Teach Me Your Way, O Lord

In his book, The Spirit of the Islamic Religion, the great scholar Afif Tabbara gives the derivation of the word Al-Islam from salima as meaning:

For its spiritual meaning he does not confine himself to the religion proclaimed by Muhammad, son of Abdullah but every heavenly religion which avers the unity of God. The Qur'an itself testifies to this truth, which is proved by the saying, No; Abraham in truth was not a Jew, neither a Christian; but he was a Muslim and one of pure faith; certainly he was never of the idolators (Sura al-Imran 3:67).

Abraham lived thousands of years before the Muslim era, as everyone knows. Nevertheless, the Qur'an regarded him as being a Muslim, because he believed that God was one.

Indeed, in the Jalalayn exposition of al-Imran 3:67 we read: Abraham leaned away from all other religions to embrace the upright faith (a Muslim) believing in God's oneness, for he was no idolator.^[2]

Likewise, Qur'anic texts indicate that the word "Islam" applies to the Jews, repositories of the Torah. We read this statement: Surely We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; thereby the prophets who had surrendered themselves gave judgment for those of Jewry as did the masters and rabbis (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:44). Jalalayn's interpretation of the word aslamtu in this connection means submission to God's leading.

It also applies to Christians as proved by the Qur'anic saying: But when Jesus perceived their unbelief, he said, 'Who will be my helpers unto God?' The apostles said, 'We will be helpers of God; we believe in God, witness Thou our "submission" ' (Sura al-Imran 3:52).

Now the apostles here were Christ's twelve disciples who followed him at the start of his ministry, that is before the Muslim era by several centuries. Even so the Qur'an calls them "Muslims" (submission).

He has laid down for you as religion that He charged Noah with, and that we have revealed to thee, and that We charged Abraham with, Moses and Jesus: `Perform the religion, and scatter not regarding it' (Sura al-Shura 42:13).

Islam then, according to this verse is belief both in Moses and Jesus (I'sa) while upholding the Torah and the Gospel. In another place the Qur'an commands to people the religion of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, i.e. the religion of the Torah and the Gospel together. We read this statement, for instance:

Say you: we believe in God, and in that which has been sent down on us and sent down on Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob, and the Tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and the Prophets, of their Lord; we make no division between any of them, and to Him we surrender (Sura al-Baqara 2:136).

Those are they to whom, We gave the Book, the Judgment, the Prophethood; so if these disbelieve in it, We have already entrusted it to a people who do not believe in it. Those are they whom God has guided, so follow their guidance (Sura al-An'am 6:89-90).

And a party of the Children of Israel believed, and a party disbelieved. So We confirmed those who believed against their enemy, and they became masters (Sura al-Saff 61:14).

The main point of these verses is that the Qur'an acknowledged Jewish followers of Moses and later those who believed in Christ, calling them "Muslims". It enjoined Muhammad to be guided by their experience, and instructed him to inpuire of them on how to be rid of religious doubt, as in the verses:

So if Thou are in doubt, regarding what We have sent down to thee, ask those who recite the Book before thee. The trust has come down to thee from thy Lord; so be not of the doubters (Sura Yunis 10:94).

Dear Friend,

You have invoked the Qur'an to claim that Islam is the only religion chosen of God, forgetting that the Qur'an itself upholds the Gospel when it declares:

So let the people of the Gospel, judge according to what God has sent down therein. Whosoever judges not according to what god has sent down - they are the ungodly (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:47).

Oh believers, believe in God and His Messenger and the Book He has sent down on His Messenger and the Book which He sent down before. Whoso disbelieves in God and His Angels and His Book and His Messengers, and the Last Day, has surely gone astray into far error (Sura al-Nisa 4:136).

Perhaps the last two texts will persuade you to reconsider your position towards the religion of God in the Gospel; since they call you to follow its precepts, of which the foremost is belief in Jesus Christ who said:

I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies (John 11:26).

No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Certainly there has been no nobler religion than the one flowing from God's beloved Gospel. It is distinguished not by being a letter sent down but by a divine Person who, at the right time, became incarnate in order to declare God's love in redemption, and to save the world by grace. It is the Gospel which says:

(John 1:1-18).

The apostolic word spoken by Paul, the warrior of the Faith, states:

So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the word. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights o sons (Galatians 4:3-5).

The Christian religion is the religion of redemption, without which we would still be prostrate under the burden of sin, without hope in the world, destined to the fires of hell. But God, who is rich in mercy, devised man's salvation through the sacrificial death of Christ thus proving his wonderful and boundless love. Christ expressed this love by saying:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life(John 3:16).

The Buddhist religion says:

Goodness and righteousness both are the road which leads to Nirvana - The greatest good.

The Jewish religion says:

Moses writes of the righteousness of the Law, whoever keeps it shall live by it.

The Islamic religion says:

The weight in that day is truth. They whose weights are heavier are the successful.

All these sayings are excellent, but they urge man to do something, of which he is incapable. It is like asking a paralytic to move or a dead person to live!

Regarding righteousness, King David said under the inspiration of Holy Spirit: The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men so see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good not even one (Psalm 14:2-3).

As for keeping the Law, the first and greatest commandment enjoins man to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. The second charges him to love his neighbor as himself (Luke 10:27).

Experience teaches us that no human person was able to fulfill the Law. For this reason all those who tried to do the Law fell under a curse for it is written: All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: `Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law' (Galatians 3:10). On the subject of the weight of our deeds, God through his servant David said:

Lowborn men are but a breath, the highborn are but a lie if weighes on a balance, they are nothing; together they are only a breath(Psalm 72:9).

Isaiah the prophet said: All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf and like the wind our sins sweep us away (Isaiah 64:6).

Paul the apostle said: There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no who understands, no one who seeks God... All have turned away, they have together become worthless, there is no one who does good, not even one (Romans 3:11-12).

It is true that the Law is holy and its precepts are sacred and just and righteous but it is unable to give the sinner a full salvation. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4).

This is what distinguishes the Christian faith. It is the religion of redemption which does not leave man bereft of salvation. Because God deals with him on the basis of grace when he responds to Christ's sacrificial death on the cross.

Since the Law was unable to deliver him from the power of sin and death, it failed to save and sanctify him and make him fit for God's kingdom. Christ, who is the Lord from heaven bekame incarnate sharing in man's flesh and blood in order to offer himself a substitutionary sacrifice for sin, destroying sin, and breaking its hold on man and bearing its penalty in place of man. By this redemptive, vicarious work he satisfied for us all the claims of the Law and so filfilled the prophetic words: Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4-5). You may find it difficult to accept the idea of redemption because it depends on Christ's shameful death on the cross - a theme which Muslims find offensive. However, the proofs that Christ died by crucifixion are many and incontrovertible. I have compiled them in a booklet entitled, The Cross in the Gospel and the Qur'an which you can get from this publisher.

You can find it at: http://www.the-good-way.com/en/xml/en-4480-lit-cross.html

Among the distinctions of the faith of the Gospel are its sublime social precepts which befit every generation, age, people, tongue and nation. They are based on the "Golden Rule" laid down by Christ. He said, In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).

This Rule forbids narrow selfishness, hatred, revenge, intrigue, deceit, cheating, and establishes the unity of mankind, the equality of all its members, and demands that each should seek the welfare of others.

It is only a brief rule, but keeping it abolishes strife and warfare that would make this world the paradise of bliss. For in it is the distillation of the teachings of the Law and Prophets, since its object is to make each one love the other as himself.

Actually this glorious Rule teaches us how to fulfill the commandment which says: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, which the apostle Paul commented on by saying: ...for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'Do not steal', 'Do not covet', and whatever other commandment there may be; are summed up in this one rule; 'Love your neighbor as yourself'. Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the Law (Romans 13:8-10).

And in order for Christ to remove from the souls of his elect all influences which hinder man from attaining this lofty height of love he said to them: But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:44-48).

Theses principles, then, in their transcendence, their breadth and depth, demonstrate their superiority over natural love and natural benevolence based on the principle of self-love whose slogan is to expect return and repayment. Therefore, Christ meant us to love for its own sake, and to desire the welfare of others as an end in itself and to cling to righteousness and virtue for the sake of righteous and virtue.

Christ's apostles expounded their Master's teaching on love in magnificent expositions inspired by the Holy Spirit. Such is:

This is genuine Christianity. It is the religion steeped in the spirit of redemption which, if necessary, forgives wrongs seventy-seven times a day.

It is the Christian religion which stands out among the world's religions by virtue of Christ's blood, which speaks better things than the blood of Abel. For Abel's blood cried out to God for vengeance but the blood of Christ cried out pleading forgiveness of God for his murderers. We read that Jesus cried from the cross: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).

From the expression you used in your letter it is clear that you have a zeal for religion, and it is fine for a young man to be zealous in this way, as long as his zeal does not carry him to overstep the boundaries set for dialogue between a Muslim and a Christian. It is when you challenge the beliefs of the "People of the Book" in this fashion that you violate the Qur'anic injunction, Dispute not with the People of the Book save in the fairer manner (Sura al-'Ankabut 29:46).

O course, it was your over-enthusiasm which placed you in a corner from which you could not enjoy the vision which the Gospel creates. For that reason I am not surprised that you consider the spiritual tracts we sent you as being garbage or fabrications.

I do not wish to enter into an argument with you over the statement that Islam is the final message.

However, I would draw your attention, in love, to an important truth, namely that when you assert that Islam superseded all religions including Christianity you contradict the Qur'an through your ignorance of its texts which confirm the religion of the Torah and the Gospel.

Possibly you have gained this idea of abrogation from the book, Guidance of Seekers, into the Origin of Religion by Mawia Mohammad Takieddine Al Kashani, the Persian who said that Muhammad is the prophet of this age, and his religion has abrogated the religions of former prophets.

Replying to this I would say: The Qur'an itself does not mention that it has come to supersede the Torah and the Gospel; likewise the Prophetic Traditions do not speak in this vein. So this makes your statement ridiculous and feeble, baseless except for the minds of those with an axe to grind, whose main aim is to inject the poison of fanaticism. Even if this allegation does not overturn the teaching of the Qur'an, it at least confuses it and makes it say something not contained in it.

Everyone knows that abrogation (something superseding something else) is specifically applied to the Qur'an's text only and occurs in two places:

Those two texts do not indicate that the Qur'an came to annul (or abrogate) the Holy Bible, but that some of the texts of the Qur'an annul others. The scholar Al-Baidawi has left us a comprehensive discussion on the subject of abrogation referred to in the Sura al-Hajj, and mentions how some words from the al-Najm Sura were abrogated. You could look up these interpretations if you wish.

Others have also mentioned this phenomenon such as Yahya, and Jala-Ed-Din. They are alluded to the Life of the Prophet by Ibn Hisham, after Ibn Ishaq. Another author, Al-Tabari refers to this subject in his expanded interpretations.

Ibn Hatem relates the following, basing his information on Ibn Abbas: It is possible that the inspiration descended on the prophet by night and he forgot the next day. And so the verse was given, 'And for whatever verse We abrogate or cast into oblivion', etc (see above).

As for Al-Baidawi, he says, It (this verse) descended when the idolators or the Jews accused: 'Don't you see that Muhammad commands his followers then changes his mind and commands the opposite!' Thus, the occasion of this verse was clearly to answer the doubts of the scribes and the Muslims regarding changes in the Qur'anic text itself.

Furthermore, al-Jalaleyn gives this interprepation: The prophet was reading from Sura al-Najm before a council, Have ye thought upon al-Lat and al-Uzza and al-Anat the Third, the other? (Sura al-Najm 19-20). Satan putting words on his tongue without his realizing it: Those heavenly beings, youthfully delicate and handsome, we hope they will intercede for us. This made them happy. But Gabriel informed him of what Satan had put on his tongue. He was sorry and consoled himself with the verse, But God annuls what Satan casts, etc.

According to al-Sayouti, annulment was peculiar to this nation, that is, Islam.

Basing our conclusion on these comments made by scholars we can say that the allegations that the Qur'an supersedes the Gospel or Islam supersedes other religions in unfounded.

In his book, Revealing the Truth, Al-Hajj Rahmat Allah Al-Hindi says: The sayings that the Torah was annulled by the advent of the Psalms, and the Psalms annulled when the Gospel appeared, and the Gospel was abrogated when the Qur'an came, have no trace either in the Qur'an or the Prophetic Traditions.

How true are the words or this scholar. The Qur'an, contrary to the advocates of "annulment", refutes these claims to their foundation when it states: He has laid down for you as religion that He charged Noah with, and that We have revealed to thee, and that We charged Abraham with, Moses, and Jesus: 'Perform the religion, and scatter not regarding it' (Sura al-Shura 42:13).

So you see, my friend, that you are attacking your religion of Islam by claiming that heavenly religions before Islam have been abrogated. Indeed, can you tell me how you can as a Muslim, enjoined to believe what is in the Qur'an, make such a claim without a basis in fact?

Have you forgotten, my friend, that the Qur'an calls you with every Arab to be guided by the precepts of The People of the Book? Yes, it says, God desires to make clear to you, and to guide you in the institutions of chose before you, and to turn towards you; God is All-knowing, All-wise (Sura al-Nisa 4:25).

Instead, you should ask, "could it be that our religion is superseded?" as long as the Qur'an asks Muhammad himself to follow our guidance when it says:

Those are they to whom We gave the Book, the Judgment, the Prophethood; so if these disbelieve in it, We have already entrusted it to a people who do not disbelieve in it. Those are they whom God has guided, so follow their guidance(Sura al-An'am 6:89-90).

Instead, you should ask, how could our religion have been superseded so long as the Qur'an calls on Muhammad to resort to our forefathers in order to remove his own doubts when it says:

So if thou art in doubt regarding what We have sent down to thee, ask those who recite the Book before thee (Sura Yunis 10:94).

Tell me, how could our religion have been superseded as long as the Qur'an call on us to establish the judgments of the Gospels? It says: So let the people of the Gospel judge according to what God has sent down therein. Whosoever judges not according to what God has sent down - they are the ungodly (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:46).

My dear friend, one of the distinctive things about our Holy Bible is the fact that the teachings of its many books show a complete harmony and move in one direction, namely the declaration of God's purposes for the sons of men. Therefore, it neither has abrogation nor an abrogated test among its teachings.

God's Book is the Book for all generations and epochs and the religion it enshrines is God's religion from eternity and for ever. In it is the divine statement: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Matthew 24:35). And did not the Qur'an itself say in the Sura al-An'am 34, No man can change the words of God. And in Sura Yunis 64, There is no changing the words of God. And in the Sura al-Hijr 9, It is we who have sent down the Remembrance, and we watch over it.

In the Sura al-Nahl we also read, We send not any before thee, except men to whom we revealed: `Question the people of the Remembrance, if it should be that you do not know' (Sura al-Nahl 16:43).

This text leads us to pose the question: Supposing a group of devout Muslims who faithfully follow the Qur'an were going to the People of the Book to inquire of them about divine things beyond their knowledge. On the way they met another group of those who claim 'annulment'. They told them, 'We are going to the People of Remembrance to ask them on matters of which we are ignorant.' I wonder if the other group, the objectors, dare reply: "Do not go, for their Remembrance (Book) has been annulled''? Even if they dared forbid them, what would be the position of the devout? Would they believe them, or believe the Qur'an which said: Question the people of the Remembrance, if it should be that you do not know.

Assuredly, if they accepted the claim of annulment it would have amounted to an admission on their part that God had failed in his promise which said: It is we who have sent down the Remembrance, and we watch over it.

My dear friend, I don't blame you when you judge Christianity as being the religion of devotion and monasticism, for this betrays your limited knowledge of Christianity. For monasticism is not of the essence of the Gospel but grew out of human endeavors on which I am unable to comment within the limited space of this letter.

And now what would you say if I took the endeavors of some unorthodox Islamic groups, not strictly adhering to the Qur'an, in order to attack and criticize Islam? Would that be fair? I leave the reply to you... As to your statement that the Qur'an is the word of God, whereas the Gospel consists of the words of men like Paul and John: This too shows how deficient your knowledge is about Christianity.

Please understand, my friend, that the Gospel in its essence is not words penned by Paul or John. Likewise, our Gospel was not literally brought down by Gabriel, and then written by men. But it is a divine Person who became man in the fulness of time in order to declare that God is love. Furthermore, by this embodied love he accomplished redemption to save world by grace.

Regarding your gloating at the fact that some Christians have embraced Islam and citing it as proof that the one religion is superior to the other, I ask you to comment then on the fact that thousands of Muslims have embraced the atheistic communistic creed.

And what is your opinion of tens of thousands of Indonesian Muslims who have embraced the Christian religion.

Awaiting the receipt of a kind gesture from you, I wish you every good and peace with God. I am praying especially for you that your love will grow; perhaps this love will grant us more acceptance and favour on your part. Maybe love will make you search out truths more intelligently. You will then test all things and hold fast to the good.