Oomoto’s Relations with Islam
Oomoto’s interest in Islam goes back to November 1924, when Onisaburo invited Mohammed Kumon, a Japanese Muslim convert, to come to Ayabe and lecture about Islam.
In recent years, especially after the Aizenkai set up branches in India, Oomoto has come into frequent contact with Muslims, some of whom have participated in joint worship rituals at the Oomoto headquarters.
Through the introduction of Abbot Shocho Hagami, who inspired the Mt. Sinai Joint Prayers of 1979, Oomoto has also come to be friends with successive Sheikhs of El Azhar University. El Azhar, in Cairo, Egypt, is the oldest Islamic university. The position of Sheikh El Azhar is considered to be one of the most authoritative in Islam. Yasumi Hirose and other Oomoto followers have visited El Azhar, and representatives from El Azhar have visited Kameoka on several occasions.
Meeting with Sheikh Kuftaro
The point at which friendly relations with Islam became something much more serious was when Kyotaro Deguchi traveled to Moscow in January 1990 as a participant in the Second Global Forum. There Kyotaro met Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro, Grand Mufti of Syria, and invited the Sheikh to visit Japan.
Later that year the Sheikh came to Kameoka, and he and the Oomoto followers he met found that there are many teachings which Islam and Oomoto share in common. Sheikh Kuftaro said that he had traveled extensively and visited many of the world’s religions, but it was not until arriving at Oomoto that he felt he had truly found a brother religion to Islam. He invited Oomoto followers to visit Syria and study Islam at his mosque in Damascus.
Oomoto Mission to Damascus
In response to Sheikh Kuftaro’s invitation, four representatives from Oomoto’s headquarters Kyotaro and Hisao Deguchi, Yoshitaka Nishino, and Masamichi Tanaka traveled to Damascus on April 11, 1991. They were welcomed into Sheikh Kuftaro’s home, and although Hisao had to return to Japan partway through, the other three stayed until May 5, studying the teachings and practice of Islam daily at the Sheikh’s mosque.
Pilgrimage to the Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina
During their three weeks in Damascus through prayers, meditation, and study of the Koran the group from Oomoto had greatly deepened their understanding of Islam. Sheikh Kuftaro told them, “You are Muslims, and we are Oomoto. We did not know each other because of the distance.” He invited the three to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Mosques of Mecca and Medina.
Submission to Allah
To grasp the weight of the Sheikh’s invitation, one must realize that for non-Muslims entrance into the sacred areas of Mecca and Medina is prohibited by Islamic Law. However, with Oomoto’s belief in Bankyo Dokon (“All
Religions Spring from the Same Root”), and based on the knowledge learned from studying in Damascus, the three Oomoto pilgrims were able to profess their belief in Muhammed as the prophet of God and affirm their submission to Allah. This is how they were able to enter these holy places as Muslims within the true laws of the Islamic faith.
