AL-HUDA
Foundation, NJ U. S. A
the Message Continues ... 11/63
Newsletter November 2006
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MR.
BAZARGAN'S LETTER TO THE POPE
In the name of God,
The most Gracious, The Most Merciful
His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican
City State, Europe
Your
Excellency,
With warm
greetings and sincere hope that your efforts
in inviting people to worship God and to
follow the teachings of Jesus Christ are
successful, I would like to respond to your
invitation for a genuine dialogue with
Muslims in the aftermath of your recent
speech at the Regensburg University in
Munich, Germany.
The writer of
this article has spent more than forty years
of his life doing research in the field of
Quranic studies, Islamic principles and has
published books as well. He has also
benefited from the political experience and
religious knowledge of a father who as the
first prime minister of Iran after the
Islamic revolution made a tremendous effort
toward consensus building by tempering
revolutionary zeal and curbing extremism.
With your permission, I would like to bring
to your attention a few pertinent points
regarding your speech.
Your
Excellency, as you are well aware,
throughout history there have always been
unbelievers who spoke disparagingly about
all Prophets. Their attacks, at times, have
even gone much further and been pointed
against the very Creator of the universe. Of
course, had such vehement denunciations come
from knowledgeable scholars, philosophers,
sociologists or other learned people, one
might have wanted to reflect on such
charges. I believe you would agree that
emperors and political leaders of countries
talk in a language that serves the vested
interest of their respective systems and
paraphrasing their statements (especially
those of an emperor who lived in the 14th
century during a contentious period between
Muslims and Christians) cannot solve any of
today's world problems.
It seems
logical then, that a genuine dialogue among
the followers of different religions may be
a more intelligent way to instill a spirit
of cooperation in establishing world peace,
mutually beneficial co-existence and
cooperation in all fields that contribute to
human development.
Furthermore,
with the exception of Byzantine Emperor
Manuel II Paleologus, there are noble
characters among Europeans whose opinions
regarding Islam were diametrically opposed
to those of Manuel II Paleologus. For
instance, Voltaire who initially had
anti-Islamic views spoke very highly of
Prophet Mohammed after he studied the Qur'an
and developed a better understanding of
Islam. Likewise, Goethe who indebted himself
to the Muslim and Persian speaking poet
Hafiz, a term that denotes one who has
memorized the Qur'an in its entirety, said
"If this is Islam, aren't we all Muslims".
Within the
last few centuries, several Islamic scholars
and Qur'anic researchers have come from the
western world, in particular Germany. For
example, Flugel and Noldeke, have praised,
admired and validated the merits of the
teachings of the Prophet of Islam and have
contributed greatly to the field of Qur'anic
studies. Karen Armstrong, the world
renowned religious scholar known for her
objectivity and fairness, has stated that
the expansion of Islam through the sword is
the biggest lie that has been fabricated by
the enemies of Islam.
In my opinion,
the Qur'an which serves as the foundation
and guide for Muslims, provides a very open
and wide field for the exchange of opinions,
cooperation and understanding of different
points of view among Jews and Christians who
share common principles from their
respective Abrahimic tradition.
Quranic views,
based on the following analysis, toward the
followers of other traditions are one of
tolerance, respect, compassion, peace and
fostering of coexistence and cooperation.
1. Standards
for relationships with "the People of the
Book" (Jews and Christians)
·
In
sixteen verses, Qur'an confirms the truth of
the previous scriptures and says, "To thee
we sent the Scripture in truth, confirming
the scripture that came before it, and
guarding it in safety...." (5:48)
·
The
Qur'an instructs Muslims to show respect to
the Holy men of previous traditions and says
"amongst these are men devoted to learning
and men who have renounced the world, and
they are not arrogant" (5:82) The Qur'an
promises Jews and Christians that "If only
they had stood fast by the Law, the Gospel,
and all the revelation that was sent to them
from their Lord, they would have enjoyed
happiness from every side....". (5:66)
·
God
commanded the Prophet to inform "the people
of the Book" that "O People of the Book! Ye
have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand
fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the
revelation that has come to you from your
Lord...." (5:68)
·
The
Qur'an negates any sense of religious
superiority by declaring that heaven is not
the exclusive domain of Muslims. It clearly
states, "Verily, those who have attained to
faith, as well as those who follow the
Jewish faith, and the Christians, and the
Sabians - all who believe in God and the
last day and do righteous deeds, shall have
their reward with their sustainer; and no
fear need they have, and neither shall they
grieve". (2:62, 5:69) Meaning they will
dwell in heaven.
·
God has
commanded the Prophet of Islam to inform
"the people of the Book" that "O People of
the Book! Come to common terms as between us
and you: That we worship none but Allah;
that we associate no partners with him; that
we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords
and patrons other than Allah." (3:64)
·
In many
verses, the Qur'an commands Muslims to join
in fellowship with the followers of other
traditions by refraining from discussing
subjects that cause division and instead put
the emphasis on common themes.
The Qur'an
instructs Muslims to clearly declare that
"We believe in Allah, and in what has been
revealed to us and what was revealed to
Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the
Tribes, and in (the Books) given to Moses,
Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We
make no distinction between one and another
among them, and to Allah do we bow our will
(in Islam)". (3:84)
2. The Common
Roots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
The Family of Abrahimic Traditions
Your
Excellency, in order that you develop a
keener understanding of the respectful views
of the Qur'an toward the Prophets,
scriptures and the righteous followers of
previous traditions, I would like to call
your attention to the following statistics. While the Qur'an mentions Prophet Moses' name one hundred and thirty-six times, Prophet Abraham's name sixty-nine times and Prophet Jesus and Holy Mary's names seventy times (collectively), it mentions the name of the Prophet of Islam who is the messenger of this religion only four times.
Do you not
agree that this wide spectrum of
inclusiveness and the fact that the Qur'an
repeatedly reminds Muslims of the noble
characters in other traditions are further
signs of the peaceful nature of Islam?
The third
chapter of the Qur'an, Al-Imran (The family
of Imran), is named in honor of the
ancestral roots of Jesus Christ (Hannah,
Holy Mary, Zachariah, John the Baptist
etc.), however, there is no chapter in the
Qur'an entitled Al-Mohammad (The family of
Mohammad).
The nineteenth
chapter of the Qur'an, Maryam (Mary), is
named after Holy Mary but there are no
chapters in the Qur'an named after Fatimeh,
the honorable daughter of Prophet Mohammad.
Likewise, there are no chapters that are
named after Prophet Mohammad's mother or
Khadija, Prophet Mohammad's honorable wife.
The
seventeenth chapter in the Qur'an is named
Bani Isra'il (The Children of Israel),
however, there is no chapter in the Qur'an
that is called Bani Hashim (The Children of
Prophet Mohammad). This is due to the fact
that Muslims consider themselves the cousins
of the children of Israel (Jacob) from the
Ishmael lineage.
The
overwhelming parts of some of the longest
chapters of the Qur'an (Chapters two, three
and five), and a big portion of some of the
medium and smaller length chapters of the
Qur'an are dedicated to the history of the
trails and tribulations of the children of
Israel.
3. The
Concept of Jihad and the Expansion of Islam
with the "sword"
Your speech
about Islam leaves one with the impression
that Islam has been forced on people with
the "sword", that the Qur'an and the Prophet
have encouraged its adherents to follow such
tradition. While it is true that some of
the rulers who followed Prophet Mohammed,
especially the Sultans of the Umayyad,
Abbasid and Othman, did get engaged in
expansion through military means and used
the "sword" to convert people, such actions
stem from human ego and the military
expansionist policies of these caliphs and
do not have any connection to the teachings
of the Qur'an or the tradition of Prophet
Mohammad. I believe that Your Excellency
would agree that the behavior of the
followers of any tradition do not
necessarily reflect the teachings of that
tradition. As the historical record shows,
Judaism and Christianity have not always
been practiced according to the teachings of
Prophet Moses and Jesus.
The concept of
jihad is one of the most important concepts
of Islamic theology and one cannot deny the
fact that Prophet Mohammad was engaged in
many wars during his Prophet hood with the
combatants of his religion and land.
However, it is imperative to be cognizant of
the fact that none of these battles were
fought for the purpose of expansion of
Islamic territory or conversion by the
"sword". In all cases, directly or
indirectly, these wars were defensive in
nature and were fought to stop an invading
army.
Your
Excellency, I believe that you would agree
that up until one or two centuries ago,
conversion from one religion to another was
prohibited even in the so called civilized
European countries. The best testimony to
this human short-sightedness that has
persisted in human history is the long wars
between Catholics and Protestants and the
immigration of some converts to the U.S.A.
In light of
such historical facts, how can one expect
that in the tribal society of fourteen
centuries ago that was mired in jahilliya
(ignorance), a Prophet who had come to rid a
society of tribalism, idolatry, nepotism,
and backwardness did not have to resort to
use the sword to protect his life, his
followers and his faith against such
insurmountable odds, when even in the
civilized post-Renaissance Europe conversion
to other religions was a life threatening
endeavor?
Similar to the
believers in Jesus Christ and in his
mission, the believers in Mohammad preserved
their faith and even strengthened it in
spite of being subjugated to extreme
persecution and torture. Eventually, some
of them had to immigrate to Ethiopia to save
their lives, and the rest fled from Mecca
during the night to seek the protection from
people in Medina in order to continue the
practice of monotheism. Even after moving
to Medina, Meccan pagans, who considered
monotheism as a betrayal of their ancestral
customs, continued plotting and attacking
the believers in order to destroy them. It
was in this extraordinary situation that the
Prophet of Islam worked to preserve his
faith.
It is true
that Jesus Christ neither engaged in any war
nor was involved with the political
establishment of his time but it is also
true that he did not form a community
either. Otherwise, he would have shown the
same vigor in protecting his community as
Mohammad did.
The truth of
such claim rests on the fact that Prophet
Jesus validated the militaristic nature of
the Old Testament by accepting it totally.
Is it not the case that he used force to
clear the temple of the money exchangers,
dove sellers and all others who had occupied
the temple and had turned it to a place of
business and unsavory activities? (Mathew
21)
Is it not the
fact that in Mathew 10:34 Prophet Jesus
tells his followers, "Do not suppose that I
have come to bring peace to the earth. I did
not come to bring peace, but a sword"?
Is it not the
case that the flocks of that great Prophet,
throughout the history, have resorted to
force to implement their objectives?
Your
Excellency, the expression "Holy War" which
is reminiscent of the Crusades, is never
referenced in the Qur'an or in the tradition
of Prophet Mohammad. True, that jihad is one
of the most important pillars of Islam but
there is a tremendous difference between the
concept of jihad in Islam that is purely
defensive in nature with the way it has been
abused by some of the so called Muslims or
the fallacious notion that some Westerners'
have.
Your
Excellency, with your permission, I would
like to clarify the position of the Qur'an
regarding jihad and its stance on the
subject of war by sharing with you some of
the regulations and limitations of jihad
that the Qur'an establishes for Muslims to
follow.
·
In
general, war is forbidden in Islam. If there
is a situation where injustice is being
perpetrated or if the community is being
invaded, then on a temporary basis
permission is given to defend oneself. This
principle is explained in 22:39.
·
Qur'an
grants permission for a war but strictly
based on the following three criteria that
are explained in 2:190:
(1) The war is
for the cause of God. In other words, the
war is not fought for expansionism,
aggression, racism, nationalism or any other
"isms" for that matter.
(2) The war is
defensive in nature, meaning the other side
initiated the war. It must also be
retributive in nature and not distributive.
(3) War can
only be continued to repel the enemy and
must be stopped immediately after the enemy
retreats.
·
Chapter
nine is the most authoritative chapter on
the concept of jihad in the Qur'an and is
one that is abused by both Fundamentalist
Muslims and those who allege that Islam is a
violent religion. However, in verses four
and seven of this chapter it is clearly
stated that Muslims can only declare war
with people who have broken their treaty
with them or who have resorted to enmity
first.
It is also
emphasized in this chapter that Taqwa
(awareness of God's ever presence)
necessitates that believers must stay loyal
to their commitments and never break them
even with unbelievers.
·
God
recommends to the Prophet that "But if they
incline to peace, incline thou to it as
well, and place thy trust in God: verily, He
alone is all hearing, all knowing! And
should they seek but to deceive thee (by
their show of peace) behold, God is enough
for thee".
·
The
Qur'an establishes that the relationship
between Muslims and Non-Muslims should be
based on peaceful principles and so that
there is no ambiguity it clearly and
unequivocally states: "Allah forbids you
not, with regard to those who fight you not
for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your
homes, from dealing kindly and justly with
them: for Allah loveth those who are just."
(60:8)
The Qur'an
establishes restriction in relationship
between Muslims and Non-Muslims as follows,
"Allah only forbids you, with regard to
those who fight you for (your) Faith, and
drive you out of your homes, and support
(others) in driving you out, from turning to
them (for friendship and protection). It is
such as turn to them (in these
circumstances), that do wrong". (60:9)
In short, the
Islamic principles of jihad are purely
defensive in nature and it is not a
mechanism to settle score or revenge. While
the principle of "eye for an eye" is allowed
in Islam, it is always suggested that it
should be tempered with fairness and
compassion and better yet it is always
recommended that one should forgive his/her
enemies.
It is true
that all of the principles of a just war
that are discussed here have neither been
nor will they always be followed by Muslims
but this should not be used as an excuse to
equate Islamic principles that are based on
the Qur'an and tradition with the behavior
of people who claim they are Muslim. After
all, we would not judge other religions
based on the performance of its followers. Muslims have never condemned Jesus or Moses for the many worldwide wars or racial wars that have been fought under the banner of Christianity. Even though, these wars have had devastating affect on humanity, the environment and have left behind utter destruction.
4. Reason and
Faith
Your
Excellency, in your speech, you stated that
the theological and philosophical concepts
of piety in Islam are the main root cause of
today's extremism and fundamentalism.
Furthermore, in your analysis of the
relationship between faith and reason, you
criticized the principle of reasoning in
Islamic thought and you extrapolated how
Islam justifies terrorism and violence in
the name of religion.
The writer of
this article is not about to deny the fact
that religions have been abused or in some
cases, have not been used as the proper
moral guide to combat the revengeful nature
of human beings. Why is it difficult to
accept that the natural and logical human
reaction to the immense injustice that is
being perpetrated upon some of the
indigenous people in many parts of the
world? One can hardly argue the case that
after the attack on the twin towers in New
York City, the U.S.A, the only super power,
reacted in a defensive manner by invading
two countries. Then, how is it that somehow
we expect that there should be no reaction
when an entire country is invaded and people
are left to live in much misery, destitution
and total destruction?
In reference
to the discussion between faith and reason,
while this may not be a subject that appeals
to the general public and belongs to
scholarly circles, I would like to bring
your attention to a few points regarding
this issue.
It is
noteworthy to reflect upon the fact that the
word "reason" in the Qur'an is repeated
forty-nine times and that it is exactly how
many times the word "light" is mentioned.
Demonstrating that, it is only through
reason that one finds enlightenment.
Such
understating is confirmed by Imam Jaafar
Sadeq, one of the most revered Muslim
scholars and leaders, who said, "Reason is
the means by which one should worship the
all Merciful God and it is through that that
Salvation is attained". The Prophet of
Islam whom some depict as the man of the
sword, says, "God has not bestowed a more
precious blessing upon humans than reason.
God will not accept worship without
reflection".
Based on the
teachings of Prophet Mohammad, God has
established two proofs of His existence for
humans: the exoteric proof which is the
Prophets and the scriptures, and the other
is the esoteric proof which is reason.
The Qur'an
commands Muslims never to follow something
that they do not have knowledge of and that
they must always utilize their faculties of
seeing, hearing and reasoning to discern.
(17:36). The Qur'an refers to people who do
not use their faculties to discern as "deaf
and dumb" humans and regard them even lower
than quadrupeds. (8:22)
Contrary to
the claims by the critics of Islam that the
transcendental verse of the Qur'an, "There
is no compulsion in religion" was revealed
in Mecca when Muslims were weak in number
and the verse served as a concession and
protective shield for the Muslim community
against its enemy, the historical records
shows that this verse was revealed in Medina
in the last year of Prophet Mohammad's
mission when Muslims were in the zenith of
their power.
Your
Excellency, in a world where military powers
continue to suppress and oppress the poor
and the destitute and they justify their
expansionist policies in the name of
fighting terrorism, curbing fundamentalism
and using false propaganda to imprint an
ugly and violent face of Islam on the
world's collective conscience,
In a world
where any vestige of morality and
spirituality is being tampered more than any
time in the history of humanity,
Thus, it is
imperative that all the conscientious
people, from any race and creed, come
together and synergistically work for the
cause of peace and social justice.
One cannot
complain too much about what politicians do
but it is profoundly disheartening to see
those who are in a position to be
contributors to peace and harmony among
nations become instruments of division and
hatred.
Your
Excellency, Qur'an commands Muslims that,
"They should not argue with the followers of
earlier revelation except in a most kindly
manner...." (29:46), that we believe in the
same God, that we believe in all Prophets
and scriptures, that we are required to
treat others with fairness; furthermore,
that we believe that the only Lord and
absolute authority that humans must
surrender to is the eternal God to whom we
all will return and it is HIM that will
judge our actions in this world.
With much
apology if my lengthy letter has
inconvenienced you and with the hope for an
everlasting world peace and establishment of
justice, freedom and security for all of
humanity, Abdolali Bazargan |
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