The Truth Or The Religious Element

THE TRUTH OR THE RELIGIOUS ELEMENT

Always consistent with itself the Qur’an does not define Islam as a new Mohammedanism rivalling with Mosaicism and Christianity and disputing the honour of veracity. To be a Muslim means to belong at the same time to Moses, Jesus and all the divine messengers. To respect them all and give credit to all their teachings without any distinction,

“Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya‘qub (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, “What will you worship after me?” They said “We shall worship your Ilah (God - Allâh) the Ilah (God) of your fathers, Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ismâ‘îl (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), One Ilah (God), and to Him we submit (in Islâm)” (II, 133),

“The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allâh, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), “We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers” and they say, “We hear, and we obey (We seek) Your Forgiveness our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).” (II, 285);

“Say (O Muhammad) “We believe in Allâh and in what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down to lbrâhim (Abraham), lsmâ‘îl (lshmael), Ishâq (Isaac), Ya’qub (Jacob) and Al-Asbat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya‘qûb (Jacob) and what was given to Mûsâ (Moses), Isâ (Jesus) and the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one another among them and to Him (Allâh) we have submitted (in Islâm).” (III, 84);

“And those who believe in Allâh and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them (Messengers), we shall give them their rewards.” (IV, 152).

To be a Muslim is to belong to God and to follow His will which had successively been manifested on their tongues,

“Were you witness when death appeared before Jacob? When he said to his sons: “What will you worship after me?” They said: “We shall worship your God and the God of your fathers: of Abraham, lsmâ‘îl, and Isaac, the One (True) God; to Him do we submit”. (II, 133);

“Do they seek for other than the Religion of Allâh? – While all creatures in the heavens and on earth have, willing or unwilling, bowed to His Will (accepted Islam). And to Him shall they all be brought back.” (III, 84).

From that moment, people will get over schism and rivalry, “Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muhammad) have no concern in them in the least. Their affair is only with Allâh, Who then will tell them what they used to do.” (VI, 159);

“He (Allâh) has ordained for you the same religion (Islâmic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nûh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad) and that which We ordained for Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Mûsa (Moses) and Isâ (Jesus) saying, you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically), and make no division in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). Intolerable for the Mushrikin, is that (Islâmic Monotheism). To which you (O Muhammad) call them. Allâh chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience.” (XLII, 13),

Because if the doctrine which those Prophets came to preach is truly identical to mine, there will be no motive for me to reject it. It is in the Prophets unanimity that we find the equilibrium necessary to our interior tranquillity.