 In the very first parts of the 20th century, an old man sat riding vehemently at his desk. The translated words he was noting down were in actuality not his own, but words borrowed from another author, an Indian scholar, whose recently published book in 1905 had in turn recorded the same sayings from a prophet that had preceded the scholar's time by millennium and a half. This prophet was not of the old man's faith of birth, but one from which he had recently gained immense knowledge and enlightenment. The prophet was no other than the messenger of God and Islam, Muhammad, and the old man, one of the greatest and influential authors of all time, Leo Tolstoy. Leo Tolstoy, the author of such classics as War and Peace and Ana Karenina and many subsequent fictional and non-fictional works, is not the man we'll be talking about. Our focus is on his person, who journeyed through life in the discovery of truths such as pacifism, spirituality, and humanity. The man who would end up standing up for his opinions, statements, and beliefs regardless of the often frightening and extreme consequences. One such example of his lifelong commitment to the sharing of universal wisdom was Tolstoy's treatise in 1909, The Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, that reflected his admiration for both the prophet and the Islamic faith, resulting in many eventual troubles with the Russian Orthodox Church, as it presented the Muhammad in faith and knowledge in a new light. Tolstoy's admiration and reflections on the words of the prophet, as well as his modernist and purest take on the Islamic faith, greatly impacted the spread of Islamic principles across both Russia and internationally with all his readers. Muhammad Abdul was a rising star in the Muslim clergy in Egypt. Educated at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, he would go on to become one of his most vaunted alims. After some turbulent years while in the midst of his political activism, Abdul would go on to be appointed the Grand Mufti of Egypt and with such a leadership position began his exploits in reforming the educational system away from the repetitive methods while instituting modern schools of thought that introduced imagery as well as other new tools to improve the efficacy of education in the Arab world. Further improvements by Abdul included the advancement of sciences, social reforms with the elevation of the role of women in Islam and Pan-Islamism. One of Abdul's most controversial forms was the reassertion that Islam was a faith between God and the believer, thus putting into question the authoritative status of religious leaders. So why do I bring together Tolstoy and Abdul in this video? Well for many reasons, except for the element of the creation of fictional novels, they are identical and kindred spirits in many ways. Their lives occurred during exactly the same period of time. They were both involved in political, social and religious activism that led to their eventual exile, Tolstoy to Siberia and Abdul to France. Both spoke strongly about the invalidity of myth and tradition pertaining to their respective religions. Tolstoy became a Christian anarchist, meaning he was opposed to the ruling Orthodox clergy and was against all the eventual complications to the Christian faith that had come into being over time in which were in Tolstoy's belief at odds with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Such a position led to the Russian Orthodox Church excommunicating him in 1901. Abdul claimed that Islam was too dependent on ill-conceived and irrelevant traditions and had to move forwards towards the application of the two most important gifts granted by Allah, the independence of will and the independence of thought in the pursuit of fulfillment and happiness. Such calls for independence angered the traditional clergy who accused Abdul of being an infidel. His fundamental reinterpretation of Islam also empowered the Arab people in confronting the secular colonial powers in the region. Both Tolstoy and Abdul were both human beings who exuded kindness, tolerance and an irrevocable understanding that time changes everything and sometimes it doesn't change it for the better and as has been done to the purity of both the Christian and Muslim faiths over the ages. At this point is what leads us to the question why this pairing? Why Tolstoy and Abdul? Well to my surprise, these two gentlemen corresponded, not by email, not by text, but by good old fashioned handwritten letters in 1904. Intermediaries, familiar to both men, played a vital role in establishing a connection between both men. Abdul, who was exposed to Tolstoy's works, had shown great interest in expressing his thoughts and feelings to the Russian thinker and it was through these intermediaries that on April 8th 1904 Abdul would send his letter that would eventually be received by Tolstoy approximately a month later. I'm not going to read the whole letter to you, but here are some amazing and representative excerpts from the letters. While I have not had the privilege of your personal acquaintance, I was fortunate enough to be acquainted with your spirit. Your thoughts and opinions have enlightened us and brought us together with the souls of other intelligent minds. Your views on religion have dismantled distorted traditions and arrived at the truth of divine unity. You have raised your voice to advocate for what God has shown you and have dedicated yourself to inspire deeds with unwavering determination, just as you enlightened minds with your words. Just as your opinions served as a beacon for the lost, so has your example in work set a model for others to follow. Just as your existence has been a reprimand from God to the rich, so it has been a helping hand out by Him to the poor. That which you have suffered, which they call excommunication and interdiction, is the highest honor and reward you can receive for your true guidance. By this exclusion, those religious leaders have acknowledged to the world that you are not amongst those who have gone astray. Immediately upon receipt of Abdul's letter, Tolstoy writes back, Faiths are different than multiple, but there is only one religion, the true religion. I hope I am not wrong to assume from your letter that this religion that I believe in is the same as yours, the one that recognizes God and His law to love others as we would love to be loved. I believe that this common principle unites people of all faiths, be they Jews, Brahmins, Buddhists, Christians, or Muhammadan. I believe that the greater the presence of beliefs, commands, prohibitions, miracles, and superstitions in religions, the greater their contribution to creating division and sowing seeds of enmity and hatred among people. Conversely, striving for simplicity and eliminating impurities brings humanity closer to the ideal goal of uniting all people. Beyond the mutual respect and admiration both men have for each other, and in recognition of how they confront their challenges, there is an undeniable universality of spiritual resonance between both men. They both speak of faith as if a single version exists, beyond the labels, nuances, and much beyond the human damage that is seen the various faiths across the world compartmentalized into hundreds if not thousands of factions. What also comes out of their brief correspondence is their humanity, their tolerance for each other, and their ability to see eye to eye even though they originate from two totally different cultures and circumstances. Unfortunately for us, the brief correspondence by these two men was cut short by Abdu's sudden death from illness in 1905. One only needs to contemplate what could have been in terms of a discussion that delved into the depths of faith, social reform, and the pursuit of happiness. Religions are much closer to each other than we want to believe. These two men and their words of wisdom proved such a belief, and in finally the core of what makes the religions the same, they found humanity at the precipice. A humanity at its most basic existence, filled with compassion, sympathy, and kindness. Thank you for watching. It would be absolutely amazing if you join the Kennedy Chronicles. Helping us grow through subscribing will definitely lead to major improvements on both a qualitative and quantitative front. We'd appreciate it greatly if you click the like button as well as the notification icon so you don't miss any of our upcoming releases. I'm very grateful for your time and your patience. Bye-bye.