Short version of Response to Pope Benedict XVI’s Lecture that he delivered on Tuesday September 12 2006

Published in Oshkosh NorthWestern Sep-24-2006
Pope Benedict XVI in his recent lecture reflected upon the importance of reason in understanding the faith. His point being that domain of rationality and reason extends beyond the limits of empirical evidence. He also mentioned Islam as being fundamentally opposed to rational thought and that its spread was through force. In this short essay I would provide an Islamic perspective.

Islam and Rationality
The Quran fully acknowledges the role of rationality in attainment of the truth. There are around 750 verses in the Holy Quran that exhort the believers to study nature, to reflect and make best use of reason and to make scientific enterprise an integral part of a community’s life.[i]

Islam’s invitation to the mankind is primarily on rational grounds and not through force. Verse 2:257 quoted by the pope actually relies on Islam’s rationality for its appeal and not on force; and to his point of “later verses somehow changing the message” Quran emphatically rejects such notions and declares that no verse of Quran abrogates another verse and there are no inconsistencies (4:83).

It is the duty of every Muslim to invite others to Islam – but through the best of manners (16:126). Quran invites other religions and philosophies to a dialog and to bring forth their proof: (e.g. 2:112, 4:175, 21:25, 27:65, 28:76).

Those who do not study Islam are astonished by its rapid progress. People were drawn towards it because of its rationality and reasonable basis – not because of any fear. This is a real miracle that has been recorded by history unlike the phantom miracles that other religions put forth.

Islamic Concept of God
In order to give credence to his faulty premise, the pope attributed this to Islamic concept of God. Islam’s view of God is much different than Christianity. It is more evolved and not bound by trivial ideas like “one is three and three is one”. Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion where there is only one God who is unique.

Islam does not put forth an idea that only way to know the God is by believing in some mortal as a part of the godhead; or that that god was dead for three days; or that god is so powerless that he had to kill his only begotten son to forgive the sins of mankind. Islam totally rejects a god that would kill an innocent in order to absolve others of their crimes and sins.

God of Islam is not limited by human imagination but the ability to recognize Him has been imprinted on the human psyche. He can be recognized through His attributes but at that same time His attributes do not have a limit. Some of His attributes can be metaphorically compared to human attributes and some of His attributes can be seen in His creation in a limited capacity. So the being of God is hidden to those who are not willing to find Him but those who strive would find God everywhere.

Conclusion
It is Christianity and especially the Church that has traditionally opposed rationality and reason. The various episodes of Galilio and Newton are well known. The “rational” tradition of “witch hunts” is an integral part of the Catholic history. Trinity, original sin, resurrection, and rapture all have been challenged by the secular scholars on rational grounds. Today’s catholic beliefs are more like the pagan beliefs of that era and far removed from the true and pure teachings of Jesus Christ.

Islam on the other hand is well founded in human psyche. It is a strictly monotheistic religion with evolved concepts of God, revelation, afterlife, and prophet hood. Islam’s strength is its reasonableness and it does not need force for its progress.

I hope that the pope takes time to understand Islam and actually read the Holy Quran before quoting it. Today Islamic and Christian civilizations are facing each other in the most unfriendly confrontation ever witnessed in the history. Inter faith dialogues evolve through mutual understanding and not by maligning the other religion – even if it is done in the guise of “I quote I quote”.



[i] LAI, C.H. KIDWAI, A (1989) Ideals and Realities, Selected Essays of Abdus Salam. 3rd ed. World Scientific Publishing Co, London pp. 343-344.