Abraham's Faith and the Brotherhood of Mankind in the Midst of their Diverse Sights, Sounds, Rites and Ceremonies

   When Abraham wanted to know the Truth about God and Religion after rejecting all the Religions of his time based on sound reason and logic, God did not give him a Book like the Torah, Gospel and the Qur’an, but allowed him “to perceive through the alteration of the day and night in celestial worship” that God existed as the Creator, Sustainer, Protector, etc., of the universe, free of all dogmas and doctrines of Religion, and that he (Abraham) had to follow the secular and scientific path of God’s creation without being Godless, (Qur’an 6:74-79, 6:38, 30:30, 3:83).

  Abraham was able to make this assessment of God, Religion and Secularism because Abraham was Haneef (a person of pure natural beliefs). In other words, he did not use the “blind faith” methodology of Religion or the “science-based, evidence-based” methodology of Modern Science to establish any knowledge. He used the methodology of ilm-ul-yaqin (certainty of knowledge by inference and reasoning), ayn-ul-yaqin (certainty of knowledge by seeing and observing) and haqq-ul-yaqin (absolute knowledge, like this is a computer, etc.), like plants and animals do to establish “certainty of all knowledge”.

  Therefore, in the context of this “restrictive definition” of the secular and religion, all the Messengers of God (Qur’an 10:47, 16:36) were instructed to use the Word of God in the context of His Work in Nature and the wider Universe to establish one Standard way of life (AdDeeni Haneefan) for all humans, both secular and religious, (over all time and place) without making “divisions therein”, (Qur’an 30:30, 42:13, 6:38). 

  And in order to achieve AdDeeni Haneefan without making “divisions therein”, all Messengers of God in all nations were given strict instructions “not to say or do anything which was not revealed to them”, (Qur’an 10:15, 53:3, 69”43-46). And in addition to this, the Qur’an (41:43) informed Prophet Muhammad that “Nothing was said to him which was not said to all Apostles that came before him”, (Qur’an 41:43). Therefore, all Messengers of God were given exactly the same knowledge of the Divine System.

  Therefore, in all Abrahamic Faiths, when we use the Word of God in the context of His Work in Nature and wider Universe, it is made abundantly clear to us that humans were not created to “worship” God, but as “vicegerents” (Qur’an 2:30) and “friends” (Qur’an 4:125, James 2:23) of God, they were created to “serve” God like sun, moon, stars, trees, mountains, etc., were created to “serve” God for the purpose He created them and not to “worship” Him.

 Similarly, since the Qur’an does not advocate male or female “circumcision” in the context of God’s Work in Nature and the wider universe, it is against Divine Law for Jews and Muslims to “circumcise”. In Bible (Romans 2:28-29, 2Erza 1:31 Torah, Jeremiah 9:25-26 Torah} God said, “I have Forsaken your Circumcision” for the Circumcision of the Heart, not the Flesh.

 In keeping with such Guidance of the Bible and the Qur’an, the Qur’an (49:13) states that “God created different nations/tribes (of different sights/sounds of different culture, custom, tradition, language, socio-economic and political affiliation, etc.) from a single male/female, so that you may know each other (and not despise each other for being different)”.

  This verse tells us that the different sights/sounds of the different nations and tribes are their God-given Diversities within their national borders just like those of ours. Therefore, to discriminate against them in their pure form would be against the true knowledge of the Qur’an. But to integrate and assimilate with them in their pure form would not violate any injunction of the Qur’an.

 Likewise, like the different sights and sounds of the different nations and tribes are their God-given Diversities, so are “the ritualistic rites and ceremonies” of the different nations and tribes, their God-given Diversities, (Qur’an 22:34, 22:67). Therefore, to discriminate against them on this issue in their pure form would be against Divine Law.

 The Qur’an tells us that although all the Messengers of God lived in different places at different times and spoke different languages, they had absolutely no problem in establishing exactly the same knowledge of the Divine System. The Qur’an conveyed this message to Prophet Muhammad (s) as follows:

“And certainly, this community of yours is one community and I am your Sustainer. So, remain conscious of Me”. [Since all Messengers were one Brotherhood unanimous in purpose, all mankind must consider one another as Brothers and Sisters]

But they (mankind) have torn their affair of unity between them into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has. [30:32].

                                             (Qur’an 23:52-53).

  Therefore, it is not difficult to establish the Brotherhood of Mankind of different terrestrial empires of different sights, sounds, rites and ceremonies in their pure form within one spiritual empire. Like all Messengers of God, all we have to do is use the Word of God, which was given to us in its pure form, in the context of God’s Work in Nature and the wider Universe.

 In this context, it is against our spiritual empire to state that it is Islamic dress-code for all women in all our terrestrial empires of different sights and sounds to don the headscarf, hijab, niqab, burqa, etc., or to state it is Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (s) to keep a beard, wear a kurtha, circumcise, build mosques with domes and minarets, kneel and drink water and prostrate on the sports field, wear pants and shoes with right leg, and so on. Those who say such things are liars and those who say it is tradition understand Divine System.

 In Islam, our righteousness and spirituality is not associated with our religiosity. It is associated with obeying the true Guidance of God according to the Creeds of Abraham and the worldview teachings of Tawhid (unity and universality) found in the Bible and the Qur’an. Therefore, to use the Talmud, dogma and doctrines of the Christian Church, Hadith, etc., to explain the Torah, Gospel and Qur’an respectively is against Divine Law. The Qur’an states:

“(There are signs in the Universe to behold.) There is not an animal on the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two wings, but they (form part of) communities like you. We have omitted nothing in the Book (that was essential to be given through revelation). Then to their Lord they will be gathered”.

                                                  (Qur’an 6:38).

 Therefore, in Islam, God as Creator of our Universe, free of all dogmas and doctrines of Religion, is Reality. Likewise, His Work in Nature and the wider Universe is Reality. Therefore, to use His Guidance (Bible/Qur’an) in the context of Nature and the wider Universe to establish a higher form of Human Civilization, outside of human knowledge even that of the Prophet, is Reality and has nothing to do with Religion or Secularism.

  Those who believe that Islam is a Religion of Peace and Christianity is a Religion of Love, do not have the intelligence to know, how is that possible, when religion is so divisive and cause for hate and war? Likewise, those who believe that their “salaat” is a “prayer” and not a “pledge” that they will function in all aspects of their lives according to the knowledge of the Qur’an Alone have absolutely no idea what is written in the Qur’an.

  And, in the same way, according to the teachings of our spiritual empire, people like President Macron of France, who do not place their hands on God’s Book like the Bible and Qur’an and take Oath of Allegiance to their office, are no better than the religious leaders of all Religions. They are totally void of Reality. Hence, at the moment in the history of our world, there are no critical thinkers among our leaders in both Religion and the Secular Society who can define Reality outside of human knowledge.  

AK Sayed