Spiritual Healing (Rūḥanī Shifā) in South Asia

December 2, 2010

I am back in South Asia researching how Muslims respond to illness and the need for healing. Part of my research includes how Muslims view the miracles that Jesus (as) performed by Allah’s (swt) leave. Do some Muslims pray in Jesus’ (as) name? Are they willing to receive prayer if a Christian prays in his name? What are some of the misunderstandings that Christians and Muslims have held about praying in Jesus’ (as) name? These are some of the questions I’ll be investigating and will be sure to post some of the answers I discover.

Often in interfaith dialogue, Christians use the miracles and healings of Jesus (as) as evidence that he is more than just a prophet, but that this is conclusive evidence that he is in some way divine.

From the Muslim perspective, usually the miracles of Jesus (as) are not discounted, but rather are understood in light of God’s permission given to Jesus (as) to perform them.  It in actuality is not Jesus (as), but God acting through Jesus (as) that is bringing healing and other supernatural occurrences.  Often Muslims can be found rejecting prayers offered in Jesus’ name because of the response and beliefs that Christians hold, and the concern that by praying in Jesus’ name, is the pray-er in some way acknowledging a partner in heaven with God?

So far all I’ve given is examples of how Christians and Muslims have viewed this issue, but what do our Holy Books say about Spiritual Healing?

In this series, we’ll be looking at various Islamic and Christian topics regarding intercession, healing and miracles, and how we can better dialogue about these issues among Muslims and Christians.

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From Heaven to Earth

July 9, 2010

What is the purpose of Muslim and Christian friendship?  If we both believe in an eternity of paradise for true believers and an eternity of punishment for unbelievers, then isn’t each of our perspectives on this issue one of the most important things we seek to communicate with each other?  I welcome Muslims to respond.  I hope others don’t mind if I share my own convictions.  But I do welcome dialogue on the matter.  Might we even ask God together if He would clarify right now these questions so that all those who seek Him would find Him?

God, right now we ask for clarity, Your clarity on who You are and what You have done for us, humanity.  Would you open our eyes to see as You see.  May we know You and may we find favor with You.  May You receive us as those who are faithful and righteous in Your eyes.  Ameen!

Prophet Adam and Eve/Hawa

From my understanding of the Torat, Zabbur, and Injeel, God’s plan begins almost as soon as His creation is complete.  After Adam (as) and Eve listen to Satan’s lies and turn from God, they are covered in shame.  Only God is able to cover their shame even as they try to cover it themselves with leaves.  But God provides them with Garments of Righteousness.  These Garments cover them adequately and they are restored.

Prophet Noah/Nuh

Prophet Noah/Nuh (as) lives during a time of great wickedness on the earth.  God gives Noah (as) a sign, the Ark.  Noah (as) builds it, then he and his family enter it and are saved from the flood.  Except of course for Noah’s (as) son who tries to save himself by climbing a mountain.  In the end, only God’s provision saves, not Man’s attempt to save himself.

Prophet Abraham/Ibrahim

Prophet Abraham (as) is about to sacrifice his son in obedience to God when God stops him and provides a ram as a substitute, this ram or goat is called a Momentous Sacrifice in the Qur’an.  Again, God provides salvation, not Man.

Prophet Moses/Musa

Prophet Moses (as) is given a series of Signs to show Pharaoh that he needs to listen to God and let the Jews leave for the land God is leading them to.  It’s only upon Moses (as) showing Pharaoh the final sign, called the Great Sign, that Pharaoh finally agrees to let them go.  This Sign was that each Jewish family was to sacrifice an unblemished lamb or goat and spread its blood on their doorposts, then that night an Angel (farishta) of God was to come and slay all firstborn sons of those who did not have the Sign on their doorposts.  All of the Egyptians’ firstborn sons were slain, including the Pharaoh’s.  This is the Great Sign that leads Pharaoh to finally capitulate and let the Jews leave.

Prophet Jonah/Yunus

Prophet Jonah (as) at first did not obey God’s command to go to Assyria and preach to them to repent from their evil ways.  So, God sends a whale that swallows Jonah (as).  Jonah (as) is in this whale for 3 days and 3 nights before he repents and God then sends him on his way to Assyria.

Prophet Jesus/Isa (as)

Prophet Jonah (as) is referred to by Prophet Jesus (as) in the Injeel.  Some Jews who don’t believe in Jesus (as) come to him and ask him for a Sign.  Jesus (as) says that he will only give them the Sign of Jonah (as).  What does he mean?

Did you know that Jesus’ title in arabic is al-Masih?  Does anyone know what Masih means?  It means annointed or smeared.  In Jewish understanding, the king is to be anointed with oil as a sign of God’s favor and choice.  Jesus (as) was suppose to be the last of the Jewish kings, but what happens?  In a Jewish plot, he is framed, and then the Romans, not the Jews crucify him.  Remember, that if it was the Jews that had done it they would have stoned Jesus.  Stoning was the Jewish form of capital punishment in these days.  Crucifixion was a Roman form of capital punishment.

After Jesus’ death, he was placed in the belly of the tomb for 3 days and 3 nights before raising from the dead where he appeared to many of his disciples/hawariyun, then God took him up until the Day of Judgment when he will return as king and bring the world unto submission to God.

Jesus (as) is also called a Sign in the Qur’an.  It is my conviction that this is God’s provision for humanity to find favor with Him.  Jesus (as) lived a sinless life and it is his righteousness not our own which God sees if we receive by faith God’s provision of salvation.  On Judgment Day, God will see Jesus’ righteousness on my life, not my own because I’ve received God’s provision for me.  This means I don’t have to work for God’s love, He gives it because of my faith in Him and His provision of Jesus (as) as the ultimate Qurban.

This provision doesn’t mean I am allowed to continue to do wrong.  Absolutely not.  Actually, because salvation is given by faith instead of through works (sawab), I am inwardly compelled to live righteously because of God’s love and favor that He has given me.  It’s almost too unbelievable to be true!  But it is.  And once a person accepts this provision, something happens in the heart and mind.  God actually gives us His mind and His heart so that it actually takes work and effort to do wrong.  There is power and experience to live rightly in the world today.  I am now ruled by a higher power than fear of punishment, I’m now ruled by a loving relationship between God and myself.  This is offered to Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, you name it!

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Could Nabi Isa(as) Be A Missing Factor in Muslim & Christian Expressions of Faith?

May 22, 2010

“Christ, as the ultimate standard of reference, is the crisis of all religions, of the non-Christian religions and of empirical Christianity too. This implies that the most fruitful and legitimate way to analyze and evaluate all religions is to investigate them in the light of the revelation of Christ.”

This was spoken by Hendrik Kraemer who formerly studied Islam at al-Azhar University in Cairo.

I’m curious what others think of this statement, it took me off-guard, but after sitting with it for awhile, it hit me that this is a pretty profound statement coming from a Christian.

What I got from the author is that Isa al-Masih (as) and his teaching in the Injeel stands in judgment toward all religions, including Islam and Christianity. But, not only in judgment, but also offers hope to Muslims and Christians. If Isa (as) was to be present today, what abuses, evils, and hypocrisy would he confront in both of these international faiths? And, what solutions would he propose?

I would rather pose the question to my Muslim friends and see what they have to say about their own expression of faith, while stating what I think Jesus (as) might judge as well as offer those within Western Christian faith.

I think for one, he would confront the materialism and consumerism that is so rampant within the Western world. I think he would challenge the religious spirit that is within many expressions of Christianity, but a religious spirit that is lacking in true submission to God and His Kingdom (deen). Some examples of this might be how we claim to be going to heaven and to have favor from God by His grace, but yet we don’t do anything to bring those heavenly realities to a hurting and broken world.

We rather stand on the sidelines, waiting for the world to end, maybe even throwing a few stones while we watch. I remember reading Gandhi ji’s statement that he loves Jesus (as) and his teachings, he just has a problem with many of Jesus’ (as) so-called followers.

But, Jesus(as) also has much to offer. There is an amazing, unbelievable love that God has for those He has created. Each person has a unique destiny that He has designed for them if they’d only receive the identity that He has for them. Jesus(as) and his teaching in the Injeel reveal many aspects of this plan from God.

I’d be curious to hear what others have to say, both Christians and Muslims. All for now.

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September 20, 2009 The Last Day of Ramadan in India

September 20, 2009

September 20, 2009

More on God’s Signs

Did you know that there are 240 references to God’s Signs (capitalized) in the English meaning of the Qur’an Sharif (translated by Yusuf Ali)*? I then looked up the word “partners” and found 64 references in the Qur’an Sharif. I found it interesting that in many of my discussions with Muslims if the topic of Hell comes up, the command to not adds partners to Allah (swt) is mentioned.

Yet, from my readings this past month, it seems to me an equal if not greater warning is found in those who reject God’s Signs. Number alone, if you compare 240 references to God’s Signs to 64 references to adding partners to Allah (swt), it seems that the Signs are an important topic to consider.

I have also grown more sensitive to references to God’s Signs found in the earlier Holy Books. Today I was reading in the Injeel Sharif and came across two very interesting references to God’s Signs. Jesus (as) healed a man born blind on a day that Jews are not to do any work (the Sabbath). As a result, the religious rulers (Shariat Musa) come and interrogate the healed man. They begin to accuse Jesus of being a sinner because he healed someone on a day where no work should be done. The healed man and many listening in on the conversation question this line of reasoning. How could Jesus perform such miraculous signs if he had not been from God? Secondly, Messiah Jesus (as) continually acknowledges that all that he does is from God and by God’s leave. All the miraculous signs Jesus (as) demonstrates are done in God’s name and for God’s glory. These signs cause many to reject Jesus as God’s chosen king-the greatest opposition come from religious people who stand the most to lose if Jesus (as) really is the Messiah, God’s promised king. The people who received God’s provision were those who stood the most to gain-those who had been healed, touched in some way by Jesus (as) and his life, as well as those who listened to God’s messenger (rasool) and believed the message (Injeel).

In the Qur’an I found another powerful Sign linking Islam to the previous People of the Book. In an-Naziat 79:15-25, it tells the end of the story of what takes place between Prophet Musa (as) and the Pharaoh. Other portions of the story are told earlier in the Qur’an, but I want to highlight this portion because of the reference again to Signs. God gave Prophet Moses (as) many Signs to show to Pharaoh, but he rejected them and hardened his heart against what God was speaking through Moses (as). Then finally God gives Moses (as) one last Sign to show to Pharaoh,

79:15-25  079.015 Has the story of Moses reached thee? 079.016 Behold, thy Lord did call to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa:- 079.017 “Go thou to Pharaoh for he has indeed transgressed all bounds: 079.018 “And say to him, ‘Wouldst thou that thou shouldst be purified (from sin)?- 079.019 “‘And that I guide thee to thy Lord, so thou shouldst fear Him?’” 079.020 Then did (Moses) show him the Great Sign. 079.021 But (Pharaoh) rejected it and disobeyed (guidance); 079.022 Further, he turned his back, striving hard (against Allah). 079.023 Then he collected (his men) and made a proclamation, 079.024 Saying, “I am your Lord, Most High”. 079.025 But Allah did punish him, (and made an) example of him, – in the Hereafter, as in this life.

Here is the reference to the last Sign, the Great Sign, as the Qur’an Sharif calls it. But once again, we find that the Qur’an is using poetic language packed with meaning, but meaning that relies on the earlier Holy Books for full understanding.

What is the Great Sign?

If you look in the Tawrat Sharif you find in Exodus chapters 11-12, the story of the Great Sign. All the firstborn in Egypt will be put to death as God sends an angel throughout the Egyptian nation. God gives a command to the Jews to kill an unblemished goat or lamb and spread its blood on their doorposts and only those who do so will be saved from this angel of death. So Prophet Moses (as) and the Jews do as God has commanded them while that night the angel goes through Egypt and kills the firstborn of all the Egyptians while also sparing the firstborn of the Jews because of their faith in doing as God has commanded. The Great Sign is actually pretty terrible. Even Pharaoh’s son dies as a result. But what I find interesting again is God’s command to kill an unblemished lamb or goat.

Isn’t this very similar to the “garments of righteousness” where animals die in order for God to provide clothing made of animal skin that God gives Adam (as) and Eve (Hawa) as well as the “momentous sacrifice” that God gives Abraham (Ibrahim) (as) in the form of a ram which is a substitute for Abraham’s (as) son?

Then there is this other theme in the Qur’an’s references to Signs-Man vs. God. In every of these stories there is a human attempt to circumvent God’s Way. Adam (as) and Eve try to cover themselves, but cannot cover their shame. Noah’s son tries to save himself by climbing to the top of the mountain instead of taking God’s provision of the Ark. Then you have Pharaoh trying to oppose God, His worship, and His Signs, by even commanding his people to worship himself as God. But in the end, Allah (swt) is the best of planners.

These are two very important themes found in the Qur’an Sharif, and interestingly they are also found in the earlier Holy Books. Maybe these might be good places to begin interfaith dialogue upon…

Well, I leave it at that for today. But I have greatly enjoyed reading the Qur’an Sharif and hope to continue to comment on various Signs in later posts. And here’s an early, Eid Mubarak ho! To all of you. Blessings and peace.

*References to “Signs” in the English meaning of the Holy Qur’an by Yusuf Ali: Surah al-Baqara 2:39, 41, 61, 73, 87, 92, 99, 118, 129, 145, 151, 159, 164, 185, 187, 209, 211, 213, 219, 221, 231, 242, 252, 253, 266. Surah Aal-E-Imran 3:04, 11, 19, 21, 58, 70, 86, 97, 98, 101, 103, 105, 108, 112, 113, 118, 164, 183, 184, 190, 199 Surah An-Nisa 4:56 Surah al-Maeda 5:86, 110 Surah al-Araf 7:26, 37, 126, 132, 133, 136 Surah al-Anfal 8:31, 52, 54 Surah at-Tawba 9:09, 11, 65 Surah Yunus 10:05, 07, 15, 17, 21, 24, 73, 74, 75, 92, 101 Surah Hud 11:59, 96 Surah Yusuf 12:105 Surah Ibrahim 14:05, 09 Surah Al-Hijr 15:75, 81 Surah an-Nahl 16:12, 44, 104, 105 Surah al-Isra 17:01, 12, 59, 101 Surah al-Kahf 18:17, 56, 57, 105, 106 Surah Maryam 19:58, 73, 77 Surah Ta-Ha 20:23, 42, 54, 56, 72, 126, 127, 128, 134 Surah an-Anbiya 21:32, 37, 77 Surah al-Hajj 22:16, 51, 52, 57, 72 Surah al-Mumenoon 23:30, 45, 58, 66, 105 Surah an-Noor 24:01, 18, 58, 59 Surah al-Furqan 25:36, 73 Surah Ash-Shuara 26:15 Surah an-Naml 27:12, 13, 14, 81, 82, 83, 84, 86, 93 Surah al-Qasas 28:45, 47, 48, 59, 87 Surah al-Ankaboot 29:23, 24, 39, 49, 50 Surah al-Room 30:9, 10, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 37, 46, 47 Surah Luqman 31:07, 31, 32 Surah as-Sajda 32:15, 22, 24, 26 Surah al-Ahzab 33:34 Surah Saba 34:05, 19, 38, 43 Surah Fatir 35:25 Surah Ya-Seen 36:06, 46 Surah Sad 38:29 Surah az-Zumar 39:42, 52, 59, 63, 71 Surah al-Ghafir 40:04, 05, 13, 22, 23, 28, 34, 35, 50, 63, 66, 69, 81, 83 Surah Fussilat 41:15, 28, 37, 39, 40, 53 Surah Ash-Shura 42:29, 32, 33, 35 Surah az-Zukhruf 43:46, 47, 63, 69 Surah ad-Dukhan 44:33 Surah al-Jathiya 45:03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 09, 11, 13, 17, 25, 31, 35 Surah al-Ahqaf 46:07, 26, 27 Surah an-Najm 53:18 Surah al-Qamar 54:42 Surah al-Hadid 57:09, 17, 19, 25 Surah al-Mujadila 58:05 Surah as-Saff 61:06 Surah al-Jumua 62:02, 05 Surah at-Taghabun 64:06, 10 Surah at-Talaq 65:11 Surah al-Qalam 68:15 Surah al-Muddaththir 74:16 Surah an-Naba 78:28 Surah al-Mutaffifin 83:13 Surah al-Burooj 85:01 Surah al-Balad 90:19

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A Common Word & A Straight Path: al-Sirat al-Mustaqeem-

June 26, 2008

Originally published June 26, 2008

I recently re-read the “A Common Word Between Us and You” document and was greatly impacted by the foundation that the authors of the document set forth.

Basically, that within Biblical and Islamic faith, there is a common foundation of monotheism, belief in one God, a following of the straight path. The document looks at a number of references to Scripture, I’ll name three: one from the Torat (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), one from the Injil (Mark 12:28-31), and one from the Qur’an (al-Fatihah 1:1-7).

Accordingly, the letter states that Christians and Muslims share the two greatest commandments (stated by Jesus) in common, love God and love your neighbor. Along with this common ground, the document then exhorts Christians to belief in one God and to not add partners with the one God Most High. Underlying this exhortation was a diplomatic and tactful caution given to the Christian community. I think this exhortation should be taken seriously. How are we as Christians communicating about Jesus? Have some Christians in fact gone too far and erred into bi-theism, or belief in two gods?

At a practical, not just theological level, couldn’t it be said that yes, many have become sloppy in their practice of Biblical faith? One thing I have received from interacting with my Muslim friends is a greater sensitivity to using monotheistic language, Jesus did, and isn’t he a good example to follow? This really calls into question, what is it that Christians in the practice of their faith are called to communicate and live out? Are we here in this world to convince people of certain doctrinal absolutes that once someone accepts, they are then a Christian?

That seems rather superficial and yes, even perhaps culturally superior, it reminds me of the Judaizers mentioned in the book of Acts who sought to make Gentiles who were coming into Biblical faith, legally Jews through circumcision. They wanted to make sure they were “saved.” Just as Christians I know, want to make sure someone is “saved” by stressing doctrines like the Trinity, Jesus’ deity, etc. However, these doctrines were merely tools to try to make sense of what God was doing, how He was revealing Himself, and basically they developed as a result of a number of things, but including certain heresies, controversies, but also as a result of the God’s revelation entering new cultural spheres.

I guess at this point, I should just say it straight and plain. Jesus is not God, if what I mean is Jesus = God the Creator, the Most High God over all. And I think if we look at Scripture, it doesn’t say this. And to try and make this a litmus test for who’s in and who’s out is not founded on Scripture either. Although, it may be founded on specific traditions, but we know what Jesus had to say about traditions that kept people from true faith… Jesus was the Word of God, logos in the Greek Scriptures, the kalimatullah, in the Qur’an.

Before Christianity, even before Jesus’ birth, Jews believed that God Most High was both transcendent and immanent, meaning that God was high and lifted up above all things, but yet He was also mindful of man, present in His Creation, but commanded humanity not to worship created things, but to worship solely the Creator and Him alone.

So, where things get messy, is trying to understand how an awesome, great, mighty, high and lifted up God would be yet mindful of us? Present with us. Caring about us and for us. The Hebrew Scriptures used words like “the presence of God”, “the shekinah Glory”, “Wisdom of God”, “God’s Spirit”, “God’s Word”, etc. to show ways in which He came into our present daily lives and revealed Himself. These ways in which He revealed Himself are really Him, and yet, they can’t possibly be all of Him, when He is infinite and we are finite.

Another complication is that we’re using language to describe the infinite who is truly beyond description, except for the ways in which He has revealed Himself. My personal understanding of Jesus, based on the Scriptures, not the later councils, i.e. Nicaea, is that He is God’s Word made flesh. Not a progeny of God and Mary which I believe is the only type of Trinity that the Qur’an formally addresses. But He is also not an eternally pre-existent person in bodily form (meaning that Jesus of Nazareth is pre-existent) which is where some have begun to read into the New Testament documents later theological conclusions.

Jesus was God’s Word, meaning that God’s Word was with God in the beginning, God’s Word was the creative power that made all that is. It was God’s Word that became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1). Interesting about this concept of Jesus being God’s Word is that this is found in the Qur’an as well. Although theologically, Muslims and Christians may differ on what exactly this means, this is truly the place we should be discussing, not the Son of God question, for more on this topic see, “Islam Has Only 2 Problems With Christianity”.

Secondly, this discussion has to do with God’s immanence, the way in which God reveals Himself. Not all Muslims, but I would guess that many would agree, that the Qur’an is eternal and un-created. The Islamic understanding of this concept regarding the Qur’an comes closest to our understanding of who Jesus is as God’s Word made flesh.

Lastly, on a practical level, we should consider how do Jews treat the Torah? What happens when the Torah is brought out for a public reading? What takes place? How about the Qur’an? And now, how about Jesus? I’d be curious to hear from others what we call this type of honor and respect… I think this is a sensitive topic, but I can’t help but put two and two together in reading the Common Word document.

Have we Christians become too sloppy in our corporate worship times? Have we become overly focused on doctrine instead of Scripture? Even Jesus confronted the Jews for their love of the Scriptures when the Scriptures testified about Jesus, the living Word of God. I may have said too much for the blog today. Maybe I was a little too harsh towards fellow Christians. I apologize if I have offended, please do take the time to email me or leave a comment.

I more than likely have alienated myself on both sides. Christians and Muslims may now both heavily disagree with me, but please understand that this is all a process and is my latest thinking on this very sensitive subject, but I couldn’t help but respond after re-reading the Common Word document and finding so much hope for the future. I’ll leave you with a quote from the letter,

Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbour. (2007, p. 2)

For More See The Following:
A Common Word Between Us and You
New Paths in Interfaith Dialog by Rodney Cardoza
The Word of God in Islam and Christianity (English Version) by Joseph Cummings
Christology in the Making by James D.G. Dunn

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There is No god but God: La ilaha illa Allah

June 7, 2008

Originally published June 7, 2008.

I’m sitting here in my airconditioned office, doing what I love most: sipping milky sweet tea, burning some incense (not for religious purposes, but mainly to stay awake) and pondering two authors, one Muslim, the other Christian, who in my mind have done a huge service both to their own respective religion, but also their Cousin religion as well. What I mean is this. I believe that Kenneth Cragg, in his life, truly sought to understand the Islamic perspective on God, Revelation, etc. As well as to explain Biblical faith to Muslims. Likewise, I have been equally impressed with Mahmoud Ayoub’s writing and exploration of Jesus from an Islamic perspective as well as his ability to explain Islam and Islam’s view of Jesus to a Christian audience.

What I have realized in reading these two authors is that both are agreeing that Biblical faith and Islamic faith are monotheistic, even though there are differences in understanding in what ways God has revealed Himself to mankind through His Word. One comparison I’m hearing and I need to explore further is Jesus and the Qur’an. Could Biblical faith’s understanding of Jesus and Islam’s understanding of the Qur’an be a bridge whereby we might better understand each other’s faiths and understand God’s revelation and purpose in His story (history)?

I will paste a series of quotes by these above authors. These quotes represent where I am going in my research and Insh’Allah, my next paper will focus in on the Biblical and Islamic understanding of God’s revelation, especially through His Word.

Oneness of God

Kenneth Cragg:

“We cannot proceed except on the understanding that we are both firmly and equally believers that God is one. We both stand squarely in the Hebrew tradition: “The Lord our Lord is One Lord.” We are not discussing theism and tritheism. Christianity is concerned only with the first. Muslims who debate tritheism are not discussing Christianity. Where we differ is over how to define and understand the divine unity. What lies outside that issue is irrelevant to Christianity.” (The Call of the Minaret, 2000, p. 279).

Mahmoud Ayoub:

We Muslims and Christians share a common commitment of faith to the One and only God, who made himself known as he spoke, “in many and various ways.” (The Word of God in Islam, 1986, p. 76, in Greek Orthodox Theological Review, vol. 31, Nov 1-2, 1986).

God’s Revelation Through the Qur’an

Kenneth Cragg:

“The problem involved in revelation, however, is even more controversial in Muslim intellectual history. The Qur’an was God’s word, God’s speech. It was what God had said…What is spoken is clearly not the speaker. yet it cannot be a second God. Nonetheless, if it is truly God’s speech, it must be as eternal as God.” (The Call of the Minaret, p. 48)

Mahmoud Ayoub:

“God’s word in Islam is the link between ephemeral humanity and divine transcendence. The insistence on divine transcendence in both the Qur’an sharing in this absolute divine transcendence” (The Word of God in Islam, p. 76).

God’s Revelation Through Jesus

Kenneth Cragg:

“Revelation [according to Biblical faith] is not simply recorded in a book; it is embodied in a person. Is it not more fully, more appropriately, more effectively, revelation for that reason? The question may not be readily appreciated by the Muslim accustomed to the idea of a Book as the point of revelatory impact. But it must be made clear that what Christians believe about Christ belongs to the same realm of belief in a God who does not leave humanity in darkness. The difference lies in a contrast in belief as to how God most fittingly dispels it.” (The Call of the Minaret, p. 262).

Mahmoud Ayoub:

“That the Word was made flesh affirms the humanity of Christ not only in theological theory, but in actual fact of his life here on earth. That the Qur’an is a book “contained between two covers” affirms its human dimension as it shares our history, shaping it and being shaped by it. Thus the humanity of God’s revelation in both Christianity and Islam has not, I believe, been taken as seriously as it deserves to be taken by either of the two communities of faith.” (The Word of God in Islam, p. 73).

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What Does It Mean To Be Submitted To God?

May 30, 2008

Originally published May 30, 2008

One word of clarification, then I’ll move on to what I want to talk about today. When my friend mentioned that “Son of God” was to be understood spiritually, this does not mean that he or I believe Jesus is a second deity with God. Viewing Jesus as a second deity with God would be forbidden in both religions.

“Son of God” was a term used to describe the coming King in the Davidic line, namely Jesus (i.e. Zabbur/Psalm 2:2-8). This term also does not mean Jesus was some sort of spiritual partner with God, rather it meant that Jesus was to be God’s agent on earth. However, there is another term to describe Jesus, the “Word of God”, Kalimatullah. I believe the Bible and the Qur’an refer to Jesus with this designation. This term will need to be discussed further to understand the Biblical and Qur’anic claims regarding Jesus. See the Articles section under Resources for The Word of God in Islam and Christianity for an extended explanation. This will come up later on in this blog as well. Moving on, recently in my studies I came across a very interesting statement by Reza Aslan in No god but God,

“It is no coincidence that just as they reversed many of Muhammad’s social reforms aimed at empowering women, the Muslim scriptural and legal scholars of the following centuries rejected the notion that Jews and Christians were part of the Ummah, and instead designated both groups as unbelievers…Nevertheless, the actions of these scriptural scholars were in direct defiance of Muhammad’s example and the teachings of the Quran.” (2005, p. 103).

This was an amazing statement for me to read. I always thought Christians had been thrown in with all those considered kafir, being that they had not followed the religion of Islam. However, it seems according to Aslan’s research as well as from certain scriptures in the Qur’an that this is just not so. It seems there were Christians who had ceased to follow the Gospel and thus, the Qur’an reprimands them, however, a distinction is made between those who have strayed from those who have remained within true faith, such as in al-Maeda 5:65-66:

005.065 وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَكَفَّرْنَا عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلأدْخَلْنَاهُمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ 005.065 If only the People of the Book had believed and been righteous, We should indeed have blotted out their iniquities and admitted them to gardens of bliss. 005.066 وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ أَقَامُوا التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإنْجِيلَ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لأكَلُوا مِنْ فَوْقِهِمْ وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ أُمَّةٌ مُقْتَصِدَةٌ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ سَاءَ مَا يَعْمَلُونَ 005.066 If only they had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side. There is from among them a party on the right course: but many of them follow a course that is evil. Al-Qur’an, 005.065-066 (Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread]) Text Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913

So, one of the things I want to set out to do is discover, how did the Qur’an distinguish between those who strayed and those who remained “on the right course?”

Further, in verse 69 the Qur’an gives some clear guidelines of what is necessary for true faith:

005.069 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئُونَ وَالنَّصَارَى مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ 005.069 Those who believe (in the Qur’an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness,- on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. Al-Qur’an, 005.069 (Al-Maeda [The Table, The Table Spread]) Text Copied from DivineIslam’s Qur’an Viewer software v2.913

According to verse 69 it would seem the Qur’an is teaching that Christians who believe in Allah (swt), believe in the Last Day, and those who live righteously will have no fear of judgment. The next question looming in my mind was, how do Muslims view me? Am I seen as one who has strayed or do I live in such a way that it’s not so clear cut, maybe I am one who has maintained the right path although I don’t follow the cultural patterns and rituals of one who is within the Muslim community? Maybe there still are some significant differences in regards to what I and Muslims believe, but are those differences big enough to divide us or could these verses in the Qur’an and Reza Aslan’s research truly be true?

This was a long introduction just to get to what happened as I began to test this out. I met with a friend of mine who I share many similar interests with. We sat down, had some tea and jumped right into the discussion. Within a few minutes my friend was telling me that if I truly am a faithful person who has maintained the right path as a Christian, what would keep me from changing my religion to Islam? If Islam is a later revelation, wouldn’t I want to stay up to date with the latest information?

I smiled and realized where he was going with this line of thought and asked him if there was another way of looking at the puzzle. Then I drew one big circle in the middle of a piece of paper. Let’s consider this big circle to be the Kingdom of God, this is where people of true faith are submitted to God, obey Him, listen to Him, and embody His values, His precepts, His very heart. I then drew a smaller circle (on the left side of the paper) that entered the boundary of the larger circle, but left half of it outside and half of it inside.

I explained that this circle is Christianity. According to the Qur’an in Al-Maeda 5:65-66 which I quoted above, there are Christians both on the inside and on the outside of true faith. Only God knows how many are in and how many are out, so there are limitations to the diagrams I was drawing. Those Christians who are inside the circle are those who live lives submitted to God, who actually follow the teachings found in the Holy Books while those outside may practice or believe certain portions of Christianity, but have not completely surrendered their lives to God yet.

Then I drew another circle the same size as Christianity (on the right side) which also was half in and half outside of the larger Kingdom of God circle. Just like Christians, there are also Muslims who call themselves Muslim and/or possibly were born into this religion, but for one reason or another are not truly submitting their lives to God, so they are outside the Kingdom. I’m positive that there are Muslims living within God’s Kingdom because I have met many of them. Now, if I was to become a Muslim, wouldn’t that negate the fact that the Qur’an already says that Christians can be people of faith?

Secondly, how in the world would any non-Kingdom Christian ever listen to me if I converted to another religion? I doubt they would.

Thirdly, what non-Kingdom Muslim would ever listen to me either, especially some new guy who’s just converted tells them how to live rightly? No way! So, by my conversion I would be doing myself and others a huge disservice. I would completely lose my effectiveness to help others, to forbid evil, and encourage righteous Kingdom living. Not only this, but I as a Christian don’t see any need to get Muslims to leave their circle called Islam, in order to be faithful to God in His Kingdom.

Basically, our purpose is to get people to live inside God’s Kingdom, not to worry about which faith community you hail from. So, this doesn’t mean we’re done. I think there are some important things to discuss between Muslims and Christians, namely, how do we enter and live in the Kingdom of God or how do we live our lives fully submitted to God? I think we’re going to have different answers, however, my hope is that we can get beyond trying to convert one another into our own religious tradition and rather, help and enable one another to live lives of full submission to the one God over all of us. This is where dialog comes into play.

This was indeed not the end of our conversation for that day, I would like to say in hope that this is the beginning point. And literally, it was not the end because my friend did have something else to say to me. He stated that there are two things I should know if I’m going to live a life submitted to God. I must not commit shirk. This means attributing partners to Allah (swt). Meaning that if you call Jesus, “God”, then there are now two Gods–Jesus and God. Thus, you are now worshipping two, not one and you have committed shirk. The second thing he mentioned took me more by surprise. He said that Jesus did not die on the cross, but that God took him up beforehand. I honestly was deeply shocked. I had always thought there were various passages in the Qur’an addressing the end of Jesus’ earthly life, but that they could be interpreted in various ways and that the verdict was not yet out on which one of the interpretations is the true meaning. By the end of our talk we realized this really is just the beginning. I’ll let you know how it goes after we have had our talk.

For more on this see the following:

  • al-Qur’an (should be read in Arabic alongside a translation into English): Aal-E-Imran 3:55, Al-Nisa 4:157, Al-Maeda 5:117, Maryam 19:33.
  • The Bible: Zabbur/Psalm 16:10, Isaiah 53:3-12, Injil/Matthew 16:21-28, 17:22, 20:17-19, and chapters 26-28.

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“Islam Has Only Two Problems With Christianity”

May 27, 2008

Originally posted May 27, 2008.

During a chance encounter between myself and two friends of mine, I got a chance to get an inside look at monotheism from an Islamic perspective.

It all began as a side-discussion on who are the rasul within Islam. In my last post, I mentioned al-Shahada, the creed for Muslims. The first half of the creed is a declaration of belief in monotheism. The second half of the creed is a declaration of belief in Muhammad’s (saw) prophethood. In Arabic, this title is called rasul, and its English equivalent is a messenger, but specifically a messenger who brings a book. However, although the shahada only mentions Muhammad (saw) as a Messenger, there are a number of Messengers within Islam.

Actually, what I think makes Islam unique is, according to the Qur’an there is no distinction between them.

Aal-E-Imran 3:84 003.084 قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالأسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَى وَعِيسَى وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ 003.084 Say: “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Isma’il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our will (in Islam).”

After we discussed this for awhile, one of my friends turned the discussion in a new direction, “you know Chris, Islam pretty much has only two problems with Christianity…”  Okay, so I prepared myself mentally for what he was about to say…trying to anticipate which ones he was going to mention…I think what was funny was I was thinking of more than 2, so really I was interested in which 2 he thought were most important. “First of all, Christians don’t recognize Muhammad’s prophethood and secondly, Christians call Jesus, the “Son of God”” As I listened I thought back to my last research paper I did concerning Muhammad’s (saw) prophethood from a Biblical perspective and without getting into too many of the details… Arabia was fraught with idol worship, materialism was eroding the tribal ethic which was in turn destroying the family, and so on and so on. One could argue that there were already monotheists in the land, from hanifs (those who followed the faith of the Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh)) or possibly the Christians and Jews who were also inhabitants of the land, but as a whole, there was no indigenous movement to monotheism and belief in the one true God, Allah (swt), the God of Ibrahim, Ismail, Isaac, and Jacob. It also seems quite likely that at least some of the Christians and Jews living in Arabia had lost sight of the blessing (Genesis 12:3) they were suppose to be to those in the land. I can think of two. One, there was no Arabic translation of the Gospels. Second, it would seem Christians were teaching a false doctrine about Jesus being the progeny of God and Mary, see al-Maeda 5:116. And, when reading the Qur’an in light of the earlier holy books I can agree with Fouad Elias Accad (1997),

Most people living in a Western environment know very little about Muslims and have little interest in learning about Muhammad’s life or his intent in Islam. These people may occupy great positions in the world and in the church, but their ignorance of real facts leads them to conclude that Islam and Muhammad should be totally rejected. In some cases these people will point to the Qur’an as a book that is counter to the gospel, not even realizing that the Qur’an itself is largely pro-Christian. This kind of myopia has led to many unnecessarily fruitless debates, strife, and even bloodshed. (Building Bridges, p. 28)

I shocked my friend in my response to his second statement regarding Jesus as “the Son of God.” I said to him, “I don’t believe he was either…at least not in the way the Qur’an addresses the issue. I wholeheartedly agree with the Qur’an that Jesus was not the progeny of God and Mary (al-Maeda 5:116).” Well, at least at first he looked in shock that a Christian was now denying one Christianity’s sacred titles for Jesus. However, then he got this look in his eye and responded, “ah, I see what you’re getting at, he wasn’t the Son of God in the physical sense, this title is meant to be understood spiritually.” I mean, this is where life is truly lived! It’s in these precious few moments, unscheduled, unrehearsed, but they just pop up when we are living life together. I went further to explain that not only is it a spiritual title, because it is true Jesus had no earthly father, but this was also a title to signify the Messiah as one who is in the Davidic, kingly line. Please see Jospeh Cumming’s article for more details. Our time quickly ended, but I sensed a significant change in the air in the room. Did we just discuss two of the hottest topics between Christians and Muslims? How in the world did we make it through this unscathed? I’m still reflecting on this encounter, does it change anything? Has anything moved from where it once stood? Are my friends and I still in the same places as we were when we entered the room that day? Or have we moved closer? And not just closer to each other, but possibly closer to the truth?

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Posted by najashi

The Sh’ma & Shahada: A Starting Point For Interfaith Dialogue

May 27, 2008

Originally posted on May 27, 2008

Today is as good as any to begin talking about this journey I’m on. Lots to catch people up on, but for now I’d like to talk about what I’m currently researching. I’m working on a paper on the use of the Sh’ma [shema] among the earliest founders of Christianity, including Jesus (Mark 12:29), Paul (1 Corinthians 8:4), and the half brother of Jesus, James (James 2:19). The Sh’ma found in Deuteronomy 6:4 is as follows,

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our
שְׁמַע 1 → יִשְׂרָאֵל 2 → יהוה 3 נוּ 5
שׁמע ישׂראל יהוה אנחנו
VqAISM2 NPHSMN NPDSMN RBPC1
God, the Lord is one.
אֱלֹהֵי 4 → יהוה 6 • אֶחָד 7
אלה יהוה אחד
NCcPMS NPDSMN NCNSMP

What’s interesting about this is that it affirms monotheism. God is one. So, maybe now would be a good time for Christians and maybe even those of other faiths who have interacted with Christians to begin scratching your heads. Hmmm…so, where does this thing called the “Trinity” come into play if Jesus, Paul, and James all said the Sh’ma? How can one be three? Or three one? Honestly, this is a tough subject and although it does play into my own journey of faith, I’d rather table this for now and leave you with the promise to have my paper on this site when its finished. The way Islam fits into this is that it also has a similar creed, called al-Shahada. The Shahada is as follows:

أشهد أن لا إله إلاَّ الله و أشهد أن محمد رسول الله

“I bear witness that there is no god but God (Allah), and I bear witness that Muhammad is a Messenger of God (Allah).” You can also listen to it online: shahada audio What are the practical implications of these two creeds for interfaith dialogue and cooperation between Muslims and Christians? Are we fellow monotheists? Are we people who share enough common ground to work together? At what points do we differ and are those differences significant enough to merit exclusion or separation? Or are these differences really a welcoming point to further relationship and mutual encouragement? I hope that it’s obvious by this website where I stand, but hope to win over a few who may disagree… The next few posts will cover some of my findings from talking to Muslims about monotheism.

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Posted by najashi

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