Letter: Christianity and Islam are incompatible
Thanks for including the editorials by Fizza Razvi on the Muslim perception of Christianity. I'm sure some folks who know little of Biblical truth found it charming.
But, the lady made it quite clear that Allah is not the God of Christianity. As a matter of first principle, Islam rejects the Trinity (Surah 5:73). (Islam frequently refers to Christians as polytheists, unbelievers of the worst sort.)
She made a guarded allusion to the fact that her faith rejects Jesus as the Son of God. She should have openly quoted Surah 9:30, ". . . and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy them; how they are turned away!" Or Surah 5:72, "They surely disbelieve who say, 'Lo, Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary.'"
She stated quite clearly that the Savior's death on the cross did not win salvation for anyone, let alone all people of all time. His task, according to her, was to teach and to set an example. We're on our own after that, she wrote.
Now, if you take away the Trinity, the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus, and His sacrificial death on the cross, what is left of our faith? Secular moralizing with little power or direction.
The editorials have shown once again that Christianity and Islam are incompatible.
Christians can live in peace with the Muslim. But, Islam must kill us, convert us or humiliate us. There can be no rapprochement on their part.
Rev. Bob A. Barnes
Stevens Point
Ms. Fizza Hussain-Razvi original column published in the Steven's Point Journal on February 3rd, 2007:
Column: Jesus is a savior in Islam
As part of the series on Jesus in Islam, this article explores the teachings attributed to Jesus through Islamic narrations. Besides the narrations of the miraculous birth of Christ mentioned in the Quran, numerous teachings of Jesus have been recorded through Prophet Mohammad, including conversations Jesus had with his disciples.
The narrations are profound and full of guidance, exemplifying the highest standards of knowledge, wisdom, nobility, devotion, asceticism, simplicity, love, compassion and, above all, justice and peace. Islam believes that all great Prophets have brought the gospel of love, love of God and love of neighbor and even love for the meanest creatures. It is up to the followers to find the common human values and live by it in harmony.
Muslims must believe in Christ, and the Holy Bible that was revealed to Jesus in its original form, as a necessary component of their faith. However there is a subtle difference between Islam and Christianity concerning his role as a savior and how he saves. The function of savior in Islam is through Jesus as a profound teacher and guide for humanity and not through redemption resulting from crucifixion. Muslims accept Jesus as a savior, for his prophetic function was to save humanity from the plague of the inherent evils in human nature and to elevate them to the highest levels of spiritually conscious beings, which Jesus exemplified with perfection.
In a conversation the disciples had with Jesus, they asked him, "Who are the best of people?" He took two handfuls of earth and said all people are created from earth and are thus equal, except "the most honorable is the one who is most virtuous and God conscious." He also advised his disciples, "Do not look at the faults of others as if you have been appointed to spy over them. But rather attend to the emancipation of your own selves for you are like slaves (of your evil desires).
Jesus' nobility, asceticism and humility were at perfection and are demonstrated in the following narration, where Jesus once said about himself, "My hands are my servant and my feet are my ride; my bed is the earth and my pillow a rock; and my lamp in the night is the moon; my nourishment is hunger and my motto is God consciousness; my clothing is wool; and my fruit and my basil is what grows from the earth for the wild beasts and cattle. I sleep while I have nothing, and I rise while I have nothing, and yet there is no one on earth more wealthy than I."
On many occasions, Jesus denounced the materialistic world and warned his disciples that the love and greed of the materialistic world is the root of all evil. He also said, "O, apostles! I have discarded the world, hence after me, do not pick it up again." Jesus also draws a remarkable analogy that the life of this world is like building a house on the sea, which is not only unstable but also transitory.
It is related in another inspirational incident of humbleness, that once Jesus washed the hands and feet of his Apostles. Embarrassed, they felt that it would be more proper for them to wash Christ's feet. At this Jesus said, "Surely, it is more fitting for one with knowledge to serve the people. Indeed, I humbled myself only so that you may humble yourselves among the people after me even as I have humbled myself among you."
Among the advice Jesus gives in regard to human relationships is the golden rule: "That which you do not like done to you, do not do to others...." He also said, "Good deeds have no value when one cooperates with an oppressor in his oppression. The evildoer is infectious, and one who is with the wicked will be disgraced; so beware of those with whom you associate."
Like Christians, Muslims believe Christ is alive and will return along with a descendent from the family of Prophet Mohammad, who is a direct descendant of Ishmael. The two lines of Abraham -- one from Ishmael and the other from Isaac -- together they will invite all people to the path of truth, justice, and peace, and destroy the Antichrist. The Antichrist is a plague of the evils of injustice, oppression, arrogance, greed and all such diseases that plague the human heart. Essentially, actions that are contrary to the glorious teachings of Christ and all great prophets. Those who are conscientious beings will see the truth in the message of these men and follow them.
While only a small fraction of Jesus' noble teachings in Islam has been shared in this article, Jesus Christ is a prominent part of Islam. He declares that among the blessed are: "those who show remorse over their mistakes; those from whose hand and tongue people are safe;" and most importantly, "those who make peace on earth." One cannot help but wonder: Who then are these belligerent, hostile, cruel, heartless, devious people who call themselves Muslims and Christians -- claiming loyalty to a man so noble, so humble, so gracious, so compassionate, so peaceful and full of splendor -- Such was Jesus, The Spirit of God!
Fizza Hussain-Razvi is a U.S. citizen who was born in India and has lived in Stevens Point since 1977 with her husband and four children. This is the final of three columns in which Fizza shares the Muslim American beliefs regarding the birth, life and teachings of Jesus Christ. She can be reached at fizzaforpeace@yahoo.com. She will be giving presentations on Islam at the Unitarian Church on Feb. 18 and at the Lincoln Center on April 13.
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