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Pluralism and the Najran Christians: How Prophet Muhammad Went Beyond Tolerance

By Craig Considine

02/17/2016

Last week I gave a presentation in front of a group of undergraduate and postgraduate students at Rice University in Houston, e!as" #e tit$e of %y $ecture was &Re$igious '$ura$is%

in Is$a%( )na$y*ing 'rop#et +u#a%%ads -ovenants wit# -#ristians&" #e 're*i is avai$a.$e #ere" )s is t#e case wit# acade%ic presentations, t#ere was a s#ort uestion and answers

session towards t#e end of our ti%e s$ot" ne %e%.er of t#e audience pus#ed .ack on %y assertion t#at 'rop#et +u#a%%ads -ovenants wit# t#e -#ristians of #is ti%e pro%oted

re$igious p$ura$is%" #is particu$ar person argued t#at t#e -ovenants foster %ere to$erance, w#ic# is distinct fro% re$igious p$ura$is%"

o fra%e %y argu%ent ear$y in t#e presentation, I turned to Harvard sc#o$ar iana ck w#o notes t#at re$igious p$ura$is% #as four ingredients" #e first is an energetic engage%ent

wit# diversity" o .e c$ear, re$igious p$ura$is% is not si%p$y &diversity&" Reac#ing a p$ura$ist &state& or &%indset& reuires genuine socia$ interactions and t#e .ui$ding of aut#entic

re$ations#ips" o$erance, #owever, is %ore &stand3offis#& and a$$ows peop$e and groups to stay in t#eir iso$ated .u..$es wit# $itt$e cross3cu$tura$ interaction"

#e second part of re$igious p$ura$is% according to ck is seeking to understand across re$igious $ines" Re$igious p$ura$is% is active in t#e sense t#at it encourages e!posure and

dia$ogue4 to$erance, #owever, reproduces o$d patterns of division due to distance a%ong socia$ groups" )s suc#, ck argues t#at to$erance &is too t#in a foundation for a wor$d of

re$igious difference and pro!i%ity&" Her t#ird e$e%ent of re$igious p$ura$is% is encounter of co%%it%ents t#at reuires t#ings $ike for%a$ and infor%a$ agree%ents, for%a$ contracts,

trust, and princip$es" Last$y, re$igious p$ura$is% reuires give and take, criticis% and se$f3criticis%" #is $ast co%ponent de%ands inter3re$igious dia$ogue and invo$ves finding co%%on

understandings and recogni*ing/understanding rea$ differences .etween fait# groups"

#e -ovenants of t#e 'rop#et +u#a%%ad wit# t#e -#ristians of #is ti%e are an e!ce$$ent starting point to discuss p$ura$is% in t#e Is$a%ic tradition" #e point of %y presentation 3 as

we$$ as %y recent$y pu.$is#ed paper in Re$igions 3 was to distinguis# .etween to$erance and p$ura$is% and to #ig#$ig#t +u#a%%ads ega$itarian vision for t#e U%%a#, or &+us$i%

nation&" Instead of reiterating t#e c$ai%s $aid out in t#e presentation and paper, %y ai% in t#is piece is to turn to t#e de$egation of t#e 5aran -#ristians to s#ed $ig#t upon

+u#a%%ads preference for p$ura$is% over to$eration"

#e visit of t#e -#ristians of 5aran to t#e city of +edina in 61- is per#aps t#e %ost i%portant noted interfait# interaction .etween -#ristians and 'rop#et +u#a%%ad" )t t#is

ti%e +u#a%%ad #ad sent $etters to different co%%unities and t#eir $eaders, encouraging t#e% to e%.race Is$a%" In t#e case of t#e 5arans, w#o $ived near 8e%en, a.out 9:0 %i$es

sout# of +edina, t#e 'rop#et sent ;#a$ed i.n a$3