RELIGIONS
Are Jews and Moslems alike? 002:046
The verse 002:046 shows that Command اسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ (Seek God’s help with perseverance and prayer) was mandated for the Children of Israel. Later exactly those words came down for Moslems (002:154). Obligating Moslems to five daily prayers can be inferred from 002:154, but not as some translators have extrapolated from 002:046 as it is a part of an historical account that started by addressing the Children of Israel (002:041 to 002:097). Some of those 56 verses did tell Moslems to avoid specified malpractices by earlier nations but primarily they are addressed to the Children of Israel by reminding them of the Covenant [partly given in 002:084] and other facts as summarized below.
Prayers of universal application initially taught to the Children of Israel
- God’s forgiveness because He accepts repentance – 002:055
- God’s forgiveness on entering places submissively and seeking forgiveness – 002:059
- God’s reward for believing in Him and doing good deeds – 002:063
- God’s protection against being ignorant – 002:068
- God’s guidance by saying “God-willing” – 002:071
- God’s giving life to the dead – 002:074
Good tides for the Children of Israel
- Preference given to them over all others in the Universe – 002:048
- Parting of the sea to save them from the Pharaoh’s army – 002:051
- Forgiving them despite the taking calf for God – 002:054, 002:055
- Revival after their stupor, a real near-death experience – 002:057
- Manna / Salwa specially sent down for them as food – 002:058
- Guiding them to enter towns with plenteous foods – 002:059
- Sprouting springs of water for all 12 of their tribes – 002:061
- Granting their requests for foods that earth grows – 002:062
- Grace of God to save them from becoming losers – 002:065
Bad times for the Children of Israel
- Transgression regarding their Sabbath – 002:066
- Their developing into a hard-hearted nation – 002:075
- Slaying of their sons and sparing their women – 002:050
- Worshiping a calf made of their golden jewelry – 002:052
- Struck by lightning as they demanded to see God – 002:056
- Punishment for their twisting the words of prayers – 002:060
- Their flouting God’s signs and persecuting prophets – 002:062
- Killing their own brethren contrary to their Covenant – 002:086
- Raising issues in the command to sacrifice a heifer – 002:068/ 072
- Their writing down materials they tried selling as Scriptures – 002:080
Other honorable mentions relating to the Children of Israel
- 9 times glorified their prophet Moses in 002-052, 054, 055, 056, 061, 062, 068, 088, 093
- 2 times referred to their book (Torah) given near the Mount, in 002:064 and 002:094
- 3 times addressed the Children of Israel by name in 002:041, 002:048 and 002:084
- 5 times talked of their Covenant in 002:041, 002:064, 002:084, 002:085 and 002:094
So it is logical to conclude that the Commandment to “Seek help with prayer and perseverance” was for the Jews, and later with a refinement of “five daily prayers” for the Moslems as well. Could “Seeking God’s help with prayer and perseverance” be a reason why Jewish communities flourished fantastically in medieval Moslem empires – unlike what they suffered under Russian Czars and Adolf Hitler? Could that methodology be the sole reason of their regaining economic power and medical superiority repeatedly in their history? Could Moslems have been warned that with this strategy they too could be blessed like the precedent of their Jewish brethren, but if they repeated the earlier wrongs paying no attention to the history then the history would repeat itself?
