Pluralism and the Quran: Possibilities

Prof Syed Asim Ali

(Lecture delivered on 23 June 2014 at Renison College, Waterloo)

About one thousand four hundred year old text of the Quran belongs to a period when a holy
scripture mostly addressed a race, a tribe, a cult or dwellers of certain holy lands. Pluralism is rather
a modern concept advanced in our day for peaceful coexistence of all humans. If the fundamental
features of a modern theory are traceable in an ancient text, it is not only amazing but also
reassuring. Though a few verses of the Quran are routinely quoted in the Muslim interfaith
discourse, my curiosity was to find out if those five to ten verses were all that the Quran had to offer
or something more. And I was amazed to locate around 200 verses scattered throughout the Quran
that are actively supportive of the theme of pluralism, most of them directly and some implicitly.
Since it is impossible to present all of them here in this brief presentation, I am going to touch upon
as many of the key verses as time would permit me. I must also admit that the scope of todays
presentation is limited to highlighting the largely ignored side of the matter.
Lord of All Mankind
The Quran opens with the words:
1. 1:1-2 Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds. The Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
The very first verse of the opening chapter of the Quran declares God to be the Lord of all the
worlds. No single instance is there in the Quran where God has been identified as the Lord of the
Arabs, the Lord of Muslims, or the Lord of Muhammadsw. The God of the Quran is not at all the
Lord of any one nation or race or group or land in exclusion of the rest. This verse firmly establishes
the believer in the attitude of considering the whole humanity as one family with one Sustainer
Whose most prominent attributes are mercy and grace. At the very outset, thus, the Quran precludes
exclusivist tendencies from emerging among the believers and inculcates in them universal
sympathy. The Quran repeatedly addresses humankind as bani Adam (children of Adam) and not as
bani Ishmael or even bani Abraham etc. It holds the entire humankind in equal honour, irrespective
of their geographical, racial, or colour orientation. This honour is not restricted to the followers of
the Prophet Muhammadsw alone. The Divine blessings and grace extend to all humankind
considered the progeny of Adam. It declares:
2. 17:70

We have honoured the children of Adam;

The Quran is free from the concept of the essentially blessed or essentially condemned human
groups. It rather favours the virtuous individual and admonishes the vicious individual:
3. 49: 13

O Human beings, We have made you into nations and tribes that you may

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

recognize one another. Verily, the most honoured of you, in the sight of God, is he who is the
most righteous among you.
The Quran repeatedly asserts that God is the Lord of all directions, naming particularly the East and
the West, thus demolishing the East-West divide that prevails in our time to frightening
consequences. The Quran shows no preference for the East or the West. The Divine Light, it
declares, is neither of the East nor of the West. It is universal. It is found in all directions in its
fullest intensity. God belongs to all directions and to all people. So, to speak of only the East as the
favourite place of God has no basis or support in the Quranic narrative. In its text:
4. 24:35
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. neither of the east nor of the
west, Light upon Light!
5. 2: 115
The East and the West belong to God. To whichever direction you turn, you will
be turning to God. God is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
Virtue is not in the Eastern or Western cultures, but in righteous deeds. It says:
6. 2: 177

It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards East or West; but it is
righteousness that (faith and many charitable acts are mentioned here)

Diversity (Gods Will)

Diversity of faith and culture as a normal, rather desirable, feature is an oft-repeated theme in the
Quran. The following verses accentuate the point that it is the Will of God that some are believers
and some are not. His Will is to maintain this diversity and not to force it out by adopting coercive
or artificial means. Had he willed otherwise, He would have imposed uniformity which by
implication should not be the desired goal even for the believers. Consider these verses:
7. 64:2
It is He Who has created you; and of you are some that are Unbelievers, and
some that are Believers: and God sees well all that you do.
8. 13: 31
But, truly, the command is with God in all things! Do not the Believers know, that,
had God (so) willed, He could have guided all mankind (to the right)?...
These verses clarify in unambiguous terms that who is guided to the right path and who is not is
exclusively a matter depending on the Will of God. If He had desired the whole humankind to
believe, He would have easily made them so. But, His plan has granted freedom of choice to
humankind, so always there would be unbelievers intermixed with believers. And this is how God
wants the human society to be. These verses also imply that forcing all members of a society to a
common code or faith or culture and forcibly seeking the removal of plurality and multiplicity is not
something in line with the planning of God in this world. It rather violates the very spirit of it.
9. 10:99-100: If it had been your Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on
earth! will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!
No soul can believe, except by the will of God, and He places abomination on those who will
not rationalize.
Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

The following verse adds a new dimension to this commandment:

10. 11:118-119 If your Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one people: but they
will not cease to differ, except those on whom thy Lord has bestowed His Mercy: and for this
(exercise for the freedom of choice) did He create them (i.e. that they continue to differ)
It is by Gods design that we have variety and plurality in the human world. He has purposely
created humans to be different. Seeking or enforcing uniformity in the human society is against the
Will and grand plan of God, Who wants humankind to enjoy the freedom of choice unhindered.
The Quran therefore is not only asking for tolerating plurality and multiplicity in human society but
declares it a direct result of the Will of God, something that should and would always be there,
something desirable in the eyes of God, because that is what He has created them for.
Jews and Christians: Virtues
The Quran frankly acknowledges the virtues of Jews and Christians and thus generates an inclusive
attitude among the believers. It says:
11. 7:159
Of the people of Moses there is a section who guide and do justice in the light of
truth.
12. 3:113
Of the People of the Book there are upright people: they recite the word of
God all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration.
13. 5:82
and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say,
"We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have
renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.
The Quran also acknowledges the Jewish and Christian scriptures, their high status and position:
14. 3:3 It is He Who sent down to you (step by step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went
before it; and He sent down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a guide
to mankind,
15. 5: 44

It was We who revealed the law (to Moses): therein was guidance and light

16. 5: 46
And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that
had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and
confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who
fear God.
17. 87:18-19 This (i.e. the Quran) indeed is what is taught in the former Scriptures The
Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Besides the Jewish and Christian scriptures, the Quran confirms the truth of all the earlier scriptures
including even those not extant anymore, which it calls al-Zubur or al-suhuf al- la (former
scriptures). A follower of the Quran is required to believe in all the prophets and all the Books.
Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

Failing to believe in anyone of them renders one a nonbeliever. The Quran seeks, thus, to promote
interfaith harmony and to ensure the existence of a multi-faith and multicultural society wherein all
faith groups may flourish in mutual recognition and respect. Such verses would become irrelevant if
the future society was meant by the Quran to be strictly homogeneous and purged of all cultural or
religious diversity.
People of the Book + Other faith groups (Status and Reward)
The Quran openly recognizes all those who are faithful and do the righteous deeds and it promises
due rewards to them. By name it mentions Jews, Christians, Sabis (?) and so on. Strongly and
categorically it disapproves of the attitude of regarding all other faith groups utterly unworthy of
winning Gods favour except for ones own. The Quran takes a strong exception to such a tendency
by saying:
18. 2:113
The Jews say: "The Christians have no basis for their beliefs; and the Christians
say: "The Jews have no basis for their beliefs." Even though they (profess to) read the (same)
Book. The claim of those who have no knowledge (of the Scriptures) is similar; but God will
judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment.
Here, the Quran actually attacks the tendency of mutual condemnation of religious groups and their
exclusivist attitude. Discouraging this in absolute terms, it declares that only God has the right to
judge the interfaith or intra-faith differences. And no religious sect, Christians, Jews or others, enjoy
monopoly of truth or Gods favour. The loud and clear message here is that religious or sectarian
discrimination or mutual disdain is displeasing to God not only in practice but also as a notion. The
Quran asserts that the doors of paradise are open to all who surrender to the Will of God and are
righteous in their conduct:
19. 2:111-112
And they say: "None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian."
Those are their (vain) desires. Nay,-whoever submits His whole self to God and is a doer of
good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
20. 2:62
Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews or Christians or Sabians,- any
who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their
Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
21. 4:123-124
Not your (Muslims) desires, nor those of the People of the Book (can
prevail): whoever works evil, will be requited accordingly. Nor will he find, besides God, any
protector or helper. If any do deeds of righteousness,- be they male or female - and have faith,
they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.
In this frank and generous promise, righteousness plus faith (not sectarian but universal) are the
main conditions for an individuals admittance to paradise. So, the unreserved and wholehearted
submission to God together with good deeds is a sign of being truly faithful, rather than fitting into
any technical definition of Christianity, Judaism or Islam etc. Punishment is for the wrongdoer and
reward for the virtuous, whatever their faith. What is remarkable here is that such a view emerges
direct from the explicit text of the Quran and not from one of its far-fetched interpretations.
Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

Belief in all Prophets and Books

According to the Quran, prophets were sent to all nations of the world, some of whom are
mentioned in the Quran and some are not. But, one must believe in all of them.
22.

16:36 For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger,

23.
40:78 We did aforetime send messengers before you: of them there are some whose
story We have related to you, and some whose story We have not related to you.
The above verses affirm that God sent His messengers to all groups of humankind implying that His
mercy extends to all human-beings and is not confined to any selected few. All cultures qualify to
have the elements of truth in them as remnants of the divine revelations received by the prophets
sent to them in different periods of history. So, the total rejection of other faith-streams is not the
right attitude for the believers in the Quran. And the tendency to impose ones own faith or culture
on others, to their chagrin, is actually violative of the Divine design.
According to the Quran, Islam is simply the continuation of the monotheistic (Abrahamic) faith and
it confirms earlier prophets and books and holds them all in equal honour.
24.
6:161 Say: "Verily, my Lord has guided me to a way that is straight,- a right religion,- the
path (trod) by Abraham the true in Faith, and he (certainly) joined not gods with God."
25.
10:37 This Qur'an is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller
explanation of the Book - wherein there is no doubt - from the Lord of the worlds.
26.
4:163 We have revealed to you (Muhammad) as We revealed to Noah and the
Prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the offspring of
Jacob, and Jesus and Job, and Jonnah, and Aaron and Solomon, and We gave to David Psalms.
Repeatedly the Quran underscores the fact that its message is not something new or completely
different from the message of the earlier prophets or former scriptures. It sees itself as the revival of
the Abrahamic way or monotheistic faith. It is there not to exclude all others but to reconfirm and
endorse the truth of all the previous scriptures. This principle is doubtless inclusive in nature. Belief
not only in Muhammadsw but in all prophets is stressed recurrently as an essential article of Islamic
faith. It is worth noting that his followers are not named Muhammadans but Muslims; that is, who
surrendered to God just as the followers of the earlier prophets did, rather than who joined the
exclusive cult of an individual. Thus, it actively preserves them from the competitive cult psyche and
instils in them a sense of belonging to the universal brotherhood of believers.
27.
2:136 Say you: "We believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to
(all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we
bow to God (in submission)."
Emphasis here rests on believing in all the prophets of God without maintaining any distinction
Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

among them, or holding one in preference to the other or in rejection. A society resulting from this
belief is meant to be pluralistic in its fabric where all prophets and their followers are given due
recognition and none are excluded or marginalized. Not only that, any inclination to exclude anyone
of them pushes one out of the bounds of Islam. Pluralism, therefore, remains a necessary outcome
of such Quranic teachings emerging from within its text and not something merely externally
imposed.
28.
4:150-152 Those who deny God and His messengers, and (those who) wish to separate God
from His messengers, saying: "We believe in some but reject others": And (those who) wish to
take a course midway,--They are in truth (equally) unbelievers;
The Prophets Duty: Covey the Message. No Compulsion
The Prophets duty is to convey the message of the Quran in its entirety and as clearly and
convincingly as possible. But, he is not appointed a keeper on people.
29.

48:8 We have truly sent you as a witness, as a bringer of Glad Tidings, and as a Warner:

30.
88:21-22 Therefore do you give admonition, for you are one to admonish. You are not
one to manage (men's) affairs (i.e. not given authority to compel them). ()
A lot of Quranic verses clarify that the Prophet has been sent to mankind as a warner, a bearer of
glad-tidings, a conveyer of Gods message and its explicator and to stand witness over the faithful.
The Book he has brought is meant to be a source of guidance and mercy. His duty is to convince
but not force people to accept faith. He has been asked to be very kind to them and to refrain from
showing any negative responses or attitudes even if they decline to have faith in him or his message:
31.
3:20 So if they dispute with you, say: "I have submitted my whole self to God and so
have those who follow me." And say to the People of the Book and to those who follow no
heavenly Scriptures: "Do you (also) submit yourselves?" If they do, they are in right guidance, but if
they turn back, Your duty is to convey the Message; and in God's sight are (all) His servants.
The following verse states the same in the most explicit terms:
32.
18:29 And say, It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will, believe, and let
him who will, disbelieve.

The choice is unqualified here. A society of this type, envisioned by the Quran, therefore, is a multifaith and multicultural society where only a healthy and peaceful dialogue may go on among
different faith groups, but without any element of coercion, intolerance or antipathy.
God also makes it clear to the Prophet that a large number of people will NOT believe in him or in
the Quran, even though that be the strongest and the greatest desire of the Prophet or his followers.
It implies that Muslims will always live alongside people of different faiths and cultures and bringing
all people to an absolute uniformity of faith will remain an impossible task:
33.

12:103 And most people will not believe, however ardently you do desire it.

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

JUDGE YOU NOT !

About the interfaith differences the Quran declares:
34.

42:10 Whatever it be wherein you differ, the decision thereof is with God:

35.
22:17 Those who believe (in the Qur'an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and
the Sabians, Christians, Magians, and Polytheists,- God will judge between them on the Day of
Judgment: for God is witness of all things.
God has assigned to Himself the responsibility of judging people of different faiths on the Day of
Judgment. In other words, He has not left it to the discretion of a human agency here in this world
to do so. The list of faith groups here includes not only the People of the Book, but also Sabians,
Magians and even idolaters (i.e. Abrahamic as well as non-Abrahamic religions). Believers do not
have a duty, or even permission, to resolve all those faith related differences or suppress them by
force. To put it bluntly, those who commit idolatry or reject the Islamic faith will be answerable only
to God. They are not answerable to Muslims. And therefore,
36.
37.

2:256
50:45

There should be no compulsion in religion.

We know best what they say; and you art not one to overawe them by force.

INTERFAITH DIALOGUE
The Quran teaches the etiquette of interaction and dialogue with the people of other faiths and
instructs to join them in virtuous and philanthropic activities.
38.
3:64
you:

Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and

39.
16:125-128
Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious:
And if ye do catch them out, catch them out no worse than they catch you out: But if ye
show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient.
And do you be patient, for your patience is but from God; nor grieve over them: and
distress not thyself because of their plots.
For God is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good.
These verses lay down the principles of how to conduct a dialogue with others on faith related
matters. The process involves the use of wisdom, beauty of manners and speech, patience at
negative reaction, avoidance of revenge to the highest degree if persecuted or humiliated, avoiding
excess if in a state of self-defence, and exercising self-restraint. But, patience has been held in the
highest esteem as the most desirable quality of a believer for which God promises the greatest
rewards. One wonders what justification could there be for extreme sectarian impatience and
intolerance of our day leading to deplorable instances of violence!

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

People of the Book (social interaction + cooperation)

Prescribing close social interaction and familial ties with the People of the Book, the Quran says:
40.
5:5
This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the
People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in
marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People
of the Book, revealed before your time,- when you give them their due dowers, and desire
chastity, not lewdness, nor secret intrigues.
The purpose of granting permission to dine with the People of the Book is to make them have
closer social ties, forge stronger bonds of friendship, seek closer cooperation in matters beneficial
for the society etc. Going a step further, the Quran allows Muslims to marry women technically
from outside the fold of Islam, that is from the People of the Book. Now, unless there are amicable
social bonds among these different faith groups, how is it possible that they share food and have
family relationships? Or, conversely, how can they avoid close social ties together even while they
share food and maintain nuptial bonds. The level of toleration must be quite high in such a society
where couples of different faiths live together under the same roof and share the same food and
raise children together.
(Some Islamic scholars are in favour of including Zoroastrians and Hindus among the People of the Book on
the grounds that they are also in possession of scriptures claimed to be divinely revealed.)

The Quranic call to agree on common terms with the Jews, Christians and others and to join one
another in altruistic deeds is unmistakable. It says:
41.
3:64 Say: "O People of the Book! come to common terms as between us and you:
That we worship none but God; that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from
among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than God." If then they turn back, say you: "Bear
witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to God's Will)
42.
5:2
Help you one another in righteousness and piety, but help you not one another in
sin and rancour:..
The accent in this call is on tracking and upholding the common factors, so as to facilitate the coexistence of different faith groups in peace and harmony. The directive about those who turn down
this invitation is not to go to war with them or oust them from the land or at least to show disregard
to them, but just to declare that the Prophet and his followers had unconditionally surrendered to
the Will of God. And that is it.
Now, this kind of close social interaction, dialogue, cooperation and agreement on common terms is
attainable only in a multi-faith society. These injunctions would have no relevance if the Quran had
sought a homogeneous society to come into existence at the cost of the elimination of the other.

PEACE with non-Muslims

The Quran commands the believer to maximize the chances of peace and abstain from hastily
declaring others kafir.

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

43.
4:94 O you who believe! When you go abroad in the cause of God, investigate carefully,
and say not to anyone who offers you a salutation: "Thou art none of a believer!" ()
Coveting the perishable goods of this life: with God are profits and spoils abundantGod is well
aware of all that you do.
When some people offer peace and show no hostility towards Muslims, the Muslim are under
double obligation to respect that attitude; offer peace in return and refrain from indulging in
hostility. The present democratic, pluralistic societies of the world where Muslims too are welcome
with open arms fall into this category. In most of these societies, Muslims enjoy full equal rights and
normally are not discriminated against or persecuted for their faith. It is their responsibility,
therefore, in light of this verse, that they too wholeheartedly reciprocate this positive attitude and
live in total peace, affection and tolerance in such societies. The situation should be utilized for
fullest possible positive and constructive contribution towards the emancipation of humankind and
nothing must be done that may disrupt social, religious or racial harmony. The Quran seems to say
that those who offer you peace should not be rebuffed with the comment that they were not
believers (in the sense that technically they were not of the Muslim faith). And seeking harm to them
for certain worldly gains is all the more abominable. Declaring someone a kafir hastily is something
discarded here. The commandment is to offer peace for peace.
Acceptability and Tolerance:
The principle of tolerance, rather acceptability, in the Quran is unmistakable at a number of
places. This little chapter is worth considering:
44.

109:1-6

Say: O you that reject Faith!

I worship not that which you worship,
Nor will you worship that which I worship.
And I will not worship that which you have been inclined to worship,
Nor will you worship that which I worship.
To you be your Way (life-style), and to me mine.
The whole chapter shows believers and unbelievers living together in the same society with daily
social interaction. The policy taught to the believers towards them is that of tolerance and mutual
recognition. While these verses make it very clear that there is no compromise on, or dilution of, the
monotheistic faith, it also acknowledges simultaneously the religious rights of the polytheists. While
believers are seen fast adhering to their monotheistic faith, unbelievers are recognized as adhering to
their polytheistic faith with full freedom to do so. Exclusivist attitude is not recommended here, nor
is any threat issued to them on behalf of the monotheists if they persisted in polytheism. The
chapter expects the same accommodative spirit from unbelievers too. The following verses further
emphasize the same theme:
45.
2:139 Say: Will you dispute with us about God, seeing that He is our Lord and your Lord;
we are responsible for our doings and you for yours; and We are sincere (in our faith) in Him?

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

46.
10:41 If they charge you with falsehood, say: "My work to me, and yours to you! you are
free from responsibility for what I do, and I for what you do!"
47.
42:15 God is our Lord and your Lord: for us (is the responsibility for) our deeds,
and for you for your deeds. There is no contention between us and you.
Without doubt the Quran looks forward to a society in which the chances of discord, contention
and chaos are minimized and chances of peace, mutual regard and general well-being are maximized.
It gives full freedom of faith and practice to people:
48. 22:67-69 To every People have We appointed rites and ceremonies which they must
follow: let them not then dispute with you on the matter,
God will judge between you on the Day of Judgment concerning the matters in which you differ.
49.
6:108 Revile not you those whom they call upon besides God, lest they out of spite revile
God in their ignorance. Thus have We made alluring to each people its own doings. In the
end will they return to their Lord, and We shall then tell them the truth of all that they did.
The scenario unquestionably envisions a multi-faith society and this verse teaches etiquette of living
together in peace with peoples of other faiths in mutual tolerance. The believers have been
commanded not to indulge in reviling deities of polytheists, even though the Quran holds idolatry to
be the most abominable and the only unpardonable sin in the eyes of God. The following verse
disapproves of desecration of the places of worship of any faith:
50.
22:40 If God were not to repel some through others, there would surely have been
pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of God is
commemorated in abundant measure.
This verse stands unambiguously for an inclusive society wherein people of different faiths live in
mutual harmony and with full mutual regard. They maintain their places of worship that they visit
freely, unhindered and without fear. The Quran does not want religious fanaticism resulting in
religious hegemony or monopoly in the human society. It does not want the persecution of the
religious communities at the hands of the dominant religious group/s. It is against Gods planning
that monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques be pulled down. (Notice that mosque
occurs last in this list). Whether that place was used for the right mode of worship or not is a matter
for God to judge on the Last Day and not for a faith group here.
PEACE and JUSTICE (purpose of the Quran)
According to the Quran, the sole purpose of sending the Prophet to the world is nothing but to
make him and the Book a source of guidance, peace and mercy for the entire humankind:
51.
52.
53.

27:77 And it [this Quran] certainly is a Guide and a Mercy to those who believe.
21:107 We sent you not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.
10:25 But God does call to the Home of Peace:

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

Peace can only be had by giving up exclusivist tendencies and by adhering to the principles of
coexistence. And for real peace, justice is a prerequisite which is constantly enjoined in the Quran:
54.
5:8-9 O you who believe! stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not
the hatred of other people to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be
just: that is next to piety:
55.
4:135 Believers! Be upholders of justice, even though it may be against yourselves or
against your parents and kinsmen, or the rich or the poor, for God is more concerned with their
well-being than you are.

Quran: No Iniquity
Mischief-mongering and spreading chaos in the world are things abhorred by the Quran. Adopting
evil means to propagate good is also rejected. The believers have been commanded to adopt the best
possible means to deal with evil. Destructive, vicious or anarchist attitudes are neither suggested nor
endorsed. And the life of an individual is proclaimed as valuable as the life of all humans put
together.
56.
26:151-52
"And follow not the bidding of those who are extravagant,"Who make mischief in the land, and mend not (their ways)."
57.

7:56

And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order,

58.

23:96 Repel evil with that which is best:

59.

2: 191 Wrongful persecution (or mischief) is even worse than killing...

60.
5: 32 whosoever killed a person unless it be for killing a person or for spreading
mischief on earth it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and he who saved a life, it shall be
as if he had given life to all mankind

Exclusivism ( a trait of unbelievers)

Exclusivist or rejectionist attitude is a trait of unbelievers according to the Quran. It is the
unbelievers who rejected Abraham, Lot, Noah, Shoeb, Jesus etc., inflicted miseries on them, wanted
to banish them from the land and were not ready to tolerate them at all in their midst for their faith.
61.
36:18 (a general ref. to disbelievers in true prophets of God)
The (people) said: "we believe you (Messengers) are an evil omen for us: if you desist not, we will
certainly stone you. And a grievous punishment indeed will be inflicted on you by us."

Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014

Follow the whole Quran

Some sects or groups given to exclusivism apparently draw their misguided conclusions from certain
verses of the Quran. Placing some verses outside the context and completely ignoring the others,
they read into them their own sectarian and exclusivist agenda.
But, ignoring certain verses or parts of the Quran is an attitude faulted by the Quran itself, since this
destroys the whole equilibrium of things. Since the believers are obliged to embrace the whole
Quran, they must also pay due attention to the largely ignored verses that obligate them to live in
peace and mutual harmony (without any grudge) with the people of the other faiths. In order to
become tolerant, pluralistic and inclusive in their outlook, they do not have to ignore or overstep the
fundamentals of their faith, which they do when they become rejectionist and exclusive in their
approach. The balance lost cannot be restored unless the pluralistic verses are given due
consideration:
62. 2:85
Then is it only a part of the Book that you believe in, and do you reject the rest? but what is the
reward for those among you who behave like this but disgrace in this life?- and on the Day of
Judgment they shall be consigned to the most grievous penalty. For God is not unmindful of what
you do.
I would like to conclude with the verse:
63. 39:18
Those who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it: those are the
ones whom God has guided, and those are the ones endued with understanding.
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Pluralism and the Quran, Prof S A Ali, delivered at Renison College, University of Waterloo, 23 June 2014