).

That is what I mean we are not static...

THIS WORLD IS like pressure cooker to all of us. Everything is limited.

The only thing that is not limited in this world is HOPE in Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى).

Wallahualam.

[Shahrukh K]

On 9/16/2021 at 6:15 PM, 313_Waiter said:

The body doesn’t seem completely separate to the  “I am”

In the statement "i am the body"
Body is existence which is dependent on "i am"
This thread talking about "i am" 
It is the "i am", which lies beyond existence and non existence and totally independent of body.
"I am" limits itself when it identifies itself with the body.

In this thought ‘I am the body’ there are two components, 
one is ‘the body’, the other is the ‘I’ (or ‘I am’). The body 
is something that appears and disappears. It keeps changing 
all the time and is dependant on outside materials such as 
food. 
The characteristics of the ‘I’ (or ‘I am’) are directly 
opposite to the component ‘the body’. The ‘I am’ exists all 
the time in all the states. 
That which truly exists, must exist all the time, which is not 
so for ‘the body’ therefore it cannot be real.  
Thus the ‘I’ (or ‘I am’) is real and ‘the body’ unreal and 
thus these two when joined together cannot constitute a real 
entity. How can day and night or light and darkness exist 
together? If one is there the other is not, in the same way no 
entity comprising of ‘I’ (or ‘I am’) and ‘the body’ exists. 
Therefore the ‘I am the body’ thought is itself false.

[Guest Fool]

On 9/12/2021 at 2:37 PM, Shahrukh K said:

Then who am i ?

I do not know.

You are you. The one writing all this. The one who is thinking what to write. The one who is trying to convey what is in your mind and the one who knows what is in your mind. 

[Dave follower of The Way]

On 9/16/2021 at 7:35 AM, Shahrukh K said:

But As long as (i think) i try to attain this i suffer, the day when i stop trying (i know that all the acts of body are not mine) all my suffering ends.

This sounds very Buddhist to me - we suffer because we desire.  Stop desiring and you will not suffer.

This is not a attitude God calls us to.  God has given us minds to think, hearts to love, brains to discover and emotions to feal.

If God has given us these things doesn't he want us to use them?  When we use them we enjoy the wonderful world God has put us in and we find our fulfilment and true idenity in knowing God.

Without knowing God and being in contact with him daily through his Spirit living in us, we will question our idenity, we will wonder who we are.  Why, because we are not in contact with the source of life and meaning.

[Shahrukh K]

On 9/26/2021 at 10:26 PM, Dave follower of The Way said:

This sounds very Buddhist to me

Is there anything wrong with Buddhism ?

On 9/26/2021 at 10:26 PM, Dave follower of The Way said:

we suffer because we desire.  Stop desiring and you will not suffer.

I am a seeker of truth. I am talking only what is in Quran.

On the path to the One, our desire for anything other than God points to a hellish reality, 
while our yearning to know God leads us to a heavenly paradigm. In fact, if we each 
resisted desire, paradise would be our shelter (Quran 79:40-41). 
Yet we cling to our obsessions, we remain hypnotized by the lower self. Even while we 
acknowledge the reality of God through acts of worship, we find it hard to let go of our 
attachments or addictions.

And what does Allah say regarding those who are slaves to desires in 
the Noble Quran?
Consider the one who has taken his own desire as a deity, whom God allows to stray in the face of knowledge, sealing his ears and heart and covering his eyes who can guide such a person after God ? (Quran 45:23)

[Shahrukh K]

On 9/26/2021 at 10:26 PM, Dave follower of The Way said:

This is not a attitude God calls us to.  God has given us minds to think, hearts to love, brains to discover and emotions to feal.

If God has given us these things doesn't he want us to use them?  When we use them we enjoy the wonderful world God has put us in and we find our fulfilment and true idenity in knowing God.

Through self-forgetfulness, the idea ‘I am the body’ has appeared on you and you have slipped from your true state which is all bliss and fear-free. Realize this error and know that ‘I am not the body’ and be free from the miseries of birth and death. 

All the things that the worthless senses (mind,heart,emotions etc.) bring to you due to the deluded ‘I am the body’ idea are an obstacle to the  experience of the Self, spurn them and eradicate them forever.
You must have the firm conviction that ‘I am not the body’, it is due to the ‘I am the body’ ignorance that you believe that you exist apart from God and also have that strong ‘I am the doer’ feeling.

[Dave follower of The Way]

On 10/1/2021 at 3:47 PM, Shahrukh K said:

And what does Allah say regarding those who are slaves to desires

Hi do you have a desire?

My desire is to know God better and better.  As I know God more I enjoy and appriciate his creation and and the wonder of living in his world.

On 10/1/2021 at 4:00 PM, Shahrukh K said:

‘I am the body’ idea are an obstacle to the  experience of the Self,

God made people with a body and pronounced them good.  The body is a bueatiful part of God'd creation to be enjoyed in the context of walking with God.  As a Follower of Jesus the Messiah I look at him and see God coming in flesh and in so doing God confirms that the body is good and real and to be enjoyed.

The body is only an obstical if we satisfy its desires without reference to God.