One Tree: Moses, Jesus and Muhammad in the Eyes of Alija Izetbegović | Between East and West

Three prophets, and three answers to one question: how does a human being live between heaven and earth? In the seventh chapter of Islam Between East and West, Alija Izetbegović, the Bosnian thinker who became the first president of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stands before Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them. We read his words with their page numbers, set beside them the view Islam itself holds of these three messengers, and mark clearly where the reflection is ours. 00:00 "Religion can affect the world" 00:20 The writer 00:42 The Islamic view first 01:37 Three possibilities in every human being 02:03 Moses: justice here and now 02:37 Jesus: the spirit 03:14 Muhammad: from the cave to the people 03:40 The forgotten kinship 04:05 What came after the prophets? 04:41 Closing Join the conversation in the comments. Answer yes or no: 1. Does Izetbegović see Moses, Jesus and Muhammad as three "possibilities" in every human being? 2. According to Izetbegović, did Muhammad stay in the cave of Hira'? 3. Does Islam accept Jesus as a messenger of God? Sources: Alija Izetbegović, Islam Between East and West, 3rd English edition (American Trust Publications, 1993), Chapter 7, "Moses - Jesus - Muhammad," pp. 187–200; Arabic edition translated by Muhammad Yusuf Adas (1994), pp. 269–289. Qur'an 42:13, 4:160, 29:46. Sahih al-Bukhari 3443, 558, 2271. The Bible, King James Version: Matthew 5:17, 15:24. Honesty note: everything attributed to Izetbegović is quoted from Chapter 7 with its page number. In a note at the end of his book he says that Moses cannot be associated with materialism, nor Jesus with "pure religion"; according to the Qur'an both stood for Islam, and he uses them as symbols of what their followers made of their messages. The chapter contains other opinions of the author that we did not include, among them generalisations about whole groups of people and detailed theological judgements; our rule is never to judge a whole people. The author cites Qur'an 29:46 as 29:40; the correct reference is 29:46. English renderings of the Qur'an and hadith are our own renderings of the meaning. Lines marked "Our reflection" are the presenter's, not Izetbegović's. Image credits: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Open Access, CC0): folios from Qur'an manuscripts (9th century; c. 1180), a Hebrew Bible (Spain, 1300–1350), a Carolingian Gospel book (c. 825–850), an Armenian Gospel of John (1300–1310). Library of Congress (no known restrictions): Sarajevo (c. 1890–1900), Sinai, Jerusalem, Damascus, Banias, Mecca (1889, c. 1910). The narration uses an AI-generated voice modelled on the presenter's own voice, with his permission; the Qur'an verses are recited in his real voice. We came together to know one another, and to talk, not to fight. #Izetbegovic #Islam #Moses #Jesus #Muhammad #interfaith #TheKnowledgeSeeker