Given the importance of interfaith dialogue in the modern period, some contemporary Muslim scholars have challenged exclusivist attitudes towards non-Muslims that were prominent in the pre-modern era. Relying on a rich array of primary sources in Arabic and Persian, this article presents key arguments advanced by contemporary Muslim scholars within the Shia tradition, particularly those with seminarian backgrounds, in support of inclusivist trends. The article focuses on four arenas: (1) theologically inclusivist ideas, with particular attention to the notion of the salvation of non-Muslims in the afterlife; (2) the permissibility of consuming food prepared by non-Muslims; (3) interfaith marriage; and (4) friendship between Muslims and non-Muslims. For each of these arenas, the article first presents relevant exclusivist positions found in classical Shia sources, followed by corresponding inclusivist interpretations advanced in the contemporary period by Shia clerics. It demonstrates that these inclusivist positions exist along a continuum from “soft” to “strong.”
Akbar et al. (Fri,) studied this question.