Spirituality in Abrahamic religions

definition for a spirituality:

Spirituality, the quality or state of being spiritual or of being
attached to or concerned with religious questions and values
broadly conceived. The term is also frequently used in a non-
(or even anti-) religious sense to designate a preoccupation
with or capacity for understanding fundamental moral,
existential, or metaphysical questions, especially regarding the
nature of the self (or soul, or person), the meaning of life, the
nature of mind or consciousness, and the possibility of
immortality.(1)
As we know spirituality is a kind of behavior based on values
and believing in Metaphysics .
Abrahamic religions are a group of the religions their
commonalty is the faith and passage which is established by
Hebrew patriarch Abraham(Ibrahim). Adherents to Abraham
like Judaism, Christianity and Islam and also submit and other
groups of religions which they consider Abraham their founder
and their father .
God said to Abraham: "Look up at the heavens and count the
stars—if indeed you can count them…. So shall your offspring
be" (Gen. 15:5)

Abraham (Hebrew ‫ ַאב ְָרהָ ם‬Avraham "Father/Leader of many,"

Arabic ‫ ابراهيم‬Ibrāhīm) was the original patriarch of Judaism,
recognized as the "father of faith" by Christianity, and an
extremely important prophet in Islam. The story of his life is
told in the Book of Genesis and in the Qur'an. In both
scriptures, Abraham is characterized as having exemplary faith,
a living relationship with the personal God who directs his life.
(2)
First of all I like to present here some verses of holy Quran
about Abraham.
Abraham is mentioned by name in the Qur’an 69 times.

Abraham as a model
‫ِين َم َع ُه إِ ْذ َقالُوا لِ َق ْوم ِِه ْم إِ َّنا ب َُراء مِن ُك ْم َو ِممَّا‬ َ ‫ت َل ُك ْم أُسْ َوةٌ َح َس َن ٌة فِي إِب َْراهِي َم َوالَّذ‬ ْ ‫َق ْد َكا َن‬
‫ضاء أَ َب ًدا َح َّتى ُت ْؤ ِم ُنوا‬ َ ‫دَاوةُ َو ْال َب ْغ‬ َ ‫ون هَّللا ِ َك َفرْ َنا ِب ُك ْم َو َبدَا َب ْي َن َنا َو َب ْي َن ُك ُم ْال َع‬
ِ ‫ون مِن ُد‬ َ ‫َتعْ ُب ُد‬
‫ك م َِن هَّللا ِ مِن َشيْ ٍء رَّ َّب َنا‬ َ ‫ك َل‬ ُ ِ‫ك َو َما أَمْ ل‬ َ ‫ِباهَّلل ِ َوحْ دَ هُ إِاَّل َق ْو َل إِب َْراهِي َم أِل َ ِبي ِه أَل َسْ َت ْغف َِرنَّ َل‬
)60:4( ‫ْك ْالمَصِ ي ُر‬ َ ‫ْك أَ َن ْب َنا َوإِ َلي‬
َ ‫ك َت َو َّك ْل َنا َوإِ َلي‬َ ‫َع َل ْي‬
Indeed, you have had a good example in Abraham and those
who followed him, when they said unto their [idolatrous]
people: "Verily, we are quit of you and of all that you worship
instead of God: we deny the truth of whatever you believe; and
between us and you there has arisen enmity and hatred, to last
until such a time [4] as you come to believe in the One God!"
The only exception was [5] Abraham's saying to his father "I
shall indeed pray for [God's] forgiveness for thee, [6] although I
have it not in my power to obtain anything from God in thy
behalf." [And Abraham and his followers prayed:] "O our
Sustainer! In Thee have we placed our trust, and unto Thee do
we turn: for unto Thee is all journeys' end. - 60:4

The religion of Abraham that Hebrew patriarc is traced back to

4000 years ago and the three religions: Judaism, Christianity
and Islam are followers of him.
one of the principles of Abraham which all of the Nations share
in it is that their faith and religion really should be based on
God and belief in God and another principal we can conclude
from the school of a spirituality established by Abraham isthat
all of the crisis is in the world is economic or social or
environmental or Security one are based on tyrany in ethics
and a spirituality and giving up the moral values and the global
ethics then what we can conclude from the Teachings of
Abraham.

Father of the Nations

He is considered father of many nations in Quran and in the
holy scripture:

‫ين ِمنْ َح َر ٍج ِّملَّ َة أَ ِبي ُك ْم‬ ِ ‫َو َجا ِه ُدوا فِي هَّللا ِ َح َّق ِج َها ِد ِه ه َُو اجْ َت َبا ُك ْم َو َما َج َع َل َع َل ْي ُك ْم فِي ال ِّد‬
‫ون الرَّ سُو ُل َش ِهي ًدا َع َل ْي ُك ْم َو َت ُكو ُنوا‬ َ ‫ِمين مِن َق ْب ُل َوفِي َه َذا لِ َي ُك‬ َ ‫إِب َْراهِي َم ه َُو َسمَّا ُك ُم ْالمُسْ ل‬
‫الز َكا َة َواعْ َتصِ مُوا ِباهَّلل ِ ه َُو َم ْواَل ُك ْم َف ِنعْ َم‬ َّ ‫صاَل َة َوآ ُتوا‬ َّ ‫اس َفأَقِيمُوا ال‬ ُ
ِ ‫ش َه َداء َع َلى ال َّن‬
‫ْال َم ْو َلى َو ِنعْ َم ال َّنصِ ي ُر‬
22:78 And strive hard in God�s cause with all the striving that
is due to Him: it is He who has elected you [to carry His
message], and has laid no hardship on you in [anything that
pertains to religion, [92] [and made you follow] the creed of
your forefather Abraham. [93] It is He who has named you in
bygone times as well as in this [divine writ] � �those who
have surrendered themselves to God�, [94] so that the
Apostle might bear witness to the truth before you, and that
you might bear witness to it before all mankind. Thus, be
constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and hold fast
unto God. He is your Lord Supreme: and how excellent is this
Lord Supreme, and how excellent this Giver of Succour!
And also we find in the old testament:
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will
curse;

and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis

12:2-3)

Abraham and the Justice

6( ‫ون‬ َ ‫ظ ْل ٍم أ ُ ْو َلـئ‬
َ ‫ِك َل ُه ُم األَمْ نُ َوهُم ُّم ْه َت ُد‬ ُ ‫ِين آ َم ُنو ْا َو َل ْم َي ْل ِبسُو ْا إِي َما َنهُم ِب‬
َ ‫الَّذ‬:

Those who have attained to faith, and who have not obscured
their faith by wrongdoing-it is they who shall be secure, since it
is they who have found the right path!" - 6:82
The Corporation and coordination amongst adherents and
followers of all of the religions and ideologies of the world is a
must for a better life in this world dirty last conclusion and a
conclusion is that Abraham is not only a bridge of gaur
understanding amongst religions but even amongst all of the
philosophies and paradigms of the time come to the life of
Abraham and for cross cultural
communication
glass on tips of Abraham two different parts of the word
civilized parts of the world like the Iraq Syria Palestine Egypt
and Arab Peninsula shows that Abraham was the founder of
cross cultural communication what is what is Legacy of
Abraham also we can conclude that Christian Muslim relations
and also relations of Muslims and Christians to the other part of
the world like a text and secular part of the world is wider
context of civilisational job political and economical interaction
between the Muslim world Christian ward and other parts of
the world and it is a must for coexistence in this time living in
this rapidly changing world teaches us that the most important
crisis of the time is crisis of values and a spirituality in our age
which made other kind of crisis
the core of a Abraham's teaching is believing in God and
worshipping God because without God and responsibility
towards god we can not have a school of spirituality and
morality listen from get school of Abraham is that worshipping
anything rather than God is Forbidden for the mankind because
of Dignity of mankind and human dignity mankind should not
worship and should not buy a butter in front of any ideas in
front of any a turbo or rather than God one of the lessons of
the school of Abraham patience
Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or
Christians or Sabaeans [before Prophet Muhammad] – those
[among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did
righteousness – will have their reward with their Lord, and no
fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve – Al-
Baqarah 2:62
This sprituality is based on revelation and is compatible with
human nature(Fitrah) and believes in Universalism and unity of
the human nature.
Many of the secular values and cultures are taken from this
tradition and can compat with it.

Love to the creator

One of the prominent teachings in abrahamic tradition is love
to Allah The Creator and the organiser of the world in Quran we
find that Abraham is called a close friend of Allah :

ُ ‫َو َمنْ أَحْ َسنُ دِي ًنا ِّممَّنْ أَسْ َل َم َوجْ َه ُه هلل َوه َُو مُحْ سِ نٌ وا َّت َب َع ِملَّ َة إِب َْراهِي َم َحنِي ًفا َوا َّت َخ َذ هّللا‬
4:125( ً‫إِب َْراهِي َم َخلِيال‬
And who could be of better faith than he who surrenders his
whole being unto God and is a doer of good withal, and follows
the creed of Abraham, who turned away from all that is false -
seeing that God exalted Abraham with His love? [144] - 4:125

Founder of House of God or house of the

mankind

the unprecedent establishment of patriarch Abraham was that

he made the rights of God the same with rights of mankind.
Prophet Abraham is considered the founder of Kaaba the cube
house of God in Mecca
Abraham is credited with establishing both the sanctuary in
Mecca known as the Kaaba and the practice of Islamic
pilgrimage (Haj) to that site (Qur’an 22:26-27, Qur’an 3:96-97,
Qur’an 2:125-129).

Abraham the founder of interfaith dialogue

As we learn from the holy Quran ,Abraham had different
dialogues with the adherent of his contemporary religions.
Quran quotes numerous dialogues performed by Abraham with
other faiths and cultures like Atheists and worshipers of
heavenly bodies and idol worshipers.
As an example we mention his debate with the king Numrood:
Qasas-ul-Ambiya: Ibraheem(AS) and Namrood(Nimrood
orNimrod)

Namrood was the king of the world at the time of Ibraheem

(AS). He was a non believer. Allah had given him a vast kingdom
and great power,yet he chose to disobey him.He was a cruel,
unjust ruler and on top of it , he claimed to be a god and his
people prostrated before him.

It is said that when Ibraheem (AS) safely came out of the fire as
fire had been ordered to become cool and safe by Allah, he was
taken before Namrood. Ibraheem (AS) invited him towards
truth and asked him to worship Allah. He said that he was a god
himself and asked Ibraheem what could his Allah do. Ibraheem
(AS) told him that Allah had the power to give someone life or
death.(4)
“Have you not looked at him who disputed with Ibrâheem
(Abraham) about his Lord (Allâh), because Allâh had given him
the kingdom? When Ibrâheem said (to him): “My Lord (Allâh) is
He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and
cause death…….”
(Al-Baqarah 2:258)(5),(6)

Significance as a patriarch
Abraham is also extremely important as a leader of Islam and as
a patriarch of the Islamic faith. Muslims recognize Abraham as
the ancestor through whom many other prophets and saints
(Wali) came, including Moses, Jesus (Isa) and Muhammad. The
Quran lists, in the sixth chapter, some of the greatest figures to
have through Abraham's progeny:

That was the reasoning about Us, which We gave to Abraham

(to use) against his people: We raise whom We will, degree
after degree: for thy Lord is full of wisdom and knowledge.
We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) guided: and before
him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny, David and
Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron: thus do We
reward those who do good:
And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of
the righteous:
And Isma'il and Elisha, and Jonah, and Lot: and to all We gave
favour above the nations:
(To them) and to their fathers, and progeny and brethren: We
chose them, and we guided them to a straight way.
— Qur’an, sura 6 (Al-An'am), ayat 83-87[53]

Abraham in Shia Islam,s tradition

The Patriarch is considered forefather for all of the Shia
Imams(spiritual leaders).Normally when Shia people make
pilgrimage to one of the shrines thet say salam and saluts to
him too.(7).and this is regarded as a thank giving to God and
appreciating the role of the prophets in guidance of the
mankind.(8).(9).

Abraham and the Sacrifice

The patriarch is praised in Holy Quran for being ready to
sacrifice his beloved persons for God, despite he is forgived to
do that and the slaughter is replaced by a lamb from the
paradise and is substituted by sacrifice of Imam hussain(Nefew
of prophet Mohammad) and because of that all of the
suplications in the shrime of Imam Hussain is accepted by the
almighty god.(10)
(1)- Encyclopædia Britannica.
(2)- New World Encyclopedia.
(3)- Weinstein, Simcha (2006). Up, Up, and Oy Vey! (1st ed.).
Leviathan Press. ISBN 978-1-881927-32-7
(4)- Ibn Kathir, Stories of the Prophets, Chapter VI: Story of
Abraham
(5)-
https://archive.org/details/47379426QasasUlAnbiyaFullWithEn
glishNotes
(6)- Lalljee, compiled by Yousuf N. (1993). Know your Islam (3rd
ed.). New York: Tahrike Tarsile Quran. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-
940368-02-6.
(7)- Takim, Liyakatali N. (2006). The Heirs of the Prophet:
Charisma and Religious Authority in Shi'ite Islam. Albany, NY,
USA: State University of New York Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-
7914-6737-4.
(8)-Moojan Moman, Introduction to Shi'i Islam, Yale University
Press, 1985, p.174 ; Ahmad Abdullah Salamah, Shia & Sunni
Perspective on Islam, p.52.
(9)- Ayatullah Borujerdi, Tawdih al-Masa'il, p.172 ; Imam
Khumayni, Tahrir al-Wasilah, vol.1, p.150; Risalah-ye Novin,
vol.1, p.148.
(10)- Diversity Calendar: Eid al-Adha Archived 19 October 2012
at the Wayback Machine. University of Kansas Medical Center;
Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7; Ibn Shu’ba al-Harrani, Tuhaf
al-'Uqul, p.510.