|
A COMMON LINK OF
PROGRESSIVE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR THE 'CONFESSIONS
OF FAITH', AS FOUND IN
THE OLD TESTAMENT,
THE NEW TESTAMENT
AND THE QUR'AN
After the study of comparative religions,
over a number of years, I have discovered that Judaism, Christianity and
Islam are not only the three children of a common patriarch sharing a common
heritage, but they all have a common belief in the existence of Revealed
Scriptures. The preaching and practices of these religions are based upon
the guidance and the norms that are dictated in their Holy Books. There
is a heavenly thread that binds these books of Divine Instructions. The
'Great Instructor' being the ONE, I find conceptual similarities in quite
a few instances between the norms dictated in the Old Testament,
the New Testament and the Qur'an (Koran). Upon a closer study, one
can easily notice that there happens to be a continuity of the Divine Instructions,
linking one to another. Furthermore, these dictated fundamental Instructions
are of a progressive nature.
The bridges can be built between the
three children of Abraham - "People of The Books" - if every son
and daughter of the great patriarch reads with a wider perspective,
the books of the other family members and respect their prophets. Reading
of all the three scriptures, specially what the great prophets themselves
had originally spoken or revealed, is bound to develop an attitude
whose outlook would be panoramic enough to sweep the conceptual harmony
between them. In the Qur'an, Jews and Christians are addressed as
the "People of the Books". However, from an overall perspective, Muslims
too are People of the Book, since Islam is also founded upon a Revealed
Book - the Qur'an.
The development of a newly born child's
ability to successfully communicate his thoughts by speech is not possible
within a short period of few years. The parents and teachers have to impart
that skill gradually and through various progressive stages. The process
demands years of hard labor and patience. The warmhearted compassionate
parental love turns this endless and staggering task into a greatly overwhelming
pleasure. The results of all these enormous efforts are immeasurably rewarding.
Similarly, the development of mankind's
ability to efficaciously comprehend its Creator, Sustainer and Benefactor
is not possible within a short period of few generations. After the comprehension
or acquiring of the belief comes the stage of acknowledgment or the confession
of faith. The God in its infinite Mercy has been sending various Messengers
to impart that spiritual knowledge gradually. The progressive step by step
Divine Instructions (the Cardinal Messages), as recounted below.
INITIATING:
Prophet Abraham (a.s) - the
great patriarch and an upright caravan trader, spread the Primary Message
for the 'Unity of God', (Indivisibility
or the Oneness of the Supreme Creator). This itinerant nomad carried
the Primary Message to every important trading post. The process
was like a pre-school education in the early history of mankind's
spiritual upbringing.
LISTENING:
Prophet Moses (a.s.) - the stately consolidator of the early Semite
tribes, taught his people the credo of 'Shema'; "Hear,
O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one". Deut. 6:4. Moses,
who came nearly six and half centuries after Abraham, instructed the Children
of Israel to repeat and hear, this Primary Fundamental Message for
the 'Unity of God' (Tawhid), in their ritual prayers, thrice a day.
The process of listening over and over again was like a primary school
education.
UNDERSTANDING:
Prophet Jesus (a.s.) - the righteous Messiah, advanced the Primary Message
of his predecessors and asked his followers to Know, Understand and Comprehend
what they have been hearing for the last twelve centuries. Prophet Jesus
said; "And this is eternal life, that they may know
Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I glorified
Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given me to
do." John 17 : 3-4. The discernment was of THEE - the Sender,
as the "Only True God", and of Jesus - the one who was Sent, as the Sender's
obedient Messenger. Jesus came to glorify the One and Only True God who
had sent him. The recognition was of two entities having distinctly dissimilar
status. Knowing this Truth was a kind of Secondary education in the
history of the mankind's Spiritual knowledge.
TESTIFYING:
Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) - the seal of Prophets, gave the final instruction
to his Ummah (Brotherhood). Nearly seven centuries after his predecessor,
prophet Muhammad asked his followers to Affirm and Confess the Eternal
Message with faith. A Muslim is supposed to testify with faith; "I
perceive that there is no god except 'The God' and I perceive that Muhammad
is the Messenger of 'The God'." This definitive confession for the
Oneness of 'The God' combined with the absolute negation of its divisibility,
was the Final Message. One may call it the Final Graduation. Hence, the
need for a new Scripture and a succeeding Educator to enlighten further,
was not necessary. A believing Muslim submits his/her whole self
to Allah (The God). A Muslim acknowledges that whatever has been
Divinely Revealed or Inspired to the earlier prophets, in its untainted
form, came from the One and Only Almighty Allah. He Himself had placed
therein, the Divine Light and Guidance, for mankind.
Nor be like those who say, "We hear," but listen not:
For the worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are the
deaf and dumb, - those who understand not.
Sura Al-Anfal (8): 21/22
...Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His
Scriptures and His messengers - we make no distinction
between any of His messengers... Sura Baqarah (2): 185
Please send your comments directly to the
author,
Akbarally Meherally, by e-mail at
trustone@bc.sympatico.ca
AGA
KHAN'S DIVINITY * BIO-DATA
* CONFESSIONS OF FAITH
* CRISIS
DU'A OF ISMAILIS Part 1
* DU'A OF ISMAILIS Part 2 *
EPISTLE BY PAUL
FAQ BIBLE Q. 1 to 12
* FAQ BIBLE Q. 13 to 16 *
FAQ BIBLE Q. 17 to 25
GOSPEL OF GOD
HISTORY OF THE
AGA KHANS Sect. 1 * HISTORY OF THE AGA KHANS
Sect. 2 HISTORY OF THE
AGAKHANI ISMAILIS Section 1
HISTORY OF ISMAILIS
Section 2 * HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section
3
HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section
4 * HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 5
HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section
6 * HISTORY OF ISMAILIS Section 7
INDEX *
ISLAMIC RITUALS
* JESUS & CHRISTIANS IN QUR'AN
JESUS & MUHAMMAD
* PAUL'S AUTHORITY
PROPHECIES No. 1
* PROPHECIES No. 2
UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM
Sect. 1 * UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM
Sect. 2 UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM
Sect. 3 * UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM
Sect. 4 UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM
Sect. 5 * UNDERSTANDING ISMAILISM
Sect. 6
|
|