Calling for a new dialogue between Islam and Christianity

In the heyday of Islam when Prophet Mohammed lived amongst us, we never considered the Jews and the Christians as the religious other. Instead, we took them as our natural allies, as people of the book while the non-believing Meccans despite their kinship to the Prophet and his followers were dubbed as kuffar, the religious […]

In the heyday of Islam when Prophet Mohammed lived amongst us, we never considered the Jews and the Christians as the religious other. Instead, we took them as our natural allies, as people of the book while the non-believing Meccans despite their kinship to the Prophet and his followers were dubbed as kuffar, the religious other. In Surah Haj verse 40 one is astonished to find that monasteries, churches and synagogues, are placed at par with the mosques, and are mentioned in the same breath, wherein together, we are told, ‘God’s name is commemorated in abundance’.

This sense of religious pluralism that pervaded early Islam helped flourish a full-fledged religious life of other believing nations under Islam. History records the prophet’s treaty with the Christians of Najran which guaranteed the protection of their religious life and preservation of their religious institutions. And when Muaz was sent to Yemen as a governor, the prophet instructed him not to disrupt the religious life of the Jews. In early Islam, socializing with the people of the book was a norm as the Qur’an openly declared their food lawful for Muslims and Muslim food lawful for them. Muslims were even allowed to enter into marital relations with the Jewish and Christian girls. The Christians under early Islam were, so to speak, a loving and affectionate nation enjoying the general goodwill of the Muslim people, as documented in the Quran: and you will find the nearest in love to the believers those who say, “We are Christians.”

Had there been no crusades, no colonialism and no war on terror, I’m sure, the world would have been a much better place today and the two ideologically allied nations would not have needed any dialogue to mend their strained relations. But the unfortunate incidents have cast their legacy, firstly, impacting historiography on both sides, secondly, severely damaging the psychological self, and finally giving birth to new terminologies like Islamophobia and Islamic terrorism. We therefore are left with no option but to call for an effective dialogue to get out of the present impasse.

In 1965 when Vatican II declared that salvation outside the church was possible and a pontifical council was entrusted to engage other believing nations in a dialogue, Muslims little realize then the importance of this revolutionary step. The reason may be, for many centuries Muslims too had virtually closed the door of salvation on other believing nations. Their ulema had told them that all such verses that called for forging alliance with the people of the book or gave glad tidings to the God-fearing submitters among the Jews and the Christians – were abrogated and hence not applicable to them anymore.

From Vatican II Nostra Aetate proclamation to the post-9/11 anti-war demonstrations, the Christian-Muslim understanding has come a long way. The anti-war rallies in Europe and America demonstrated to Muslims, probably for the first time in history, that even among secularized Christians they can find allies against oppression and injustice. Without any theological hairsplitting or finding a common religious ground these demonstrations achieved what otherwise probably would not have been possible.

This is not to downplay the importance of theological engagement but simply to assert that theological engagements should not be taken as the crux of Christian-Muslim dialogue. It can only be one of the possible levels on which dialogue has to take place though it immediately comes to our mind. In recent years, among the many theological formulations on the horizon, probably by far the most sophisticated and consistent initiative on the Muslim side has been the common-word initiative by an Amman based foundation. Assuming that everything in Islam and Christianity hangs around the two basic precepts; the love of God and love of neighbor, this document is a passionate search to find common religious grounds. But despite substantial endorsement by Muslim ulema and policymakers and a good press this document received in the West, so far it has been a non-starter. To me, it appears more an exercise in diplomacy than any frank dialogue. It not only casts Islam  in a Christian dye by employing Christian terminologies it also avoids difficult questions that have been bone of contention between the two communities. Should we allow building new Churches in Muslim lands? Or, what it means to have freedom to change one’s religious affiliations? Such questions are natural corollary to any theological engagement.

Since Hans Kung publicized the idea from the platform of Parliament of World’s Religions that there can be no peace without peace among religions, other possible and equally important levels of dialogues have been pushed to the background. We should not lose sight of the fact that today, unlike the Medieval Ages, Christianity is no fixed set of dogmas and no Nicene Creed bind the adherents of Christianity together. In a post-Christian environment where the Church fathers command little influence, no elitist theological engagement can be effective. I’m afraid theological and fiqhi hairsplitting on both sides would keep them entangled for many years to come. I therefore plead that the dialogue must move on simultaneously to the other forums. Or, alternatively, high-level theological dialogues may incorporate public intellectuals, social scientists, natural scientists and industry leaders on both sides. This will not only save us from unnecessary entanglements but also increase the efficacy of any such engagements manifold.

Abubakar wrote from Dept. of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina.