Open letter to the Muslim Tatars of Kasimov

Priest Vasily Doronkin (+1937)

 

Many Muslims ask: “There is the Christian religion in the world, and there is the Muslim one, but how can one know which of them is the true and saving, God-given, holy religion; and is it not better to live in the faith in which one was born; and why was it necessary to establish a Mission in the Kasimov region?”

To these questions I wish to give my brief answer by this open letter to all such inquiring Muslims. Reasonable Muslims, I hope, will read this letter of mine with reflection.

The first and most inescapable duty of every person is to have faith or religion, to know God in a definite way and to worship Him. This duty is not so much prescribed as it reveals itself. Faith is the seed and germ of all duties, as well as of the entire religious and moral life of man. A person is obligated to have faith; whoever has no faith at all is not a human being. Moreover, a person is obligated not to have just any faith indiscriminately, but must have one certain, true faith, for only the true faith gives true happiness on earth and eternal blessedness after death. In a word, only the true faith saves a person, and untrue faith, false faith, destroys a person forever.

 If God is one and unchanging, if human nature is one or of one essence, then the true relationship between God and man can only be one — and therefore the true faith is also one. It is this one, holy, true faith that man must hold; otherwise, what will he hold besides the one true faith? Lies, fantasies, delusions! And what salvation is there in lies, in false faith? — There is no salvation at all. It is the same as if a pauper who has nothing were to see himself in a dream as a great rich man! False faith is a mockery of people!...

In faith (religion), all expect salvation, they hope through it to find eternal blessedness after death, paradise — and it is in this confidence that everyone holds to his faith and cherishes it. But it is known that the concealment of falsehood is possible only here, on earth, but after death it will be revealed where the truth is and where the lie — and those who held to false faith on earth will then bitterly weep that they took falsehood for truth, for false faith will in no way save a person, but will cast him into hell; beyond the grave there is no repentance unto salvation. [1] God has given everything to people here on earth, so that they may know the true faith, live by it, and be saved by it. That is why, Muslims, while there is time, while we are still alive and on the road to eternity, each of you must ask himself and examine and surely become convinced — is the faith (Islam) which you hold true? Is this your faith from God? Is it salvific? And imagine, if your Islam is not the true religion, then what awaits you after death? Hell, eternal torments, eternal weeping and wailing, and eternal destruction! [2] May God save each of you and your children from this lamentable end!

What then should be done? Seek, examine: where is that saving, true, one holy faith which truly leads to God and undoubtedly grants eternal salvation? Examine also your own faith, your Islam — is Islam truly from God?

The true faith does not fear being tested by man, and therefore the Christian faith teaches: “Search the Scriptures” (Injil/Gospel of John 5:39). False faith, however, fears being tested; it fears because such testing will reveal its falsehood. [3] From this single prohibition alone, one may conclude that Islam is not the holy truth, which fears no testing from anyone. How then can you be assured and by what means can you test which faith is the true faith — Islam or Christianity? There are the following ways. First: the study of the entire religious doctrine of the Christian and Muslim religions. But this method is not universal; the path is burdensome for many, especially the unlearned — it is more for the educated. For every Muslim and every Christian in the Kasimov region, however, there is another way.

In the Kasimov region, where several thousand Tatar Muslims live, who are not enlightened by the light of the true faith and who therefore it would be sinful to leave without true enlightenment, the Kasimov Mission has been established and entrusted to my care. This Mission has as its goal, with God’s help, to explain to both Christians and Muslims the true holy faith, to show them the true, single, saving path to God. Therefore, our Mission, together with myself, is obliged to explain without refusal to every inquirer the teaching of the true faith, to point out the ruinous nature and falsehood of the teaching of false religion, and to preach to all and everyone, whether they ask or do not ask, everywhere the holy saving faith. Therefore, every Christian or Muslim, at any time, may without fear (for one who seeks the truth fears nothing — to him, truth is dearer than all!) come to my home or invite me to his and ask: where is that true faith which truly grants salvation? And why is it true? Where and in what lies the falsehood of false religions? And every Christian priest will never refuse to speak with anyone about faith, for a Christian priest is a servant of the true God and a preacher of the true faith. But a servant of a false faith, in most cases, fears such a conversation about faith and flees from those who ask him about it — and even forbids his flock to ask others about faith. [4] Falsehood fears the truth.

And by this also you may judge, Muslims, where the truth is. — Whoever among you, Muslims, truly desires to serve the true God, whoever sincerely seeks salvation for himself and for others, whoever values the true faith and consciously desires to possess it, and lives more for God than for people, wealth, and the things of this world, will stop at nothing to examine for himself where the true faith is, what its teaching is, and whether Islam truly contains the truth. And whoever comes to know the holy truth, and recognizes the falsehood of his religion, nothing will stop him from accepting it — neither wealth, nor kinship, nor friendship, nor even death itself — because a true believer, for the sake of the truth, the holy faith, will accept all things from the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. But with a false faith, no virtuous life will save a person.

Now I find it timely to say the following. Our Mission preaches and spreads the holy truth, the Christian faith — the one, saving faith — by persuasion, not by force. One cannot compel a person to believe in something by force; and God does not need such a believer — one who believes falsely or hypocritically in Him. God is pleased with one who believes consciously, sincerely, and freely. True faith, therefore, does not compel anyone to accept it by force. Only false faith resorts to false means, to violence, in order to force a person to accept it — to accept falsehood as truth. False faith is strong only through forced conversion. [5] The Christian faith acts in its preaching according to the word of the Savior, its Divine Founder, who said: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” But how can people accept the holy faith if they have never heard of it or known it? “How shall they hear without a preacher?” And so, in order that every person living in the Kasimov region may have the opportunity to learn the holy truth, to receive an explanation of the true Christian teaching and a refutation of the false teaching of Islam, our Mission exists.

The third path to the knowledge of the holy faith is prayer to the one true God for enlightenment: “Instruct me, O Lord; show me, O Lord, Thy way by which I should walk to save my soul.” [6] There is a true God — He will reveal His will to us for our salvation, with the desire that His will be understood and fulfilled. If someone, in a sense of such vital need, with a cry, groaning, and heartfelt anguish turns to God — who desires that faith in Him be active — can it be that He would not give such a seeker a decisive indication for conviction in its truth? Such prayer is by no means a temptation of God, though it can be turned into such when someone, not sincerely but out of mere curiosity, desires such signs. There are many examples of such conviction in the true faith. Many came to holy Christian teachers to inquire about faith, and they, instead of all arguments, would make them pray — and God would reveal to them the truth and instruct them in the holy truth. The Lord said that everything can be received from God by praying to Him with faith — how much more then when praying about faith, the beginning and source of all things.

Pray also, you Muslims, that the Lord may show you the right, holy, saving faith. And we, Christians, pray for you, that the Lord may enlighten you with the gracious light of His true knowledge of God, that the Lord may have mercy on you and instruct you with the word of truth, open to you the Gospel of righteousness, call you to the true faith and establish you in it, protect you and save you by His grace (mercy), making you worthy of holy saving Baptism. [7]

All this I write to you, that the true holy faith may be known by you. And may the God of peace make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, whom you also honor as a prophet — but I say to you, He is above a prophet — to Him be glory unto the ages of ages. I ask you, brethren, receive this word of exhortation with love. Grace be with you all. Amen (Hebrews 13:20–22, 25).

Sincerely wishing you all salvation from the Lord,
your humble intercessor before God,

Priest Vasily Doronkin

July 19, 1901

Commemoration of Holy Martyr Roman, Prince of Ryazan.

 

Think and reason, O sensible Muslim!

In the Gospel it is said that whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved, but whoever does not believe shall be condemned (Mark 16:16). Believe, O Muslim, this word of God, the word of the Gospel. For even the Quran commands turning to the People of the Book — that is, to the Christians — for the resolution of doubtful questions in doctrine (see Quran, Surah 16, Ayah 45). Muhammad commands you to believe in God and in the Books that were given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, and not to make any distinction between them. This means that Muhammad commands you also to believe in the Gospel (Quran, Surah 2, Ayah 130) and to submit to it. Muhammad did not abolish the Gospel, but on the contrary, commands belief in it (Quran, Surah 3, Ayah 78), because, as the Quran testifies, in the Gospel there is truth and light, and guidance and teaching for the God-fearing (see Quran, Surah 5, Ayah 50), and the Quran calls those ungodly who do not believe in the Gospel (Quran, Surah 5, Ayah 51) and do not read it, for the Quran is supposed to confirm the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Quran, Surah 5, Ayah 52). Do you see, O Muslim, what the Quran says? And if you do not believe in the Gospel, you are ungodly according to the Quran (Surah 5, Ayah 51), for by not believing in the Gospel, you do not believe in the Quran either.

So reflect, O Muslims, where then is the truth? It is in the Holy Gospel, in the Christian faith! Search the Scriptures concerning this, and judge according to the truth!

 

Notes

1. The Quran also says that professing faith after the end of the world (Quran, Surah 6, Ayah 159; Surah 32, Ayah 20) or after death is of no use.

2. Unbelievers or falsely believing ones are friends of Satan (Quran, Surah 4, Ayah 78).

3. The Quran and Islam with it are afraid of such examinations (Quran, Surah 2, Ayah 103; Surah 3, Ayahs 95–100, 104).

4. Note: these are the Muslims and mullahs who themselves do not wish to speak about faith and forbid others to speak of it.

5. The Quran and all of Islam with it teach to convert people by war and the sword, by every violent means (Quran, Surah 8, Ayah 40; Surah 22, Ayah 77; Surah 9, Ayah 74, etc.). By this Islam spread — not by the word or by conviction in its truth.

6. Such prayerful appeal to God is necessary also in the first two ways of coming to know the truth.

7. For the Savior in His Holy Gospel says: “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believes not shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

Russian source: Открытое письмо касимовским татарам-мусульманам, by Priest Vasily Doronkin, Kasimov, N. and M. Ryumin Publishing, 1901.