Qur'an Tentative Response

Tentative Response Prompt 3

The Qur’an provides many doctrines that explain how the Muslim community should interact amongst themselves and others. One of the most interesting distinctions made is the separation between the believers and non believers. The Qur’an is particularly critical of non believers, conveying that “if you obey the disbelievers,” you will “turn into losers.” This is supplemented with a call to arms, stating that the believers “will strike panic into the disbelievers’ hearts (3:145). The distinction between those part of the community and those who are not follows the line of whether or not someone follows Islam.

Another place where this distinction is made is on the topic of the afterlife. It is assumed that God is “most gracious to the believers” while having an appropriate response to “pagan ignorance” (3:145). This depicts heaven and life after death to be reserved more for followers of the faith. Surah 56 elaborates on this further by promising “rest, ease, and a Garden of Bliss” (56:91). For non believers however, they shall meet death “welcomed with scalding water” (56:92).