MAN AND THE DIVINE RELIGIONS

We have become acquainted with a side of man's tragedy under materialistic civilization which does not believe in God, the Most Glorified. We have come to know of God's existence, greatness and oneness. Now we should look at the divine religions in order to choose our way with the same awareness and knowledge.

 

Should we examine the true divine messages, their contents and texts, we would find that they are one truth, emanating from one origin. There are variations in some of the duties and obligations and the ways of regulating human life. The ruler of Abyssinia, who knew Christianity well, was a witness to this identical sourcing and his story is recorded in the historical volumes of Islam. When the

 

Muslim migrants were brought before him and recited verses from the Qur'an, he declared: "What you have recited and what Jesus brought emanate from one niche."

The major prophets worked to pave the way for the prophets who came after them to give the human movement momentum and to tie man to the creator of the universe. This basis on which all the messages stood is quite clear. We can detect it in their texts and in their ideological pillars.

 

Everyone has to shoulder responsibility to search for the truth, make acquaintance with the religion to know right and wrong and to choose a suitable road to follow.

 

Everyone is responsible for his own fate and for attaining serenity. To be under the thumb of others who pick for him his way of life is flagrantly wrong. One should never listen only to others without examining the matter and discussing it.

 

There are three major revealed religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

 

1. Judaism

It is followed only by the remnants of the Israelites. Their total number is in the neighborhood of 20 million. The Jews made a national religion of Judaism peculiar to the offspring of Israel (the prophet Jacob). This isolation resulted in bigotry, disassociation from humanity and the growth of an isolationist, antagonistic spirit.

 

We should not lose sight of the fact that the divine book given to Moses, peace be with him, was intentionally distorted. We will quote some of the distorted texts and poisonous notions and precepts from this originally divine book which has been seriously altered by the Jews themselves. It may be more accurate now to call their book, "the book of the rabbis".

 

The Judaism of this book is, in fact, that falsified version concocted by the Jewish clergy and not the divine message brought by Moses.

 

2. Christianity

After the lifetime of Jesus, peace be with him, Christianity, too, was distorted. Researchers have asserted this point and concluded that what now remains of Christianity are the ideas of the Apostle Paul and not that which was revealed to Jesus.

 

Paul, his name was Saul, was a Roman. He studied in Jerusalem. He was a Jew and so was brought up to be very bigoted about his father and country. He persecuted the Christians and approved of Stephan's death, who is considered by the Christian as the first martyr. He was sent by the chief rabbi to Damascus in 35 A.D. to persecute Christianity there. Before entering Damascus, Paul claimed that a light from the sky flashed around him and he heard the voice of Jesus asking him, "Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me?" He was blind for three days, but when he entered Damascus, his eyesight was restored and he believed in Jesus. The majority of present Christian concepts originated with him, particularly the concept of the Trinity.

 

3. Islam

It has maintained its purity and divine nature. Muslims preserved the Holy Qur'an perfectly with no additions or omissions. It is now as it was revealed to the 'Seal of the Prophets", Muhammad, peace be with him and his progeny. This is an unanimously proven and accepted truth.

 

Everyone professing Judaism and Christianity, being a human believing in a divine faith and revelation, prophethood and the next life, should study three crystal clear facts:

 

1. He should know that the present Pentateuch and Bible are not those which were revealed to their prophets, Moses and Jesus, peace be with them. The followers of these two books do not submit, as a matter of fact, to God, but to those who wrote them.

 

2. He should study the good tidings Moses and Jesus gave concerning the coming prophethood of Muhammad and the call to their followers to await this reformer prophet and believe in his message because he would be the seal of the prophets.