A Look of Faith at the Qur’an

1. Invitation to reflection

This last chapter invites the reader to reflect on two points:

1. The letter of invitation to the faith addressed by Muhammad to the emperor Heraclius
2. The welcoming reserved by the Negus of Ethiopia to the Muslims who sought refuge after their flight from Mecca.

1.1. The letter to Heraclius

Here is the translation of this letter:

“In the Name of the Merciful God. From Muhammad, servant of God, to Heraclius, the Great King of the Byzantines, greetings to those who follow the good orientation. Now I invite you to receive the message of Islam. Accept Islam, you will be saved and God will give you a double reward. If you refuse, the impiety of the Arians will be upon you. Oh people of the Book, come, let us discuss and agree on the fact that we worship but one God, without associating anything else to Him, and without proclaiming amongst us lords others than God. If you accept, say: Witness that we are Muslims.”

Two points interest us in this letter:

1.1.1. The double reward

The Prophet Muhammad assures Heraclius of a “double reward” from the part of God, should he believe in his Message. The Prophet repeats here this double reward, promised by God to the Christians who had proclaimed their faith in Islam by saying:

“We had indeed been Muslims before It (the Qur’an)”. God answers them in the Qur’an: “These shall be paid their wages twice.” (Qur’an XXVIII; The Narrative,53-54)

The first reward is derived from their faith in the Messiah and the Gospels, the second comes from their faith in the Qur’an, which witnesses in favor of the Bible and the Gospels.

What should the attitude of today’s Christians be, who believe in the Gospels and in the Qur’an? According to the Prophet Muhammad -and contrary to the opinion of many traditional Muslims- they do not have to renounce any of the teachings of the Gospels. Muhammad only asks them to say: “We are Muslims” (that is to say submitted to God). According to the Sura “The Story” mentioned above, they were already Muslims submitted to God, before the Qur’an.

As for the Negus of Ethiopia and the Coptic patriarchs, it was for the first time that they hear the Islamic Message; the patriarchs exclaimed: “But these words stem from the same source as the words of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah!”

Likewise, the Qur’an witnesses that Islam preexisted the Qur’anic revelation:

“When Jesus detected unbelief from them (the Jews), He said: ‘Who are my supporters on the path to God?’ The Apostles said: ‘We are the supporters of God and believe in God. Witness that we are Muslims (submitted)’.” (Qur’an III; The Family of Imran,52)

And God says in another verse:

“When I inspired the disciples to have faith in Me and in My Messenger (Jesus), and they said: ‘We believe; so witness that we are Muslims’.” (Qur’an V; The Table,111)

So, in the concept of the Qur’an, the Apostles of Jesus were already Muslims before Islam, and whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is already Muslim, “submitted” to God by accepting the Gospel.

After the coming of the Prophet Muhammad who confirmed the Gospels, those who reject Muhammad reject the Gospels; and those who believe in Muhammad bear witness with him the Gospel’s authenticity, and obtain “a double reward”. Likewise, the Muslim who believes in the Qur’an and Muhammad, and submits to the Gospels too -in its current text- witnesses with the Qur’an. But if he rejects the Gospels, he ceases to be a Muslim. He thus becomes a false witness of both the Gospels and the Qur’an, and the impiety of the Arians extends to him.

1.1.2. The impiety of the Arians

The second point worthy of interest in this letter is the mention of the “Arian impiety”, known in the West as “Arianism”. Arianism appeared in Alexandria in the IIIrd century after Jesus Christ. A Christian priest named Arius, denied the Messiah’s Divinity and had many disciples known as the “Arians” (not to be confused with the Aryan race). The Council of Nicaea (Turkey), held in 325 after Jesus Christ, condemned Arianism. This heresy, well known in Christianity’s history, continued for a long time after the Council of Nicaea. It spread out in the East up until the time of the Prophet Muhammad, and even after. Its evil consequences exist still today. The Muslim interpreters, who still ignored the true meaning of Arianism, are incapable of giving an exact explanation, and distort Muhammad’s intention.

In mentioning this impiety, Muhammad demonstrates a wisdom and an intelligence which affects every sensible spirit. For the Prophet certifies from his Arab and desert environment, that the decisions of the Council of Nicaea, condemning Arianism, are justified and fully approved by him. Now, this impiety was the negation of the divinity of Jesus and the Holy Trinity. Is this not an implicit recognition on the part of Muhammad of these two divine Truths?

1.2. The refuge of the Muslims in Ethiopia

Muhammad’s first disciples took refuge in Ethiopia in two successive groups. As soon as the first group arrived to Ethiopia, the tribe of Beni-Quraish of Mecca, Muhammad’s staunch enemy, sent two messengers, Amru Ibn-El-Aass -who ultimately became Muslim- and Abdallah Ibn-Abi-Rabih behind them with precious gifts to offer the Negus “Ahmassa”, calling for the extradition of the Muslim refugees. They accused them of being malicious, of having left the religion of their people and of opposing the religion of the Negus. They claimed that they had invented an unknown religion, contrary to that of the Negus and the Arabs.

The Negus refused to deliver the refugees before hearing them out first. One of them, Jaafar Ibn-Abi-Taleb, then spoke in the Negus’ presence and the Ethiopian religious leaders:
“Oh King, we were an ignorant people who worshiped the idols until God sent us a prophet from amongst us whose origin we all know, as well as his honesty and faithfulness. He invited us to believe in the One and only God and to worship Him”.
The Negus responded: “Can you read to us a text written by this man on behalf of God!”
Jaafar responded: “Yes”, and he recited all the Sura of Mary up till the verse where Jesus says:

“Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am resurrected, alive!” (Qur’an XIX; Mary,33)

When the patriarchs heard these verses, they said: “But these words stem from the same source as the words of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.”
And the Negus confirmed this in telling the two messengers: “The words of these men here, and the words of Moses emanate from one same source. Leave now! In the Name of God, I will not deliver these men to you”.

Yet the two messengers did not give up their scheme. They returned to tell the Negus: “The Muslims speak evil of Jesus, Son of Mary. Send for them and interrogate them on this subject”. When they arrived before the Negus, Jaafar answers him: “We say what our Prophet has taught us: Jesus is the Servant of God, His Messenger, His Spirit and His Word sent unto the Virgin Mary”. These Muslims had thus understood that Jesus only, is the Spirit and the Word of God.

When the Negus heard that, he took a rod and drew a line on the ground in saying: “Between your religion and ours, there is no more than this line”.
Had the Negus known Muhammad personally and heard his teachings from his own mouth, and not had the two messengers of Mecca poison the atmosphere, he certainly would not have drawn this line between the believers. The Prophet Muhammad never imagined, nor wanted such a line of separation. Wouldn’t he had been, he the Prophet, inspired to say to the people of the Book:

“Our God and yours is One God.” (Qur’an XXIX; The Spider,46)

Where is this line then, in Muhammad’s mentality? It simply does not exist.

Now is the time for every believer who is mature in faith to overcome the lines and artificial obstacles erected for centuries by human fanaticism. The time has come for the believer to find and embrace his believing brother.
There are no more Jews, there are no more Christians, there are no more Muslims. We are all Jews, we are all Christians, and we are all Muslims, provided however, that we surpass the letter and embrace God’s Spirit after discovering his true intention in his Biblical-Qur’anic revelation. “Judge for yourself what is right” as the Messiah recommends (Luke 12,57). This is “the Straight Path” of the Qur’an (Qur’an I; Fatiha,6).

Let us have the courage to be independent believers!

1.3. Conclusion

Why did I call this Book “A Look of Faith at the Qur’an”?

The reason is simple: in men’s eyes, I am Christian and, in their opinion, a Christian does not believe in the Qur’an. Yet my Christianity is more faithful to Islam than that of many Muslims. The Qur’an and its noble Prophet Muhammad witness in my favor and grant me a double reward.

The Qur’an and the Bible are nobody’s monopoly. The Qur’an is a Divine Inspiration addressed to all those who love spiritual Life and aspire to sublimate their thoughts to sit with the Creator, in His company and live eternally with His life-giving Breath and Spirit.

I believe in God, in Abraham, in Jesus, the Messiah of God, and in Mohammed, the Prophet of God. I am an independent believer. I am neither Jewish, nor Christian, nor Muslim. And yet I am altogether Jewish, Christian and Muslim, because I believe that there are only two communities: the Community of blessed believers, and the community of banished fanatics, belonging to all peoples, nations and religions.

Also, I conclude my testimony with this luminous Quranic verse from Sura III, The Family of Imran,199:

“Among the People of the Book are some who believe in God, and in what was revealed to you (Qur’an), and what was revealed to them (Bible), bowing in piety before God, and bartering not the Signs of God for a paltry price! These shall have their reward with their Lord, and God is swift in reckoning.” (Qur’an III; The Family of Imran,199)

Pierre (13.10.1984 / Revised 23.02.2008)