The Qur'anic Vision of the Religious Other: From Doctrinal Difference to Human Coexistence

Abstract

The unprecedented global interconnectedness brought about by globalization and technological advancement has given rise to numerous challenges confronting humanity. Among the most prominent of these are the concepts of peaceful coexistence and the related issues of equality, freedom of religion, the rights of minorities, and human rights in general.

Religious communities, caught between internal exclusivism and apprehension toward the other, have long resisted the idea of diversity, viewing it as a direct threat to their identity and existence. Within the Islamic context, much ink and indeed much blood has been shed between the implications of "To you your religion, and to me mine" and the assertion that "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam."

This article examines the Qur'anic text with regard to the concepts of tolerance and difference, while exploring how these two notions have been systematically distorted by fundamentalist readings that focus on the literal appearance of scriptural texts while disregarding their historical contexts and humanitarian objectives. It is precisely here that the divergence emerges between a purposive religious interpretation and a fundamentalist approach driven by narrow sectarian objectives.