Prologue
This is an abridged version of a detailed
article that I have written on the same subject titled The
True Meaning of Universality of the Qur’an. The purpose of
this article is to provide reasons and evidence from the
Qur’an to understand what the universality of the Qur’an
means. The URL for downloading the original detailed article
is given in the footnotes.
Throughout this article I am referring to
the universality of the Qur’an and in doing so I have invented
two terms to refer to two different concepts. These are as
follows:
“General Universality of the Qur’an”
refers to the following understanding:
The Qur’an was
sent for the Arabs (ummiyyin) in Arabia and whoever has
joined them, or may join them in future, to become part of
their religious community (Muslims). While primarily aimed for
this particular purpose, the Book also naturally contains a
message that is universal and relevant to every human being.
This is the message of Monotheism (tawhid), being mindful
about the hereafter and doing righteous things. This is a
message that is in common between almost all religions that
exist on the face of earth.
“Specific Universality of the Qur’an”
refers to the following understanding:
The Qur’an was
sent for entire mankind and every human being is bound to
follow it by becoming a Muslim and following the shari‘ah of
Islam.
In this article the General Universality
of the Qur’an is not the subject of study, although it is
referred to. In my understanding there is no doubt or question
about the General Universality of the Qur’an. This article
studies the Specific Universality of the 6ur’an and argues,
with the use of the Qur’an, that the concept of Specific
Universality of the Qur’an is in conflict with the Qur’an.
Finally, a point on writing: To make the
writing and reading smoother, in this article I refer to the
Arabian Peninsula as “Arabia,” and to Arabs in the Arabian
Peninsula as “the Arabs.”
1. Reasoning on the Basis of the Qur’an
Evidence and reasoning on the basis of
the Qur’an to verify and revise the traditional scenario based
on Specific Universality of the Qur’an can be broadly
categorised into two groups:
1.1.
Evidence related to the style of the Qur’an
and its content
1.2. Verses of the Qur’an that determine
which scenario is correct
1.1. Evidence related to the style of the Qur’an and its
content
This can be briefly listed as follows:
- The complex language and style of the
Qur’an
- Overall, very specific addressees of the Qur’an.
- Addressing mostly local issues and local people, with no or
very little reference to any global issues at the time or in
the future, and no guiding reference to people or nations
other than its primary addressees.
- The shari‘ah being very much based on the socio cultural
norms of the time and the location, with absolutely no
attention to the conditions elsewhere.
- No mention of what to do beyond Arabia or any instructions
about this
- Very specific and local theme, that is, warning to do itmam
al-hujjah (completing the reasoning) for the Quraysh,
polytheists and the people of the book in Arabia, and the
consequences to those groups ignoring the warning
The above characteristics do not seem to
be suitable for the scenario that is based on the Specific
Universality of the Qur’an.
1.2. Verses
of the Qur’an that determine which scenario is correct
There are four groups of verses that
together and even separately determine whether the Specific
Universality of the Qur’an is a Qur’anic concept or if it is
in fact against the very premise of the Qur’an. As far as I
can see, none of these verses need much analysis to understand
what they actually mean. These groups of verses are presented
in turn:
1.2.1.
Verses that limit the scope of the prophetic mission by
explaining the reason that the Qur’an was revealed
If one asks, according to the Qur’an, for
what function the Qur’an was revealed, the answer can easily
be taken from the Qur’an:
وَكَذَلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَا اِلَيْكَ قُرْآنًا
عَرَبِيًّا لِّتُنْذِرَ اُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا
وَتُنْذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيْهِ فَرِيْقٌ فِی
الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيْقٌ فِی السَّعِيْرِ
And thus have
We revealed to you an Arabic Quran, so that you warn the
Mother City [Mecca] and those around it, and that you may give
warning of the day of gathering together wherein is no doubt.
A party shall be in the garden and a party in the Burning Fire
(42:7)
وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ اَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ
مُّصَدِّقُ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلِتُنْذِرَ اُمَّ الْقُرَى
وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَالَّذِيْنَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِالْآخِرَةِ
يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهِ وَهُمْ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِْمْ يُحَافِظُوْنَ.
And this is a Book We have revealed, with
blessings, confirming what came before it and so that you warn
those who live in the mother city and around it. Those who
believe in the Hereafter, it is they who will believe in it
and it is they who protect their prayers. (6:92)
Based on the above two
verses the scope of the mission of the Prophet (sws) was not
an unlimited one. It was in fact limited and the limit was
Arabia (Mecca and surrounding). Based on the above verses the
purpose of revealing the Qur’an was to warn people within the
limits of Arabia. In the light of the above verses, the
meaning of verses like the following also becomes clear:
وَإِنَّهُ لَذِكْرٌ لَّكَ وَلِقَوْمِكَ
وَسَوْفَ تُسْأَلُوْنَ.
And this is a reminder for you and your
people and soon you will be questioned.
(43:44)
The Qur’an has even
answered the question as to why its mission was limited to
Arabia and the Arabs in that location in particular:
......لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُمْ
مِّنْ نَّذِيْرٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ.
… [This is] to warn people who did not have
a warner before you. (28:46)
لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أُنْذِرَ آبَاؤُهُمْ
فَهُمْ غَافِلُوْنَ.
(this revelation from
the Mighty and Merciful) is for people whose forefathers were
not warned and were ignorant (36:6)
أَمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ
الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّنْ
نَّذِيْرٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُوْنَ.
Or do they say:
He has forged it? Rather it is the truth from your Lord so
that you warn a people to whom no warner has come before you,
that they may be guided. (32:3)
وَهَذَا كِتَابٌ اَنْزَلْنَاهُ مُبَارَكٌ
فَاتَّبِعُوْهُ وَاتَّقُوْا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُوْنَ. أَنْ
تَقُوْلُوْا إِنَّمَا اُنْزِلَ الْكِتَابُ عَلَى طَآئِفَتَيْنِ
مِنْ قَبْلِنَا وَإِنْ كُنَّا عَنْ دِرَاسَتِهِمْ لَغَافِلِيْنَ.
أَوْ تَقُوْلُوْا لَوْ أَنَّا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْكِتَابُ
لَكُنَّا أَهْدَى مِنْهُمْ فَقَدْ جَآءكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِّنْ
رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ.
And this is a Book We have revealed,
blessed; therefore follow it and guard [against evil] that
mercy may be shown to you. Lest you say that the Book was only
revealed to two parties before us and We were truly unaware of
what they read. Or lest you should say: If the Book had been
revealed to us, we would certainly have been better guided
than they So indeed there has come to you clear proof from
your Lord, and guidance and mercy. (6:155-157)
Based on the above the
answer is very straightforward: Because the Arabs did not have
a warner before and could argue why there was revelation for
the two communities of Jews and Christians in the past but not
for them. At this point, a curious
rational mind will ask another question: but why did God not
send the Prophet (sws) for all human beings? The answer to
this question is given in the next section.
1.2.2.
Verses that associate diversity of nations with the need to
have separate guides for each nation
The Almighty has made it clear in the
following verses that in between the two choices of “sending a
guide for all nations” and “sending a guide for each nation,”
He has gone for the second:
إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَّلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ
هَادٍ .
You are only a warner and for every people
(nations) there is a guide. (13:7)
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيْرًا
وَنَذِيْرًا وَإِنْ مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيْهَا
نَذِيْرٌ.
We have sent you truthfully as a bearer of
good news and a warner and there is no community to whom a
warner was not sent. (35:24)
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُوْلٌ فَإِذَا جَآءَ
رَسُوْلُهُمْ قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا
يُظْلَمُوْنَ.
And for every community there is a
messenger, so when their messenger comes they will be judged
with fairness and they will not be wronged. (10:47)
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِیْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
رَّسُوْلًا .
And verily we raised a messenger for every
community. (16:36)
Still, a question may
be asked, as to why God did not send one guide for all nations
and sent local guides for each nation. The following verses
provide a very in-depth and enlightening answer to the above
question that paves the way for the rest of this article:
إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا
لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ.
We have sent the Qur’an in Arabic so that
you may show understanding. (12:2)
فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَاهُ بِلِسَانِكَ
لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُوْنَ.
We have facilitated [its understanding] by
[sending it in] your language so that they may be reminded.
(44:58)
فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَاهُ بِلِسَانِكَ
لِتُبَشِّرَ بِهِ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ وَتُنْذِرَ بِهِ قَوْمًا
لُّدًّا.
So we have facilitated [its understanding]
by [sending it in] your language to give good news with it to
the pious and warn with it stubborn people. (19:97)
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَّسُوْلٍ إِلَّا
بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ.
And we have not sent a messenger but in the
language of his people so that he may deliver to them [the
message] clearly. (14:4)
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا
لَّقَالُوْا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ
وَعَرَبِیٌّ.
And if we had made this Qur’an in
non-Arabic language (they) would say why its verses are not
clear, a non-Arabic (book) and Arab (addressees?) (41:44)
وَلَوْ نَزَّلْنَاهُ عَلَى بَعْضِ
الْأَعْجَمِيْنَ. فَقَرَأَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مَّا كَانُوْا بِهِ
مُؤْمِنِيْنَ.
And if we had revealed this to some
non-Arabs and it was read [in non-Arabic language] to them [ie.
Arabs], they would not believe in it. (26:198-9)
The above verses have
made the logic of local guidance of the
Almighty clear. The logic is
“language.” God sends guidance with the language that is known
and clear for those who are supposed to be guided. The word
“language” here in fact refers to much deeper issues, that is,
the element of cultural and social familiarity. In other
words, even a non-Arab who could speak perfect classical
Arabic at the time would have not fulfilled the requirements
to be a chosen prophet for the Arabs. This is clear from the
following verses:
كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيْكُمْ رَسُوْلًا
مِّنْكُمْ يَتْلُوْا عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيْكُمْ
وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمْ مَّا
لَمْ تَكُونُوْا تَعْلَمُوْنَ.
Just as we sent a messenger from among
yourselves to read Our verses to you and (in this way) purify
you by teaching you the book and the wisdom and teaching you
what you did not know. (2:151, also repeated with very similar
wording in 3:164)
لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُوْلٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ
عَزِيْزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيْصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ رَؤُوْفٌ رَّحِيْمٌ.
Certainly a
Messenger has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to
him is your distress, extremely caring about you; to the
believers compassionate, merciful. (9:128)
A curious mind may now develop a
question. Such diversity surely results in differences of the
paths in a God aware life. Is this going to be a problem or
has the Qur’an already appreciated and approved such
differences? The next section provides an answer to the above
question:
1.2.3.
Verses that inform about accepting the diversity of paths
towards God
In response to the arrogant critics of
some of the religious rituals and laws that were brought by
the prophet (pbuh) the following verse was revealed:
لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنْسَكًا هُمْ
نَاسِكُوْهُ فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِی الْأَمْرِ وَادْعُ إِلَى
رَبِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ.
For every community We established a path
[ritual] that they follow so they should not argue with you
about this matter and invite to your Lord you are verily on
the straight path. (22:67)
The verse points out
that every community of God has its own ritual. A similar
verse was revealed among the directives to change the qiblah:
وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا
فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ أَيْنَ مَا تَكُونُوْا يَأْتِ بِكُمُ
اللّهُ جَمِيْعًا إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ .
And for every
direction (of worship) there are people [associated with it]
so compete with each other in goodness, wherever you are, God
will gather you all, God has power over everything. (2:148)
The religious path that was brought by
the Prophet (sws) therefore is one of the possible religious
paths that suited the Arabs. Other nations with a shari‘ah
needed to follow their own rules:
وَكَيْفَ يُحَكِّمُوْنَكَ وَعِنْدَهُمُ
التَّوْرَاةُ فِيْهَا حُكْمُ اللّهِ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ مِنْ
بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ وَمَآ أُوْلَئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ .
And how do they ask for you to make a
ruling among them while they have Torah in which there is
God’s ruling, then they turned back after this and they are
not [really] believers. (5:43)
وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الْإِنْجِيلِ بِمَا
أَنْزَلَ اللّهُ فِيْهِ وَمَنْ لَّمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ
اللّهُ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُوْنَ.
And the followers of Injil should rule
based on what God has sent in It and whoever does not rule
based on what God has sent (to them) then verily they are
transgressors. (5:47)
The ultimate message of the Qur’an in
appreciation and in fact informing about the diversity of
paths towards God is in the following verse:
… لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً
وَّمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً
وَّاحِدَةً وَلَكِنْ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِيْ مَآ آتَاكُمْ
فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى الله مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيْعًا
فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنْتُمْ فِيْهِ تَخْتَلِفُوْنَ.
… For each from among you [communities
chosen by God] we established a law and a path and if God
wanted He would surely made you all as one community however
He wanted to put you in challenge with regard to what He gave
you [separately] so compete with each other in goodness, your
return, all, is to God so He will inform you of that in which
you differed. (5:48)
It should be noted that the above verse
comes after the earlier two quoted verses in the same chapter,
and in the last or one of the last revealed chapters of the
Qur’an (Ma’idah). The above verse is very clear about the
co-existence of different forms of shari‘ah as a legitimate
concept for the Almighty.
It is due to this subjective, conditional
shari‘ah (as compared to the objective, unconditional core
concepts of religion) that the Qur’an does not include it when
it comes to giving a universally applicable criteria for
success in the hereafter:
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا وَالَّذِيْنَ
هَادُوْا وَالصَّابِؤُوْنَ وَالنَّصَارَى مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ
وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ
وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَ.
Those who believe [in Muhammad] and
the Jews and the Sabians and Christians, any of them who
(truly) believe in God and the hereafter and does righteous
deeds then there will not be any fear or any grief for them.
(5:69, also repeated with very similar words in 2:62)
It is then in the light of the above
verses on diversity of paths towards the Almighty that verses
like the following start to show their depth of meaning:
وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِيْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
شَهِيْدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ
شَهِيْدًا عَلَى هَؤُلاء.
And the day when we raise from every
community a witness on them from their own and will bring you
as a witness to these. (16:89)
A curious mind may ask at this point that
if the issue was not to technically convert to Islam by
leaving their own shari‘ah, then what was the expectation of
the Qur’an and the Prophet (sws) from the people of the book
in Arabia at the time. The answer is discussed in the next
section.
1.2.4.
Verses that gave glad tidings to the righteous among the
people of the book despite them not being Muslims
The Qur’an has criticized the people of
the Book in Arabia at a number of places. The Book, however,
also contains praise and the promise of heaven for those
people of the book in Arabia at the time who were among the
righteous. The interesting point is, when the Qur’an praises
these groups, It still refers to them as people of the book
and in no verse there is even an implicit indication that they
have or they will convert to become Muslims or that this is
expected from them or at least preferred.
لَيْسُوْا سَوَاء مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ
أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُوْنَ آيَاتِ اللّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ
وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُوْنَ. يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ
الْآخِرِ وَيَأْمُرُوْنَ بِالْمَعْرُوْفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ
الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُسَارِعُوْنَ فِی الْخَيْرَاتِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ مِنَ
الصَّالِحِيْنَ.
They are not the same,
from among the People of the Book there are people who are
upright (in in the path of God), stand up [for worship] read
verses of God during the night while in prostration, [they]
believe in God and the hereafter and advise to rightness and
warn against evil and hasten in goodness and they are from
among the righteous. (3:113, 114)
وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ لَمَنْ
يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنْزِلَ
إِلَيْهِمْ خَاشِعِيْنَ لِلّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُوْنَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ
ثَمَنًا قَلِيْلًا أُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِنْدَ
رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ سَرِيْعُ الْحِسَابِ.
And from among
the People of the Book there are those who believe in God and
what is sent to you and what is sent to them, being humble for
God, [they] do not sell God’s verses for cheap price. They
have their reward with their Lord. God is quick in reckoning.
(3:199)
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ
لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُوْنَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ
الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ
الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُمْ مِّنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ
وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُوْنَ.
You are the
best community that is rising for people, [you] advise to
rightness and warn against evil and believe in God, and if the
People of the Book believe this will be better for them, from
among them there are believers but most of them are
transgressors. (3:110)
Paying close attention to verse 5:82
makes this even clearer:
لَتَجِدَنَّ أَشَدَّ النَّاسِ عَدَاوَةً
لِّلَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا الْيَهُوْدَ وَالَّذِيْنَ أَشْرَكُوْا
وَلَتَجِدَنَّ أَقْرَبَهُمْ مَّوَدَّةً لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ
الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوَا إِنَّا نَصَارَى ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ مِنْهُمْ
قِسِّيْسِيْنَ وَرُهْبَانًا وَأَنَّهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُوْنَ.
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوْا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُوْلِ تَرَى
أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيْضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوْا مِنَ
الْحَقِّ يَقُوْلُوْنَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ
الشَّاهِدِيْنَ. وَمَا لَنَا لَا نُؤْمِنُ بِاللّهِ وَمَا
جَآءَنَا مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَنَطْمَعُ أَنْ يُدْخِلَنَا رَبَّنَا
مَعَ الْقَوْمِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ. فَأَثَابَهُمُ اللّهُ بِمَا
قَالُوْا جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِيْ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ
خَالِدِيْنَ فِيْهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَآءُ الْمُحْسِنِيْنَ.
You will surely find that, of all people, the most hostile to
those who believe are the Jews [in Arabia] and those who
ascribe partners to God [in Arabia], and you will surely find
that, of all people, those who say, “We are Nasara” are
nearest in having affection towards believers. This is because
there are priests and monks among them, and because they are
not arrogant. And when they hear what has been sent to the
messenger you see their eyes overflow with tears, due to what
they recognize of the truth (in what they hear). They say: “O
our Lord, we believe so write us from among the witnesses. And
how could we fail to believe in God and in what from the truth
that has come unto us, and we desire that our Lord enter us
among the righteous?” And for what they say God will reward
them with gardens through which running waters flow, therein
to abide and such is the reward of the righteous. (5:82-85)
If it is possible for a group of
Christians at the time of the Prophet (sws) to remain
Christians while knowing the truth about the Prophet (sws) and
then go to heaven in the hereafter, then why may this not be
the case for righteous Christians and in fact the righteous
among any religious groups at our time?
It is important to understand what the
Qur’an actually meant when the Book invited people of the book
in Arabia to believe in the Prophet (sws). All that they were
asked to do was to support the Prophet (sws) or to at least
stop all the enmity and also to take the opportunity to
correct their wrong beliefs and practices accordingly.
It is appropriate to end this section
with a quote from Imam Hamid al-Din Farahi who seems to
express the same or a very similar view as above in his book
Tafsir Nizam al-Qur’an:
So fighting
became obligatory not for defence but 1. to free the Ka‘bah,
then 2. to bring the Abrahamic religion [hanifiyyah] of
Abraham to the generation of Ishmael, as for other than the
generation of Ishmael 3. for establishing justice and removing
anarchy (mischief) from the land. So there is no compulsion in
religion for the People of the Book, and for anyone who is not
from among the generation of Ishmael, and they should pay tax
(jizyah). As for the generation of Ishmael, they are convinced
by clear reasoning by a man from among them, and is from their
own heart and language and they do not see the respected
Prophet as a stranger that God has sent for preaching. (Tafsir
Nizam al-Qur’an, 54-55)
2. The Generally Universal guidance of the Qur’an
This again needs a separate writing but
here different dimensions of the general guidance of the
Qur’an is summarized as follows:
- The Qur’an, as the most authentic
revealed divine guide, remains as the criteria for truth and
falsehood not only for Muslims but also any other person who
appreciates the truth of the Qur’an.
- In particular
the Qur’an provides an opportunity for the followers of the
other Abrahamic religions to correct some of their false
beliefs or practices and to understand their own divine books
better. Whether this opportunity will be taken and by whom and
in what way can be different in every case and is beyond this
article.
- Behind every
specific directive of the Qur’an, whether it is a religious
rule or addressing of a local issue, there is the faultless,
indefinite wisdom of the Almighty. This wisdom should be used
as a torch for Muslims and can be used similarly by any seeker
of the truth.
- The Qur’an is
very powerful in reminding its reader about God and the
hereafter. Even the verses that address the most specific
local issues in the Qur’an have this feature. The Book
therefore continues to be a reminder of the Almighty and the
hereafter for any Muslim and anyone who appreciates it.
In fact the appreciation of the specific,
local dimension of the Qur’an makes its general, universal
dimension even more accessible and relevant to people. With
the assumption that all human beings are bound to convert to
Islam and follow the shari‘ah of Islam we are making the
Qur’an a sectarian book that is only good for followers of a
certain religious path. However once we appreciate that the
shari‘ah is only for Muslims and that the Qur’an has a generic
message behind its specific local agenda, then we are opening
the door of the Qur’an to every human being who believes in
God.
3. Verses Used in
the Traditional Understanding
So far I have presented and discussed
more than 30 explicit verses of the Qur’an that individually
and together make the basis and the direct evidence for the
scenario that I illustrated above (General Universality of the
Qur’an) and against the traditionally held scenario of the
Specific Universality of the Qur’an. Throughout my discussions
and studies of this particular subject I have seen three
verses that are often brought up to justify traditional
understanding. These are 25:1, 6:19 and 2:143 (and 22:78 that
is very similar to 2:143). Since this is the abridged version
of the original article, here I only write my interpretation
of these three verses with no more than one brief statement to
explain. A more detailed discussion of these verses can be
found in the original article:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ
عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُوْنَ لِلْعَالَمِيْنَ نَذِيْرًا .
Blessed I the
One who sent the differentiator (furqan) to his servant so
that he become warner for all (in Arabia) (25:1)
The word ‘alamin while literally means
the whole world, can also mean a limited number of people or a
specific group (as pointed out by creditable scholars of the
Qur’an like Imam Razi, Tabari and
Zamakhshari).
... وَأُوحِيَ
إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ
أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُوْنَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى
…
… And the
Qur’an was revealed to me so that I warn you [Quraysh] and
whoever [in Arabia] to whom it may reach. (6:19)
As the experts of the Arabic have
written, iblagh means “reaching in its ultimate and complete
level” (Al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat al-Qur’an al-Karim, vol. 1, 360)
وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا
لِّتَكُونُوْا شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلُ
عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيْدًا.
And in this way
we have made you [the companions of the prophet] an
intermediate community so that you may be witnesses [to the
truth] upon [the rest of] people [in Arabia] and the Messenger
be witness upon you. (2:143)
Verse 16:89 makes it clear that a witness
is only from the same community.
I would like to also point out that even
if, for the sake of discussion, I agree that these three
verses are referring to a universal scope for the Qur’an, this
still does not prove that Islam is supposed to be the religion
for every human being and that everyone is expected to convert
to Islam and follow the shari‘ah.
4. Summary and
Conclusion
There is only one truth and all true
religions adhere to the same truth. They all promote a life
submitted to the truth that is God. This is the Islam (with
lower case) that in most places the Qur’an refers to. This
truth however has different illustrations to suit different
nations and cultures. Therefore every nation has its own
version of islam. The version that was given to the people in
Arabia and all who joined them later is conventionally called
Islam (with capital case).
Based on the above understanding, to a
Muslim, followers of other Godly religions and ideologies are
also followers of the path of Islam and there is no need for
them to convert to Islam. However the Qur’an remains the
criteria for right and wrong for anyone who believes in it
(Muslim or non-Muslim). The preaching responsibility of a
Muslim therefore is only limited to trying to correct any such
ungodly beliefs and practices among Muslims or non-Muslims
where the opportunity comes and in a peaceful manner.
In this way, the Qur’an becomes even more
relevant and universal. The obsession with converting people
to Islam, which basically means them following the shari‘ah of
Islam, can cloud one’s mind against realizing the real
universal function of the Qur’an. Once it is appreciated that
God’s religion is not bound by any particular shari‘ah,
suddenly the real message of the Qur’an becomes available to
any human being, Muslim or non-Muslim. That message is none
but the message of monotheism (tawhid) and its practical
implication, that is, being aware of the effect of this life
on the hereafter and doing righteous deeds.
We are all like mountain climbers who
start from the bottom of the mountain. At the start we do not
see any other path to the top but the one that we have taken.
However our viewpoint becomes wider as we get higher up in the
mountain. We then gradually start to see and appreciate many
other paths that people, as convinced as us, are taking
towards the top of the mountain. I am proud to follow a Book
that tells me from the very start, while I am still at the
very bottom of the mountain, that there are indeed many paths
to the top.
In this version of the article I have
tried to share this understanding with the readers in a very
brief way and without going into much detail. I invite those
interested in more detailed discussion to download and read
the original article.
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