A FOCUS ON COMMON

TEACHINGS

EMAD SALIH

DIVERSITY IS A FACT OF LIFEGod has created people different.Whoever tries to abolish these differences will

always fail miserably.God never brought people to full agreement;

not even at the hands of his mighty prophets.People need to learn to accept this as a fact of

life.We all be believe in another life where God will

settle all disputes and judge each individual according to how sincere he/she was in this life in his/her effort to know and follow the truth that is most pleasing to God.

ACCEPTING THIS FACT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

Micah 4:3-5 "...they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hat spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever" (KJV)

GOD IS IMPARTIAL ACCORDING TO THE BIBLEIn Romans 2:14-16 Paul Sates: "For when the

Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves. Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing or else excusing one another; In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel”

PEOPLE WILL NEVER FOLLOW THE SAME WAY OF LIFE ACCORDING TO THE QURAN

“If your Lord had pleased, He would have made all people a single nation, but they shall continue to have their differences” (Quran 11:118)

“And if your Lord had pleased, surely all those who are in the earth would have believed (i.e. The message of Mohammed), all of them; will you then force men till they become believers” (Quran 10:99)

VARIATION EXISTED EVEN IN THE LAWS HANDED DOWN BY THE ONE GOD TO EACH NATION

“Unto every one of you have We appointed a different law and way of life. And if God had so willed, He could surely have made you all one single community: but He willed it otherwise in order to test you by means of what He has revealed to you. Compete then with one another in doing good works. Unto God you all must return and then He will make you truly understand all that on which you differed” (Qur’an 5:44-48)

RECOGNIZING ONE ANOTHER IN THE QURAN

“O mankind, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful of Him; God is all knowing, all aware”(Quran 49:13)

QURAN CALLS ON MUSLIMS TO COOPERATE WITH PEOPLE OF OTHER SCRIPTURES ON COMMON TERMS

“Say: O People of the scriptures come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but the one God; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords other than God” (Quran 3:64)

“And, verily, this nation of yours (nation following the prophets) is one single nation, and I am the Lord of you all so remain, then, conscious of Me” (Quran

THE GREATEST TWO COMMANDMENT FROM GOD TO MANKIND ARE A COMMON TEACHING

“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, The Lord is One; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

“You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:18)

THE SAME GREATEST TWO COMMANDMENT FROM GOD TO MANKIND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

“….Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:35-40)

AND THE SAME COMMANDMENTS IN THE QURAN

“And worship God, and join not any partners with Him; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side (wife)” (Quran 4:36)

FREEDOM TO CHOOSE YOUR RELIGION IS A COMMON TEACHING

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

FREEDOM OF BELIEF AS STATED IN THE QURAN

“Let there be no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256).

“To you is your religion, and to me is mine”(Quran 109:6).

“And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve” (Quran 18:29)

RESPECTING RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS AND HONORING PLACES OF WORSHIP IS A

COMMON TEACHING

“For had it not been that Allah checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the Name of Allah is mentioned much would surely have been demolished. Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty)” (Quran 22:40)

PROTECTING THE WEAK AND OPPRESSED IS A COMMON TEACHING

“Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy; deliver the poor and oppressed; Free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4)

“And why should you not fight in the way of God and for the sake of those who are weak, ill-treated, and oppressed? Men, Women, and Children” (Quran 4:75)

ESTABLISHING IMPARTIAL JUSTICE IS A COMMON TEACHING

“Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed” (Isaiah 56:1)

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause” (Isaiah 1:17)

ESTABLISHING IMPARTIAL JUSTICE IN THE QURAN

"O you who believe! Stand up firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort justice or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.” (Quran4:135)

BEING FAIR IN VIEWING ONE ANOTHER IS A COMMON TEACHING

“Judge not, that you not be judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye” (Matthew 7:1-5)

FAIRNESS IN VIEWING ONE ANOTHER

“He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 17:15)

“you will find the nearest in love to the Muslims those who say: ‘We are Christians.’ That is because amongst them are priests and monks, and because they do not possess arrogance”  (Qur’an 5:82)

FAIRNESS IN VIEWING ONE ANOTHER“They are not all alike: among the followers

of earlier revelation there are upright people, who recite God's messages throughout the night, and prostrate themselves before God. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous” (Quran 3:113)

RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND REJECTION OF EXTREMIST VIEWS IS A COMMON TEACHING

“Whosoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind” (Quran 5:32)

“And if they incline to peace, so you must incline to it. And trust in God, for He hears and knows all” (Qur’an 8:61)

“Goodness and evil are not equal. Repel evil with what is better. Then that person with whom there was enmity may become your close friend” (Quran 41:34)

REJECTING EXTREMIST VIEWS

“Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not waged war against you on account of your religion, and have not driven you out of your homes, that you treat them with kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves those who are Just” Quran (60:8)

BEING CONSIDERATE OF ONE ANOTHER IS A COMMON TEACHING

"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12)

“Whosoever would like to be saved from the fire of hell and to be admitted in to the heavens he should believe in God and the Latter Day and should treat people in the same manner that he would like to be treated” (Prophet Mohammed)

THANK YOU