What is righteousness? Part 1 Abraham, the father of religion
When we have a virus on our computer, or it fails to operate correctly, we all know to go to system restore and reset our computer back to a date before we had the problem. I believe God has given those that worship Him a system restore point to restore our understanding of religion if our world has fallen back into darkness, confusion, and evil. I believe God's system restore point for humanity is when we return to obeying God by following the example that Abraham set to be considered a righteous person by God. Abraham was before Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and he was a righteous person, and God took him as a friend. So, why would anyone need to be a Jew, Christian, or Muslim to be a righteous person when righteousness came before them? I believe God wanted all future generations to know this. Therefore, I think He made Abraham the father of religion for all humanity through the ages.
Abraham's example showed the world what we must believe, say, and do to be considered righteous people by God, the Creator. Understanding why Abraham is the father of the three major religions will show us the way of life God wants for us all. When the world has lost the understanding of righteousness and has become evil, there is only one way to bring righteousness back into the world. Individuals, the vanguards of faith, who believe in God must separate themselves from everything and everyone disobeying God and be alone until others join with them to do good and forbid each other from doing wrong.
The Example of Abraham is that he was guided and blessed to understand that there is but one God and that all the credit for everything belongs to God, who created everything. And that He helps us through everything, including our family or friends. I am sure that Abraham loved his family as much as anyone of us, but he separated himself from his family and friends because they worshiped false gods. To be a righteous person in God's grace, you must separate yourself from all people of bad conduct or if they are worshiping anything except the One God. Abraham's example is that you can't take an unrighteous person as a friend to be a righteous person. If you do, God will count you as a wicked person yourself. I believe this is why Abraham didn't have any friends, and God took him as a friend. With His friendship, God gave Abraham a special blessing that those who bless him, God will bless, but those who curse him, God will curse. I believe that anyone that follows Abraham's example will receive God's friendship and the same blessing as Abraham.
Q2:130 And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We chose and rendered pure in this world: And he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the Righteous.
Q3:67 Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian, but he was true in faith and bowed his will to God's, and he joined not gods with God.
Q3:95 Say: "God speaks the Truth: follow the religion of Abraham, the sane in faith; he was not of the Pagans."
Q4:125 Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to God, does good, and follows the way of Abraham the true in faith? For God did take Abraham for a friend.
Q60: 04 There is for you an excellent example to follow in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people: "We are clear of you and whatever ye worship besides God: we have rejected you, and there has arisen between us and you enmity and hatred forever unless ye believe in God and Him alone": But not when Abraham said to his father: "I will pray for forgiveness for thee though I have no power (to get) aught on thy behalf from God." (They prayed): "Our Lord! In Thee do we trust and to Thee do we turn in repentance: to Thee is (our) final Goal.
Q3:104 Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong; they are the ones to attain felicity.
Q58:22 Thou wilt not find any people who believe in God and the Last Day loving those who resist God and His Apostle even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. As such, He has written faith in their hearts and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow to dwell therein (forever). God will be well pleased with them and they with Him. They are the Party of God. Truly it is the Party of God that will achieve felicity.
Q9:23 O ye who believe! Take not for protectors your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity above faith: if any of you do, so they do wrong.
Q9:24 Say: If it be that your fathers your sons your brothers your mates or your kindred; the wealth that ye have gained; the commerce in which ye fear a decline; or the dwellings in which ye delight are dearer to you than God or His apostle or the striving in his cause; then wait until God brings about His decision: and God guides not the rebellious.
Q11:113 And incline not to those who do wrong or the Fire will seize you, and ye have no protectors other than God nor shall ye be helped.
Q2:214 Do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of Bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? They suffering and adversity and were so shaken in spirit that even the Apostle and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of God?" Ah! Verily the help of God is (always) near!
Q9:113 It is not fitting for the prophet and those who believe that they should pray for forgiveness for pagans even though they be of kin after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire.
Q35:37 Therein will they cry aloud (for assistance): "Our Lord! Bring us out: we shall work righteousness not the (deeds) we used to do!" Did we not give you long enough life so that he that would receive admonition? And (moreover) the warner came to you. So, taste ye (the fruit of your deeds): for the Wrongdoers, there is no helper."
Q14:44 So warn mankind of the Day when the Wrath will reach them: then will the wrongdoers say: "Our Lord! Respite us (if only) for a short term: we will answer Thy Call and follow the apostles!" "What! Were ye not want to swear aforetime that ye should suffer no decline?