Interior of Hagia Sophia, in the center you can see a painting of Mother Mary and Jesus and those who can read Arabic or Urdu Script can read Allah and Muhammad, may peace be on him
Source: New Haven Register
By Dr. Sohail Husain, a pediatrician, is a former president of the Connecticut chapter of the USA Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Youth Organization and a member of the Muslim Writers Guild of America. Readers may write him at 43 Surrey Drive, North Haven 06473. Email:sohailzhusain@gmail.com.
As a child, I looked forward to March and April. Because that’s when our local pharmacy would sell Cadbury Creme Eggs. Being a Muslim, I had no idea at the time that the eggs were a symbol of Easter or even what the holiday meant.
In the same vein, I wonder how many Christians know about Muslim beliefs or what the two share in common. Well, now is a great time to learn about one another’s faiths, not only because of Easter, but especially since the Catholic Church has elected a new pope.
To start with the basics, Easter is a Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As far as the origins of the Easter egg, some believe that the eggs represent fertility. Others think of the egg as the empty tomb of Jesus. And what about the Easter bunny? Another sign of posterity? Not really sure.
What is clear is that Jesus is central to Easter.
Here, Muslims share much more in common than most people know. Muslims revere Jesus as a noble messenger of God and a messiah sent to reform the Israelites. And Jesus’ mother, Mary, is considered a paragon of piety for both Muslim men and women to emulate.
Whenever their names are mentioned, a Muslim is required to offer a prayer for them, by saying “peace be upon them.” The Muslim holy book, the Quran, mentions them by name several dozen times. In fact, an entire chapter of the Quran is named after Mary (Sura Maryam, in the Arabic) and another after her family (Sura Ale-Imran).
Islam’s love for Jesus and Mary is evident in early Muslim-Christian interactions. In the first years of the Prophet Muhammad’s ministry, a few of his followers in Mecca fled bitter persecution for their beliefs by immigrating to Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia).
When the benevolent Christian king Najashi inquired from the migrant Muslims about their new faith, they recited to him Quranic verses about Jesus and Mary. Najashi’s eyes moistened and, to the chagrin of some of the priests of his court, he replied that his belief was no different.
Later, a letter of invitation to Islam sent to the king by the Prophet Muhammad evoked the same emotion of love.
There are of course some critical differences between Christian and Muslim dogma about Jesus. Christians believe that Jesus is the literal son of God who had to die an accursed death on the cross, in order to atone for a genetically inherited sin committed by early man. Hence, Easter celebrates the final resurrection from a state of hell.
In Islam, however, God, also known as Allah, is indivisible and lacks an equal partner. Jesus was strictly a spiritual son of God. He was pure of heart and, like his mother, free from sin throughout his life.
My denomination, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, further believes that Jesus indeed suffered the pangs of torture on the cross, but he survived death. After being taken off the cross, his followers restored him to health in the private confines of a sepulcher.
Upon recovering, he met some of his disciples. Then, upon divine instruction, Jesus left Palestine in search of the lost Israelite tribes who were scattered across Eastern Asia.
No doubt, doctrinal differences exist. And they will continue to be debated for some time. But despite the differences, the two faiths should cultivate a better understanding of one another and unite on their common bonds.
As soon as the new pope was announced, for example, the Khalifa, or spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, sent a message of, “congratulations to Pope Francis I and to Catholics across the world.” He offered a prayer with the words, “May the appointment of the new pope prove to be blessed not just for Christians, but for all people across the globe.”
He added that, “There is a great need to join together upon our common teachings and particularly upon the unity of God.”
Like this message, we need to hear more voices of solidarity among religious leaders today.
So on this Easter holiday and with a new pope on board, let us as Muslims and Christians welcome the opportunity to recognize our similarities, while respecting our differences.
I must confess that in March, since their availability, I consumed more Cadbury Creme Eggs than my daily caloric intake would allow.
I am consoled though by the knowledge that the indulgence was not merely an act of breaking through the tasty chocolate shell to devour the sweet yellow fondant filling, but that eating the delectable dessert reminded me to share with my Christian friends and neighbors this Easter our common love for Jesus.
Categories: Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, CHRISTIANITY
Alhamdulillah, it is true that if we can respect our difference by understanding these facts, the world will come to known the truth. bi salam