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Article 5

Article 1 - Article  2 - Article  3 - Article  4 - Article  5 - Article  6 - Article  7 - Article  8 - Article  9 - Article 10

Article 11 - Article 12 - Article 13 - Article 14 - Article 15

 

Let Muslims, Christians unite behind Jesus' mission 
by Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi (House of Wisdom, Dearborn, Michigan) 

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"Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word  >From Him; his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in  This world and the hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to Allah.' "  -- The Holy Koran 3:45 

During this blessed season, I would like to say "happy birthday" to our  beloved Jesus and congratulate the communities of faith on this beautiful  occasion. 

The blessed baby of Nazareth is loved and honored throughout Islam. The Koran  teaches Muslims to recognize Jesus as a sign from God and a manifestation of  His love and beauty. Jesus was sent to the children of Israel as a great  teacher of wisdom, a messenger of peace and justice for humanity. 

Faith in Jesus occupies a big part of our Islamic faith system. Jesus' humble heart, compassion, forgiveness, and his love and charity for  the hungry, homeless and suffering are mentioned over and over in Islamic  traditions. 


Most Christians are unaware that Jesus is mentioned nearly 100 times in the  Holy Koran. He is referred to as the Spirit of God, Word of God, a sign of God  for humanity, Messiah, the only man after Adam who came to this world  without a father, the man who as a baby spoke in the cradle, the one who cured the  blind, cured the leper, raised the dead. Jesus' pious mother was chosen by  God as an example for all believing women until the Day of Judgment. 

The Koranic Jesus is a perfect man with undeniable miraculous dimensions. He  is an ambassador of the Divine who came to move humanity from the darkness of  materialism and individualism to the light of love, selflessness and sacrifice. 

He taught his disciples that too much love for the world was the source of  all evil and aggression. In his nonstop, nonviolent struggle against the  arrogant, Jesus never compromised his principles. 


Jesus became the target of suffering during his earthly life. Jesus'  disappearance from this world was not the end of the injustice against him. A group  of people treated him worse than he deserved, and another group claimed and attributed things about him that he never claimed. Those who speak in his  name, but don't promote his message of peace, love and compassion, also oppress  Jesus and suppress God's message through him. 

Jesus, aware of human weakness, knew that his teachings would be attacked and  distorted. This is why, according to the Koran, Jesus promised the coming of  another divine messenger who would confirm the original Gospel. 

"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said O Children of Israel! I am the  messenger of God sent to you confirming the Law which came before me and giving  Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me whose name shall be Ahmad the Praised one (Periclytos)." 

There are some noticeable theological differences between Muslims and  Christians, and it's O.K. to address them at the right times and places. Yet what  may unite Muslims and Christians is much more than what divides them. In  reality, there is no essential difference between the religion of Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. 

In his short life on this earth, Jesus did every thing possible to end war,  violence and oppression by promoting a culture of compassion and justice. It  is about the time for Muslims and Christians to unite and liberate the mission  of Jesus and stop the greedy politicians from their crusade of future world  wars in Jesus name. 

In the name of Jesus' mission, let us together find ways for the whole human  family to live in peace and enjoy their lives free from fear, pain, prejudice  and inequality. On the celebration of Jesus' birth, this beloved teacher of  humankind, who lived an infallible life of piety, humility, suffering and  sacrifice, we in the Muslim community express our love to this blessed baby and  Messiah, and open our hearts to the Christian community and say "Merry  Christmas and Happy New Year" to you all. 

"So Peace is on me the day I was born, the Day that I die, and the Day that I  shall be raised up to life again," says the Koran. 

(Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi heads the Islamic House of Worship in Dearborn  Heights, MI).

 

 

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