"And We have sent down unto thee the Book in truth, confirming the Book that came before it, and a protector over it. So judge between them in accordance with what God has sent down, and follow not their caprices away from the truth that has come unto thee. For each among you We have appointed a law and a way. And had God willed, He would have made you one community, but [He willed otherwise], that He might try you in that which He has given you. So vie with one another in good deeds. Unto God shall be your return all together, and He will inform you of that wherein you differ."
Quran, 5:48
This is another one of my favorite passages, drawn from one of my favorite surahs. This is from surah 5, sometimes rendered as The Table Spread or simply The Table. I'll doubtless talk more about it later in other contexts, and it's certainly one of the most interesting in regards to the relationship between Islam and Christianity. In this passage God emphasizes that connection between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Moreover, it is made clear that diversity is a gift from God, not simply a punishment for trying to build a tower so big that reached the heavens.
My favorite part is the simple statement, "So vie with one another in good deeds." We've talked a lot - and will probably talk a lot more - about the importance of good deeds. Here the point is made that you should not vie with other religions, especially Peoples of the Book, except, as it is stated in another surah we'll discuss later, "in the fairer manner." Here we are instructed to only compete against them in good deeds, or essentially in goodness. Compete in helping as many people as possible and being of service. It's hard to imagine a more important or true admonition.
As Nasr points out in the Study Quran, "This verse carries enormous importance for the question of religious pluralism from an Islamic perspective. Since it is one of the key verses confirming the essential truth of different religious forms and indicating that the formal differences between religions have been Divinely sanctioned, it has played a central role in contemporary Islamic discussions of religious pluralism."
Quran, 5:48
This is another one of my favorite passages, drawn from one of my favorite surahs. This is from surah 5, sometimes rendered as The Table Spread or simply The Table. I'll doubtless talk more about it later in other contexts, and it's certainly one of the most interesting in regards to the relationship between Islam and Christianity. In this passage God emphasizes that connection between Jews, Christians and Muslims. Moreover, it is made clear that diversity is a gift from God, not simply a punishment for trying to build a tower so big that reached the heavens.
My favorite part is the simple statement, "So vie with one another in good deeds." We've talked a lot - and will probably talk a lot more - about the importance of good deeds. Here the point is made that you should not vie with other religions, especially Peoples of the Book, except, as it is stated in another surah we'll discuss later, "in the fairer manner." Here we are instructed to only compete against them in good deeds, or essentially in goodness. Compete in helping as many people as possible and being of service. It's hard to imagine a more important or true admonition.
As Nasr points out in the Study Quran, "This verse carries enormous importance for the question of religious pluralism from an Islamic perspective. Since it is one of the key verses confirming the essential truth of different religious forms and indicating that the formal differences between religions have been Divinely sanctioned, it has played a central role in contemporary Islamic discussions of religious pluralism."
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