Page 54 - Seekers Guide Book

Interfaith Dialogue in Islam
to the Torah, Solomon’s Haykal can be re-built only by a
prophet born in their midst.

Jerusalem holds an important historical significance
for the Christians since after being born in Bethlehem
(Palestine), Jesus Christ, once came to Jerusalem where
he lived and preached.

Muslims attach importance to Jerusalem on account of the
spiritual journey, Isra, that the Prophet Muhammad had
undertaken and also due to his changing of the direction
of prayer from the Kabah in Makkah towards Jerusalem
for a temporary period while he was in Madinah.

What bridges the gap between followers of these faiths is
that they have common prophets. Hence, from a historical
perspective, the Kingdom of Solomon and the birthplace
of Jesus Christ are indirectly significant for Muslims.

3 What is Sufism?

slamic spiritualism has come to have two schools of
Ithought. One may be called the Quranic school of
thought, according to which the spiritual quest is a means
for an individual to contact his Creator. The other school
of thought is commonly known as Sufism or Tasawwuf,
or the form which mysticism has taken in Islam. The
term ‘Sufism’ embraces the philosophy and practices in
Islam that aim at direct communion between God and
man.

The book Sufism: An Introduction by Dr. Farida

53