Islam- Dialogue Within And Between Religious Groups Flashcards
Exclusivism
View that only one religion is true and that the others are therefore false
Salvation is only available through islam and religions other than islam are invalu
Did so against other polytheistic religions- shirk worst of alll sins- to put things above or equal to allah
Eg. Holy trinity, hinduism
May be more accepting of ‘people of the book’- jews and chrustians but reject other religious traditions and iimious jews and chirstians- ‘infidels’ no part of allah or in paradise
But
Christianity-holy trinity- idolatry, veneration of icons
Jews- strict monotehists-jews fared better under islamic rule
Islamic rule- sometimes experience persecution
Quoets and evidence for exclusivism
None comparible to him- surah
He is allah- one [and indivisable]
Ibrahim- ‘a man of truth’ believed in one true god despite polytheism- ‘allah did take ibrahim for a friend’, ‘du’a’ special prayer for him
‘Whoseover follows any otther religion than islam, it should not be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be among the losers’
Inclusivism
Belief that although only one belief system is true, aspects of its truth can be found in other religions
Inclusivism and islam
Limited inclusivism- people of the book- full and final truth being in islam- but ultimatley islam one true belif system
All humans are members of teh familuu 49:13- reference to ‘children of adam’ regardless of their race, language, ethnicity or faith
‘Truly the believers and the jews and the sabians and the christians- whosoever believieth in god and the last day and doeth deeds of piety- no fear shall come upon them neither shall they grieve’- may acceot inclusivism- seeing good in other faiths esp people of the book- may seen as fellow believers who may go to heaven, share food with them and join in with community actions
Reject inclusivism in favour of exclusivism- islam true path to achihieve paradise in afterliefe and reject all other faiths
In this world- may not share food from others, in cfrom people of the book and docus on living alongside other m to preserve the purity of their faith and practise
Accept inclusivism- go fruther and accept islam as equal among many-god decides who and who will not achieve eternal life in paradise- pluralist no diff with marrying amongst those of other religions
Pluralism
State of being where every individual in a religion diverse society has the freedom and safety to worship or not, according to their conscience
Diversity of religious belief systems coexisting in society
No one religion has a monopoly of tryth or of the life that leads to salvation
Pluralism and islam
‘If god has pleased He would surely have made you one people [professing one faith]’ ‘he wished to try and test you’ ‘try to excel in good ‘deeds’’ ‘to him you will all’
Quaran calls for respect of other religions and their places of worship- ‘had god not repelled some people by emans of others, synagogues and chruchs, mosques and monasteries in which god’s name is mentioned, wwould have been demolished’
Quran also mentions jews chirstians and all faiths who perform righteous deeds in the name of god will attain rewards from god-
Muhammad allowed delegation of christians of najiram to pray in his mosque and called them and musims to ‘a world of commonality (kalimah sawd} between the two comm’
‘Let there be no compulsion in religion’
Muslims should be inclusive towards all other religions- intro
Diff attitudes
Pluralist view- equal in terms of way to obtain salvation
Islam exlcusive- seek to convert others
Inclusivism- some distinguish between people of the book, shared monotheism
They way m consider other religious groups may affect the way they interact with them in social action, internal dialogue or in preaching about their religion
Muslims should be inclusive towards all otehr religions- yes- nclusiivism
Peoples of diff religious groups shall not fear the last day- have value in their scriptures and teachings which could be regareded as equal ways to the truth- each religion may be seen as equal- m consider them all equally
‘Those who believe [in the quaran] those who follow the jewish [scripture]] and the sabians, and the christians, any who believe in allah and the last day, and work righteousness - on them ‘shall be no fear or shall they grieve’
M consider treating people equally in those contexts- interfaith dialogue or social action without necessarilu agreeing with their beliefs
Other religions may be equal in that they develop a belief system and provide social cohesion fo rtheir followers
Religions dont have to be similar to be of equal worth, to treat others with toleration and mutual respect - core british values- m should consider other religions equally without necessarily agreeing with them
Distinguish diff religions- monotheism more similar and allow intermarriage to some extent
Muslims should be inclusive towards all other religions- no - exclusivism
‘If anoyone desires a religion other than islam [submission to allah], never will it be accepted of him’ ‘and in the hereafter he willl be in the ranks of those who have lost’ 0- otehr religions lead a person away from a path of salvation, none equal to islam
May take part in dawah- missionary work to promite islam- hope convert others to their religion- just as m preached in makkah and madinah- other religions not equal, islam is best way to follow, possible to argue m regard all otehr religions as equal but none equal to islams
All- m may consider monotheism more similar to islam and allow intermarriage to some extent0- other religions unequal due to diff in perceptions of the divine
Intrafaith
Differing practises within a singular rleigion
Significance of intra faith comm
-muslim council of britian
Non sectarian common belief of muslim ummah and open to any organisation based in uk whose actions are primarily for benefit of memebers in britain
Umbrella body- inc mosques and islamic associations
2013 made important statement supporting intra faith comm because britian one of most diverse muslim comm in world
Shared fundemental beliefs between sunni and shia muslims recognise the seperation between them as more political than spiritual
Scholars and imams get diff setcs to meet to find common ground
Political idff spanned a no of varuying practises which have come to a spiritual significance in islam- diff in intrafaith comm
Due to increase interfaith tension- some m more towards pro intra- united front against religious extremism- sharing sunnni and shia agreement- honesty achknowldge diff without divisions
5 pillars highlight concept of brotherhood within ummah- ihram as aspect of haj and unifying aspects of azkakt and awm
Lacking intra faith dialogue becuase
Some intra faith exclusivism- their view right- midlle east exclusive group have emerged-] possibly negative attitude to those in west
Interfaith dialogue
Cooperation, constructive and positive interaction between people of diff religious traditions
Interfaith dialogue islam
Constitution of madiniah contains guidelines on treatment of other rliegions- first article states that jews christians and pagans are all one nation
‘If god willed he would make you one community’- accept not all open to islam
Story of abu hurairah- compenanion of hooly rpophet that ‘once a group of jewish scholars came to m and declared that one of them had commtitted adultery and theey wanted him to jduge, the prophet judged the matter according to jewish scripture’
Quotes for interfaith dialogue
‘Let there be no compulsion in the religion’
‘Truth comes from your god and those who want to believe and those who do not, let them do so’
‘You are created by the one god, and you are also the descendants of the same faith’
