Abstract
What first drew me to the teachings of the Qur'an, and even persuaded me that they were the teachings by which I wished to live my own life, were the verses that clearly advocate an attitude of tolerance and acceptance toward people of other faiths. Verses such as:
*Verily those who believe and those who are Jews, and the Sabeans and the Christians—those who believe in God and the last day and do righteous deeds—so they have their recompense with God. They shall not fear, nor shall they sorrow* (2:62, 5:69),
rang true to my ear and seemed to transcend much of the religious bigotry to which human history bears witness in all too many forms. Other verses, such as *And We have sent to every people a messenger, that they may worship God* (16:32) and *For every people, there is a messenger* (10:48), seemed to speak of a universality of revelation and prophecy. I was somewhat surprised in later years to discover that the majority of Muslims have usually explained such verses in a manner that either dismisses them as abrogated (*mansūkh*) or employs complex philology to argue that the apparent, literal meaning is not the real meaning.
*Verily those who believe and those who are Jews, and the Sabeans and the Christians—those who believe in God and the last day and do righteous deeds—so they have their recompense with God. They shall not fear, nor shall they sorrow* (2:62, 5:69),
rang true to my ear and seemed to transcend much of the religious bigotry to which human history bears witness in all too many forms. Other verses, such as *And We have sent to every people a messenger, that they may worship God* (16:32) and *For every people, there is a messenger* (10:48), seemed to speak of a universality of revelation and prophecy. I was somewhat surprised in later years to discover that the majority of Muslims have usually explained such verses in a manner that either dismisses them as abrogated (*mansūkh*) or employs complex philology to argue that the apparent, literal meaning is not the real meaning.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Religious Other |
| Subtitle of host publication | Towards a Muslim Theology of Other Religions in a Post-Prophetic Age |
| Publication status | Published - 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |