Invitation to Islam [Electronic resources] : A Survival Guide نسخه متنی

Da'wa
according to the Holy Qur'an

Every Muslim has a
policy, either conscious or unconscious, for dealing with non-Muslims, and
specifically with those called people of the Book. But that behaviour usually
takes the injunctions of the holy Qur'an into consideration in only a haphazard
way. There are people who call themselves Muslims who feel that they are called
upon merely to be polite in their dealings with Christians. They feel no burden
to inform others about Islam. Others consider that they have no responsibility
since Allah leads everyone according to His will. There are even those who
think that all religions are equally valid, and no one should make a change in
his faith. Perhaps more sadly, even the well-intentioned and well-guided
sometimes fall back on the notion that there is nothing to be done but try to
promote Islam as a beautiful faith in a positive light.

Much contemplation
of the invitation to Islam in this book focuses on types of spiritual profiles,
the various ways of approaching other people, establishing goals, identifying
the areas of false belief, and examining ways and means of making changes in
those beliefs. But in the final analysis, it is not what has been proven
effective that is important, but what the holy Qur'an has revealed and
commanded that we should do in relation to non-Muslims.

The holy Qur'an
deals with this issue in many passages using many different expressions. This
means that the issue must be an important one. Otherwise the holy Qur'an would
not approach it so often in so many ways. It is not the purpose here to examine
all of them, although that should certainly be done. It is rather the purpose
of this chapter merely to examine those few passages that refer to the people
of the Book by that name, pointing out how such people should be dealt with in
terms of their acceptance or rejection of the message of Allah.

If we fail to do
this, we are likely to fail in all of the investigation done so far. To ignore
the council of the holy Qur'an in this matter cannot fail to lead us astray in
the matter of meeting people with the message of Islam. What follows in this
chapter is merely a beginning towards developing a Qur'anic philosophy of
presenting Islam. It is high time this is done.

In the following
study all of the passages of the Qur'an containing the expression "people of
the Book" that seem to refer to da'wa are examined. A number of passages are
neglected that support the arguments, but seem to give no particular new
information relevant to the particular issue at hand. Finally, those passages
containing the expression "people of the Book" but focus on issues other than
da'wa are obviously neglected as well.

1. The Roots of
Da'wa

The first five
points made by the holy Qur'an in relation to meeting people of the Book are
fundamental and must be taken into consideration in every da'wa situation. We
might want to call them the roots of da'wa. The ones that follow them are also
basic, but more often relate to the specific problems of particular situations.
These can be called the branches of da'wa, as they are generally speaking
particular applications. All sixteen points should be memorized, practiced, and
taken constantly into account while dealing with people of the Book.

1.1 Forgive and
Overlook.

Qur'an 2:109 Quite
a number of the People of the Book wish they could turn you (people) back to
infidelity after you have believed, from selfish envy, after the Truth has
become manifest unto them: But forgive and overlook, till Allah accomplish his
purpose; for Allah has power over all things.

I once patiently
explained the Biblical evidence for the oneness of Allah to a young Christian.
He failed to accept it. Rather, he tried to make me believe in the Trinity. I
met him on a later occasion, went through even more detailed arguments, with
the same result. On a third occasion I met the same young man. He again
rejected my arguments, and put heavy emotional pressure on me to accept Jesus
(as) as God Almighty. At that point I made a mistake. I asked him if Jesus (as)
had been circumcised. At first he did not want to answer, so I asked him to
open his Bible to Luke 2 and find out. He reluctantly admitted that Jesus (as)
had been circumcised. I then asked him whether the piece that had been cut away
had also been God or not. He looked at me reproachfully. I suppose I should be
happy that he did not hit me. Much as I felt he had tried my patience, and much
as my argument appeared reasonable and valid to me, still it was not
productive.

The holy Qur'an,
in its first passage telling us how to deal with the people of the Book,
advises us to avoid problems of this sort. The ayat does not tell us to avoid
proclaiming the truth. Before we are to exercise forgiveness and overlook the
Christian attempt to turn us from the right way, we must be sure that the truth
has become evident to them. This is the heart of the ayat. The truth must
become evident to the Christian. My presentation of the truth, even from the
Christian Scriptures, may well be evident to me. But it may not immediately be
evident to the Christian to whom I am speaking. Therefore, I must wait "until
Allah accomplish his purpose." During that waiting time I must continue to find
ways of making truth evident to the Christian, while at the same time forgiving
and overlooking his attempts to take me off the right path.

The attempt of the
person of Christian background to take me off the right path may well be other
than doctrinal. It may be something less obvious than the Trinity. The "selfish
envy" that motivates such behaviour may well focus on behaviour. The argument
may be implicit that, living in a non-Muslim country, I have the duty to
conform for the sake of peace. Perhaps I should dress in a different way, or
eat in a different way in order to avoid trouble.

I once came into
conflict with the officials of a certain Western country where I was living
because of the Islamic behaviour of my daughter in school. One of them informed
me that if I wished to live in the country, I had to conform to the conditions
ruling there. My appeal to the fact that the country had laws granting
religious freedom was actually met with the argument that such freedom referred
to the religious majority. The Qur'anic injunction in such cases is 1) to make
the Islamic position as clear as possible, and 2) to be forgiving and overlook
in insult until such time as "Allah accomplishes his purpose.

1.2 Expect
Resistance.

Qur'an 2:145 Even
if you were to bring to the people of the Book all the Signs (together), they
would not follow your Qibla; nor are you going to follow their Qibla; nor
indeed will they follow each other's Qibla. If you after the knowledge has
reached you, were you to follow their (vain) desires, --then indeed you would
be (clearly) in the wrong.

The second
Qur'anic principle is to expect resistance of the truth. The passage states
first that all the evidence should be presented. But it goes on to stress that
even after all of the evidence is presented, the Christian is likely to reject
it. The wording of the Qur'an does not suggest that we are not to present the
evidence. It does imply, however, that presenting the evidence is enough. It
discharges us of our duty. We are not to use compulsion to getting the evidence
across, whether that compulsion be physical or more insidious, such as the use
of immoral means the likes of which are increasingly popular in marketing and
missionizing. A dignified and clear presentation of the facts and reasons is
enough.

An interesting
psychological principle is developed here. It is popular in Western thought to
emphasize the power of positive thinking. The Qur'an, on the contrary, notes
the importance of negative thinking. We should expect a rejection of the
message. Why is this? The Qur'an gives a good reason. If we expect the
Christian to accept the message, and we repeatedly meet disappointment, we
stand to become discouraged and in time actually be tempted to give up our own
hold on truth and right guidance. If we expect rejection, we are completely
protected from that danger.

There is an
interesting implication here, one not stated in the sacred text. That is the
danger that we might feel that we are doing the guiding, through our
implementation of positive thinking. The expectation of rejection lays the full
burden of guidance on Allah, where it belongs, and thence the credit and
responsibility. Being relieved of expectations, we are freed to focus on our
own part, which is the clear and dignified expression of the message, unsullied
by any ulterior motives on our part. In this way we see that the Qur'an is far
superior to modern psychology. The Qur'an is not merely a reflection of the
latest scientific discoveries, it is rather a correction of them.

The very next
passage in the Qur'an gives an explanation of this behaviour. Why do people
reject the clear evidence? The reason is that they know it already, but have
taken on the habit of concealing the truth. When you present material in
support of Islam from the Christian Scriptures, you will generally meet denial
because they are accustomed to concealing the true meaning of the text. Qur'an
2:146 The people of the Book know this as they know their own sons; but some
of them conceal the truth which they themselves know. The process by which
this is done is quite complex. The first means of concealing the truth is
through biased establishing of the Biblical text. The second means is the
biased translation of the Biblical text. The third means is the publication of
the text in translation without the original parallel. The fourth means is
through biased interpretation of the text, the biased selection of passages,
and the purposeful neglect of scriptural witnesses to truth. All four of these
means are in common use by both Christian scholars and clergy as well as lay
people.

1.3 Rely on
Divine Guidance.

Qur'an 2:213 Mankind
was one single nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and
warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in
matters wherein they differed; but the People of the Book after the clear Signs
came to them, did not differ among themselves, except through selfish
contumacy. Allah by His Grace guided the Believers to the Truth, concerning
that wherein they differed. For Allah guides whom He will to a path that is
straight.

This Qur'anic
passage gives an enormous amount of information. First of all, it maintains the
unity of the original revelation. That is, the Qur'an supports the diffusionist
theory of W. Schmidt and Andrew Lang, the early 20th-century
anthropologists who maintained that humankind was originally monotheist, and
that all religious traditions are deviations from that original faith.

Secondly, the
Qur'anic passage maintains that messengers or prophets came with both good news
and warnings in order to maintain that original faith. In that context God sent
the Book (that is, the pre-qur'anic revelation), which had the role of judging
between people when they came into disagreement. That is, the revelation was to
prevent the deviations from original monotheism.

Thirdly, despite
the witness of the Book or revelation, the people of the Book deviated, not
because the Book was unclear, but through "selfish contumacy."

The fourth clause
gives God's response to human deviation from original monotheism. The Qur'an
calls this guidance. It is not certain whether this refers to the pre-qur'anic
Scriptures, since Scripture is also guidance, or whether this refers to the
final revelation, the holy Qur'an, or to the Imamate, which is also guidance,
or even to two or all of these factors. In any case, the Qur'an emphasizes that
those who have deviated have access to guidance.

Finally, the last
clause points out that God guides whom He will. Since the ayat has already
stated that such guidance has already come to deviators, "whom He will" does
not imply that God guides some people, that is, those few or many that He
chooses to guide, but that the general grace of guidance granted to all, even
to the deviators, is willed by God.

The implication
for da'wa is the realization that guidance is divinely willed and granted even
to deviators. We do not therefore have the right to deprive deviators of divine
guidance, whether it be the truth revealed in their own Scriptures, the Qur'an,
or through the Imamate. Guidance is the will of God and is open to all. It
becomes inaccessible to deviators only by their own choice to ignore it.

This implication
has two aspects in reference to the Muslim engaged in da'wa. The first is the
realization that his hearer has the right, by divine decree, to access to the
guidance contained in revelation. The person engaged in da'wa must not deprive
him of it by concession, conciliation, apathy, or any other means. The second
aspect is that the content of da'wa must be precisely that of revelation. The
one doing da'wa does not have the right to give other than divine guidance. He
does not have to right to give information that is not true, that is innovative
or merely cultural in content.

1.4 Deal with
Dispute by Submission to God.

Qur'an 3:19, 20 The Religion before Allah is Islam
(submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of
each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of
Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account. (20) So if they dispute
with thee, Say: "I have submitted my whole self to Allah and so have those
who follow me." And say to the People of
the Book and to those who are unlearned: "Do ye (also) submit yourselves?"
If they do, they are in right guidance, but if they turn back, thy duty is to
convey the Message; and in Allah's sight are (all) His servants.

This passage is
addressed to the holy Prophet (as). But its message refers to the person
engaged in da'wa as well. The best form of da'wa is to follow the sunnah of the
Prophet (as), and the sunnah of the Prophet (as) is contained in the
instructions God has given him in the holy Qur'an.

The Qur'an points
out that Christian deviation is not based on reason but "envy," that is, on an
emotional response. Disputation may sound reasoned, but it is best to bear in
mind that the Christian argument is always based on an emotional response, and
is therefore itself susceptible to manipulation and political misuse.
Therefore, it is best not to take the bait. If the discussion turns on a point
of reason, the role of reason in Islam will lead the Muslim to focus on that
issue in a reasoned way. The Christian will appeal to reason only in support of
an already established emotional response. This is why disputation between
Muslim and Christian is so often fruitless. It is not, as many Muslims so
charitably think, because direct and reasoned discussion of principles goes
against the grain when one is challenged to change one's position.

The Qur'an gives
here the proper road to take when brought to an impasse through Christian
appeal to emotions camouflaged by logical disputation. It also gives the reason
why this is important. In discussion with Christians, the Muslim challenge
generally inspires the Christian to make blasphemous statement, statements that
actually call for punishment. In doing da'wa, one has to be careful not to
cause more harm than good. In such a case, the Muslim should express his or her
desire to submit to the will and teaching of God. That submission should be
whole-hearted and so sincere that the Christian is impressed to follow suite.
Before allowing the Christian to get to the place in his argument that becomes
blasphemous and calls down punishment upon him, he should be led if possible to
submit to God.

This means that
the person doing da'wa should think first about both submitting to Allah him or
herself, and about encouraging the Christian to do the same. There is basically
nothing in the Christian psychology to prevent this. If the Christian
hesitates, one can ask "Is there anything in your religion that prevents you
from submitting to God?" The answer should be no. Then it is possible to open
common ground by saying "Let us both agree then that we will wholly submit
ourselves to God." It is difficult for the Christian to refuse, and this has
not only created common ground, but has brought the Christian a long step
towards Islam, which is merely submission to God. In further contact, if there
is an area of dispute, a reminder of this common commitment can restore
understanding.

There is another
important factor in consciously going through this process. Muslims often
approach those interested in Islam with a teacher mentality. Although it is
true that if one's native language is Arabic, one will always have an advantage
over others in that matter, it does not follow that one is thereby the
definitive teacher of all others through time and infinity. One needs to
relinquish arrogance if one expects to have a good reception, and the only way
of relinquishing arrogance effectively is through personal submission to God.

The fourth rule is
to say to Christians or others "Let us agree to submit ourselves entirely to
God Almighty and to Him alone."

1.5 Define
Submission to God.

Qur'an 3:64 Section 7. Say: "O People of the
Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship but Allah;
that we associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among
ourselves, lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back,
say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's
Will)."

After establishing
common ground by starting with the attitude of submission to God on the part of
both sides, the next step can be taken. It is important to notice that this is
the proper psychological order. First establish that we both submit ourselves
wholly to God. Then, and only then, define submission.

The definition of
submission in this passage includes three points. The first is the oneness of
Allah. The realization of the oneness of Allah is predicated on the attitude of
submission rather than on a rational, deductive demonstration of divine unity
or even on a revealed proclamation. This is the import of the phrase "La ilaha
illallaah" which implies that there is none who deserves our worship or
submission but the one Allah. The Christian should be led to understand that
the submission to God, which he has already expressed, implies that there is
only one God to whom he is submitting. But in many cases if will not be
possible to present evidence other than an explanation of what Islam teaches.
Pressure to cede the point is not effective. Proclamation of the truth with its
evidence is all we can do.

The Qur'anic idea
is very logical. It basically means that since we submit wholly to God, that
God cannot exist in parts. Otherwise, our submission must also exist in parts.
We should have to submit to one part of God with one aspect of our being or
experience, and to another with another aspect of our being or experience. But
this is clearly not our experience as we submit ourselves wholly to God. God is
therefore one and indivisible.

The second point
in the definition of submission to the one true God is that we do not associate
partners with Him. It is one's personal submission that forms the basic
argument for the oneness of God, rather that recourse to reason or revelation.
Again, pressure is ineffective. Rather, we should concentrate on making it
absolutely clear that we are so concerned about submitting to God alone, that
we dare not concede the status of deity to anything or anyone appearing in
created form. The distinction between Creator and created is absolute, and our
submission to the Creator alone is an act of recognition of His sovereignty.

Insofar
as Christians go, the point in that Jesus (as) is not God Almighty. With other
people, it might be Krishna whom we cannot admit to be the deity. For both, the
argument will arise that Jesus or Krishna are not associated to God, but are
manifestations, incarnations, hypostases of the one God. The rational argument
must concede that a manifestation, incarnation or hypostasis, being in the form
of a creation, is in itself an association. It cannot but mitigate both the
unicity of God and His uniqueness as Creator.

The
third aspect of defining submission is the rejection of human religious
authorities that have been set up by human means. The only acceptable authority
is that set up by God Himself. People have direct access to God without the
intermediary of ecclesiastical authority, church or priest. It should not be
difficult to see that full submission to God conflicts with recognition of such
authorities. It is quite clear and logical. That does not mean that it will be
acceptable to all to whom it is presented.

The
Qur'anic advice is a logical and psychological chain. It begins with submission
to God. That submission implies that the God to whom we are wholly submitted is
one and not many, one and not existing in parts. It further implies that no
other being can be conceived as God, but the one God to whom we are wholly
submitted. Finally, the third implication is that submission to that one God
excludes submission to humanly established religious authorities. Thus, once we
have innocently led the Christian to submit himself wholly to God, something he
will generally be ready to do so as not to be less than the Muslim, we have in
one fell swoop undercut the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of the
atonement (the sacrifice of the god-man associated with God), and the doctrine
of the Church. In other words, we have weakened all three major Christian
heresies.

This
approach is workable with Christians and secular people as well. At this point
a decision may be made, either for or against Islam. However, in making a
decision against Islam, the individual will fall back on his traditions,
whether secular or religious. The following Qur'anic advice touches on those
traditions.

The
fifth rule is to define our submission by saying "We worship God alone, we
associate no one or nothing with Him, and we set up no human authorities from
among ourselves."

2.
The Branches of Da'wa

The
basic principles of da'wa are given above. All five of them are essential to
every da'wa situation. But they may be, in fact must be, applied in practice in
ways appropriate to the particular situation. The "branches of da'wa" described
below give directions in how to deal with the specific and varied kinds of
situations that commonly arise. Amazingly, the situations described in terms of
the people of the Book in the Qur'an over fourteen centuries ago are very much
the same today.

2.1
Look to Abrahamic Revelation.

Qur'an
3:65 Ye People of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham, when the Law and
the Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have ye no understanding?

Rather than accept
Islam on the basis of the five-point plan noted above, many individuals will
raise arguments for not doing so. This passage in the Qur'an describes a
particular situation. The message of Islam specifically attacks the deviations
of Christians and Jews with the appeal to return to the purity of the Abrahamic
faith. This is a very psychological approach, since it appeals to what is
common, or claimed to be common, in both faiths. The goal of the Islamic
proclamation was to unite Jews and Christians in such a way that neither should
exist any longer as such, but should go forward united in the original
monotheism, the faith of Abraham.

In answer to this,
Jews appealed to the Law (the books of Moses a.s.) and the Christians to the
Gospel, in their attempt to validate their deviation. Both attack the Qur'an in
various ways, but the most insidious way they do so is to consider the Qur'an
the book of Islam, as the Tawrat or Torah is the book of Jews and the Gospel or
New Testament is the book of Christians. In that way the three faiths are set
up as opposing but having in some sense equal validity. Muslims often buy into
this by accepting Judaism and Christianity as divinely revealed faiths which
are merely superceded by the later revelation of Islam. This is not correct nor
is it Qur'anic.

The real situation
is that there is only one valid faith, original monotheism. At the time of
their revelation, the messages of Moses and Jesus (a.s.) were expressions of
that one, true, original faith. They later became Judaism and Christianity
through deviation, at which point they ceased to be valid faiths. The Qur'an
does not accept appeal to divine revelation on the part of deviators as a valid
justification for their deviation. We are not to accept their claims that the
Torah or the New Testament validates deviant traditions.

The message of
Islam remains an appeal to jive up deviation and to return to the faith of
Abraham. It is not a message to accept the Qur'an as the book of Islam and out
of courtesy allow that the Torah teaches Judaism and the New Testament
Christianity. It is a logical implication that a single God without parts and
without associates will reveal a single true faith. Alternatives are just not
acceptable, politically correct as such an attitude may be in present society.
To the extent that the Torah and the Gospel have been transmitted to us
faithfully, they teach Islam.

The surface import
of the Qur'anic passage is that the basics of true faith are to be found
already in the revelation to Abraham, and appeal to later revelation in an
attempt to overturn that faith in support of deviation from it is unacceptable.
The Qur'an essentially rejects the two alternative religious philosophies. The
first is that God has given revelation in stages, so that there are basic
truths that were unknown at one time, and became known through revelation at
later periods. The second is that faith has gone through a process of evolution,
developing from a primitive form to a higher form.

So this passage in
the Qur'an warns us to avoid two issues that opponents will raise. The first is
the battle of the books, and the second is development in faith from primitive
to higher. Both of these are diffused by maintaining the principle of universal
original revelation of monotheism and the understanding that the proliferation
of faiths is degeneration or deviation from it.

When we are faced
with these issues, appeal to the Bible to support deviation, the correct answer
is to say "Let us return to the faith of Abraham."

2.2 Watch out
for Deceit.

Qur'an 3:69 It
is the wish of a section of the People of the Book to lead you astray. But they
shall lead astray (not you), but themselves, and they do not perceive! 70 You
People of the Book! Why do you reject the Signs of Allah, of which you are
(yourselves) witnesses? 71 You
People of the Book! Why do you clothe Truth with falsehood, and conceal the
Truth, while you have knowledge? 72
Section 8.A section of the People of the Book say: "Believe in
the morning what is revealed to the Believers, but reject it at the end of the
day; perchance they may (themselves) turn back;" 75 Among the
People of the Book are some who, if entrusted with a hoard of gold, will
(readily) pay it back; others, who, if entrusted with a single silver coin,
will not repay it unless you constantly stand demanding, because they say,
"There is no call on us (to keep faith) with these ignorant
(Pagans)." But they tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it.

This passage gives
a different excuse that people use for their rejection of Islam. The passage
begins by noting the tendency of people who reject the faith to try to lead
others astray. This is basically the appearance of deceit or dishonesty. The
first point of dishonesty noted in ayat 70 is that of claiming to submit to
God, and then refusing to accept the implications. The second mode of deceit is
concealing the Truth, especially the fact that the Law and the Gospel, whatever
they claim to be following, actually teach Islam. The third mode of deceit is
pretending to accept the message of Islam in the hope of being able thereby to
influence Muslims. It is very common, especially in some quarters, to go along
with what a person is saying, pretending to accept it, and later denying it.
Many times Muslims think a person is close to Islam when he is merely being
friendly. The final form of deceit is the idea that one need be honest only
with someone who shares one's faith. The Qur'an does not accept such behaviour.

The Qur'an thus
sets up these basic principles of honesty when dealing with the people of the
Book. 1) The need to recognize and follow through consistently on the
implications of what one has proposed. 2) The need to relate to Scriptures as
an expression of divine truth rather than as a source of material to select
what seems to support already accepted beliefs. 3) The need for sincerity in
one's expressions of belief. 4) The need for treating all people with the same
honesty, whether or not they share one's faith.

2.3
Remember that God Sees and Knows.

Qur'an
3:98 Say: "O People of the Book! Why do you reject the Signs of Allah,
when Allah is Himself witness to all you do?" 99 Say: "O you
People of the Book! Why do you obstruct those who believe, from the Path of
Allah, seeking to make it crooked, while you were yourselves witnesses (to
Allah's Covenant)? But Allah is not unmindful of all that you do."

The
Qur'an gives us here the proper response when people reject Islam. The context
of their rejection is that they have agreed with us to submit themselves wholly
to God. Yet they have failed to follow through on the implications of
submission to God, that is, that for reasons of consistency they must
relinquish belief in the Trinity, the Atonement, and the Church. Although we
might feel some sympathy for the inability to make changes in belief, knowing
how difficult this may be, still rejection of Islam demands a firm response.
This passage gives one. We are to remind them that God is a witness to what
they do. If they have made a covenant with us that we will both submit
ourselves wholly to God alone, then God is a witness to that. He sees and knows
how we follow through on that promise. If we balk at obedience the first time
it runs against our preconceived ideas, it ought to make us stop and think
about our sincerity in making the promise in the first place. The Qur'an gives
us the proper words for this response.

2.4
Remember that God Judges.

Qur'an
4:47 O ye People of the Book! Believe in what We have (now) revealed,
confirming what was (already) with you, before We change the face and fame of
some (of you) beyond all recognition, and turn them hindwards, or curse them as
We cursed the Sabbath breakers, for the decision of Allah must be carried out.

This
passage notes that the Qur'an confirms the Bible, what has already been sent.
This does not mean that the Qur'an endorses everything in the Bible or that it
confirms it to be without error. Many scholars have shown that the Bible has
not been transmitted perfectly. But this passage notes that the Qur'an confirms
the message of the earlier revelation. This is a reference to the fact that
there is one original and true revealed faith, that universal monotheism from
which all religious traditions but the true one have deviated. The Qur'an is
not an additional message, but a perfect expression of the original one that is
still to be found, however imperfectly, in the earlier revelations even as they
are transmitted to us. The Qur'an thus makes two points: firstly, people should
believe the Qur'an; and secondly, that the Qur'an expresses the same unchanging
original faith that was revealed earlier.

There
is a reference here to the event described in Qur'an 2:65,66. Those who
exceeded in the Sabbath were turned into despised apes. Tradition notes that
this took place in Aqaba or Biblical Elath on the sea. The people tried to find
ways of circumventing the command to observe the Sabbath by not catching and
eating fish on that day. Ingenious ways of circumventing divine law resulted in
them becoming apes, without spiritual discernment. So people who make excuses
for not carrying out God's commandment by the very process of doing so dull
their minds and their capacity to understand truth. So there is an inevitable
result of such action, besides the punishment of God for it.

If
the reminder that God sees and knows does not work, then we may make the appeal
stronger by reminding them that judgment inevitably falls on those who make
excuses for not following the truth that God has been graciously pleased to
grant them. There is no compulsion in Islam, and one must be careful in dealing
with such issues. Advertising and marketing can be forms of compulsion. This we
are given specific limits in the Qur'an as to what and how much pressure can be
put on people. We are allowed to remind people that God sees and knows
everything. If that has no effect, then we are allowed to remind them of
judgment. It goes without saying that each person should first examine him or
herself in these matters. Hypocrisy is a strong detriment to da'wa.

It is
certain that all must one day acknowledge the Truth. Qur'an 4:159 And there
is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and
on the Day of Judgement he will be a witness against them; --

2.5
Warn against the Trinity.

Qur'an
4:171 O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of
Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) an
apostle of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit
proceeding from Him: So believe in Allah and His apostles. Say not
"Trinity": desist: It will be better for you: For Allah is One God:
Glory be to Him: (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all
things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of
affairs.

There
is a temptation to begin discussion with a non-Muslim on the matter of tawheed
or the oneness of Allah. That is because this principle is the foundational
doctrine of Islam on one hand, and one of the areas of most glaring error in
other faiths on the other hand. Nevertheless, in this Qur'anic ordering of
subjects to deal with as one meets the people of the Book, it comes only tenth.
Experience shows that truly immediate approaches to this problem are not generally
effective. Again, the Qur'an is most psychologically astute in its ordering of
subjects.

This
passage gives the basic points that need to be brought forward in discussion
with people of the Book on this matter. Four basic issues are stated, two negative
ones and two positive ones.

The
first issue is to ask the people of the Book not to commit excesses, but to say
only the truth about Allah. Committing excess refers not merely to the belief
itself in the Trinity, but the pretension that such a doctrine is taught by the
Christian Scriptures. The situation is not that there are two alternative
beliefs that may be chosen equally one over the other. The Trinity is an
unwarranted attempt to define God, which is to break the command in the
Decalogue against making images of God. The attitude of defining God is to set
the human capacity for theological cogitation above God. It is the attitude of
the idolater, who considers that he has the right to make an image through
which to worship God. Intellectual and physical images have their sources in
this excessive attitude. The oneness of God is not the product of a theological
formulation, but the submission to the divine proclamation of oneness. It is
based on the attitude of submission and the realization that the human mind is
incapable of grasping God. The implication is that nothing should be said about
God in excess, that is, no expression should be maintained as categorically
true in reference to God except those actually found in the sources of revelation.
For example, since the Christian sources of revelation do not contain the term
Trinity, it is excess to call God a Trinity.

The
second issue is the right understanding of Jesus (a.s.). Christians commit an
excess in calling Jesus (a.s.) God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
The Qur'an corrects this by pointing out exactly what and who he is. The
important points are 1) that he is the Messiah (a matter denied by the Jews at
the time of Muhammad and later), 2) that he is the son of Mary (with the
implication of the virgin birth, otherwise he would be called by the name of
his father), 3) that he was a prophet or messenger sent from Allah, 4) that he
is the word of God, that is, the divinely appointed expression of God's will,
or the divine proof, on earth, 5) and that he was a spirit proceeding from God.
Thus the role of Jesus being a special representative of God on earth is
emphasized, although this is not to deny that role to others sent from God as
well.

It is
important to emphasize all of these Qur'anic points, rather than just the fact
that he was a prophet and born of a virgin. Believers in the Trinity are
already sensitive to the fact that Islam teaches that Jesus (a.s.) was a man
and not God. Therefore every possible opportunity to note the true greatness
that the Qur'an accords to Jesus (a.s.) should be taken.

The
third issue is to ask Christians to stop referring to God as the Trinity. Again
the Qur'an mentions a very simple and obvious thing, but one that is easily
overlooked. In the light of the fact that the Christian Scriptures do not
mention the Trinity and to do so is therefore excess, and in the light of the
fact that Jesus (a.s.) is the Messiah, son of Mary, a prophet, the Word of God,
and a Spirit proceeding from Him, people should therefore stop calling God a
Trinity. It is appropriate to remind them to do so.

The
final point to be made is to emphasize the foregoing by proclaiming the
important points in reference to Allah. Again, this is a very effective
psychological way of dealing with the issue. The first three points prepare the
way for this one, making it clear and unequivocal. The first point to say about
Allah is that He is one. The second thing is to break the intensity of the
rationality through praise. This is absolutely necessary in order to reach the
minds of the people of the Book. Thus, after saying that God is one, we should
say subhan Allah, praise be to Allah. This is in fact an acknowledgement of our
status as creatures and His status as Creator. We need to put ourselves, both
Muslims and Christians in our places as in the same category, creatures
standing before our Creator. This prepares us for the third point, that the
Creator is exalted above creation in essence. Creatures reproduce. By contrast,
the Creator does not. The realization of the oneness of God, and His status as
deserving of praise because He is Creator of all things, prepares one for the
realization that He does not reproduce. The realization that He does not
reproduce can and should produce the awareness that to ascribe a son to Him is
an excess. The fourth point reinforces the uniqueness of God, who has neither
son nor daughter, by giving the explanation that He is sovereign over all
things in heaven and earth. Therefore He can have no need to reproduce, and by
extension can have neither need nor possibility to be described in terms of
being or having a son.

The
matter of excess in religion is often reiterated in the holy Qur'an, and could
form the basis of a study in its own right. Qur'an 5:80 Say: "O People
of the Book! Exceed not in your religion the bounds (of what is proper),
trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went
wrong in times gone by, --who misled many, and strayed (themselves) from the
even way.

2.6
Take Advantage of What is Common Heritage.

Qur'an
5:6 This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food
of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them.
(Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers,
but chaste women among the People of
the Book, revealed before your time, --when ye give them their due dowers, and
desire chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues. If any one rejects faith,
fruitless is his work, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those
who have lost (all spiritual good.

This
passage of the Qur'an relating to the people of the Book emphasizes that there
are common issues between them and Muslims. There is a popular interpretation
of this passage that says to eat with a Jew and sleep with a Christian. This is
a false understanding of the revelation. In reality, neither Jews nor Christians
eat in the proper way. Jews go beyond their Scriptures in prohibiting the
eating of milk and meat together. Christians fail to follow the restrictions on
diet altogether. What is of value here is to realize that the Scriptures of the
Jews and Christians actually support Islamic diet as shown in Leviticus 11 and
Deuteronomy 14, where the same species are prohibited and allowed as in Islamic
law, with the exception of the camel, which is clearly given as a grace to the
desert-dweller in the Qur'an. The usefulness of this is to show to the Jew and
Christian that Islam is teaching something that they lack in practice, but
which they have in common with Islam through their Scriptures. Many will be
surprised to see that their own Scriptures actually teach Islam, and this
surprise will result in a favorable attitude towards Islam. This is only an
illustration of the principle, since much of Islam, even in the smallest
detail, is to be found expressed in the Scriptures of the people of the Book.

The
second matter, that of marriage to people of the Book, is of a different
character. Here the emphasis on what is common heritage is not in terms of
revelation, but social contact. Many religious communities become enclosed upon
themselves. Muslims also have the concept of the Ummah or the community of
faith. However, it is a community that is open to social contact. It is crucial
that Muslims be willing to be in close social contact with those of other
faiths, in order to present Islam to them in the best possible light. This
extends even to the point of marriage. Suspicion is often attached to people
who revert to Islam to marry a Muslim, but this is a Qur'anic practice. Da'wa
by marriage is a laudable act. It often results in new Muslims who are more
attached to the faith than the original Muslim spouse. Of course, it also
happens that true faith does not materialize. For this reason care should be
taken to provide a good grounding in Islam before engaging in such marriage.

2.7
Show how the Qur'an Explains the Bible Correctly.

Qur'an
5:16 O People of the Book! There hath come to you our Apostle, revealing to
you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now
unnecessary):21 O People of the Book! Now hath come unto you, making
(things) clear unto you, our Apostle, after the break in (the series of) our
apostles, lest ye should say: "There came unto us no bringer of glad
tidings and no warner (from evil)": But now hath come unto you a bringer
of glad tidings and a warner (from evil). And Allah hath power over all things.

Christianity
is divided into about twenty thousand sects, all of which maintain that their
teachings are based on the Book. Most of them have many things in common, and
many differ from others in their emphasis of some particular, often seemingly
insignificant, point of doctrine or practice. This is due to many things, not
least of which is the fact that so much of Christianity is based on heathen
sources rather than the Book. But this passage in the Qur'an points out two
relevant things about Christian use of the Bible. The first of these is that
the prophet Muhammad (a.s.) has come to reveal many things that Christians have
tended to overlook in the Bible message. The second of these is that the
prophet Muhammad (a.s.) has come to point out that some of the matters in the
Bible to which certain sects are attached are local or temporary measures
relevant to the application of the true faith to a particular time and place.
They are therefore not to be taken and practiced today.

Everyone
who uses the Bible agrees on these two things in principle. Everyone agrees
that the Bible contains the basics of faith, and everyone agrees that it
contains practices that are not to be applied today. What they disagree on is
what these principles and practices are. Muhammad (a.s.) provides an
authoritative, prophetic solution to this dilemma. Islam, not an ecumenical
movement or interfaith dialogue, is the answer to Christian sectarianism. When
practicing Christians point to the Bible in defense of heresy, the proper
answer is that Christians disagree in their interpretation and understanding of
the Bible on that point, therefore the Qur'an was given to clarify matters.
When secular Christians point out that Biblical faith cannot be determined,
because Christians themselves disagree on the interpretation of the Bible, this
is an opportunity for the Muslim to point out that the Qur'an clarifies the
issues of disagreement.

2.8
Use Islamophobia to Good Advantage.

Qur'an
5:62 Say: "O People of the Book! Do you disapprove of us for no other
reason than that we believe in Allah, and the revelation that hath come to us
and that which came before (us), and (perhaps) that most of you are rebellious
and disobedient?"

One
of the most important issues in the meeting between Islam and the people of the
Book is Islamophobia, or the accusations of non-Muslims that Islam is backward,
fostering ignorance, injustice, economic chaos, oppression of women and other
evils. Generally Muslims try to meet such accusations in one or both of two
ways. The first is defensiveness. They try to give evidence that the
accusations are untrue. The other method is programmes presenting Islam as
peaceful, conciliatory, and rational. Of course both methods rely on accurate
material, but they have two weaknesses. One is that they are selective, and
this undermines their effectiveness. The second is that they accept the
parameters of the accusers. Finally, these ways of working are distracting,
taking the attention away from the real basic issues.

The
Qur'an provides another way. That way is to counter accusation with accusation.
It is to note the hypocrisy of the accusation. Of course that hypocrisy is
evident in the fact that the Christian world is largely responsible for much of
the violence and injustice that takes place and has taken place in recent
centuries. Without claiming that Islamic societies are perfect, one can take
note that neither Christian societies nor the secular societies based on them
have ever maintained anything approaching justice. Yet this is not the Qur'anic
answer to accusation either. The real reason for Islamophobia lies in four
factors. The first is that Muslims believe in one God. The second is that they
believe in the Qur'an. The third is that they believe in the former revelation,
a fact that remains a threat to the people of the Book. The fourth is that the
people of the Book, in their deviation from the Book, are rebellious and
disobedient. If the people of the Book were obedient to their own Scriptures,
they would have little reason to fear Islam.

The
best way to deal with anti-Islamic expressions is to focus on these four
factors. The first two are the frightening aspects of Islam. Submission to
Allah implies that Muslims cannot be manipulated or controlled by other powers.
Adherence to the Qur'an implies that Islamic law limits their loyalty to
humanly devised laws that favour the oppression of the weak by the powerful.
The latter two factors relate to Christian failure on these two points. They neither
adhere to the legal prescriptions of their own Book, nor do they submit to God,
but rather are rebellious and disobedient. The simple proof of that is the fact
that insofar as is possible to discern, not a single Christian sect maintains
even the literal obligations of the Decalogue, to say nothing of the rest of
the Book.

These
four issues have to be dealt with before Muslims are obligated to examine the
accusations of Islamophobic people. Only when they recognize the Muslim's right
and obligation towards Allah and the Qur'an, and conversely the obligation of
the people of the Book towards God and the Bible, is it possible to deal with
any accusations fruitfully. When the matter is brought up, one can politely say
that one is ready to deal with those issues as soon as these matters are
clarified.

2.9
Maintain the Consistency between the Books of Revelation.

Qur'an
5:71 Say: "O People of the Book! You have no ground to stand upon
unless you stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that has
come to you from your Lord." It is the revelation that comes to you from
your Lord that increases in most of them their obstinate rebellion and
blasphemy. But sorrow not over (these) people without Faith.

Qur'an
29:46 And do not dispute with the people of the Book except with means
better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict
wrong (and injury): But say, "We believe in the Revelation which has come
down to us and in that which came down to you; our Allah and your Allah is One;
and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)."

The
Qur'anic advice here is most interesting. Qur'an 5:71 makes three points. The
first point is to challenge the people of the Book to stand on the consistent
revelation of the Bible and the Qur'an. Whenever an argument is brought
forward, merely insist that it is invalid unless the whole body of Scripture is
brought to bear on it consistently. Accept no arguments that are not based on
the Qur'an as well as the Bible. This will force the people of the Book to take
the Qur'an into consideration, or break off dialogue. Their desire to lead
people away from Islam will generally force them to continue.

The
second point is that their investigation of the Qur'an in this context will
generally increase their obstinate rebellion against God and their blasphemy.
One must expect this to be the result in most cases. The third point is that we
should not let this state of affairs cause us sorrow or mental stress. We
should merely accept it as reality.

The
passage in Qur'an 29:46 reiterates the usefulness of emphasizing the
consistency between the Bible and the Qur'an. We should not let Christians
convince us that they have a different God than we, nor a different revelation.
That would only grant them some grounds of validity. All difference is based on
distortion, and it is unacceptable. Rather, one must emphasize that the God of
the Christians is the same as the God of all humankind, who is one and unique,
the Creator and therefore the sovereign of all. Adherence to the false doctrine
of the Trinity does not relieve them of their responsibility to their Creator.
We are all under one God.

2.10
Engage in Jihad.

Qur'an
9:29 Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that
forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle, nor acknowledge
the Religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they
pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

What
is the valid way of fighting in any given situation is open to discussion.
Nevertheless, all should understand clearly that the goal of Islam is to oppose
injustice throughout the world and establish a society in which the highest
possible level of justice for all people can be maintained. It is the teaching
of Islam that the implementation of Islamic law is the only way to achieve
that. Therefore, the goal of Muslims must be the establishment of a society in
which Islamic law is recognized.

There
are three internal impediments to this. The first is ignorant and violent
reactionary movements caused by colonialism and post-colonial policy. This type
of supposed Islam fans the flames of fear, hatred, and opposition. It forms the
other side of the vice that anti-Islamic powers use to oppress the peoples of
the world. The second internal impediment is modernism. This is the attempt to
adapt Islam to the colonial situation. At the present time it affects many
Muslims, but has begun to appear pass. The third impediment is the adaptation
of Muslims to the requirements of globalization. The type of government,
economy, society, and culture that is becoming increasingly common to the whole
world contains some aspects that are in conflict with Islamic principles. One
of the most glaring of these is interest-based economy. Another can be called
exploitative democracy, a system ostensibly for the whole population, but in
reality the rule of the most powerful lobbies.

Islamic
jihad must overcome both internal and external impediments, and when it fails
to do so, it eventually merely supports the continuance of anti-Islamic
tendencies. The goal of jihad must be the implementation of Islamic law in such
a way that there is real justice for all people, not just for people who
somehow tie into a lobby. Jihad is the struggle firstly to establish a purely
Islamic state, that is, a society in which Islamic law is fully implemented in
public policy, social policy, and economy. Secondly jihad is to extend that
state globally. The point is not to foster the rule of Muslims over
non-Muslims, but to foster justice for all.

It is
not the goal of Islamic jihad to create a pluralistic society in which all ways
of life are considered equally valid. Such a philosophy is in practice merely a
cover for exploitation. The concept of freedom has become in practice a vehicle
for freedom to exploit. Those who do not accept justice as expressed in Islamic
law, which is essentially the same as Biblical law, must eventually submit to a
situation in which their exploitative activities are limited. The system of
jizya was instituted for that purpose. Muslims must work respectfully,
peacefully, single-mindedly and effectively towards that goal, but never going
beyond the behaviour sanctioned by the Imamate.

2.11
Maintain the Grace of Allah Instead of Sacrificial Atonement for Sin.

Qur'an
57:29 That the People of the Book may know that they have no power whatever
over the Grace of Allah, that (His) Grace is (entirely) in His hand, to bestow
it on whomsoever He Wills. For Allah is the Lord of Grace abounding.

There
is a misconception among Christians about the grace of God. In its traditional
form, grace in Christianity is seen through two vehicles: the sacrifice of
Jesus (a.s.) on the cross and the dispensing of grace through the Church. Some
evangelical forms of Christianity have largely dispensed with the latter,
because of the post-medieval influence of Islam on Europe and Christianity.

Whatever
the depths of meaning there may be in this Qur'anic passage, it does deny the
Christian monopole on divine grace. Evangelical Christians will emphasize that
God forgives by grace alone to those who believe in the sacrifice of Christ.
The Islamic answer to that is that Muslims believe in forgiveness by divine
grace alone. No sacrifice, human or otherwise, can add to the infinite grace of
God. To maintain such a doctrine is to imply that divine grace is insufficient,
a thought that is completely unacceptable.

This
factor is presented last in the Qur'an. It is the factor among all Christian
heresies that is least often questioned by Christians. The question of
ecclesiastical authority is the major reason behind sectarian splitting,
although some detail of practice is often taken as an excuse. The doctrine of
the Trinity is completely rejected by some sects, and highly questioned by
others. But the doctrine of the atonement finds strong support. This strong
adherence to a basically heathen idea, the myth of the dying and resurrecting
god, is inexplicable except with the understanding that Christianity is
basically a heathen faith.

The
Qur'anic answer to this problem is to proclaim that Allah has the right to
forgive. The Christian doctrine is based on the presupposition that God is
powerless to forgive without an atoning death. The most direct way of combating
this is to note the sovereignty of God and His intrinsic right to forgive. As
human beings we do not have the right to question the divine right of
forgiveness.

The
disarming Christian argument is that justice demands a sacrifice. As reasonable
as this may appear to Christians, the argument is false. The demands of
justice, no matter how reasonable they may seem to the human mind or emotions,
do not override the divine prerogative.

It is
a matter of survival. We do not live in a world where all religious traditions
are equally valid, all of which foster love and tolerance of one another. Such
rubbish is a camouflage for exploitation. We live in a world where ideas
support policies, and policies affect lives and livelihoods. The idea the one
can make wrongs right by crucifying an innocent man in the Middle East leads to
the committing of atrocities. It contributes to the death of thousands. The
Christian doctrine of atonement, no matter how it is covered with emotional
appeal, hides within its core the very human desire for revenge. It is no use
to call this the demands of justice. It is raw revenge, and nothing more. Its
heathen, pagan character does not change.

This
is why Christians have to be told outright that they have no power over the
grace of God. They live in a world of illusion, created by a false, heathen
faith. The Christian belief in their monopole on grace will not end with the
death of so many thousands of Muslims in the Middle East. It will eventually
result in calling down upon themselves and the secular society they have
created the response of God Himself. Then all will know that God has grace for
whomsoever He will.