Universal Brotherhood: A Common Word between Islam and Christianity
Writing by abuhatem on Monday, 5 of May , 2008 at 8:40 am
In a very famous hadith, or tradition, the Prophet Muhammad, may God send him blessings and peace said:
“Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn. God loves he who loves Husayn.”
This is a very famous hadith in the Islamic tradition. Both Sunni and Shiite quote it constantly, expressing their deep love and attachment for the Prophet Muhammad’s family. Indeed, one narration, that of Muslim which is rigorously authentic, the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and give him peace) calls for the Muslim nation to cling to two things - the Book of God, and the love of the family of his Messenger.
There is a very important attribute consistent in the life of Husayn, which makes the love of him so central to the Islamic religion - and a great means for the love of God. Historians and Islamic writers who discussed the life of Husayn all concentrated on his mercy his love.
Indeed, the defining moment in Husayn’s life, his slaughter by a Muslim army so adamantly against him while blinded for a love of power and authority, tells much about his personality. Before being murdered by the army of Ibn Ziyad, it is reported that the venerable Husayn wept profusely. Surprised was his sister Zaynab, who was at awe of how a man of his stature - indeed the grand son of the Prophet Muhammad - could fear death or fear for his soul. Husayn responded to Zaynab telling her he wept not for the salvation of his own soul, but for his enemies - who in carrying out the killing of the grandson of the Prophet were killing their own souls and bringing themselves far from God. Husayn continually reminded his enemies of the crime they were about to commit, not for his own sake, but for their sake. Until his own death by the hands of the accursed al-Shimr, Husayn constantly loved good for his enemies, concerned more with their own welfare than they were of themselves.
When reading of this historical account, the great British Historian Edward Gibbon noted that none could read of Husayn’s sacrifice without being moved to sympathy. And the great Ghandi, one of the most notable advocates of peace in our century wrote “My faith is that the progress of Islam does not depend on the use of sword by its believers, but the result of the supreme sacrifice of Husayn, the great saint.”
This is the model of of the universal love for creation which the Islamic religion holds dear. Love is not weakness, nay, it is a force of strength. Weakness instead, as our Prophet Muhammad so eloquently told us, was being subjugated by your desires and appetites and being too weak to fight them. In this age, we all seem to be overtaken by weakness. Yet before our weakness reaches a level which may overpower our social and communal relationships, and destroy our brotherhood with humanity, it would be wise to obey our Prophet’s wisdom through the socio-political and even economic effects of love on the human soul. Like Husayn, all of us in modernity must seek to rediscover a universal love for humanity.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ, may God bless him and give him peace, says in the seminal Sermon on the Mount (Matthew: 43-48)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect”
Biblical commentators throughout the history of Christianity have mentioned that Jesus, may peace be upon him, was not speaking of loving one’s enemies injustice, or loving his bad attributes or evil. Instead, the pinnacle of love is to love for one’s enemy to change, to become good. One loves good for all of humanity.
The Greek word for this sort of love is agape or charitas. In his seminal work, The Four Loves, Christian author C.S. Lewis explains that agape is a higher form of love than mere affection (storge), friendship (philia), or sexual love (eros). Instead, agape is a form of love which is primarily manifested in serving and helping one’s neighbor - it is the highest form of Christian love, it is charitable and altruistic.
The esteemed African American civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr., noted that the defining characteristic of agape was that one does not seek defeating the soul and dignity of one’s enemies. King writes that:
And agape is more than eros; agape is more than philia; agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It is an overflowing love; it’s what theologians would call the love of God working in the lives of men… You refuse to do anything that will defeat an individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed, while hating the deed that the person does.
Islam also contains this type of love. The Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and give him peace, states:
None of you truly believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself
The classical commentators of this hadith, such as Imam Nawawi, have explained - as our scholars tell us - that the brotherhood referred to in this hadith is universal and not confined to Muslims only. Furthermore, as Jesus, may peace be upon him, commands praying for one’s enemies - the Prophet Muhammad did. In Muslim scripture, in the face of enemies at Tabuk, the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was injured and suffered what he called the most difficult day of his life. Yet, although the Angel Gabriel had informed the Prophet that he could destroy his enemies - the Prophet rejected this and instead prayed for them. Similarly, in Badr, when the Prophet’s own beloved uncle Hamza was murdered, the Prophet Muhammad responded not by cursing his enemies - as many of his companions had urged, but instead by asking God to guide his enemies. The Prophet also forgave both the killer of his uncle Hamza, who following Arab tradition was as a second father, and the one who ordered his killing. The Buddhists scriptures note that the apex of mercy is when one can forgive the one who kills one’s own father.
It is for this reason that Islamic tradition regards praying for your enemy - even in the midst of battle - as obedience to the Divine command. Imam Nawawi, one of the chief classical Islamic theologians, wrote that not praying for your enemy was an example of the spiritual pathology of jealousy. Our commentators note, as Dr. King does, that loving your enemy does not entail loving his injustice - but instead hating his injustice and being deeply concerned that one’s enemy leave it for the sake of his own soul. This is exactly the type of love which Husayn felt for his enemies as they so mercilessly slaughtered and killed them. He was not concerned with his own death, but was despondent over his enemies injustice to their own souls, their entrapment in what Pope John Paul II called “the structures of sin.” Husayn did not want to defeat the dignity of his enemies, instead he wanted to prevent them from defeating their own dignities and souls.
It is interesting to note that the word the Prophet Muhammad uses for love in the aforementioned hadith is mahabba. There exist dozens of Arabic words for love and many classical Arab philosophers, theologians, and linguists wrote entire books discussing their distinctions: including Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzi, Dawud al-Dhahiri, Al-Jahiz, and the famous Ibn Hazm who’s Tawq al-Hamamah or Rings of the Dove is still well read today as a classic in the philosophy of love.
However, mahabba, is unlike other Arabic forms of the word “love.” Unlike hawa’ or the Greek eros it is not primarily sexual in nature. Unlike ‘ishq or longing, it does not express fervent desire. It is even different from the word wedad which is a stronger form of love. Instead mahabba, refers to the highest form of love which is manifested in loving others - it takes the active Arabic form - and is, as many note, the equivelant of the Greek agape.
al-’Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam mentions that love as mahabba entails seeking - for the lover seeks all good to come to the beloved. Lovers seek.
How often do we actively seek the good to others, including our enemies? How often do we truly love good for their lives? Not enough. Like Jesus Christ, and the Prophet Muhammad, Husayn, and all of the other examples of the history of both of our traditions, a serious attempt must be made by all of us at agape or mahabba. It is the commandment, “love of one’s brother” which is central to the Muslim document A Common Word Between Us and You seeking a revitalization of Muslim-Christian relations. It is also the spirit of Nostra Aetate, the document by the Catholic Church which expressed hope for a loving Muslim-Christian relationship.
As both documents note, if Muslims and Christians are not at peace, the world is doomed. This is surely not the message of both of our great religions - which are devoted to universal brotherhood. Through better following both of our religions can we begin to find happiness in our own lives, in our communities, and internationally. Agape, mahabba, or love - whatever we call this charitable and sacrificing force - must be the impetus of all of our relations with each other.
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Comment by al-najashi
Made Friday, 27 of June , 2008 at 2:35 pm
Great post. In complete agreement with you as well. I just posted myself on the Common Word Document and my own reflections from re-reading it.
I think something that was very impactful for me to read and understand was in what ways has Islam also embodied this same command to love one’s neighbor and yes, even one’s enemy. Actually, I’m thinking about re-reading the Qur’an and looking to see which commands in the Injil are embodied there as well.
I think you actually broke it down even further. As a Christian, I think fellow Christians when they read perspectives like your own they begin to see a different picture than what the media, Hollywood, and maybe even what they hear certain tele-evangelists say about Islam. Maybe one way we can contribute to changing the atmosphere, to actually reaching out and achieving what Common Word is trying to do, could be through displacement. As more and more people speak up, share the positive, the common ground, I think we stand a chance. One book that really rocked my world was Reza Aslan’s “No god but God.”
As I run into Christians who think Islam is, to put it bluntly, Satanic, I think I’m going to recommend they read it before they bear false witness against others. Garbage in, garbage out, right? I ran into one Christian who told me all these terrible things about Muslims, how you can’t trust them, how they’re this and that, well, I asked him where he was getting his information. He showed me this book he was reading. It had this scary title on the front, had a picture of some guy dressed like a jihadi, and all this blood and just fear-mongering all over it. I smiled and said, well that’s why you think this way. This is making you scared, it’s making me scared just looking at it to be honest. I want to be able to pass on to people like this other resources that can displace this conditioning to distrust, to doubt, to even accuse Muslims, such as the Common Word authors of duplicity and among other things, seeking to subvert Christianity.
Amazing! You know, sometimes I think truth isn’t as popular, not as controversial as stirring up someone’s blood by preaching hate and intolerance. However, you quoted and mentioned alot of people by name in your post who were misunderstood, suffered, even died standing for what they believed was the truth. And I’m positive their lives had to have been crazy, lots of adventure, lots of challenges, but yes, lots of joys too.
Well, that’s all for now, just thought I’d speak my peace, and give props where props are due.
-Fellow Traveler
http://www.al-najashi.org
