reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

408 Reuven Firestoneof the religious community that it represents. All three scriptures contain materialreflects that inevitable conflict. And like the other scriptures, the Qur'an contains a.:significant amount of polemic directed against other religions and oppositionalcommunities (religious, social and political) that existed at the time of its emergence. 47 •By the assumed period of the emergence of the Qur' an in the seventh century,the notion of divine election had become institutionalized in monotheism. 48 Divine ·election was a rhetorical weapon in the Hebrew Bible, a means of defending Israei ·amidst the multiple challenges that established religions and competing ·represented to it. 49 The New Testament accepted the notion of divine electionpriori, but applied it to the new community of Christians by claiming that Israelhad lost that status to them.Because of the importance of divine election in prior scripture, the history ofinterreligious polemic between Jews and Christians, and the natural polemicalrelationship between newly emerging and establishment religions, it should be nosurprise that the notion of chosenness arose in the argument between earlyMuslims and those Jews and Christians who believed that they belonged to reli- ·gious communities in exclusive relationship with God. The Qur'an notes theclassic argument between Jews and Christians ·and reduces it to triviality: "TheJews say: 'The Christians have no ground to stand on,' and the Christians say:'The Jews have no ground to stand on,' though they both recite the Book ... " 50Elsewhe~,jt_note~ l!()_W: bs>fuJews and Christians argued against the new revelation,each by referring to Abraham as its own monotheist progenitor (Q 2:135,3 :65-67). 51 While the Qur' an often claims that the religion it brings is better thanthat practiced by Jews and Christians (not to mention idolaters), its general thrustis to refrain from arguing that it is better than the actual revealed religion ofJudaism (and perhaps less so of Christianity). The problem with prior religion,rather, is that it is not practiced properly by those who claim to be following it. ·Many examples can be found to support this. Jews and Christians, for example,worship various entities they call the son of God, but they are deceived by false- ..hood (C!fo.Y.!) because they were com:mandedto worship olll.y dod (Q9:30.:.:3i). ·.Some verses seem to present a counter-position of superiority of Islam over all . ·religion, as we have observed from 3:110/ 2 but these appear to be uncommon andit is unlikely that they represent a position of superiority articulated through anexclusive notion of divine election. 5 347 K. Zebiri, "Polemic and polemical language," EQ, 4:114-24.48 R. Firestone, Who are the Real Chosen People: The Meaning ofChosenness in Judaism, Christianityand Islam, Woodstock, VT: Skylight Paths, 2008,21-52.49 Deuteronomy 7:6-9; 10:14-22; Isaiah 41:8-10; 49:6-8; Psalms 33:12, etc.50 Qur'iin 2:113. See also 5:18: "The Jews and the Christians say, 'We are sons of God and Hisfavorites.' Say, 'Then why does he punish you for your sins?" '51 See also Qur'iin 2:140.52 See also Qur'iin 9:33, 58:22. . .53 For example, Qur'iin 9:33 is a continuation of the argument presented in Qur'iin 9:30-32 as a counte~·to the theological/ritual errors of competing monotheists (not their original monotheism). The "party·:of God" in Qur'an 58:22 is compared with opponents who are the "party of Satan" in previous verses·as a rhetorical device, suggesting a comparative rather than superlative relationship.Is there a notion of "divine election" in the Qur 'an? 409As noted above, however, the Qur'an repeats the view that once-dominantcommunities may be replaced through God's will with others who are better prac­.. titioners of religion. The reward seems to relate to physical or political power overenemies and oppression. For example, when the Israelites are oppressed by thechiefs of Pharaoh's people, Moses tells them that if they are adequately pious and· help in God, they may become successors on earth (w:.:.:;'-11 ~ r