The Outlook of Islam on the People of the Book

God calls to the Abode of Peace and He guides whom He wills to a straight path. (Qur'an, 10:25)

Another important topic that has been on the agenda with the acts of terrorism against the United States is the relation between the Western and Islamic world. As is known, by the 90s, some intellectuals were falsely suggesting that a struggle would take place between the West and Islamic world in the near future. This is the basic theme of Samuel Huntington's well-known thesis "The Clash of Civilisations". However, this thesis – better called as "The Clash of Ignorance" by Edward W. Said – rests on an imaginary scenario generated by the exaggeration of the influence of some radical and ignorant factions to be found in these two civilisations. Actually, there can be no clash between the Western civilisation and the Islamic civilisation, because the beliefs of Judaism and Christianity, the tenets upon which Western civilisation is based, are in perfect harmony with Islam.

In the Qur'an, Jews and Christians are called the "People of the Book". This is because the members of these two religions abide by the Divine Books revealed by God. The outlook of Islam on the People of the Book is extremely just and compassionate.

This attitude towards the People of the Book developed during the years of the birth of Islam according to the principles in the Qur'an. At that time, Muslims were a minority, struggling to protect their faith and suffering oppression and torture from the pagans of the city of Mecca. Due to this persecution, some Muslims decided to flee Mecca and shelter in a safe country with a just ruler. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told them to take refuge the Christian king of Ethiopia. The Muslims who went to Ethiopia found a very fair administration that embraced them with love and respect. The King refused the demands of the pagan messengers who had travelled to Ethiopia and asked him to surrender the Muslims to them, and announced that Muslims could live freely in his country.

These Christian attitudes of compassion, mercy, and justice, are referred to in a verse of the Qur'an which states:

… You will find the people most affectionate to those who believe are those who say, "We are Christians." That is because some of them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant. (Qur'an, 5:82)

Common Beliefs and Values Shared by Muslims and the People of the Book

Christian and Muslim beliefs have many aspects in common. Judaism too shares many beliefs with Islam. In the Qur'an, God relates that Muslims share the same faith with the People of the Book and that they say to them "We have faith in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him." (Qur'an, 29:46)

All true adherents of these three great religions:

• believe that God has created the entire universe out of nothing and that He dominates all that exists with His omnipotence.
• believe that God has created man and living things in a miraculous way and that man possesses a soul granted him by God.
• believe in resurrection, Heaven and Hell and angels, and that God has created our lives with a certain destiny.
• believe that God sent many prophets such as the Prophet Noah (pbuh), the Prophet Abraham (pbuh), the Prophet Isaac (pbuh), the Prophet Joseph (pbuh) and the Prophet Moses (pbuh) throughout history, and they love all these prophets.

In the Qur'an, Christians and Jews are defined as the People of the Book, and there is a command to show respect, mercy and kindness to them. Both Christians and Jews believe in God and share the same moral values as Muslims.

In one verse, that Muslims make no distinction among prophets is related as follows:

The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him by his Lord, and so do the believers. Each one believes in God and His angels and His Books and His Messengers. We do not differentiate between any of His Messengers. They say, "We hear and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord! You are our journey's end." (Qur'an, 2:285)

Today both the Muslims and the People of the Book are engaged in a broadening struggle against immoralities such as sexual perversions or drug addiction. Each of these three religions accepts chastity, honesty and selfsacrifice as the greatest virtues.

The beliefs of the People of the Book are in harmony with Muslims, not only in terms of faith-related issues, but also of moral values. Today, in a world where such immoralities as adultery, homosexuality, drug addiction and a model of egoism and self-seeking cruelty have grown widespread, the People of the Book and Muslims share the same virtues: Honour, chastity, humility, self-sacrifice, honesty, compassion, mercy and unconditional love.

Godless ideologies such as fascism, communism, racism and anarchism have brought destruction upon humanity and have encouraged hatred within societies.

Darwinism proposes a society in which conflict and violence are seen as means of development. But a study of its effects on society reveals that the Social Darwinist project has only brought pain and destruction.

Conversations with Adnan Oktar, en.a9.com.tr

Treating the People of the Book with Compassion and Affection Iss the Sunnah of Our Prophet (pbuh)

Adnan Oktar: The People of Israel are descended from the prophets, they are the grandchildren of our own prophets. And they follow the law of the Prophet Moses (pbuh) and have preserved that law and faith from that day to this. Therefore, it is incompatible with reason and good conscience to leave these immaculate people without a state, to deprive them of their nation, to seek to exile them from their lands or deny them the right to life. Muslims are affectionate, compassionate and full of love. The Jews are our brothers and have the right to life. They are first-class human beings, who live, trade, make art and do science as they wish in the region. So why should they be forced from their lands or deprived of the right to a quite life? That is unacceptable to anyone. And unacceptable to me. Of course they will live in peace and happiness, and their lives will be guaranteed. They will live in plenty and abundance in the Turkish-Islamic Union. The words of the Qur'an are plain to see, as are the Sunnah and practices of our Prophet (pbuh). The People of the Book, the People of Israel, lived in complete ease in the time of our Prophet (pbuh). They also lived in Jerusalem at that time, in the region of Israel. They were happy and prosperous and were treated with love and affection. One can marry Jewish girls, sit down at their tables, eat food they have prepared, visit their homes and be friends with them. That was the practice in the time of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Sunnah. And it also applies to Christians. As you know, one of our Prophet's (pbuh) concubines was a Christian. She is our mother, someone we remember with the greatest respect. I am not talking about Judaism alone. Christians are also people we must regard as having a right to live in peace and happiness and plenty and abundance and the joy thereof. (The Gulf Today, November 2008)

Conversations with Adnan Oktar,en.a9.com.tr

Muslims Must Be Pleasant Toward the People of the Book

Adnan Oktar: First, aggression, shouting and screaming are no solution, neither are cowardice or quailing. A Muslim must be rational and act according to the Qur'an and behave according to how the Messenger of God (pbuh) behaved. He must base his behavior on what the Messenger of God (pbuh) did, on how things were in the time of the Companions. The Companions were very pleasantly behaved people. And our Prophet (pbuh) was the finest man of all. His moral values and behavior were perfect and highly consistent. He was very loving and protective toward the People of the Book. They were also highly impressed by our Prophet's (pbuh) moral values and became Muslims in whole groups, entire communities. How could Christians and Jews see his moral values if he never met with them? How could they ever develop such a desire if he did not treat them well? Therefore, as I have already described, every Muslim must learn the perspective adopted toward the People of the Book in the time of the Companions. (Kral Karadeniz TV, 25 January 2010)

The Common Opponents of the Muslims and the People of the Book

Another important fact that draws Christianity, Judaism and Islam together is the atheist philosophies that are so influential in our time.

Among the best-known and most harmful philosophies of our age can be cited materialism, communism, fascism, anarchism, racism, nihilism and existentialism. Many people who believed in the false diagnoses, deceptive descriptions and explanations of these ideas on the universe, society and man, have lost their faith or doubted it. What is more, these ideologies have dragged people, societies and nations into great crises, conflicts and wars. Their share of the blame for the pain and troubles that humanity suffers from today is immense.

The persecution of Jews throughout history was basically a consequence of racist prejudices, which are definitely contrary to Islam. No Muslim should condone unjust or cruel treatment of innocent Jewish people and children.

While they deny God and creation, all the above-mentioned ideologies are based on a common framework, a so-called scientific basis; Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Darwinism constitutes the basis of atheist philosophies. This theory briefly claims –without having any scientific basis- that living beings have evolved as a result of coincidences and by means of a struggle for life. Therefore, Darwinism sends this deceptive message to people:

"You are not responsible to anyone, you owe your life to coincidences, you need to struggle, and if necessary to oppress others to succeed. This world is one of conflict and self-interest".

The social messages put across by Darwinist concepts such as "Natural selection", "struggle for life", "survival of the fittest" are a means of dangerous indoctrination. This evil morality advises people to be egoistical, self-seeking, cruel and oppressive. It destroys such virtues as mercy, compassion, self-sacrifice and humility, the moral values of the three great monotheistic religions and presents this as if it is a necessity of "the rules of life."

This Darwinist indoctrination is just the opposite of the beliefs of the People of the Book and the morality of the Qur'an. Consequently, the Darwinist indoctrination constitutes the foundation of a world which inherently opposes all the three divine religions.

This being the case, it is necessary for the People of the Book and Muslims to co-operate, since they believe in God and accept the morality that He teaches. The followers of these three religions should expose to the world the fallacy of Darwinism, which has no scientific basis, but which people are trying to preserve for the sake of materialist philosophy. They should co-operatively carry out an intellectual struggle against all other deceptive ideas (communism, fascism, racism) that serve atheism. Once this is realized, the world will, in a very short time, embrace peace, tranquillity and justice.