By Wendy Díaz
“Say (O Muhammad): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah . Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." (The Qur’an, Chapter 3, Verse 64)
Undoubtedly, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them, taught the same message: the Oneness of God, upholding His Commandments, being good to others and living a righteous life. Both serve as examples for Muslims and Christians, alike, as well as others who choose to study about their lives and uphold their teachings. Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the children of Israel, Muhammad came to confirm his teachings, and to serve as the vehicle for the Qur’an, the final testament of God, a timeless revelation that would reach all of mankind.
God promised that this ultimate revelation would be incorruptible and as such, its miracle lives on printed, memorized, recited, and taught by millions in all corners of the Earth. The Qur’an mentions previous Prophets and Messengers, each sent to a specific group of people so that its readers can relate to their struggles and extract from their examples the answers to their own challenges in life. Both Muhammad and Jesus, as well as other prophets, were rejected by their own people, but also gained many supporters. They were descendants of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him, through the bloodlines of his sons, Ishmael and Isaac respectively, they performed miracles in the name of God as proof of their prophethood, and they exemplified piety and good manners. Their influence was so great that currently their followers combined make up more than half of the world’s population.
According to the Pew Research Center on Religion and Public Life, “As of 2010, Christianity was the world’s largest religion, with an estimated 2.2 billion adherents, nearly a third (31%) of all 6.9 billion people on Earth. Islam was second, with 1.6 billion adherents, or 23% of the global population.” Within Christianity and Islam are strong similarities and the source of their original scriptures is the same. Both Christians and Muslims believe in the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, in the pious nature of his mother, Mary, in the miracles he performed in God’s name, in his ascension, and both are awaiting his second coming, in which he will kill the Antichrist and unify the believers under one banner. Numerous verses of the Qur’an speak about the life of Jesus and his role as one of the mightiest Messengers of God. There are three chapters in the Qur’an dedicated exclusively to his legacy: Chapter 3, The Family of Imran (the father of Mary), Chapter 19, Mary, and Chapter 5, The Table Spread, which talks about what is known in Christianity as the Last Supper.
Knowing this, the question that arises is, why has the relationship between Christians and Muslims gone sour since the time of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and his early predecessors? Why are some of the followers of these two great prophets of Almighty God resentful towards one another, when they claim to believe in the same fundamental message that they both proclaimed? The answers stem from sociopolitical events that have taken place in the past centuries, and present day tensions rising since the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 and the establishment of the “War on Terror.” Extensive aggressive media coverage of these events, the continuous presence of the United States Armed Forces and its allies in predominately Muslim lands, the rise of so-called Islamic terrorist groups with agendas contrary to Islam, outspoken right-winged bigoted groups in the US appealing to the ignorant masses, and the occupation of Palestine and ensuing violence between Israeli settlers and its population all contribute to this growing animosity.
The World Council of Churches or WCC published a report in January 1992 which stated: “Christian-Muslim relations have a complex history sometimes marked by rivalry or war, but equally in many cases - though frequently forgotten - characterized by constructive living together. A striking feature of our historical memories has been the way in which conflicts overshadow the peaceful experiences. This has been paralleled at the level of theological thinking, where polemics drown the voices of frank and honest interchange.”
Nonetheless, although there may exist a strain in the over 1400 year relationship with Christians which has overshadowed the earlier periods of unity, believers in the West continue to enjoy an atmosphere where there is still harmony within their communities, workplaces, places of worship, and educational institutions, where they continue to live side by side with people of all faiths. Muslims can take advantage of this environment to demonstrate the side of Islam that the media sources sometimes fail to portray. Exploring the history of Islam and the very examples of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, during similar situations can serve as the guideline for how to tackle problems facing the Islamic community today. After all, it is not the first time that Muslims have had to defend themselves against unreasonable accusations and historically, on many occasions, Christians have been the Muslims’ greatest allies.
“You will find the nearest in love to the believers (Muslims) those who say: "We are Christians." That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not proud.” (Chapter 5, Verse 82)
The scholar Ibn Kathir said in his explanation of the meaning of the Qur’an that, “This verse refers to those who call themselves Christians, who follow the religion of the Messiah and the teachings of his Gospel. These people are generally more tolerant of Islam and its people, because of the mercy and kindness that their hearts acquired through part of the Messiah's religion. In another Ayah, Allah said; ‘And We ordained in the hearts of those who followed him, compassion, mercy, and monasticism...’ (57:27). In their book is the saying; ‘He who strikes you on the right cheek, then turn the left cheek for him.' And fighting was prohibited in their creed… This describes them with knowledge, worship and humbleness, along with following the truth and fairness.”
It was a Christian who first confirmed the truth about what Muhammad, peace be upon him, had witnessed on the Mountain of Hira. When he thought he was going mad, his wife reassured him saying that God could not possibly forsake a person who was so trustworthy, generous, and caring. However, it was her cousin, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, a Christian convert, with whom they consulted about the appearance of the Angel Gabriel, and who confirmed that Muhammad had been summoned as a Prophet, peace be upon him. He predicted that he would be driven out of Makkah and that his own tribe would fight against him.
Thus, hate-mongering and islamophobia were things that the early Muslims faced in Makkah from the advent of Islam. The leaders of the tribe of Quraysh who opposed Prophet Muhammad used to constantly defame him and even perpetrate acts of violence against him and his companions. Because Makkah was a trade center and housed the Kaaba, where pilgrims from all over Arabia would travel, the Quraysh leaders would unleash their arsenal of anti-Muslim propaganda on the unwitting travelers, many of whom would believe them and continue to spread their rumors amongst themselves and other tribes.
Nevertheless, a good number of these visitors to Makkah, also came across Muslims or even the Prophet himself and after witnessing their manners and learning about their religion, they would embrace it wholeheartedly and reject the character attacks of Prophet Muhammad by the Quraysh. These same supporters would return to their lands or tribes and inform their families and tribesmen about the peaceful message of Islam and the exemplary character of its leader, allowing them to form a conscious opinion about the religion based on facts.
When the persecution of Muslims in Makkah became unbearable during the early period of Islam, when its message was just beginning to spread, Prophet Muhammad instructed his followers to seek refuge in Abyssinia, a land ruled and inhabited by Christians. He described the king, Ashama al Negashi, as a righteous man who would not wrong them. The Muslims fled from the Arabian Peninsula into Abyssinia, now Ethiopia and Eritrea, and were well-received by the Christian Ruler, who promised them safety and protection. In turn, the Muslims lived in the land abiding by its laws and interacting peacefully with its inhabitants, never imposing on anyone their beliefs.
However, the Quraysh of Makkah were afraid that the Muslims would grow in number and attempt to fight them later after gaining momentum. They sent delegations to try and convince the king to hand over the Muslims so they could be taken back to their homeland and continue to be tortured at the hands of the non-Muslims. The Muslims living in Abyssinia handled the situation gracefully by explaining their belief system to Al Negashi and also informing him that they, too, believed in the message of Jesus Christ and in his miraculous birth. They recited to him verses from the Chapter Mary in the Qur’an; this moved the ruler to tears, and instead of him focusing on the differences between the two religions, it made him stand firmly on the side of the Muslims against the idolaters.
It is often said that history repeats itself and unquestionably, the paranoid islamophobes and xenophobes of today are analogous with the idolatrous Quraysh of Makkah. From these examples, Muslims can extract a lot of wisdom in dealing with their brothers and sisters in humanity. Allah has stated in the Qur’an that in the Prophet Muhammad there is a great example to follow, so taking lessons from his life is the best way of dealing with current situations. Returning to that common ground that Muslims and Christians share; the worship of God Alone, and following the teachings of the Prophets, is vital to maintaining the peaceful coexistence that is part of Islamic history.
Many American Christians are surprised to learn that believing in Jesus is an integral part of Islam. With so much access to information in this day and age, it is inexcusable that Muslims not do their part to inform others about these important parallels. Interacting with Christian and non-Christian neighbors, coworkers, peers, and other community members in a positive way, and being an active, contributing member of the society makes a huge impact. Islamic dawah, or education, is about more than just calling people to Islam vocally, but about living Islam outwardly and inwardly. As ignorance continues to fuel hatred, this knowledge can be the extinguishing agent that finally puts an end to the fiery fumes of enmity against Islam and Muslims.
“You shall certainly be tried and tested in your wealth and properties and in your personal selves, and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you and from those who ascribe partners to Allah; but if you persevere patiently, and become Al-Muttaqun (the pious) then verily, that will be a determining factor in all affairs.” (Chapter 3, Verse 186)
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