Kinship of the Bible and Qur'an

The Kinship of the Bible and Qur’an -An Interfaith Perspective Ted Brownstein

Interfaith Network Lake Worth Beach, FL www.LWInterfaith.net

Copyright 2020 by Ted Brownstein ISBN 978-1-7358519-0-7 Cover Design by Michael Sours, DesignForBooks.com

Notes:

In this study, we use the term Abrahamic faiths as shorthand to refer to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Other monotheistic religions that trace their roots to Abraham, such as Druze and the Baha’i Faith, exhibit similar kinship traits.

The Christian Bible is composed of two major sections, which Christians call the Old Testament and New Testament. However, in this study, we avoid using the term Old Testament, as Jews might view it as disparaging, implying that their sacred texts are outdated. Instead, we will use Tanakh, Jewish Bible, or Hebrew Bible, recognizing that these terms refer to the same sacred literature that makes up the Christian Old Testament. Herein, Bible is used to refer collectively to both Jewish and Christian scriptures, when appropriate. In Islamic contexts, Torah is used to refer to the entire Hebrew Bible, and Gospel is used for the entire Christian New Testament, unless otherwise specified.

The emphasis of this study will be on primary texts, the Hebrew Bible, the Christian New Testament, and the Qur’an. Traditional interpretations and commentaries contained in the Jewish Talmud, Christian Ante-Nicean Fathers, and Islamic Hadith are held as lesser authorities. (See Wikipedia articles for more detail on this secondary literature.)

Explanatory comments made by translators are shown in parentheses ().

Explanatory comments made by this author are shown in square brackets [].

Graphic images are public domain unless otherwise noted.

Graphic images attempting to portray the Eternal or the Prophets have been excluded from this volume out of respect for those whose faith-based perspectives prohibit such images.

Table of Contents

Reclaiming Religion for Good .............................................. 1 Interfaith Perspective ............................................................. 3 Focus on Commonalities ....................................................... 4 Abrahamic Faiths ................................................................... 7 Chapter 1, Peace - A Shared Value ........................................ 9 Shalom, Salaam, Peace ..........................................................10 Discordant Claim: The Bible and Qur’an Promote Violence ............. 11 The So-Called “Sword Verse” in the Bible .............................12 The So-Called “Sword Verse” in the Qur’an ..........................14 What Is True Jihad? ..............................................................17 Muslims Protect Synagogues and Churches ...........................18 Straying from the Straight Path .............................................20 A Time for War, a Time for Peace.........................................22 Treatment of Non-Muslim Religions ....................................23 Peacemaking .........................................................................24 Chapter 2, Love of God and Neighbor ................................ 27 Two Loves ............................................................................28 Awe and Reverence ...............................................................29 Prayer - A Shared Voice ........................................................31 Kindness – A Shared Virtue ..................................................32 Love of Strangers – A Shared Value .......................................33 Kindness Toward Enemies ....................................................34 Shared Concern for the Poor .................................................35 Condemnation of Hypocrisy .................................................36 Chapter 3, Monotheism – A Shared Creed .......................... 39 One God ..............................................................................40 Commandments of God .......................................................41 Discordant Claim: Allah is not the God of Jews and Christians. ......... 42 Same God? ...........................................................................43 Creator of the Universe .........................................................44 God of Abraham ...................................................................46 Where Does the Name Allah Come From? ............................48 I Am That I Am ...................................................................50 God’s Virtues .......................................................................52 Discordant Claim: Christians Worship a Trinity .................................. 53 Different Understandings of God’s Oneness ..........................54

One Scholar’s Explanation ....................................................56 The Bible and Qur’an Refer to the Same God ..........................

- Jewish Perspectives ...........................................................57 The Bible and Qur’an Refer to the Same God ..........................

- Christian Perspectives .......................................................58 The Bible and Qur’an Refer to the Same God ..........................

- Muslim Perspectives .........................................................60 One God with Many Names .................................................61 Chapter 4, Rejection of Idolatry and Polytheism .................. 63 Prohibitions Against Idolatry ................................................64 Aaron’s Golden Calf .............................................................67 Rejection of Other Gods .......................................................68 Discordant Claim: Allah Was Originally a Moon God ...................... 69 Worship of Sky Gods Forbidden ...........................................70 Sun, Moon and Stars as a Metaphor ......................................71 Lunar Calendars ...................................................................73 Monotheistic Adaptation of Pagan Symbols ...........................74 Symbols of the Sun ...............................................................78 Pagan Wives of the Gods ......................................................80 Chapter 5, Revelation – A Shared Heritage .......................... 83 Written Holy Books – A Shared Channel ..............................84 Divine Education .................................................................85 Prophetic Exposés .................................................................86 Discordant Claim – Bible Changed .................................................. 89 The Promise of Preservation..................................................90 The Qur’an Affirms the Torah and the Gospel ......................92 The Name “Ahmad” in the Gospel........................................93 Corruption of Verses? ...........................................................96 The Torah and Gospel in Muhammad’s Day.........................98 Hadith Asserts that Jews and Christians Possess the True Torah and Gospel ..............................................100 Qur’an Affirms Jews and Christians.....................................100 Was the Bible Corrupted After Muhammad? .......................102 Chapter 6, Shared Sacred Narratives ................................. 105 The God of the Exodus.......................................................106 Moses On Mount Sinai ......................................................107 King David.........................................................................108

Jesus ...................................................................................109 Virgin Mary .......................................................................112 Scope of Shared Narrative History.......................................113 Chapter 7, Dealing with Differences ................................. 115 Branching of the Abrahamic Tree ........................................116 Reconcilable Differences .....................................................117 Isaac – Ishmael Narratives ...................................................118 God as “Father” ..................................................................121 Does God Have “Sons”? .....................................................122 “Sons of God” in Historical Context ...................................124 The Fragmentation of Abrahamic Faiths. ............................126 Sectarianism and Schism .....................................................127 Disagree Without Being Disagreeable ..................................128 Jesus’ Parable About Weeds ................................................129 Leaving Judgment to God ...................................................130 Chapter 8, Shared Destiny ................................................ 133 Sweep of History ................................................................134 Growing Light ....................................................................135 Meek To Inherit the Earth ..................................................136 New Heavens and New Earth .............................................137 Vision of Paradise ...............................................................138 Chapter 9, Cultivating Kinship ......................................... 141 Championing Peaceful Interpretations ................................142 Know One Another ............................................................145 Championing Kinship ........................................................146 Appendices ...................................................................... 149 Overview of the Hebrew Bible ............................................150 Overview of the New Testament .........................................150 Overview of the Qur’an ......................................................150 Selected Bibliography..........................................................156 Verse Index ........................................................................160 About the Publisher ............................................................164 About the Author ...............................................................165

Reclaiming Religion for Good

1

Reclaiming Religion for Good Religion shouts LOVE and COMPASSION. However, the fine print often tells a harsher story. Derogatory perceptions, wars of words, and – most disturbingly – bloody battles have marked relations between faith groups. People tend to know little about other religions, and what little they do know too often casts the other in a negative light.

For example, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people who had never read the Qur’an heard about a verse that supposedly ordered Muslims to “kill the unbeliever.”1 Similar statements in the Bible about conquering nations 2 have led some to view Jews and Christians as oppressive colonialists. Can religion recoup its reputation as a force for good? If so, how?

Kinship of the Bible and Qur'an enthusiastically advocates religious reconciliation. It embraces ways of reading holy books that foster an awareness of shared heritage. Commonalities are championed; disparaging misreadings debunked. When contentious issues surface, this path seeks to reframe them peacefully. Each book's unique characteristics are looked upon with esteem, seeing genuine expressions of faith. After reading this book, you may emerge with renewed hope in the power of religion as a force for good in the world.

What complicates this task are the vast number of interpretations of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur’an. Sectarian splits have resulted in hundreds of denominations.

One writer told the following joke: Walking across a bridge one day, I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. A second man ran over and yelled, “Stop! Don't do it!”

“Why not?”

“There's so much to live for!”

“Like what?”

The second man said, “Well, are you religious or atheist?”

“Religious.”

“Great! Are you Christian?”

“Yes.” “Me too! Catholic or Protestant?”

“Protestant.”

“Me, too! Are you Church of God or Church of the Lord?”

“Church of God!” 1 2

Qur’an 9:5 Joshua 3:10; Ezekiel 9:5-6; Psalms 2:8-9; Revelation 19:15-21

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Kinship of the Bible and Qur’an

“Me, too! (We’re really getting some bonding going on here, as the split hairs get finer.)

“Original Church of God or Reformed Church of God?” “Reformed Church of God!” “Me, too!” exclaims the hopeful Reformation rescuer, as he presses on to make an even deeper connection with the jumper.

“Reformed Church of God of 1879 or Reformed Church of God, Reformation of 1915?”

“Reformed Church of God, Reformation of 1915!”

To which the second man cries, “Die, heretic scum!” as he pushed the other off the bridge.3 This type of passionate sectarianism is not unique to Christianity; it has also afflicted Judaism and Islam as well.

One of the deepest modern-day chasms involves the split between liberals and conservatives. Fundamentalists and conservatives of all persuasions tend to read their books literally and view the stories as historical, whereas liberals use a more poetic and metaphorical approach. Some sects see their book as the inerrant, unchangeable Word of God, while others see the contents as a valuable tradition intended to grow and adapt to the needs of each age.

The modern scholarly view of the various voices within the Bible and the Qur’an provides another hinge point. A prominent opinion among Bible scholars is to see multiple sources (called J, E, P, and D) within the final rendition of the Torah. These documents, thought to have been written centuries apart, espousing somewhat different theologies, were woven together at a later date. 4 Similarly, some New Testament scholars make distinctions between the teachings of the synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John, 5 and some Qur’an scholars see theological differences between the Meccan surahs and the Medinan surahs. 6 Given the many fragmented understandings of each holy book, how can we possibly talk about their kinship?

A vital starting point in this quest is to consider our shared material. For example, when reading stories of the patriarchs in the Bible and Qur’an, the commonalities are apparent, regardless of the metaphorical or historical approach. From any perspective, these holy books derive from a common

https://www.yavneh-raleigh.org/teachings-from-the-rabbi/wellsprings-of-harmony https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source_criticism_(biblical_studies)#: 5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synoptic_Gospels 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meccan_surah 3 4

Reclaiming Religion for Good

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spiritual heritage. An important objective of this book is to show that these texts are more similar than is generally acknowledged and to help readers recognize this basic bond when seeing parallel verses set side by side.

This book explores ways to deal with apparent differences. Some may be reframed so that differences dissolve away. Others can be acknowledged as facets of welcome diversity without compromising anyone’s faith. The result is recognition of the kinship of the Hebrew Bible, Christian New Testament, and Qur’an.

Interfaith Perspective

This study does not advocate any specific sectarian position. Rather, it presents an interfaith perspective based on mutual respect that seeks conciliatory ways to understand sacred texts. By focusing on recognizing kinship and neither glossing over real differences nor holding on to disparaging perceptions, it seeks to promote a sympathetic view of the other.

The aim is not to eliminate diversity but to facilitate mutual understanding and friendship.

Interfaith Leaders in Holy Land

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Kinship of the Bible and Qur’an

Focus on Commonalities

From an Islamic website:

In these times, Christians and Muslims might do themselves, and the larger world, good and honorable service by focusing on the religions' many commonalities rather than exaggerating their doctrinal differences. 7

This sage advice is worth taking seriously. Modern-day dialogue often abruptly becomes a discussion of differences without considering the broader context of similarities. However, a common platform is not hard to find. The Bible and Qur’an parallel each other on a wide range of beliefs, narrative stories, inspired poetry, spiritual teachings, and ethical principles.

The resemblance is so striking at times that it may be difficult for those not intimately familiar with these sacred books to tell whether a particular verse or passage comes from the Bible or the Qur’an. The devotional flavor of the Opening Prayer from the first surah of the Qur’an, for example, fits snugly into the themes of the Bible. Take a look at this passage with parallel verses from Psalms.

In the name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, All praise is due to God, alone, The Sustainer of Worlds, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful, And King of the Day of Judgment.

You alone do we worship, and to you alone do we turn for aid Guide us on the straight way, The way of Your blessed ones, Not the way of those who have been rebuked by You, Nor those who have gone astray. (Qur’an 1:1-7) The LORD is full of compassion… and great mercy.

Praise be to his glorious name forever; Thy kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, Thou art God alone.

All the earth shall worship Thee.

Guide me in Thy truth.

Thou hast rebuked the proud that… err from Thy commandments.

(Psalms 145:8, 72:19, 145:13, 86:19, 66:4, 25:5, 119:21; JPS 1917)

Without the scriptural references attached, who would know which book the verses “Guide me in Your truth” (Bible) or “You alone do we worship” (Qur’an) come from?

7

What the Quran Says About Christians? https://www.learnreligions.com/what-does-thequran-say-about-christians-2003785, retrieved Nov. 16, 2019

Reclaiming Religion for Good

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Naturally, people tend to be most familiar with the sacred texts of their own faith. Accordingly, Bible believers are generally unacquainted with the contents of the Qur’an. As a result, they may be unaware of the many ways that the Qur’an affirms the Torah and Gospel as true paths to God. Say ye [to Jews and Christians]: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us… and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between one and another of them. (Qur’an 2:139) Allah! …He sent down Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide to mankind. (Qur'an 3:2-3)

Similarly, Muslims may be unaware of the favorable views of Islam held by many Jews and Christians. One Rabbi commented: All religions hold a message of tolerance and acceptance of others, which I believe Judaism and Islam share…. We must work together as religious communities to repair the world. We can only do this if we come together as people of different faiths toward a common goal. 8

Likewise, Nostra Aetate, an official Catholic proclamation, stated, “The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems.” 9 With full awareness of each of the Holy Books' unique character and the distinct cultural milieu in which each arose, the author is convinced that an open-minded reading will reveal a great deal of overlap in their contents.

While debate and even conflict can generate interesting interactions, audiences may come away without realizing the vast body of shared beliefs and values. Doesn’t it make sense to first establish commonalities between these Books as a platform for exploring other issues?

Making Peace With the Sword Verse, Rabbi Jonah Pesner, https://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/interfaith-amigos/making-peace-with-the-sword-verse, retrieved Nov. 15, 2019 9 http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vatii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html, retrieved July 21, 2019 8

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Kinship of the Bible and Qur’an

Shalom, Salaam, Peace

Peace is the blessing of God in all the Abrahamic Faiths. “Shalom” is the word for peace used in the Jewish Bible. It signifies not only the absence of war but also embraces well-being, completeness, wholeness, and prosperity.

Wholeness means oneness, a lack of division.

The equivalent Greek and Arabic words used in the New Testament and Qur’an, respectively “eirene” and “salaam,” carry a similar range of meanings, encompassing harmony between God and man, good relations between nations, goodwill between individuals, and inner tranquility. Peace is the gift of God; the gentle rain that generates well-being.

Allah guideth all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace… (Qur’an 5:16) Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

(Luke 2:14, KJV) Love and faithfulness meet together; Righteousness and peace kiss each other. (Psalms 85:10)

The everyday greetings of Jews and Muslims reflect this core value of peace.

When people say “shalom” in Hebrew or “salaam alaykum” in Arabic, they are wishing peace upon their companions. Similarly, vernacular greetings in Christian lands, such as adios, adieu, and good-bye, imply a blessing, “God be with you.” If understood and acted upon, these everyday affirmations of peace promote peaceful relations with strangers and friends alike.

s

Peace - A Shared Value

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Discordant Claims

With so many scholars, clergy, and lay writers weighing in on the relationship between the Bible and Qur’an, many expressing negative opinions about the other, it is no surprise that we find in books, articles, and web sites a wide variety of conflicting claims. These assertions argue, in one particular or another, that the Holy Books are irreconcilably contradictory, that the Bible denies basic tenets of the Qur’an, or vice versa. Throughout this study, we will examine some of the most prominent of these claims.

Discordant Claim: The Bible and Qur’an Promote Violence An often-heard assessment is that the Qur’an teaches Muslims to conquer others, to impose Islamic law (sometimes improperly called “Sharia law”) on non-Muslims, or to convert with the sword. Equally troubling are assertions that the Qur’an encourages believers to slay unbelievers indiscriminately.

Some radical Muslim groups, as well as opposers of Islam, hold this view, quoting verses from the Qur’an out of context in an attempt to prove that Islam is inherently violent.

Jihad Watch, a US-based organization, posted on its website: In Islamic history and doctrine, violent jihad is founded on numerous verses of the Qur’an — most notably, one known in Islamic theology as the “Verse of the Sword.” 10

That verse, in some translations, reads: … slay the unbelievers wherever you find them, and take them captive and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush… (Qur’an 9:5b, N.J. Dawood).

Is the Jihadist interpretation of this verse correct? If not, how is the verse to be understood? Let’s begin by considering two “sword” verses in tandem, one from the New Testament and the other from the Qur’an.

10

https://www.jihadwatch.org/why-jihad-watch

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