Re: Love
A Christian wrote:-
I accept that Muhammad may have been a Prophet like those in the Old Testament, and I reject the doctrines of Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, Vicarious Atonement and the literal interpretation of "Son of God". They are NOT in the New Testament and are untrue. But Jesus does teach us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and this fact, and most of the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, is what keeps me out of Islam. In as few words as possible: The ethics of Islam seem inferior to me. I would judge the cosmology of Islam to be just as bad as that of Christianity and its Christology to be better.
Comment:-
That is only a case of insufficient knowledge and personal subjective ideas about ethics.
The teachings in the Quran are not different from those in the Sermon on the Mount.
But Islam does not only deal with the spiritual but also with the social because it establishes a State just like Moses. Consider the following:-
"The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardons and amends, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loves not wrongdoers. And whoso defends himself after he has suffered wrong - for such there is no blame against them. The blame is only against those who oppress mankind and wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom. And verily whoso is patient and forgives - lo! that verily is the steadfast heart of things." 42:40-43
Note: This verse combines the OT law of "an eye for an eye" with the Christian one of forgiveness. The former is a social law of retaliation, which has social consequences. The other is spiritual, which has consequences for spiritual development.
Consider also the following:-
"Keep to forgiveness, and enjoin kindness, and turn away from the ignorant. And if a slander from the devil wound thee, then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower." 7:199-200
"Repel evil with that which is better." 23:96
"Those who spend in charity of that which Allah has given them in ease and in adversity, those who control their anger and are forgiving towards mankind; Allah loves the good." 3:134
"A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. Allah is Absolute, Clement." 2:263
"These will be given their reward twice over, because they are steadfast and repel evil with good, and spend of that wherewith We have provided them." 28:54
"O you who believe! Be ye steadfast in justice, witnesses for Allah, though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kindred, be it rich or poor, for Allah is nearer both than either. Follow not, then, lusts (prejudices, superstitions, passions), so as to act unjustly (or with bias); but if you swerve or turn aside, Allah is well Aware of what you do. " 4:135
"The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one that is better, then lo! he, between whom and you there was enmity will become as though he was a bosom friend. But none is granted it save those who are steadfast, and none is granted it save the owner of great happiness. And if a whisper from the devil reach thee then seek refuge in Allah. Lo! He is Hearer, the Knower." 41:34-36
"..And feed with food the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Him saying: We feed you for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you." 76:8-9
"Many of the people of the Scripture long to make you disbelievers after your belief through envy on their own account after the truth has become manifest unto them. Forgive and be indulgent towards them until Allah gives command. Lo! Allah is Able to do all things." 2:109
and so on.
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