Understanding the Universal Abrahamic Religion

The Third Discussion
Resources and references that can introduce the Abrahamic religion to us are among the most important subjects which this conference should seek to examine. These resources and references are of two kinds:
a) Holy books in which Ahl al-Kitab believe and to which they refer for their beliefs, duties and ethics.
b) Pure essence and wisdom, free from the pollution and error.
The holy books include the Qur’an, the Bible and the Torah. Evidently, some explicit principles and issues are not mentioned as beliefs, duties, rights and ethics of the religion of Abraham (pbuh), but in these books the foresaid truths will be derived from cases and characteristics which refer to Abraham (pbuh), such as knowledge, justice, management, lofty ethics and the like. These acts, expressions and thoughts either refer to duties and orders issued by God or rely on a pure conscience that demands adherence to truth.
The Holy Qur’an indicates the following characteristics of the Prophet Abraham, which we can call lofty Abrahamic characteristics:
1) Honesty in expression, acts and thought (Maryam, verse 41).
2) Victory in the face of the toughest examinations (Baqara, verse 124).
3) Purification of the house of God and preparing it for worship (Baqara, verse 125).
4) Passion for security, peace and harmonious living for people (Baqara, verse 126).
5) Returning (in repentance) to God (Baqara, verse 128).
6) Believing in Islam (that is to say, the religion of the essence of Nature) (Baqara, verses 128, 131 & 132).
7) Teaching worship and divine duties (Baqara, verse 128).
8) Passion for educating people to recite divine verses and teaching wisdom to them and purifying them (Baqara, verse 129).
9) Encouraging growth and perfection (Baqara, verse 130).
10) Following pure faith, which relates to the pure essence of Nature and humanity (Baqara, verses 135 & 138 and Aal -e-Imran, verse 67).
11) Believing in Unity (Baqara, verses 135& 138 and Aal -e- Imran, verse 64)
12) Genuine friendship, which is the result of closeness to God, indicated by proper belief and righteous acts (Nisa’, verse 125).
13) Announcing disagreement with polytheists (An’aam, verse 74 and (Tawbah, verse 114).
14) Having vision of heavens and earth (An’aam, verse 75).
15) Achieving a level of certainty (about God and divine truths) (An’aam, verse 75).
16) Emphasizing wisdom and reasoning for proving the truth (An’aam, verses 76 to 79).
17) Observing politeness and respectfulness during discussion and reasoning (An’aam, verses 67 to 79).
18) Offering the surest way for beliefs (An’aam, verses 80 to 83).
19) Purity in worship of Almighty God (An’aam, verse 162).
20) Justifying life and death only for the sake of God (An’aam, verse 126).
21) Patience (Tawbah, verse 114).
22) Praying to God (Tawbah, verse 114).
23) Being merciful and kind towards people (Ibrahim, verse 36).
24) Easy religious law, without hardship (Hajj, verse 78).
25) Ascribing creation, guidance, feeding, healing, life and death to God. This ascription is related to the general rule, La Hawla wa la Quwwata illah Billah (Shuara, 78 to 81).
26) Accepting God as the Absolute Governor (Shuara, verses 78 to 81).
27) Reliance on God (Mumtahina, verse 4).
28) Believing in the fact that the final destination of all people is God (Mumtahina, verse 4).
29) Believing in the fact that growth and perfection are bestowed by God (Anbiya, verse 51).
Characteristics of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) from the Point of View of the Torah and the Bible
There are characteristics ascribed to the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) in the Torah which show his achievement of the highest level of growth and perfection, as indicated in the following:
1-Abraham is the progenitor of a ‘great nation’ (Torah, Genesis 12: 1-3)
We can also see this characteristic in the Holy Qur’an, which says:
Abraham was indeed a model, devoutly obedient to Allah, (and) true in Faith, and he joined not gods with Allah. He showed his gratitude for the favours of Allah, who chose him, and guided him to a Straight Way. And We gave him Good in this world, and he will be, in the Hereafter, in the ranks of the Righteous. So We have taught thee the inspired (Message), “Follow the ways of Abraham the True in Faith, and he joined not gods with Allah.” (16: 120-123).
2-God has blessed Abraham (Torah, Genesis 12: 1-3).
3-God has blessed all people on the earth by Abraham (Torah, Genesis 12: 1-3).
4-The religion of Abraham will cover the earth, from the north to the south and from the east to the west (Torah, Genesis 12: 1-3).
5-God appeared to Abraham and Abraham saw Him (Torah, Genesis 17:1).
6-Abraham reached perfection (Torah, Genesis 12: 2).
7-God granted Abraham the covenant of prophecy and leadership over all nations (Torah, Genesis 12: 6).14 Abraham (pbuh) has been mentioned in the New Testament more than thirty times. These references praise him, as indicated in the following assertions:
1) He is the father of all nations.
2) He is a special friend of God.
3) His nation will inherit the earth.
From what has been mentioned in Qur’an, Bible and Torah about Abraham (pbuh), it will be noticed that these holy books agree about the fact that he is the father of all of us Ahl al-Kitab. If be believe in the religion of this great prophet who was sent by God, we will be in harmony through the universal Abrahamic religion, which is the religion of the pure essence of Nature and wisdom.
Today, we testify that we are at the beginning of the process through which Almighty God can help us all in the quest to arrive at religious unity by moving in this direction. We should not fear the problems that might arise on the way, because we are duty- bound to tread this path to felicitous life. For this purpose, we need to properly reflect on and interpret the holy books in order to comprehend the universal Abrahamic religion, relying on God alone for this purpose.
May God bless you all.
Answer to a Swiss gentleman who claimed during the conference that Christians fear Islam
On the second day of the conference about Islam and Christianity, the mayor of the town of Biel/Bienne, where the conference was held, explicitly mentioned the fear that Christian brothers had of Muslims.
Professor Ja‘fari answered him as follows:
There is no reason for Christians to fear Muslims or for Muslims to fear Christians, because these two groups are brothers, sharing common beliefs about God, Eternity and lofty morals. Based on these shared principles, the followers of these two religions have lived in peace throughout the centuries, except during the Crusades, which were not the result of religion, as will be evident from a proper study of history.