In Islam, God (known as “Allah”) has been characterized as merciful and compassion. With one exception, every surah (chapter) of the Qur’an begins with: “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate” (“B-ism Allah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim”). According to Islam and/or the Qur’an, how much of this mercy and compassion is extended by God to non-Muslims? Or is His mercy and compassion only for Muslims?
WRS
I guess the answer depends on whether you are taking the Qur’an at its word, or the example set by Muslims who somehow got the idea that any infidel (person who doesn’t believe in Allah) deserves to be killed. It is a puzzlement.
Nope, it’s for everyone. Muslims and non-Muslims are treated alike in the final judgement, Good deeds are measured against bad.
I should add here, that, while the Bible speaks of compassion and love many Christians in history have had the same view; that unbelievers deserved to be killed. And they acted on that view in several adventures called Crusades, plus a purge of many in their own precincts called an Inquisition. History’s a bitch, ain’t it!
Are you sure about that? What do you have to back your claim?
WRS
Responding to the above and to the thread as it is developing:
I am not concerned about other religions: I am only concerned about Islam (historically as well as in its modern manifestations).
I would like some sort of back-up for any claims made (verse(s) from the Qur’an, ahadith, passages from authoritative sources, history, etc.).
I will ignore anything that violates the above.
WRS
The thing to realise is that Islam teaches that its people are a people of the book, being the Koran. That book is the last teaching to people from God, through his archangels and prophet.
It teaches respect for other people of the book, being Judaic and Christian peoples. Their faiths are recognised as deriving from earlier revelations that were made to authentic prophets. Moreover what is taught in the Koran is broadly in line with the Talmud and the New Testament.
Mercy and compassion are themes in each book.
Here is an article which explains the attitude of Islam to other people of the book. It does this with historical insight and elaborated verses of the Koran.
WeRS: *In Islam, God (known as “Allah”) *
Pssst: actually, God is known in Arabic as “Allah”, meaning “God”. It’s not specific to Islam: Arabic-speaking Christians also refer to God as “Allah” in Arabic. When speaking of the God of Islam in English, it is correct to use the standard English name “God”, although there’s nothing wrong with using “Allah” if you want to sound all authentic and all.
**002.062 **
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YUSUFALI: Those who believe (in the Qur’an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
PICKTHAL: Lo! Those who believe (in that which is revealed unto thee, Muhammad), and those who are Jews, and Christians, and Sabaeans - whoever believeth in Allah and the Last Day and doeth right - surely their reward is with their Lord, and there shall no fear come upon them neither shall they grieve.
SHAKIR: Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the f Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.*
This is a strand in moderate and liberal Muslim thought that holds that all People of the Book ( later extended to Zoroastrians as well as the above groups and, on occasion, others like Hindus, depending on whether or not some version of monotheism could be detected as some sort of core belief or more cynically when it served the purpose of a particular ruler to extend that sort of tolerance ) have the potential to reach heaven and none ( including Muslims ) are guaranteed it.
Various iterations of this thought can be found. Thus this following commentator suggests that any can reach heaven, except those who consciously rejected Muhammed in his lifetime:
http://www.understanding-islam.com/ri/mi-010.htm
This is based, I believe on a hadith where Muhammed is claimed to have said as much: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, there is no-one of this Ummah, Jew or Christian, who hears of me then dies without believing in that with which I have been sent, but he will be one of the people of Hell.”
However on the flip side, you can find passages like 3:85:
003.085
*YUSUFALI: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to Allah), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter He will be in the ranks of those who have lost (All spiritual good).
PICKTHAL: And whoso seeketh as religion other than the Surrender (to Allah) it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.
SHAKIR: And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers. *
A contradiction? Perhaps. The commentator cited above would then probably point to 003:86…
003.086
*YUSUFALI: How shall Allah Guide those who reject Faith after they accepted it and bore witness that the Messenger was true and that Clear Signs had come unto them? but Allah guides not a people unjust.
PICKTHAL: How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their belief and (after) they bore witness that the messenger is true and after clear proofs (of Allah’s Sovereignty) had come unto them. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
SHAKIR: How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their believing and (after) they had borne witness that the Messenger was true and clear arguments had come to them; and Allah does not guide the unjust people. *
…and say aha! That is referring only to those that rejected the message from Muhamed’s own mouth again.
Maybe. But more conservative Muslims have used that passage and a few others to say that ALL non-Muslims are going to hell.
So, as usual, the truth lies in your choice of interpretation :).
I have never really studied Islam, so I don’t know if this would work, but the way I would have tried to make these passages consistent would have been to interpret “Islam” in the the second quote in a broader sense that included “any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness”. If “Islam” literally translates as “submission to Allah”, I should think that that would be the natural thing to do. Is this interpretation ruled out by other scripture?