All imageless monotheists are Muslims

Prophet Abraham, like all the other prophets including Prophet Muhammad, was a muslim and not a member of the Jewish, Christian or Islamic religious community at that time; because there were no Jewish, Christian or Islamic religious communities during Prophet Abraham’s lifetime:.

“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists.” (Qur’an 3:67)

Thus, the Qur’an instructs the members of the Islamic community when others say to them: “Be Jews or Christians [so] you will be guided…” the Muslims should: Say, “Rather, [we follow] the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth, and he was not of the polytheists.” (2:135)

All imageless, monotheists are Muslims submitting to the One God’s will. All those who submit to this one Unitarian Imageless God are Muslims in general. Muslims with a capital M refers to the believers in the one Unitarian Imageless God who follow Prophet Muhammad and practice the rituals of the Islamic community. This Unitarian Imageless monotheism is not the only religion authorized and accepted by God; but it is the latest revelation.

For Jews, their millat (religion and religious community) was expanded by their man-made traditions and the interpretations of their Rabbis. In addition to the laws of God, given to them in the Torah, they added the ongoing ‘Oral Law’ which is contained in the Talmud (Mishnah and Gemara). In upholding the Oral Torah in the Talmud, they have been loyal to their covenantal partnership, although they made to many restrictions about foods and Shabbat.

For Christians, their millat (religion and religious community) has largely deviated from the original message given to Jesus. Christianity is based on doctrines like the ‘Trinity’, ‘Original Sin’, ‘Vicarious Atonement’, ‘Salvation only through Jesus’, the ‘son of god’, and the ‘Resurrection of Jesus’. All these doctrines are the basis of a religious belief system that was not approved by God, and is not in line with the teachings of the original Scripture given to them.

“And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend. (Qur’an 4:125)

For thousands of years before Prophet Abraham, Allah sent thousands of prophets to thousands of tribes and nations on the earth, and not one of them were able to establish an ongoing imageless monotheistic community. So Allah decided to do things in a different way.

Allah decided to make an endless, ongoing, covenant partnership with a small tribe, and send six hundred of his prophets to this small tribe and to work continually for centuries with the people of this tribe until they were able to establish an ongoing community that would always have a major core of righteous and loyal believers.

Allah selected Abraham the Hebrew (Genesis 14:13) and the descendants of Prophets Ishmael, Issac, and Jacob to be the first, but not the last monotheistic community. “There is for you an excellent example (to follow) in Abraham and those with him.” [Qur’an 60:4] and “Indeed Ibrahim was a nation obedient to Allah, a Hanif, he was not one of the polytheists.” [Qur’an 16:120].

Prophet Abraham was the first person to be called a “Hebrew” in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 14:13). The term Hebrew probably comes from the verb to go over a boundary, like the Euphrates or Jordan river, or to be a migrant.

Prophet Abraham was the first Muslim Hebrew as Qur’an 3:67 states: “He (Abraham) was not Yahuudiyyan, “a Jew”, nor Nasraaniyyan, “a Christian”, but rather a Haniifan“ i.e. “a monotheistic Hebrew believer submitting (Islam) to the one imageless God who created all space and time; and who made Prophet Abraham’s descendants through Prophets Isaac and Jacob (Israel), into a great multitude of monotheists called the People of Israel-Banu Israel.

The Prophet Isaiah said: “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he [Abraham] was only one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. (Isaiah 51:1-2) and the Qur’an states: “You have an excellent example to follow in Abraham.” (60:4) and “Follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.” (3:95)

And the Quran 2:130 states: And (everyone) who shuns the creed of Abraham (is) but a foolish soul. We chose him (Abraham the Hebrew Genesis 14:13) in the world and in the Hereafter he shall be among the righteous. 2:131 And when his Lord said unto him “Submit!” (aslim) he said, “I submit (aslamtu) to the Lord of the worlds.”

Most people in the world have learned of Prophet Abraham, not by reading a book of Jewish history or religion, but by listening to and reading from the Christian Bible or the Muslim Qur’an. This unique and amazing situation is a reflection of a promise made to Prophet Abraham more than 36 centuries ago, and recorded in both the Torah and the Qur’an.