Non-Abrahamic Religions Endorsed by the Quran
By
Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam
14 October
2022
The Prominent Prophets Mentioned In The Quran Who
Precede Abraham Are Adam, Idris, Noah, Hud, And Saleh Who May Be The Precursors
Of Every Significant Scripture-Based Religious Tradition In The World
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People often question the universality of the
Message of the Quran by saying that it is silent on Eastern religious
traditions and focused exclusively on religions that emanated from a very small
patch of land in the Middle East. They forget that every person living today
also traces back his/her ancestry to the same mother who lived in East Africa
an estimated seventy thousand years ago and therefore every religion also has a
common origin given the fact that Allah has guided mankind all through our
history. The prominent prophets mentioned in the Quran who precede Abraham are
Adam, Idris, Noah, Hud, and Saleh who may be the precursors of every
significant scripture-based religious tradition in the world. It is true that
the Quran is mainly focused on a vertical slice of mankind’s religious history
and tradition, or on the Abrahamic religions, but that is because its immediate
audience was the Arabs. However, the Quran does touch upon non-Abrahamic
religious traditions and even endorses them. It does not deal with them in
greater detail so as not to confuse its immediate audience with traditions that
may be far different from their own.
There is an
interesting Surah on the theme of what elevates and what debases man which
begins with an adjuration to the places associated with the prominent prophets
of Allah with many followers who have founded four of the most influential
religions.
Surah 95 At-Tin / The Fig
(1) By the Fig and the Olive,
(2) And
the Mount of Sinai,
(3) And
this City of security,-
(4) We
have indeed created man in the best of moulds,
(5) Then
do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low,-
(6)
Except such as believe and do righteous deeds: For they shall have a reward
unfailing.
(7) Then
what can, after this, contradict thee, as to the judgment (to come)?
(8) Is
not Allah the wisest of judges?
In verses 95:1 to 95:3, Allah is swearing by
certain places/things
The Meaning
of 95:2 (By Tur Sinin.)
Tur means
mountain and Tur Sinin is Mount Sinai associated with Moses which finds a
mention in the following verses of the Quran:
(19:52) And we called him from the right side of Mount (Sinai), and
made him draw near to Us, for mystic (converse).
(20:80) O ye Children of Israel! We delivered you from your enemy,
and We made a Covenant with you on the right side of Mount (Sinai), and We sent
down to you Manna and quails:
Ka`b
Al-Ahbar and several others have said, "It is the mountain upon which
Allah spoke to Musa.'' The verse is therefore metaphorically referring to
Prophet Moses, his people the Jews, and the religion Judaism
The meaning
of 95:3 (By this city of security.)
(5:97) Allah made the Ka´ba, the Sacred House, an asylum of security
for men…
The City of
Mecca was a place of pilgrimage and its precincts a sanctuary or place of
security from the time of Abraham. The City of Security, therefore, means the
city of Makkah. This city is associated with Prophet Muhammad, his followers
the confessional Muslims and the religion Islam. There is no difference of
opinion between the scholars about 95:2 and 95:3.
The theme
of the Surah is about mankind which has been created in the best of moulds.
Some remain among the best by following the ideals of Allah’s Deen (belief and
righteous deeds) while the rest by their rejection of belief and by their evil
deeds descend to the lowest levels.
Swearing by
a Prophet/Religion is therefore in line with the Surah’s theme because it is by
following Allah’s religion that man elevates himself to become the best of
creatures and by rejecting Allah’s religion, he becomes the worst of creatures.
What Then
Is The Meaning Of (95:1) By The Fig And The Olive?
Hasan
Basri, Ikrimah, Ata bin Abi Rabah, Jabir bin Zaid, Mujahid and Ibrahim Nakhal
say that the fig and the olive mean the fruit which we eat. In their opinion,
therefore, Allah is swearing by these two fruits because of their health
benefits and uses to mankind. Taking such a literal meaning is ridiculous when
the following two verses are metaphorically referring to a Prophet/Religion
through the place associated with him/it which sets the tone for the remaining
Surah. Most scholars therefore agree
that all three verses refer allegorically only to places associated with
Allah’s prominent Messengers and not to anything else.
Some
scholars have taken “The Fig and The Olive” to imply Damascus and Jerusalem
respectively. A view of Ibn Abbas has been cited by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim
and Ibn Marduyah to say that Fig implies the mosque of the Prophet Noah, which
he built on Mt. Judi, and Olive implies Jerusalem. I reject this view because
Noah preceded Abraham and according to verse (3:96) “The first House (of
worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka” which is the Kaaba. “The Fig”
cannot, therefore, mean the mosque built by Noah as the first mosque was built
after him by Abraham. Moreover, if Noah was meant, why not a reference to the
“Mount of Judi” which goes so well with the Mountain of Sinai?
All the
scholars agree that “The Olive” refers to Jerusalem and to the Prophet Jesus
and some of them say that both “The Fig and the Olive” are referring to
Jerusalem only. The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New
Testament as the place where Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem (an event
known as Flevit super illam in Latin). Again, the story of Jesus with
his disciples on the Mount of Olives can be found in the Gnostic text Pistis
Sophia, dated around the 3rd to 4th century CE. So, why swear by “The Fig and
the Olive” and not by “The Mount of Olives” to go with the Mount of Sinai if by
it is meant the place associated with Jesus alone? Very clearly, therefore,
“The Fig” and “The Olive” refer to two different places and two different
prophets. The association of “The Fig” with Prophet Noah is a tenuous one
especially foregoing the choice of “Mount Judi” or “The Ark” by which Noah is
better known. We must therefore look for an explanation of “The Fig” elsewhere.
We know that the Bodhi Tree ("tree of awakening"), is a large sacred
fig tree located in Bodh Gaya, under which Buddha received enlightenment. This explanation best fits “The Fig”.
Probable
Reasons for the Difference in Style Between Verse 95:1 And The Next Two
The meaning
of 95:1 would have been unclear but for 95:2 and 3. Given the apparent meanings
of 95:2 and 95:3 which find unanimous acceptance, I have given the best
explanation for 95:1 after considering all other explanations given by the
scholars.
Why is the
reference to Buddhism not equally strong by saying “By the Fig Tree” and to
Christianity by saying “By the Mount of Olives”? The reference to Islam and
Judaism is stronger and unmistakable, but the reference to Christianity and
Buddhism is weak and we wouldn't have guessed their meaning if these had
appeared by themselves without the other two. The reason for the weak reference
must be because Christianity diluted monotheism with their concept of trinity
and Jesus as god. The relevant verses from the Quran are cited below:
(5:72) They do blaspheme
(Kafara) who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Mary." But said Christ:
"O Children of Israel! worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Whoever
joins other gods with Allah,- Allah will forbid him the garden, and the Fire
will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.(73) They
do blaspheme (Kafara) who say: Allah is one of three in a Trinity: for there is
no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy),
verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.
The weak reference to Buddhism may also be
because Buddha has become an object of worship over the years. Worship in the
Mahayana tradition takes the form of devotion to Buddha and to Bodhisattvas.
Worshippers face an image of Buddha and chant their mantras.
Judaism and
Islam have remained monotheistic. The important point to note is that the Quran
appears to be swearing by these four religions which also means endorsing them
albeit with some reservations based on latter-day developments in two of the
religions.
How Can
The Quran Endorse An Agnostic Religion Like Buddhism?
(49:14) The desert Arabs say, "We believe." Say, "Ye
have no faith; but ye (only)say, ´We have submitted our wills to Allah,´ For
not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger,
He will not belittle aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful."
The verse
cited above underlies that practising Allah’s Deen or way of life or the moral
code is important. The Quran does not require us to recite the Shahada or even
that we believe or have faith. To believe or not to believe is not in our
control. What is in our control is whether or not to follow Allah’s Deen or the
moral code. Belief in God and in the Hereafter where we are rewarded or
punished based on our deeds help in following the moral code which is not easy
because often our self-interest lies in violating the code. The main purpose of
Allah’s revelations is to make us follow His Deen or the moral way of living.
Buddhism fulfils this requirement through its clear rule based or deontological
moral code.
There is no
morality outside a comprehensive deontological moral code. Atheists are moral
to the extent it pays to be moral and immoral when the gains of being immoral
are high compared with the risks. Such behaviour is without any worth. About
such people, the Quran says:
(18:103) Say: "Shall we tell you of those
who lose most in respect of their deeds?-(104) "Those whose efforts have
been wasted in this life, while they thought that they were acquiring good by
their works?"(105) They are those who deny the Signs of their Lord and the
fact of their having to meet Him (in the Hereafter): vain will be their works,
nor shall We, on the Day of Judgment, give them any weight.(106) That is their
reward, Hell, because they rejected Faith, and took My Signs and My Messengers
by way of jest.
In my
opinion therefore, a religion such as Buddhism was necessary for those who find
it difficult to believe in God and are agnostic. Such people too have the
choice to follow strictly a rule based deontological moral code without which
vain will be their works and their reward will be Hell.
Non-Abrahamic
Prophets
Some of the
prophets mentioned in the Quran who preceded Abraham are Idris, Noah, Hud, and
Saleh. The Quran also endorses the Sabians' religion which is “non-Abrahamic”
and indeed “any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work
righteousness”.
(2:62) Those who believe (in the Qur´an), and those who follow the
Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in
Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with
their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Also
consider verse 5:48 “We have prescribed to each of you a law and a clear
way. If God had desired, he could have made you a single community. Instead, he
is testing you with regard to the revelations you received. So, compete in
doing good. You will all return to God, and he will inform you then concerning
those things about which you argued”. This suggests that non-Abrahamic
traditions can be very different. It should not therefore shock or surprise us
if Buddhism is also endorsed.
Conclusion
The Quran
is very direct and explicit in telling us what to do and what to avoid but
subtle in other verses such as 95:1. These verses are not even meant to be
understood by all but only by those who delve deep. These are for the leaders
to help them develop a broad vision and avoid narrow bigotry. The masses are
guided by their leaders and if the leaders develop a broad vision, they can
guide the people well.
I do not
normally add “Allah knows best” but must do so here because the verses
discussed are in the category of the Mutashabihat (allegorical) about
which the Quran says: (3:7) “He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it
are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the
foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is
perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and
searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except
Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in
the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:" and none will grasp the
Message except men of understanding.” This article is in the spirit of verse
3:7 and is an attempt at grasping the Message with the best possible
explanation based on all the relevant known facts. The article also seeks to build
bridges and not to seek discord and mischief. It is to help Muslims accept that
there are paths different from theirs which are also from Allah.
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A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer
Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT
consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in
responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran
in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/non-abrahamic-religions-quran/d/128176
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