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I came across this passage today in a book that I thought I'd share:



Today the West often views Islam as a civilization very different from and indeed innately hostile to Christianity. Only when you travel in Christianity’s Eastern homelands do you realize how closely the two religions are really linked. For the former grew directly out of the latter and still, to this day, embodies many aspects and practices of the early Christian world now lost in Christianity’s modern Western incarnation. When the early Byzantines were first confronted by the Prophet’s armies, they assumed Islam was merely a heretical form of Christianity, and in many ways they were not so far wrong: Islam accepts much of the Old and New Testaments, and venerates both Jesus and the ancient Jewish prophets.

Certainly if John Moschos were to come back today it is likely that he would find much more that was familiar in the practices of a modern Muslim Sufi than he would with those of, say, a contemporary American Evangelical. Yet this simple truth has been lost by our tendency to think of Christianity as a Western religion rather than the Oriental faith it actually is. Moreover the modern demonisation of Islam in the West, and the recent growth of Muslim fundamentalism (itself in many ways a reaction to the West’s repeated humiliation of the Muslim world), have led to an atmosphere where few are aware of, or indeed wish to be aware of, the profound kinship of Christianity and Islam.

Pg 168, ‘From the Holy Mountain – A journey in the shadow of Byzantium by William Dalrymple, published in 1997, 2005 reprint Harper Perennial.

I'm working my way through the authors' books - thoroughly recommend them to anyone looking for an enjoyable read of travel writing with witty observations mixed in with very impressive knowledge of history and a knack of weaving it into the story. Just do a search on Amazon and read the glowing reviews. I liked the first two books of his read that I have just ordered all but his last book.

Cheers,
Shafique

Christianity a Western religion and the recent growth of fundamentalism
Brits begin to react!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6427419.stm

I think anyone with a certain amount of common sense can see clearly it is Eastern in it's Birth - and that Jesus could not have been the white male so often depicted.

I just started reading a book I bought at the airport which reflects the close binds of Islam and Christianity - its really opened my eyes and is good read for anyone who has been watching CNN to much

It's outlined for me how Islam started - and what motivated it's growth. In the early days of the prophet there was no religious body for the Arabs to identify with (apart from Pagan) amongst a growing Christian and Jewish population. He also saw how religion had become weighed down in ritual rather then its main purpose - complete submission to God. It also claimed that he saw Islam as a re-affirmation of basic principles that other religions had endorsed.

One interesting point outlined was how Islamic community provided a safe haven for people practicing other religions whom had faced persecution prior to it's founding. How people of the book - should be protected unless doing Evil. Also I did not know that Muslims first used to pray towards Jerusalem.

It also spoke of how the cousin of the first wife of the prophet was a Christian lady whom he was said to have approached for advise - amongst lots of women in the early 'ummah'.

Sorry to bomb your thread shafique.

You proberbly know this already - but whats caught my attention after reading lot over the past few days is the depth and magnitude of the prophets actions / deeds during his lifetime - quite a remarkable man.

Quoted from Wikipedia;

The Constitution of Medina, also known as the Charter of Medina, was drafted by the Muslim prophet Muhammad in conjunction with the various tribes of Yathrib (later known as Medina) in 622.[1] The document was drawn up with the explicit concern of bringing to an end the bitter inter tribal fighting between the clans of the Aws (Aus)and Khazraj within Medina. To this effect it instituted a number of rights and responsibilities for the Muslim, Jewish, and pagan communities of Medina bringing them within the fold of one community-the Ummah.

The most important points with respect to the geographically close Arab tribes, Muslim and Jewish, in the immediate area of Medina:

1. The Jews will profess their religion, and the Muslims theirs.
2. The Jews shall be responsible for their expenditure, and the Muslims for theirs.
3. If attacked by a third party, each shall come to the assistance of the other.
4. Each party shall hold counsel with the other. Mutual relation shall be founded on righteousness; sin is totally excluded.
5. Neither shall commit sins to the prejudice of the other.
6. The wronged party shall be aided.
7. The Jews shall contribute to the cost of war so long as they are fighting alongside the believers.
8. Medina shall remain sacred and inviolable for all that join this treaty. Should any disagreement arise between the signatories to this treaty, then Muhammad shall settle the dispute.
9. The signatories to this treaty shall boycott Quraish commercially; they shall also abstain from extending any support to them.
10. Each shall contribute to defending Medina, in case of a foreign attack, in its respective area.
11. This treaty shall not hinder either party from seeking their lawful retaliation.

Jabba - what is the name of the book?

As for the Christian cousin of the Prophet's , pbuh, that was Christian - it was a man named Waraqa bin Naufal. See the following Hadith:

Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3:

Narrated 'Aisha:

(the mother of the faithful believers) The commencement of the Divine Inspiration to Allah's Apostle was in the form of good dreams which came true like bright day light, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship (Allah alone) continuously for many days before his desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read.

The Prophet added, "The angel caught me (forcefully) and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied, 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied, 'I do not know how to read (or what shall I read)?' Thereupon he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said, 'Read in the name of your Lord, who has created (all that exists) has created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous." (96.1, 96.2, 96.3) Then Allah's Apostle returned with the Inspiration and with his heart beating severely. Then he went to Khadija bint Khuwailid and said, "Cover me! Cover me!" They covered him till his fear was over and after that he told her everything that had happened and said, "I fear that something may happen to me." Khadija replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the poor and the destitute, serve your guests generously and assist the deserving calamity-afflicted ones."

Khadija then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal bin Asad bin 'Abdul 'Uzza, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. He would write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadija said to Waraqa, "Listen to the story of your nephew, O my cousin!" Waraqa asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen?" Allah's Apostle described whatever he had seen. Waraqa said, "This is the same one who keeps the secrets (angel Gabriel) whom Allah had sent to Moses. I wish I were young and could live up to the time when your people would turn you out." Allah's Apostle asked, "Will they drive me out?" Waraqa replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone (man) who came with something similar to what you have brought was treated with hostility; and if I should remain alive till the day when you will be turned out then I would support you strongly." But after a few days Waraqa died and the Divine Inspiration was also paused for a while.

Shafique - its called 'Islam a short history' by Karen Armstrong.

Its proberbly not the best book to go (its penguin jobby) but I have found it just the right read for myself.

Jabba,

Excellent choice.

I've got a number of Karen Armstrong books - a short history of Islam is a good book and covers the material very well. I find her books more readable than Bernard Lewis' books (she is also more balanced in her views - but Lewis is also in his element when he is just describing history rather than giving his views).

I also highly recommend another book of hers: "Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World" - it's a longer book, but it is a fascinating book interspersing the history of the Crusades with the recent history of the Middle East - shedding light on both and showing the links in attitudes and methods.

The other book by Armstrong I've read is her biography of the Prophet titled 'Muhammad: A biography of the Prophet'.

Cheers
Shafique

Cheers,
Shafique