Mouood Mouood English Edition
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.
On the other hand, possible factors for such fear are cultural and economic domination and so on, which unsettle healthy mutual relations, leading to domination over others. A major cause of anxiety and worry in this regard are the policies and stances of the mass media, which present a distorted image about Muslim societies. Do you know what we should fear? We should fear ignorance. As has been mentioned in both the Islamic as well as Christian traditions, ignorance is a great source of fear and conflict. Thus, Mutanabbi says:
There is a treatment for any illness except ignorance, which has made anyone who wants to heal it incapable.
The world is shrouded by a thick veil that does not permit us to be informed about the true nature and conditions of each other and of what we Muslims and Christians share in common, especially in our holy books. Without knowledge and recognition of these commonalities we will be incapable of having a mutually-enriching and beneficial religious, cultural and economic life.
I believe that if we Muslims and Christians cannot successfully achieve an agreement about the things that unite us, future human beings and history itself will not forgive us, for this agreement is really indispensable.
Do you presume that we need anything more than what is mentioned in our holy books for proving our religious brotherhood as followers of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)?! All of us are the children of Abraham (pbuh), the special friend of God, who preached the divine religion, which the Qur’an indicates is the religion of pure essence of Nature.
It is obligatory for me to acknowledge those who have organized this conference, especially Professor Galtung, the respected director of the conference, who made several very valid points with excellent precision.
Ending the Crusades
The declaration of the Conference on Islam and Christianity
The Announcement of Peace
We have gathered in here, in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, on November 27th, 1995 according to the Christian calendar. Nine hundred years ago, in 1095, Pope Urban II, launched the first Crusade, the first of a series that finally gave over nearly two centuries later, in 1291. Yet, we have never had a real announcement of peace, and the Crusades continued to be used throughout later history as a religious justification for such forms of hatred and violence. Even today, some people insist on reviving the memories and extremist mentality of the Crusades. It is our duty to work together in order to combat this and to end this Crusader way of thinking and feeling.
Supporters of Christianity ask for forgiveness from Muslims, Eastern Christians and Jewish brothers and sisters for the destruction, bloodshed and inclemency which were imposed by them during the Crusades.
We want to focus on our common history and future. We encourage historians to research the relations between Islam and Christianity and to highlight the bright sides of this relationship more than the darker aspects. We should value the positive aspects of this relationship in our educational system instead of enmity and revenge.
We feel sorry for the victims of violence. Let a hundred thousand blossoms bloom in the form of inter-religious dialogue between Christians, Muslims and followers of other religions at all levels, so as to remove their mutual fears, attract them closer, enable them to know each other better, remove their misunderstandings and solve their common problems. We should strive to address our disagreements while respecting each other.
