ISLAM AS AN ABRAHAMIC FAITH: CONTINUITY AND CONTRASTThird Age Learning series on Understanding Islam

Persistent Orientalist modes of thinking and Muslims

Once again dominant, has acquired the status of commonsense

Promoted by primary definers of the news in a climate of fear and intimidation

Such definitions become normative through a process of repetition

Key commonsense assumptions: taken for granted frames that underpin discussion of Islam and Muslims

Islam is a monolithic religion Islam is a uniquely sexist religion The Muslim/Arab mind is incapable of

rationality and science Islam is inherently violent The West spreads democracy whereas

Islam promotes terrorism

Islam vs. Judeo Christian tradition?Emergence of the concept in the twentieth century?Resurgence of the concept in the current times, especially post-9/11Use by Islamophobes and implications for alienating Islam and MuslimsShift to Abrahamic traditionsApproach of the three traditions to Abraham and scholars wrestling with finding common ground in Abraham

Questions to ponder for today What is Islam and Muslims? What does it mean that Abraham is the father

of all monotheistic faith traditions? What does the Quran itself tell us about

continuity and contrast, pluralism and diversity?

What are our choices—clash or convivencia? Any other questions you will bring to the table

in a respectful way All questions are good, better to ask than to

believe in the “commonsense” myths

The Basics

What is Islam and who are Muslims? When did Islam arrive on the scene

Adam/Abraham/Muhammad? Three Dimensions of Islam

Islam (Submission) Iman (Faith) Ihsan (Excellence)

Faith principles:Pillars of Islam and Ihsan

Five pillars of Islam (submission): belief in One God, Prayer, Alms giving, Fasting, Pilgrimage,

Six pillars of Iman (faith): faith in One God, all Prophets, all Books, Angels, Last day, Measuring out of good and evil

Muslims

Over 1.7 billion people who live in 57 Muslim majority countries all over the world

Large sections of Muslims live as minorities Arab and Muslim not to be conflated. Arabs

only make up 20% of the global Muslim population

Faith and family core values in Muslims’ lives Muslims like Jews and Christians believe in

the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus Islam and Muslim is not a monolith

Essence of Oneness

Reality of God as the One, the Absolute and the Infinite-- Allah Surah Al-Ikhlas (Purity ) Chapter 112 In the Name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the

Giver of MercySay, He is the One, God the eternal, He begot

no one nor was He begotten, No one is comparable to Him

Oneness of God and other religions Reassertion of the revelation of God to

all Prophets The Quran states

We have never sent a messenger before except that We revealed to him, saying, “There is no god but I, so worship Me”

Who or what is God?

Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds. The Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth…. neither of the east nor of the west,… Light upon Light! 24:35

The East and the West belong to God. To whichever direction you turn, you will be turning to God. God is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. 2:115

There is no male or female representation of God Ninty nine attributes (never personified) that describe the nature

of divinity Al Asma al-husna (Beautiful names) God is never the father or heaven—He is the all-Knowing, the

Praiseworthy, the strong, the Creator, the Permanent. God’s reality is absolute, human reality is relative God is close than the jugular vein

God for Whom?

We have honoured the children of Adam (not Muslims) 17:70

Quran favours the ‘virtuous’ individual and admonishes the ‘vicious’ individual It does not guarantee special status to anyone but the righteous:

Goodness does not consist in turning your face towards East or West. The truly good are those who believe in God and the Last Day, in the angels, the Scripture, and the prophets; who give away some of their wealth, however much they cherish it, to their relatives, to orphans, the needy, travellers and beggars, and to liberate those in bondage, those who keep up the prayer and pay the prescribed alms; who keep pledges whenever they make them; who are steadfast in misfortune, adversity, and times of danger. These are the ones who are true, and it is they who are aware of God 2:177

O Human beings, … We have made you into nations and tribes that you may recognize one another. Verily, the most honoured of you, in the sight of God, is he who is the most righteous among you. … 49:13

Islam and creation of humans Insan (human)

“ God created humans in the best of stature” 95:4

With intelligence capable of Knowing the One.

Primordial nature (al-fitrah)Relationship between humans and God even

before coming into this world

Plurality and diversity by design Had your Lord willed, all the people on

earth would have believed. So can you compel people to believe? No soul can believe except by God’s will, and He brings disgrace on those who do not use reason. 10:99-100

If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single community, but they continue to have their differences 11:118

Creation of Adam (synonym for human being)

God created Adam the first human in His image

Human as vicegerents of God (khalifa) Carrying the trust and human freedom God taught Adam the names Abd (servant of God) Servanthood

precedes vicegerency Servant of God an epithet given to

Muhammad and Jesus in the Quran (also a very common name, Abdallah)

Adam’s superiority to Angels God announces Adam’s creation to Angels.

They say: “What, will you place in the earth who will

work corruption there, and shed blood?” (2:30)

Gog replied, “I know something you know not.”

God taught Adam the Names--knowledge God asks Angels to bow before Adam, Iblis

refuses

Adam and Iblis (Satan)

Trust and fitra (innate nature) suggest that humans have a great responsibility before God and His creation

God created humans from a single soul People be mindful of your Lord, who

created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate…(4:1)

God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with instructions

Enter Iblis

Iblis’s disobedience, leads to his downfall How Satan came to be the enemy of humans. His

motivation pride, anger and envy Iblis’s mission until the end of time with God’s

permission Said he, “My Lord, because You have led me astray, I

shall make the earth seem fair to them and I shall lead them astray, except the sincere among Your servants.”

Said He, “This is for me a straight path: As for My servants, you shall have no authority over them, except those that follow you, going astray. Gehenna is the promised place for all of them.” (15: 39-43)

Instructions for Adam and Eve We said, “ Adam, dwell, you and your

wife, in the Garden, and eat thereof easefully wherever you desire. But do not come near this tree, lest you be wrongdoers.”

Then Satan caused them to slip there from and brought them out of what they were in. (2:35-36)

Freedom and guidance

What does it mean to be human?

Choice between right and wrong Both Adam and Eve ate the forbidden

fruit from the tree of knowledge, both slipped and both asked for forgiveness

“Adam disobeyed his Lord’ (20:121) God then said to them both

“Did I not prohibit you two from this tree and say to you, ‘Verily, Satan is for you two an open enemy?” (7:22)

No original sin

Both Adam and Eve recognize their mistake and seek God’s forgiveness and they are both forgiven

God chose Adam as the first Prophet God then sends Adam and Eve down to

earth as vicegerents Dialogue of Moses with Adam

Why Prophets?

In Islam revelation and Prophecy are necessary and Universal

Divine Oneness (Tawhid) and its reaffirmation through Prophets

Why? Ghafla (heedlessness, forgetfulness of fitra)

Religion (din), a way of life Revelation (wahy) Prophecy (nubuwwa) Kitab--- Quran and other books

Islam’s Prophets

Start with Adam down to Muhammad Acceptance of multiplicity of prophets

and revelations People of the Book—Jews and Christians Some traditions number them at

124,000 Finality of Prophecy—”Seal of

Prophethood” Role of Abraham, Moses and Jesus in

Islam

Abraham the father of monotheism Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he

was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah ]. And he was not of the polytheists 3:68

Say, [O believers], "We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him 2:137

Abraham’s descendants

Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him 2:134

Demonizing Ishmael and his descendants

Often based on a exclusivist interpretation of the Bible

 The angel of the LORD also said to her( Hagar): “You are now pregnant    and you will give birth to a son.You shall name him Ishmael,[a]

    for the LORD has heard of your misery.12 He will be a wild donkey of a man;    his hand will be against everyone    and everyone’s hand against him,and he will live in hostility    toward[b] all his brothers.”Genesis 16:11-12New International Version

Quran and Prophet Muhammad a continuation

Quran as revelation: key issue To understand Islam, it is essential to

understand the Prophet of Islam to whom the Quran was revealed

The Prophet, a human just as all other Prophets—no divinity

Islam is not Muhammadanism Verily you have in the Messenger of God and excellent

exemplar for him who looks to God and Last Day and remembers God often” (32:21)

Who was Prophet Muhammad? Born in Mecca in 570 A.D. into the tribe of

Quraysh An orphan A Hanif (primordialist, followed the monotheism of

Abraham) Al Amin (the trustworthy) His marriage to Khadija Revelation at the age of 40 Al-Miraj (ascension to heaven) Opposition and migration Return to Mecca Death in Medina

Continuation of revelation

This Qur'an … is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds. 10:37

We have revealed to you (Muhammad) as We revealed to Noah and the Prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the offspring of Jacob, and Jesus and Job, and Jonnah, and Aaron and Solomon, and We gave to David Psalms. 4:163

Repeatedly the Quran underscores the fact that its message is not something new or completely different from the message of the earlier prophets or former scriptures.

Universality and particularity of Prophecy

All Prophets brought the first shahadah—tawhid (oneness f God)

“We have never sent a messenger before thee save that We revealed to him saying, ‘There is no god but I, so worship me’” (21:25).

“to every one of you (messengers) We have appointed a right way and an open road (shariah) (5:48)

Particularity of the second part of the shahadah (bearing witness)

No differentiation in Prophets of God

Say: We have faith in God, and in that which has been sent down on Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, and Jacob, and the Tribes, and that which was given to Moses and Jesus and the prophets by their Lord. We make no distinction among any of them, and to Him we have submitted (2: 136, 2: 285, 3:84)

Acknowledgement of different messages

Any distinction has to be made on the basis of messages “And those messengers—some we have

preferred above others. Among them was he to whom God spoke, and He raised some in degrees. And We gave Jesus son of Mary the clear explications, and We confirmed him with the Holy Spirit” (2:253)

“And we have preferred some Prophets over others, and We gave David the Psalms” (17:55)

Islam and other religions

No consensus among Muslims on the issue of Islam and other religions

Shades of exclusivist tendencies persist Quranic perspective, centrality of tawhid.

“Those who have faith, and those of the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabeans---whoso has faith in God and the Last Day and works wholesome deeds—their wage awaits them with their Lord, and no fear shall be upon them, neither shall they sorrow” (2:62)

Believers vs. Non believers

Focused on distortion of Tawhid (oneness of God)

Corruption of scriptures Trinity (in Christianity) Criticism of Jews who broke the covenant

of God and opposed conspired against Prophet Muhammad

Kuffar (those who cover) or truth concealers, does not equate to infidel

People of the Book

Jews and Christians are referred to as the people of the Book

Mentioned throughout the Quran Some of the people of the Book are a wholesome

nation. They recite God’s signs in the watches of the night, prostrating themselves, having faith in God and the Last Day, bidding to honour and forbidding dishonour, and vying with one another in good deeds. They are among the wholesome. Whatever good they do, they will not be denied its reward”. (3:113-115)

Jews and Christians in the Quran

The Quran frankly acknowledges the virtues of Jews and Christians and thus generates an inclusive attitude among the believers. It says: Of the people of Moses there is a section who guide and do justice in the light of truth 7:159 Of the People of the Book there are upright people: they recite the word of God all night

long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. 3:113

…and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant. 5:82

The Quran also acknowledges the Jewish and Christian scriptures, their high status and position: It is He Who sent down to you (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before

it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind, … 3:3

It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light… 5:44 And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come

before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God. 5:46

This (i.e. the Quran) indeed is what is taught in the former Scriptures — The Scriptures of Abraham and Moses. 87:18-19

Islam and religious pluralism today

Role of political tensions Missionaries and colonialism Forced conversions in Islam

unacceptable—precedence in Prophet’s return to Mecca

Apostasy and freedom of religion “There is no compulsion in religion” (2:

256)

Clash of civilizations vs. clash of ignorance

Bernard Lewis Samuel Huntington Edward Said’s response

Where do we go from here?

Constant divide or dialogue of civilizations

Who will frame the future of which path we choose?

Our responsibility

Thank you

For sharing this time with me. I am grateful.

Peace be with all of you