A Letter from the 'other guys'

Remember when you were a kid, a little kid, and you were the third in a triad of friends?  You were the "other one," the one who was "just out," and who wanted to be "just as in?"  You remember that, right?  When you could only have one "best" friend at a time?  When you were a child?  Remember?

Enclosed in today's blog is the first two pages of a letter sent from the "other one" in the triad of monotheistic faith traditions -- the one who is "just out," and who wants to be "just as in."  The entire letter is attached -- Download a_common_word_letter.  This letter is from 138 leaders in the Islamic world to the various heads of the Christian Church.  It is the follow up of a letter sent last year to the Pope.

I've taken the time to read the entire letter -- it is about 20 pages long -- and hope you will too.  And here's why:

• It's helpful to note what passages of the Qur'an these leaders of Islam chose to highlight in a message to the leadership of the Christian world. (It's helpful to notice how they spell Qur'an!)
• It's interesting to note what passages of the New and Old Testament these leaders of Islam chose to quote back to the leaders of the Christian world.
• It's extremely helpful to read, beginning on page 14,  the direct appeal made to Christians, and to note again what Scripture passages are being quoted.
• Finally, I think it is important that we ponder the fact that this letter is only written to Christian leaders.  Why weren't the Jewish leaders included?  I ask this question knowing that it will tick off my friends in the Muslim world, and some others as well.  (Just posting this letter will tick off my friends in the Jewish world, and some others as well -- but such is the nature of my work.)  I also ask this question because it is the elephant sitting in the middle of the circle of friends.  It's a fair question, I think.

Here it begins with the words:

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

A Common Word between Us and You

Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world’s population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.

The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbour. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity. The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbour is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity. The following are only a few examples:

Of God’s Unity, God says in the Holy Qur’an: Say: He is God, the One! / God, the Self- Sufficient Besought of all! (Al-Ikhlas, 112:1-2). Of the necessity of love for God, God says in the Holy Qur’an: So invoke the Name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him with a complete devotion (Al-Muzzammil, 73:8). Of the necessity of love for the neighbour, the Prophet Muhammad said: “None of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself.”

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ said: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. /  And you shall love the Lord  your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. / And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31) 

In the Holy Qur’an, God Most High enjoins Muslims to issue the following call to Christians (and Jews—the People of the Scripture): 

Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: 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. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). (Aal ‘Imran 3:64)

The words: we shall ascribe no partner unto Him relate to the Unity of God, and the words: worship none but God, relate to being totally devoted to God.  Hence they all relate to the First and Greatest Commandment. According to one of the oldest and most authoritative commentaries on the Holy Qur’an the words: that none of us shall take others for lords beside God, mean ‘that none of us should obey the other in disobedience to what God has commanded’. This relates to the Second Commandment because justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part of love of the neighbour.

Thus in obedience to the Holy Qur’an, we as Muslims invite Christians to come together with us on the basis of what is common to us, which is also what is most essential to our faith and practice: the Two Commandments of love.