TOPIC:
Comparative Religion
AUTHOR:
Dr. Jamal Badawi
I. INTRODUCTION
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. All praises are due to Allah, the Creator, sustainer and cherisher of the universe and may His peace and blessings be upon His final Prophet Muhammad, upon all His prophets and messengers who preceded him and upon all who follow their righteous path until the Day of Judgment.
Humanity lives today in a “global village” where no people or nation can live in isolation from and indifference to what goes on elsewhere. Our world is so interdependent and so inter-related that peaceful dialogue has become an imperative. In spite of the general erosion of commitment to “religion”, however interpreted or misinterpreted, it still plays a pivotal role in shaping people’s attitudes and influencing their behavior. In spite of serious instances of abuse of various religions2 by some of their claimed followers, so as to justify or instigate acts of brutality and blood shed, there are positive and helpful common themes in these religions. Therefore, peaceful and candid intra-faith and inter-faith dialogues may be helpful in clarifying central issues of concern to all. This paper is a humble contribution to that dialogue from one perspective within a major world religion that is the professed faith of nearly one fifth of the human race; one that is more misunderstood than any other faith, sometimes by some of its followers.
This paper examines the nature and parameters of the normative relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. It is based mainly on an attempt to understand the Qur’an in its own textual and historical context. To do this, it is necessary to begin with the methodology and assumptions that underpin the paperللمزيد من مواضيعي