Muhammad was born approximately 570 years after Jesus.  He received his first revelation when he was forty years old.

For Muslims, commonalities between the teachings of Jesus and Muhammad are hardly news.  Muhammad did not claim any originality.  The religion of Islam that he preached was not a new religion.  He carried on the message that Abraham, Moses and Jesus had taught before him.  The Koran makes this clear: “Say, We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us [Muhammad], and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus and the prophets from their Lord.  We make no distinction between them” (Koran 3:84).

Muslims show equal respect to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.  In the Koran, God declares: “Verily, We sent down the Torah [to Moses] wherein is guidance and light. . .” (Koran 5:44) and “We gave him [Jesus} the Gospel with its guidance and light….” (Koran 4:36)

It is the religious duty of every Muslim to do what Joey Green has done, to go to the sayings of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, and other religious seers of the past and highlight their common commitment to monotheism and responsible lifestyles connecting humans with their Creator and with one another.  The Koran commands Muslims to invite the followers of Moses and Jesus to help them identify common grounds and promote cooperation for doing good and preventing harm.  The Koran commands: “Say, O People of the Book [followers of Moses and Jesus]! Come to common terms between you and us, that we will worship none but God, that we will not associate partners with Him, that we erect not from ourselves patrons other than God” (Koran 3:64).

This book provides a wider basis for mutual appreciation and dialogue, showing the common source of inspiration for the family of Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.  The Koran teaches mutual respect for members of the Abrahamic family based on their shared values and heritage.  About the followers of Moses, the Koran assures us, “And from the people of Moses, there is a community that leads with truth and establishes justice” (Koran 7:159).  At the same time, the Koran emphasizes that “And nearest among them in affection to the believers will you find those who say “We are Christians’”(Koran 5:82-83).

After the tragic events of Septermber 11, 2001 we who treasure peace and freedom feel an intense desire to strengthen the bonds between the three Abrahamic faiths. This modest book sends a powerful message of respect for religious pluralism, coupled with the challenge for us all to discover the core values we share in common.  The three Abrahamic faiths need to reassess their heritage, determine how they can bring peace and harmony in this society, and build a strong multi-faith model for a world that has now shrunk into a global village.  Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religious leaders must step forward and interpret their religious heritage in a way that brings an end to the millennium of distrust and confrontation, and at the same time builds on the common teachings of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.  History has provided us with a unique opportunity to initiate a new millennium of understanding faith and harmony.

The United States of America now finds itself with a sizeable population of Jews, Christians, and Muslims living together in a pluralist society fully committed to the freedom of religion.  Islam, although a relatively new partner on the American scene, shares a similar version of religious pluralism well suited to this tolerant environment.  Together, Christianity and Judaism have succeeded in building a healthy relationship, free from past confrontations and persecution.  Islam is ideologically poised to help reinforce this understanding.  Committed to a high regard and respect for Moses and Jesus, and tracing its origins to the common Abrahamic heritage, Islam can play a constructive role in widening the scope of Judeo-Christian society to embrace a truly Abrahamic character.

By pioneering a project that brings out attention to the commonalities between the followers of Jesus and Muhammad, Joey Green has stepped forward to help guide not only the Jews, Christians and Muslim in America toward a common understanding, but the entire human race toward a vision of a harmonious world filled with loving-kindness, mutual respect, and peace.