Badaliyya
Study & Prayer Session - November 10, 2016
I.
The Letter – the Common Word between you and us…
1. The Letter by 138 Islamic academics to
the pope and Christian leaders is a first positive step towards dialogue, which
however needs to become more universal and more concrete. The letter lies in
the explicit context of an extension of the first letter, sent exactly one year
ago to Benedict XVI, as a reply to his masterful address at Regensburg
University: the same date was chosen for its publication (13th October 2007),
which this year coincided with the end of Ramadan[1]
2. Beyond representatives of the two great
Sunni and Shiite groups, there are also representatives from smaller groups,
sects and even diverging trends, for example the most mystic of those trends
(Sufi), who are largely represented in the West. In the Islamic tradition
every point of faith is founded in three sources: the Koran,
on the Prophet’s tradition (Hadith or that is the sayings and life of the
prophet), community consensus, in other words ijmaa.
This letter does not say that there is
agreement between all Muslims, but it shows a concerted move towards a certain
consensus. This convergence came about under the auspices of the King of
Jordan, and the Aal al-Bayt (family of the Prophet of Islam) foundation, lead
by the king’s uncle Prince Hassan.
This man represents the best of Islam today, from the point of view of
reflection, openness and devotion.
3. What is immediately striking is the fact that
the title has been taken from the Koran: “A Common Word
between Us and You” (Sura of the family of Imran, 3:64). This is what the
Prophet says to the Christians in the Koran: when he sees that he cannot reach
agreement with them, then he says:
‘Say: O People of the Scripture!
Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God,
and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take
others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that
we are they who have surrendered (unto Him)’ (Sura 3:64).
4. The
letter is composed of three parts: the first is entitled “love of God”,
subdivided into two, “love of God in Islam” and “love of God as the first and
greatest commandment in the Bible”. In reality, the title in the original
Arabic is more precise, it says “in the Gospel”. By using the word
“Bible” (which includes the New and Old Testament) Judaism can be included in
the discourse (even if the letter is only addressed to Christians).
The
second part is entitled “love of the neighbour” (hubb al-jâr). Also subdivided
in two: «love of the neighbour in Islam» and « love of the neighbour in the
Bible». Where once again the original Arabic says “in the Gospel”.
The
third part concludes by taking up the Koran citation: “come to a common word
between us and you”, and offers an interesting analysis in three parts: “common
word”, “come to a common word” and “between us and you”.
II.
Reflection on the Letter…
1.First and foremost, there is continuity between the first and
second letter. The first letter concluded on the necessity to arrive at
an agreement based on love for God and for our neighbour. With this the
scholars wish to say: we are now developing on what we announced as the basis
for all relations between Islam and Christianity.
2. Second, the word “love” is rarely used in the Koran. It is
not even part of the names of God. It is never said that God is a lover, even
if there are less striking synonyms. Instead the word is widely used in
Christianity. Moreover if the first part, love of God in Islam, is
analysed, we, Christians, would refer to it as “obedience to God”, not
“love”. But here they have termed it so, to align themselves to the
Christian vocabulary. Which is a lovely thought but also a little
dangerous as it risks falling into the trap of “settling”. Usually Muslims
speak of the adoration of God; but the theme of Love for God is another
discourse, which is not excluded from Islam, but found abundantly in the world
of Sufism.
Either way in this letter, speaking of
“love of God” is a novelty. Perhaps it is even an able way of referring
to Pope
Benedict’s first encyclical (Deus caritas est). It
certainly shows a desire to draw near to the Christian way of speaking, even if
at the same time there is the risk of taking two meanings from the same word.
Similarly, But in the end it is truly beautiful from here on in we may say that
Christianity, Judaism and Islam have love of God and of neighbour as the heart
of their faith. This is the real novelty, which has never before been said by
the Islamic world.
3. One last point. In the letter the Koran verse on tolerance is
quoted:
“Had God willed He could
have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath
given you (He hath made you as ye are). So vie one with another in good works. Unto God ye will all return, and He will then
inform you of that wherein ye differ” (Al-Ma’idah, n. 5:48).
This sura is the penultimate in chronological order in the
Koran. This means that this can not have been cancelled or overtaken by
another, according to the Islamic theory of Koran interpretation, the so-called
from the abrogate to the abrogated (nâsikh wa-l-mansûkh). This verse is
fundamental because it states that our
religious diversities are destined by God. The result is: “So vie one with another in good works” as a method of
dialogue. This is truly a beautiful choice for concluding the Letter,
because it means that we can live together despite our difference, moreover
that God wants these difference!
4.
The Task before us… “Let this common
ground”–the dual common ground of love of God and of neighbor — “be the basis of all future interfaith dialogue between
us,” your courageous letter urges. Indeed, in the generosity with which the
letter is written you embody what you call for. We most heartily agree.
Abandoning all “hatred and strife,” we must engage in interfaith dialogue as
those who seek each other’s good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good.
Indeed, together with you we believe that we need to move beyond “a polite
ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders” and work diligently
together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations
so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one
another.
Given the deep fissures in the relations between Christians and
Muslims today, the task before us is daunting. And the stakes are great. The
future of the world depends on our ability as Christians and Muslims to
live together in peace. If we fail to make every effort to make peace
and come together in harmony you correctly remind us that “our eternal
souls” are at stake as well.
We are persuaded that our
next step should be for our leaders at every level to meet together and
begin the earnest work of determining how God would have us fulfill the
requirement that we love God and one another.
Fr. Eliseo ‘Jun’ Mercado,
OMI
Badaliyya – Philippines
