THE BRITISH ISLAMIC CENTER DEPARTMENT OF COMPARATIVE DIVINITY
THE MEETING OF COMPARATIVE DIVINITY THE ISLAMIC INTELLECTUAL MEETING (20)
May, 21, 2002

The Islamic-Christian-Jewish Studies
THE INTERPOSITIONS ON THE STUDY AND THE COMMENTS OF SAYYID AL-BADRI

Ayatullah AL-Shaykh al-Araki

The precious study of Sayyid al-Badri (1) that we hope there will be more scientific resumptions in this regard, devolve upon the scholars and the intellectuals of theology and religious studies with great and remarkable benefits. However, we do not need to confirm the significance of such studies especially in this age—the age of the ideological struggle and the receptiveness of the conceptual schools to each other.

The point through which I want to interpose and on which I want to concentrate is the necessity of establishing a definite method acting as the general sketch for studying the Old and New Testaments. In spite the fact that Sayyid al-Badri has indeed referred to some of the dimensions of the method that must be followed in the study of the ancient religions, I deem necessary to formulate a comprehensive, perfect plan defining the methods that must be observed in the investigation of such texts. In my conception, the first thing to be defined is the objective, which the researcher intends to conclude through such studies. Hence, there are four categories of objectives to be achieved:

First Category: the investigations of the texts must be aimed at proving whatever possible through the Books of the Old and New Testaments apart from the considerations of any religion or religious notion. A researcher must be devoid of any previous conviction or ethnic consideration in order to investigate and evaluate such texts as well as their scientific values proving whether they can stand as scientific documents or not. Through defining the method to be adopted, I will refer to the points of discussion.

Second Category: The Books of the Old and New Testaments must be studied from the corner that whether they can act as evidences proving some matters appertained to our religion or not. In other words, we must discover whether we can benefit by a text for proving a religious rule that we, the Muslims, cannot deny. Our master scholars of Usul (Principles of the religion) have entered upon such studies attempting to determine the legality of the rulings found in the previous codes. A researcher can thus achieve a religious ruling as quoted from the texts of the ancient Books after they are documented and proven as valid in text and signification.

Third Category: the study of the Old and New Testaments must be dedicated to the debates made with the Jews and Christians. In other words, when a dispute regarding the religions are aroused with the Jews or the Christians, their texts and Books must be used in proving our claims, such as the Prophethood of Muhammad, the Imamate of the Holy Imams and the occultation and advent of al-Mahdi who will be the savior of the nations on the earth. To achieve this aim, the principles and reference books that they accept must be used.

Fourth Category: the studies of the Old and New Testaments must be dedicated to proving the rulings and issues for the believers in such religions, not for us. This sort of study may not enjoy a considerable amount of interest. In the same way as they have studied our Book, code and traditions, we may study their Books, codes and traditions so that we will debate with them in the matters they themselves deduced, adopted and understood from such texts. Through such studies, we may prove whether their deductions have been true and we may conclude some results as assumed from their religious texts in the fields of law, universal facts, doctrines and similar matters. Each of the four aforementioned studies has its own method.

In my conception, whether we apply any of the four abovementioned categories, our methodical study of the Books of the Old and New Testaments must firstly adopt the documentation and assessment of the texts. In other words, we must first of all prove whether a text quoted from the Old or the New Testament and ascribed to one of the Prophets who came before our Prophet Muhammad (a.s) had been really said or included by a Prophet or a Divine Book or not. Besides, definite principles and methods must be decided for such documentation.

In the documentation of the Holy Quran, the Prophetic traditions and the texts of the religious laws, we, the Muslims, adopt our own powerful and constant method whose like cannot be found with any other religion if a fair look in all the religions is taken. On both the levels of series of narration and signification, the evaluation and confirmation of the Islamic texts rests upon logical fundamentals; therefore, similar principles must be established for studying the texts of the other Divine Books.

Secondly, after the documentation of a text, its words and phrases must be precisely pinpointed and a set of principles must be defined for this purpose. In other words, we must prove whether a word said by a Prophet was as accurately as it has been quoted or not in order to remove any contradiction. A statement said by a Prophet must be scrutinized whether its words and indications had been Divine revelation, whether its words were reproduced by the Prophet after he had received its signification from the Heavens, whether it (the statement) was presented as an explanation of the Prophet’s other words or whether it was the words of scholars but later on added to the Books of the Bible. In point of fact, the previous suggestions have been personal conceptions that I have not inferred from any reference; yet, it is not unacceptable that some of the doctrines adopted by the Jews and Christians for their having been mentioned in the Bible had been deduced from words of scholars some of whom misunderstood the texts revealed to Prophet Moses or Prophet Jesus. If we can attain such a method defining the origin or characterizing ways of checking the texts, many problems in this regard will be avoided.

Thirdly, principles of significations must be defined; we must identify how a text refers to a definite signification. To achieve such an aim, there must be a set of rules on the bases of which a text is decided to carry a definite signification, be a direct Divine Revelation, an indirect Revelation, an exposition of a Divine Revelation, a personal opinion about a Divine text or an intuitive estimation. Following this, the stage of the claim of the texts shows its face. When a text is proved to have been said by a Prophet to indicate a definite meaning in a definite form, what remains is to prove whether the text can act as a claim that we, the people of the twenty-first century, have to accept and follow. This fact requires many studies. As for Muslims, we have our own evidences on the claim of the Quranic texts and the traditions of the Holy Prophet. Our scholars and experts in Usul have exerted great efforts for the sake of establishing a decisive method upon which they can depend in defining the claim of a text. It is thus necessary for us to define the principles of such claims in our age. Further, claims must vary according to the category and nature of the texts and their contents. For instance, a text can refer to a jurisprudential, doctrinal or historical issue. On this account, to define the claim of a text, its issue must be first of all characterized.

Comment of Sayyid al-Badri

His eminence Shaykh al-Araki has made reference to an important issue by saying, “It is not unacceptable that some of the doctrines adopted by the Jews and Christians for their having been mentioned in the Bible had been deduced from words of scholars some of whom misunderstood the texts revealed to Prophet Moses or Prophet Jesus.”

Let us cite an example on this issue: the Christians have supposed the issue of the Crucifixion of Prophet Jesus from prophesies found in the Book of Isaiah, especially Chapters 52-53, revealing the story of a divine man who was killed aggressively and unjustly and this killing would be the reason behind opening the path of the right guidance and the disciples of this wronged divine man would be the reason behind humankind’s prosperity and guidance. Hence, the Christians applied these prophesies to Jesus Christ although, according to the Holy Quran, he was not killed.

Finally, I express my thanks to his eminence Shaykh al-Araki for his precious interposition and appreciation.

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(1) Because I had not enough time to comment on the interpositions, I provided his notices later on.