A Call for Sobriety to the Muslim and Christian Communities
By KAMIL UNDA
January 30, 2019
The recent bombings of a Cathedral and a Masjid in Mindanao are, undoubtedly, desperate acts to defeat the inroads of peace initiatives and attempts to ignite a local Muslim-Christian civil war. In this context, we call upon the Muslims and Christians to their respective Holy Scriptures, the Qur-ān and the Bible.
The Qur-ān emphatically exhorts the faithful Muslims not to be swayed by emotions from practicing & observing justice:
(...ِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ ...َ)
"... and do not ever let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be_just; that is nearer to Taqwā (fear of Allāh)..." 📚Sūrah Al-Mā-idah 6:8
From the Qur-ānic perspective, "winning_friends" is much more valuable than "defeating enemies":
(وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ)
"And not equal are the good and the evil. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better, and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend." 📚Sūrah Fuśśilat 41:34
Speaking about exacting vengeance and repelling evil, the Bible says:
[38]Ye have heard that it hath been said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: [39]But I say unto you, That ye resist_not_evil: 📚Matthew 5:38-39
The Bible does not espouse apathy in the face of "evil" but, like the Qur-ān, the Bible teaches its faithful to counter evil by better gestures:
"But I say unto you: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do_good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 📚Matthew 5:44
This Christian "love" has recognized & appreciated in the Qur-ān:
(...وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَوَدَّةً لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ.)
"...and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant."
📚Sūrah Al-Mā-idah 5:82
With this rich spiritual investment among the Muslims & the Christians, we call upon everybody for sobriety and let the rule of law and its Ruler (the shadow of God on earth: السلطان ظل الله في الأرض); or as the Bible says:
[3] For RULERS are NOT a terror to GOOD works, but to the EVIL... [4] For he is the minister of God to thee for GOOD. But if thou do that which is EVIL, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a REVENGER to EXECUTE wrath upon him that doeth EVIL."
📚Rom. 13:3-4
We are confident that we can win this stage of our journey, with the blessing of the Almighty Creator... Āmeen.
(KU/RSP)
January 30, 2019
"We hoped for peace, but no peace came.
We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror!"
 |
MARAWI CITY: Our communities, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government are hoping that a light seen on the horizon is the end of the tunnel in our quest for the elusive Peace. But our current situations almost fit these Biblical descriptions written thousands of years ago: "We hoped for peace, but no peace came. We hoped for a time of healing, but found only terror!!!" 📚[Jer. 8.15, NLT]
The recent bombings of a Cathedral and a Masjid in Mindanao are, undoubtedly, desperate acts to defeat the inroads of peace initiatives and attempts to ignite a local Muslim-Christian civil war. In this context, we call upon the Muslims and Christians to their respective Holy Scriptures, the Qur-ān and the Bible.
The Qur-ān emphatically exhorts the faithful Muslims not to be swayed by emotions from practicing & observing justice:
(...ِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ ...َ)
"... and do not ever let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be_just; that is nearer to Taqwā (fear of Allāh)..." 📚Sūrah Al-Mā-idah 6:8
From the Qur-ānic perspective, "winning_friends" is much more valuable than "defeating enemies":
(وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ)
"And not equal are the good and the evil. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better, and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend." 📚Sūrah Fuśśilat 41:34
Speaking about exacting vengeance and repelling evil, the Bible says:
[38]Ye have heard that it hath been said: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: [39]But I say unto you, That ye resist_not_evil: 📚Matthew 5:38-39
The Bible does not espouse apathy in the face of "evil" but, like the Qur-ān, the Bible teaches its faithful to counter evil by better gestures:
"But I say unto you: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do_good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 📚Matthew 5:44
This Christian "love" has recognized & appreciated in the Qur-ān:
(...وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَوَدَّةً لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّا نَصَارَىٰ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ قِسِّيسِينَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ.)
"...and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians." That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant."
📚Sūrah Al-Mā-idah 5:82
With this rich spiritual investment among the Muslims & the Christians, we call upon everybody for sobriety and let the rule of law and its Ruler (the shadow of God on earth: السلطان ظل الله في الأرض); or as the Bible says:
[3] For RULERS are NOT a terror to GOOD works, but to the EVIL... [4] For he is the minister of God to thee for GOOD. But if thou do that which is EVIL, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a REVENGER to EXECUTE wrath upon him that doeth EVIL."
📚Rom. 13:3-4
We are confident that we can win this stage of our journey, with the blessing of the Almighty Creator... Āmeen.
(KU/RSP)
