In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
INTERFAITH ARTICLE
Jesus and Muhammad are Brothers
By: Ibrahim Hooper
During the Christmas season, Christian families seek to maintain a focus on Jesus and his legacy.
Many of our Christian brothers and sisters may be surprised to know that Muslims love and revere Jesus as one of God’s greatest messengers to mankind, just as we love and revere the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon them both.The Prophet Muhammad sought to erase any distinctions between the message he taught and that taught by Jesus, whom he called God’s “spirit and word.”
Prophet Muhammad said: “Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.”
“Behold! The angels said: ‘O Mary! God gives thee glad tidings of a Word from Him. His name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter and in (the company of) those nearest to God.'”
The quote above is not from the New Testament. It is taken from the Quran, Islam’s revealed text. (3:45)
Other verses in the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the direct word of God, state that Jesus was strengthened with the “Holy Spirit” (2:87) and is a “sign for the whole world.” (21:91) His virgin birth was confirmed when Mary is quoted as asking: “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me?” (3:47)
An entire chapter of the Quran (Chapter 19) is named after Jesus’ mother Mary, “Maryam” in the Arabic of the Quran.
The Quran shows Jesus speaking from the cradle and, with God’s permission, curing lepers and the blind. (5:110) God also states in the Quran: “We gave (Jesus) the Gospel and put compassion and mercy into the hearts of his followers.” (57:27)
Muslims believe Jesus will return to earth in the last days before the final judgment. Disrespect toward Jesus is very offensive to Muslims.
The message of love, peace and forgiveness taught by Jesus, and accepted by both Christians and Muslims, can serve as a unifying force in a troubled world.
It is the same message of unity expressed by another verse in the Quran:
“Say ye: ‘We believe in God and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.'” (2:136)
Obviously, Muslims and Christians have differing interpretations of the details of the life and message of Jesus. But by focusing on what we have in common, Christians and Muslims of goodwill can help build bridges of interfaith understanding and serve as a counterweight to the voices of division and extremism.
As the Quran tells us: “O humankind! We have created you male and female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.” (49:13)
INVITATION TO VISIT
WHAT?
WHEN?
WHERE?
HOW?
These interfaith events are hosted by the American Muslim Community in Fisher, Indiana. We offer basic informative presentations followed by an interactive Q&A session
Fridays: 12pm or 5pm Saturdays: 12pm If these times are not convenient, we are flexible in arranging other days and times
AL Huda Foundation 12201 Lantern Rd, Fishers, IN 46038 (or we can arrange to come to you)
Kindly email: selsaharty@aol.com Once contacted, we will arrange a date and time for the event. Please include the number of attending and any dietary restrictions within your group
We live in a diverse, global community where people cannot thrive in isolation and shouldn’t base their decisions on misinformation. By increasing awareness, knowledge, and kindness we take active steps to learn about each other and overcome barriers to live in harmony. Since 2004, Al Huda Foundation has been holding interfaith events where we ask our neighbors and friends to join us for a peaceful day of mutual learning. These events are an opportunity to learn from each other in an environment that is respectful, loving, tolerant and fun! They also serve as social forums where we get to interact and engage with each other and plant the seeds for future friendship and collaboration. These events are held without the intention to debate or argue, but rather to build bridges and to offer our fellow Hoosiers an opportunity to meet their Muslim neighbors and especially our youth who are proud to be first generation American Muslims.
Our similarities run deep:
The Holy Quran says “Oh humankind, we created you from one single pair of male and female (Adam and Eve) and made you into nations and tribes, people of different color, language and religion, so you may know each other, not to despite and hate each other, but to love ,respect and care for each other” (49-13) And in the Holy Bible, “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:17-18) We believe that understanding each other and talking to one another fosters a multifaceted relationship that works to reduce, and hopefully one day eliminate, any intolerance or fear that exists between people of different backgrounds and faiths.
Respectfully,
Al Huda Foundation Interfaith Committee
TESTIMONIALS
Testimonial #1
Esteemed Mentor & Dear Brother Salah Elsaharty
Also to the Al-Huda Team of Youth of the Interfaith Team
Alsalam Alikum.
It is with great joy and deep gratitude that I write to you today. For the past ten years, I have had the unusual privilege of getting to know many of you who are part of the fellowship of the Al-Huda Foundation. From the very first time we met, all of you have opened your hearts to me in love and acceptance.
In September of 2015, I enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry studies program of Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry. From the outset of those studies, I had the goal of studying how a cross-pollination of sound emotional health and well-grounded spirituality might be harnessed to give sharper focus to my life and ministry for the future days. After giving careful thought and prayer about this for an entire year, I had a growing realization that I could apply these studies to the relationship already developing between myself and the Al-Huda faith family.
I cannot express how grateful I am to all of you for helping me in this endeavor. I have been pleasantly surprised and deeply blessed to come to learn from you that the Christian faith and the Islamic faith are similar in so many ways.
1. Both believe in one God.
2. Both believe that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah).
3. Both believe that true faith directs us to put into practice the Two Great Commandments — to love God and to love our neighbors.
During the past couple of years, I have had the great joy of attending the Friday prayer services about once or twice per month. It has been such a blessing to me that I have invited a number of my friends and colleagues from my own faith community of Park Place Church of God in Anderson, Indiana. All of us who have attended have been warmly welcomed by all of you there. And all of us have had the experience of seeing our stereotypical ideas about Islam crumble in front of our eyes.
For example, in one of my visits to the Al-Huda Eman School, I had the privilege of sitting in on a high school class studying American Literature. The teacher of that class had written on the whiteboard: “Compare/Contrast ‘Civil Disobedience’ by Henry David Thoreau and ‘Letter from the Birmingham Jail’ by Martin Luther King, Jr..”
Later that day, as I reflected on my experience of visiting that class, a telling thought occurred to me. Most Christian Americans with whom I am acquainted (myself included) experience challenges trying to visualize secondary school Muslim students studying authors who advocate non-violence as a way of life. Yet, it happened right there in front of my eyes in that class. Since then, all of you at Al-Huda have continued to reach out in love and acceptance of me and all of the friends I have brought with me to Al-Huda.
Thank you so much for your love, your acceptance, and your legendary hospitality. And most of all, thank you for being such a powerful example of love and peace. I look forward with the greatest of anticipation to deepening our relationship even more in the days to come!
May you all be blessed —
Jim Hawkins
Testimonial #2
For the past several years I have sent students from Butler University to visit the Al-Huda Foundation. Small groups from my course on Religions of the World visit the masjid and then give a presentation to the class about their experience. In the summers I take my whole Religions of the World class to visit the masjid and have a conversation some of the high school students, and every few years I take my Religious Pluralism class for dinner and a longer discussion with some of the high school students. Without exception, this visit has always been my students’ favorite experience from the course, and it is easy to see why. The people of Al-Huda are warm, friendly, hospitable and gracious, and the students are self-possessed, confident, engaging, and always willing to answer any questions my students have. I especially appreciate the students’ willingness to share their perspectives on being Muslim in Indiana and to show how much Islam and Christianity really do have in common. Their presentations are informative and always generate productive discussions about the uniqueness and similarities of the two traditions, and my students always leave the visit with a much richer and more sympathetic appreciation for Islam and for their Muslim neighbors. In an era of increasing hostility to difference and an unwillingness to have open and meaningful conversations with our neighbors of different religious and national identities, the Al-Huda Foundation models a better way: a way of hospitality, openness, and commitment to mutual understanding and peace. I look forward to many more years of student visits to the Al-Huda Foundation!
Dr. Brent Hege
Lecturer in Religion
Center for Faith and Vocation Scholar in Residence
Butler University
Testimonial #3
