Post by maruf on Jun 27, 2005 1:09:21 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]What type of Interfaith Dialogue[/glow]
All praises are due to Allah (SWT), the one who created us from nothing and to whom we all will return. May the Peace and blessings be upon his servant and last messenger; the Prophet Muhammad, the most merciful man who ever walked on the face of the earth. And may the peace and blessings be upon the other prophets of Allah (God), from Adam and Musa (Moses) to Ibrahim (Abraham) and Isa (Jesus).
Dear brothers and sisters in Islaam, most of us have heard of, seen, or even participated in what is called “interfaith dialogue”. As in every aspect of a Muslim’s life, we must check if this is an acceptable act or not according to Islaam. If it is allowed, then how shall we proceed? Let us review some of the verses from the Qur’an that describes what category those who are called the people of the book are in, how we should view them, and thus how we should engage in discussions with them as Muslims.
Allah, the Most High, says in his protected book:
Þõáú íóÇ Ãóåúáó ÇáúßöÊóÇÈö áóÓúÊõãú Úóáóì ÔóíúÁò ÍóÊøóìó ÊõÞöíãõæÇú ÇáÊøóæúÑóÇÉó æóÇáÅöäÌöíáó æóãóÇ ÃõäÒöáó Åöáóíúßõã ãøöä ÑøóÈøößõãú æóáóíóÒöíÏóäøó ßóËöíÑðÇ ãøöäúåõã ãøóÇ ÃõäÒöáó Åöáóíúßó ãöä ÑøóÈøößó ØõÛúíóÇäðÇ æóßõÝúÑðÇ ÝóáÇó ÊóÃúÓó Úóáóì ÇáúÞóæúãö ÇáúßóÇÝöÑöíäó
“Say: O People of the Book! Ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord. That which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them. But sorrow thou not over (these) people without Faith.” (5:68)
áóÞóÏú ßóÝóÑó ÇáøóÐöíäó ÞóÇáõæÇú Åöäøó Çááøåó åõæó ÇáúãóÓöíÍõ ÇÈúäõ ãóÑúíóãó æóÞóÇáó ÇáúãóÓöíÍõ íóÇ Èóäöí ÅöÓúÑóÇÆöíáó ÇÚúÈõÏõæÇú Çááøåó ÑóÈøöí æóÑóÈøóßõãú Åöäøóåõ ãóä íõÔúÑößú ÈöÇááøåö ÝóÞóÏú ÍóÑøóãó Çááøåõ Úóáóíåö ÇáúÌóäøóÉó æóãóÃúæóÇåõ ÇáäøóÇÑõ æóãóÇ áöáÙøóÇáöãöíäó ãöäú ÃóäÕóÇÑò
“They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said: O Children of Israel worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! Whoso ascribes partners unto Allah, for him Allah hath forbidden paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers”
(5:72)
áøóÞóÏú ßóÝóÑó ÇáøóÐöíäó ÞóÇáõæÇú Åöäøó Çááøåó ËóÇáöËõ ËóáÇóËóÉò æóãóÇ ãöäú ÅöáóÜåò ÅöáÇøó ÅöáóÜåñ æóÇÍöÏñ æóÅöä áøóãú íóäÊóåõæÇú ÚóãøóÇ íóÞõæáõæäó áóíóãóÓøóäøó ÇáøóÐöíäó ßóÝóÑõæÇú ãöäúåõãú ÚóÐóÇÈñ Ãóáöíãñ
“They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from so saying a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve”
(5:73)
Ibn Katheer said in his Tafseer about the first Ayah: “O People of the Scripture! You have nothing... meaning no real religion until you adhere to and implement the Tawrah and the Injil. That is, until you believe in all the Books that you have that Allah revealed to the Prophets. These Books command following Prophet Muhammad (saw), believing in his prophecy, and adhering to his Law.
That’s what Allah (SWT) says about people of the book (Christians and Jews), He says that they are disbelievers, meaning they are Kuffar who do not believe or follow the truth that Allah revealed. Until they follow Prophet Muhammad (saw) and submit to Islaam, this is the category they belong in, we are not brothers in Iman with them. Allah (SWT) declares a fact, and gives the most straight forward message to us; that Christians and Jews are Kuffar, because they have told lies and said things that they don’t know about Allah, the Lord of the universe and his servants and prophets. They have said that Jesus was God, and God is the third of three in a trinity, which Allah says is a clear Kufr and will not be accepted, and for which they will be punished the worst of the punishment on the Day of Judgment if they die not believing and following the final revelation sent down —Al Qur’an Al Kareem—from Allah (SWT) that is Qur’an.
That is what Allah says about Christians and Jews, and that’s how we should as well view them, as Kuffar or non-Muslims. Because they are non-Muslims (Kuffar) we as Muslims are required to carry the Da’wah to them, and Allah (SWT) have made us responsible for calling for this Deen, but He Almighty Allah has prescribed to us the way of how we talk to them and what is the common ground between us and them. This common ground is what we are not allowed to compromise nor are we allowed to change. Allah (SWT) says in Surat Al-Imran, verse 64:
Þõáú íóÇ Ãóåúáó ÇáúßöÊóÇÈö ÊóÚóÇáóæúÇú Åöáóì ßóáóãóÉò ÓóæóÇÁ ÈóíúäóäóÇ æóÈóíúäóßõãú ÃóáÇøó äóÚúÈõÏó ÅöáÇøó Çááøåó æóáÇó äõÔúÑößó Èöåö ÔóíúÆðÇ æóáÇó íóÊøóÎöÐó ÈóÚúÖõäóÇ ÈóÚúÖÇð ÃóÑúÈóÇÈðÇ ãøöä Ïõæäö Çááøåö ÝóÅöä ÊóæóáøóæúÇú ÝóÞõæáõæÇú ÇÔúåóÏõæÇú ÈöÃóäøóÇ ãõÓúáöãõæäó
“O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, say ye: "Bear witness that we are Muslims” (bowing to Allah's will)”
This is how “interfaith dialogue” should be viewed and engaged in. Firstly, Allah is the Creator and we all are his servants, Adam is a servant, Musa is a servant, Isa is a servant, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) is a servant, they are all prophets as well. Secondly, faith is not only to admit that Allah is the Creator, but also to submit to him, in all aspects of life. Thirdly, true religion deals with and shapes the private relationship between man and his lord Allah (SWT)—such as in praying and fasting, and the public relationship between man/woman and fellow man/woman—such as in trading or dressing appropriately. And finally, we should convey to the Christians and Jews that Islam is a complete way of life that entails places of worship and in the general society we live in. It is the complete perfect system with its own politics, economics, education, health system, and laws on public and social relations.
Islaam was practically implemented for over a thousand years—it was the only time when humanity at large lived in prosperity, security and peace. Let us prove to them that Islaam is the final true religion revealed by Allah (SWT), and it is the only hope that will guarantee perfect functioning on the societal and individual levels. It will solve the problems of poverty and injustice, and it will support and supplement everyone’s basic need at no cost. It assures education, food, housing, and just treatment for everyone, even non-Muslims living in the Islamic state. Islaam is the prosperity and tranquillity given to mankind—for it was given by Allah, the author of peace and tranquillity, the perfect One. We invite them to enjoy it in this life and save themselves in the next.
Many converts in our Ummah can testify to this fact, they converted because they saw the light in Islaam and were eager to leave the idolatry and chaos of the churches that divide on race, colour, nationality, and even social class . To make it seem as if we are “brothers in faith” with the Kuffar is to commit a Haraam and betray the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (saw). It is not right to engage in interfaith events to satisfy America’s secular pluralistic objectives—selling our Deen along the way.
Brothers and sisters, as you now know, “interfaith dialogue” should be part of carrying the Da’wah to non-Muslims (Kuffar), not just “sitting” and “chilling” and talking about common things between Islam and the corrupted Christianity and Judaism nowadays. Allah will not accept this from us, as he had commended us to carry the Da’wah to them as they are disbelievers and have to be called to Islaam.