LESSONS FROM JESUS CHRIST
To Forgive And Forbear
WE find from the Quran and Hadith that a large number of God’s messengers were sent to different nations and regions. Nearly all of these prophets are unknown from the historical point of view. The records of their contemporaries make no mention of them or their work. It is as if these prophets and the incidents connected with their lives were thought not worthy of being mentioned.
Without a doubt, the prophets are examples of the loftiest human character. But because of the unpredictable nature of History, only events largely connected with people in power have been recorded, thus depriving posterity of the precious details of the lives of the prophets. The Quran revealed this lost chapter for the first time in history.
It might seem that a recital of the facts relating to the life and mission of the Prophet of Islam would have sufficed, but there was a very good reason for making frequent mention of other prophets and also testifying to their having received God’s guidance, a blessing that exalted them above all other creatures. It was so that the Prophet of Islam and his ummah might learn valuable lessons from the ways in which these prophets dealt with the situations in which they found themselves.
In the Quran, the Prophet of Islam is thus addressed:
These are whom God guided aright,
so follow their guidance.
THE QURAN 6:90
Every one of the prophets mentioned in the Quran was an upright man, guided by God along a straight path. The Quran mentions a number of these prophets by name—Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), Yaqub (Jacob), Nuh (Noah), Dawood (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ayyub (Job), Yousuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses), Haroon (Aaron), Zakariya (Zachariah), Isa (Jesus), Ismail, Yahya (John the Baptist), Younus (Jonah), and Lut (Lot) peace be upon them all God has also instructed us not to differentiate between the prophets as they essentially brought the same message to mankind (2:285).
The Prophet Muhammad was instructed by God to follow the guidance of the prophets before him. By extension, all the followers of Prophet Muhammad must also seek guidance from the lives of the other prophets. Each one of us must evaluate the situation we face, and then, whilst examining the lives of other prophets, should determine in which prophet’s story we can find a similar example. Our response to this situation should be the same as that of the prophets.
Every one of the prophets mentioned in the Quran was an upright man, guided by God along a straight path.
For example, from the Prophet Abraham we learn what our behaviour should be towards unbelieving parents. We are to obey them as long as doing so does not contradict God’s commands.
We are to convey to them the message of God in a gentle, kind-hearted and reasonable manner. But if they chose to disbelieve, we must not force them, but, instead, should pray for their forgiveness instead. The Prophet Ismail’s example shows us what our behaviour should be towards believing parents. We are to obey them in what is right and seek guidance from them and assist them in their work.
We learn a lesson from the Prophet Yusuf’s example of not standing against rulers and not confronting them in the political field. We should accept their position and avail of the opportunities that arise in other, non-political, spheres.
Similarly, from Jesus’ life we can draw many lessons that can provide us with wonderful guidance. The Quran repeatedly mentions Jesus Christ, and we can learn much from his life.
Unilateral Good Character
Jesus Christ says:
‘‘But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to
those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for
those who spitefully use you”.
LUKE 6: 27-30
The same teaching is echoed in the Quran:
And good deeds and evil deeds are not alike.
Repel evil with good and he who is your
enemy will become your dearest friend.
(THE QURAN 41: 34)
This is a practical code of conduct for us, showing us the way to live in peace and harmony.
Duty Consciousness
When some people asked Jesus what they should do in the face of the
oppression of the Romans ruling over them, he said:
Give to king what is due to the king.
And give to God what is due to God.
Similarly, a Hadith cited by Al-Bukhari says:
Give the ruler his rights. Ask for your rights from God.
Peace under all circumstances
Jesus said:
To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods, do not ask them back.”
What Jesus Christ meant here was to put an end to the root cause of all conflicts. Thus paving the way for the other person to realize and make amends for his behaviour.
By forgiving someone for his ill-treatment of you,
you awaken in him a sense of shame, whereas
by returning evil for evil, a reaction of
revenge and retaliation
is set aflame.