PRINCIPLES FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE.pdf - CUEA

seeing what Christians and Muslims have done together, the way
they have lived and how they have looked at each other, one gets
ample food for reflection and thought. There is a need to see how
Christians and Muslims have lived particularly in Arabia, in the land
conquered by Muslims and in the West between seventh and
thirteenth centuries. In fact many historians have written books and
papers and presented to the contemporary world the fruit of their
research. However, their credibility lies on the sources from which
the information is taken. Professor Kenny usually refers to a.t- .Tabarî,
al-Azraqî, Ibn-Is .hâq, Ibn Sa`d as main sources of the history of
Muslims within and outside the Umma. There is hope to believe that
such sources are true or closer to the truth.
A discussion about Christian-Muslim relations goes beyond the
question who was right and who was wrong. My concern is to look
clearly at how Christians and Muslims have interacted, so that, based
on history, we may correct and improve the relations between
Christians and Muslims. The history of those interactions may bring
more light to the Christian-Muslim debates. Robert Caspar says:
This history of Muslim-Christian relationship is the history of the Church
that faces the challenges of Islam. Because of that the Church has got a
chance to throw new light on its mystery. New theological formulations of
Christian doctrine, new aspects of its mission and methods of
evangelization, as well as the birth of new spiritualities are the best fruits
of this Muslim-Christian relationship that has not always been clear and
smooth, but has been full of ambiguities, moments of tension and
difficulties. 16
So we may ask ourselves two questions: first, what was the attitude
of Muhammad and
Muslims towards Christians living within Arabia and the conquered
lands and vice-versa; second what was the attitude of Christians
towards Muslims in the Byzantine Empire and the West?
1. CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RELATIONS DURING THE LIFETIME OF
MUHAMMAD
1.1 Muhammad at Makka
16Robert Caspar, History of Christian-Muslim relationship in "Encounter" no 122-123, February-march,
(Rome: Pontificio Instituto di Studi Arabi e d'Islamistica Piazza, 1986), p.2.
Created by DEAN-FASSFrederic Ntedika Mvumbi, OP
Page 13 of 37