Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - AlquerÃa des Rosales, Spain - 29 June 2009 - 34 mins 12 secsIn this talk, Sheikh Abdal Hakim offers some thoughts on the increasingly assertive evangelical trend in Christianity, and how Muslims can constructively repsond to it. He emphasises firstly the importance of the Qur'anic principle of responding with what is better, and not being dragged into the abusive slanging matches so often sadly seen on Internet discussion fora and elsewhere. He then outlines some of the important points of discussion that can be had with committed Christians who want to engage in respectful dialogue. These points include: the importance in all religious traditions of God's love for the poor and outcast, and the problems of being identified with worldly, especially military, power; the importance of respecting that the Divine Love makes redemption available throughout history, not only during a defined period; and the need to deconstruct the stereotype often imposed upon Muslims (as on Jews in the past) as being legalistic. As the sheikh points out, the Muslim theology which considers God, while the source of Justice, as absolutely free in His Love and Mercy to forgive who He chooses seems a lot less legalistic than a theology that considers mankind's sinfulness a debt that He must collect.
Many thanks to Zak Whiteman for sending this in, jazahu Allah kheir.
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I have passed this talk onto my kids, who are at an age where they are interested in debating and listening to debates. Sometimes, as the Sheikh points out, these debates are not conducted in a framework of Islamic manners. I recommend this talk to young adults who could learn from the advice given.
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