The True Meaning of Universality of the Qur’an (4th edition)
12.10.19
Farhad Shafti
Prologue
This is the fifth edition of the original article. The purpose of this article is to provide reasons and evidence from the Qur’an to understand what the universality of the Qur’an means. My hope is that this article will generate constructive criticism and feedback and thoughtful questions that can then contribute in further developing my reasoning and any follow up writings. I of course remain as open-minded as I can in case I find that my understanding needs alteration or correction.
In the third and the fourth edition, some further explanations are added, some statements are made clearer, some typos are corrected and some new illustrations of the concepts are added in the form of tables. I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation and express my thanks for all the helpful questions and constructive feedback that I have received so far (1).
Before moving to the main body of the article a few important points should be noted:
a. Throughout this article, I am making reference to the universality of the Qur’an and in doing so I have invented two terms to refer to two different concepts. These are ‘General Universality’ (or Generally Universal) and ‘Specific Universality’ (or Specifically Universal). While I admit these may not be the clearest terms for the purpose, I will explain here what I mean by them so that there are no misunderstandings about these terms:
‘General Universality of the Qur’an’ refers to the following understanding:
The Qur’an was sent for the Arabs (Ummi’in) in Arabia and those willing to join them then or in the future, to become part of their religious community (Muslims) by adopting the shari’a of Islam. While primarily aimed at these individuals, the Book also naturally contains a message that is universal and relevant to every human being. This is the message of Monotheism (tawhid), being mindful of the hereafter and doing righteous things. This is a message that almost all religions that exist on the face of the earth have in common.
‘Specific Universality of the Qur’an’ refers to the following understanding:
The Qur’an was sent for all of mankind and every human being is bound to follow it by becoming a Muslim and following the shari’a of Islam.
In this article, the General Universality of the Qur’an is not the subject of study, although it is referred to. In my understanding, there is no doubt or questions about the General Universality of the Qur’an.
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1. In particular I would like to thank Veronica Polo for her feedback and help in editing this version of the article. This reminds me that I should also thank Waseem Aslam and Nikhat Sattar for their feedback and help for editing the original version.
...
The entire article in 42 pages can be downloaded from here.
An abridged version of this article in 10 pages can be reached from here.
Farhad Shafti
Prologue
This is the fifth edition of the original article. The purpose of this article is to provide reasons and evidence from the Qur’an to understand what the universality of the Qur’an means. My hope is that this article will generate constructive criticism and feedback and thoughtful questions that can then contribute in further developing my reasoning and any follow up writings. I of course remain as open-minded as I can in case I find that my understanding needs alteration or correction.
In the third and the fourth edition, some further explanations are added, some statements are made clearer, some typos are corrected and some new illustrations of the concepts are added in the form of tables. I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation and express my thanks for all the helpful questions and constructive feedback that I have received so far (1).
Before moving to the main body of the article a few important points should be noted:
a. Throughout this article, I am making reference to the universality of the Qur’an and in doing so I have invented two terms to refer to two different concepts. These are ‘General Universality’ (or Generally Universal) and ‘Specific Universality’ (or Specifically Universal). While I admit these may not be the clearest terms for the purpose, I will explain here what I mean by them so that there are no misunderstandings about these terms:
‘General Universality of the Qur’an’ refers to the following understanding:
The Qur’an was sent for the Arabs (Ummi’in) in Arabia and those willing to join them then or in the future, to become part of their religious community (Muslims) by adopting the shari’a of Islam. While primarily aimed at these individuals, the Book also naturally contains a message that is universal and relevant to every human being. This is the message of Monotheism (tawhid), being mindful of the hereafter and doing righteous things. This is a message that almost all religions that exist on the face of the earth have in common.
‘Specific Universality of the Qur’an’ refers to the following understanding:
The Qur’an was sent for all of mankind and every human being is bound to follow it by becoming a Muslim and following the shari’a of Islam.
In this article, the General Universality of the Qur’an is not the subject of study, although it is referred to. In my understanding, there is no doubt or questions about the General Universality of the Qur’an.
--
1. In particular I would like to thank Veronica Polo for her feedback and help in editing this version of the article. This reminds me that I should also thank Waseem Aslam and Nikhat Sattar for their feedback and help for editing the original version.
...
The entire article in 42 pages can be downloaded from here.
An abridged version of this article in 10 pages can be reached from here.
