Mouood Mouood English Edition
The Second Discussion
The study of the unity of the universal religion of Abraham (pbuh) begins with the premise that our purpose in stressing this unity is not so that all Ahl al-Kitab believers renounce their own respective religions in order to participate in a universal Abrahamic religion. Not at all! Rather, our view is that each religious community has its own religion and considers it binding to be observant of its beliefs and duties. A Muslim is a Muslim, a Christian is a Christian, and a Jew is a Jew.
Our purpose in highlighting this universal religion is to unite all of us fellow followers of Abraham on the basis of common principles that are acceptable to all of us. These common principles are: Belief in God, His perfect attributes, resurrection and eternity, the angels, religious duties (worship and the like, according to a person’s religion), morality and ethics.
The goal of fostering unity between Ahl al-Kitab on the basis of the Abrahamic religion must be based on extensive and deep knowledge of this religion and of the divinely-revealed texts. Naturally, such knowledge cannot be acquired in a short time or simply through some conferences and meetings.
The purpose of this conference is not to issue an official statement of peace in order for the adherents of Abrahamic religions to announce the end of the Crusades between Christians and Muslims, as some people might assume. There is no disagreement about the lofty moral and humanistic duties based on the common beliefs that I have outlined above in order for us to issue a resolution for uniting them and announcing the end of war and beginning of peace.
If properly understood, the universal Abrahamic religion considers all humans as brothers and sisters, and there should be no enmity and hatred between them. It is extreme selfishness that leads to such enmity and hatred. This is what separates people from each other and makes them confront one another like ferocious enemies. This evil characteristic is the result of being far from God, who is the most essential factor for the unity of human beings.
Other causes of this sort of conflict include racism and the desire to dominate others and seeing others simply as a means to one’s ends. These are actually a result of extreme selfishness. Ignorance about lofty human values and the truth of religion also lead to conflict. Often, human beings completely negate, through their actions, the truths of religion, rights and justice by engaging in conflict ironically in the name of protecting religion, rights and justice. This has led to horrendous bloodshed on a vast scale.13
Today, it is obligatory for us to work towards resolving such conflicts, for which it is crucial to highlight the unity and common consensus of Ahl al-Kitab with respect to Abraham (pbuh) and his universal 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).
