Inter-religious Dialogue  (under construction)

The idea of this section is to include material that engages in or encourages respectful, informative, rational, non-inflammatory dialogue between different faiths.  While careful, objective study reveals that practically all major faiths pursue  similar sorts of goals and interests (peace, tranquility, higher knowledge, family values, strengthening of communities and societies, good manners, healthy living, etc.) differences over the surface details of everyday practice often serve as points of friction that obscure these underlying, fundamental shared vision.  The best antidote to such tensions is knowledge and communication.  The idea here is to share writings that engage in and promote this necessary process of deep dialogue with and learning about those of other faiths.  This involves sharing Islamic principles on various inter-religious issues to help people of other faiths understand better the Islamic perspective.  However, dialogue is a two way street, requiring mutual understanding of each others' perspectives.  Therefore, an effort will also be made to provide access to accurate information for Muslims about other faiths, including links to important texts.

General Inter-religious Dialogue

On Islam and Religious Pluralism

On the Issue of Apostasy

On the Role of Doubt in the Perfection of Faith

A Muslim is Like Soft Rain

Religion as a Force of Liberation

On the Islamic Conception of Freedom

Reconciling God's Omnipotence and the Concept of Free Will

Islam-Christianity Dialogue

 On Claims of Grammar Errors in the Qu'ran

Jesus Through Shia' Narrations (external site)

Historical Context of Jesus' Mission

On Muslim Beliefs About Jesus

What was the Injeel?

On the Supposed "Gospel of Barnabus"

On the Idea of Original Sin: An Islamic Perspective

Is God Distant and Impersonal in Islam?

Islam on Sacrifice, Suffering, and Atonement

Was Jesus the Son of God?

Did Jesus abolish the Torah?

Religious Law: Yoke or Blessing?

On Parallels Between Jesus and Imam Mehdi in Islam

On the Recent Comments by Pope Benedict

Submission or Love?

Historical examples of positive Muslim-Christian relations  

Summa Theologiae by Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274 CE), an influential medieval Christian philosopher.  This book consists of an examination of a number of theological questions, and was a central text within Christian Europe for hundreds of years.  It is believed that Aquinas was heavily influenced by Muslim thinkers such as al-Ghazali and Ibn Sina.

The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321 CE), an important literary and religious work of medieval Europe.  It artistically represents the medieval Christian conception of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, and represents, on a deeper level, the spiritual journey of the soul toward God.

 De Pace Fidei (On the Peace of Faith, ), a relatively positive example of Ecumenical Dialogue by Catholic Cardinal Nicholas de Cusa (1400-1464 CE), 1453

Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, by John Milton (1608-1674 CE).  Epic poems depicting the Christian doctrine of the fall of man and the potential of redemption.

Greek Philosophical Heritage Influential on Christians and Muslim Thinkers

Fragments of Works of Pythagoreans 

Plato (ca. 424-348 BCE)- Complete Works

Aristotle (ca. 384-322 BCE)- Complete Works

Epictetus - Enchiridion, Meditations  (Important Stoic works) (ca. 55-135 CE)

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations (Important Stoic work) (ca. 121-180 CE)

Plotinus - Enneads (Important Neo-Platonist work)(ca. 205-270 CE)

Islam-Judaism Dialogue

Judaism 101 - Excellent site for introductory level knowledge on Judaism

Guide for the Perplexed - By Rabbi Moishe ben Maimon (Maimonides, 1120-1190 CE), a famous Jewish thinker  active in Muslim Spain (Andalusia) and Egypt.  The work is a detailed discussion of a variety of theological issues from the Jewish perspective, touching as well on Greek and Islamic philosophy. (external site)

On accusations of “anti-Semitism” made against the Qu’ran

Jewish-Muslim frictions: Religious or political?

 Conditions of life for Jewish minorities in Medieval Christendom versus Islamic Empires

On the vast commonalities between the two faiths

Dialogue between Muslims and other faiths 

Islam and Classical Chinese Thought

Islam and Confucianism, comparisons between ideas of Confucius and Islamic ideas

Analects -  Confucius, full text in English translation (external site)

Doctrine of the Mean - Confucius, full text in English translation (external site)

Mencius - Mencius, full text in English translation (external site)

Unity of Being in Liu Chih's "Islamic Neoconfucianism" - Sachiko Murata (external site)

Chinese Gleams of Sufi Light:  Wang Tai-Yu's Great Learning of the Pure and Real and Liu Chih's Displaying the Concealment of the Real Realm" - By Sachiko Murata

Islam and Buddhism dialogue  

Islam in modern China  

Islam and Vedic Heritage

Rig Veda - full text in English translation.  Central ancient text of the Hindu faith. (external site)

Bhagavad Gita - full text in English translation.  Major later text of Hinduism.

Ramayana - full text in English translation.  Classic Indian Epic poem.

Mahabharata - full text in English translation.  Classic Indian Epic poem.