In the name of God, The most
Gracious, The Most Merciful
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Apostolic Palace
00120
Your Excellency,
With warm greetings and sincere
hope that your efforts in inviting people to worship God and to follow the
teachings of Jesus Christ are successful, I would like to respond to your
invitation for a genuine dialogue with Muslims in the aftermath of your recent
speech at the
The writer of this article has
spent more than forty years of his life doing research in the field of Quranic studies, Islamic principles and has published books
as well. He has also benefited from the
political experience and religious knowledge of a father who as the first prime
minister of
Your Excellency, as you are well
aware, throughout history there have always been unbelievers who spoke
disparagingly about all Prophets. Their attacks, at times, have even gone much
further and been pointed against the very Creator of the universe. Of course,
had such vehement denunciations come from knowledgeable scholars, philosophers,
sociologists or other learned people, one might have wanted to reflect on such
charges. I believe you would agree that emperors and political leaders of
countries talk in a language that serves the vested interest of their
respective systems and paraphrasing their statements (especially those of an
emperor who lived in the 14th century during a contentious period between
Muslims and Christians) can not solve any of today’s world problems.
It seems logical then, that a
genuine dialogue among the followers of different religions may be a more
intelligent way to instill a spirit of cooperation in establishing world peace,
mutually beneficial co-existence and cooperation in all fields that contribute
to human development.
Furthermore, with the exception
of Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Paleologus, there are
noble characters among Europeans whose opinions regarding Islam were
diametrically opposed to those of Manuel II Paleologus. For instance, Voltaire who initially had
anti-Islamic views spoke very highly of Prophet Mohammed after he studied the
Qur’an and developed a better understanding of Islam. Likewise, Goethe who
indebted himself to the Muslim and Persian speaking poet Hafiz, a term that
denotes one who has memorized the Qur’an in its entirety, said “If this is
Islam, aren’t we all Muslims”.
Within the last few centuries,
several Islamic scholars and Qur’anic researchers
have come from the western world, in particular
In my opinion, the Qur’an which serves as the foundation and
guide for Muslims, provides a very open and wide field for the exchange of
opinions, cooperation and understanding of different points of view among Jews
and Christians who share common principles from their respective Abrahimic tradition.
Quranic views, based on the following
analysis, toward the followers of other traditions are one of tolerance,
respect, compassion, peace and fostering of coexistence and cooperation.
1. Standards for
relationships with “the People of the Book”
(Jews and Christians)
· In sixteen verses, Qur’an
confirms the truth of the previous scriptures and says, “To thee we sent the
Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came
before it, and guarding it in safety….”
(5:48)
· The Qur’an instructs Muslims to
show respect to the Holy men of previous traditions and says “amongst these are
men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not
arrogant” (5:82) The Qur’an promises Jews and Christians that “If only they had
stood fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the revelation that was sent to them
from their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side….”. (5:66)
· God commanded the Prophet to
inform “the people of the Book” that “O People of the Book! Ye have no ground
to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law, the Gospel, and all the
revelation that has come to you from your Lord….” (5:68)
· The Qur’an negates any sense of
religious superiority by declaring that heaven is not the exclusive domain of
Muslims. It clearly states, “ Verily,
those who have attained to faith, as well as those who follow the Jewish faith,
and the Christians, and the Sabians - all who believe
in God and the last day and do righteous deeds, shall have their reward with
their sustainer; and no fear need they have, and neither shall they grieve”.
(2:62, 5:69) Meaning they will dwell in heaven.
· God has commanded the Prophet
of Islam to inform “the people of the Book” that “O People
of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none
but Allah; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from
among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah.” (3:64)
· In many verses, the Qur’an
commands Muslims to join in fellowship with the followers of other traditions
by refraining from discussing subjects that cause division and instead put the
emphasis on common themes.
The Qur’an instructs Muslims to
clearly declare that “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us
and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in
(the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make
no distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our
will (in Islam)”. (3:84)
2. The Common
Roots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam:
The Family of Abrahimic
Traditions
Your Excellency, in order that
you develop a keener understanding of the respectful views of the Qur’an toward
the Prophets, scriptures and the righteous followers of previous traditions, I
would like to call your attention to the following statistics.
Do you not agree that this wide
spectrum of inclusiveness and the fact that the Qur’an repeatedly reminds
Muslims of the noble characters in other traditions are further signs of the
peaceful nature of Islam?
3. The Concept of Jihad and the Expansion of
Islam
with the “sword”
Your speech about Islam leaves
one with the impression that Islam has been forced on people with the “sword”, that
the Qur’an and the Prophet have encouraged its adherents to follow such
tradition. While it is true that some of
the rulers who followed Prophet Mohammed, especially the Sultans of the
Umayyad, Abbasid and Othman, did get engaged in expansion through military
means and used the “sword” to convert people, such actions stem from human ego
and the military expansionist policies of these caliphs and do not have any
connection to the teachings of the Qur’an or the tradition of Prophet Mohammad. I believe that Your Excellency would agree
that the behavior of the followers of any tradition do not necessarily reflect
the teachings of that tradition. As the
historical record shows, Judaism and Christianity have not always been
practiced according to the teachings of Prophet Moses and Jesus.
The concept of jihad is one of
the most important concepts of Islamic theology and one can not deny the fact
that Prophet Mohammad was engaged in many wars during his Prophethood
with the combatants of his religion and land.
However, it is imperative to be cognizant of the fact that none of these
battles were fought for the purpose of expansion of Islamic territory or
conversion by the “sword”. In all cases,
directly or indirectly, these wars were defensive in nature and were fought to
stop an invading army.
Your Excellency, I believe that
you would agree that up until one or two centuries ago, conversion from one
religion to another was prohibited even in the so called civilized European
countries. The best testimony to this
human short-sightedness that has persisted in human history is the long wars
between Catholics and Protestants and the immigration of some converts to the
In light of such historical
facts, how can one expect that in the tribal society of fourteen centuries ago
that was mired in jahilliya (ignorance), a Prophet
who had come to rid a society of tribalism, idolatry, nepotism, and
backwardness did not have to resort to use the sword to protect his life, his
followers and his faith against such insurmountable odds, when even in the
civilized post-Renaissance Europe conversion to other religions was a life
threatening endeavor?
Similar to the believers in
Jesus Christ and in his mission, the believers in Mohammad preserved their
faith and even strengthened it in spite of being subjugated to extreme
persecution and torture. Eventually,
some of them had to immigrate to
It is true that Jesus Christ
neither engaged in any war nor was involved with the political establishment of
his time but it is also true that he did not form a community either. Otherwise,
he would have shown the same vigor in protecting his community as Mohammad did.
The truth of such claim rests
on the fact that Prophet Jesus validated the militaristic nature of the Old
Testament by accepting it totally. Is it not the case that he used force to
clear the temple of the money exchangers, dove sellers and all others who had
occupied the temple and had turned it to a place of business and unsavory
activities? (Mathew 21)
Is it not the fact that in
Mathew 10:34 Prophet Jesus tells his followers," Do not suppose that I
have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a
sword”?
Is it not the case that the
flocks of that great Prophet, throughout the history, have
resorted to force to implement their objectives?
Your Excellency, the expression
“Holy War” which is reminiscent of the Crusades, is never referenced in the
Qur’an or in the tradition of Prophet Mohammad.
True, that jihad is one of the most important pillars of Islam but there
is a tremendous difference between the concept of jihad in Islam that is purely
defensive in nature with the way it has been abused by some of the so called
Muslims or the fallacious notion that some Westerners’ have.
Your Excellency, with your
permission, I would like to clarify the position of the Qur’an regarding jihad
and its stance on the subject of war by sharing with you some of the regulations
and limitations of jihad that the Qur’an establishes for Muslims to follow.
· In general, war is forbidden in
Islam. If there is a situation where injustice is being perpetrated or if the
community is being invaded, then on a temporary basis permission is given to
defend oneself. This principle is explained in 22:39.
· Qur’an grants permission for a
war but strictly based on the following three criteria that are explained in
2:190:
(1)
The war is for the cause of God.
In other words, the war is not fought for
expansionism, aggression, racism,
nationalism or any other “isms” for that matter.
(2)
The war is defensive in nature, meaning the other side initiated the
war.
It must also be retributive in nature
and not distributive.
(3)
War can only be continued to repel the enemy and must be stopped
immediately after the enemy
retreats.
· Chapter nine is the most
authoritative chapter on the concept of jihad in the Qur’an and is one that is
abused by both Fundamentalist Muslims and those who allege that Islam is a
violent religion. However, in verses four and seven of this chapter it is
clearly stated that Muslims can only declare war with people who have broken
their treaty with them or who have resorted to enmity first.
It is also emphasized in this
chapter that Taqwa (awareness of God’s ever presence)
necessitates that believers must stay loyal to their commitments and never
break them even with unbelievers.
· God recommends to the Prophet
that “But if they incline to peace, incline thou to it as well, and place thy
trust in God: verily, He alone is all hearing, all knowing! And should they
seek but to deceive thee (by their show of peace) behold, God is enough for
thee”.
· The Qur’an establishes that the
relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims should be based on peaceful
principles and so that there is no ambiguity it clearly and unequivocally
states: “Allah forbids you not, with regard
to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes,
from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth
those who are just.” (60:8)
The Qur’an establishes
restriction in relationship between Muslims and Non-Muslims as follows, “Allah
only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and
drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from
turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in
these circumstances), that do wrong”. (60:9)
In short, the Islamic
principles of jihad are purely defensive in nature and it is not a mechanism to
settle score or revenge. While the
principle of “eye for an eye” is allowed in Islam, it is always suggested that it
should be tempered with fairness and compassion and better yet it is always
recommended that one should forgive his/her enemies.
It is true that all of the
principles of a just war that are discussed here have neither been nor will
they always be followed by Muslims but this should not be used as an excuse to
equate Islamic principles that are based on the Qur’an and tradition with the
behavior of people who claim they are Muslim.
After all, we would not judge other religions based on the performance of
its followers.
Muslims have never condemned
Jesus or Moses for the many worldwide wars or racial wars that have been fought
under the banner of Christianity. Even though, these wars have had devastating
affect on humanity, the environment and have left behind utter destruction.
4. Reason and Faith
Your Excellency, in your
speech, you stated that the theological and philosophical concepts of piety in
Islam are the main root cause of today’s extremism and fundamentalism. Furthermore,
in your analysis of the relationship between faith and reason, you criticized
the principle of reasoning in Islamic thought and you extrapolated how Islam
justifies terrorism and violence in the name of religion.
The writer of this article is
not about to deny the fact that religions have been abused or in some cases,
have not been used as the proper moral guide to combat the revengeful nature of
human beings .Why is it difficult to accept that the natural and logical human
reaction to the immense injustice that is being perpetrated upon some of the
indigenous people in many parts of the world?
One can hardly argue the case that after the attack on the twin towers
in
In reference to the discussion
between faith and reason, while this may not be a subject that appeals to the
general public and belongs to scholarly circles, I would like to bring your
attention to a few points regarding this issue.
It is noteworthy to reflect
upon the fact that the word “reason” in the Qur’an is repeated forty-nine times
and that it is exactly how many times the word “light” is mentioned. Demonstrating that, it is only through reason
that one finds enlightenment.
Such understating is confirmed
by Imam Jaafar Sadeq, one
of the most revered Muslim scholars and leaders, who said, “Reason is the means
by which one should worship the all Merciful God and it is through that that
Salvation is attained”. The Prophet of
Islam whom some depict as the man of the sword, says, “God has not bestowed a
more precious blessing upon humans than reason.
God will not accept worship without reflection”.
Based on the teachings of
Prophet Mohammad, God has established two proofs of His existence for humans: the
exoteric proof which is the Prophets and the scriptures, and the other is the
esoteric proof which is reason.
The Qur’an commands Muslims
never to follow something that they do not have knowledge of and that they must
always utilize their faculties of seeing, hearing and reasoning to discern.
(17:36). The Qur’an refers to people who do not use their faculties to discern
as “deaf and dumb” humans and regard them even lower than quadrupeds. (8:22)
Contrary to the claims by the
critics of Islam that the transcendental verse of the Qur’an, “There is no
compulsion in religion” was revealed in Mecca when Muslims were weak in number
and the verse served as a concession and protective shield for the Muslim
community against its enemy, the historical records shows that this verse was
revealed in Medina in the last year of Prophet Mohammad’s mission when Muslims
were in the zenith of their power.
Your Excellency, in a world
where military powers continue to suppress and oppress the poor and the
destitute and they justify their expansionist policies in the name of fighting
terrorism, curbing fundamentalism and using false propaganda to imprint an ugly
and violent face of Islam on the world’s collective conscience,
In a world where any vestige of
morality and spirituality is being tampered more than any time in the history
of humanity,
Thus, it is imperative that all
the conscientious people, from any race and creed, come together and
synergistically work for the cause of peace and social justice.
One cannot complain too much
about what politicians do but it is profoundly disheartening to see those who
are in a position to be contributors to peace and harmony among nations become
instruments of division and hatred.
Your Excellency, Qur’an
commands Muslims that, “They should not argue with the followers of earlier
revelation except in a most kindly manner….” (29:46), that we believe in the
same God, that we believe in all Prophets and scriptures, that we are required
to treat others with fairness; furthermore, that we believe that the only Lord
and absolute authority that humans must surrender to is the eternal God to whom
we all will return and it is HIM that will judge our actions in this world.
With much apology if my lengthy
letter has inconvenienced you and with the hope for an everlasting world peace
and establishment of justice, freedom and security for all of humanity,
Abdolali Bazargan