Unity
“He has ordained for you ˹believers˺ the Way which He decreed for Noah, and what We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ and what We decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus,1 ˹commanding:˺ “Uphold the faith, and make no divisions in it.”
Surah Ash-Shuraa 42:13
Countless hours are invested in debates about faith – who is right and who is wrong. Have we missed the point that all paths lead to the One, the Creator – God? Each prophet; every holy word is part of the same story. As the Ayah indicates, the path has been set for us by what was revealed to Noah, Mohammed (PBUH), Abraham, Moses and Jesus. God explicitly asked us to rise with our faith, to unite and not separate.
While rituals, prayers, and expressions may differ, yet they all lead us to the One. It is similar to using different phone networks that all enable you to make the call. The call represents the ultimate purpose, and the network you choose determines your path.
I love the discussion between God and Prophet Abraham, after his seek of oneness. It is mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:131,“When his Lord ordered him, “Submit ˹to My Will˺,” he responded, “I submit to the Lord of all worlds.”
This is the first reference of ‘Islam’ in the Quran. The word ‘aslim’ doesn’t refer to a religion, but a state, a complete surrender to the One. This essence of surrender runs through Prophet Abraham, and even before him, back to the very first human – Adam (عليه السلام). It’s all one story, one state – to surrender.
God is love; and the path from the beginning of time is pure love.
“Whether we like it or not, we are all connected, and it is unthinkable to be happy all by oneself.”
DALAI LAMA
Take a moment to observe all the people around you with all their differences – tall, short, big, small, long hair, no hair, different features and different skin colors. Then, take a deep breath in, close your eyes and think about how they all derive from the same Creator.
Now bring your attention to different religions, the houses of God – a church, synagogue or mosque, and sense the presence of God’s words and love within them.
Reflect on Noah, Muhammad (PBUH), Abraham, Moses, and Jesus as mentioned in the Ayah
Unite in prayer with everyone today, and feel the unity and warm connection we all share with each other.
“The air I inhale enters my body and becomes part of me. The air I exhale moves into someone else and becomes part of her. Just by looking at how the air moves, we realize we are all connected to one another, not just figuratively, but also literally.”
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down – Haemin Sunim
“There are no random acts…We are all connected…You can no more separate one life from another than you can separate a breeze from the wind…”
The Five People You Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom
“We have assigned a law and a path to each of you. If God had so willed, He would have made you one community, but He wanted to test you through that which He has given you, so race to do good: you will all return to God and He will make clear to you the matters you differed about.”
Holy Qur’an; Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:48, translation by Abdel Haleem
