Tolerance - Qur'an

Question 1

Give Qur’an 3:19.

Answer 1

“In the sight of God, Islam is the religion. The People of the Book created differences in the matters because of their hostility among themselves, only after knowledge had come to them. Let whoever denies the revelations of God know that the reckoning of God is swift.

Question 2

Give Qur’an 2:256.

Answer 2

“There is no compulsion in religion. Certainly, right has become clearly distinct from wrong. Whoever rejects the devil and believes in God has firmly taken hold of a strong handle that never breaks. God is all-hearing and knowing.”

Question 3

What does Muhammad say about Moses?

Answer 3

“Do not give me superiority over Moses”

Question 4

Give surah 3:64.

Answer 4

“Say, ‘People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of us takes others beside God as lords”

Question 5

Give Surah 109:6.

Answer 5

“You have your religion and I have mine”

Question 6

How is the Qur’an intolerant of the Jews?

Answer 6

“they (Jews) disbelieved and uttered a terrible slander against Mary”

Question 7

How is the Qur’an intolerant of Christians?

Answer 7

“(the Qur’an) warns those people who assert ‘God has offspring’… it is a monstrous assertion that comes out of their mouths: what they say is nothing but lies”

Question 8

What does the Qur’an say is the role of Muhammad?

Answer 8

“So [Prophet] remind them: your only task is to remind, you are not there to control them”

Question 9

Give Surah 42:48 about Muhammad.

Answer 9

“We have not sent you [Prophet] to be their guardian: your only duty is to deliver the message”

Question 10

What does the Qur’an say about the Prophet as a messenger?

Answer 10

“We have sent [Muhammad] you as a messenger to people…If some pay no heed, We have not sent you to be their keeper”

Question 11

What does El Fadl quote to suggest the Qur’an is intolerant of Jews and Christians?

Answer 11

“Do not take the Jews and Christians as allies”

Question 12

Give El Fadl’s Qur’an quote about intolerance of other religions.

Answer 12

“Whomsoever follows a religion other than Islam this will not be accepted from him…”

Question 13

Give El Fadl’s Qur’an quote about intolerance of the people of the book.

Answer 13

“Fight those among the People of the Book who do not believe in God or the Hereafter…”

Question 14

What does the Qur’an say about the creation of diverse nations, according to Fadl?

Answer 14

“…God has created you from male and female and made you into diverse nations…”

Question 15

What does the Qur’an say about diversity? What does Fadl say about this?

Answer 15

“…they will not cease to be diverse…and for this, God created them.” - diversity was part of the divine purpose.

Question 16

What does the Qur’an say about different scripture according to Fadl?

Answer 16

“To each of you God has prescribed a Law and a Way”

Question 17

What does the Qur’an say about the judgement of other religions according to Fadl?

Answer 17

“Any who believe in God and the final Day, and do good, all shall have their reward with their Lord and they will not come to dear or grief”

Question 18

What does Fadl say about how the Qur’an should be read?

Answer 18

Must be read within its cultural and historical context e.g. reference to the poll tax would only be fully understood if the cultural practices at the time are known about. With this taken into the account the Qur’an is being very tolerant for its time, because it is still allowing religion freedom.

Question 19

Who are the people of the book?

Answer 19

Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians

Question 20

How did Muhammad treat the People of the Book?

Answer 20

“He who wrongs a Jew or a Christian will have myself as his indicator on the Day of judgement” - they were given freedom to worship and were not forced to convert.

Question 21

How does al-Sarakhsi (Hanafis scholar) view the Tora and Injil?

Answer 21

Their contents should remain valid until there is proof of their abolition - says that this is supported by the Qur’an instruction that people should have faith in the messenger angels and revealed books.

Question 22

What is the more intolerant position on the Tora and Injil?

Answer 22

The contents should be discarded with the succession of the new prophet, unless the new prophet says otherwise.

Question 23

What does Ghazali say about the less tolerant approach to the Injil and Tora?

Answer 23

Supports this - if the prophet could not abolish former laws then he would have been simply a transmitter of laws rather than the founder of Shariah.