More in Common Than You Think - Comparative Religion Seminar Feb 27 2010

8/14/2019 More in Common Than You Think - Comparative Religion Seminar Feb 27 2010

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More in Common

than you think!

A tour of various faiths

Dr. sabeelAhmed

GainPeace.com



ABOUT THEPRESENTER

Born in India, Hyderabad

Obtained education and medical degree in USA

Full-time dawah worker

Director of GainPeace

Resides in Chicago with wife (Asma Naheed) and twokids



Overview

• Short Quiz• Why Compare and Contrast?• Overview of major faiths - ideology

– Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, – Atheism (if time permits)

• Dawah Talking Points – Effective mentorship using knowing of

various faiths

• Q & A



1. Most Christians in the USA belong to this sect:

a)Catholics

b)Jehovah’s witnesses

c)Protestantsd)Mormons

Answer = C



Overview

2. The biggest sect in Christianity is:a) Catholics

b) Jehovah's Witnesses

c) Protestants

d) Mormons

Answer = a



3. According to the latest survey thereare more Muslims in the world thanChristians?•A. True•B. False

•Answer = B



5. Which sect in Christianity goes door todoor to spread their message?a)Catholics

b)Jehovah’s witnessesc)Protestantsd)Mormons

Answer = b



Who named them‘Christians’?

a) God of the Bible

b) Jesus Christ (s)

c) Disciples of Jesus (s)d) Paul

e) None of the above



5. This man in the picture currentlyHas authority over:a)Catholics

b)Jehovah’s witnessesc)Protestantsd)Mormonse)None of the above

Answer – e (the above pope is dead, thus doesn’t haveany authority over anybody), the current pope is….(nextslide)



• Pope Benedict XVI



Why

ComparativeReligion?



Helps in EffectiveMentorship

• Concept of Tauheed to concept of God in otherfaiths

• Concept of Prophethood• Scriptures

– Compare and contrast• Concept of salvation• Comprehensive guidance• Assisting new Muslims

– to do dawah to their families

– Answering questions from non-Muslims against Islam



Why Comparative Religion?

• Knowing their ideology helps us ineffective conveying Islam



Ibrahim’s (as) DawahComparative Religion!



Ibrahim’s (as) dawah to hisfather

• غ ني ل ر و ص ب ل ع و م س ل ا د ب ت أ ا ه ذ قا إ ك ش ئا ( 19:42ن )

• He said to his father, "O my father,why do you worship what can neitherhear, nor see, nor help you in anyway?



Ibrahim (as) Vs the Idols

• They said, "Did you do this to our gods,O Abraham?" (21.62)

• He replied, `Well, someone has surely

done this. Here is the chief of them. Soask them if they can speak.' (21.63)

• Yet, they reverted to their old ideas:

"You know full well that these cannotspeak." (21.65)



• He said, `Do you then worship,instead of ALLAH, that which cannotprofit you at all, nor harm you?

(21.66)• "You have incurred shame by

worshipping idols beside GOD. Do

you not understand?" (21.67)



Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh)Dawah to the polytheist

• Say: "If there had been (other) gods withHim, as they say, behold, they wouldcertainly have sought out a way to theLord of the Throne!" (17:42).

• Yet have they taken, besides Allah, godsthat can create nothing but arethemselves created; that have no control

of hurt or good to themselves; nor canthey death nor life nor resurrection.(25:3).



Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh)Dawah to Christians




• Prophets of Allah, swt, gave dawah inthe context of the beliefs of theirpeople



Dawah during 1st Hijrah




• Companions of the Prophet, pbuh,and other Muslims shared Islam inthe context of the beliefs of their

audience.



Qaloo and Qul

• They say ~ 250

• Say (reply) ~ 250

ة م ح ا ك ب ى إ

جا ة و س ن ح ة ظ م و س ي أ ي ا 16.125




• Quran is a book of comparativereligion –

• Allah, swt, has introduce tauheed inthe context of other ideologies: – People of the book – Polytheist

– Atheist



Co-Workers



Neighbors



Child’s Teacher



Major

Religions



MajorReligions



Christianity



Who is a Christian?

• If we look at the dictionarydefinition of the wordChristian, we get:

• Anyone who calls himself aChristian

• Anyone who follows the

faith of Christianity



Who named them‘Christians’?

a) God of the Bible

b) Jesus Christ (s)

c) Disciples of Jesus (s)d) Paul

e) None of the above



Idol worshipped (pagans)named them ‘Christians’!

• ‘…And in Antioch thedisciples were firstcalled Christians.

(Book of Acts 11:26)• ( Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown

Commentary, ElectronicDatabase. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)



Dawah Talking Points

• The label ‘Muslim’ was given to us by the Creator.

• The label ‘Islam’, by the Creator

• The word ‘Quran’ by Creator

• Reference for the above from the Quran??

Reference:Muslim – 22.78Islam – 3.19Quran -



How many Christiandenominations in the world?

• 33,820 denominations…and counting• World Christian Encyclopedia (year 2000 version)• ‘Denomination’ – Division based on



Catholics

• 1.2 Billion Catholics in the world,thus the biggest sect in Christianity.

• Headquarter is in Rome, Europe.• Their final authority is the Pope• Bible and church traditions as sources for their beliefs.• Statues of Mary, Jesus and saints in their churches• Their priest cannot get married• Their nun’s wear the ‘hijab’(some modern nuns don’t)• Mostly found in South America, Central America, Mexico

& parts of Europe

• 73 Book in their Bible



Protestants

– Rejects Pope’s authority – Formed in 1529 CE by Martin Luther – Takes Bible as the sole authority and not church

tradition – Sub-Groups: Baptist (Pat Robertson, PresidentObama), Methodist (President Bush),Pentecostals (very emotional in prayer, raising hands,dancing, music).

– 590 Million Protestants worldwide, 170 Million N.America. – 66 books in their Bible



Eastern Orthodox

– Split from Catholic Church in 1054 CE – Bible plus church traditions as sources – Don’t take Pope’s authority

– 300 million adherents – Mostly found in Russia – and Eastern Europe.

– 78 Books in their Bible



Jehovah Witnesses



Jehovah’s Witnesses

– Go House to house to spread their message – 1870 - Charles Taze Russell

– Watchtower & Awake Magazines

– Rejects Trinity, Divinity of Jesus

– No military service, no blood transfusion

– Paradise on Earth

– 17 million worldwide

– 7 million missionaries – every adult to witness

• 66 Books in their Bible (New World Translation)

Well you also have sects in



Well, you also have sects inIslam?

How to answer?Muslim Sects Christian Sects

Concept of God All believe in all one God,Allah, with no partners or

sons & daughters ormother, father

• Catholics: Trinity• Protestants: Trinity•

Jehovah Witnesses:Rejects Trinity• Unitarians: One God



Muslim Sects Christian Sects

Concept of God All believe in all one God, Allah,with no partners or sons &daughters or mother.

• Catholics: Trinity• Protestants: Trinity• Jehovah Witnesses: Rejects

Trinity

• Unitarians: One God

Scripture All Muslims follow the same Quranwith 114 Suras (Chapters)

Different Bibles for each majorChristian Sect:

•Catholics 73 Books•

Protestants: 66 Books•Orthodox Christians: 78 Books.

Jesus Christ (as) All Muslims consider Jesus Christ

(as) as a Prophet, not God or sonof God.

All Muslims consider ProphetMuhammad (saw) as the lastProphet.

1. Catholics: Jesus was God

2. Jehovah Witnesses: Not Godbut son of God3. Unitarians: Prophet only



ChristiansWhat do they believe?

C t f G d i



Concept of God inChristianity

• Triune God - Trinity – God the Father – God the Son

– God the Holy Spirit

• Incarnation of God – God became a human being - Jesus



Concept of God in Islam



Oneness of God in Islam

• Say: He is Allah, the One and Only!Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; Hebegets not nor is He begotten. And

there is none like unto Him. (surah112)



Oneness of God in the Bible

• Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, theLORD is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

• “I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me."(Isaiah 46:9)

• The most important one," answered

Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lordour God, the Lord is one. (Mark 12.29)



Dawah Talking Point

• Is each ‘person’ in the God head, ‘dependent’ or‘independent’ of each other?

• Where does the Old Testament says God is atriune God?

• What does the New Testament says God is atriune God?

• Oneness of God in the Quran and the Bible – Know the verses



Book of the Christians

• The Holy Bible

• Copy – some mistakes• Copies – much more mistakes

What Is The Bible?



What Is The Bible?

• Bible = Collection of Writings orbooks

• Christianity – Old Testament – New Testament

• Judaism – Old TestamentOld Testament

Books = 39

New Testament

Books = 27

BibleBible

New Testament 27 booklets



New Testament 27 booklets

• Gospels = 1st 4 booklets of new testament – Seerah of Jesus (as)

• 5th book – seerah of companions of Jesus (as0

– Book of Acts• Rest of the books

– Most of them by Paul

• Book of Revelation – Prophecies of end times



Jesus’ Ministry

Bible Written

Protestant BibleBooks = 66

Catholic BibleBooks = 73

Coptic BibleBooks = 75

Syraic BibleBooks = 61

Greek OrthodoxBooks = 78

Ethiopic BibleBooks = 81

KJV Bible1611 CE

RSV Bible, 1952Mark 16:9-12 Removed

GNB 1966

RSV Bible 1971 CEMark 16:9-20 Added

Back !

NRSV Bible 1989 CE

More alterations

KJV = King James VersionRSV = Revised Standard Version

NRSV = New Revised StandardVersionGNB = Good News Bible

NIV = New International Version NJB = New Jerusalem Bible

NLT = New Living Bible

NAB 1970

NIV 1973

NJB 1986

NLT 1996

Other Popular Bible Versions

History of the Bible



History of the Bible



Concept of Salvation

• God is pure• Humans are sinful – inherited Adam’s sin –

original sin• God became perfect man

• Died on the Cross• Took sins of humanity• Anyone who believe this and confess is saved!• "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,'

and believe in your heart that God raised himfrom the dead, you will be saved. For it is withyour heart that you believe and are justified,and it is with your mouth that you profess yourfaith and are saved.“ (Romans 10:9-10)




• “And convey good news to those who believe anddo good deeds, that they shall have gardens inwhich rivers flow; …”(Quran 2.25)

• According to Jesus of the Bible, paradise to begained by following the commandments.

• “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked,"Teacher, what good thing must I do to geteternal life?" 17 "Why do you ask me about what isgood?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who isgood. If you want to enter life, obey the

commandments." (Matthew 19:16-17)




• Bible refutes original sin• “The soul who sins is the one who will die. The

son will not share the guilt of the father, nor willthe father share the guilt of the son. Therighteousness of the righteous man will be

credited to him, and the wickedness of thewicked will be charged against him.” (Ezekiel18.20)

• "Say: O my slaves who have transgressedagainst themselves! Despair not for the mercy

of Allah: verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly He isOft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Qur'an 39:53)



• Say: What! shall I seek a Lord other than Allah? AndHe is the Lord of all things; and no soul earns (evil)but against itself, and no bearer of burden shall bearthe burden of another; then to your Lord is yourreturn, so He will inform you of that in which you

differed. (Quran 6.164)• "Say: O my slaves who have transgressed against

themselves! Despair not for the mercy of Allah: verilyAllah forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-Forgiving, MostMerciful." (Qur'an 39:53)



After life

• Vague – Some verses say humans will become

like angels

– Other mention of accountability – No clear description of paradise



Dawah Talking points

• Allah is all knowing, watching• Description of paradise – incentive

for believers to go their• Description of hell – incentive to do

good to stay away from hell



Tips in Dawah Discussion withChristians



HinduismWhat do they believe?



Hinduism - Overview

• No founder• 900 million Hindus in the world• Mostly in India, Nepal, Bangladesh,

Indonesia – About 1.5 million in USA

• Hindus incorporated beliefs of othersfaiths



Concept of God

• Various conflicting views of God• Hindu Trinity:

– Brahmā the creator, Vishnu the maintainer, and Śhivathe destroyer

• Everything is god!

• The true "self" of every person, called the ātman — iseternal - indistinct from Brahman• God worshipped through many idols• Ishvar – Name of the supreme being• Many incarnations of God

– Rama – Krishna – Buddha – Kalki – awaiting his coming




• If everything is God, even you, thenwhy are you sinning.

• Does it mean, God forbid, that even

garbage and filth is god!• If God is all knowing, then why not

worship him directly.



Book of Hinduism

• Vedas – Most authoritative – Sama, Yajur, Atharva, Rig

• No known author• Supposedly revealed to sages• Deals with Rituals

• Bhagwat Gita – Teachings of Krishna

• Ramayana – Responsibilities of relationships

• Mahabhrata – Bharata dynasty’s tale




• Speak of the compilation andpreservation of the Quran

• Provide evidence of why Quran is

Allah’s word• Islam combines reason with faith• Quran provides complete and

comprehensive guidance on personaland society level



Concept of Salvation

• A person goes through cycle of birth,rebirth…

• If realizes that everlasting happiness

is in spiritual pleasures, this cycle isbroken

• Then goes to heaven

• Comes in the presence of God



After life - Reincarnation

• Believe in reincarnation – If good in this world, will become closer to god – If bad, then come back in the next life as a

non-human species• Dog• Cockroaches• Cat• Bacteria

• Other faiths that believe in reincarnation

– Buddhism – Jainism – Sikhism

h lki i




• OK, if somebody comes as a cockroach,then how will this cockroach knowswhat good things he/she needs to do to

become a higher species after it dies.• If hitler comes back as a dog, is that

enough punishment for him?

• Are scriptures and prophets sent toguide cockroaches, dogs, cats etc.



JudaismWhat do they believe?

C f G d



Concept of God

• Pure monotheistic faith – oneness of God• Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the

LORD is one. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

• “I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is none like me."(Isaiah 46:9)

P h h d J d i



Prophethood - Judaism

• Prophet is a representative of God• Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Samuel,

Ezekiel, Malachi, and Job.

• Moses as the greatest of prophets• Reject Jesus and Muhammad (pbut)•

Attributes grave sins to Prophets

S i t f th J



Scriptures of the Jews

• Tanakh – Old Testament – 39 booklets – Torah – first 5 booklets – The Prophets - 24 books

– The writing - 11 books• Talmud

– Discussion on law, customs, history by

jewish saints

Aft lif



After life

• Not well defines• Concept of heaven and hell

D h T lki P i t




• Commonalities – Oneness of God – Prophethood

• Avoid topics of: – Politics

– Current middle east situation



C l i



Conclusion

F i f



For more info…

GainPeace.com

[email protected]

800-662-ISLAM

More in Common Than You Think - Comparative Religion Seminar Feb 27 2010

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Transcript of More in Common Than You Think - Comparative Religion Seminar Feb 27 2010