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“Shin Buddhism, Christianity, Islam: Conversations in Comparative Theology”

February 14-18th, 2017, at Ryukoku Univerisity

Session (2): Universality and Exclusivism

Universality and Exclusivism in the perspective of Islam

Through " A concept of the House of Islam and the House of War "

Junya Shinohe

Prof. of School of Theology

Director of CISMOR

Doshisha Univerisity

Kyoto,Japan

In the beginning, I express my deep thanks to President of Ryukoku University and Dean of the

faculty of literature, and also Dr. Dennis Hirota who organized this Kyoto Symposium for giving

me a chance to express and explain about Islamic viewpoint concerning to Universality and

Exclusivism in Religions.

Preface

Quran is the only one direct guidance from the unseen God for believers of Islam in this world.

Quran is word of the God (Allah) conveyed by Gabriel (the greatest Angle) to Muhammad, the last

prophet and the messenger (not the last messenger). Believers in Allah live to reach to Allah in the

day of the judgement, depending on judgements in the Islamic jurisprudence deduced from Quran.

And these Islamic judgements are not fixed, but changeable according to the change of

environments, or situations of the cases. It means that Quran is the only one resource of the Islamic

jurisprudence. Islamic jurists are always back to Quran when they make judgement of cases. And

their judgement would not be the laws, or rules of Allah although they were deduced from Quran.

Their judgement is classified into 4 categories as known well.

1-lawful (Halal),

2-ullawful(Harm),

3- not lawful, but recommend (mamduh),

4- not unlawful, but detested (makruh).

We must aware that all things in all cases are lawful as main principal because Allah the creator is

the goodness, so all creatures by the goodness must be good without doubt. Human beings are

allowed to use all in this world except which Allah made them unlawful including their actions to

others.

Judgement in Islamic jurisprudence are collected according to schools of Islamic jurisprudence.

And they are called by book of Islamic jurisprudence ( kitau-l-fiqh)

Here I want to say that Islamic jurists are who convert the creed written in Quran to rules in their

ordinary life without being far away from Quran, the direct guidance from Allah. And their

judgements were always backed to Quran. Their principal was that they would not make that Allah

made lawful, unlawful, and would not make which Allah mad unlawful, lawful. They tried to

understand what Allah said without changing the words, and interpreting them.

And I make a clear here that the role of Islamic jurist made judgement of concrete cases posed to

them it whether it is lawful or unlawful, and some of them made clear structure of Islamic law

required in the process of judgement in Islamic jurisprudence. Bothe of them were deduced from

Quran without doubt.

My presentation concerning with how Islamic Jurists who established schools of Islamic

jurisprudence (Mazhab, Mazahib plur), converteded Universality and Exclusivism in the level of

creed in Quran to judgements of the above mentioned 4 categories in ordinary life for believers,

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and made clear structure of Islamic law required in the process of judgement in Islamic

jurisprudence concerning with law cases of dispute among believers in Islam, and between

believers in Islam and Non believers. It is a trial to seek aspects of harmonizing Universality and

Exclusivism in both of level of the creed and level of the practice without impair the both through

understanding steps of the Islamic Jurist who established schools of Islamic jurisprudence as a

whole, and especially Hanafi school and Shafi school.

1.

Islam: as an universal monotheistic religion

Islam is a universal monotheistic religion after mentioned monotheistic religions like Judaism and

Christianity in Quran．

There is no religion for Allah except Islam, but it means monotheistic religion in the verses in

Quran. It included all the monotheistic religions before monotheistic religion brought by Muhamad

as good news for believers and warning news for Non believers. There many messages from Allah

before Muhammad. Muslims know what are they although only some of them were written in

Quran, not all of them.

سلم وما اختلف الذين أوتوا الكتاب إل من بعد )) ال ين عند للا فإن إن الد ما جاءهم العلم بغيا بينهم ومن يكفر بآيات للا سريع الحساب 3:19القرآن (( للا

“The religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): nor did the people of the Book

dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them. But if any deny the Signs of Allah, Allah is swift in calling to account.” “Quran”3:19

The other meaning of Islam in Quran is a religion for believers following Muhammad selected

as a messenger of words of Allah. This understanding confirms that Muslims admit Ibrahim, Ismail,

Moses, and Jesus as messengers from Allah in Quran. We can say that Islam is a name for all the monotheistic religions in the world and religion for

believers following messengers from Allah.

century accepted good news from Allah conveyed thAnd I also explain here how the Arabs in 6

by Muhammad, and became believers in the monotheistic religion after about 21 years after

accepting it, when Allah admitted the Arabs believers of the monotheistic religion. The Arabs who

were believers in monotheistic religion, as descendants of Ibarhim and Ismail, and forgot the

monotheistic religion of their ancestors, then became idolaters. And any idol for worship is

prohibited in the monotheistic religions because it denies that the God (Allah) is unseen in this

world. So there is no choice for the Arabs in Arabic peninsula, to believe in religion except Islam.

The Arabs became member of the family believing in the monotheistic religion in the following

verses in Quran.

سلم دينا فمن اضطر )) ثم اليوم أكملت لكم دينكم وأتممت عليكم نعمتي ورضيت لكم ال في مخمصة غير متجانف ل

غفور رحيم(( 4:3القرآن فإن للا

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen

for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. “”Quran”4:3

”

Basic principles of the creeds are common among the monotheistic religions (Judaism,

Christianity, and Islam).

Belief (Iman) is to believe in in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day,

and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.

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This shows that believers cannot see Allah directly in this world. including the messengers. There

are different opinions or interpretations about seeing Allah in the day of the judgement as verses

says:

ين )) 1:4(( القرآن مالك يوم الد

"Master of the Day of Judgment" Quran 1:4

Allah will judge all people without exception in the day of judgement directly. It means that the

system of the monotheistic religion will be ended because Allah is master of the Day of Judgement.

Some of them say that seeing Allah is a reward to believer for the result of his belief and practice

in this world, and say why the evil men will get a reward of seeing Allah directly.

The following hadith shows main and common principals of the creeds of the monotheistic

religion.

"Then tell me about Iman ."He said:"It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His

messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof." 40 Hadih Islam has many common creeds with the precedent monotheistic religions. In this point, we can

say that Islam is universal monotheistic religion.

Many people have questions

Why does Arab–Israeli conflict over Palestine continue and find no way of the resolution after the

Oslo I Accord or Oslo I 1993 which set up a framework of the coexistence although Islam is an

open religion which recognizes coexistence with Jewish people?

Why do people of the Islamic world carry out suicide bombing attack on Israel and the Christian

world?

Why does IS( the Islamic state ) kill muslims so easily ?

Is it no use of universality in Islam on these problems?

I point out here that Islam has universality within it, but practice in Islamic belief is carried out in

restrict community. It is common among all universal religion. Practice in Islam is influenced by

the local customs and its environment.

Customs is also a source of law as long as it does not violate Quran.

Universality in Islam is not contradictory with the exclusivism in Islam in the restricted area. And

the universality in Islam will not sweep away the exclusivism in Islam in the restricted area as long

as there is no offence against Quran.

1-1. Local conflicts, and universality and exclusivism among schools of Islam

Islam is universal religion without restriction on races(tribes), gender, ages, time, places. There is

no difference among human beings except fear of Allah. And its teaching is also universal.

I want to say that it is a matter of the level of creed, or belief. All the believers in Islam are

requested to do its teachings in ordinary life, not in places far away from towns, or cities where

people make a living life. Islam requests its believers to perform religious duties among people in ordinary life. There is no man of religion serves at Allah as a profession, or lead believers in

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religious practice in Islam. So religious practices of Islam are affected by the customs, the

environment, the history, and the blood relations more and more than any other universal religion.

There is a saying of Muhammad that the blood relations of the Arabs are stronger than the religion

(a-ddiyn) in the context of choosing husband. And another Hadith is there. Ali asked Muhamad the

messenger of Allah why did not the messenger hesitate to kill an enemy of Allah (a man of Quraish

tribe), and the messenger replied that he remember his blood relations with an enemy of Allah in

the battle.

I want to say here that Allah created human beings and its blood relations also, and that Allah

taught how to thank Allah who created them, gave them all fruits of the earth to live (Islam). Islam

does not say that a man should live far away from his family, devote his life in the religion, deny

marriage life, and etc,…

Form this point, Islamic jurist tried to harmonize the universal creed with the religious practices

with elements of the exclusivism.

There is universality in Islam as a monotheistic religion, but its believers make ordinary living life

with their tribes, families, and races. And they enjoyed in their autonomy religiously and politically.

It is absurd to sweep away the exclusivism with the universality from teachings of Islam and their

history. We can find it easily in the Arab countries from where Islam began.

In addition to that, conflict between Sunni and Shia are affected by conflict of the tribes and the

races. It is not theological conflict although most of people says that main reason of the conflict is

in the selection of the Caliph from the family of Qurash, or from descendent of Ali. It was a

political issue, not theological issue.

It is more clear when we see the geographical distribution of Sunni and Shia, and also Schools of

Sunni.

1-2. Universality and Exclusivism among Sunni schools

The distribution of Sunni schools is geographical one. Maliki school spreads over the North

Africa area, Hanbali school over Arabian peninsula, Shafi school over Egypt, Levant, and the South

East Asia, Hanfi school over Iraq Turkey and China.

Persian people before converting to Shia school conveyed Hanafi school to China. So Chinese

muslims still now believed that their creeds in Islam are same as Persian ones although their

teachings are of Hanafi school.

And Islamic jurists in the above mentioned schools from their people who know their tradition,

customs, history, and environment well as their blood.

If you visit their mosques to pray, they welcome you to pray. They are open their religious

facilities to religious brothers and sisters. But you cannot find foreign religious leaders there.

1-3. Universal religion as a monotheistic religion

Islam is universal religion as a monotheistic religion. There is no theological contradiction

between the universality and the exclusivism. It means also that there is no religious war among the

schools or between Sunni and Shia, or between believers and Non believers to convert any group or

any race to their school.

2. Islam and other religions

Islam is religion opened for all the human beings as the following verse says:

21:107(( القرآن وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين ))"We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures. " "Quran"21:107

And a man has a right of selection of Islam, to accept invitation of Islam or reject it. It is prohibited

to convert any man to Islam with power as the following verse says: The selection is between the

acceptance and the rejection.

فقد استمسك بال ل إكراه ف (( فمن يكفر بالطاغوت ويؤمن بالل شد من الغي ين قد تبين الر عروة الوثقى ل انفصام لها ي الد

سميع عليم 2:256ن (( القرآ وللا

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“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil

and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah

heareth and knoweth all things.” "Quran 2:256"

From here, we can say that Islam has universality to giving all the human beings to accept it.

2-1. Messengers as mercy of Allah

Islam was revealed to the Arabs through the messenger Muhammad from Allah.

حيم {191}مؤمنين إن في ذلك لية وما كان أكثرهم (( {190} العالمين {192} وإن ربك لهو العزيز الر وإنه لتنزيل رب

وح المين {193} مبين {195} على قلبك لتكون من المنذرين {194} نزل به الر لين وإنه لف {196} بلسان عربي ي زبر الولناه على بعض العجمين {198} أولم يكن لهم آية أن يعلمه علماء بني إسرائيل {197} فقرأه عليهم ما كانوا {199} ولو نز

198-190 :26ن (( القرآ به مؤمنين

"{190} Verily in that is a Sign: but most of them do not believe. {191} And verily thy Lord is He, the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. {192} Verily this is a Revelation from the Lord of the worlds:

{193} With it came down the Spirit of Faith and Truth, {194} To thy heart and mind, that thou

mayest dmonish {195} In the perspicuous Arabic tongue. {196} Without doubt it is (announced) in the revealed Books of former peoples. {197} Is it not a Sign to them that the Learned of the

Children of Israel knew it (as true)? {198} Had We revealed it to any of the non-Arabs, {199} And had he recited it to them, they would not have believed in it. " Quran 26:190-198

It shows that it is revealed the Arabs in Arabic because that the messenger Muhammad was sent

after the messengers of the monotheistic religion.

16:103نرآ(( القسان عربي مبين ولقد نعلم أنهم يقولون إنما يعل مه بشر لسان الذي يلحدون إليه أعجمي وهذا ل ))"We know indeed that they say, "It is a man that teaches him." The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear. " Quran 16:103

It shows that there is strong relations between messengers from Allah and their languages.

How to understand universality and exclusivism in Islam in this contexet ?

We can find the following verses for it.

21:107))وما أرسلناك إل رحمة للعالمين(( القرآن "We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures. " "Quran"21:107

Mercy (rahamah) here is singular, and plural is رحمات rahamat.

يا أيها الناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكر وأنثى وجعلناكم شعوبا وقبائل لتعارفوا إن أك {13})) عليم رمكم عند للا أتقاكم إن للا

49:13ن (( القرآخبير “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into

nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the

most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full Knowledge and is well-acquainted (with all things). “ 49:13

They do not believe same religion. And they would not know or believe in Allah without

messengers from them.

(({36} واجتنبوا الطااغوت فمنهم من هدى للاا ة رسول أن اعبدوا للاا للة ولقد بعثنا في كل أما ومنهم من حقات عليه الضا

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16:36ن ((القرآ بين فسيروا في الرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المكذ “For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Messenger, (with the Command), "Serve Allah, and

eschew Evil": of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom Error became

inevitably (established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth). “ Quran 16:36

There is no messenger from Allah to lead all mankind to belief in Allah, but their tasks were to

lead their people with their language. And the monotheistic religion conveyed to their people by

them was the same one (Islam).

We know here that the religious structure of Islam keeps in harmonizing between universality and

exclusivism. And its adaptions in the ordinary life keep in it.

2-2．Islam is open to believers of another religions

This verse indicates the universality of Islam because the using a singular word “a mercy” suggests universality and exclusivism in same time.

21:107القرآن (( وما أرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين ))"We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures. " "Quran"21:107

Muhammad is a mercy for the Arabs, and other messengers are mercy for their people. Allah sent his mercy to all mankind to lead them to believe in Allah ( only one God). Mercy is very important word in Islam especially. Because Allah promised by himself that his mercy ovred his anger. Allah would accept repent of believers whenever they want to be back to Allah until this world finished.

عليه وسلم عن أبي هريرة قال: ق صلى للا :ال رسول للا الخلق، كتب في كتابه على نفسه، فهو موضوع عنده: إن رحمتي تغلب غض " ا قضى للا "بيلم

رواه مسلم )وكذلك البخاري والنسائي وابن ماجه( On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of

Allah (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) said:

When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath. It was related by Muslim (also by al-Bukhari, an-Nasa'i and

Ibn Majah).

3. How to deduce judgement from Quran and its structure.

I here repeat the preface for it is needed to explain after that. Quran is the only one direct guidance from the unseen God for believers of Islam in this world.

Quran is word of the God (Allah) conveyed by Gabriel (the greatest Angle) to Muhammad, the last

prophet and the messenger (not the last messenger). Believers in Allah live to reach to Allah in the

day of the judgement, depending on judgements in the Islamic jurisprudence deduced from Quran.

And these Islamic judgements are not fixed, but changeable according to the change of environments,

or situations of the cases. It means that Quran is the only one resource of the Islamic jurisprudence.

Islamic jurists are always back to Quran when they make judgement of cases. And their judgement

would not be the laws, or rules of Allah although they were deduced from Quran

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3-1. Divisions of the areas according to implementing of Islamic Law

Divisions of the areas according to implementing of Islamic Law

What is the Islamic law ? It is not Quran itself. It is not book of fiqh. Islamic law is judgement

deduced from Quran on cases proposed to Faqih( Islamic Jurist). Faqih did not make any law but

deduced judgement on the case propose to him from Quran. They knew that their judgement would

be collect or wrong in the view of Allah except decisive words (verses in Quran) on the case. The

judgement process is called by fiqh.

Islamic jurist needed to divide the area into 2 areas. One is area where Islamic law is implemented.

The other is area where Non Islamic law is implemented. Islamic jurists could harmonize legal

judgement in Islam with another judgement in Non Islamic law by dividing area into the above

mentioned area. They called the former by the house of Islam（Daru-l-islam）, and the latter by the

house of War（Daru-l-Harb）.

The word “the house of War” means area where there is no treaty or no agreement with Muslims.

The house of War became Daru-l-silm,or sulh (area with treaty with muslims) after conclusion of the

treaty.

The word of “silm” is derived from Arabic stem of s-l-m. This stem has derivative words like

“salam(Peace)”. But “silm” is different from “salam”.

The word of “salam” means a name of Allah in Quran. People of “salam” means people in Paradise.

“Asslam alaikum” means that I pray Allah for you that you will be with Allah, or you will be a man

of Paradise. Antonym of the word “salam(Peace)” is “gadab(anger)” of Allah, not war in Quran.

Antonym of the word “harb(war)” is “silm(treaty)” in Islam.

يطمعون(( وهم يدخلوها لم عليكم سلم أن الجناة أصحاب ونادوا بسيماهم كل يعرفون رجال العراف وعلى حجاب وبينهما))

7:46القرآن

“Between them shall be a veil, and on the Heights will be men who would know everyone by his marks: they will call out to the Companions of the Garden, "Peace on you": they will not have

entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof). “ Quran 7”46

على وتوكال لها فاجنح للسالم جنحوا وإن )) 61: 8(( القرآن العليم الساميع هو إناه للاا

“But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah:

for He is the One that Heareth and Knoweth (all things).” Quran 8:61

It is a mistake to think that the house of war is area of Jihad, or area conquered by muslims

although many muslims and Non muslims in contemporary age think so.

Muslims do not explain to themselves and to Non muslims, and Muslims say that the religion of

Islam is religion of Peace to people who think that antonym of the word “peace|” is the word “war”.

Non muslims attack on muslims staying in their countries with saying that Islam is religion of the

war whenever Islamic radicals or terrorist groups used suicide bombings attacks in their countries.

.

Islamic jurists in Hanafi school and Shafi school who divided area into 2 areas, were sincere

believers. They tried to adapt creeds of Quran in the ordinary life more and more accurately. They

had to divide area for it. This trial concerns with the structure of Islamic law deduced from Quran.

They understood Quran correctly without doubt.

They understood the following verses as religious and instructive lessons as many stories in Quran

are religious and instructive lessons. Allah did not order to convert non muslims to be musulims, or reform them, or attack on them. So jahad would be defensive.

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راط اهدنا {6} ال ين ول عليهم المغضوب غير عليهم أنعمت الاذين صراط {7} المستقيم الص 7-6: 1((القرآن الضا

“{6}Show us the straight way, {7} The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those

whose (portion) is wrath, and who go not astray. “ Quran 1:6-7

Those whose portion is not wrath are Jewish people, and those who go astray were Christian people.

These verses are religious and instructive lessons. Muslims were not requested to make actions to

them.

The division of the area concerns with jurisdictional dispute and Hanafi school admitted

jurisdictional authority of Non muslim. Most of Islamic jurist in contemporary age admit this.

For example, they admit jurisdictional authority of France on the issue of wearing hijab. And they

asked the jurisdictional authority to consider feeling of muslims on it, and religious tradition of the

msulims. If Muslims and Non muslims understood this point, they would not go to dispute without

resolution.

Here I want to say that Islam in practice or in the level of ordinary life has harmony in universality

and exclusivism.

What is the Islamic law? It is not Quran itself. It is not book of fiqh. Islamic law is judgement

deduced from Quran on cases proposed to faqih (Islamic Jurist). faqih did not make any law but

deduced judgement on the case propose to him from Quran. They knew that their judgement would

be collect or wrong in the view of Allah except decisive words (verses in Quran) on the case. Fiqh

means this judgement process.

Islamic jurist needed to divide the area into 2 areas. One is area where Islamic law is effective.

The other is area where Non Islamic law is effective. Islamic jurists could harmonize legal

judgement in Islam with another judgement in Non Islamic law by dividing area into the above-

mentioned area. They called the former by the house of Islam（Daru-l-Islam）, and the latter by the

house of War（Daru-l-harb）.

The word “the house of War” means area where there is no treaty or no agreement with Muslims.

The house of War became Daru-l-silm,or sulh (area with treaty with muslims) after conclusion of the

treaty.

The word of “silm” is derived from Arabic stem of s-l-m. This stem has derivative words like

“salam(Peace)”. But “silm” is different from “salam”.

The word of “salam” means a name of Allah in Quran. People of “salam” means people in Paradise.

“Asslam alaikum” means that I pray Allah for you that you will be with Allah, or you will be a man

of Paradise. Antonym of the word “salam(Peace)” is “gadab(anger)” of Allah, not war in Quran.

Antonym of the word “harb(war)” is “silm(treaty)” in Islam.

يطمعون(( وهم يدخلوها لم عليكم سلم أن الجناة أصحاب ونادوا بسيماهم كل يعرفون رجال العراف وعلى حجاب وبينهما))

7:46القرآن

“Between them shall be a veil, and on the Heights will be men who would know everyone by his

marks: they will call out to the Companions of the Garden, "Peace on you": they will not have entered, but they will have an assurance (thereof). “ Quran 7”46

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على وتوكال لها فاجنح للسالم جنحوا وإن )) 61: 8(( القرآن العليم الساميع هو إناه للاا

“But if the enemy incline towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in Allah:

for He is the One that Heareth and Knoweth (all things).” Quran 8:61

It is a mistake to think that the house of war is area of Jihad, or area conquered by muslims

although many muslims and Non muslims in contemporary age think so.

Muslims do not explain to themselves and to Non muslims, and Muslims say that the religion of

Islam is religion of Peace to people who think that antonym of the word “peace|” is the word “war”.

Non muslims attack on muslims staying in their countries with saying that Islam is religion of the

war whenever Islamic radicals or terrorist groups used suicide bombings attacks in their countries.

.

Islamic jurists in Hanafi school and Shafi school who divided area into 2 areas, were sincere

believers. They tried to adapt creeds of Quran in the ordinary life more and more accurately. They

had to divide area for it. This trial concerns with the structure of Islamic law deduced from Quran.

They understood Quran correctly without doubt.

They understood the following verses as religious and instructive lessons as many stories in Quran

are religious and instructive lessons. Allah did not order to convert non muslims to be musulims, or

reform them, or attack on them. So jahad would be defensive.

راط اهدنا {6} ال ين ول عليهم المغضوب غير عليهم أنعمت الاذين صراط {7} المستقيم الص 7-6: 1((القرآن الضا

“{6}Show us the straight way, {7} The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is wrath, and who go not astray. “ Quran 1:6-7

Those whose portion is not wrath are Jewish people, and those who go astray were Christian people.

These verses are religious and instructive lessons. Muslims were not requested to make actions to

them.

The division of the area concerns with jurisdictional dispute and Hanafi school admitted

jurisdictional authority of Non muslim. Most of Islamic jurist in contemporary age admit this.

For example, they admit jurisdictional authority of France on the issue of wearing hijab. And they

asked the jurisdictional authority to consider feeling of muslims on it, and religious tradition of the

msulims. If Muslims and Non muslims understood this point, they would not go to dispute without

resolution.

Here I want to say that Islam in practice or in the level of ordinary life has harmony in universality

and exclusivism.

end