A Common Word between Us

[rahma]

A letter sent from 138 of the top muslim scholars and thinkers to the heads and leaders of churches everywhere.

Read the letter here.

News articles on the letter here.


Please read and post your thoughts. I'd appreciate that if you haven't read it, don't comment. I got my copy all printed out for the bus ride home, although I have high hopes - my sheikhs are signators.

 

[français]

Nice, for the most part. I am glad to see that people from both sides want to see unity, and love, and peace.

But, I do think that article was a bit biased. I mean, quoting the verse that part of it says "ascribe no partners to him".. It sounded like they were trying to give some message to christians that jesus is not god.

Either way.. For the most part it quoted nice verses from both books about peace, which is nice

 

[Secundulus]

You all have to be kidding. This must be a joke. If this is serious, then you do not understand us at all.​

"Finally, as Muslims, and in obedience to the Holy Qur’an, we ask Christians to come together with us on the common essentials of our two religions … that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God … (Aal ‘Imran, 3:64). Let this common ground be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us, for our common ground is that on which hangs all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:40)."

 

[Secundulus]

The first reaction to the letter, from the Bishop of Rochester, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, a leading Anglican expert on Islam, appeared to be critical.
Dr Nazir-Ali, who was born in Pakistan, welcomed the Muslim scholars' deisire for a dialogue, but said that the appeal was based on the Muslim belief in the oneness of God.
"What I would say to that is that Christians uphold belief in one God vigorously but our understanding of the oneness of God is not the Muslim understanding," he told The Times. "We believe in God as source from whom everything is brought into being. Jesus is God's word and presence for us but is also human."
He added: "One partner cannot dictate the terms on which dialogue must be conducted. This document seems to be on the verge of doing that."...

 

[Secundulus]

Deleted

 

[rahma]

Thanks for the delete, but no apology?


I'm interested in seeing what the Archbishop of Canterbury has to say about the letter. Here's what he had to say about a translation recently done by one of the signators, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf:

"Shaykh Hamza Yusuf has rendered a service not only to Muslims, but also to a wider audience by his new translation of the Creed of Imam al Tahawi accompanied by an illuminating historical introduction and by helpful biographies and extensive notes. His translation is formal without being archaic and is written in a style that Christians can recognize from their own credal formulations. The work is of value to others than Muslims, for two reasons: first, it provides in 130 short paragraphs a clear presentation of core Muslim belief in a way that is not easily available by other means, thereby providing a very positive instrument for the essential work of dialogue. Secondly, it provides Christians, who have also developed and continue to use credal formulations, with the opportunity to see just where the Islamic understanding of God comes close to the Christian understanding of God. This does much to reduce the credibility of approaches which insist on a thoroughgoing bipolar understanding of Christianity and Islam. Muslims and Christians should welcome this publication."- Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, UK

I think the letter is an interesting first step in building a much needed relationship between muslims and the leaders of the world's great religions. It isn't the be all and end all of the discussion - rather an opening note. inshaAllah (God willing) something more will come out of it, but even if nothing does, I am very excited to see such a diversity of muslim scholars and leaders working together. That bodes well for the muslim ummah (community).

 

[Secundulus]

Thanks for the delete, but no apology?

That post was inappropriate. I had hoped to delete it before you saw it. I apologize.

 

[HumbleSiPilot77]

He added: "One partner cannot dictate the terms on which dialogue must be conducted. This document seems to be on the verge of doing that."...

Why am I not surprised? The whole thing seems to be an effort to fix the muslim image.

 

[ApplePie7]

All,

This article is simply propaganda intended to promote the Islamic machine by attempting to deliver cohesiveness to the mindset of both Christians and Muslims, as delivered to the general masses.

This article attempts to deliver its message by supplying a potpourri of scriptures (with total disregard to the classic languages), and then attempts to make parallels between them.

One of the first quintessential Biblical verses quoted is the Shema….which is a mainstay with Muslims, as they insist that this demonstrates the Islamic mindset. However, it does not.

Further, the authors’ of the article attempt to represent Islam as a whole, by suggesting that the “god allah” of the Koran is the same as the true creator God of the Universe, as described within the pages of the Holy Bible. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It has already been amply demonstrated in another thread that the Koranic “god allah” is simply Satan dressed-up to look like the true Biblical God.

The authors’ want to bait the general populous with surface “similarities” …and then forget about mentioning the Islamic denial of Jesus’ crucifixion upon the cross until death, and subsequent self resurrection.

However, the authors’ could not resist the temptation to posit the quintessential Islamic one-hit-wonder-ayah (4.171 –albeit severely truncated), again totally devoid of any regard to the original language, as an attempt to show how Islam feels towards Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately the authors’ conveniently forgot to mention that this ayah, and its immediate context, overwhelmingly demonstrates that not only is the ‘Way’ an attribute of Jesus, but a whole slew of others are as well, such as these:

• The Truth
• The Messiah
• The Messenger
• The Word
• The Spirit
• The Son
• The Witness

Had the authors’ been honest enough to not truncate this ayah, and take it completely out of context (albeit the ignorant Muslim way), then perhaps greater respect would have been garnered when peer reviewed…

 

[Futuwwa]

You all have to be kidding. This must be a joke. If this is serious, then you do not understand us at all.​

Hmph. I suppose you would prefer it if anything you ever got from us was total jihad.
​

 

[Secundulus]

Hmph. I suppose you would prefer it if anything you ever got from us was total jihad.
[/left]

That's all we have ever gotten.

 

[Futuwwa]

And over your head it goes...

 

[Secundulus]

And over your head it goes...

No, it didn't go over my head. War is preferable to what that statement asks us to believe.

 

[Snowbunny]

You all have to be kidding. This must be a joke. If this is serious, then you do not understand us at all.​

"Finally, as Muslims, and in obedience to the Holy Qur’an, we ask Christians to come together with us on the common essentials of our two religions … that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God … (Aal ‘Imran, 3:64). Let this common ground be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us, for our common ground is that on which hangs all the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 22:40)."

hola,

according to Emily Post one is not obliged to accept an invitation simply because it is given. there are things in this letter that Christians can certainly join Muslims in celebrating or encouraging, and there are other things (stated or implied) that we cannot. i think it is wise to accept the things we can accept and as for those we can not: unacceptable invitations should not be understood as insults...

if muslims believe that their Christology is common ground we need not say anything more than "it is not"

Dominus tecum †

 

[Futuwwa]

No, it didn't go over my head. War is preferable to what that statement asks us to believe.

Well, then tell me what revisions you would like to see in that statement.

 

[Snowbunny]

do you ever miss getting Christmas cards? the nice looking ones with long personal messages... not the tacky joke ones...

 

[Snowbunny]

why do i sense this conversation is about to become much more hostile...

 

[Secundulus]

Well, then tell me what revisions you would like to see in that statement.

If this statement, and the others like it, were modified to delete what I have in red then this would be a reasonable and welcome letter. These red words are a direct affront and challenge to Christianity.

We can recognize and accept our differences and work together. But we cannot be told that we must abandon the central tenet of the faith in order to come together.

"Finally, as Muslims, and in obedience to the Holy Qur’an, we ask Christians to come together with us on the common essentials of our two religions … that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God … (Aal ‘Imran, 3:64). Let this common ground be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between us, for our common ground is that on which hangs all the Law and the Prophets

 

[Nooj]

In that case, maybe the letter should be addressed to the Jewish community.

 

[français]

In that case, maybe the letter should be addressed to the Jewish community.

You actually make an excellent point. They should send one like this to the Jews. After all, I think the situation is more heated for the Jews then with christians.