Notes for a lecture given during 'Christianity & Islam; the religions of mercy' organised by Mohebban Al-Mahdi Youth Foundation in collaboration with St Matthew with St Mary Church on the 19th of February, 2011
The Arabic khutbah that I recited seeks the blessings of Allah (swt) and protection from evil. The last church I recited this in was Canterbury Cathedral and I explained that I do not know who the Muslims are in any group of people because only Allah (swt) sees into our hearts and souls. It is He who guides and shapes our thoughts to what we see as the best path to follow, it is He (swt) who judges and rewards mankind and thus it is a prayer for all humanity and one that asks Allah (swt) to bless all of the Messengers (as) that He has sent to give mankind good news.
This talk commemorates one of the greatest mercies that Allah (swt) has granted to mankind His creation of space, time and the beings which inhabit it; the birth of one of His (swt) Messengers. Celebrating the birth of the bearers of good news and trying to emulate their lives is something we share with other faiths but it is also the starting point of many of the things which separate us. This is particularly and most apparently true of Islam and Christianity with their shared origins in Middle-eastern monotheistic religion and their shared histories
It is often said by people in the misguided belief that they are practising some kind of interfaith dialogue or being tolerant that since Islam and Christianity share a common origin and so many values that they are just the same………really. The more educated amongst these people claim to elide differences which is a fancy way of changing the subject to ignore problems. However, Islam and Christianity are religions based upon different stages of revelation from the God (saw) that all demand honesty from His worshippers and as such we must acknowledge both our similarities and our differences. In the Qur’an Allah (swt) says,
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Indeed the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (49.13)
We do have a lot of similarities but in fact some of our biggest differences and misunderstandings occur within areas of similarity or in the words we use to express our understanding of what we believe. An apparently simple like Allah’s (swt) Mercy can mean many things depending on our view point. A good friend of mine was the local Anglican vicar and we were drinking tea in his church when the conversation turned to Allah’s (swt) Mercy on the Day of Judgement. He put forward, in a somewhat ‘Lutheran’ style, the view that anyone who accepted Jesus would be forgiven and was surprised when I responded with the view that we must acquit our selves with justice before such Mercy is inevitable. That Mercy is something that we earn by cancelling bad deeds with good deeds and asking those we have offended against to forgive us. We cannot assume that being very similar is being the same. An example of this might be a Muslim asking, “If Adam and Eve sinned does this mean that Christians believe that there is sin in Heaven?”[1] The Muslim and Judeo-Christian versions of the Creation are very similar but there are critical differences which if ignored may lead to such ephemeral questions.
When we Muslims use the word Prophet it is free from all thoughts of ‘fortune telling’ and the like. We mean those people that have been chosen and submitted to the service and Will of Allah (swt) to the extent that they become models for the rest of humanity. As stated in the verse I quoted, “Indeed the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” Honoured and raised by our Creator above all mankind for bringing the Divine message to their people in a language that they could understand. However, two of these Messengers (as) were charged with spreading the message to all mankind and yet we have built very different religions upon their teachings.
Mankind was but one nation, but differed (later). Had it not been for a word that went forth before from your Lord, their differences would have been settled between them. (10.19)
What we can see from this is that men readily agree to enjoy and share what is bad or pleasurable for them but argue and bicker about what is good for them. So much so that the Qur’an doesn’t just command the belief in One Deity, doing good, forbidding evil, saying prayers and respecting all living beings but it also says, “You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.” (109.6)
Fundamentally it is a formula not simply for pluralism but for a multiculturism that respects freedom of belief and differences in culture or lifestyle. Although, in times of peace and security it is the rule by which Muslims must regulate their relationships with other cultures and religions there are, of course, verses which qualify this formula for exceptional circumstances such as war, oppression and social unrest. When Prophet Muhammad (saw) assumed authority over the people of Medinah he implemented a treaty or constitution that specified one of three systems of law would apply to each of the three religions practised there. Muhammad (saw) became the political leader and chief magistrate of three faith communities at the invitation and with the consent of the people. Unlike conquerors, nationalists and worldly dictators, before and since, he was not seeking to impose a rigid set of laws that a subject people must integrate with or face exclusion. No, Muhammad (saw) applied the principle that people and peoples have been granted the authority to differ and choose how they live their lives. Is it their ‘right’ to choose? In secular discussions we would say yes and then seek to justify the ways in which it is denied, limited and abrogated but as people of faith and followers of the Prophet (saw) we see it as a gift from Allah (swt) manifested by His Mercy in the living examples of His Messengers.
So is multi-culturism a failure in Britain? This gathering seems to suggest that far from failing our religious communities are thriving and co-operating. Living side by side and developing harmonious relationships in accordance with revealed principles. What has failed is a secularist strategy which seeks to silence the ‘Prophetic Voice’. When Archbishop Williams suggested that elements of Shari’ah might be adopted within the law of England and Wales it was met with the usual chorus of ‘keep religion out of politics’. However, while there is some justification for keeping religions out of party politics his critics forgot some very basic facts. An Anglican minister is a law officer, a minister or scholar of any faith has a duty to speak in accordance with what a prophet (as) might say and, not least, a citizen of this United Kingdom, whatever his country of birth, has the right to speak and protest.
As mentioned earlier Muhammad (saw) was invited to lead and politics are central to religious thinking. Jesus (as) said “render unto Caesar” and while this may be read as a statement to promote political quietism however it may also be seen as an instruction not to throw away worldly matters or powers but to use them with respect for better ends. We were reminded, in the earlier talks, of the Biblical parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ who before he continued his journey left a small amount of money for the care of the injured man. He used the tools and artefacts of this world, the symbols of Caesar, for a good purpose.
We people of faith and conscience have been debating our differences since the dawn of humanity and we have been speaking out against injustice, immorality and wrong because our eyes are not fixed upon short-term goals or personal ambition or satisfying our egos bidding but upon a future with people we will never meet and a reward that we hope all will share. What authority do politicians, journalists and other comedians have to marginalise or silence us? Our bidding
Islam brings many gifts to the festival of humanity and citizenship. Large amongst those gifts is the example of Muhammad (saw) through which we may all gain the Mercy of Allah (swt). The Conservative Party’s ‘Big Society’ plan often makes reference to what has been done by the Balsall Heath Forum in Birmingham of which I have been a long serving director. What they don’t tell you is that the BHF board is comprised in large part of men and women motivated by and representing distinct faith and cultural traditions or that the City Council has been saying ‘Stop interfering with our business” for years. They also fail to mention that many of the Forum’s workers are deeply committed to their religions and cultures and that what has been created there is not a stagnant pond of integrated quiet where one transient cultural model dominates but a dynamic series of partnerships driven by common needs and those needs created by cultural, ethnic and religious differences.
When Prophet Muhammad (saw) came to Medinah it was a city in conflict and on the brink of civil war. He did not impose martial law and curfews. He did not favour one group over another. He respected the rights of individuals, groups, races and religions and offered them all a way to attain the Mercy of Allah (swt). Should we abandon such a role model? Should we sit quietly and bend our backs to fashion and transient opinion? Or should we stand strongly beside our neighbours and say we, as Muslims from many lands and races, have much to contribute to our nation. We may have come from far and near but we will not be denied the right to fulfil our duty to bring our message of peace and mercy just as Muhammad brought prosperity, peace and the promise of mercy to the people of Medinah.
[1] Asked after the lectures.