Al-Hiwar bayn al-Hidarat fi al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah

(Dialogue  among Civilizations in the Book and Sunnah)

Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri

With the collaboration of Ridha Berenjkar,

1st ed., 2000, 216 pages, Arabic

Dar al-Hadith, Qom, Iran

The idea and method of dialogue among civilizations ranks among the most important issues in the cul­ture of the 21st century, an issue that was accorded special prominence through the naming of 2001 as the year of dialogue among civiliza­tions based on the initiative of the Iranian president. This idea of designation of the year was sug­gested by the chief executive of a system that is deeply rooted in the rich culture of Islam. The Iranian pre­­sident's idea should be viewed as the indication of rational inclina­tions in Islam and the rational and logical criteria upon which the div­ine shari`ah is founded. Were the method suggested for life and civi­lization offered by Islam not based on scientific foundations, it would not have called people to ration­alism profound studies and examination of religious beliefs, and would have encouraged blind adherence and religious and int­ellectual authoritarianism. Therefore, the elaboration of Islam's view on dialogue among civilizations is an important issue for those who are concerned and think about this cultural approach of the century. The present work comprises a part of the Enc­yclopedia of Mizan al-Hikmah. It is an examination of Islam's view about the important subject of dialogue among civili­zations, based on the Holy Quran and the hadiths of the Infal­libles (PBUT).   

The central issue of dialogue among civilizations and its aims and methods in the Holy Quran and Hadith is discussed in five chapters.

Chapter one presents Quranic verses and hadiths relating to the technique of dialog.

Chapter two discusses the principles and rites of dialogue such as con­centrating on the content of the speech rather than of the spea­ker, adherence to knowledge, seeking to discover the unk­nowns, and resorting to the truth as well as to the Holy Quran and Sunnah and how to benefit from the Holy Quran in our discourse..

Chapter three is an attempt to identify the blights of dia­logue such as following one's imagination, carnal desires, imi­tation, contentiousness, enmity, anger, and seeking help from falsehood.

Chapter four is an examination of the rules of discourse and the judgment about the worthy and unworthy ones.

Chapter five, taking up the bulk of the book, contains exam­ples of the dialogs of prophets, including Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and his household (PBUT).  

Each chapter begins with verses of the Holy Quran, and goes on to present prophetic hadiths and those of the Infallible Ima­ms (PBUT), from Shi`ite and Sunni sources. Source and refere­nces are included in the footnotes. 

The Persian translation of the work is published with the following bibliographical data: The Dialogue among Civiliza­tions in the Holy Quran and Hadith, trans. Mohammad Ali  Soltani, Qom: Dar al-Hadith, 1st ed., 2000, 356 pages.

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