The Quran about faith 3

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful

The existing palette of religions and beliefs co-exist in a permanent struggle for the right to form an ideology. This is a natural process, embedded conceptually in the basis of the existence of these rival platforms. The question arises – who is the author of this concept? We will touch only two pre-Islamic religions: Judaism and Christianity. The written statutes of these creeds consist of a number of books, some of which are sent directly from God: in Judaism – the tablets given to Moses, in Christianity (in the part of the New Testament) – the Gospel. All the rest is human works, considered to be divinely inspired and equated to the divine source. An impartial sight notices that it is the human created part of the faith that draws the line of the “break” between the Abrahamic religions. The Qur’an draws attention to these lines and calls for eliminating them:

 

O holders of the Prescription! Do not commit excess in your duty or say about God except the truth. Indeed, an anointed Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of God! From Him is given His word to Mary and His Spirit. So believe God and His messengers. And do not say, “Three”; to desist – it is better for you. Indeed, God is but One God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is God as trusted. (4:171)

The Koran prescribes to occupy a unique position that does not reject people identifying themselves with a certain confession, which neutralizes the meaning of the conceptual confrontation.

 

Argue with the holders of the Prescription in a way that is best, except obscurantists among them,

Say, “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one! We humbled ourselves before Him!”

And thus We have sent down to you the Prescription. And those to whom We gave the Prescription believe it.

And among these are those who believe it. And none reject Our signs except the closed ones. (29:46-47)

Prescription of God – is the information for guidance. Someone responds, someone turns away. This state of affairs makes it clear that the confrontation will continue until the “final act”. Proceeding from this, the Koran shows the attitude of the opposing sides:

You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers – the jews and those who associate others with God;

And you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, “We are christians.” That is because among them are priests and monks. They are not arrogant. And when they hear what has been revealed to the messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth.

They say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses. (5:82-83)

Why is this attitude towards those who believe in the Koran from the Jews? After all, the Koran in its address to the Jews does not concern ritualism, but only calls for a unified basis:

 

O children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you. Fulfil obligation before Me that I will fulfil obligation before you. Beware of Me! And believe in what I have sent down confirming that which is with you, and be not the first to be closed from it. And do not exchange My signs for a small price!

Beware of Me! (2:40-41)

At the same time, the Koran recalls past events and previous obligations:

 

And God had already taken a covenant from the children of Israel. We delegated from among them twelve seniors. And God said, “I am with you. If you establish prayer and give purifying expenditure and believe My messengers and support them and loan God a goodly loan, I will surely remove from you your misdeeds and admit you to gardens beneath which rivers flow. But whoever of you closes himself after that has certainly strayed from the straight way.” (5:12)

The fact is that the Jews, the ideological heirs of the children of Israel, in the human part of their conception, do not want to abandon the already well-established system of control:

 

And when it is said to them, “Believe in what God has revealed,” they say, “We believe in what was revealed to us.” And they close themselves from what came after it, while it is the truth confirming that which is with them.

Say, “Then why did you kill the prophets of God before, if you are believers?” (2:91)

And a faction of the holders of the Prescription say, “Believe in that which was revealed to the believers at the beginning of the day and reject it at its end that perhaps they will return. Trust only those who follow your duty before God.”

Say, “Indeed, It is the Guidance! The Guidance of God and what is given – is like the one given to you! Or they would argue with you before your Lord?”

Say, “Indeed, preference is in the hand of God. He grants it to whom He wills.! Indeed, God is all-Encompassing and Wise.” (3:72-73)

Why are they so obstinate in resisting the truth that has come? Because the basis of the prevailing ideology is the provisions directly opposed to the Quranic concept:

 

They believe forecasters and transgression. They say about those who closed themselves: “These are better guided to the way than those who have believed!” (4:51)

But the Creator gives a chance to correct the existing state of things. It is only necessary to abandon our ambitions and accept the divine leadership, precedents of which have already taken place:

Those to whom We gave the Prescription before it – they are believers in it. And when it is recited to them, they say, “We have believed in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed we were, before it, humble. (28:52-53)

From the holders of the Prescription, only the trust to the information that is sent is required, which does not assimilate, but gives the opportunity to embark on the next stage of spiritual development leading to success:

 

And if they had believed and was circumspect, then the reward from God would have been better, if they only knew! (2:103)

So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and God will save you from them. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (2:137)

And if only the holders of the Prescription had believed and was circumspect, We would have removed from them their misdeeds and admitted them to gardens of grace. (5:65)