Common Words and Opposing Beings: The 64th Verse of the 3rd Surah Al-i Imran and a Practical Outlook to the Dialogue Process of Muslim-Christian–Mustafa ALICI–

Abstract

The inter-religious cooperation and approaches seem to be a vital subject for the pious persons in this modern era. Today, the modern societies even though they belong to different races and religions run dialog processes in many subjects. Thus, the most important aim of the vigorous cooperation and approaches inter religions may be mentioned as to be able to live according to their own religion in a pluralist society and to allow others living in the peaceful conditions.

Along with the Christians who brought dialog to the agenda of religious people as a modern type of inter-religious encounter at the beginning of 1960s, the Muslims survived oft dialogue encounters in the last twenty years.

The view of the Islam upon the believers on the other religions, generally and on Jewish and Christian communities, specifically is embracing. Muslims can accept and appropriate the good and beautiful things of other religions as being in harmony with the nature of creation.

This article purposes to make a general definition of dialogue and to offer a practical approach for the Muslim-Christian dialogue encounter in the context of the 64th verse of Al-i Imran and of the Islam’s embracing view of the believers of other religions.

Key Words: Dialog, inter-religious dialog, Qur’an, People of Book, Muslim, Christian