Did the Jews and Christians
pray as Muslims do?!

Although the Quran is very clear that Abraham is the founder of Submission (Islam) and the one who received all the rituals of Is-lam, many so-called Muslims re-ject this Quranic notion. However, the following verses explain that it was Abraham through whom God delivered all the practices of Sub-mission.

As Abraham raised the founda-tions of the shrine, together with Ismail (they prayed): “Our Lord, accept this from us. You are the Hearer, the Omniscient. Our Lord, make us submitters to You, and from our descendants let there be a community of submit-ters to You. Teach us the rites of our religion, and redeem us. You are the Redeemer, Most Merciful.

Our Lord, and raise among them a messenger to recite to them Your revelations, teach them the scripture and wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.” (2:127-129)

Who would forsake the religion of Abraham, except one who fools his own soul? We have chosen him in this world, and in the Hereafter he will be with the righteous. (2:130)

When his Lord said to him, “Sub-mit,” he said, “I submit to the Lord of the universe.” (2:131)

Moreover, Abraham exhorted his children to do the same, and so did Jacob: “O my children, GOD has pointed out the religion for you; do not die except as submit-ters.” (2:132)

Had you witnessed Jacob on his death bed; he said to his chil-dren, “What will you worship af-ter I die?” They said, “We will worship your god; the god of your fathers Abraham, Ismail, and Isaac; the one god. To Him we are submitters.” (2:133)

As we can see from these verses, the religious practices such as the Contact Prayers (Salat), Obliga-tory Charity (Zakat), fasting and Hajj pilgrimage as we know them today were given to Abraham who taught them to his children and they taught them to their children and so on. The prophets and mes-sengers who came after Abraham purified the practices from distor-tions in accordance with God’s will.

Cont’d on page 2