Some Questions

[afafaff]

Peace be upon you.

Could you give some answer for the following questions:

1.
"Nor say of anything, "I shall be sure to do so and so tomorrow"-
Without adding, "So please Allah!" and call thy Lord to mind when thou forgettest, and say,
"I hope that my Lord will guide me ever closer (even) than this to the right road."" - 18:23-24, Yusuf Ali.

What does the above verses tell?

2. Can we pray as much as we want or is it better to pray as much as may be easy for us (73:20 - but I'm not really sure about it's meaning)?

[HOPE]

Peace,

18:23 And do not say about anything (you intend), "I will do it tomorrow,"
18:24 Without (adding) "If God wills." And remember and mention Him (straightaway) should you forget (to do so when expressing an intention for the future). And say: "I hope that my Lord will guide me to what is nearer to right conduct than this (forgetfulness of mine)."   Ali Ünal

Tomorrow is entirely in the hands of God.  All we have is the present.  Dwellers of the Cave as well as the Prophet Muhammad taking refuge in a cave without detection show testimony to God's will.

[afafaff]

Thanks. I thought that whenever I say something that I would do in the future, I've to add "If God wills" - but it sound wrong to me. 

Another question (nr. 3):
Will God's reward for the believers be infinite? I'm not talking about eternal heaven, but there is another separated group of believers who will be nearest God and they will be served much better than other group of believers (surah 56 - or did I misunderstand?). What about if a child dies? He/She had no chance to do good deeds, therefore no reward for their deeds.
I think it would be more just if hell and reward for our deeds (whatever it may be) were finite. Don't you agree?

[HOPE]

Salaam Haji,

I've to add "If God wills" - but it sound wrong to me

 
 You do not  know that you would be capable or even alive to accomplish it.

Surah 56 talks about three kinds of classification: people of the right, people of the left and the foremost in faith and virtue.

The universe will not be destructed but transformed into new forms of life and new levels of being.  Current forms will perish except His face 55:26-27
14:48 On the Day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens (also), they all appear before God, the One, the All-Overwhelming.
This is a new level of creation. 56:61 says replacing you by others like yourselves or changing your forms and re-creating you in forms that you know nothing of.

[afafaff]

Peace HOPE.

Of course. I meant that I thought it to be unnecessary to pronounce "if God wills" when I talk about future, because all knowledge is with God. Otherwise I don't know why you have to pronounce it if you accept that the knowledge of the future is with God.

Regarding question nr. 3:
So it is new creation, glory and honour which is only eternal rewards - right? And we will receive finite rewards for our good deeds (I found that there is special rewards for "strong believers")?

[HOPE]

Peace Haji,

I thought it to be unnecessary to pronounce "if God wills" when I talk about future, because all knowledge is with God.

Well, Quran says we are forgetful, what an excellent drill to remind the 'abd' Who the 'Master" is.  Same goes with 'Bismillah'.

So it is new creation, glory and honour which is only eternal rewards - right? And we will receive finite rewards for our good deeds

Al Baaqi is only the Creator and His capacity for new creation is never exhausted.  Eternal/ infinite are not characteristics of created entities.  They exist in one form or another as long as He wills; creatures cannot exist separate from God.

[afafaff]

Peace HOPE.

Before I start to eat I say: "Thank God for food" instead of "In the name of God" (Bismillah). It is the same thing.
Alright. I have read a Russian translation of the Quran and as I understood; it says to pronounce it when you are sure that it may won't happen in the future, that is to say do not promise about things which you are not certain without adding "If God wills". In the verse 22, surah 18, it says to not guess about things which you are not sure. In that case it is good to pronounce it; it is similar to say: "I'm not sure".
Check this:
"And do not say of anything: Surely I will do it tomorrow,
Unless Allah pleases; and remember your Lord when you forget and say:
Maybe my Lord will guide me to a nearer course to the right than this." - 18:23-24, Shakir.

What do you think? 

[HOPE]

Peace Haji,

18:22 is not talking about future events.  It is about not to speculate on things which we have no knowledge of.  In this instance we do not know the exact number of the cave dwellers.

18:23-24 is talking about future events that we have no control of.  No body knows what a new day will bring.  Again the advice is to remember God whenever we forget to do things on time and ask for His help and guidance to do better next time.

 Saying "if God wills" strange to you, then say "inshallah" as long as you know what it means

[afafaff]

Peace HOPE.

No, it is not strange to prounounce it; it is strange in certain circumstances. I hope you get the idéa.

Thanks for help HOPE.