I never realized that way back in the hippie days, Cat Stevens must have been leaning towards Islam. This beautiful fable of "the boy" seems to be a conflation of the Jesus' birth story with a little Islamic symbolism thrown in. Many of us didn't even know what Islam was back then.
The key is in the final line, regardless of what Ann Barnhardt and the other Muslim-haters say.
What's your opinion?
Islam believes that Jesus was one of the Biblical prophets.
ReplyDeleteFrom Wikipedia:
Jesus is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih (Messiah) who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.[1] The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Qur'an mentions Jesus twenty-five times, more often, by name, than Muhammad.[2][3] It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Arabic: Allah). To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles (such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, etc.), all by the permission of God rather than of his own power. According to the popular opinion and Muslim traditions, Jesus was not crucified but instead, he was raised up by God unto the heavens. This "raising" is understood to mean through bodily ascension.
Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the day of judgment to restore justice and to defeat Masih ad-Dajjal ("the false messiah", also known as the Antichrist).[4][5]
Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God. Islam rejects the Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Qur'an says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him.[6] The Qur'an emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God (shirk), emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism (tawhīd).
Numerous titles are given to Jesus in the Qur'an and in Islamic literature, the most common being al-Masīḥ ("the messiah). Jesus is also, at times, called "Seal of the Israelite Prophets", because, in general Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by God to guide the Children of Israel. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad, and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming.
That's a whole lot easier than retyping it myself.
The bottom line--Jesus is respected by Islam.
To bad Christianity does not afford the other Abrahamic religions too much respect.
Here are the lyrics to the Song:
ReplyDeleteA gardener's daughter stopped me on my way, on the day I was
to wed.
"It is you who I wish to share my body with", she said.
"We'll find a dry place under the sky with a flower for a bed.
And for my joy, I will give you a boy with a moon and
star on his head."
Her silver hair flowed in the air, laying waves across the sun.
Her hands were like the white sands, and her eyes had
diamonds on.
We left the road and headed up to the top of the
Whisper Wood.
And we walked 'till we came to where the holy magnolia stood.
And there we laid cool in the shade singing songs and
making love...
With the naked earth beneath us and the universe above.
The time was late, my wedding wouldn't wait; I was sad but
I had to go.
So while she was asleep, I kissed her cheek for cheerio.
The wedding took place and people came from many
miles around.
There was plenty merriment, cider and wine did abound.
But out of all that I recall, I remembered the girl I met.
'Cause she had given me something that my heart could not
forget.
A year had passed and everything was just as it was a year
before...
As if it were a year before...
Until the gift that someone left, a basket by my door.
And in there lay the fairest little baby crying to be fed;
I got down on my knees and kissed the moon and star on
his head.
As years went by the boy grew high and the village looked
on in awe.
They'd never seen anything like the boy with the moon and
star before.
And people would ride from far and wide just to seek the
word he spread.
I'll tell you everything I've learned, and Love is all...he said.
Beautiful song! Yes, Cat Stevens converted to Islam at the very height of his career success and left it all behind him. Laci is perfectly right -- Islam reveres Jesus as one of the prophets of Allah.
ReplyDeleteThe singer of the song (in the literary sense, not Cat Stevens) declares that he's on his way to his wedding when he stops to cheat on his future wife. That being said, I can't put too much stock in the last line.
ReplyDelete