A DIALOGUE BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND HIS PAGAN FATHER, As Narrated By Jesus Christ.

 

From The Gospel of Barnabas:

A Dialogue Between

Abraham And His

Pagan Father

(As Narrated By Jesus Christ)

(M. Javed Naseem)

In the old, gods were made of wood too but

it was not sinful to burn wood! Today, in

digital India, the racist extremist Hindus are

killing Muslims & Christians because they eat

beef. And beef comes from the Holy Cow (or

Holy Bull?). At the same time, ironically, India

is the biggest exporter of beef to the Muslim

Middle East. Is it all about money & hypocrisy?

In Chapters 26, 27 and 28 of the Gospel of Barnabas, Jesus Christ narrates the story of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, a.s.). We know the story of Abraham from the Holy Quran. The Quran says that Ibrahim’s father was called Azar, while the Bible says he was called Terah. But the name is not important; the dialogue is. Here is how the Gospel of Barnabas narrates it:

‘Thereupon Jesus said: “You will be mad if you do not give your senses to God to buy your soul in which resides the treasure of love; for love is an incomparable treasure. For he that loves God has God for his own; and whoever has God has everything.”

Peter answered: “O master, how can one love God with true love? Tell us.”

Jesus replied: “Truly I say to you that he who shall not hate his father and his mother, and his own life, and children and wife for love of God, such is not worthy to be loved of God.”

Peter answered: “O master, it is written in the Law of God in the Book of Moses: Honour your father, that you may live long upon the earth. And further he says: Cursed be the son that obeys not his father and his mother.” God commanded that such a disobedient son should be stoned by the wrath of the people before the gate of the city. (Why) do you bid us to hate father and mother?”

Jesus replied: “Every word of mine is true, because it is not mine, but God’s, who has sent me to the House of Israel. Therefore I say to you that all that which you possess God has bestowed it upon you; and so, what is more precious, the gift or the giver? When your father and your mother with every other thing is a stumbling block to you in the service of God, abandon them as enemies. Did not God say to Abraham: Go forth from the house of your father and of your kindred, and come to dwell in the land which I will give to you and to your seed? Why did God say this, except that the father of Abraham was an image-maker, who made and worshiped false gods? For this reason, there was enmity between them, such that the father wished to burn his son.”

Peter answered: “Your words are true. I pray you tell us how Abraham mocked his father.”

Jesus replied: “Abraham was seven years old when he began to seek God. So one day he said to his father: ‘Father, what made man?’

The foolish father answered: “Man (made man); for I made you, and my father made me.”

Abraham answered: ‘Father, it is not so; for I have heard an old man weeping and saying: ‘O my God, why have you not given me children?’

His father replied: “It is true, my son, that God helps man to make man, but he does not put his hands to (the task); it is only necessary that man come to pray to his God and to give him lambs and sheep, and his God will help him.”

Abraham answered: ‘How many gods are there, father?’

The old man replied: ‘They are infinite in number, my son.’

Then Abraham said: ‘O father, what shall I do if I serve one god and another (god) wishes me evil because I do not serve him? In any case discord will come between them, and so war will arise among the gods. And if, perhaps, the god that wills me evil shall slay my own god, what shall I do? It is certain that he will slay me also.’

The old man, laughing, answered: “O son, have no fear, for no god makes war upon another god; no, in the great temple there are a thousand gods with the great god Baal; and I am now near seventy years old, and yet never have I seen that one god has smitten another god. And assuredly all men do not serve one god, but one man one, and another.”

Abraham answered: “So, then, they have peace among themselves?”

His father said: “They have.”

Then said Abraham: “O father, what be the gods like?”

The old man answered: “Fool, every day I made a god, which I sell to others to buy bread, and you know not what the gods are like!” And then at that moment he was making an idol.

“This,” said he, “is of palm wood, that one is of olive, that little one is of ivory; see how fine it is! Does it not seem as though it were alive? Assuredly, it lacks but breath!”

Abraham answered: “And so, father, the gods are without breath? Then how do they give breath? And being without life, how give they life? It is certain, father, that these are not God.”

The old man was wroth at these words, say: “If you were of age to understand, I would break your head with this axe. But hold your peace, because you have not understanding!”

Abraham answered: “Father, if the gods help to make man, how can it be that man should make the gods? And if the gods are made of wood, it is a great sin to burn wood. But tell me, father, how is it that, when you have made so many gods, the gods have not helped you to make so many other children that you should become the most powerful man in the world?”

The father was beside himself, hearing his son speak so; the son went on: “Father, was the world for some time without men?”

“Yes”, answered the old man, “and why?”

“Because,” said Abraham, “I should like to know who made the first God.”

“Now go out of my house!” said the old man, “and leave me to make this god quickly, and speak no words to me; for, when you are hungry you desire bread and not words.”

Abraham said: “A fine god, truly, that you cut him as you will, and he defends not himself!”

Then the old man was angry, and said: “All the world says that it is a god, and you, mad fellow, say that it is not. By my gods, if you were a man I could kill you!” And having said this, he gave blows and kicks to Abraham, and chased him from the house.’

Very interesting story indeed! Now, a question comes to mind. Abraham was only seven years of age and he was talking intelligently and reasonably about God. What were you and me talking about at the age of seven? We have graduated from the most modern universities of the world while Abraham probably didn’t even go to school!

Forget about the childhood and talk about maturity. We consider ourselves successful or almost successful in this world, but how do we think now? Do we care and fight for God-given rights of liberty, freedom, discipline, justice and equality? We put the most corrupt and dishonest people into power to make decisions about our lives and then we complain about injustice !

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