True religion is essentially one

From: http://www.islamhour.net/

From the beginning of mankind, true religion or guidance from God has always been one. People have strayed from or corrupted this guidance. True prophets have sought to renew and purify this guidance. But the various peoples to whom these prophets were sent often created their own ingredients, additions and corruptions. To the extent that they took from what is true, we have similarities in the various "mixtures" or new-fangled religions. To the extent that they added their own corruptions, we have differences in these mixtures or religions. The one true religion has always taught belief in and obedience to the One God and this is what Islam literally is. According to the Qur'an, true religions (in the plural) do not exist; true religion (in the singular) exists. All the Prophets summoned us to one religion, to one primary course and goal. "God has ordained for you that religion which He commended to Noah, and that which We inspire in you (O Prophet Muhammad), and that which We commended to Abraham, Moses and Jesus; uphold the religion and do not grow divided on it. " (42: 13) True religion or Islam has always been essentially one thing in all times and all places. A statement like "Islam was the last of the revealed religions" is therefore erroneous. All true Prophets were Muslims which literally means those who submit to the One God. Their message was essentially the same-Islam: to call men to worship and submit to One God. Adam was a Muslim, Abraham was a Muslim, Moses was a Muslim, Jesus was a Muslim. Zarathustra, if he was a true prophet, was a Muslim. Rama, if he was a true Prophet, was a Muslim. This reasoning, that true religion is one, is based on the worldview that sees man as a single species with the same natural needs. It is only when people deviated from true religion and set up their own factions and sects that the unity of mankind was split asunder, each one exulting in its own sect, faction or "religion". What then should be the relationship between the upholders of the true religion and the followers of other religions and ideologies? There are three main positions which can be adopted. The first is based on the fact that God created man with a free will, with the freedom to choose correct guidance or not. If God had wanted, he could have made all human beings, like angels, submit to His will. This freedom of choice, although it carries its own responsibilities and burdens for the individual, must be respected. No one can be compelled to believe or disbelieve. The Qur'an clearly states, "There is no compulsion in religion" even as it emphasizes that Truth and right guidance provided in Islam has been made distinct from error. Tolerance and protection (Index)The initial position of a Muslim to other faiths is thus one of tolerance. More than this, the protection of freedom of belief and worship for followers of other religions has been made a sacred duty of Muslims. Remarkably this duty was fixed at the same time when the duty of Jihaad was ordained: "Permission (to fight) is given to those against whom war is being wrongfully waged, and verily, God has indeed the power to succour them: those who have been driven from their homelands against all right for no other reason than their saying, 'Our Lord and Sustainer is God!' "For, if God had not enabled people to defend themselves against one another, monasteries and churches and synagogues and mosques - in which God's name is abundantly extolled would surely have been destroyed." (22: 39-40) The above verses gives precedence to the sawaami' (monasteries), the biya' (churches) and the salawaat (synagogues) over the mosques in order to underline their inviolability and the duty of the Muslims to safeguard them against any desecration or abuse, and protect freedom of belief. Indeed, Islam requires that protection be given to people who do not believe in revealed religion at all provided they refrain from molesting the believers. The Qur'an declares: "And if any of the idolaters seek your protection (O Muhammad), grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of God, and afterwards convey him to a place of safety; for they are people who do not know the truth." (9: 6) The second position is based on the knowledge that even after he has erred or gone astray man has the chance and the capacity to return to his good nature and the Straight Path. Man often needs to be helped in this process by being reminded of his nature and his purpose in life. This process of reminding or inviting others to truth and justice is what we have referred to in the last chapter as Da'wah. As a result of Da'wah, people may choose to return to their naturally good state and become Muslims in which case they accept all the obligations and rights of Muslims and are welcomed wholeheartedly into the community of believers. Alternatively, they may choose to remain in their religion. In this case their right to do so is respected. They are guaranteed freedom of worship and autonomy in their institutions. They have the right to manage their own affairs and the obligation to live in peace and co-existence with others. A third position arises when people have not only strayed but actively rebel and commit evil and injustice despite calls on them to give up their evil ways. Such people, whether they belong to a religion or not, cannot be left alone but need to be combatted in the interests of security and to protect such values as life, honour and so on. With this background, it may be useful to take a more detailed look at some existing religions and worldviews. "THE PEOPLE OF THE SCRIPTURE" (Index) "Say: (O Prophet): 'O People of the Scripture! Let us come together on a fair and noble principle common to both of us: never to worship or serve any but God, never to associate any being with Him, and never to take one another as Lords besides God.'" (3: 64) The "People for the Scripture" or Ahl al-Kitaab denotes those people to whom God conveyed His guidance through a Divine scripture or revelation to one of His Prophets before Muhammad. The term Ahl al-Kitaab may therefore be rendered as "followers of earlier revelation" and is taken to refer primarily to Jew and Christians. Jews (Index)In the Qur'an, Jews are referred to as Yahuud and Banii Israa'iil or Children of Israel. The scripture of Divine guidance addressed to them was the Tawraat which was revealed to Moses, may God's peace and blessings be on him. However, this Tawraat is not to be understood as the Torah of the Old Testament in its present form. Although the books comprising the Torah may have originally been based on the Divine message, they were re-formed and continually rewritten by scribes and priests over a period of time. From the standpoint of Islam there can be no doubt that Abraham, Isaac, Ismail, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon - may peace and blessings be on them - were all prophets whom God had sent forth with a Divine message. These prophets are all mentioned in the Qur'an. Their message was always one and the same in essential content and consisted above all of the recognition of God, of His unity and transcendence, of the Day of Judgement, of the purposiveness of history, and of man's responsibility to manage his life and his resources as God has directed. Many Jews still identify with the essentials of this Message and thus there is much similarity between them and Muslims. There is an uncompromising stress on the Oneness of God and there are many similarities in values, morals and living habits. This strand of Judaism has been referred to as the universalist strand. There is another strand of Judaism, which may be called tribal or ethnocentric, which stresses that God is the "God of Israel", of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and of their descendants and that God's purpose is to vindicate, defend and avenge "His own people". Accordingly, this strand looks on the Covenant as the "Promise" by which God has bound Himself to favour His people and to continue to favour them regardless of their moral performance. Accordingly, it is not impressed by the Day of Judgement or the Hereafter. It interprets the Day of Judgement as the Day on which it will be vindicated, and revenged, against its earthly enemies, rather than the Day on which God reckons with all men their moral and immoral works and passes a judgement of reward or punishment to each on the basis of his or her own works. This view interprets the covenant in material and racist terms. It has led to political Zionism. The Qur'an does recognize that God has favoured the Jews (2:47, 122). This favour, however, depends on the fulfillment of a covenant between them and God, their part of which is to serve God and do good works. The covenant grants to the Jews the rewards of children, land, prosperity and happiness, and requires of them to worship God alone and to practice charity, justice and righteousness (5: 12). The covenant equally stipulates that if the Jews fail to keep their part of the covenant, God will inflict upon them His punishment. Defeat, dispersion, suffering and unhappiness would be their lot (3: 112;17: 2-8). Islam knows nothing of a "Promise", the doctrine that God is bound to favour a people regardless of their beliefs and actions. This is true for any people. God's covenant does not extend to the evildoers and the perpetrators of injustice. At the time of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be on him, and under the Constitution of Madinah which was signed by the Jews, Jewish religion, culture, institutions and property were not only tolerated but guaranteed. As far as the Torah or Jewish law is concerned, Islam recognized the Jewish observance of it as not only legitimate but as desirable and obligatory on Jew for the continuation of group life under the constitution. The Jews were required to set up their own law courts, to judge themselves by the precepts of the Torah and the executive power of the state was placed at the disposal of the rabbinic court. Islam thus recognized Judaism as a religion de jure which no other religion or political system ever did. By contrast, in the history of the Christian West, the Jewishness of a person was often seen as an abomination to be met either with proselytisation or conversion, or persecution. Seen in this perspective, the problem of Israel which has embittered Muslim-Jewish relations in the twentieth century is not essentially a "religious" problem. Muslims bear no responsibility for creating this problem. Yet they are affected by it and suffer from it. For Muslims, the problem of Israel is essentially a moral issue in which truth, justice and freedom from oppression are at stake. Christians (Index)Many are the important elements that are common to Islam and Christianity. Muslims and Christians share many similar beliefs, values, moral injunctions and principles of behaviour. The Virgin Mary and her son Jesus, may peace be upon them both, are mentioned often in the Qur'an. In fact, there is a chapter of the Qur'an named after her called Maryam. The major difference between the two faiths concern the nature and role of Jesus, peace be on him. Jesus, referred to in the Qur'an as 'Isa ibn Maryam- Jesus the son of Mary 'Verily, in the sight of God, the nature of Jesus is as the nature of Adam, whom He created out of clay and then said unto him, "Be" and he is. This is the truth from your "Lord and Sustainer; be not then among the doubters… "Say, O follows of earlier revelation! Come unto that tenet which we and you hold in common; that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall not ascribe divinity to anyone beside Him, and that we shall not take human beings for our lords beside God." (3: 59, 64) - is one of the greatest of the prophets of God whom Muslims hold in very deep love and respect. The Qur'an confirms that Jesus was born of a virgin mother (Mary) through the same Power that brought Adam into being without a father and that with God's permission he wrought many miraculous deeds. He was given the power to speak as a babe, to heal the sick, to raise the dead, and to reach the hearts of men with the guidance he brought from God. Finally, when he was in danger of being killed by some of his own people, He was "raised up" by God. The Qur'an states that he was not killed nor was he crucified. The Qur'an states emphatically in passage after passage that Jesus is not God's son, that he never claimed to be God's son or of Divine nature but rather charged his followers to worship God alone. It also states that the notion of the Most High God having a son is so totally degrading to and far removed from His exaltedness and transcendence that it actually constitutes an awesome piece of blasphemy. "And some assert: 'The Most Gracious has taken unto Himself a son.' Indeed (by this assertion) you utter something monstrous, at which the heavens might well-nigh be rent into fragments, and the earth be split asunder, and the mountains fall down in ruins! That men should ascribe a son to the Most Gracious, although it is inconceivable that the Most Gracious should take unto Himself a son! Not one of all the beings that are in the heavens or on earth appears before the Most Gracious other than as a servant." (19: 88 -93) Islam obviously rejects the Christian doctrine of the Trinity - that there are three Gods in One and One in three! This is so utterly unreasonable and "monstrous" a doctrine that its utterance "might rent the heavens into fragments, split the earthen asunder and bring down the mountains in ruins"! Islam also does not accept the notion that Jesus died on the cross, and that he died to save humanity's sin. It does not accept the notion of Original Sin whereby Adam's original disobedience of God has been inherited by all his descendants. In other words, it does not accept that all human beings on earth are sinful because of Adam's disobedience of God. Adam repented and was forgiven by God. Islam therefore affirms that every human being comes into the world innocent and sinless. A new-born babe does not bear the burden of a sin committed by an ancestor. This would be a negation of God's attribute of justice and compassion. To further claim that the taint of this sin is certain to put every human being into Hell for all eternity unless the Deity sacrifices Himself for His creatures is also a denial of the justice and good will of the Creator towards His creation. No one can be saved except by the mercy and grace of God and by His acknowledging and surrendering himself to the Creator and His guidance. A person can turn to His Creator in obedience and repentance without the need for an intermediary or intercessor. "And remain conscious of a Day when no human being shall in the least avail another, nor will compensation be accepted from any of them, nor will intercession be of any use to them, and none shall be succoured." (2: 123