2. THE UNITY OF RELIGIONS

According to the teachings of Islam there is only one Religion, though it has many dispensations and Prophets.

The Unity of Religions is established by the following verses:-

“He (Allah) hath ordained for you that religion which He commended unto Noah, and that which He inspired in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying : Establish the religion and be not divided therein....unto this then, summon (O Muhammad). And be thou upright as thou art commanded and follow not their lusts, but say: I believe in whatever scriptures Allah hath sent down, and I am commanded to be just among you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. Unto us our works and unto you your works. No argument between us and you. Allah will bring us together, and unto Him is the journeying.” 42:13,15

“Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes and that which Moses and Jesus received, and that which the Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him have we Surrendered.” 2:136 See also 3:84

“Lo, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and seek to make distinctions between Allah and His Messengers and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to chose a way in between, such are disbelievers in Truth; and for disbelievers We have prepared a shameful doom.” 4:151

These verses, and many others of the same nature, may be considered to constitute the Islamic Creed. The sectarian, it is evident, understands religious teachings only superficially. He cannot understand the underlying unity. The “shameful doom” mentioned above refers, no doubt, to the resulting unbalanced psyche, the conflict between religions, and the consequent suffering and destruction. It is interesting to note that we are required not only to make no distinctions between the Prophets, but also between the Prophets and Allah. The Christians may reduce this to saying that Jesus is God which the Quran denies. Indeed, Jesus himself denies this when he prays or says:-

“And this is eternal life that they may know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3.

Clearly, we must understand the unity between Allah and the Prophets in a different way. The Prophet identifies his will with that of God. He, therefore, represents God for the people. Whether we see the Prophet as God, His incarnation or His representative, therefore, depends on whether we take an objective, a social or a subjective viewpoint.

“Whoso obeys the Messenger obeys Allah, and whoso turns away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them.” 4:80

“And when Allah made His covenant with the Prophets, He said: Behold that which I have given you of the scriptures and knowledge. And afterwards there will come unto you a Messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden in this matter? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness, and I will be a witness with you.” 3:81

Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets, not only because he was the last of the Prophets, but also because he confirms and reinforces the message of all the Prophets. Moses, it must be remembered forecast the coming of such a Prophet, as did Jesus. (Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18. John 15:26 and 16:12-13)

It behoves all Muslims to study not merely the Quran, but all scriptures of the world. A synthesis of religious knowledge is to be made so that it becomes possible to penetrate beyond the superficial differences to the underlying unitary truth.

“For every nation there is a Prophet.” 10:48

“Lo, We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner; and there is not a nation but a Warner hath passed among them.” 35:24

“And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger proclaiming: Serve Allah and shun false Idols. Then some of them there were whom Allah guided and some of them there were upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequences for the deniers. ” 16:36

“Lo, those who believe, and those who are Jews and Sabaeans and Christians - whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does right - there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.” 5:69

“Jesus said: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah? The disciples replied: We will be Allah’s helpers. We believe in Allah, and bear thou witness that we have surrendered unto Him.” 3:52

Note: The followers of Jesus are Muslims as they surrender to Allah.

“When his Lord said unto Abraham: Surrender. He said: I have surrendered to the Lord of the Worlds. The same did Abraham enjoin upon his sons and also Jacob, saying: O my sons, lo, Allah hath chosen for you the true religion; therefore, die not save as men who have surrendered unto Him.”“ 2:131-132

Note: Abraham, too is a Muslim.

“Mankind were one community, and Allah sent unto them Prophets as bearers of good tidings (gospels) and as Warners, and revealed therewith Scriptures with Truth that it might judge between mankind concerning that wherein they differ. And only those unto whom it was given differed concerning it, after clear proofs had come unto them through hatred of one another.” 2:213

“Say O People of the Scriptures, come to an agreement between us and you that we shall worship none but Allah and that we shall ascribe no partners unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for Lord besides Allah. And if they turn away then say: bear witness that we are they who have surrendered unto Him.” 3:64

Nor is it the purpose of Islam (in its particular sense) to convert people to Islam (in its particular sense).

“Say, O people of the scriptures, ye have naught of guidance till ye observe the Torah and the Gospels and that which was revealed unto you from your Lord. That which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) from thy Lord is certain to increase the rebelliousness and disbelief of many of them. But grieve not for the disbelieving folk. Whosoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does right, there shall no fear come upon them nor shall they grieve.” 5:68-69

Compare this with,

“And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man (i.e. the Prophet), it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost (i.e. the Spirit of Truth) it shall not be forgiven.” New Testament, Luke 12:10

“They are not all alike. Of the people of the Scriptures there is a staunch community who recite the revelations of Allah in the night season, falling prostrate before Him. They believe in Allah and the Last Day and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency, and vie with one another in good works. They are of the righteous.” 3:113-114

“And unto thee (Muhammad), We have revealed the scriptures with the Truth, confirming whatever scripture was before it and a watcher over it. So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed and follow not their desires away from the truth. For each We have appointed a divine law and a traced out path. Had Allah willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you He made you different. So vie with one another in Good Works. Unto Allah ye will return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ.” 5:48

Thus, the differences between religions are recognised. This does not invalidate them, nor is it a valid reason for conflict. However, the teachings have undergone misinterpretation over the centuries and the teachings of Islam may be used as a criterion by which a correct interpretation of the teachings of past Prophets can be made, provided, of course, that these teachings are not themselves misunderstood.

“Unto each nation (community or group) have We given sacred rites which they are to perform; so let them not dispute with thee over the matter but summon them unto thy Lord. Lo, you do indeed follow right guidance.” 22:76

“Those unto whom We gave the scriptures recognize this revelation as they recognize their sons. But lo, a part of them knowingly conceal the Truth.” 2:146

“Muhammad is but a Messenger, messengers the like of whom have passed away before him. Will it be that when he dies or is slain, ye will turn back on your heels? He that turns back does no harm to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful.” 3:144

“And we never sent a messenger save with the language (or language system or formulation) of his folk, that he might make the message clear for them.” 14:4

“Such of our revelations as We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring in its place one better or the like thereof.” 2:106

Religions differ according to the name they give to God. This often leads some people to suppose that the different names refer to different gods. Many people deny the existence of God, but, nevertheless, believe in some supreme or fundamental force in the Universe to which they give some other name. These should be regarded as superficial verbal differences. It may also be the case that the words used have different meanings. Different individuals fix their minds on what are regarded in Islam as different attributes of Allah. Fundamentally, however, all these attributes are one and the same. It is only the point of view which is different. The Hindus fundamentally have a single God, but to cater for the different minds of the simple uneducated peoples they have hundreds of thousands. Hence:-

“Say: Call upon Allah, or call upon the Beneficent, unto whatever name you call it is well. To Him belong the most beautiful names.” 17:110

It should be pointed out that the words “beautiful” and “name” have a much more organic meaning in Islam. The beautiful is that which attracts our awareness and understanding, and a name refers to attributes or qualities.

The Prophet compared Religion to the construction of a house in which he laid the last brick, thereby completing it. The significance of this lies in this, that:-

1. The brick is not the whole house. Though the Quran contains everything taught in other religions it does so from a particular point of view suitable for certain peoples and conditions. To obtain the complete picture, it is probably necessary to study all religions. Hence the Prophet’s exhortation to seek knowledge “even as far as China”.

2. All religions in the past were incomplete. This is not difficult to establish by observation. The religions differ because each emphasises particular aspect of life. The reason for this was, no doubt, that the needs of the times demanded it.

3. When the Quran states

“This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favour unto you, and have chosen for you as religion Al-Islam.” 5:3

This means not only the completion of a particular religion, but of religion in general. As the Quran was revealed in stages, so religion in general was also revealed in stages.

4. That there are to be no new religions. The Guidance is complete, and man has to live within it, and maintain it or suffer the consequences. He is left to his own devices. Islam, as Christianity looks forward to the return of Jesus, but the World religion which may come as a result will not contain any new principles but will reconstruct the House.

The word “Muslim” (those who have surrendered), does not apply to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad alone. The word “nazarene” was applied to Jesus and his followers. Though it is taken to mean “a citizen of Nazareth”, it has connections with the Hebrew word “nazirite” meaning, “one devoted to God”. It is seldom realised that the term, Christian, was first applied to them, probably by the Pagans, in Antioch. (See Acts 11:26). Indeed, it ought not to be used for people who merely profess to follow a prophet but have not either the intention to, nor have actually, surrendered. Indeed, many Muslims do not even know what the word entails. On the other hand many people to whom this word is not applied and who do not apply it to themselves, may well be true Muslims in its correct meaning.

“He hath named you Muslims in old times and in this scripture, that the messenger may be a witness against you, and that ye may be witnesses against mankind...” 22:78

If this meaning of “Muslim” is taken seriously as it ought to be, then we have a completely different view of mankind and religion. It is no longer possible to say that such and such is a Muslim country or that these or that people are Christians or Buddhists or Jews or Hindus, not Muslims (in the popular sense). The term Muslim does not belong to the same category as these names and cannot, therefore, include or exclude them. It is a case of lingual confusion that this word is misused so badly. And it creates untold harm by deceiving people into prejudices and conflicts.

The word Muslim also refers to a natural, non-formal religion.

“So set thy purpose for Religion as a man upright by nature - the nature framed by Allah in which He hath created man. There is no changing the laws of Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not.” 30:30

“So follow the religion of Abraham, the upright. He was not of the idolaters... Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered unto Allah. O people of the Scriptures, why will ye argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospels were not revealed until after him? Have ye no sense?”... And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo, the Guidance of Allah, Himself, is sufficient guidance.“ 3:95,67, 65. and 2:120

A person is required to surrender to his own inherent, God-made and essential nature. This, too, is Islam. It refers to anyone no matter what nationality or religion he may belong to, or even if he belongs to none.

Islam, therefore, has a universal as well as a particular meaning. The latter, to keep to the normal conventions, may be denoted by the word, “Mohammedanism”. The two cannot, however, be completely distinguished, because not only is the particular part of the universal, the universal is also part of the particular. That is, Islam is one of several religions and the acceptance of all religions is part of Islam.

Once it is established that all religions are one then we can see why sectarianism is forbidden, but not differences in religion.

“... and be not of those who ascribe partners unto Him, of those who split their religion and become schismatics, each sect exulting in its tenets.” 30:31-32

“And lo, this religion is one religion, and I am your Lord, so keep your duty unto Me. But they, mankind have broken their religion into sects, each rejoicing in its tenets. So leave them in their error till a time.” 23:52-54

“Religion with Allah is the Surrender. those who formerly received the scriptures differed only after knowledge came to them, through transgression among themselves... and if they argue with thee, say: I have surrendered my purpose to Allah, and so have those who follow me. And say unto those who have received the scriptures and those who read not: Have ye, too, surrendered? If they surrender, then truly they are rightly guided; and if they turn away, then it is thy duty only to convey the message.” 3:19-20

“Unto each nation have We given sacred rites which they are to perform; so let them not dispute with thee about the matter, but summon thou unto thy Lord.” 22:67

But to idol-worshippers,

“Surely pure religion is for Allah only, and those who chose protecting friends besides Him say: We worship them only that they might bring us near unto Allah. Lo, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Allah guides not him who is a liar, an ingrate.. Lo, I am commanded to worship Allah, making religion pure for Him only.” 39:3,11

Apparent idol-worship may not be real idol-worship, just as an apparent worship of Allah may, in fact, be idol-worship. We cannot judge from outer forms at all. Allah will be the judge not man. Whereas idolatry in all its forms is forbidden to Muslims, the verse does not, in fact, condemn apparent idolatry outright. We should not judge idol worshippers. They may be using the idol as an aid, or they may be lying about it.

----------<O>----------

We can summarize as follows:-

All religions belong to a single fundamental stream of Spiritual Teachings, though it has many branches. Religions have been corrupted and this accounts for the disintegration into multiplicity. This is due to the very human limitations which religion came to remove. The word “Islam” refers to that original religion. This unity refers to the religions as originally taught by the founders. It does not apply to religions which have become corrupted due to misinterpretation, additions, subtractions, selection, perversions, speculation, malpractices, dogmatization, ritualisation, Sloganisation, fixations, reductionism, elaboration, fantasy and rationalization of self-interest and prejudice. Or through the results of the workings of obsessions, conditioning, habits, sentimentality, associative thinking, diversion, institutionalization, addictions, phobias, illusions, delusions, projections, rivalries, egotism, greed, pride, laziness, vanities, exaggerations, excuse making, self-deception, argumentation, ambitions and other corrupting agents.

There is only one Allah, and Allah is Absolute Unity. Thus, there is only one Truth and one Religion. But though its essence is one, it may take different forms in different times and places and among different peoples according to the different conditions prevailing there. The vessels, vehicles or clothing in which it comes may be different. The language, the way it is formulated and the techniques used will differ. There are many dispensations of religion, each approaching the truth from a different angle or at different levels depending on the development of the people. It also contains within itself many different levels. In this respect it is like an educational system having different classes or degrees.

All religions deal in matters which are higher than those which occupy man in his ordinary life. This is why a distinction is made between worldly life and the spiritual life. But they have to operate in ordinary life where they tend to succumb to these corrupting forces. Religions, as Jesus pointed out, comes for sinners. It is useless for those who think that they are perfect already. Their purpose is to lead people from imperfection to perfection. This implies that the imperfect person cannot already know what is good for him and what perfection is and how to get there. Hence the need for a teaching and faith. This is no different from the faith placed by people in other kinds of experts, e.g. doctors, teachers, lawyers, business advisers, engineers and so on.

One of the tests for a valid religion is whether it places emphasis on the purposes of the teaching, or whether it creates attachment to the means - to dogmatics, ritualism, or personalities. It may deify the teacher, making him the object of worship. But he is after all only a channel, and derives his authority from the teaching. Still other perversions of religion consist of the adulation of religious books, implements, institutions, communities and even relics. All these are forms of idolatry, the worship of things other than God.

If the essence of religion (defined as the Word of God) is to be adhered to, then it follows that it does not matter who the Teacher is and in what terms he teaches, as long as he is a genuine, capable and knows his subject. It does not matter whether the source is Buddha, Jesus or Muhammad, or whether it is taught by some contemporary teacher. When we say it does not matter, we are referring, of course, to the validity of the Teaching not to the quality of teacher. This matters a great deal. Nor are we referring to the form which must be adapted for different times and places. In fact, this may well matter in other ways. It matters because each dispensation is a complete whole in itself. It may even be the case that a contemporary teacher, if he possesses sufficient knowledge and ability, can produce an interpretation, a system, which is better adapted to a particular contemporary cultural and social situation than one which has been produced by a past teacher for another time and place.

Jabir reported the following:-

Umar came to the Prophet saying “We hear from Jews traditions which charm us. Do you think we should write down some of them?” The Prophet replied, “Are you in a state of confusion as the Jews and Christians are? I have brought them to you white and pure, and if Moses were alive today he would feel it absolutely necessary to follow me.”

It follows that a dispensation is adapted to the times in which it comes. Nor is it likely that a person who does not have the experience of living according to the religion he teaches, and has not benefited from it, can know it well enough to teach it. One does not take a bad carpenter as an instructor in carpentry. It may, however, be the case that someone we do not regard as an expert nevertheless knows the subject better than one who is teaching us. But the saintliness of a teacher does not guarantee that he can teach it well. Teaching is an expertise different from that which creates personal development, mainly because the pupil is likely to be different in nature than the teacher. Thus the Prophet, Muhammad is reported to have said;-

“This knowledge is religion, so consider from whom you obtain your religion.”

We have to distinguish greater and lesser Teachers according to their comprehensiveness. The great Teachers or Major Prophets, known as the Messengers, dominate an entire Age and Civilization. Lesser ones operate under the jurisdiction, as it were, of the major ones, and influence smaller areas of time, space and people. There are other Teachers operating in even smaller circles within these, and still others at even a lower level.

A religion may be compared to an onion having several layers. The growing point is in the centre. We have the Prophet surrounded by his immediate disciples, companions or apostles. Here the influence is the strongest. Then we have a larger circle of lesser people. Next we have the wider community which is identified by a particular name, e.g. Christians, Buddhists, and Mohammedans etc. The outer circle includes all the other peoples of the world. They, too, are eventually affected. There is no doubt, for instance, that Islam has affected the Christian, the Hindu and the Buddhist world.

Conversely, the older Religions affect the new Religions. Buddhism was affected by Hinduism. Zarathustrianism, Buddhism and Hebrewism have affected Christianity and this has affected Islam. This does not, however, mean that the Founders of the new religions merely borrowed from the others. Universal Truths are the same everywhere, and, therefore, the same for all those who can access them. But the description and application of them will be different. The point to consider is not so much that an idea found in one religion is the same as in previous ones but why a combination of ideas was selected by the founder, why it was given a particular formulation and application. It is this which distinguishes one dispensation from another. Continuity had to be established because the people of one age use the similes, traditions and models of thought handed down to them from the past.

The different parts of the world are distinguished from each other by their cultures which are almost wholly the products of the religions which prevailed there. This distinction is now being eroded by the spread of a single culture based on science, technology and commerce. The world is becoming one. This promises the coming of a world religion. It may be that this merely means that all the different religions will not only tolerate each other but recognise the truth within them and their underlying unity. The differences in formulation and practice will then be seen as differences in techniques such as those which exist in medicine for instance. Different conditions require different treatments. Unity will incorporate diversity. Or it may be that all will be converted to Islam. A third possibility exists in that the return of Jesus is forecast both in Christianity and Islam, the Jews are looking forward to the first coming of the Messiah and the Buddhist and Hindu traditions also predict the coming of an Avatar. All may accept the next Teacher. From the Islamic point of view he will not be another Prophet since Muhammad was the last. He will not bring a new religion, but re-interpret and re-establish Islam. On the other hand, if the meaning of “Islam” is interpreted in too narrow a sense by Muslims, then they might not recognise it either. And Christians might not recognise Jesus on his return.

----------<O>----------

Contents