Reading the Qur’an Contemplatively

By Herman Roborgh

Growing up in a Christian environment, I never came across the Qur’an in my childhood. But this changed when I went to a Muslim country as a young adult to teach English. Having moved into a Muslim environment, I began to hear the regular call to prayer and to hear the sound of the Qur’an being chanted in the mosques. I became curious to know more about its message. Whenever I read the Qur’an in English, however, I wondered how this complex text was able to touch the hearts of so many people. 

Every year, new translations of the Qur’an appear in English but none of them convey the power and the beauty of the original. Should I rely on a translation to discover the spiritual teaching of the Qur’an? Should I learn Arabic to appreciate its message? Perhaps a good commentary would help me to probe the depths of the Qur’an? But commentaries in English are hard to come by and also rather laborious to read. Another option was to find a group of friends with whom to read the text in a contemplative way. 

Our Qur’an reflection group has been meeting regularly for over one year to ponder a passage from the Qur’an in English. We use the translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (2005) as well as the translation by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (2011). The group consists of three Christian men and three Christian women. We select and read a passage from the Qur’an without spending very much time consulting a commentary since we know that the Qur’an is addressed to all of humanity, not just to scholars.

Briefly, the group has adopted the following method. After spending a few minutes listening to a recording of the Qur’an being chanted in Arabic, a member of the group reads the selected passage aloud in English and we listen intently to each word. Next, we spend some minutes in complete silence, allowing a word or a phrase from the passage to draw our attention. After about ten minutes, we mention aloud the word or phrase that has caught our attention. The passage is read for the second time and another period of silence follows during which each person ponders the text more deeply. Eventually, the same passage is read for a third time and an opportunity for open sharing follows. So only after spending about forty-five minutes in silent reflection do we begin to share the results of our reflection in an open exchange with one another.

Christians are familiar with this method, which is called Lectio Divina. An Arabic word for the method may be taddabur (pondering, reflecting).  But this Arabic word refers to an activity that is more rational and analytical than contemplative.  A closer parallel with lectio divina may be the Muslim practice of dhikr Allah (the constant remembrance of God).

In order to read the Qur’an contemplatively, it is important to free oneself from myths and false concepts about the text. For instance, the word ‘God’ could be an obstacle for believers living in the secular world because the word has taken on negative connotations that distract from its true meaning. For example, God is commonly known in modern society as the punisher, the controller, the patriarch, the despot, etc. Society tends to forget that the language we use for God is allegorical and often anthropomorphic as well. God is not really ‘watching’ us from afar or ‘punishing’ us for our wrongdoing. Instead of oppressing people, God is actually providing new opportunities for frail and misguided human beings.

 

Reading the Qur’an contemplatively enables us to move beyond superficial stereotypes about words and concepts in the text. Contemplation will lead us to see that God is not just another being who is external and distant from human beings but that God is the very ground of our existence. As the Qur’an says: 

 

God – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being!  (Surah Al-‘Imran [3], verse 2) 

 

In another place, the Qur’an says: 

 

Now, verily, it is We who have created man, and We know what his innermost self whispers within him: for We are closer to him than his neck-vein. (Surah Qaf [50], verse 16)

Contemplating verses like this shows us a God who is not oppressive and punishing but concerned for our well-being. 

He it is who shapes you in the wombs as He wills.  There is no deity save Him, the Almighty, the Truly Wise. 

(Surah Al-‘Imran, [3], verse 6) 

Contemplating the Qur’an also uncovers a multitude of connections with the Bible. Just one example will suffice: 

It was you who created my inmost self and put me together in my mother’s womb; for all these mysteries I thank you: for the wonder of myself, for the wonder of your works. (Ps.139.13-14)

All these verses suggest that we cannot make sense of our human lives by trying to understand ourselves as separate from God, who reveals himself through everything within us and around us. As the Bible says: ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’ (Acts, 17.28). Human beings tend to think of God in a dualistic way as if God were living in a separate realm. To consider God as an object will lead us further away from the truth for we cannot objectify God in the way we normally objectify things around us. As Fazlur Rahman says in Major Themes of the Qur’an: ‘God is not an item among other items of the universe, or just an existent among other existents’. (Rahman, 1980, p. 4)

The Qur’an itself implies that ‘God-consciousness’ is not consciousness of an object among other objects for nothing is comparable to God (Q. 112.4). The Qur’an affirms that God’s ‘throne extends over the heavens and the earth’ (Q. 2.255), but Muslim theologians have not understood such language in a literal way. God is not sitting up there in the sky watching over us. A contemplative reading of the Qur’an will gradually dispel these false images of God. A hadith (Islamic tradition) known to all Muslims invites us to worship God as if we were able to see him.

Al-ihsan . . . is that you worship God as if you could see Him and if you see Him not, (know that) He sees you.

Seeing God does not mean that we are able to see God in the way we can see an object. A contemplative reading of this text will enable us to go beyond the literal meaning of words about God seeing us and invite us into God’s presence. In other words, by engaging in contemplation, a believer moves beyond trying to see God by means of external vision and enters into the vision of the heart through faith. A contemplative reading invites us into a deepening intimacy with God.

Yet sometimes even now, as I select the passage that our Qur’an reflection group will ponder at its next meeting, I wonder whether the passage will reveal its profound wisdom and enable us to go beyond the superficial meaning of the text. The language and content of the Qur’an can seem so alien to readers with a modern, rational mindset. For example, I am bewildered by passages like this:

God is severe in punishing.  (Surah Al-‘Imran [3], verse 11)

God promises the Fire of Hell as a permanent home for the hypocrites, both men and women, and the disbelievers: this is enough for them. God rejects them and a lasting punishment awaits them. (Surah Al-Tawbah [9], verse 68) 

Similar expressions appear on many pages of the Qur’an and tempt me to leap to conclusions about the meaning of a verse even before I have devoted much time to a contemplative reading of it. My rational mind will take control and will attempt to figure out logical and conceptual difficulties in the language. However, I now know from experience that to read the Qur’an with a rational, critical frame of mind will leave the reader unmoved and dissatisfied. A contemplative reading of the Qur’an, on the contrary, can open up completely new dimensions.

In short, I would summarize the method of reading the Qur’an contemplatively as follows:

·         Form a small group of women and men, not just of men.

·         For a few minutes, listen to the Qur’an chanted in the Arabic language.

·         Read the English translation of a selected passage several times in a group, with a period of silence between each reading.

·         Listen to the words contemplatively, with the heart, rather than deriving the meaning from scholarly commentaries.

·         Allow the text to speak to one’s own situation instead of trying to imagine the circumstances in which the text was revealed.

·         Search for the meaning of the passage as a group by listening intently to what other members of the group have to say.

The Sacredness of Creation: Muslims’ and Christians’ shared ecological responsibility

Christian W. Troll SJ

The first Loyola Hall Symposium

On 20-21 Feb 2013 was held first Christian-Muslim Loyola Hall (Lahore) Symposium:

            Mysticism in East and West: The Concept of the Unity of Being.

It was organized by Ms. Heike Stamer, M Phil, in her capacity of the holder of the Xavier scholarship, and Christian W. Troll. Heike Stamer later in 2013 published the papers and discussions of the symposium in a professionally edited volume: Heike Stamer (ed.), Mysticism in East and West: The Concept of the Unity of Being. Lahore: Multimedia Affairs, 2013.

The central theme of the first symposium grew out of the Ms. Stamer’s MA thesis at Zurich University on the use of the term wahdat al-wujud in the writings of Saʽid al-Din al-Farghani (1231-1300), a thinker belonging to the school of thought of Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240). It turned out to be a splendid occasion for Pakistani scholars, together with a few invited guests from abroad, to reflect here and today in Lahore — this historical seat of Muslim culture and learning — about a theme central to all monotheistic religions: The relationship between God, the Absolute Being to the world of contingent beings; between God, the Creator and the world of creation.

The second Christian-Muslim Loyola Hall Symposium and its theme

Given the very positive response to the first Symposium and the express wish to continue with this initiative after a year or so, it was agreed that it would be good to hold a symposium of this kind annually. Fr. Liam O’Callaghan of the Columban Missionaries in Lahore very positively responded to the proposal made by me to him shortly after the holding of the first symposium last year, to plan and organize together with me the second Symposium.

Very soon it emerged that a deeper reflection on the ‘Sacredness of Creation and the shared ecological responsibility of Muslims and Christians’ would be a most meaningful theme, a theme that has quite clearly the character of a certain urgency about it. In the context of Lahore and Pakistan this theme in fact has been dear to Fr. Liam for years now. He, together with the renowned Catholic lay theologian Dr. Mushtaq Asad and other friends and colleagues, has promoted over the past decades — in the framework of the Columban Fathers’ Mission in Lahore — a number of significant initiatives in this field. These initiatives have all tried very concretely to raise awareness among mosque communities and parishes in a given neighbourhood for the sacredness of creation by focusing attention to the care for the environmental conditions there. These initiatives included common efforts to beautify the neighbourhood  as well as reflection on the shared responsibility for the environment from the perspective of the common belief in the One God and Creator.

Fr. Liam and I decided then to convene this second symposium. In the letter of invitation Fr. Liam succinctly described theme and objective of it in the following words:

“The rapid destruction of our environment is arguably the greatest challenge facing the earth community today. We, human beings, are doing enormous damage to the atmosphere, the soil, the rivers and the seas of Earth as well as to plant and animal life. If this reckless exploitation continues, it will result in the destruction of much of what we have come to treasure, all of which has taken billions of years to come into existence in the on-going and inter-dependent process of creation. As spiritual people believing in the God of life, we have a duty and responsibility to act before it is too late.

In Pakistan the alarming reality of rapid environmental degradation ought to compel Muslims and Christians to work together in this task, inspired by our respective religious world views. In fact, interreligious dialogue can provide us with a new way for coming to terms with the challenges associated with ecological degradation, climate change and their causes and effects. The cry of the earth calls us and challenges us to an ecological conversion. If we can respond together with courage and faith, then this will be good news for the poor and the planet.”

 

Muslims and Christians are united deeply regarding ecological responsibility

In fact, when thinking about what most deeply unites us as Christian and Muslim believers, it is arguably the shared belief in God as the Creator of the universe and thus the Creator also of the planet earth we inhabit. For the believer creation is a gift emanating directly from the Creator. Hence it possesses the quality of sacredness. This in turn implies on the part of the believer, the servant, the worshipper, an attitude of basic respect, if not awe, regarding this sacred gift. Believers  experience the universe, the nature, the kosmos as being gifted to them by God and as such as being their sacred vis-à-vis and partner, and, furthermore , as a reality of which they form a part. The orderly harmonious systematic universe we find ourselves part of, for the believer in the One God is a sign (ayah) and, as it were, a mirror of the creator. It bears the imprint of, and reflects, the all-holy Creator God. Hence to deal with it and to think of it as not more than inanimate or animate matter at the disposal of the humankind amounts to a sacrilege.

The outlook on reality based on faith carries with it the call, the privilege and the duty to praise and serve the Creator, in other words, the vocation to worship (ʽibadat) Him. However, the worship rendered to God the Creator by us human beings who are gifted with the faculties of reason and free will, consists in the desire and effort on the one hand to care for one another by practicing justice and mercy and, on the other, to recognize and accept in practice our task and responsibility to care respectfully, intelligently and diligently for the created universe gifted to us, animate as well as inanimate.

Benedict XVI in his encyclical letter of 2009 Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), no. 48:

“Today the subject of development is also closely related to the duties arising from our relationship to the natural environment. The environment is God's gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole. When nature, including the human being, is viewed as the result of mere chance or evolutionary determinism, our sense of responsibility wanes. In nature, the believer recognizes the wonderful result of God's creative activity, which we may use responsibly to satisfy our legitimate needs, material or otherwise, while respecting the intrinsic balance of creation. If this vision is lost, we end up either considering nature an untouchable taboo or, on the contrary, abusing it. Neither attitude is consonant with the Christian vision of nature as the fruit of God's creation.”

The second is by the Turkish theologian Ibrahim Özdemir, who writes in an essay on “An Islamic Perspective of Environmental Ethics”:

“Therefore, according to the Qur’an everything in the natural world is a sign (aya) of God and as such it is continuously praising Him. […]  Above all, the universe, with all its causal processes, is the prime sign (aya) and proof of its Maker. So, when we look at the Qur’an’s general attitude towards the universe, natural resources, and the relation between human beings and nature we find out that: The main purpose of human beings is nothing else but to serve God, to be grateful to Him, and to worship Him alone. Nature exists for human beings to use it and benefit from it for their own ends. The utility, serviceability, and exploitability of nature by human beings are spoken of in numerous verses. However, human beings are invited to use this opportunity for the good and not to "corrupt the earth" [fasad fi’l-ard], a phrase often repeated in the Qur’an.“

Elucidation of the key terms

The subtitle of our theme speaks of “shared ecological responsibility”. I should like to clarify (a) first the terms “ecology” and “ecological” and (b) then say something about the specific contribution of the belief in Creator and Creation to generate an “ecological ethics” and “ecological responsibility”. (c) In conclusion I shall mention the one fundamental attitude and basic virtue which should, above all, inform the ecological thinking and behaviour of the believer.

(a)

It was the German biologist Ernst Häckel who in 1866 introduced the term Ökologie (ecology) indicating by it that part of biology which studies the mutual relations between animate beings  and their (animate and inanimate) environment. These, in the given situation, form an Ökosystem (ecosystem).

The public discussion initiated by the Club of Rome in 1972 caused the term to assume a much wider range of meanings, and thus, today, the term stands for the insight  — either put forward in popular ways or in the context of scientific discourse — that it is the human beings themselves who to a high degree endanger their environment. At the same time the term stands for the practical effort, to limit this damage in sustained and environmentally sound ways. The term environment includes the natural environment (i.e. the entire biosphere with all animate beings and ecosystems) as well as the environment shaped by humans (e.g. forestry and agriculture, settlement, technical use and change of natural resources) which of course is closely related to the natural environment. It is in this context that we speak of “ecological crisis”, “ecological ethics and responsibility”.

In the public discourse of mainly western or western-influenced cultures the concept “ecology” has furthermore assumed an ideological colouring. The terms “ecology” or “ecological” in our day often are used to indicate a basic attitude of people towards nature and life. In many cases the term “ecology” stands for an integral world-view adopted deliberately in contrast to the dualistic understanding of nature that has characterized much of modern Western thinking since R. Descartes (1596-1650). Often a professed ecological outlook is linked to stressing normative elements such as the demand for the autonomous rights of nature. Such an outlook can develop into a kind of “ecological” belief or doctrine that confounds  (or at times even identifies)  spirit and matter, human person and nature, God and world, and which at times presents itself as a kind of ecological salvation doctrine (“eco-soteriology”), challenging the teaching of a genuine Christian and Muslim theology of creation.

(b)

To formulate norms and practical maxims which would distinguish themselves significantly from a philosophically and rationally based “ecological ethics” cannot and should not be the specific contribution of believers in Creator and Creation to a contemporary  ”ecological ethics”. Catholic ethical teaching and much of mainstream Muslim teaching, I think, definitely would hold that the effort for finding moral truth first of all belongs to the authentic competence and responsibility of the socio-historic reason given to humans as such. The ethicist, including the religious one, who cares for the proper relationship of humans to the natural resources, carefully and with an open mind registers the empirical evidences and tries to order and comprehend them on the basis of a comprehensive interpretation of the meaning of human existence. The theological ethicist, in addition, enquires about the ecological significance of the Christian and Muslim faith and tries to evaluate critically and productively the human problems in the light of faith in Creator and creation. Hence the distinctively Christian or Muslim element belongs not to the level of directives for moral action.  Rather it concerns the perception and evaluation of nature. Nature as seen in faith perspective is that realm of the creation of God, which has been entrusted by the creator to humans as a precious gift that has to be cared for and protected. Thus for the believer in God as the Creator, the relationship to nature, that is to his or her natural environment, including the non-human co-creatures, stands within the wider framework of his or her relationship to God. This relationship constitutes the all-important key which the belief in Creator and Creation prefixes to the ethically responsible acting of man in and towards nature. The significance of this key, prefixed to ecologically responsible action, consists above all in that it places responsible action into the context of those questions that concern the origin, the meaning and the objective of the whole of creation. The prefixed key furthermore urges the believer to move in the light of his central basic attitudes of faith into ecologically responsible behaviour and action. 

(c)

Finally, I should mention one basic ecological virtue (among others) which would  or should inform any ecologically responsible action of the believer — and hopefully of every person.

Together with the joy and gladness on the part of humans  — and among them especially the believers in God as Creator —  about creation and about the glory of the Creator that shines forth in it, gratitude must be regarded as the fundamental ecological attitude. It constitutes the human person’s and the believer’s pre-ethical orientation which sustains and informs all Christian and Muslim ethics. In this basic orientation or outlook the human person and the believer can best respond and correspond to the creative action of God and to its result, creation in all its dimensions. Here the human person realizes herself as the creature that recognizes, acknowledges and renders thanks. In the fundamental act of receiving and thanking the believer — as the steward of creation — gives an adequate answer to the creative action of God.

However, this basic relationship of the created human being to God will also inform the attitude of the human being to all other creatures of the universe. Gratitude as fundamental attitude generates a specific consciousness that accompanies all technical and cultural activity of the believing person. Nature is given to humans as a permanent condition underlying all their action. In other words: the most basic elements of creation like, for instance, light, water, air, soil, the elementary food, are not made by man but have been entrusted to him. Hence humans do not have the right to use and ‘consume’ them wilfully in their imagined power of being able to bring about everything they want to. The religiously grateful and responsible attitude possesses a specific and proper value. It sets limits to human power of disposition. True, practically it is never easy in a given situation to define the limits set to the human will to shape and transform nature technologically. However we are asking here for accepting certain limits in dealing with the natural environment, its resources that should not be overstepped. Thus the human person becomes more attentive and careful in thought and action.

Finally, a religiously grateful attitude towards the creator will help to see the earth as given on loan. The basic attitude of gratitude towards the Creator can and should sensitize ethically–responsible acting, namely through the conviction in faith that the earth and its natural wealth have been entrusted by the Creator to humans only as a gift on loan as it were. That means, the earth with all that which lives on it and with all the vitally important treasures it contains, does not belong to the human beings, neither to any individual, nor to any people or to any nation however powerful it might be, nor to any global socio-economic power and equally not to a specific time and epoch. The Lord has entrusted to all of us humans, as his stewards and stewardesses, the earth so that we should shape it according to his will. Hence men and women of a certain epoch and culture are entitled to use and to consume the goods of the earth; however, simultaneously they must be concerned to preserve a sufficient stock or reserve of basic life-enabling key-gifts of creation to later generations and epochs.

Linked with this consciousness of the believer of having received the earth as a gift on loan — each one in accordance with his or her share of responsibility — is the knowledge of the believers that at the end of this time on earth they have to give to the Creator an account  about the way they have administered creatively the life-space earth entrusted to them, in other words, whether they have been faithful to the mandate given to them, as reliable and prudent “economists” of God and have shaped the lebensraum (living space) earth in wisdom and justice.

Basic structure and dynamics of this symposium

Ultimately we as individuals and as local communities, Muslins and Christians, bear each a share of responsibility.

As believers we are called first of all to learn more and in a systematic way about the facts on the ground, about the real ecological situation and to acquaint ourselves with the chief ecological concerns in our day, globally, regionally, nationally and locally. On the basis of this information about the status quo, this symposium sets out to explore what the two religious traditions, Muslim and Christian, tell the believer with regard to the theme of ecological responsibility. 

What do our religious scriptures and traditions mean to us in this situation. In which ways do they want us to relate to our created environment? What do they call us to undertake?

What are some of the main insights and emphases Christian and the Muslim mystics have share with us in their life and teaching? In what ways can they inspire and guide us today with regard to our responsibility towards the environment?

How do poetry and prose literature in the Punjabi and Urdu languages speak about the ecological crisis and our responsibility?

What has up to now been done by Christians and Muslims together here in the Punjab, in Lahore?

And, finally, what are for us Muslims and Christians practical steps in shared action forward?

I wish all of us a fruitful time of mutual informing, reflection and exchange.

Encounters in Delhi and New Delhi

Leo D. Lefebure

I arrived at the international airport in Delhi early on the morning of February 9, 2014.  Turkish Airlines had notified me that the flight would arrive twenty minutes later than originally planned, but in fact it arrived at the original time.  I sped through the passport control, baggage claim, and customs, arriving outside the terminal earlier than anticipated.  Because of the dense fog in Delhi that morning, my host, Victor Edwin, SJ, had not yet arrived.  So I observed the people coming and going around the terminal for a while until he made his appearance.  The drive to St. Xavier’s School in Delhi went smoothly despite the fog.

The following day we went to Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi.  Earlier, in September 2013, I had delivered a lecture on Pope John XXIII and Bediuzzzaman Said Nursi at an international symposium in Istanbul; at the symposium I had also chaired another panel, which included Professor Iqtidar Mohd. Khan, the director of the Department of Islamic Studies of Jamia Millia Islamia University.  After the panel had concluded, I told him that I would be visiting his university the following February, and he had graciously invited me to address his students.  As I arrived at Jamia Millia on Feb. 10, Dr. Khan welcomed me warmly.  I found that the room where I was to lecture was packed with students, with more arriving all the time.  Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, the Director of Zakir Husain Institute of Islamic Studies of Jamia Millia, introduced me; and then Dr. Mufti Mohammad Mushtak Tijarwi spoke about the commitment of Jamia Millia to providing students with knowledge of comparative religious studies.  I spoke for about 45 minutes on the variety of methods involved in the contemporary comparative study of religion.  I began by noting the similarity between the commitment of Jamia Millia to the comparative study of religion and the priority that Georgetown University, where I teach, places on interreligious understanding.  Then I distinguished religious studies, which seeks to be neutral by bracketing explicit religious commitments, from the theology of religions, which seeks a broad understanding of how religions relate to each other, and also from comparative theology, which pursues detailed investigations of particular aspects of two or more religious traditions.  Students seemed most attentive.  A number of professors and students posed questions after I had finished my remarks.  After leaving Jamia Millia, we had an enjoyable lunch at the center for Catholic religious communities, which was nearby.

The following day, February 11, marked the opening of the conference, “Building Communities of Peace: Muslim-Christian Relations in Asia,” which was co-sponsored by Francis Xavier Movement, Henry Martyn Institute, Interfaith Coalition for Peace, Zakir Hussain Institute of Islamic Studies of Jamia Millia Islamia, Indialogue Foundation, and the Islamic Studies Association.  The opening session was held at St. Xavier’s School on Raj Niwas Marg.  Some participants were unable to be present in person but sent papers commenting on Muslim-Christian relations in various areas.  In the afternoon Padmashri Prof. Mushirul Hasan offered an overview of the relations between C.F. Andrews and Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan, stressing their intellectual curiosity and desire for respectful interreligious relations.  That evening we went to the Indian Islamic Cultural Center, where Joe Kalathil, SJ, discussed his work seeking reconciliation between India and Pakistan and Rev. Thomas Birla commented on the work of the Hizmet movement, which is inspired and led by the Turkish leader Fethullah Gülen.

On the morning of February 12, the conference continued, and we returned to Jamia Millia Islamia for my lecture on Pope Paul VI and the new spirit that he brought to Christian-Muslim relations.  Again the room was packed with students.  It seems that originally only graduate students had been invited to join the participants of the conference, but undergraduate students had heard about it and wanted to be present as well.  There was tremendous excitement in the room as extra chairs were brought in; even with the additional seating, there were still people standing near the door.  The chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia spoke about the importance of Muslim-Christian conversations.  Then Prof. Kahn spoke briefly, and Victor Edwin introduced me.  After my presentation, Dr. Wasey spoke about the Muslim initiative to Christians in which he participates, “A Common Word between Us and You.”  He was the only Indian Islamic leader to sign the original statement in 2007.  Georgetown University is now the center for continuing this interreligious initiative in North America.  There were a number of comments and questions from participants in the conference and from the faculty and students of Jamia Millia.  One young man protested to Dr. Wasey that I had used the word “Saracen.”  Dr. Wasey pointed out that I had put the word in quotation marks in my lecture, and that I was simply reviewing the historical practice of earlier generations of Christian leaders.  He lectured the student on the need to interpret texts properly, he praised my remarks for being honest and objective, and he told the Muslim students that they had been privileged to hear such a talk.  Afterward, a light snack was served outdoors. 

I was delighted that my colleague and friend, Vincent Sekhar, SJ, was able to attend the conference.  He had organized my very first trip to India in the fall of 2007, when I was teaching at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Doha, Qatar.  Now he serves as the executive director and dean of research at the Institute of Dialogue with Cultures and Religions at Loyola College, Chennai.  He presented me with a copy of his recent book, Religions, Ecology and Environment: Sacred Texts That Shape Perspectives (Bangalore: Claretian Publications).  He is currently traveling the world making contacts to enhance the work of his Institute, and he will be visiting me at Georgetown University this coming spring.

On Thursday, February 13, Victor Edwin and I went to Delhi University, where we met with the director of Buddhist Studies and various faculty and students of his department.  We had had a conversation with a professor of Arabic Studies.  Afterward, we drove past St. Stephen’s College, where Adhip Chaudhuri, a Hindu friend of mine who recently died of cancer, had studied many years ago.

On Friday, February 14, I spoke about my new book, True and Holy: Christian Scripture and Other Religions (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books), at the Indian Social Institute in New Delhi.  A number of Jesuits and women religious attended the talk and posed many interesting questions for further discussion.  Afterwards as we were conversing in the Jesuit lounge, the breaking news was broadcast that the anti-corruption activist, Arvind Kejriwal, had just resigned from his position as the Chief Minister of Delhi.

On the morning of Saturday, February 15, I visited the beautiful and elegant site, Humayun’s Tomb, which had been renovated since my earlier visit in early 2008.  Work was still in process touching up the paint.  That evening we watched a documentary film, “Muslims and Police: A Perspective,” which explored the difficulties and challenges facing the Muslim community in India today.  Of particular concern was the low literacy rate and the need for more and better schools.  An animated discussion followed.

On the afternoon of Sunday, February 16, Victor and I went to visit Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, a noted Muslim leader and the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality.  In the midst of crowded Delhi, the balcony of his home overlooks a beautiful garden with trees and flowers.  His daughter and a number of his followers were also present, and they discussed the work of CPS in combatting terrorism and violence in Kashmir and around the world.  We discussed mutual efforts to improve Muslim-Christian relations both in India and in the United States.

That evening I gave a talk on “Spirituality and Interreligious Relations: Pope Francis and Fethullah Gülen,” to the faculty and students of Vidyajyoti School of Theology in the Jesuit Residence.  There were questions both about Gülen and about the response to Pope Francis from conservative American Catholics.  Afterward we had dinner with the Vidyajyoti community.

All in all, it was a week filled with discussions, with encounters with interesting people, with renewing old connections and making new ones.

Editorial

In the second week of February 2014, several organizations, including Francis Xavier Movement (Italy), Henry Martyn Institute (Hyderabad), Interfaith Coalition for Peace (New Delhi), Zakir Hussain Institute of Islamic Studies—Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi), Indialogue Foundation (New Delhi) and Islamic Studies Association (Delhi) jointly organised a seminar on Building Communities of Peace: Muslim-Christian Relations in Asia. The sessions were held at three different places: at St Xavier’s School, the India Islamic Cultural Centre and the Jamia Millia Islamia.  

In his keynote address Building Communities of Peace: C.F. Andrews and Sir Sayyid Ahmed Khan, Prof. Mushirul Hasan emphasized the intellectual curiosity of these two great men that paved the way for their humanistic vision. Through their by life and work, they showed that standing with the other is the quintessential aspect of dialogue. Both Sir Sayyid and C.F. Andrews recognised that an insular attitude can raise only resistant walls, whereas intellectual curiosity can build connecting bridges. Prof. Hassan noted that there is sufficient material in our own intellectual traditions that can help us to reach out to the other to grow in mutual respect and understanding.

Prior to and following the keynote address, papers were read on Christian-Muslim Relations in the South Asian neighbourhood: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. They emphasised that through dialogue and mutual openness, Christians and Muslims can be able to understand each other’s religious faiths better and learn to respect it.  For better understanding, both Christians and Muslims should to be ready to listen to one another.  The purpose of dialogue ought to be, therefore, better understanding, peaceful co-existence and establishment of a fellowship of faith.  Through mutual respect for each other’s religious beliefs and eagerness to listen and learn from each other, we can help create a human community where all can live in peace and harmony, with freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice.

The speakers highlighted the attitude of the Pope Francis, who said, “Turning to mutual respect in interreligious relations, especially between Christians and Muslims, we are called to respect the religion of the other, its teachings, its symbols, its values. Particular respect is due to religious leaders and to places of worship. How painful are attacks on one or other of these.” 

So, our future is in dialogue. We cannot afford to isolate ourselves from one another.

In the second session, held at Indian Islamic Cultural Centre, Fr Joe Kalathil SJ spoke about his initiatives for peace between India and Pakistan. The discourse on peace between these two neighbors is mainly political and diplomatic. Often, the agents of peace and mutual understanding are either ignored or seen to be unpatriotic. Following him, Rev Thomas Birla presented his understanding of the Hizmet Movement and its efforts for peace. The members of this movement are engaged in efforts to address poverty and illiteracy through education all over the world. While the first session emphasized the cognitive aspects of dialogue, the second session presented the heart of dialogue in action.

In the third session, held at  Jamia Millia Islamia, Prof Leo D Lefebure (Georgetown University, Washington DC) laid out the stimulating story of change in Catholic attitudes towards Islam that was brought about by Pope Paul VI. He told his listeners that “to appreciate the new spirit that Pope Paul brought to Christian-Muslim relations, it is necessary to have a sense of the earlier relationship”. He briefly noted some characteristics of the “old spirit” of Christian, and in particular, Catholic attitudes towards Muslims and Islam.  He said: “At a time of widespread suspicion and hostility, Louis Massignon played a decisive role in developing warm relations with Muslims and in preparing his friend and colleague, Giovanni Battista Montini, for his later papal ministry as Pope Paul VI”.   He briefly mentioned the new path in interreligious relations and religious freedom that was begun by Pope John XXIII, and then discussed Pope Paul’s involvement in the interreligious events. Following him, Prof Akhtarul Wasey, Director of the Zakir Husain Institute of Islamic Studies, Jamia Millia, New Delhi, talked briefly about “A Common Word” Initiative. He was one of the signatories of the document that was sent to Pope Benedict VI and 27 other Christian leaders, inviting them for dialogue with Muslims. He said that Christians and Muslims should work together for peace between them and in the world at large. They have the inner spiritual resources within their communities. These resources are also a common treasure between them.

The seminar provided much food for thought. It underlined the salience of the need for Christians and Muslims to reach out to each other. In doing so, they can learn to find connections that have the potency to build a world of mutual understanding and peace. The seminar reminded us that both Christians and Muslims have to overcome the resistance of ignorance. We simply do not know who the other is. In other words, we do not have the objective information. In the absence of the right knowledge, we tend to believe the prejudices that are spread as truth. We often share biases and internalise them. However, when we have opportunities to learn, we recognise our naivety and learn and appreciate the other.

Peace activists often caution us about another type of ignorance: wilful ignorance. This ignorance is born of intellectual stubbornness. This ignorance acts as a cognitive barrier and resists any new knowledge. Prejudices continue to dictate the heart and mind, rejecting any new knowledge. Simply providing information is not adequate to deal with this form of ignorance. In order to bring about a real change, a collective effort should be made to execute a whole set of carefully organised programs and long exposures. A sustained effort in this line can cure blind ignorance.

Peace workers warn us of a form of ignorance which is lethal: culpable ignorance. This ignorance can be ideologically-driven one. This form of ignorance deliberately refuses to know. It avoids any challenge. It effectively shuns out any evidence against prejudice.  It dismisses alternative possibilities. It rejects any new interpretations. This ignorance effectively spreads seeds of social unrest. This shows that we need to overcome ignorance on a number of levels.

 How do we overcome this 'ignorance'? First of all, people of goodwill, irrespective of community, should come together. We turn to the past for learning for the future. Together we could look at history and identify people who labored hard to promote peace and harmony between people of different religions. There are a number of pioneers who broke new ground in building communities of peace. They opened up new ways of relating with people of other religions.  They took new initiatives to sow the seeds of peace and mutual understanding. They established centres that initiated programs for training people in interfaith education. They forged new alliances to resolve long-standing disputes.  They prepared their companions for this new journey.

The seminar enabled participants to get in touch with a number of committed intellectuals and peace activists who work for peace. The intense interest of Muslims in all the sessions was indeed an eye-opener for the Christian participants.

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This issue of Salaam offers readers an assortment of articles with an interconnecting theme of exploring the links between Christians and Muslims: their life, prayer, and efforts for peace in the world. In the first article Shi'a-Christian Tabletalk, C.T.R. Hewer shows how important table conversations are—they make one feel comfortable with the other without the need to hide behind lengthy academic discussions. 

The second article is from Egypt. Fr Bimal Kerketta shares his ups and downs as a missionary in the heart of Islamic world. He writes: “In all ups and downs, I'm able to find signs of hope. I'm able to see more clearly than ever before the love and appreciation of people towards us, what we do, and what we stand for. Many friends, both Muslims and Christians, have been standing by our side – supporting us, defending us, and encouraging us to continue our services. These events remind us that our services are required even more than ever before”. A sense of joy and hope is palpable.

In the third article, Victor Edwin suggests that every authentic prayer binds Christians and Muslims. Such prayer guides them toward living in peace. The spiritual efforts of Muslim brothers and sisters do not leave the hearts of their Christian brothers and sisters unmoved since they stand together before one God. Christians and Muslims standing together and praying authentically according to their traditions are moving toward living together in peace. He proposes that one should not hinder a Christian who is exploring with Muslims the togetherness in prayer. And, conversely, one should not impede a Muslim who is exploring this self-same togetherness in prayer with Christians.

Zain Awan’s article emphasizes that relationship with God is at the heart of prayer.  In his article, Yoginder Sikand reflects on his work at a centre for inter-community dialogue in Hyderabad. In his article, Ghulam Rasool Dehlvi, an alim (classical Islamic scholar) and a Delhi-based writer, tells us about the message of universal love and brotherhood, unity, communal harmony, inclusiveness and tolerance exemplified by the glorious life and lofty teachings of Sufis, like Hazrat Khwaja Gharib Nawaz.

In his conversation with a fellow Jesuit, peace activist Joe Kalathil shares his experience of peace-building. He believes peace is indeed possible. People are peace-capable. ‘They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall not raise sword against another, nor shall they train for war again’ (Isaiah 2: 3-5).

In the final article, Victor Lobo studies the letters of Makhdum Sahib Sharafudin Maneri as rendered in the beautiful translation by Paul Jackson.

I wish you a joyful Spring and Summer 2014!

Victor Edwin SJ
Guest Editor

MY EXPERIENCE IN EGYPT

Bimal Kerketta SJ

I landed in Egypt in August 02, 2002. Everything was new. I had to start from zero. Within a few days, I began an intensive classical Arabic language course in a language institute. The course was for the beginners and to my surprise, alphabets were not introduced to us. We had to look into it by ourselves. We were led to formulation of words without having any earlier background. The paradox was, I had to learn classical Arabic, but I was talking in colloquial Arabic, and on top of that the Community language was French. This was the first time I was listening French and Arabic simultaneously. A daunting task!

Learning the Arabic language is a long process. It has one of the richest vocabulary and a rather intricate grammar. It is a flowery, almost poetic language, able to present things in a creative way. Besides, there is Egyptian Arabic, Lebanese Arabic and Syrian Arabic………Being familiar with these has been very helpful as these countries are a part of the Near East Jesuit Society Province.

Egyptians are proud of their language. They are ever ready to help and encourage a non-Egyptian in learning their language. Facing these challenges with patience and persistence has been rewarding. Somehow, mere physical appearance and accent of my Arabic language make many of them judge, saying that I'm from Sudan. The word "Sudan" doesn't refer to colour alone but to one who is less equal in Egypt. I can understand how difficult it is for a real Sudanese who is mocked, ridiculed and looked down in the streets of Egypt just because he/she is a black! Hence, my response has always been, "I wish, I were a Sudanese to feel equal with black people."

Muslims are about 90% of the total population of Egypt. The other 10% are Christians, the majority of them being Coptic Orthodox. Cairo is called the city of minarets. On July 21, 2010, a daily Arabic newspaper called 'Al Ahram', in its weekly edition stated that in Cairo alone, there are more than 45,000 mosques and in the whole of Egypt, more than 70,000 mosques. After the Arab revolution, this number has rapidly increased. What strikes me most is how people, almost the whole country, pause to pray five times a day, after which they continue their works and duties. Initially, it seemed like a needless disruption of work. But I soon realized how much work and prayer are a part of one harmonious reality for the people here.

When in contact, many Egyptians are inquisitive and like to know all about you and your country. Once the ice is broken, which is very soon, conversation can go on and on. Yet, an Indian, who is not a Muslim but a Catholic priest, is beyond comprehension for many. My work has been mainly of service to one and all. I enjoy working among all. Through my work in the school and Jesuit Social Centre, I'm able to meet people from all walks of lives. Since I'm considered a black, I'm a wonder to many. There are questions every day, often the repeated ones. At times Egyptians wonder how one can leave one’s motherland and would work among them.

Over the years, occasional violence against Christians has surfaced but the most recent attacks on August 14, 2013 were the worst in years. I would call it a BLACK DAY for Christians in Egypt. Early morning, a minutely planned attack began by Islamists groups on Government establishments, police stations, Christian churches, their houses, shops, all properties and establishments, etc, all over Egypt. It is said that all over Egypt 58 churches were damaged, looted or torched down completely. In El Minia Governorate where I'm posted for the last three years, saw the highest number of churches and Christian properties destroyed.

In all ups and downs, I'm able to find signs of hope. I'm able to see more clearly than ever before the love and appreciation of people towards us, what we do, and what we stand for. Many friends, both Muslims and Christians, have been standing by our side – supporting us, defending us, and encouraging us to continue our services. These events remind us that our services are required even more than ever before.

Let the prayers of all Muslims and Christians people be heard by Allah, the most High and Almighty.

Can a Muslim and a Christian Pray Together?

Victor Edwin SJ

Introduction

This is an important question that one has to deal with in his or her mission of Christian/Muslim relations. In the pluralistic world, one cannot completely avoid any level of participation in the worship of the Other. The immediate danger that many Catholic theologians apprehend in such participation is the danger of syncretism. This question becomes theologically nuanced when it has to deal with Christians and Muslims praying together. This article suggests that it is not only possible that Christians and Muslims can pray to one God together, but also, that the aforesaid praying together is essential and should be encouraged.

Christians and Muslims Believe in one God

Christians and Muslims should recognize that, first of all, they worship but one God. They address their prayers to one God in whom both Christians and Muslims place their faith and commit themselves to bend their own wills to the will of the one and the only God. Pope Paul VI affirmed that Muslims are true adorers of the one one God when he wrote: "Then to adorers of God[,] according to the conception of monotheism, the Muslim religion[,] especially, [is] deserving of our admiration for all that is true and good in its . . . [its] worship of God" (Ecclesiam Suam 106).

The recognition of differences is an expression of mutual respect.

Nevertheless, one should not forget the considerable differences between the Christian and Muslim confession of God's unity. The unity of God as a common element between Christians and Muslims needs to be approached carefully for, when Christians talk about God, they talk about one who, "is known and worshiped as Father, Son and Spirit." Muslims do not accept this Trinitarian understanding of God. Accordingly, the fundamental differences in their understanding of the Godhead should be recognized for the recognition of differences is an expression of mutual respect.

Christians and Muslims Pray to the Living God

If one relativizes differences, then the significance of the concept of difference will be undervalued. However, differences do not do away with the meaning that one can experience in depth in the encountering of one another. Christians should be aware that Muslim prayer is directed towards the living God, and that the Islamic faith has raised, over the centuries, true worshipers of the one God. Christians must also realize that the God of Muslims is not an idol, not a creature, not a lofty idea, but the God in whom Christians also believe.

We Stand Before one God

The faith of Christians and Muslims in one God, and prayer to that one God, allow for an encounter in faith, standing before God in a real way. This standing together helps Christians and Muslims in that it is God who is binding them together, and the encounter between them is God's gift. This encounter helps Christians and Muslims to live their profound differences in mutual respect. When Christians and Muslims seek to live their relationship with God in such a conscientious way, they are together with their differences, and, thus, they become brothers and sisters. Pope John Paul II stresses this in his address to Muslims in the Philippines when he told them: "I deliberately added you as brothers . . . [for] that is certainly what we are, . . . members of the same family, whose efforts, whether people realize it or not, tend toward God and the truth that comes from him. But we are especially brothers in God, who created us and whom we are trying to reach, in our own ways, through faith, prayer and worship, through the keeping of his law and through submission to his designs."

 Conclusion

Every authentic prayer binds Christians and Muslims. Such prayer guides them toward living in peace. The spiritual efforts of Muslim brothers and sisters do not leave the hearts of their Christian brothers and sisters unmoved since they stand together before one God. Furthermore, every authentic prayer is under the influence of the Spirit of God who constantly intercedes for humanity (Romans 8:26-27). Christians and Muslims standing together and praying authentically according to their traditions are moving toward living together in peace. One should not hinder a Christian who is exploring with Muslims the togetherness in prayer. And, conversely, one should not impede a Muslim who is exploring this self-same togetherness in prayer with Christians.

(The author acknowledges several fruitful discussions that he has had with Professor Christian W. Troll, S.J., a renowned Catholic theologian with regard to matters of Islam and Christian/Muslim relations.)