There was a recent episode of 'Dispatches' on Channel 4 which showed undercover reporters attend a variety of Sunni mosques in Birmingham. It stirred up a large amount of controversy because the reporters spoke to various members of the mosque about the relationship of muslims with the West, many muslims were heard to condemn the UK, criticise Christians and sympathised with Osama Bin Laden (although stopping short of agreeing with the terrorist attacks conducted by Al-Qaeda). It painted a very fundamentalist, Wahabist view of Muslims and made no attempt to speak to so-called 'moderate' Muslims or even Shia Muslims. It seemed to purposely attend only the hard-line, fundamentalist mosques, trying to create controversy for the sake of controversy.
Fundamentalist Islam has become a very easy target for the media in the West. Unfortunately extremism does exist in Islam and there are fanatical Muslims only too keen to cause death and destruction by any means necessary. However, this programme brought to light two issues: 1) There never seems to be any attention given to the fundamentalist Christians that exist and 2) The relationship between Muslims and Christians in the West.
For fundamentalist Christians, Islam is enemy no. 1. Perhaps it is because of reports such as a recent survey published in Der Spiegel which states that Islam is the fastest growing religion in Germany and France, because of conversion by white Europeans. Prominent evangelical figures such as Franklin Graham, described Islam as a "very evil and wicked religion," Jerry Falwell calls the Holy Prophet a "terrorist," Pat Robertson calls the Prophet "an absolute wild eyed fanatic, a robber," Jerry Vines labels the Prophet as "a demon-possessed paedophile" and Patrick Sookhdeo calls for the ban of the Quran because it "glorifies terrorism." Where is all the tolerance, respect, understanding and inter-faith dialogue from such people, when they demand the same from Muslims?
The President of Iran, Ahmedinajad is often mocked for his elaborate statements such as when having given a speech to the UN in September 2005, he described afterwards that he felt as if a halo was over his head and "that all of a sudden the atmosphere changed and all the leaders did not blink." But if these statements are considered elaborate then President Bush is equally guilty.
In 2004 when addressing an Amish group in Pennsylvania, Bush claimed that "God speaks through me, without that, I couldn't do my job." And, in 2003 at the Aqaba Summit, Bush stated that "God told me to strike at al-Qaeda and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam [ Hussein], which I did..." In addition, General William G. Boykin (the United States Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence) has stated that "God put Bush in the White House" and "My God is bigger than yours [Allah], I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol." Even our own Prime Minister joins in. On an interview with Parkinson last year, he claimed that "God will be my judge on Iraq."
These are the people with their finger on the nuclear triggers: fundamentalist Christians who believe in an apocalyptic vision of Armageddon and a clash of civilisations between East and West…God help us all!
However, I don't want to go on about these militant Christians, the nasty Christians, those who want conflict between Christianity and Islam. We have a lot in common and we need to remind the Wahabis on our side and the militant evangelicals on the Christian side of this fact, because so many of them are unaware.
We have so many beliefs in common. Both believe in the God of the Old Testament, both the heirs of Abraham, both love Mary both love Jesus, both believe in the Virgin birth, both believe in miracles of Jesus. Infact I would argue that Muslims describe the miracles of Jesus in more detail than the Christians. Whereas the Bible talks about the miracle of turning water into wine (John 2: 6-12), the holy Quran describes Jesus defending his mother's honour by speaking from the cradle (Surah 19, Verses 27-33).
Remember, in this amoral secular Western world, we followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, regardless of when and where they lived, have always had the same moral values. Refraining from murder, theft, adultery and fornication, lying, injustice, and every kind of wrong-doing, as well as behaving in a polite and respectful manner to others, are basic values recognized by all believers. Thus, they respond in a very similar manner to events, even though there are differences in their views and practices – compared to atheists and materialists who respond differently.
Problem is now that Christianity is under siege from “illiberal atheists” and “aggressive secularists” For example, the recent gay adoption row, and it was good to see Catholics standing up for themselves because for too long they have accommodated prevailing secular attitudes in the name of modernization and seen churches empty. Whereas in Islam: “what Muhammad made halal, stays halal…what he made haram, stays haram.” That is not to say that change amongst the Muslims is not required, it is, but Islamic reformation applies, unlike Christian reform, not to theology or beliefs but to the attitudes and mindsets of the believers: who have become too narrow-minded, too intolerant, too judgmental and arrogant, too prone to bloodshed and violence as a means of resolving conflicts.
The Quran talks about the Christians on many occasions, highlighting their importance and value.
- "Not all of them are alike; a party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Verses of God during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer. They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin Al-Ma'rûf and forbid Al-Munkar; and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for God knows well those who are amongst the righteous, the Muttaqeen.” (Surah 3, Verses 113-115)
- “And there are, certainly, among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), those who believe in God and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before God. They do not sell the Verses of God for a little price, for them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, God is Swift in account.” (Surah 3, Verse 199)
- “Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in God and the Last Day and do righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” (Surah 2, Verse 62)
Why do the Wahabis on Dispatches think there should be no relations, no dialogue, between us and the Christians? This is NOT Sunnah. In the Quran the Holy Prophet is invited to issue an invitation of compromise and unity between Christian and Muslims: "O people of the Scripture: Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but God, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides God.” (Surah 3, Verse 64)
We should have positive relations with the Christians and show them how beloved Jesus is to us; how important to Islam and the Quran he is. In the Quran he is mentioned 6 times under the title "Messiah." He is introduced as "Allah’s Messenger and [His] Word..." (Surah 4, Verse 171) and "...a sign for all peoples." (Surah 21, Verse 91).
Unfortunately, Christianity took things too far. They went too far in their adoration of Jesus; they began worshipping him whilst the Jews, on the other hand, went to the other extreme and rejected him. Only Islam maintains the true importance and value of Jesus. The adoration of Jesus by Christians is something the Holy Prophet acknowledged and compared to the adoration of Imam Ali (a.s.). After the Battle of Khaybar, the Holy Prophet said "Ali, if I were not afraid that the Muslims would start to venerate and regard you as the Christians regard Christ, I would have said things about you which would have made the Muslims venerate you and consider the dust of your feet as something worth venerating and idolising; but it will suffice to say that you are from me and I from you; you will inherit me and I will inherit you; you are unto me what Haroun was unto Musa; you will fight my cause and be nearest to me on the Day of Judgment, be nearest to me at the Pond of Kausar; enmity against you is enmity against me; a war against you is a war against me; your friendship is my friendship; to be at peace with you is to be at peace with me; your flesh is my flesh; your blood is my blood; whoever obeys you, obeys me; truth is on your tongue, in your heart in and in your mind. Your faith in Allah is the same as my faith in God. You are the doorway and gateway to me. And Allah tells me to tell you that your friends and allies, your Shias, will be rewarded with Heaven while your enemies will be punished in Hell.”
Christians say that Jesus is Son of God because Bible says so AND because he had no father. A simple reply is "what about Adam?" Why are they not “Adamists” instead of Christians? In the Bible, God supposedly states "the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God" (Luke 3: 38) when describing the lineage of Jesus. What do they think of Prophet David, who, prior to Jesus, the Bible refers to as the only begotten son of God: "I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (Psalms 2: 7). Why have they literally interpreted the phrase “son of God?”
The idea of Jesus as the son of God has led to the creation of the Trinity. One God but in 3 parts. Even a 4yr old can tell you that 1+1+1=3, it can never equal 1 and yet that is what Christianity tries to claim. Jesus himself states "...the first of all commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord" (Mark 12: 29). Suzanne Haneef in her famous book "What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims," writes "...but God is not like a pie or an apple which can be divided into three thirds which form one whole; if God is three persons or possesses three parts, He is assuredly not the Single, Unique, Indivisible Being which God is and which Christianity professes to believe.”
Even Athansius, the man who formulated this doctrine of the Holy Trinity in the 4th century (300 years after the birth of Jesus), confessed that the more he wrote on the matter, the less capable he was of clearly expressing his thoughts regarding it. The issue has become more and more confusing for most Christians (including Dissident Voice). One only has to look at the 4 Gospels written by single named, source-less authors and compare them to our books of hadith on the subject of Jesus and God. There is much more to say on the subject but I would like to finish with two final points.
In Islam, we believe that Jesus will return to Earth before the end of time. Sunni's have mentioned it in numerous books but conveniently fail to mention who else will return or the relations between Jesus and that other person. In the second most famous Sunni book, Sahih Muslim, it states "I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "A group of my Ummah will fight for the truth until near the day of judgment when Jesus, the son of Mary, will descend from Heaven, and the leader of them will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying: "No, Verily, among you Allah has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them." Another famous Sunni scholar, Ibn Hajar Asgalani states in his book "...the leader of this Ummah is the Mahdi and Jesus, Isa, will come down and pray behind him."
Finally, as it is the month of Muharrum and we are commemorating the events of Karbala, we shouldn't forget that there was also a Christian who laid down his life for Imam Hussain (a.s.). John, the African slave of Abu Zharr who entered the house of the Prophet after his death as the slave of Abbas, brother of Imam Hussain (a.s.). During the battle of Karbala, John stood steadfast beside the Imam. He only spoke when spoken to and when Imam Hussain (a.s.) asked him to remain in the camp and look after the women and children he politely refused, “Maula I have stayed with you in happier times, and enjoyed your welfare and hospitality, and now in your time of need you want me to abandon you. I cannot do that!” This is fidelity, loyalty, servitude. He fought the army of Yazid and when he was struck down he refused to call out to his Imam. However, Imam Hussain (a.s.) managed to get to him and laid his head on his lap where he passed away.
His is the ultimate example for us all: a true Christian, who loved Jesus and followed Jesus but did not worship him. Instead, he saw that the Prophet of Islam and the descendants of the Prophet of Islam – in particular, the martyr Imam Hussain (a.s.) – provide the same, and continuing, rope of salvation as Jesus does. He is a true Christian who sacrificed his life for the true Islam.
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