Islam was founded by Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him and his descendants). In the Quran, which Muslims absolutely believe in as the word of God, one may be surprised to find it written that the truth that has existed through this universe before the creation of this world is also termed Islam. All the messengers and prophets of God since Adam have taught “Islam.” Per the verbal tradition of Islamic prophecy, the number of messengers of God is said to be 313, while the number of prophets is said to be 124,000.
It was revealed that these messengers and prophets of God were sent to all communities, tribes and races and that they disseminate the same truth in each one’s language. In chapter #2, clause 136 of the Quran, it says, “Say! We believe in God and the things revealed to us. We also believe in things that have been revealed to Abraham, Ismael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes as well as things given to Moses and Jesus and things given from God to all prophets. We never create discrimination between any of them, and we are Muslim.” Here is the Arabic word faraq which is translated as never create discrimination. The word also means separate, isolate, cut through and distinct. Thus, this meaning from the Quran not only means to never discriminate against other religions but also to never isolate, or cut through them. This does not only mean a tolerance of Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Shintoists but it means to hold them all in harmonious regard. That is what the world of Islam teaches. And thus, if a Muslim were to speak about Islam, he would naturally also include Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism and other religions in the realm of his understanding. This is original Islam, revealed by the prophecy to Mohammed (PBUH).
As a comparison, Scientology as Mr. Hubbard explained, is the religion of religions. This is outlined in the Introduction to Scientology video where the interviewer asks Mr. Hubbard if a parishioner from the Roman Catholic Church or the Anglican Church can be a member of Scientology. Mr. Hubbard answered that they could and further explained that Scientology was a religion of religions.
In what could also be a great similarity to Islamic tradition, Mr. Hubbard said in a lecture in June 3, 1955, titled The Hope of Man:
I would like …to honor the great spiritual leaders of the past—not of modern times, but of the past—since these people handed along enough tradition to make us aware of the fact that there was a spiritual side to Man. These great spiritual leaders have been hanged, reviled, misinterpreted, badly quoted, have not been at all comprehended, but nevertheless, they are the hands through which a torch has been handed forward through the centuries so that we could culminate with a greater ability for Man and some hope for his future. …
And one of the people who handed it on was a man named Moses. And again it was handed on to a man named Christ. And he handed it on and even the Arab nations benefited from this through their own prophet, Muhammad.
In the booklet, The Way to Happiness, Mr. Hubbard wrote:
Tolerance is a good cornerstone on which to build human relationships. When one views the slaughter and suffering caused by religious intolerance down all the history of Man and into modern times, one can see that intolerance is a very non-survival activity.
Religious tolerance does not mean one cannot express his own beliefs. It does mean that seeking to undermine or attack the religious faith and beliefs of another has always been a short road to trouble.
In The Creed of the Church of Scientology, Mr. Hubbard wrote:
We of the Church believe
That all men of whatever race, color or creed were created with equal rights.
That all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance. …
That all men have inalienable rights to conceive, choose, assist or support their own organizations, churches and governments.
One can see that the works of Mr. L. Ron Hubbard are strikingly similar to Islam in this respect.
