THE QUR'AN

ON RELIGIOUS EXCLUSIVISM AND TOLERANCE

Reuven Firestone

Institute for the Study and Enhancement of Muslim-Jewish Interrelations

 

THE QUR’AN ON ISLAMIC EXCLUSIVISM

ألتَّعَصُّب فِي القُرْان

 

Q.3:110: "You are the best community that has been brought forth for humankind.  You command the right and forbid the evil, and you believe in God. If the People of the Book had believed, it would have been good for them. Some of them are believers, but most are licentious and sinful.

سورة آل عمران

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم مِّنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ  [110]

 

Sura 2 (The Cow)

65And you know of those of you who transgressed the Sabbath, to whom We said, Be apes, slinking away! 66We made it a warning example to their own and to those [coming] afterwards, and an admonition to the pious.

سورة البقرة

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمُ الَّذِينَ اعْتَدَواْ مِنكُمْ فِي السَّبْتِ فَقُلْنَا لَهُمْ كُونُواْ قِرَدَةً خَاسِئِينَ {65}

فَجَعَلْنَاهَا نَكَالاً لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا وَمَا خَلْفَهَا وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ {66}

 

Sura 5 (The Table)

59Say: O People of the Book! Do you blame us only for believing in God and in what has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down before? Most of you are degenerate. 60Say: Shall I tell you of a worse (case) than that in the retribution of God? Those whom God has curse and against whom He is angry, among whom He has made apes and pigs and servants of $Œgh´t. They are in the worst position and further astray from the even road.

سورة المائدة

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ هَلْ تَنقِمُونَ مِنَّا إِلاَّ أَنْ آمَنَّا بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلُ وَأَنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ فَاسِقُونَ  [59]  قُلْ هَلْ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِشَرٍّ مِّن ذَلِكَ مَثُوبَةً عِندَ اللّهِ مَن لَّعَنَهُ اللّهُ وَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُمُ الْقِرَدَةَ وَالْخَنَازِيرَ وَعَبَدَ الطَّاغُوتَ أُوْلَـئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَأَضَلُّ عَن سَوَاء السَّبِيلِ  [60]

 

 

 

 

Qur'an 9:5.

When the sacred months have passed, kill the idolaters wherever you find them, and seize them, beset them, lie in ambush for them everywhere; if they repent and establish the prayers and pay the zakŒt, then set them free; God is forgiving, compassionate.

سورة التوبة

فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُواْ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَوُاْ الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ  [5]

 

Qur'an 9:29.

Fight those who do not believe in God or in the Last Day and do not make forbidden what God and His messenger have made forbidden, and do not practice the religion of truth, among those who have been given the Book, until they pay the jizya off hand (>an yadin), being humbled/humiliated (wahum §Œghir´n).

سورة التوبة

قَاتِلُواْ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَلاَ بِالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَلاَ يُحَرِّمُونَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَلاَ يَدِينُونَ دِينَ الْحَقِّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ حَتَّى يُعْطُواْ الْجِزْيَةَ عَن يَدٍ وَهُمْ صَاغِرُونَ  [29]

 

 

 

 

THE QUR'AN ON RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

ألتَّسَامُح فِي القُرْان

Qur'an 2 (the Cow)

62Those who believe, and who are Jews, and Christians and Sabaeans – whoever believes in God and the Last Day and who work righteousness: they have their reward with their Lord, they shall not fear nor should they grieve.[1]

سورة البقرة

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَالَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ  [62]

 

 

Qur'an 10 (Yunis)

94And if you (Muhammad) are uncertain about what We have sent down to you, ask those who read the Book [that was] before you. The truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt.

سورة يونس

فَإِن كُنتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَؤُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءكَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ  [94]

 

 

Qur'an 2 (the Cow)

256Let there be no compulsion in religion. The right path stands out clearly from error. Whoever rejects Taghut[2] and believes in God has grasped unfailing support that will never give way. God is the Hearer, the Knower.  257God is the protector of those with faith, leading them out of the shadows and into light. But  the protectors of those who reject God are the Taghut, expelling them from light into the shadows. These are destined for the Fire. They will abide therein.

سورة البقرة

لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ  [256] اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ  [257]

 

Qur'an 5 (the Set Table)

48We have brought down for you the Book in truth, confirming what was before it in the way of Scripture, as a watcher over it. So judge between them according to what God has revealed and do not follow their errant views, forsaking the truth that has come to you. For every one We have appointed a divine law and custom. If God had wished, He would have made you all one religious nation (umma wahida), but [God chose not to do that in order] to try you by what He has given you. So vie with one another in doing good works! Unto God you must all return, and He will then inform you of how you differ.

سورة المائدة

وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُم