‘Q. Does this mean that Christians and Muslims are simply saying the same thing in different words?
‘Not at all. Islam and Christianity are two different religions and have different teachings, and God is able to save both Muslim and Christian if they faithfully follow their respective paths. What it means, though, is that both are directing their attention and service and love toward the same merciful and compassionate God.
‘Kenneth Cragg, former Anglican archbishop of Jerusalem, used a grammatical image to describe the relationship between the Christian and Islamic understanding of God: “On the subject [God], we agree; on the predicates, we disagree.”
‘Q. What does it mean, practically speaking, that Muslims and Christians worship “the one and same God”?
‘It means, for one thing, that the two communities are not rivals or enemies.
‘When Christians hear Muslims being called to prayer, they should be happy, for it is their God who is going to be worshipped and served. When they see good Muslims performing the prayer, fasting in Ramadan, and doing good works like giving to the poor, Christians should praise God for the fact that so many of their Muslim sisters and brothers are doing God’s will.
‘Similarly, Muslims can regard Christians as fellow monotheists with whom they share some of the most basic orientations to life. ‘They need not regard Christians as kafirs (unbelievers) or mushriks (pagans).
‘Like Muslims, good Christians want to submit their lives to God. Jesus’ preaching revolved about the “kingdom of God” - that is, what a person’s life is like when God rules and governs every aspect of it.
‘Q. Isn’t there a deep point of contact between real submission, true Islam, and the commitment to accept God as the sovereign ruler of one’s life and destiny?
‘Is it this point of contact to which the Qur’an was perhaps referring when it stated: “And you will find that the closest in affection to those who believe (Muslims) are those who say, ‘We are Christians’, for among them are priests and monks, and they are not arrogant” (Qur’an 5:82).
‘The one God to whom we submit our lives wants all, Christian and Muslim, to reject arrogance and to come before him together, so that God can govern our societies according to his will.’
As you can see, the word ‘Muslims’ is capitalised, and placed in parenthesis. This means that it is a translator’s clarification or comment. There are no parentheses in the text itself.
I appreciate that you may find this article hard to stomach. With the greatest of respect, I am bound to say that any indigestion this causes is very much your own. I regret it, but can’t help you.
May the One God (Exalted is He) bless you, and bring you to Himself.
