A LETTER TO MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS - THE LORD, OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE!

A LETTER TO MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS:

THE LORD, OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE!

In the name of ALLAH, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

As Salaamu alaikum! (May Peace be upon you!)

Most of the founders of the great religions, many of whom claimed to be prophets of GOD, only spoke about their respective (new) religion (or way of life), and did not criticize the other religions or scriptures. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had no choice because ALLAH did so in the Qur’an. Since he was to preach the teachings of the Qur’an, he had no choice but to engage the people of other religions, especially the Jews and Christians (the “People of the Book”).

Before I proceed, please let me affirm my commitment to respectful dialogues and discussions, guided by the Qur’an (16:125) to “Invite all to the Way of your LORD, with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and reason/discuss with them in the best and most gracious ways; for surely your LORD knows best who have strayed from HIS Path, and who have received guidance.”

However, I would still like to extend my apologies in advance if my views here and if my quoting some of the Qur’anic verses below are deemed inappropriate and may hurt some Christian readers. The purpose of this letter is to convey Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) message to my Christian friends, and the message may not be clear if the verses are omitted. Indeed some other verses are omitted and are best discussed only in a closed dialogue to avoid a contextual misunderstanding.

CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS ARE VERY CLOSE

The Qur’an reminds the Muslims that among humanity, the closest to them will be found from among the Christians:

"...and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say, 'We are Christians,' because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant" (5:82).

PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PEACE BE UPON HIM) ORDERED MUSLIMS TO HONOUR THE RIGHTS OF CHRISTIANS FOREVER

St. Catherine's Monastery is the world’s oldest monastery. It possesses a huge collection of Christian manuscripts, second only to the Vatican, and is a world heritage site. It has the oldest collection of Christian icons and is a treasure house of Christian history that has remained safe for 1,400 years under Muslim protection.

It is located at the foot of Mt.Sinai (also called St. Catherine’s Mountain by some Christians), which is the highest point in the Sinai peninsula. From the summit, it is possible to view the Red Sea and the distant mountains of mainland Egypt.

In 628CE (some records say 626CE), a delegation from St. Catherine's Monastery came to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to request his protection. By that time, much of the Arabian peninsula had already accepted Prophet Muhammad as the last Messenger of ALLAH and had embraced Islam.

He responded by granting the Christians the following charter of rights, written for posterity to witness:

"This is a message from [Prophet] Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.

“Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by ALLAH! I hold out against anything that displeases them.

“No compulsion [in religion] is to be on them.

“Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.

“No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.

“Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil ALLAH's covenant and disobey HIS Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

“No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.

“The Muslims are to fight for them.

“If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.

“Their Churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.

“No one of the nation (of Muslims) is to disobey this covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).”

The charter is eternal and universal.  It clearly protects all the rights of the Christians under Muslim rule, and indicates the manner of how the Muslims are to treat the Christians in other situations too.

The charter has been instrumental in the protection of the monastery, and as a means of ensuring peaceful and cooperative relations between Christians and Muslims in Sinai for centuries. The continuous existence of the monastery during fourteen centuries of Islamic rule is a sign of the respect given to this charter, and the principles of peace and cooperation that it enshrines.

 

SO WHAT WAS PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S MESSAGE TO THE CHRISTIANS?

While he taught that there should not be compulsion in religion (as enshrined in Qur’an 2:256); that we should respect each other’s religion, and agree to disagree (Qur’an 109:1-6); and that we should honour and protect each other’s rights (see charter above as an example), that does not mean our religions are the same and that the fundamental differences should be ignored. To those who care to listen, he has a message from ALLAH, the GOD of the Qur’an.

And the most crucial message to the Christians is this (Qur’an 112:1-4):

“Say (O Muhammad): HE is ALLAH, the One (and Only),

ALLAH, the Unique (Absolute),

HE does not beget, nor is HE begotten,

And there is nothing like HIM (in similitude)”.

This short chapter is a direct response to the Christian’s belief that GOD so loved us that HE sent HIS only “begotten” Son (Jesus) to die on the cross, and that whoever believes in Him (Jesus) shall have everlasting life (refer New Testament John 3:15-18, but some verses have been expunged in some Bible versions).

There are many other verses of the Qur’an which deny the divinity of Jesus and the Trinity (see below).

GOD IS ONE

The “Shema” is the declaration of belief in one GOD and is the affirmation of faith for Judaism, just as the “Shahadah” is the affirmation for Islam.

The Shema is attributed to Moses (Peace be upon him) who declared (Deuteronomy 6:4-5):

“Hear O Israel, the LORD our GOD, the LORD is One…” and then continued with “You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength”.

For Christians, this same declaration is confirmed by Jesus (Peace be upon him) in Mark 12:28-31. In fact Jesus (Peace be upon him) said that this is the most important commandment. The second is that we are to love our neighbours as ourselves.

And of course, for the Muslims, the Qur’an re-affirms that ALLAH is One (112:1 and other verses). Elsewhere in the Qur’an, ALLAH says : “So invoke the Name of your LORD and devote yourself to HIM completely” (Qur’an 73:8), in line with the Shema.

From Adam to Abraham to Moses to David and Solomon, until John the Baptist (Yahaya to us Muslims), the Prophets of GOD (Peace be upon them) only spoke of one GOD. They never mentioned anything about a Triune GOD, a concept which is never mentioned in the Old Testament, and only appeared later in Christian history. Although attributed to Jesus (Peace be upon him), the Apostles and the scholars that followed them, it was only confirmed and endorsed at the (First) Council of Nicea in 325CE.

I am not trying to teach my Christian friends who certainly know much more of the history and the theological arguments than I do, but I do have an important question – why didn’t any of the Prophets tell us the true nature of GOD if HE is indeed eternally Triune in nature? I have asked this question many times to my Christian friends, but have so far not got a satisfactory answer. I hope Christians reading this can provide me with one that I can comprehend (even though I may not agree).

To us Muslims, it is partly for this reason (to correct the misconceptions about HIS nature) that ALLAH sent down the Qur’an and HIS Last Messenger (Peace be upon him) to preach that Message.

So let us see what ALLAH says about HIMSELF in the Qur’an.

The GOD of the Qur’an (ALLAH) meticulously defines who HE is and who HE is not, and only then commands us to love HIM to the utmost. Otherwise that intense love may be misplaced.

The GOD of the Qur’an defines HIMSELF as “One” in many instances, and that HE has no associates or partners (in verse 3:64 and many other verses), and does not beget or was begotten (Qur’an 112:3 and at least 12 other verses). HE directly rebuts the Christian concept of a Triune (three-in-one) GOD in many verses, and rejects the notion that Jesus (Peace be upon him) is HIS divine Son:

“O People of The Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: nor say of ALLAH anything but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of ALLAH, and HIS Word, which HE bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from HIM: so believe in ALLAH and HIS Messengers. Say not ‘Trinity’: desist: it will be better for you: for ALLAH is (the only) one GOD: Glory be to HIM: (far exalted is HE) above having a son. To HIM belong all things in heaven and on earth. And enough is ALLAH as a Disposer of affairs” (Qur’an 4:171)

The Christian concept of Trinity is that these three - the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit - are the one God, equal in substance, power and glory.




If that is so, why did Jesus cry out these words when he was nailed to the cross to die?:

"My GOD, My GOD, why have You forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34).

THE BIBLE CONFIRMS THAT JESUS IS A SERVANT OF GOD:

According to the Qur’an, all human beings, including Prophets and Messengers, are mere servants of ALLAH.

Let us see what the Bible says about Jesus.

Peter said: “God raised up his servant...” (Acts 3:26). The title servant refers to Jesus (Peace be upon him). This is clear from a previous passage where Peter declared: “The GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the GOD of our fathers, has glorified HIS servant Jesus.” (Acts 3:13).

The Bible also confirms that Jesus (Peace be upon him) is a man who could do miracles only by GOD’s Will:

Peter stood up with the eleven Apostles and addressed the crowd saying: “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by GOD to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which GOD did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” (Acts 2:22).

And Jesus (Peace be upon him) said : “I can of myself do nothing…” (John 5:30)

Further, in John 8:28, Jesus (Peace be upon him) said that he is "...the son of man..and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father has taught me..".

Which is why the Qur’an is explicit in rejecting the divinity of Jesus (Peace be upon him); and that he is one of the Trinity of godhood:

“They do blaspheme who say: ALLAH is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One GOD”. (Qur’an 5:73)

So my burning question to my Christian friends is this – what did Jesus (Peace be upon him) mean when he said:

“The LORD, our  GOD, the LORD is One”?

I would understand that he meant this - that the LORD is also his GOD (and mine and yours), and that our GOD is One (not three-in-one), just as Moses meant when he uttered the same words.

  

THE MESSAGE OF THE QUR’AN TO CHRISTIANS

“Say: O People of the Book! Come to a common word between us and you:

that we shall worship none but ALLAH,

and that we shall ascribe no partners unto HIM,

and that none of us shall take others for lords besides ALLAH.

And if they turn away, then say:

Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto HIM).” (Qur’an 3:64)

In the Muslim context, the One, Unity GOD of the Qur’an, who has determined that Jesus (Peace be upon him) is neither HIS partner nor HIS Son, is telling Jews and Christians not to take Jesus (or any of the Prophets, Peace be upon them, or anyone else ) to be their LORD, GOD, or HIS divine partner or Son. And if they do, then they have not surrendered to the real GOD, but to this false god(s) instead.

I don’t know how else to say this, without wanting to sound insulting, arrogant or disrespectful. Once again, please forgive me. The message of 3:64 must be clearly explained. It was revealed to convey this message – that the Oneness of GOD is absolute, and must be fully understood.

I have deliberately referred to the author of the Qur’an as “GOD of the Qur’an”, bearing in mind that anyone is free to reject the Qur’an’s validity, authority and authenticity. For us Muslims, there is no other god but HE (ALLAH).

I believe the real message of Qur’an 3:64 is that the object of our love (in this case, GOD), must not be misplaced. It is a reminder to Muslims and Christians (and Jews), since we claim to be the inheritors of the same religion of Abraham to Moses to all the great prophets (Peace be upon them) mentioned in the Bible and Qur’an, that our LORD, our GOD, is not only one in number, but also we share the same, one, common GOD. How can it not be so when this Universe has only one Creator and Master!

There may be other religions which also worship only one god who is apparently totally different from the one we worship (ie. a non-existent or false god in our context). Thus the main thrust of Qur’an 3:64 is not just that our GOD is One. It is also that our GOD is the same one. And that we should not ascribe partners to HIM. That is the GOD we should love with all our hearts and all our souls and all our minds and all our strength.

However, we have irreconcilable differences in trying to agree that we share the same one GOD, because among others, the GOD of the Qur’an, who claims also to be the GOD of the Jews and Christians (People of The Book), describes HIMSELF as being One without partners or associates, whereas the Christians describe HIM as a Triune (three-in-one) GOD made of three co-equal “persons”.

That is why ALLAH sent Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to remind us all to re-assess our beliefs. No compulsion. No inducements. No hidden motives. Just reflect on what Moses and Jesus said (in the Bible) and what the Qur’an said about the Oneness of GOD. Then decide for yourself if they actually mean the same thing.

In a different way, there is a lesson to learn from the religious extremists and terrorists whose love for GOD is proven by their willingness to die for HIM. We cannot match their zeal. Unfortunately their misunderstanding and misconception about what it means to love and serve GOD to the utmost have caused them to harm and kill their fellow human beings instead, in direct defiance of GOD’s command for us to love one another. Right action can only ensue from right understanding. Likewise, we need the correct understanding of what GOD means when HE says HE is One. Since this is the most important commandment (according to both Jesus and Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon them), it deserves much scrutiny.

MUSLIMS FOLLOW JESUS MORE FAITHFULLY THAN CHRISTIANS

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) claimed that he is a brother prophet to Jesus (Isa, PBUH) and all the preceeding prophets from Adam to John The Baptist, sent to preach the Oneness of GOD and the need to know, love and obey HIM. According to Muhammad, (PBUH), the theology the prophets taught were consistent (strict monotheism) and any differences we see between our religions now are due to additions and interpolations in the scriptures by the hands of man.

The Laws and the instructions on Life (Shariat in Arabic) are slightly different for each prophet and his people. However, the instructions for the followers of Jesus/Isa (PBUH) were very close to that given for the followers of Muhammad (PBUH) as the latter came just less than 550 years later.

There are many Muslim practices that were practised by Jesus (PBUH), as confirmed by Christian records, that are not practised by modern-day Christians anymore. A careful scrutiny of the life of Jesus (PBUH) will reveal that Muslims follow his belief, teachings and lifestyle more than present-day Christians.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also claimed that among men, he was the closest to Jesus (PBUH).

Let us compare what Jesus (PBUH) taught and what Christians believe:

AN INVITATION TO DIALOGUE

I am sure many Christians would like to respond and rebut my arguments above, which I happily welcome in the spirit of brotherly love – as co-travelers in the journey towards The Truth.

Yes, many debates and dialogues over this issue have been held in the past, and are being held all over the world where we co-exist. Here is a warning though - it will require either party to “abandon” his or her religion to accept the opposing version (since the two are irreconcilable ie. GOD is Trinity vs. Trinity is blasphemy). I believe that the Theosophists are right when they say that “Truth is higher than Religion”. So be it.

Some may question the necessity of such dialogues, if so many have tried, and no agreement has been achieved. I believe new dialogue partners may yet give new angles and new perspectives to solving the conundrum. A deeper understanding of each other’s basis for sticking firmly to Unity or Trinity can even strengthen our mutual respect – assuming we already start with much of that.

As a Muslim, I am duty-bound to continue to share and spread the Prophet’s message with the hope that more and more people understand the wise and beautiful teachings of Islam. This should remove or reduce the prejudices against and misconceptions about this Religion of Peace. Those who accept the teachings are most welcome to embrace the religion, but there is certainly no coercion, compulsion, subversion or worldly inducement to do so. You are welcome to Islam only if you understand and sincerely believe.

While the Qur’an declares that the only religion (way of life) approved by ALLAH is Islam (3:19), it also recognizes the goodness of other religions and their followers:

"Surely those who believe (in GOD), and the Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians - whoever believes in ALLAH and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their LORD. And there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve" (2:62, 5:69, and many other verses).

Even if we respectfully agree to disagree on our understanding of the Oneness of GOD, we can certainly agree on these two commandments – to love HIM completely (no matter how differently we perceive HIM to be); and to love one another (regardless of our faiths).

I know GOD wants me to love and respect my friends of all religions (and even those with no religion). And I welcome respectful dialogue with all.

Respectful comments and rebuttals are welcome here. For respectful dialogues personally with me, please message me at +60178713000 (WhatsApp)

Salam/Peace.

DR AMIR FARID ISAHAK