Similar images according to theme are chosen, left from the Christian, and right from the Islamic tradition Creation -Alan Stecker Genesis: Let there be light, Georgia, USA  https://alanstecker.artspan.com/ -Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, Iran Creation of Humankind -Michelangelo,  The Creation of Adam, 1508–1512.Sistine Chapel Rome   -Angels Bow before Adam and Eve (Hawwa) in Paradise, The dispersed Falnama, Iran, Qazvin, Safavid period, mid 1550’s    Courtesy of The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian, Washington DC Paradise Lost -Masaccio Expulsion of Adam and Eve or Expulsion from Paradise, 1425  Brancacci Chapel, Florence -Adam and Eve (Hawwa), The dispersed Falnama, Iran, Qazvin, Safavid period, mid 1550’s  Courtesy of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian, Washington DC…

“It is my belief that of all God’s wondrous creations, the intellect is the most wondrous of all, and it is also my belief that a book is the gift of God that preserves the intellect for generations to come.” Khaled Abou El Fadl xvi In compiling this anthology, I was able to build on numerous studies investigating the historical context and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Qur’an. I was encouraged by finding comparative studies on particular figures in both books, such as Jesus, Joseph or Job. All this work by others made it easier for me to compile my anthology. Only a handful of…

Editor copyrightholder marliesterborg@gmail.com Dr. Marlies ter Borg was born in Indonesia in December 1948, during the Indonesian War of Independence. Brought up in England and Holland, in a pleasant mix of protestant denominations, she does now not profess to a particular faith. She is a free lance philosopher and bridgebuilder. She studied philosopy and sociology at Leiden and Amsterdam University, and received a PhD from the Free University of Amsterdam with a thesis on the ‘Belief in Progress and Economic Growth’.She worked as parliamentary assistant for the Dutch Green Party; at the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR); and at the Free University of Amsterdam as polemologist. During the Cold…

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful This phrase is recited at the beginning of each sura (except 9) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. Revelation 22:13 He is the First (Alpha) and the Last (Omega)… 57 The Iron, 3 God is the End Khaled Abou El p.141 God is the ultimate, the consummate, the final, and the end. But the magnets of self-indulgence and arrogance hide in our moral fog and lead the compass of our soul astray. Without our inner compass, we are lost in the fog, but our merciful Lord places indicators along the…

“So strive as in a race in all virtues” 5 The Table Spread, 48 The limits of the law are not sufficient to produce a society that is happy and thriving in a friendly environment. The Hebrew Bible, New Testament and Qur’an are full of ethical advice. This chapter is an attempt to compress some of the central values held in common into a single table. They concern what people throughout the world long for, though often fail to attain. These values, the Books argue, cannot be realized without the utmost effort. They offer essentials for moral education. They contain the notion that men and women must actively strive towards them, even…

War and international law in the Qur’anIntermezzo by Marlies ter Borg The roots of international law, now laid down in the United Nations charter, can be traced to Roman thinkers as Cicero. Elements leading to a theory of just and limited war are mainly associated with Christian philosophers such as: Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Hugo Grotius. From this tradition stems such concepts as: and A lesser known but equally respectable tradition of thought on international law is present in Islam, beginning with the Introduction to the Law of Nations by Muhammad al-Shaybani at the end of the 8th century. These theories of limited and defensive war are based on the…

This chapter deals with the topic of aggression between different groups, faiths or nations in legal terms and with what is permissible and what is forbidden. Jihad – the Good Fight In this context, a misunderstanding must be cleared up about the word Jihad. It is often associated with aggressive war and criminal terrorism. Actually, it means quite the opposite. In most instances, Jihad has nothing to do with violence. It is based on the root j-h-d and means ‘making a great effort to achieve an objective’. Muhammad is recorded in the Hadith (tradition) to have told his followers after battle: “You have arrived with an excellent arrival, you have…

In every society, crimes are committed, usually only by a fraction of the population. In present-day secular states, religion is no longer of direct importance to penal law, although it can have an impact on the basic mentality underlying the law, on certain law-making issues, and, last but not least, on personal and group ethics. The Bible and the Qur’an were written when the ties between religion and penal law were much more stringent. The laws define in various ways what is considered an offense, and how it should be punished. Much depends on interpretation. The variety of opinions between the faiths is matched by varieties within them, so that…

Inspiring Women in Bible and Qur’anIntermezzo by Martha Frederiks As a child I loved to make show-boxes. Fabricated out of a plain carton shoe-box, the outside looks somewhat boring. But to those who take the trouble to peer inside, suddenly a colorful and surprising world opens up and the viewer suddenly meets e.g. hobbits in lush greens rubbing shoulders with fairies amidst beautiful flowers. The image of a show-box comes to mind when reflecting on women in the Qur’an. For though there are many Qur’anic verses that deal with the rights and obligations of women, narratives that put women in the spotlight are rare. Mary, the mother of Jesus is…

Equality and partnership of men and women That men and women were created as equals is indicated by quotes from Bible and Qur’an. The quotes about the creation of humankind show that men and women were created together, or separately from one another and for one another, to live as pairs in mutual care and protection. Paul writes that through their faith in Jesus men and women are equal. The Qur’an states that it is equitable that the rights of women are similar to those of men. In the stories men play the dominant role. However Martha Frederiks shows us several impressive Biblical woman who also play a remarkable role…