Zafar Siddiqui recently attended a passover meal at a synagogue in St Paul, MN. He wrote about his experience in the Star Tribune. In his piece for the Star Trib he quotes many texts from the Qur’an that also speak of Moses and how God worked through him to save his people. This is what he said in conclusion:
As I was going through the Haggadah at the Seder, these parallel narrations came to my mind. In a world where injustices, occupations, and wars abound, the story of Moses gives us hope that God will never let any injustice thrive for long. The challenges may seem like the veritable sea in front of us, but, as a follower of Moses, I believe that nothing is impossible for God. Peace is inevitable.
First of all, I liked this because he is reaching out and seeking greater understanding of people who are different than him. How I wish we would all do this!
Second, I like that he said he is a follower of Moses. That’s my kind of language. Unfortunately, though, he doesn’t seem to see all the implications for following Moses. The story of the passover, when God redeemed the Israelites by judging the Egyptians (ultimately killing every firstborn), is the story of Jesus Christ. The Israelites were commanded to put blood over their doorways so that the angel of the Lord would pass over them and their firstborns would be spared. They were safe under the covering of blood. This points to how God passes over the sins of all who are under the covering of Jesus’ blood.
Not all Muslims reject the death of Jesus, but most do. And in rejecting Christ’s death for his people they don’t see the ultimate reality of Christ’s death that Moses and the Passover point to.
HT: Engage Minnesota
