Archive for year: 2018

A REFLECTION ON DEMOCRACY IN RELATION TO ISLAM
Part One
By. Dr. Amir Parviz Parsa

Introduction:

It is often asserted that Islamic countries lack democracy; the suggestion is made in such a way that it gives, (in a stereo-type format) the connotation that Islam is inherently incompatible with democracy. It is true that many Muslim countries suffer from having dictators and undemocratic rulers at their helm, but part of these are also to be blamed on exploitations of the so-called advanced countries (who had previously been engaged in colonialism), and their continued silent support of corrupt authority of the country considered to be a good partner in protecting their interests.

Those who are familiar with the historical background of the United States of America know quite well the atrocities of the British Colonial power and wars that the colonies had to put up to survive first, and secure their independence next. Obviously, England was NOT the only colonial power, but France, Spain, the Dutch, and others were also engaged in colonialism, in one way or another.

Therefore, it is the purpose of this article to reject the assertion of incompatibility of Islam and democracy, and to indicate clearly that a democratic behavior is not only inherently consistent with Islam, but that Islam has been one of the first outstanding real promoters of true democratic values and democracy. We take it for granted that the reader is aware of atrocities of England and its continued colonialism, although more in the form of hidden rip-offs, and therefore leave this aside.

Some Verses from the Holy Quran:
1. Verse 159 of Surah 3 commands Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and says:

Note that despite the great love of Allah (swt) on His Prophet─ which can easily be discerned from other verses of the Quran too─ Prophet Muhammad is told in the clearest language to seek advice from the people and to consult them in management of their affairs.

2. For those who believe in God and do place their trust upon Him and offer prayers Allah (swt) describes them by saying in Verse 38 of Surah 42:

Note the phrase “Mutual Consultation” and recall that these verses were revealed and told to the people about 1430 years ago when the Roman, Egyptian, and Persian Empires were at times engaged in tyrannical and selfish/improper behavior relative to their citizens.

3. God Almighty also blessed the character of Prophet Muhammad by giving him a kind and compassionate character and calmness and tells him specifically in Verse 159 of Surah 3:

4. Verse 4 of Surah 68 tells us that the Prophet stands on “An exalted standard of character”.

5. If we consider the final goal of democracy to be securing the welfare of the people and raising their standards of living, along with justice and other virtues in the society, then Verse 254 of Surah 2 becomes relevant to our discussion:

Such a great warning to believers not only to consult others but even to know enough about their style of living to the point that if the others are poor, it becomes incumbent upon the Muslims to financially help them out by their charity!!.

One needs to remember that the final goal of many multinational corporations that exist nowadays is to protect “Their own interest” even though the official policy of their governments may not be so. Such protection of the interests of Multinational Corporations (MNC) may be based on nothing but exploitation of people in other lands. As one example, when the correlation between cigarette smoking and lung cancer becomes clear, and cigarettes are banned from being promoted, the verdict is silently given to MNCs to export it to Egypt, and other Middle Eastern Countries.[Please see the article on the Necessity of Giving More in Charity by the writer on this same Website]

6. Verse 10 of Surah 4 protects the interests of the orphans by saying:

Ask yourself: Which one of the so- called democracies on earth protects the interests of the orphans to this extent?.

Some Observations on Democracy in the U.S:

First: Scott McClelan says in his recent book: What Happened, on Page 4: “… Coming to Washington as a member of a Republican administration, I thought the mentality of political manipulation had been largely the creation of our predecessors in the Clinton White House and that the leader I placed great hope in, George W. Bush, was dead set on changing it. He chose not to do so. Instead his own white house became embroiled in political maneuvering that was equally unsavory, if not worse, much of it related directly to his most consequential decision as president-The decision to invade Iraq.”

Second: We all realize that elections in the U.S. are very expensive monetarily, and often times those who can afford to spend more money win the elections. Stated differently, much more qualified individuals who are far more qualified to be truly elected, get to be defeated just because they do not have enough money, or can’t raise it, to spend like their opponents. So, it is a deceptive ability to raise funds that matters more really, not what the candidate’s views are.

Third: Hillary Clinton, when beaten in primary elections from the Democratic Party against Barrack Obama, all of a sudden decided to lend her own election $6.1 million dollars, from her own so-called accumulated wealth! [Only a few really know how she got it]. Obama could muster more donations, even small ones through the Internet from very ordinary people. Interestingly enough someone called Hillary Clinton as The Iron Lady, a title that belonged to Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of England, who was also known as “the Only man in Europe”! or the “Iron Lady of Europe”, while John Major’s performance was much better than hers internationally!!

The Western democracies have unfortunately become too accustomed to praising corrupt authorities of various countries! Nora O’Donnell reported on Chris Mathew show on Sunday the 18th of May 2008, that so far Obama has raised $250 million and Hillary Clinton $215 million dollars for their respective elections. How much more will be raised between now and November real elections is yet to be seen; the writer would NOT be surprised that over a billion dollar would be raised and spent on a “ democratic” election!

Fourth: We have seen the effects of final coalitions in politics and their compromise outcome and deals/covenants/pledges which are made between them: The art of compromise!.

Fifth: Almost everyone who remembers the first election of George Bush, the son, against Al Gore, remembers how the Supreme Court intervention really saved the elections of the U.S with the verdict of some appointees to The Highest Court by George Bush, the 41st president, his father, while Gore had higher popular vote.

Sixth: The real percentage of participants in elections is not very high. At the time of President Ronald Reagan’s first term the percentage of qualified voters was 24.5 percent.
The implication of this is that less than one fourth of people ruled over the entire population! That does not sound much like true democracy!

Seventh: The vote of a real brilliant, educated, and highly intelligent elite counts exactly equal to the vote of an unlettered, uneducated, ignorant person [some people consider this as a virtue of elections].

Eight: At times, because of mishaps in the machinery used in elections to count the votes, some of the votes may have to be totally discarded to assure the results.

Ninth: We all have noticed how political candidates behave before and after elections. We all also have noticed 180 degrees deviation from promises and pledges given by them to get elected; yet how easily they change after elections and forget their pledges is not well-known. An example in this case is the second round of election of George Bush against John Kerry. George Bush appeared to the voters to be more moral than Kerry. His later engagements in the war of Iraq and the great mistakes he made in that war, clearly showed, however, that even though he was right against the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, he was completely wrong to trust the intelligence information provided to him by The British Intelligence for which his Secretary of State, Colin Powell later recognized how they had been had and how he gave up his position as Secretary of State to his successor Dr. Rice!

Tenth: We all have noticed all of the pumps, hoopla, and noise in the national conventions of both the Republican and Democratic Parties and detailed discussions of the issues of the day. Yet, we are also clever enough to see the similarity of the election issues after 30, 40, and 50 years from a given election, and the close resemblance of the issues such as 35-40 million poor people of the States who do not have any health insurance coverage. The same picture has been true since the election of John F. Kennedy in the most “materially” successful democracies of the world.

Eleventh: In an African Country called Ghana, the people ask their political candidates running for office before elections to pledge that:

1. He will not close the door of his office to the people, after elections;
2. He will not turn his back to the people to ignore them;
3. He will not break promises given at the times of running for office;
4. He will not run away from the duties of the office;
5. He would not betray people’s confidence after election,

In the U.S., we the electors take these for granted; however, ask yourself how often have we been betrayed by violations of the types mentioned above by our elected officials?

While Islamic countries are definitely in need of improvements in their “democratic behavior”, it cannot be asserted that their religion is incompatible with the institution of democracy or democratic behaviors as a whole. Islam itself is pure, excellent, and beautiful, the beauty of which cannot be easily understood until they are very well-versed in it. We shall take up the Freedom of expression and further remarks on democracy in the next article.

Please Part Two of this article

By. Dr. Amir Parviz Parsa

Introduction:

It is the purpose of this brief article to show the Mercy of Allah (swt) from the Holy Quran and the Hadith. Every righteous believer already knows the magnificent Mercy of Allah (swt); yet, it is proper to once a while remind ourselves about this undeniable fact.

Verse 12 of Surah 6 reminds us, that Allah (swt) enjoined upon Himself to have Mercy upon His Creation. He did NOT have to do this; yet, he did.

One hundred and thirteen chapters of the Holy Quran start with the phrase:
“In the Name of God, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful”, All Surahs but the ninth.
But Surah Nam’l (27) has two such phrases in it, one at the beginning, as usual, and the other in the chapter when Prophet Solomon writes a letter in His Holy Name.

Verse 156 of Surah 7 reads:

The phrase Kindest of Kinds (Arham al-Raahemeen أرحم الراحمين) is used in the Holy Quran in many different verses such as: Verse 151 of Surah 7,

and Ayah 118 of Surah 23:

Verse 43 of Surah 33 indicates that Allah’s mercy is for all His creatures:

But for those who believe and trust in Him, there are special mercies, a generous reward, as mentioned in the next verse 44 of the same Surah (33).

Angels who celebrate the Praises of their Lord, pray, according to verse 5 of Surah 42: “for forgiveness for all beings on earth.”

Behold, then, when you hear that you CANNOT count all blessings of God Almighty! Had it occurred to you that Allah has commanded His Angels to pray for all of us who are on the planet earth, if you didn’t know that from the Holy Quran?

Verse 31 of Surah 4 tells us:

Verse 87 of Surah 12 reminds us of not ever giving up our hopes for the Mercy of Allah and His Forgiveness, as has Prophet Jacob admonished his children. In fact, the latter part of the verse specifically and clearly indicates to us:

The very fact that God has sent the Books and Angels, plus Guidance for us in the form of various Holy Books and Messengers, is in itself indicative of the Mercy of God logically; otherwise, how could we all expect to have criteria with which we should be guided to the light?

Thus Allah’s everlasting blessings upon us all is with His Guidance into the realm of spiritual world, He has indeed helped us towards attainment of the blissful success (Falaah).

Throughout the Holy Quran, Allah reminds us of the fact also that He forgives all the sins of humanity except for those who believe in partners for Him. See verse 53 of Surah 39 in this regard:

Verse 48 of Surah 4, and 116 of the same Surah indicate that the only unforgivable sin is to believe in partners for God.

Verse 10 of Surah 14 tells us:

Throughout the Holy Quran we also note that Allah (swt) can and has punished many nations for their aggressions, atrocities, and arrogance. You have seen in the Holy Quran that Flood was sent to the rebellious people at the time of Prophet Noah, Tornado to the Nation of Aad, Sudden Punishment to the nation of Thamud; Earthquake upon people who were not listening to Prophet Lot, and drowning in the sea for followers of Pharaoh for their cruelty and not following the advice of Prophet Moses.

If one thinks carefully about such incidents of the past, as revealed in the Holy Quran, one can easily understand that allowing humanity to get rid off evil-doers is itself a blessing and Mercy of Allah upon the remaining ones.

A well known Hadith by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) admonishes us:

A Qudsi Hadith quoted by al-Bukhari, Al-Nisaa’i, and Ibn Maajeh says:

“When Allah decreed the Creation, He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with him: My Mercy prevails over My wrath.”

Another Qudsi Hadith, also quoted by Muslim, as well as Bukhari, al-Nisaa’i, and Ibn Maajeh says:

“A man sinned greatly against himself, and when death came to him, he charged his sons, saying: When I have died, burn me, then crush me and scatter my ashes into the sea, for, by Allah, if my Lord takes possession of me, He will punish me in a manner in which He has punished no one [else]. So they did that to him. Then Allah Commanded the earth to produce what it had taken—and there that person was! And Allah said to him: What induced you to do what you did? The man answered: Being afraid of you. O my Lord (or he said: Being frightened of You because of my sins) and because of what that man had said Allah forgave him.”

Imam Al-Husain expresses so poetically in his Du’aa of Arafat just before heading towards Karbala:

Imam Ali in his famous Du’aa Kumayl says:

CONCLUSION:

Mercy of Allah is unlimited and infinite. Count on it. He has sent Prophets, Holy books, angles, and the criteria to guide us all as humanity. For those of us who have learned how to repent of our sins, as Adam, Moses, Jonah, and others did for their sins, He forgives.

We shall never ever lose our hope in Allah’s forgiveness. Signs of His forgiveness of our sins are many and numerous. Verses were quoted from the Holy Quran and Hadith which are all indicative of His Infinite Mercy. Allah is The Most Merciful, The Most Kind, The Most Gracious, and The Most Compassionate. No merciful human being, Jinn, and angel can surpass the degree of Mercy of Allah. We must constantly be cognizant of His Mercy, and His Infinite unlimited Kindness beyond our wildest imagination. We should try earnestly to avoid sins, but if we did it inadvertently, we must never lose hope of His possible forgiveness. Although no one among the human beings is perfect and without sins currently, we lose sight of the fact that He can forgive.

If we believe in Allah, in His Books, in His Prophets, in His Angels, in the Unseen, and in His Day of Resurrection, and try to obey His orders: His commands in doing good and avoiding the forbidden things, and if we do good while we have faith, we should never give up our hopes in His Grace and Mercy upon us.

He has indeed prepared paradise for his faithful obedient servants with plenty of Blessings and Mercy upon them. May He save all of us from the hellfire by His unlimited Grace and May He strengthen our faith during our life on this planet earth, and May He protect us from the temptations of Satan, so much so that we would rightly deserve His Forgiveness and Paradise, and to end up saying to our folks on the Day of Judgment: “Come read My Book” while we take pride in it, Amen.

Review your Faith & Reinforce It.
By. Dr. Amir Parviz Parsa

One of the beauties of the Holy Quran, which is a miracle, is that every time one reads it, one discovers a new dimension in it which had NOT been discovered before.

It is the purpose of this brief article to show how one can come into a group of faithful people simply by a serious reexamination of his personal beliefs and opinions. It is hoped that with this approach, one could bring in more faithful people into the group of achievers (Moflehoon مفلحون).

Verse 19 of Surah 57

َوَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَاء عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ …..

And those who believe in God and His apostles—they are the Sincere (Lovers of Truth), and the Witnesses (who testify), in the eyes of their Lord: They shall have their Reward and their Light…..

Note that a good percentage of us believe in God and His Messengers, when we really examine our beliefs, thus qualifying for this reward. This type of belief is a part of our NATURE as people who were born Muslims, as all people are born on a pure nature.

In many other verses of the Glorious Quran we are told about the same facts. One such example is verse 257 of the Second Surah of Quran which reads:

Verse 257 of Surah 2

اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ…َ

God is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depth of darkness He will lead them forth into light…

And Verse 2 of Surah 2 of the Quran says:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لاَ رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ

This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear God…

And then again the belief in the unseen, and belief in Revelations sent to Messengers of God is cited as the other conditions.

Verse 13 of Surah 46 reinforces the same fact:

َإِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُون

Verily those who say, “ Our Lord is God,” and remain firm (on that path),–on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Note that it is maintaining a belief in God and the fact that He is the Creator of every being, plus standing on that belief firmly in their heart, which is considered to be the sign of spiritual success or achievement (Falaah فلاح).

Verse 30 of Surah 41 reconfirms the same fact for us in the following words:

َإِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُون

In the case of those Who say, “Our Lord is God”, and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time. assuring:

“Fear ye not!, Nor grieve! But receive the Glad Tidings of the Garden (of bliss), that which you were promised!

Normally, those who are faithful and believe in God try to do good in their deeds also. This is, sometimes, a trait of their characters.

Verses 7 & 8 of Surah 98 tells us the following:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ

جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا

رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ رَبَّهُ

Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, they are

the best of creatures.

Their reward is with God: Gardens of Eternity, beneath which rivers flow; they will dwell therein for ever;

God well pleased with them, and they with Him:

All this for such as fear their Lord and Cherisher.

This same concept: believing in Allah (swt) and doing good is, in fact, repeated in many other verses of the Glorious Quran.
The writer remembers a Hadith with the connotation that Prophet Muhammad is quoted to have said:

In a Hadith:

قولوا لا إله إلا الله تفلحوا

Say: there is no god but God, and you will succeed”

Someone suggested to the Prophet : Why do you not announce and emphasize this, which is said to save one’s body from the Hell Fire, to the public widely? to which the Prophet said : for the fear that they might discard or abandon their Salat and other duties such as Zakat. The writer does not remember the source of the Hadith or the one who has narrated it, but recalls he has seen it in Bukhari and Muslim collections of Hadiths as well as in Wasa’il al-Shi’a.

Allah (swt) swears to the token of Time that people are in loss except those who believe, or have faith and do righteous deeds and join together in the teachings of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

In Verse 1-3, Surah 103

وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

By (the Token of) Time (through the ages),
Verily Man is in loss,
Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

“Goodness” for us is beautifully defined in having faith in Allah, and in His Messengers, His Books, and His Angels , plus in the Day of Judgment.

Verse 177 of Surah 2

لَّيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّواْ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَالْمَلآئِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُواْ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاء والضَّرَّاء وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.

It is hoped that when Allah (swt) has made it so easy for us to have faith in Him, and in His Messengers, we would be wise enough to take advantage of such a privilege as kindly granted to us.

It is Allah (swt) who told us in Verse 69 of Surah 29:

َوَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِين

And those who strive in Our cause, We will certainly guide them to Our Paths: for verily God is with those who do right.

Finally Islam is a Guide for All people at all times in all walks of Life and in all places.

Anyone who reads the Quran even once, would agree with this statement.
Let us Love, Tolerate, and respect each other, sincerely.

(Jews and Christians)
By. Dr. Amir Parviz Parsa

Respecting Jews and Christians?

Unfortunately some extremist Muslims look down upon Jews and Christians as infidels (Kafir). They certainly are wrong. Respect for Ahlul Kitab (Jews and Christians) is based on many verses of Quran (such verses) are ignored by these narrow-minded, short-sighted, and prejudiced extremist Muslims.

Verse 62 of Surah 2, of the Quran says:

Verse 69 of Surah 5, repeats the same notions almost in the same words.

Verse 285 of Surah 2 says:

Verse 113 of Surah 2 tells us that:

Verse 3 of Surah 3 says:

Verse 25 of Surah 57 says:

Verse 25 of Surah 32 says:

The same notion is repeated in Verse 17 of Surah 45, Verse 3 of 60, Verse 93 of Surah 10, Verse 92 of Surah16, Verse 99 of Surah 22, in all of which God says He is the one who judges on the Day of Judgment between different groups such as Jews , Christians, etc.

The most important verses concerning the Jews and Christians are Verses 113 and 114 of Surah 3 in which God is talking about the Jews and Christians. Distinguishing between them God says:

As to some Muslims who seem not to truly understand the portion which was in Italic of the Verse is: Who are they to say something against what God Almighty Himself has said?

Verse 82 of Surah 5 even considers the fact that among the Christians and Jews there are people who are devoted to learning and men who have denounced the world and they are not arrogant and in the next Verse some of them are quoted to say:

Other verses of the Holy Quran can be easily cited in which we are told there should be respect for all Prophets of God. One such verse is Verse 84 of Surah 3, which reads:

The same notion is repeated in Verse 13 of Surah 42:

Enough evidence is given above to convince Muslims that we should respect the followers of all Prophets of God whether it is Moses, Jesus, Jacob, Abraham, or any other one.

Islam is the most complete and whole of religions, that by itself gives no foundation whatsoever to not respect followers of other religions. The choice of the religion is up to the individual: and that Choice is between him and God. It is God who would judge individuals, it is He who would also judge on the differences between us on the Day of Judgment, and it is He who makes the final decision as to who is truly most devoted, regardless of the labels we, at times, place upon our foreheads by calling ourselves Muslims, Jews, Christians, etc.

THUS IT IS AN ETHICAL AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OF US AND A MATTER OF COURTESY TO TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT AND DIGNITY, REGARDLESS OF ONE’S RELIGION. EVERY ONE SHOULD BE RESPECTED AND TOLERATED. IT IS GOD WHO JUDGES ON WHO IS BETTER, DESERVING PARADISE.

The same concept is repeated in Surah 2,verse 285 and Surah 3, verse 84. The Holy Quran provides other verses referring to the validity of other religions such as verse 52 of Surah 23,verse 7 of Surah 5, and verse 40 of Surah 22, just to mention a few( These will not be brought here for the sake of economizing on time). Thus

ISLAMIC PLURALISM is based not only on recognition of other religions such as Christianity, and Judaism, but also on an acknowledgement of their emphasis on spirituality and righteousness that they bring about for their followers. go to top of page

In fact, the Holy Quran goes far beyond simple references to the People of the Book (a reference to those before Islam who received Books of guidance from Allah (swt) before the mission of Prophet Muhammad, (pbuh). Consider, as an example, verses 113 and 114 of chapter 3 of the Holy Quran:

We are also told  in verse 115 of the same chapter 3 of the Quran that”

Verse 7 of Chapter 13 of the Glorious Quran addresses Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as follows:

This same notion is repeated in 16: 36 and 35: 24. verse 47 of Chapter 10 of the Quran also says:

There is room to ask ourselves as to what a true educated Muslim believes with respect to other religions. We are given this answer in the most precise, informative, inclusive, and comprehensive manner in verse 285 of the second chapter:

You cannot find a truly well-educated Muslim who would be following the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, without him having great respect for Jesus, Moses, and other Apostles/prophets of God Almighty, while he is indeed following the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh). Simultaneously, the followers of Muhammad (pbuh), believe in the sacred life of Mary, the mother of Jesus; they also easily admit miracles given to both Jesus and Moses. And they do NOT refuse the role that The Holy Spirit played in the birth of Jesus and giving of the good news of Mary’s pregnancy to her as a good tiding from God Almighty. Muslims also place God over and above everything else
Thinking that He is far above everything else, including angels, and all of His creation. Indeed every Muslim considers Jesus as only a great blessing for humanity. Isn’t this wonderful?

Verse 13 of chapter 49 of the Holy Quran is also informative and helpful for our discussion:

Verse 15 of the same chapter tells us:

Please note that there is no mentioning of any religion’s name, and believers of all religions are talked about, with some of their characteristics given, that can ostensibly cover Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike.

Some common Values:

When you read the Bible and the Quran, you would find in them condemnation of adultery, fornication, gambling, drinking alcohol, greed, lewdness and lust, stealing, slander, manslaughter, hypocrisy, backbiting, arrogance coupled with pride, oppression and many other values . On the other hand, in them you would find encouragement towards giving, charity, prayer, trust in God, fasting, alms-giving, helping the poor and the needy, brotherhood of believers, cleanliness of mind, body, and spirit, cleanliness of one’s place of living and garments, sanctity of family life, proper marriage between males and females, piety, righteousness, thinking and pondering about God’s creation and blessings and the wonders of the world, the natural environment, the galaxies, the stars, the sun and the moon and many other things. Admittedly, these are HUMAN VALUES with their origins in our scriptures.

The time has come to stop attacking followers of other religions and allow individuals to pursue their own happiness with free selection of their religious values, without any coercion. Those who are clever enough would recognize for themselves that the points of commonality and resemblance between various religions are so many,, so frequent, and so prevailing that we really DO NOT need to fight each other, on the contents of our selected paths of worshipping God. Rather, the common values are so overwhelming that one intuitively arrives at the conclusion that they have all come from the same Eternal Divine source. And that, acceptance of a given path, does not necessarily mean condemnation of others. Those who create divisions and promote disputes between religious and God-fearing people may only serve their own Devilish whims. As believing fellows we all have a responsibility to promote peace, harmony, friendship, spiritual growth, civility, respect, and tenderness. Let us join hands together for the furtherance of success, peace, achievement, and salvation, in this life, even though our desired path of worshipping God might look different, on the surface. It is only with this that the human potentials for further growth can be materialized, just as Jesus, PBUH, emphasized the kingdom of God.

Perceptions of a Muslim with regard to Jesus (pbuh):

A Muslim believes that Jesus Christ, son of Mary, was :

1. A Prophet or Messenger of God (Chapter 19 of the Quran)
2. He was the word of God (Verse 171,of Surah 4)
3. He did NOT have a physical father (verse 20 and 21 of chapter 19 of the Quran)
4. His mother, Mary, was a virgin (verse 20 of chapter 19)
5. Mary conceived Jesus only after the Holy Spirit gave her the good tidings that she is to have a son who will be a mercy and a blessing for humanity wherever he is (Verse 22 of Surah 19).
6. God placed mercy, compassion, and kindness in the hearts of his followers (Verse 27 of Surah 57).
7. That among Christians there are some really righteous people (Verses 113 & 114 of Surah 3).
8. Jesus (pbuh) performed miracles during his life-time here on planet earth (Verse 45 of Surah 3)
9. His death and birth appear to be mysterious.
10. He always spoke the truth and preached only what God had revealed to him, and nothing but that.
11. A Muslim would not only approve of the UNALTERED teachings of Jesus Christ, but would also have great love and respect for him, in his heart, all based on the strength of his own scripture the Holy Quran.
12. And that there are various scriptures given to God’s prophets and Apostles by the Ever-lasting, Self Sufficient, Merciful, compassionate, Evolver/Cherisher/ Creator/Sustainer that we call God Almighty.

With these in mind, is there any room for Christians to adopt Muslims as their respectable brothers, rather than as “terrorists”? The Honorable Rev. John Peterson of the National Cathedral of Washington, D.C. admitted that the Muslims have been subjected to discrimination and prejudice in the U.S. during his speech addressed at the Islamic Educational Center of Potomac, Maryland on Saturday the sixth of January 2007. By the same token, one must ask Muslims if they yet have an open heart to embrace Christians as their God-fearing brothers, in their hearts, as The Honorable Rev. Peterson rightly and courageously referred to in his Speech at the said Center.

Implications of this Article: 

If the writer is right in his understanding of the religious Pluralism of the Holy Quran, welcoming all human beings in their arms of love and compassion, as the residents of the same planet earth created by the same God, breathing the same air, and enjoying many similar values, then the following implications would follow:

1. There are not one, but multiple paths of success, achievement and religious prosperity/salvation/success. These are all various ways and means of promotion of one’s internal attunement/shining and growth.
2. There is no need for one to be radical. The proper mode of action is, rather, to be a good listener, an embracing attitude, and an open heart to understand, reach, and follow the truth, with a loving character.
3. A fundamentalist/aggressive approach to force people to follow a certain path of religious growth is NOT truly needed. Individuals should be left free, but guided, to freely choose and follow their desired path of worshipping God.
4. In the final analysis, we are all children, or better said: creation of the same Lord, God Almighty. Thus we must be ultra careful NOT to offend others by imposing our own values upon them; rather we should try our best to engage in constructive, tolerant, and respectful dialogues with each other. The Quran says talk to the People of the Book in a nice, respectful, and compassionate manner.
5. While choosing a path of spiritual growth is good and a virtue for us all , we should always avoid promoting one path of salvation at the expense of the others. The Human choice must be made freely, without coercion. In the diversity of our spiritual paths , there are secrets of prosperity and tolerance for each other.
6. Those who recognize the richness of their spiritual attunement, freely chosen, would always cherish them without any need for advertising, promotion and pushes. It is at that time that their chosen path of worshipping God becomes inwardly & truly enjoyable.
7. Shouting and hating stuff passed to others on religious grounds is not only short-sighted, but also immature, wrong, and biased.
8. Finally, with a little spiritual growth on our chosen paths of worship, without disrespect for others, we can make life more of a joy, understanding, peaceful coexistence, and compassion. May God help us in that direction, Amen.