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Articles of Faith New Muslims

Abraham & His Children: All Parts of the Same Structure

By Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro, The late Grand Mufti of Syria

At each stage of human history no group of people were left without divine instruction.

At each stage of human history no group of people were left without divine instruction.

“O People of Faith!” This address is a continuation of a long history of dialogue among the people of revealed religions. Allah has favored them with His solicitude and granted them guidance through the light of His remembrance, thus uniting them as members of one family and spreading through them all good and mercy.

Though there were prophets before Abraham, it was the will of Allah that the later generation of prophets be his offspring. For that reason, Abraham became the friend of Allah and a spiritual symbol around whom the people of faith flocked.

The great succession of these prophets after Abraham called for the message of Allah, each paving the way for the next one, in accordance with Allah’s divine decree. Thus, at each stage of human history no group of people were left without divine instruction.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained his mission in the following words:

“The comparison between me and the preceding prophets is similar to a group of people who took part in building a house and completed it but for an empty space for one block or brick. Onlookers admired it and said in astonishment, ‘What a beautiful mansion, if it were not for the place of the missing brick.’ I have been this brick and I am the last or the seal of the prophets.” (Al-Bukhari)

Muhammad then emphasized, “I am only one brick of it.”

In this analogy the Prophet does not refer to himself as the whole house but as a part of this structure of prophethood.

Thus, he draws the attention of his nation and the followers of previous prophets to the essential fact that the true glory of the people of faith can come only through cooperation and integration. As if to confirm this, Allah says in the Qur’an:

Verily, your community of religion is one community, and I am your Only Lord and Cherisher. Therefore serve Me (and no other). (Al-Anbiya’ 21:92)

Exemplars for Humanity

Islam does not identify itself with a single person or race, but rather with recognition of and submission to Allah. Thus, mere faith in Muhammad does not suffice. Islam demands belief in the great caravan of prophets, of which Abraham is the vanguard.

His offspring include Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). They are the teachers and examples to humanity, and their spiritual stations were assigned solely by Allah.

Thus, to attribute sinful behavior to any of them, which even ordinary people would be ashamed of committing, would be to question the wisdom of Allah in choosing such people. Hence, Islam emphatically maintains the high moral and ethical status of such men.

Furthermore, to deny or reject any of the prophets would be to abandon faith. Hence, preserving the integrity of prophethood and its lineage paves the way for cooperation of the people of faith. The Qur’an says:

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. (Al-Fatiha 1:2)

Allah does not identify Himself solely with the Muslims, the Arabs, or the Semitic tribes. He is the Lord of the Worlds. Therefore, whoever turns to Allah in love and worship understands that there are other people of faith with whom he has to cooperate in order to fulfill the objectives of Allah and abide by His commands. In this connection, Allah not only counsels humans about their good behavior toward others, but cautions them as well:

Say to My servants that they should say (only) those things that are best, for Satan sows dissensions among them, and Satan is to man an avowed enemy. (Al-Israa’  17:53)

Their Father

Muslim scholars of the Qur’an say that linguistically the name Abraham means “a compassionate father”. This corresponds with the meaning found in most of the Semitic languages at that time. There is undoubtedly a direct relationship between his name and the great message for which Abraham was chosen, namely his responsibility for the universal call to Allah.

For his part, Prophet Muhammad is ordered in the Qur’an:

Say, My Lord has guided me to a straight path, to an upright religion, to the Path of Abraham, the true in faith, who was no idolater. (Al-An`am 6:161)

It is very wise that the Children of Abraham should call each other to a mutual encounter. In so doing, it brings them together and creates mutual love and affection within their hearts. Together they form the majority of the earth’s inhabitants, and so the harmony caused by such a union creates the nucleus for global harmony.

The One Message/Belief

The Children of Abraham are joined by the belief in the Oneness of God. Although the direction faced in prayer may differ among Abrahamic religions, this remains but a physical demarcation. The essential direction of the heart remains one, the direction toward Allah.

The Qur’an says that Abraham, after destroying the stone idols of his people in Babylon, said:

For me, I have set my face firmly and truly toward Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah.  (Al-An`am 6:79)

This very same supplication is repeated by the Muslims each time they pray. They also acknowledge the two great commandments given in Matthew:

“Jesus said to him, you shall love your Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22, verses 37-40)

The Children of Abraham also believe in the same prophets, whose lives are examples to follow. The Qur’an stresses this when it says:

We sent you Inspiration to know Our will as We sent it to Noah and the Messengers after him. We sent Inspiration to Abraham, and Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob (Yakub) and the Tribes, to Jesus, Job (Ayub), Jonah (Yunus), Aaron (Haroun), and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. Of some Messengers We have already told you (and Moses was addressed directly), but there are others of whom We have not yet spoken. (An-Nisaa’ 4:163-164)

All Prophets

Also in the possession of the Children of Abraham are books given to them by Allah for the guidance of their people. These revealed books enjoin the same virtues and ban the same vices. The Qur’an says:

There is guidance and light in the Torah, which We have revealed. Following its standards, the Jews have been judged by the prophets, who bowed (as in Islam) to God’s Will, by the rabbis, and by the doctors of law. (Al-Ma’idah 5:44)

The Qur’an also says:

Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed in it. (Al-Ma’idah 5:47)

The children of Abraham hold various tenets in common: they believe in Allah and His angels, and in His books and messengers. They also believe in the Day of Judgment. The Qur’an says:

Those who believe (in the Qur’an), and those who follow the Jewish (Scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabeans, any who believe in Allah, and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord. They have nothing to fear or regret. (Al Baqarah 2:62)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           To be continued

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Source: islamic-study.org

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Categories
Divine Unity New Muslims

Prophetic Missions: Same Purpose & Shared Responsibilities (Part 2)

By Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro

The late Grand Mufti of Syria

Click here to read Part 1

origin-nature

Allah has made us kindred spirits under the banner of Abraham, shown us our various rites and rituals and guided us on the right path.

The Children of Abraham are joined together in one long historical struggle in defense of the Oneness of God and in their campaigns against corruption, vice, sinfulness, and all acts of injustice.

Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) fought long against the tyranny of Pharaoh, and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) against the evils of the Romans and the exploiters of religion. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also struggled against the malicious paganism of his time. They (peace be upon them) all emanate from one source and have the same goal.

Prophet Muhammad was always commanded to follow the example of Abraham and the line of prophets who were his descendants:

Therefore patiently persevere as did (all) messengers of inflexible purpose. (Al-Ahqaf 46:35)

And who are these Messengers but Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, Son of Mary. This brief outline of the common roots of the Abrahamic religions puts us face to face with contemporary issues.

Against Evil & Social Diseases

As you know, the world has witnessed two futile wars in which millions of people were killed. After this, the world faced the oppression of the cold war for forty years. After the recent demise of this atheistic philosophy, it left in its wake evil remnants that have poisoned the world.

Statistics tell us of widespread perversion, crimes, sinfulness, drug addiction, gambling, etc. Adultery, fornication, and homosexuality are forbidden by all revealed religions and, as such, incur the wrath of Allah. Homelessness is a social plague and the use of illegal drugs has become another plague, responsible for the spread of virulent contagious diseases that now may even threaten the possible extinction of human life on the planet. What have the children of Abraham done to combat such vices?

The real enemies of faith today are the vices left by the cold war and the spread of atheism. Religious stagnation and fanaticism also must take their share of the blame. The People of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an should launch fierce battles against the causes of all of these diseases which keep human beings from their proper relationship with their Creator.

Human history is full of numerous instances of religious wars that resulted from misunderstanding between peoples. Only with hindsight were the people of wisdom able to distinguish true and sincere causes from the maliciously ambitious designs of people who used religion as a screen for their evil ends.

If Moses were to meet Jesus, and if both of them were to meet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) it would undoubtedly be a meeting of dutiful brothers under the umbrella of their forefather, Abraham. Moses repeatedly brought glad tidings of the Savior to come after him, and Jesus of the Prophet to follow him.

Last Mission… Same Purpose

Finally, when Muhammad came, he confirmed the truth of all the prophetic missions before him with admirable love and compassion. If humanity were to reflect on and understand the missions of such men, it would cast off the diseases from which it suffers today. In addressing the Children of Abraham, the Qur’an urges them to unite in their efforts and cooperate, when it says:

Say (O Muslims), We believe in Allah and what is revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob and the Tribes, and what Moses and Jesus received, and what the other Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them, and we bow to Allah in adherence and submission. (Al-Baqarah 2:136)

O People of Faith, Allah has made us kindred spirits under the banner of Abraham. He has shown us our various rites and rituals and guided us on the right path. He has laid upon our shoulders the responsibility for human solidarity and social reform. He has urged us to exert our best efforts for the establishment of peace, compassion, and universal humanism, recognizing the essential spiritual nature of every person, as in the words of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him):

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God.” (Mathew 5:9)

I conclude with this verse from the Qur’an, in which Allah says:

Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good see it. And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it. (Az-Zalzalah 99:7,8)

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Source:The article is taken with kind permission from islamic-study.org.

 

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Categories
Divine Unity New Muslims

A God, A Place, and A Prophet

A God, A Place, and A Prophet

Abraham is the insistent, continuous expression of pure monotheism, of human consciousness’s adherence to the divine project through self-giving.

Islamic monotheism has always stood in continuity with the sacred history of prophethood. From the beginning, the One God sent humankind prophets and messengers entrusted with the message, the reminder of His presence, His commands, His love, and His hope.

From Adam, the first prophet, to Muhammad, the Last Messenger, Muslim tradition recognizes and identifies with the whole cycle of prophethood, ranging from the most famous messengers (Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus, etc.) to the lesser known, as well as others who remain unknown to us. The One has forever been accompanying us, His creation, from our beginnings to our end.

This is the very meaning of tawheed (the Oneness of God) and of the Qur’anic formula that refers to humankind’s destiny as well as to that of each individual: “To God we belong and to Him we return.”

A Lineage, a Place

Of all messengers, the most important figure in the Last Prophet’s lineage is undoubtedly Abraham (peace be upon him). There are many reasons for this, but from the outset, the Qur’an points to this particular link with Abraham through the insistent and continuous expression of pure monotheism, of human consciousness’s adherence to the divine project, of the heart’s access to His recognition and to His peace through self-giving.

This is the meaning of the word Islam, which is too often translated quickly by the mere idea of submission but which also contains the twofold meaning of “peace” and “wholehearted self-giving”.

Thus a Muslim is a human being who, throughout history-and even before the last Revelation-has wished attain God’s peace through the wholehearted gift of him- or herself to the Being. In this sense, Abraham was the deep and exemplary expression of the Muslim:

He (God) has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this (Revelation); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! (Al-Hajj 22:78)

In God’s Scriptures

Along with this recognition of the One, the figure of Abraham stands out most particularly among the line of prophets leading up to the Messenger of Islam for several other reasons.

The book of Genesis, like the Qur’an, relates the Story of Abraham’s servant Hagar, who gave birth to his first child, Ishmael, in his old age. (Genesis, 15:5 (Revised Standard Version)

Sarah, Abraham’s first wife, who in turn gave birth to Isaac, asked her husband to send away his servant and her child.

Abraham took Hagar and Ishmael away to a valley in the Arabian Peninsula called Bakkah, which Islamic tradition identifies as present-day Mecca.

The Islamic account, like Genesis, relates the questionings, suffering, and prayers of Abraham and Hagar, who were compelled to experience exile and separation. In both the Muslim and Judeo-Christian traditions, this trial is recounted with the certainty and intimate comfort that the parents and child were carrying out a command from God, who will protect and bless Abraham’s descendants born of Hagar. To Abraham’s invocations about his son, God answers in Genesis:

“As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him … and I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis, 17:20)

Then further on, when Hagar is helpless and without food and water:

“And God heard the voice of the child, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the child where he is. Arise, lift up the child, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” (Genesis, 21:17-19)

As for the Qur’an, it relates Abraham’s prayer:

“O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Your Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that they may give thanks. O our Lord! truly do know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or in heaven. Praise be to Allah, Who has granted unto me in old age Isma`il and Isaac: for truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer! (Ibrahim 14:37-39)

Great Nation

On a purely factual level, the Prophet Muhammad is a descendant of Ishmael’s children and is therefore part of that “great nation” announced by the Scriptures.

Abraham is hence his “father” in the primary sense, and Islamic tradition understands that the blessings of this father’s prayers extend to his descendant the Last Prophet as well as to the place where he left Hagar and Ishmael, where, a few years later, he was to undergo the terrible trial of his son’s sacrifice, and where he was finally to raise with him God’s sacred House (the Ka`bah). Qur’anic Revelation recounts:

And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: “I will make thee an Imam to the Nations.” He pleaded: “And also (Imams) from my offspring!” He answered: “But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers.” 

Remember We made the House a place of assembly for men and a place of safety; and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer; and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma`il, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).

And when Abraham prayed: My Lord! Make this a region of security and bestow upon its people fruits, such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day. (Al-Baqarah 2:124-126)

This is the millenary teaching of Islamic tradition: there is a God and a line of prophets whose central figure is Abraham, the archetype of the Muslim, the blood father of this lineage of Ishmael leading up to Muhammad.

Abraham and Ishmael sanctified this place in Bakkah (Mecca) by building God’s House (bayt Allah) with their own hands. And this is precisely where the last of God’s messengers to humankind was born: Muhammad ibn `Abdullah, who bore the message reminding people of the One, of the prophets, and of the sacred House. A God, a place, a prophet.

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The article is an excerpt from Dr. Tariq Ramadan’s book “In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad, Oxford University Press (2007).

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Categories
Divine Unity New Muslims

The Most Powerful Declaration Ever Devised

“There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” This simple statement is the most powerful declaration ever devised. For beyond the words themselves lies a powerful concept and a compelling ideology. Whole societies, cultures and empires have been elevated with its application, or ruined by its rejection.

cause of islam

This Declaration of Faith captures the essence of what Islam is all about: peaceful surrender to the will of the Divine.

And yet, away from grandiose movements and campaigns, the lone spiritual wanderer can attain to the highest levels of wisdom and insight, in the contemplation of its mysteries.

This Declaration of Faith, the Shahadah, captures the essence of what Islam is all about: peaceful surrender to the will of the Divine.

Same Message…Same Declaration

But Islam is not a new religion that began in the seventh century with a great Prophet. Islam is, rather, the latest declaration and installment of a Message brought by all the previous Prophets. The specific circumstances of the age and culture determined the structure of those teachings, but the basic declaration; the basic directive was always the same: surrender to the Universal Will and do what is morally right.

If, over the course of time, a people came to forget, ignore or change the teachings bequeathed by their Messenger, Allah, in His mercy, would renew His Message by sending fresh guidance. In this way, every age had access to divine precepts. Allah says:

Certainly, We have raised among every nation a Messenger who declared, ‘Serve Allah and shun false objects of worship.’ Thus were some guided by Allah, while ruin was justified on others. Travel over the earth and see what befell those who rejected their Messengers. (An-Nahl 16:36)

This process of revelation and correction went on unabated through human history. Some of the Messengers brought major revelations and scriptures, while most were teachers of wisdom and morality to their community or tribe.

Last Guidance

But at long last, after many thousands of years, humanity finally reached a point in its development when one final Messenger would be sufficient: when a last Prophet from Allah could deliver a way of life applicable to all. This last Prophet was Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Allah says concerning His last Messenger:

O followers of earlier revelation! Our Messenger has come to you bringing clarity after a break (in the chain) of Messengers. This, lest you might claim, ‘We never received any announcer of good news nor any Warner.’ Now you have received an announcer of good news and a Warner. And Allah has power over everything.  (Al-Ma’idah 5:19)

Muhammad (peace be upon Him) lived in the full blaze of history’s lamp. His life, deeds and teachings are well known and authenticated. He neither claimed to be a demigod nor did he put himself among the ranks of the angels. Instead, he insisted he was only a man among men chosen by the Creator for His service. Allah specifically instructed him on this point:

We sent Messengers before you, (Muhammad) and appointed for them spouses and children. It was never the place of a Messenger to bring a sign save when Allah allowed. For every age there is a scripture. (Ar-Ra`d 13:38)

From these verses it is evident that Islam was taught from the beginning of history, though it may have gone under different names and guises. It is also clear that Islam is not merely a set of rules and rituals, but a way of life (deen). The final, perfect form of this way is enshrined in God’s last Revelation. The rise and fall of previous nations is a testament to this truth.

declaration of faith

Islam is the latest Message brought by all the previous Prophets; surrender to the Universal Will, do what is morally right.

How many peoples have We destroyed which gave themselves to wrongdoing? They fell from their roofs! And how many wells lie idle and neglected, and castles high and strong also? Don’t they travel through the land so that their hearts may learn the wisdom (in all this) and that their ears may learn to hear? Truly it’s not their eyes that are blind, but the hearts within their chests! (Al-Hajj 22:45-46)

The scripture revealed to Muhammad, the Qur’an, contains directions for every important aspect of life. It also includes instruction in wisdom, ethics, philosophy, economics, politics as well as science.

Furthermore, the recorded deeds and sayings of the blessed Prophet provide us with additional, detailed information about the specifics of living life properly and peacefully. The requirements of our faith, however, are wider than our merely practicing it ourselves. Allah says in this regard:

There should be a number of you who actively call people to righteousness; who encourage goodness and forbid evil. These are the ones who shall prosper. (Aal `Imran 3:104)

Thus, we see that promoting good in society and forbidding wrong are also requirements of the faith. Allah makes it clear in other verses that only by following His Laws can true justice and order be established.

We must therefore give the call to those around us that they might desire to lead lives of goodness and faith. With this understanding in mind, how do we go about our task?

Allah, the Exalted, gives us direction saying:

Call people to the path of your Lord with wisdom and inspiring speech. Reason with them in a superior and respectful manner. Certainly, your Lord knows best who strays from His path and who is guided. (An-Nahl 16:125)

In Cause of Islam

The purpose of this manual is to equip the eager Muslim with the necessary information for calling others to Islam (an activity henceforth to be called Da`wah,) in North America. No Muslim is required to leave his or her job and family and shout on street comers.

All of us are capable of making our own small contributions in the cause of Islam. A small percentage of the work of one hundred is more effective than one hundred percent from one. So do not feel that Islamic da`wah is a daunting task best left to the “professionals”.

There are no priests in Islam, only a society of men and women united by the bonds of a potent ideology.

An important saying of the Prophet is that, if there are at least three Muslims in an area away from the Muslim community, then they must make one of them their leader. Many Islamic groups in North America seek to assist Muslims in this task by helping them to organize locally, while at the same time making them a part of the national and international Islamic movement. Branches and units of many of these activist organizations exist in nearly every major city of the U.S. and Canada and they work eagerly in the cause of Islam.

Upon completion of this manual, you may begin to become more interested in the Islamic movement and in inviting others to the path. You can look into getting involved with ISNA, MYNA, ICNA. MAS, CAIR or a local masjid, or you may promote an organization of your own creation. Any of these avenues may provide you with a channel to carry out this essential requirement of the faith.

Whether or not you become involved with an Islamic group, however, we hope that this manual influences you in the right direction and provides a solid foundation for all those involved in da’wah everywhere.

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Source: Da`wahskills.com

The article is an excerpt from the book  How to Tell Others About Islam, 1994- by Yahiya Emerick, a former President of the Islamic Foundation of North America, vice-principal at an Islamic school, and a Muslim author.

 

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