Islam and religious pluralism

2014

The book makes a full critical analysis of John Hick’s pluralistic hypothesis from an Islamic perspective. To be able to do this, it begins with a survey of Islamic responses to the problem of religious diversity in the first chapter. It then starts examining Hick’s pluralism by giving an extensive account of it. Drawing on the Kantian distinction of noumenon and phenomenon, Hick claims that great world religions, with their personal gods and impersonal absolutes, are phenomenal responses to the noumenal Real. After careful critical consideration, the book concludes that Hick’s pluralism cannot be compatible with Islam, unless it is modified from three angles: the total ineffability of the Real must be replaced with a “moderate ineffability”, a hermeneutical reading of the holy texts should replace Hick’s mythical approach, and Hick’s primarily ethical soteriological criterion needs to be extended to include the ritual aspect of religion. This modified version is named “moderate plu...

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Pluralism in Islamic Contexts: Ethics, Politics and Modern Challenges (Springer, Philosophy and Politics - Critical Explorations, 2021), 1-32. , 2021

Abstract This paper overviews the meanings of especially religious pluralism in the Islamic intellectual and political tradition, past and present, with reference to some major scholarly works in tafsīr, theology, and philosophy. First, before high- lighting the importance of pluralism in modern studies of religion, from both his- torical and theological perspectives, brief reference to some classical “Islamic” texts on inter-and-intra comparative religions will be mentioned, not only to show that comparative religions and religious pluralism as scholarly disciplines are not inexistent in the tradition, but most importantly to show that religious pluralism could flourish in premodern times even when the episteme was dominantly “reli- gious” - to use the terms here with reservations. The point here is that the plurality of interpreting one tradition, and the neutral or biased interpretations of other tradi- tions, is a confirmation of religious pluralism, however problematic this confirma- tion might be in the political or theological spheres. Second, with reference to a few recent works in the field of “Islamic” intellectual history, tentative definitions on what Islam, Islamic, plurality, pluralism, and pluralization mean will be introduced. Third, examples of how pluralism is examined in contemporary Islamic thought are provided. Keywords Pluralism · Religious pluralism · Plurality · Pluralization · Inclusivism · Exclusivism · Cumulative tradition · Muslim world · Islamic world

Salam: Quarterly to Promote Understanding, 2025

This paper explores the theological, historical, and contemporary perspectives on pluralism, emphasising its significance in fostering interfaith harmony and societal cohesion. Drawing from key Qur’anic verses on pluralism, prophetic practices, and scholarly interpretations in the early age of Islam, it highlights Islam’s recognition of diversity in race, ethnicity, and religion as a test of character and an opportunity for mutual understanding.

Religions

Religious pluralism is growing in significance because of increasing religious diversity and increasing religious conflicts, which cause unrest in contemporary society. Muslim perennialists represent one of many groups advocating for the common goals of religious pluralism and the reaffirmation of perennial wisdom, which lies at the heart of all primordial religious traditions. The purpose of the study is to explore the principles of religious pluralism advocated by Muslim perennialist philosophers. Using the discourse analysis methodology, this study analyzed the theological validity of the Muslim perennialist perspective for articulating interfaith dialogue and co-existence in multicultural societies. By conducting this critical analysis, the study concludes that the principles of religious pluralism advocated by Muslim perennialists are the means of bringing interfaith peaceful co-existence to society.

European Journal for Philosophy of Religion

In this essay I identify and develop an alternative to pluralism which is overlooked in contemporary debate in philosophy of religion and in theology. According to this view, some but not all of the great world religions are equally correct, that is to say, they are just as successful when it comes to tracking the truth and providing a path to salvation. This alternative is not haunted by the same difficulty as pluralism, namely the problem of emptiness. It is therefore more rational at least for many Muslims, but probably also for many Christians and Jews, to embrace it rather than to embrace pluralism. Whether it is also to be preferred over exclusivism and inclusivism is a topic which I will not address in this essay.

This paper will discuss the acceptance of pluralistic values in Islam. The concept of pluralism and its dimensions promoted in Islam has been attested to by comments from the international community in various publications and forums. The Holy Quran commands Muslims to treat all people fairly. Islamic history provides many examples of toleration towards other faiths. Muhammad (PBUH), the last of Allah's Messengers, preached and practiced tolerance and acceptance towards non-Muslims in every walk of life. This paper also deals with a comparative analysis of Islamic and Western concepts of pluralism. It also focuses on the way Islamic concept of pluralism has been misinterpreted by some western scholars at different levels in different ways, for instance Islam is wrongly associated with violations of non-Muslim rights in an Islamic State and also, certain scholars believe that Muslims living in the West are not loyal to the community to which they belong. This paper discusses reasons for such distortions of the Islamic concept of pluralism at national and international levels. This paper will attempt to remove the apprehensions and misperceptions related to Islamic concept of pluralism. Views and suggestions from the audience will be appreciated in order to review and refine the recommendations I make. All of us have to share the planet Earth; no matter what religion we belong to. So why should we not do it gracefully-in the true, pluralistic way?

American Journal of Islam and Society

Is religious pluralism possible in Islam? This question is theoretically andhistorically easy to answer affirmatively. But in perception seen as reality,it is anything but simple to answer at all. Contemporary attitudes towardand portrayals of Muslims confuse the debate even further. Attempts to providelegitimate answers in a nuanced manner are usually considered apologeticsand thus dismissed. Yet the case must be made that the Islamicworldview on religion and humanity assumes religious pluralism.Anybody periodically engaged in interfaith dialogue or public lectureson Islam must have heard this question by now. While most are genuinelyinterested in knowing the true answer, some have already made their mindsup about Islam’s inability to tolerate other religions. Perhaps one of theeffective answers came through Bill Moyers’ 1990 interview with SeyyedHossein Nasr.1 That Nasr answered affirmatively with authority and eloquencecannot be denied; however, that few Americans heard his answe...

2018

Reset Dialogues in partnership with the King Abdul-Aziz Al Saoud Foundation for Islamic Studies and Human Sciences and the Granada Institute for Higher Education and Research, are pleased to present this international symposium that was made possible also thanks to the support of Henry Luce Foundation’s Initiative on Religion in International Affairs, Nomis Foundation and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As a global religion, Islam and its jurisprudence have offered heterogeneous responses to a range of questions facing different faiths and communities. Modernity imposed new questions upon religious scholars, theologians and philosophers, demanding of them a new version of pluralism in the theological and political arenas. While doctrinal or philosophical exclusivism rejects “the other” in theory — and frequently in practice, too — inclusivism connotes the accommodation and toleration of difference. But if that means the reluctant acceptance of difference within a hierarchy of worldviews, inclusion may not be enough to create more egalitarianism within modern multicultural societies. Modern pluralism might come to mean, instead, a robust appreciation of human diversity and values.

2015

Religious Pluralism is one of many forms of pluralism in contemporary globalised world. Some others include ethnic pluralism, value pluralism, doctrinal pluralism, ethical pluralism, political pluralism. Religious pluralism is, however, one of the most important in contemporary society, considering globalization and the role of religions in many conflicts. It has its root in poltitical liberalism. Religious pluralism is a hot debate in social sciences and in Theology and Religious Studies. This paper argues that religious pluralism, which is an acceptance of plurality as normative, is not a monolithic theory. The different religious context in which it is being discussed, the different disciplinary and philosophical influences resulted in various and even contradictory types. However, this paper is a ‘mapping’ of the contour of contemporary discussions. Critically reviewing relevant literature, two major theories of religious pluralism were identified: identist and differential/comp...