THE QURANIC NARRATIVE OF INTERFAITH DIALOGUE: A STUDY OF SYED JALALUDDIN UMARI

Abstract Interfaith dialogue in the Qur’an is a subject differently discussed by scholars throughout the world. The Qur’an has asked believers to establish a dialogue with other religions, especially Christianity and Judaism, to come to common terms. Of many other scholars/academicians, Sayed Jalaluddin Umari (1935-2022 CE), a noted Indian scholar and former president (2007-2019 CE) of Jamat-e-Islami Hind, has elaborated this idea in his famous work Tajallīyaat-e-Qur’an. The present study will examine the arguments developed in this work to explore the Quranic narrative on interfaith dialogue. He provides some substantial arguments for interfaith dialogue in light of the Qur’an. To him, the dialogue should be initiated on equal terms and apply to each party. Any initiative for interfaith dialogue should be addressed in a free and frank atmosphere wherein the right and wrong ideas should be highlighted peacefully without involving violence. Umari elaborates that such an initiative does not mean any withdrawal from the fundamental teachings of the religion; it rather applies to a mutual understanding of the universal truth as revealed to all the previous Prophets and finally testified by the Qur’an.