By Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro

The late Grand Mufti of Syria

Click here to read Part 1

Allah has made us kindred spirits under the banner of Abraham, shown us our various rites and rituals and guided us on the right path.

The Children of Abraham are joined together in one long historical struggle in defense of the Oneness of God and in their campaigns against corruption, vice, sinfulness, and all acts of injustice.

Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) fought long against the tyranny of Pharaoh, and Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) against the evils of the Romans and the exploiters of religion. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also struggled against the malicious paganism of his time. They (peace be upon them) all emanate from one source and have the same goal.

Prophet Muhammad was always commanded to follow the example of Abraham and the line of prophets who were his descendants:

Therefore patiently persevere as did (all) messengers of inflexible purpose. (Al-Ahqaf 46:35)

And who are these Messengers but Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, Son of Mary. This brief outline of the common roots of the Abrahamic religions puts us face to face with contemporary issues.

Against Evil & Social Diseases

As you know, the world has witnessed two futile wars in which millions of people were killed. After this, the world faced the oppression of the cold war for forty years. After the recent demise of this atheistic philosophy, it left in its wake evil remnants that have poisoned the world.

Statistics tell us of widespread perversion, crimes, sinfulness, drug addiction, gambling, etc. Adultery, fornication, and homosexuality are forbidden by all revealed religions and, as such, incur the wrath of Allah. Homelessness is a social plague and the use of illegal drugs has become another plague, responsible for the spread of virulent contagious diseases that now may even threaten the possible extinction of human life on the planet. What have the children of Abraham done to combat such vices?

The real enemies of faith today are the vices left by the cold war and the spread of atheism. Religious stagnation and fanaticism also must take their share of the blame. The People of the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an should launch fierce battles against the causes of all of these diseases which keep human beings from their proper relationship with their Creator.

Human history is full of numerous instances of religious wars that resulted from misunderstanding between peoples. Only with hindsight were the people of wisdom able to distinguish true and sincere causes from the maliciously ambitious designs of people who used religion as a screen for their evil ends.

If Moses were to meet Jesus, and if both of them were to meet Muhammad (peace be upon them all) it would undoubtedly be a meeting of dutiful brothers under the umbrella of their forefather, Abraham. Moses repeatedly brought glad tidings of the Savior to come after him, and Jesus of the Prophet to follow him.

Last Mission… Same Purpose

Finally, when Muhammad came, he confirmed the truth of all the prophetic missions before him with admirable love and compassion. If humanity were to reflect on and understand the missions of such men, it would cast off the diseases from which it suffers today. In addressing the Children of Abraham, the Qur’an urges them to unite in their efforts and cooperate, when it says:

Say (O Muslims), We believe in Allah and what is revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob and the Tribes, and what Moses and Jesus received, and what the other Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them, and we bow to Allah in adherence and submission. (Al-Baqarah 2:136)

O People of Faith, Allah has made us kindred spirits under the banner of Abraham. He has shown us our various rites and rituals and guided us on the right path. He has laid upon our shoulders the responsibility for human solidarity and social reform. He has urged us to exert our best efforts for the establishment of peace, compassion, and universal humanism, recognizing the essential spiritual nature of every person, as in the words of Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him):

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God.” (Mathew 5:9)

I conclude with this verse from the Qur’an, in which Allah says:

Then shall anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good see it. And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it. (Az-Zalzalah 99:7,8)

_________________________

Source:The article is taken with kind permission from islamic-study.org.