Quranic Christians: An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis.

• Author: Burton, John

"Quranic Christians" is a curiously ambiguous expression. The reader may suppose that he is about to learn of some hitherto unheard-of ancient sect. In fact, he shortly notes that he is to be regaled with the views of several distinguished Muslim exegetes on the interpretation of a few Quranic verses referring to Christians as one of the religious communities preceding Islam in the economy of divine revelation. The author of the Quran had in his sleeve a devastating ace. As author also of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, God was in a unique position to inform Muhammad of the extent to which the adherents of those earlier systems had kept faith with His revelations in publishing them in full and adhering to their contents, and in this, His latest revelation, He reports His assessment in this regard of Islam's predecessors. Muhammad and his followers, thus adequately briefed, were never in need to consult others, while the Prophet, forearmed against prevarications or misrepresentations designed to embarrass his claims, could, like Moses and Christ before him, fearlessly preach and teach in the name of Him whom all three dispensations claimed to serve. Possessing, within the Quran's certainties, all three revelations, the Muslim exegete similarly need never consult rabbi or priest, unless for some minor narrative detail, to flesh out his account of a terse Quran allusion to some biblical character or story.

For her purposes, the author has selected seven short, apparently complimentary verses which include some mention of Christians. The passages treat respectively of: the fate of genuine believers, regardless of affiliation; the superiority of some of those who followed over those who rejected Christ; certain scriptuaries who accepted the new revelation; the reward due to those who did adhere to Tora and Gospel and were moderate; the hostility shown to the believers by Jews and idolaters contrasted to the friendlier demeanor of some Christians; certain scriptuaries who now accept Islam, claiming to have anticipated it. Commentaries chosen to illustrate Muslim thinking about Christians range from the 10th to the 20th century and represent both Sunni and Shii traditions. Presented successively in precis form, these exegeses show the Quran passages passing through the sieve of Hadith, especially of the asbab al-nuzul type, to form an exegetical tradition which is then, in turn, viewed through the prism of developing Islamic thought. Given...