Abraham’s Three Ongoing Religions

Ashura marks the 10th day of the 1st month of Muharram, on the Islamic lunar calendar of 1448. Ashura for 2026 was observed on sundown of June 25th ending at sundown on June 26th. The day commemorates for Shia Muslims the death of Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad in the Battle of Karbala of October 10, 680 CE. For Sunni Muslims the day relates to Prophet Moses and the Hebrews who fled Egypt, and God’s separated the Reed Sea.

Shiite Muslims marked one of the most important days on their calendar with large gatherings in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Yaman to remember the seventh-century killing of Hussein, the grandson of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. The annual commemoration, known as Ashura, is marked on the 10th day of the month of Muharram in the lunar-based Islamic calendar. Ashura is the culmination of a 10-day mourning period and marks the day Hussein was killed alongside members of his family and companions as he fought against the army of Caliph Yazid, to whom Hussein had refused to pledge allegiance.

And the Jewish Prophet Isaiah’s 45: 1-13 states; “This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so gates will not shut:

4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me.
7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.

8 “You heavens above, rain down my righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness flourish; I, the Lord, have created it.
9  “Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’?

11 “This is what the Lord says—the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, do you question me about my children, or give me orders about the work of my hands?

13 “I will raise up him (Cyrus) in my righteousness: I will make all his ways straight. He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free, but not for a price or a reward, says the Lord  Almighty.”

Recent brain studies have shown how organic trust and sharing are to human minds. Activities that build group loyalty and interpersonal trust enhance individual survival and promote individual spirituality much more than cognitive beliefs and ideologies. But urbanization, writing and mass communications may be changing this. Written revelation introduced a tremendous force expanding the power of religion both in space and time. The impact of religions with written revelations on historic human culture is comparable to the impact of modern science and invention on 21th century life styles. Both together will make the 21st century a turning point in human destiny.

What role does God (the One God of the revealed religions) play in all this? According to Genesis 4:26 humans only began to call upon the name of the Lord in the days of Enosh. That could mean that prior to Enosh prehistoric religions evolved naturally. Only with the rise of scriptural revelations did the One God penetrate human consciousness. Or it could mean that human consciousness had risen to the level of being able to receive Divine communication from the One God.

It took over 3,000 years for monotheism to spread world-wide even with scriptural revelations so it is not surprising that it took over a 100,000 years to get to humans ready to receive the one God’s revelations. Spirituality among Homo Sapiens has been evolving for at least 100-150,000 years. It is as deeply, if not more deeply rooted, in the HS brain as art or music.

Recent studies, especially those on adult twins who were raised apart, suggest genes contribute about 40% of the variability in a person’s general religiousness. The idea that reason, socialism or modern science would replace religion has turned out to be a wish fulfillment fantasy of people who bear a grudge against religion. Usually their children or grandchildren return to religion. Religious rituals and ideas are ubiquitous and continue to evolve.

The ability of religious scholars and leaders to find hidden meanings in revealed texts in order to explain gaps between the literal statement in revealed texts and subsequent different outcomes, expanded in the centuries after Abraham’s assent to a higher level of religious self consciousness. Religious self consciousness even penetrated dualistic and polytheistic systems which began to move toward monotheism. An increase understanding of loyalty to God in good times and bad times made people willing to undergo a lifetime of suffering and even martyrdom, without abandoning trust in God. This higher level of spiritual commitment enabled suffering or oppressed religious communities to prevail over pragmatism, and survive.

Thus Prophet Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own life in Nimrod’s fire (Qur’an 21:68-71 and oral tradition in both Jewish and Muslim sources) and to twice risk sacrifice of each one of his sons, after waiting for so many years until he finally had two sons. Indeed, because Prophet Abraham had reached this level of religious consciousness he could be tested and would become an excellent example for all mankind.

For rising up above ‘functional benefits’ religion, Prophet Abraham became the first prophet to establish an ongoing religious community among his immediate descendants: Jews who were believers; then by spiritual adoption- Christians who were believers; and then by reversion- Muslims who were believers. As the Qur’an states: “God said I will surely make you the leader of humanity and Abraham asked ‘What about my offspring?’ God replied, ‘My pledge does not apply to those who do evil” (Qur’an 2:124}

This was the legacy that Prophet Abraham gave to his sons as did Jacob when he said: “My sons, (who will become the Jewish community) God has chosen for you this way of life” (Qur’an 2:132) All three religions inherit the blessing of Abraham, (Qur’an 2:134-137) and for all three religions the blessing applies to their respective believers, but does not include those individuals who refuse to submit to the will of the one God as reflected in the prophet and book they were given. (Qur’an 2:124)

Thus in all three communities there are some who do not attain a level of spiritual consciousness and awareness that transcends the basic ‘heavenly help’ of literal reward and punishment for orthodox dogma and rule keeping. Those who do reach the level of Abraham, the friend of God, need to keep the others from leading the community astray.

Since all prophets are brothers, religious leaders should openly and actively act against those in their own community who claim their religion or their prophet is superior to another, as Prophet Muhammad did according to a Hadith reported by Abu Huraira: Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled. The Muslim said, “By Him Who gave Muhammad superiority over all the people! The Jew said, “By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!” At that the Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face. The Jew went to Prophet Muhammad and informed him of what had happened. The Prophet sent for the Muslim and asked him about it.

“The Muslim informed him of the event. The Prophet said, “Do not give me superiority over Moses, for on the Day of Resurrection all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them. I will be the first to gain consciousness, and I will see Moses standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether (Moses) had also fallen unconscious and got up before me, or Allah has exempted him from that stroke.” (Bukhari book 76 #524).

Christian, Jewish and Muslim religious leaders should all learn humility from this teaching of Prophet Muhammad and we should all teach this humility to our followers. Then God’s blessing “I will make you (Abraham) an imam for all people ” (Qur’an 2:124 & Genesis 22:17-18) will be fulfilled.

So God’s promise to Prophet Abraham, that the other families of humankind will ultimately bless themselves, and one another, thus aspiring to be like Abraham’s Jewish descendants (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14), has been fulfilled in the three Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.