I am overwhelmed
with how beautiful the Qur’an sounds as I listen to this stunning recording of
the entire Surat Al-Baqarah. I am
compelled to drop to my knees and worship with my hands lifted in prayer, palms
facing upwards to receive the blessings that would otherwise come down from the
exquisite domes of the mosque. If only I
knew the direction of Mecca…
Placing my
forehead to my wooden floor, my apartment is nothing like the grandiose of the
Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.
None of the grandeur, opulence, or impeccable reverence that I am sure
is demonstrated there day after day.
The melodic Arabic is captivating.
It is a mysterious culture that I have been unexposed to in my twenty-five
years of life, but one that I find intriguing and distinctly beautiful. A religion so grounded in its traditions,
history, and principles, that no can fault Muslims for their strong grounding
in antiquity and veneration. The
language, people, and customs draw me in.
It is truly a sacred occasion – one that I am unsure on how to properly
respect. I pray the way that I know
best, listening to the chanting of the man’s prayers in Arabic and entranced by
the rhythm of the words. It is a cry to
Allah; a chilling, penetrating moment for me. I am lost in a trance and mediate on the
refrains as if it was a ballad.
I have always
been one to explore new identities and cultures. It challenges my sense of self and I enjoy
immersing myself in another’s truth and being.
As my forehead touches the floor, I can feel the power of God, Allah. I am a Christian to the core, but also an omnist. Jesus is my Savior, but I have profound regard
for Muhammed, Abraham, Buddha, etc. We
are equal. We are the same. We call God by a different name and have
different dogma. My philosophy is one of
mutual respect and worship. My bucket
list includes: “Praise and
worship in a Christian church, Muslim mosque, Jewish synagogue, Buddhist temple,
and Hindu shrine.” I am admittedly obsessed
with learning and immersing myself in cultural (albeit sometimes uncomfortable)
rituals of different countries, religions, and races. A profound sense of unity and self-awareness
is found when I do. Humans are all the
same.
Yes, we are all the same.
My friend has a Bible that has the Qur'an next to it. . .side by side. . .and the Qur'an cut out and twisted much of what the Bible says. Although it is good to know the comparisons, be careful. Even Demons believe in Jesus and they shudder at His name, there is a TRIUNE God, and to take apart the holy Spirit and God the Son, is a terrible tragedy. They are not the same. Jesus blows it all away. While I understand completely that the nation of Muslim stems from Abraham's son Ishmael, we must remember that portion of the Bible. We must love the Muslims, but we must not conform in their thought, same as Buddism which anything that speaks against Christ being GOD, is something that we should be cautious about. One of my best friends is going to the Middle East TODAY for the whole summer to work along side Muslims and she hopes to be able to speak the love of Christ to them. She has gone to a mosque for portions of her missionary training (she's been attending a missionary school for 3 years so far to train for becoming a permanent missionary to Muslim nations). It has been completely interesting to learn so much of what she has stated about it to me.
ReplyDeleteRemember that no one comes to the father EXCEPT by Christ. I'm in training (did I tell you this??) to go to a specific state in India and have been studying much of the hindu gods in that area, and it is truly demonic, not something to embrace at all.
The Bible says that even if angels were to come down to profess a DIFFERENT version of Christ's entire reason for coming to earth to begin with and give a different gospel, that we should deny it completely. Considering that Jesus is only a "good teacher" to most religions, we must reject embracing such teachings, and instead show love and compassion to those who have no understanding of who Jesus truly is and work with them, so that they can also confess their sins and see the redemption and salvation of Jesus. He's so beautiful! Omnist belief is sadly a perversion of Christ's gospel. He is THE Way. I love you!!! We are all loved and the most cherished creation of God and fallen from Him through our sinfulness, in that way we are all the same.
+Victoria+