Hi Aris,
I would be delighted to try and answer your questions. I just hope we are not here to debate but discuss and learn from one another. It can be fruitful to have interfaith dialogue when both parties apply wisdom and good ettiquettes in how they carry out their speech.
Aris:
ok. please explain to me how Islam traces its roots.
Does it trace the same root as Christianity or Judaism? Where is it?
We believe Islam is the faith Adam and his children were upon, that is that they believed in One God worthy of worship. We believe Adam and Eve committed a sin and thus were casted out of Eden onto the earth. We believe Satan caused them to commit that sin. We believe Adam and Eve repented from that sin and were forgiven.
And since Adam, all the Prophets and Messengers after him called the people to worshiping God alone without any partners. There were many many prophets and Messengers, 124,000 bteween Adam and Mohammed, however the 5 mighty ones were Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammed. All of them came with the same Creed and belief system, that being to make their worship soley to God and belief in His Prophets and Messengers and what they order them, however they differed in Law and Jurisprudence.
We believe in the revealed scriptures, the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, the Gospel of Jesus, and the Quran being the last revelation.
So in terms of roots, Islam is not something from judaism or christianity but rather Islam has always from beginning of mankind been present, but that because of the people deviating from the correct creed, succesions of Prophets and Messengers were sent to correct the people and their beliefs. We believe Muhammed was the seal of all the prophets, such that no new Prophet would come after him. Jesus however will come back towards the end of time to kill the Anti-Christ and we believe then all christians will accept Islam.
Speaking of Jesus, since this is a christian forum, it is important i relate what we believe about jesus. Muslims do not believe Jesus claimed himself to be Son of God. Rather we believe Jesus will renounce this claim on the Day of Judgement infront of God, as the Quran says:
And (remember) when Allâh (God) will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men: ‘Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allâh?’ " He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner
self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the AllKnower of all that is hidden and unseen. (Al-Ma’idah 5:116)
What we believe about Jesus is that (as the Quran says):
The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah
. They both used to eat food (as any other human being, while Allâh does not eat). Look how We make the Proofs clear to them, yet look how they are deluded away (from the truth). (Al-Ma’idah 5:75)
O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, nor say of Allâh aught but the truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, was (no more than) a Messenger of Allâh and His Word, (“Be!” - and he was) which He bestowed on Mary and a spirit (Rûh) created by Him; so believe in Allâh and His Messengers. Say not: “Three (trinity)!” Cease! (it is) better for you. For Allâh is (the only) One Ilâh (God), Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allâh is All*Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs. (An-Nisa 4:171)
It befits not (the Majesty of) Allâh that He should beget a son. Glorified (be He). When He decrees a thing, He only says to it, “Be!” and it is. [Jesus said]: “And verily Allâh is my Lord and your Lord. So worship Him (Alone). That is the Straight Path.”(Maryam 19:35-36)
For more on Jesus and Mary, refer to the Quran chapters 3 “The Family of Imran”, chapter 5 “The Table Spread with Food”, and chapter 19 “Mary”.
You mention that Muhammad is the last of the Prophets, what line of prophets is that? Does he acknowledge Moses? Does his line stretch as far as Abraham?
Abraham had 2 sons Ishmael and Isaac. Moses, Jesus, and the rest of the Prophets and Messengers came from Isaac while Muhammed came from Ismael.
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