Muslim Scholarly Discussions on Salvation and the Fate of 'Others'

Abstract

What is the position of Islamic Scripture and theology regarding the fate of ‘Others’? This is an oft-asked question that has frequently evoked one-dimensional responses. In the present study, I examine the writings of eminent Muslim scholars, namely, Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (d. 505/1111), Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn al-‘Arabī (d. 638/1240), Taqiyaddīn Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728/1328), Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (d. 751/1350), and Muḥammad Rashīd Riḍā (d. 1935), in order to arrive at a better understanding of how Muslims have perceived the fate of their non-Muslim contemporaries, and how their particular positions are placed in dialogue with the larger hegemony of Muslim theological discourse on salvation. I also analyze the different methodologies employed in Islamic soteriological discourse – a discourse which, I argue, has been somewhat misunderstood. I demonstrate that these scholars utilize most of the same texts and emphasize similar themes, yet arrive at conclusions that are quite dissimilar. Indeed, these differences of opinion among such prominent scholars seem to challenge the monolithic portrayals of Islamic soteriology found in various academic works.