Islam - The Summit of Religious Evolution — Page 37
37 CHAPTER IV PROPHECIES FOR THE FUTURE GOD'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM As stated earlier, for our basic assumptions (in Chapter 1) to be valid, a chronological study of the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures should exhibit an evolutionary trend, consistent with the advancement of human spiritual needs. A critical study of the three scriptures aimed at identifying such trends, indicates a kind of spiritual progression which was due to culminate in a universal teaching for the guidance of all mankind. Unless otherwise stated, the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible is used for this comparison. At certain places, references from older editions of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) are used because they have been significantly modified in newer versions. For such an analysis, it is best to start with prophet Abraham who is unanimously accepted as a great prophet by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. Abraham is one of the most honored personalities of the world. The Jews, the Christians and the Muslims hold him in high esteem and believe that he was a great prophet through whom God had promised great blessings for mankind. Unfortunately this unity of faith between these three great nations of the world does not go very far and a sharp disagreement emerges between the Muslims on the one hand and the Jews and Christians on the other, regarding the status of Ishmael, the eldest son of Abraham. A detailed analysis of this basic question is beyond the scope of this book. This subject in discussed in detail elsewhere. 1 The Old Testament confirms that God made many promises to the Patriarch Abraham. He was born in Ur of the Chaldees. From there he migrated with his father to Canaan, his Father stopped on the way at Haran and died there. On his father’s death Abraham was commanded by God to leave Haran and go to Canaan and had the following revelation: 2 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you: I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. Genesis 15 verses 1-4 show Abraham’s sadness and desperation for not having an heir (a son);. his desperation does not however affect his obedience of God. This is demonstrated by his willingness to consider the son born to Eliezer, the steward of his house in Damascus, as his heir. That is when God tells Abraham that the steward’s son can not be his heir. Impressed by his piety, God makes the first promise of an heir (son) to Abraham: “. . but he [his heir] will come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir”. Sarah is convinced that she is incapable of bearing a child so she offers Hager, her maid, as a wife to Abraham. (This is discussed later in this Chapter).