USING OUR FAITH TO TRY TO HEAL OUR VERY FRACTURED AND INJURED WORLD
We here at Interfaith Library are acutely aware of these difficult times we live in and acknowledge the persecution of so many – (too many) – in our world for reasons that’s inhumane and senseless. Wherever we look – the attacks on Ukraine, the situation in Sudan, India, Burma, the ongoing discord in too many places in the Middle East, the Uyghurs who are being persecuted, etc. – we see persecution, aggression and corruption causing the loss of too many innocent and sacred lives which we believe that our Creator placed here for a reason.
I, Imam Mekye Abdus Salaam, would like to state that it has been reported and recorded that the Prophet of Islam (i.E. Prophet Muhammad [pbuh]) once said…
Which has been explained as followed…
Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein also shares her thoughts. While we do not engage in political discussions at Interfaith Library, and while clearly there are many different motivations and reasons for these conflicts, the bottom line of shared culture among those who attack seems to be a disrespect and/or disregard for the value of human life – the life that we at Interfaith Library suggest comes with a belief in something grander than us; as we are taught that all of us are made BeTzelem Elokim, in the image of God and that by good acts, we bring God into our collective domain.
We are taught that religious freedom and expression are one of the most salient hallmarks of a society that shows respect and regard for their citizens. While we all adhere to different faith traditions, we all agree, in this forum, that whatever system is part of our own story asks us to be our best selves.
Allah says in Qur’an (Chapter 13:11); …”Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”…
This should be self explanatory but some of us have forgotten that Allah is the Owner of our True Heart.
Is this what we are seeing when grabbing power eclipses the well-being of human beings who are citizens of various entities? Is this what confronts us as we observe increased incidents of anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-Hindu and too many other acts of oppression against various groups of faith that continue to increase each year? What are we teaching our children? What are we doing in our own lives to live up to the charge of Leviticus to “Love your neighbor as yourself?”
Many psychologists would remind us that hate of the other begins with self-loathing of some type – that is to say, the way to make myself feel better about myself is to lessen the stature of others in my eyes. This is exactly why we are told to love the other, to respect the other, to regard the other whom also are creation of God, just as we should be thinking of ourselves.
Life is a gift, to be carefully tended, nurtured and valued. Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein States, ”We are taught in the Jewish Talmud, ‘he who destroys a single life, is as if he destroyed an entire world and he who saves a single life has saved an entire world.’” (Note: this is also an Islamic teaching). And Jesus teaches to love one another as Jesus has loved each one.
In the Qu’ran, Muslims are taught that Allah loves every one and that all should be pure and the best they can be. One clear measurement for all of us is how we treat each other – showing empathy, caring about our individual and collective well-being and learning that when we give to the collective and invest ourselves in each other, this is what will continue to bring God, by any name, into our world.
To be sure, we see many examples of good people doing good works in trying to counteract the undoing of so much that is good and proper that surrounds us. The consensus of prophets have taught that it is the care of the orphan, the concern for the widow, the providing for the indigent and the embracing of the stranger that is of supreme importance. Our separate and specific rituals and rhythm of worship and religious life are to bring us to this point; and in so doing, our body, soul and spirit come together as a unified whole, striving for the greatest heights.
We implore the continually expanding community of the Interfaith Library to “compete in good works” as the Qur’an teaches, to remember that we all come to the human community with gifts to share and have our own purpose here. We bring God into our world through those works and utilization of those gifts with which we have been blessed.
Dr. Saundra Sterling Epstein and the rest of the Interfaith Library’s Theological Advisory Board ask all of our faith-based and non-faith based communities to come together to repair our fissures and provide Tikkunim for what is so broken. May our respective seasons of Ramadan, Lent and Easter, and Passover and Sefirat HaOmer, and all of our myriad of observances remind and inspire us as people of faith to be and do the best we can to heal our fractured world.
Be well and leave your comments. Your voice truly matters!
Hello my friends and Interfaith ministers in faith. Firstly, let me say that I think what you all are doing is amazing. Whoever came up with the idea of creating this library for the multi-faith community is a genius. Why someone before you guy never thought of this is bewildering to me. But thank you for having the courage to create this.
With that said, this article had and still has me in awe. I’ve read it four times already. Simple, non-political, unbiased, commanding us to be better, while giving us the tools, instructions and direction how to start this journey. It gets no better and easier than this.
Imam Salaam, I truly appreciate the message on acting, speaking out against, and hating evil from the heart. I’ve never heard this sort of message before. I assume it applies to all mankind and not just for Muslims. After reading this article, I reviewed some of your other blogs. I think you are brilliant and truly are a conveyer of God’s Word.
Dr. Epstein, I think what you have shared is just as profound and is full of wisdom as well. My only request from you in future scripting is that when you use Hebrew wording, can you please explain their meanings or translate them. I feel if I Google them, I will get some generic or secular meaning.
In closing, I want to say that Interfaith Library has change my life. I’m here 2 or 3 times a day. Everyday faithfully! It’s like church, school and missionary work all wrapped up in one. I believe in God but I don’t follow a specific religion. In visiting this site, I sometimes don’t feel like I have to. Nevertheless, I am leaning towards studying Islam more closely because of how you present it Imam Salaam. Are you or any of the other spiritual leaders, there at the library, taking on students? I’d so love to study under one of you. God Bless you all. I think you are saints.
So sorry about that TC. Tikkunim means that which fixes the fissures, correctives, making something better….. Thank you for being part of our community. Know how much we appreciate all of our friends and siblings in faith.