CONTENTS Preface, by Glenford Mitchell Foreword, by Douglas Martin Introduction
ix xix 1
PART I THE SUMMONS __________________________________________________________ 1 The Summons of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and the ‘Ajal’ of the ‘Ummah’ of Islam
13
2 Islam: The Promise of the Bible
30
3 Islam: A Testimony of Direct Divine Intervention in Human Affairs
48
PART II ISSUES FACING ISLAM __________________________________________________________ 4 The Challenge and Failure of Islamic Fundamentalism and the Impotence of Liberal Secular Islam
63
5 Religious Fanaticism and Intolerance
73
6 Sectarian Hostility and Violence
90
7 Excessive Reliance on Religious Leaders for Guidance
110
8 Frustration of the Sacred Duty of Believers to Investigate the Truth and to Recognize their Lord
138
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CONTENTS Preface, by Glenford Mitchell Foreword, by Douglas Martin Introduction
ix xix 1
PART I THE SUMMONS __________________________________________________________ 1 The Summons of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh and the ‘Ajal’ of the ‘Ummah’ of Islam
13
2 Islam: The Promise of the Bible
30
3 Islam: A Testimony of Direct Divine Intervention in Human Affairs
48
PART II ISSUES FACING ISLAM __________________________________________________________ 4 The Challenge and Failure of Islamic Fundamentalism and the Impotence of Liberal Secular Islam
63
5 Religious Fanaticism and Intolerance
73
6 Sectarian Hostility and Violence
90
7 Excessive Reliance on Religious Leaders for Guidance
110
8 Frustration of the Sacred Duty of Believers to Investigate the Truth and to Recognize their Lord
138
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9 Misinterpretation of the Divine Word
163
10 Corruption of the Divine Message (tahrif )
183
11 Christian-Islamic Doctrinal Conflicts
199
12 The ‘Seal of the Prophets’ (khátam al-nabiyyín), and the Finality of Islam
248
PART III SALVATION OF ISLAM __________________________________________________________ 13 Promotion of True Religious Enquiry and Adherence to Valid Criteria for Ascertaining Truth
269
14 Responding to the Call the Summoner, Bahá’u’lláh
294
15 Embracing the ‘Great Announcement’ of the Qur’án and the ‘Good News’ of the Bible
325
16 Recognition of the Promised ‘Day’ and ‘Hour’
356
17 Reaffirmation of the Unifying Principle of ‘One Common Faith’
384
18 Abrogation of the Dispensation of Muhammad, and the Suspension and Modification of its Social Laws by Bahá’u’lláh
409
19 Participating in the Resurrection and Rebirth of the Faith of Islam
452
Bibliography
487
Notes and References
493
About the Author
659
vi
11
CHRISTIAN−ISLAMIC DOCTRINAL CONFLICTS O concourse of divines! Fling away idle fancies and imaginings, and turn, then, towards the Horizon of Certitude . . . Say: O concourse of divines! Lay aside all your veils and coverings. Give ear unto that whereunto calleth you the Most Sublime Pen, in this wondrous Day . . . The world is laden with dust, by reason of your vain imaginings . . . Fear God, and be of them that judge equitably. Bahá’u’lláh1
Theological differences between Christians and Muslims render it difficult for them to regard each other’s religion as integral components of one common faith. Muslims unfortunately consider the disparities as further evidence of the untrustworthiness of the Bible. For their part, Christian scholars point out that since the Bible originated earlier than the Qur’án, any discrepancy between the two scriptures is evidence that the Qur’án is fabricated, and hence Islam is a false religion. The position of the Bahá’í Faith is that the apparent inconsistencies are not scriptural but emanate from the literal interpretation of scriptural passages, excessive reliance on Church dogma and misapprehension of the spiritual message of the Qur’án. Underlying reasons Literal interpretation
It is worth remembering that it was adherence to the letter of the Mosaic Law that prevented the Jews from recognizing Jesus as their Messiah. The Gospels state that ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth’ (John 4:24). St Paul reiterates 199
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that a literal interpretation of the scriptures causes death but a spiritual interpretation confers life (II Cor. 3). He moreover states that the Word of God must be discerned spiritually (I Cor 2:14). The Qur’án explains that no one fully understands the allegorical parts of scripture, which require explanation by those empowered to do so (Ál-i-‘Imrán, the Family of ‘Imrán, 3:7). The Bahá’í Writings provide the spiritual understanding of the scriptures that is essential to reconciling apparent inconsistencies between the Bible and the Qur’án. Church doctrine
The Church has in the course of the past two thousand years incrementally burdened itself with an elaborate doctrinal system that defines a ‘Christian’. This composite, in its multitude forms, bears little resemblance to the pristine teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Examples of accretional changes to Gospel ordinances include the prohibition of monastic marriage, the revering and bowing down before icons and statues of Jesus, Mary, the apostles and past Christian leaders, papal infallibility,2 forgiveness of sins by priests, and various other practices and ceremonies. As observed by an astute Christian, ‘there is religion enough, and Churchianity enough, but a great famine of real Christianity’.3 Largely due to their more advanced age, doctrinal adulteration of the Faith of Christ is most prominently a feature of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. The Reformation empowered the Protestant churches to shed many but not all of the human additions in an effort to return to the Gospel teachings. It is also worth noting that doctrine has perhaps a much greater place in Christianity than in Islam. �������������������������������������������
Many of the most cherished Church doctrines and rituals have welldescribed correlations with Mithraism and other pagan and ‘mystery’ religions that were rivals to Christianity during the first four centuries of its existence. Mithraism predated Christianity and was very popular in the Roman Empire. The followers of Mithra dedicated the first day of the week to their Sun God, which they termed Sun-day. The Jewish thinker Philo of Alexandria had earlier identified the Logos with the Sun. 200
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In time, Sunday became established as the Lord’s Day for the Christians as well. From this observance of Sunday, the myth eventually evolved to connect the rising of Jesus with that day. The birthday of Mithra was 25 December and he was also described variously as ‘the Way’, ‘the Truth’, ‘the Light’, ‘the Life’, ‘the Word’, ‘the Son of God’, ‘the Good Shepherd’.4 The early Church Fathers, alarmed by the remarkable resemblances to Christian dogma, explained the similarities as the work of the devil, designed to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of the faithful. Whatever their interpretation, it is difficult to deny the influence of the cult of Mithra and additionally of the Alexandrian school of thought, the precepts of Zoroastrianism and of Greek philosophy on nascent Christianity.5 Detrimental consequences
Man-made doctrines and rituals, derived indirectly from fragmentary reports and not expressly condoned by the Gospels, have been the principal cause of the divisions and fragmentations of the Christian ‘house’.6 As explained here, it is largely Church dogma and explanations, and not the actual teachings of Christ, that are alien to the Torah and at odds with the Qur’án. The apparently irreconcilable inconsistencies between Christian doctrine and Islamic belief have been a source of friction between the two religions over many centuries. While a detailed analysis of the subject is beyond the scope of this book, a brief examination of an early Church Creed serves to illustrate the main areas of contention. The Apostles’ Creed consists of twelve tenets7 that summarize mainstream Christian belief for most, but not all, Christians. It is very commonly repeated by the congregation at church services and was developed between the second and ninth century as a baptismal rite for new Christian converts. The following provides a brief summary of various elements of the Creed, areas of accord and disagreement between Christianity and Islam, and attempts to reconcile the divergent viewpoints by the Bahá’í Faith:
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This initial statement is consistent with the Torah: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.8
The concept is amplified in the Qur’án with the mention of the creation of several heavens (raised through earlier Dispensations) to reveal the Divine Command (Amr), and to enlighten the earth of human understanding through divine knowledge and inspiration: God is He Who created seven Firmaments (Heavens) and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them (all) descends His Command: that ye may know that God has power over all things, and that God comprehends all things in (His) Knowledge.9
Bahá’u’lláh reminded Pope Pius IX that God is the Creator of heaven and earth: O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the Almighty, the Unrestrained . . . He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him [Jesus] without a clear token or proof . . . Beware lest any name debar thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Leave thou the world behind thee, and turn towards thy Lord, through Whom the whole earth hath been illumined.10
However, the Bahá’í Faith regards the Biblical and Quranic references to creation, and the descriptions of heaven and hell, as symbolic, not intended to be interpreted literally. Heaven is considered as the state of perfection, the condition of spirituality and harmony with God’s Will. 202
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