Belief and Kufr

What frames the perception of life we choose to take. Why am I, the way I am?
What goals do I set; dreams do I envision? What drives me; and keeps me up at
night?

Our conclusion about the day we will meet our Lord. A day when every ounce of bad
& every ounce of good will be weighed. A day that will come as certainly as the sun
will rise and winter will be chased by the spring. A day on which each soul will have
no excuse, respite or intercessor. Belief in that day is the paramount factor in the
determination of the choices we make. Our actions, words, & beliefs will all be
molded and guided by our answer, will we answer to God?

In the end there are only two religions.

Those who know, with absolute certainty, I will not only meet my creator, he will
place me on trial. "I gave you life, food, parents to raise you, education, a job and a
spouse. I gave you everything you could really need. And what did you do with it?
What did you do during your vacation on Earth? What did you do with my gifts?"

What will my answer be? On a day with no excuses, no justifications, no reasonings;

my record will be read to me. Or in fact I will be told "Read your book. You yourself
are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day."17:14 If I spent my fleeting life with
remembrance of this meeting, perhaps I will say “…Take, read my Record! Surely, I
did believe that I shall meet my Account!"69:19-20

Then there is everyone else. Those who do not believe, for any number of reasons.
We can choose to believe it is all nonsense. Or perhaps convince ourselves God
exists, but will not do that. His gifts are free. And being pious is of no value in
repayment to him. Or we just don't think it over; we're lazy. "Now" is all I choose to
consider.

Regardless why, we forget that "not a word does he utter, but there is a
watcher..."50:18 We believe our life has any number of purposes & meanings,
including none at all. But a short time during which the amount of good & harm we
create is examined & our gratefulness tested, is not one.
Whether we follow a particular set of practices & beliefs closely, loosely or create our
own rules along the way referenced for morality; only one fact is determinant. Will I
answer to my Lord? Do I remember this behind every word I speak and action I take.
Are the thoughts endlessly running through my mind guided by this pillar? "...be
patient until Allah judges between us, and He is the Best of judges."7:87

In the end, there are only two religions.

--Abdul Wahid’s commentary on Islamic Finance

"I realized that it was impossible to write about business dealings or indeed any
other type of relationships without first dealing with the values and the principles
which underpinned these relationships. At the heart of so many of these
relationships, for example, is the very basic question: to whom or to what is
responsibility ultimately due?"