Interfaith



 

I would like to address a very serious issue, which the Muslims of today are facing, specially those living here in the US. The issue deals with our understanding of Islam or rather lack of it.

I do not need to remind you about our situation today. We are in the situation we are, because of our knowledge about Islam, how we understand the Islamic Aqeedah and how we act upon it. Alhumdo-Lillah, we are Muslims, just like the Sahabah (ra), but what is the difference between them and us. Our numbers are large, but still we are not able to accomplish a fraction of what they accomplished. Why is that?

In a Hadith Prophet (saaw) mentioned that, "there will come a time, the nations will get together against you, as do hungry people when they feast on food." Sahaba asked: is this going to happen because of our small number? The Prophet (saaw) replied, "No, your numbers will be large, but you will have wahan." He (saaw) was asked: what is wahan? He (saaw) replied: "liking this life and hating death."

It seems like the Prophet (saaw) described the situation we are living in. So what is the difference between the Sahaba and us. The Sahabah understood the real meaning of La-Illaha il-Lallah. They submitted their whole selves to Allah (swt). Whenever a ruling was revealed to them from Allah (swt), they obeyed. They did not make any excuse or asked whether if following a certain rule would benefit them or not; or if it was practical or not. They said, like the Ayat of the Qur'an asks us,

 

"we hear and we obey."

 

These days the Muslims' understanding is weak, we do not have the Islamic mentality, which the Sahabah had. We are not educated, especially when it concerns Islam. The so-called scholars take advantage of this and give us non-Islamic ideas. One such ideas is the concept of Abrahemic Religion, or the Interfaith dialogue.

Before we address this issue, we must realize that it is our responsibility to interact with the non-Muslims and to carry the Da'wah of Islam to them in Hikma (wisdom). No one is against this. But we must understand that neither the concept of Abrahemic religions, nor the concept of the interfaith dialog, at least the way it is done now, is a Da'wah.

The people promoting these ideas claim that the "great prophets" emanate from Abraham (as) and so we as Muslims must find commonalties among the religions of those great prophets; such as Judaism and Christianity. Further, we are to work with the Jews and Christians and live in peace and harmony and work for the "betterment" of humanity.

These scholars justify their actions on the following two verses:

 

"Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews, Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the last Day and do righteous deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
[EMQ, AL-Baqarah 2:62]

"Surely, those who believe, those who are the Jews and the Sabians and the Christians - whosoever believed in Allah and the Last Day, and worked righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
[EMQ, AL-Ma'idah 5:69]

 

When we study a subject in Islam, we have to take a look at all of the Ayat and Ahadith concerning that particular subject. We can not in any way, shape or form determine a ruling based on a single Ayat or Hadith, unless there is only one available. As to the prove the falasy of the concept of the Abrahemic religions, there are a number of Ayat in the Qur'an, which negates this concept and turns it upside on its head! Some of the Ayat are as follows:

 

"Or do you say that Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes were Jews and Christians? Say: 'Do you know better than Allah?' Ah! Who is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah? But Allah is not unmindful of what you do!"
[EMQ, Al-Baqarah 2:140]

"And We have revealed to you the Book with the Truth that verifies previous books and dominates them. Thus, rule among them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their vain desires?"
[EMQ, Al-Ma'idah 5:48]

"The Religion before Allah is Islam. Nor did the People of the Book dissent from it except through envy of each other after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account"
[EMQ, Al-Imran 3:19]

"It is He who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Deen of Haqq (Islam) to make it SUPERIOR over all Deens (ways of life), even though the Mushrikun (disbelivers, polytheists) hate (it)."
[EMQ, At-Taubah 9:33]

"Ibrahim was not a Jew nor a Christian. But he was a true Muslim Hanifan, and bowed his will to Allah, and he joined not gods with Allah. Without doubt, among men, the nearest of kin to Ibrahim are those who follow him, AS ARE ALSO THIS MESSENGER and those who believe. And Allah is the Protector of those who have faith."
[EMQ Al-Imran 3:67-68]

 

The concept of Abrahimic religion and other issues like it, did not exist amongst the Muslims in the past. I presented this issue to highlight our lack of understanding of Islam and how easily we are fooled by the so called scholars. My goal is not for all of us to go out and call everyone Kafir. I presented this to show that Islam does not compromise. After all, why should we stay Muslims, if all religions are the same. If they were, I would be tempted to become a Christian, since I would not 'restricted' from doing anything and at the end I would be saved by Jesus! (Astagh-firullah. May Allah protect me from that.)

After realising that Islam is the Deen of Haqq (truth) which will dominate other ways of life, we should go out and offer it to the non-Muslims. This does not mean that we have to get involved in the current format interfaith dialogs. Such dialogs are designed to create "better" understanding of each other's faiths. This assumes that the Qur'an did not provide us with the "best" understanding.

Furthermore, ideas such as the interfaith and the like do not start from a vacuum. Of course there are forces behind such ideas which are propagating them and spreading them amongst the Muslims.

To illustrate this example, let me mention to you a brief excerpt from a Muslim magazine:

"In a 1992 speech, Edward Djerejian, the assistant secretary during the Bush administration outlined a strategy of compromise rather than confrontation to defeat the Muslims. Djerejian's recommendations included the followings:

Use the term 'Muslim countries' rather than 'world of Islam' to shatter the sense of global unity;

Provide books about American values in languages of major Muslim countries (Arabic, Urdu, Farsi) to indoctrinate the Ummah with pro-Western view;

Make statements about religion which 'emphasize common elements and values that unite Islam and Christianity,' and 'avoid divisive factors' to destroy Muslims' distinct Islamic identity;

Describe Western political systems with the phrase 'participation in decision making (which is more commonly used by Muslim elite instead of 'democracy,' which viewed as a 'Western (and therefore) alien idea' to compel Muslims into accepting and participating in Western-style secular governments.

Djerejian's "if you can't beat them, join them" approach tries to trick Muslims into alliances with non-Muslims based on "shared" beliefs and lifestyles. This type of "interfaith" movement will convince our Ummah to accept and celebrate the Kufr (disbelief) in an effort to stop Muslims who are seeking the complete re-establishment of our Islamic System.

What Djerejian is suggesting is not an isolated incident or, a lonely "extreme" voice. There are numerous examples of this. One only need to go to their local library and go through volume of information presented about this subject. Besides, we should not have to look at what they are saying. Allah told us 1400 years ago, when He said:

 

"And the Jews and Christian will never be pleased with you until you follow their ways"
[EMQ Al-Baqarah 2:20]

 

and in another Ayat He (swt) says,

 

"O you who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for your friends and protectors. They are but friends and protectors to each other, and he amongst you that turns to them IS of them. Verily Allah guides not a people unjust."
[EMQ Al-Ma'idah 5:51]

 

This point was brought home, when during Bosnian war, the writing on the wall (graffiti) said, "Muslims out of Bosnia."

May Allah give us the courage and strength to follow his way, shown to us by Muhammad (saaw). Ameen. I just would like to close by stating an Ayat from the Qur'an, where Allah says:

 

"And whosoever desires a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers." [EMQ Al-Imran 3:85]