Tentative Response: Application Question

Sura 56 dwells on the degrees of faithfulness. The Qur’an states that their is “those in front - ahead indeed! For these will be the ones brought nearest to God in Gardens of Bliss” (al-Qur’an, 56:11)  and those the on the Left “...will dwell amid scorching wind and scalding water.”(43). While this parallels the New Testament’s idea of true believers going to Heaven and non believers going to Hell, The Qur’an offers a  middle center for believers called the Right. The Right are filled with people who exhibit devotion in God but not to the extent as those brought nearest to God. Yet they are still able to enjoy “thornless lote trees and clusters acacia with spreading shade.” The description of where the Right ends up is similar to how Heaven is described in the New Testament, differing only in the type of people who are allowed there. The New Testament seems to imply that only those who exhibit absolute devotion to God are allowed in Heaven while the Qu’ran makes a distinction between those who believe the most, thus rewarded the greatest by God, and those who believe moderately and such are rewarded moderately. I find this a little ironic considering in the present day, Islam is portrayed by the media as being radical the Qu’ran seems to allow moderate faith in God, in fact Christian faith appears to be more radical in that sense.