Bahai Faith; Peace -- Religious aspects -- Bahai Faith
It is evident, then, that we must forsake all such imitations and beliefs
so that we may not commit this error. We must investigate reality, lay
aside selfish notions and banish hearsay from our minds. The Jews consider
Christ the enemy of Moses, whereas, on the contrary, Christ promoted the
Word of Moses. He spread the name of Moses throughout the Orient and
Occident. He promulgated the teachings of Moses. Had it not been for
Christ, you would not have heard the name of Moses; and unless the
manifestation of Messiahship had appeared in Christ, we would not have
received the Old Testament.
The truth is that Christ fulfilled the Mosaic law and in every way upheld
Moses; but the Jews, blinded by imitations and prejudices, considered Him
the enemy of Moses.
Among the great religious systems of the world is Islám. About three
hundred million people acknowledge it. For more than a thousand years
there has been enmity and strife between Muslims and Christians, owing to
misunderstanding and spiritual blindness. If prejudices and imitations
were abandoned, there would be no enmity whatever between them, and these
hundreds of millions of antagonistic religionists would adorn the world of
humanity by their unity.
I wish now to call your attention to a most important point. All Islám
considers the Qur’án the Word of God. In this sacred Book there are
explicit texts which are not traditional, stating that Christ was the Word
of God, that He was the Spirit of God, that Jesus Christ came into this
world through the quickening breaths of the Holy Spirit and that Mary, His
mother, was holy and sanctified. In the Qur’án a whole chapter is devoted
to the story of Jesus. It records that in the time of His youth He
worshiped God in the temple at Jerusalem, that manna descended from heaven
for His sustenance and that He uttered words immediately after His birth.
In brief, in the Qur’án there is eulogy and commendation of Christ such as
you do not find in the Gospel. The Gospel does not record that the child
Jesus spoke at birth or that God caused sustenance to descend from heaven
for Him, but in the Qur’án it is repeatedly stated that God sent down
manna day by day as food for Him. Furthermore, it is significant and
convincing that when Muḥammad proclaimed His work and mission, His first
objection to His own followers was, “Why have you not believed on Jesus
Christ? Why have you not accepted the Gospel? Why have you not believed in
Moses? Why have you not followed the precepts of the Old Testament? Why
have you not understood the prophets of Israel? Why have you not believed
in the disciples of Christ? The first duty incumbent upon ye, O Arabians,
is to accept and believe in these. You must consider Moses as a Prophet.
You must accept Jesus Christ as the Word of God. You must know the Old and
the New Testaments as the Word of God. You must believe in Jesus Christ as
the product of the Holy Spirit.” His people answered, “O Muḥammad! We will
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