أما قبول الآخر، بمجرد أن يُعرف رأيه دون أن يُصدر عليه حكم، ودون أن يُردّ قوله، فليس من المنهج الإسلامي في شيء. بل إن ما يدل عليه الكتاب مناقض لذلك تمامًا، إذ يقول القرآن الكريم: ﴿وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا * لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا * تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا * أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدًا * وَمَا يَنبَغِي لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا﴾ [مريم: 88-92].

As for accepting the other, in order to merely know his opinions, without pronouncing judgments against him, and without refuting what he says, is not of the Islamic method whatsoever. Rather, what the Book indicates is completely contradictory to that. When the Noble Qur'an "They say: 'Ar-Rahmaan has begotten a child.' Indeed you have brought forth a terrible evil thing! Whereby the heavens are almost torn down, the earth split asunder and the mountains fall in ruin. That they ascribe a child to Ar-Rahmaan. And it is not suitable for Ar-Rahmaan to beget a child" [TMQ Maryam: 88-92].

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ۝ لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا حِينَ لَا يَكُفُّونَ عَنْ وُجُوهِهِمُ النَّارَ وَلَا عَن ظُهُورِهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ ۝ بَل تَأْتِيهِم بَغْتَةً فَتَبْهَتُهُمْ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ رَدَّهَا وَلَا هُمْ يُنظَرُونَ [القرآن الكريم، سورة الأنبياء: 38-40]

"And they say: 'When will this promise (come to pass), if you are truthful?' If only those who disbelieved knew when they will not be able to ward off the Fire from their faces nor their backs. Nor will they be helped. Nay, it will come upon them suddenly and perplex them. And they will have no power to avert it nor will they get respite" [TMQ Al-Anbiya: 38-40].

And:

And:

وَإِذْ قُلْتُمْ يَا مُوسَىٰ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ لَكَ حَتَّىٰ نَرَى اللَّهَ جَهْرَةً فَأَخَذَتْكُمُ الصَّاعِقَةُ وَأَنتُمْ تَنظُرُونَ [سورۃ البقرۃ: 55].

"And when you said: 'O Musa, we shall never believe in you until we see Allah plainly.' And you were seized with a thunder bolt while you were looking" [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 55].

And:

And:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ آمِنُوا بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا نُؤْمِنُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَيَكْفُرُونَ بِمَا وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا مَعَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ فَلِمَ تَقْتُلُونَ أَنْبِيَاءَ اللَّهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ۝ [تفسير ابن كثير: سورة البقرة: 91].

"And when it was said to them: 'Believe in what Allah revealed', they said: 'We believe in what was revealed to us' and they disbelieve in what is after it while it is the truth confirming that which is with them. Say: 'Why then did you kill the Prophets of Allah aforetime if you were (indeed) believers?'" [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 91].

وَقَالُوا لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا مَن كَانَ هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ ۗ تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ ۗ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ * بَلَىٰ مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ [القرآن الكريم، سورة البقرة: 111-112]

"And they say: 'None shall enter Paradise except he be a Jew or Christian.' Those are their desires. Say: 'Produce your proof if you are truthful.' Rather whoever submits his face to Allah and is a doer of good, his reward is with Allah. Such will not fear nor will they grieve" [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 111-112].

وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ وَلَدًا ۗ سُبْحَانَهُ ۖ بَل لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ [البقرة: ١١٦]

"And they say: 'Allah has begotten a child.' Glory be to Him! Nay, to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. All surrender to Him with obedience" [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 116].

And:

And:

وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَىٰ تَهْتَدُوا ۗ قُلْ بَلْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ [تفسير القرطبي: سورة البقرة، آية 135]

And they say: 'Be Jews or Christians (then) you will be guided.' Say: 'Nay, the creed of Ibrahim, and he was not of the polytheists'" [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 135].

"ألم تر إلى الذي حاج إبراهيم في ربه أن آتاه الله الملك" [سورة البقرة: 258]. ومع أن هذه الآية من شرع من قبلنا، إلا أنها بدأت بقوله سبحانه: Note: Only the Qur'an verse in braces should be left as given; I translated the reference label as it appears in the source.

"Have you not considered about he who disputed with Ibrahim about his Lord because Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim said to him: 'My Lord is He who gives life and causes death.' He said: 'I give life and cause death.' Ibrahim said: 'Verily Allah causes the sun to rise in the east thus you cause it to rise in the west.' Thus the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allah guides not the unjust folk" [TMQ Al-Baqarah: 258]. Even though this ayah was of the Shar'a of those before us, however it commenced with His saying subhanahu:

And:

And:

الَّذِينَ قَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ وَقَعَدُوا لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا ۗ قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ [تفسیر القرآن الکریم: آل عمران: 168]

"Those who said about their brothers while they sat (at home): 'Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed.' Say: 'Avert death from yourselves if you speak the truth!'" [TMQ Al-Imran: 168].

And:

And:

الَّذِينَ قَالُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَهِدَ إِلَيْنَا أَلَّا نُؤْمِنَ لِرَسُولٍ حَتَّىٰ يَأْتِيَنَا بِقُرْبَانٍ تَأْكُلُهُ النَّارُ ۗ قُلْ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِي بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَبِالَّذِي قُلْتُمْ ۖ فَلِمَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ. [سورة آل عمران: ١٨٣]

"Those who said: 'Verily Allah has taken our promise not to believe in any Messenger unless he brings to us an offering which fire devours.' Say: 'There came to you Messengers before me with clear proofs and with what you speak of. Why then did you kill them if you are truthful?'" [TMQ Al-Imran: 183].

And:

And:

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ: ﴿يَدُ اللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ﴾ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا بِمَا قَالُوا ۚ بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنْفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ [المائدة: 64]

"And the Jews say: 'Allah's hand is tied up!' Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they say! Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched. He spends as He wishes" [TMQ Al-Mai’dah: 64].

And:

And:

سَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَا آبَاؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ شَيْءٍ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا بَأْسَنَا ۗ قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَا ۖ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ [سورة الأنعام: 148]

"Those who associate (with Allah) will say: 'If Allah had willed, we would not have associated nor would we have forbidden anything.' Likewise belied those before them until they tasted Our wrath. Say: 'Have you any knowledge so that you produce it for us? Verily you follow nothing but conjecture (dhann) and you do nothing but lie" [TMQ Al-An’am: 148].

And:

And:

وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ عُزَيْرٌ ابْنُ اللَّهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ اللَّهِ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ قَوْلُهُم بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ ۖ يُضَاهِئُونَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَبْلُ ۚ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ ۝ اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَالْمَسِيحَ ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا إِلَٰهًا وَاحِدًا ۖ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ۝ [سورۃ التوبہ: 30-31]

"And the Jews say: 'Uzayr is the son of Allah' and the Christians say: 'The Messiah is the son of Allah.' That is their saying from their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah's curse is upon them, how they lie! They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah and the Messiah son of Mary while they were not commanded save to worship one Lord. There is no god but He. Glorified is He beyond what they associate!" [TMQ At-Taubah: 30-1].

And:

And:

وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَٰذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ ۚ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ ۖ إِنِّي أَخَافُ إِنْ عَصَيْتُ رَبِّي عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ۝ قُل لَّوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا تَلَوْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَا أَدْرَاكُم بِهِ ۖ فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّن قَبْلِهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ ۝ [تَفْسِيرُ القُرْآنِ الكَرِيمِ: يُونُس: ١٥-١٦]

"And when Our clear aayaat are recited to them, those who expect not meeting Us say: 'Bring us a Qur'an other than this or change it.' Say: 'It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow that which was revealed unto Me. Verily I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the punishment of a Great Day.' Say: 'If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you nor would He have made it known to you, I had stayed among you a lifetime before this. Have you then no sense?'" [TMQ Yunus: 15-6].

And:

And:

"وَقَالُوا: مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ مَّا كَانَ حُجَّتَهُمْ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا ائْتُوا بِآبَائِنَا إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ قُلِ اللَّهُ يُحْيِيكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يَجْمَعُكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ" [القرآن الكريم، الجاثية: 24-26]. حتى الآيات من سورة الكهف، التي استدل بها أحدهم، لا تخرج عن هذا الأسلوب في دحض مفهوم الكفر أو مفاهيمه. ولا يقتصر الحوار، كما يزعمون، على كونه عملية فكرية بحتة؛ بل هو فهم مفاهيم الكفر ودحضها. ويتضح ذلك في توبيخ الصاحب، ورفضه كفر أحد الرجلين، إذ قال:

"And they say: 'There is nothing but our life of this world, we die and we live and nothing destroys us except time. They have no knowledge of it, they only conjecture. And when Our clear aayaat are recited to them, their argument is not other than that they say: 'Bring back our fathers if you are truthful.' Say: 'Allah gives you life then causes you to dies, then He will assemble you on the Day of Resurrection about which there is no doubt but most of mankind know not'" [TMQ Al-Jathiya: 24- 6]. Even the aayaat of Surah Al-Kahf, which one of them used as evidence, does not depart from this style of refuting the concept or concepts of kufr. Nor is the dialogue, as they say, a mere intellectual process only; rather it is understanding and refuting the concepts of kufr. This is clear in the rebuke of the companion, rejecting the kufr of one of the two, saying:

أَكَفَرْتَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَكَ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ سَوَّاكَ رَجُلًا ۝ لَّٰكِنَّا هُوَ اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِرَبِّي أَحَدًا ۝ وَلَوْلَا إِذْ دَخَلْتَ جَنَّتَكَ قُلْتَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ۝ إِن تَرَنِ أَنَا أَقَلَّ مِنكَ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا ۝ فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّي أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًا زَلَقًا ۝ أَوْ يُصْبِحَ مَاؤُهَا غَوْرًا

Do you disbelieve in He who created you dust then out of a (nutfah) then fashioned you a man? But as for me, He is Allah my Lord and none shall I associate with my Lord. Had you, when you entered your garden, only said: 'Whatever Allah wills (will occur), there is no power except with Allah.' If you see me less than you in property and children, perhaps my Lord will give me better than your garden and send upon it a (husband) from the sky, then it will be a slippery earth. Or its water

...ينخسف حتى لا تستطيع طلبه" [التمهيد: الكهف: ٣٧-٤١]. فكيف يُقال إن الصاحب لم يُصدر حكمًا وهو يوبخه قائلًا: "أكفرت بالذي خلقك؟" ثم يوجّهه إلى ما يجب عليه أن يقوله، وهو: "ما شاء الله، لا قوة إلا بالله". ثم بيّن له قدرة الخالق القادر على إرسال الصاعقة من السماء وإذهاب الماء؟ فكيف يُقال إن هذا نموذج للحوار الديني دون قيد أو شرط، ودون إصدار أحكام، وقبول الآخر كما هو؟

becomes deep sunken so that you will not be able to seek it" [TMQ Al-Kahf: 37-41]. So how can it be said that the companion did not pronounce judgment while he rebukes him saying: 'Do you disbelieve in your creator?' Then he directs him to what is obliged upon him to say namely: 'Whatever Allah wills, there is no power except with Allah.' Then he explained to him the power of the All-Capable (Al-Qadir) Creator to send the bolt (from heaven) and make the water disappear. So how can it be said that this is a model of religious dialogue without restriction or condition, without pronouncing judgments and accepting the other as he is?

أَمَّا مَنِ احْتَجَّ بِقَوْلِهِ (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى):

As for the one using as evidence His (SWTH) saying:

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ ۝ لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ۝ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ [سورۃ الکافرون: 1-3] — ذلك للحوار مع الكفار، وقوله ﷺ

Say: 'O you disbelievers! I do not worship that which you worship. And you do not worship what I worship'" [TMQ Al-Kafirun: 1-3] for dialogue with disbelievers (kuffar) and His ﷺ saying:

"فَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ" [سورۃ التوبہ: 6] لیے مشرکین کے ساتھ مکالمے کے لیے استدلال کرنا ایک غلط استنباط ہے اور اپنے سیاق سے باہر ہے۔ سورۃ الکافرون نے ان کے بارے میں ایک فیصلہ صادر کیا ہے، جس میں بیان ہوا ہے کہ وہ کافر ہیں اور اپنے کفر پر قائم رہیں گے، کبھی ایمان نہ لائیں گے۔ اللہ سبحانہ وتعالیٰ جانتا تھا کہ وہ کبھی ایمان نہیں لائیں گے، اور اس نے اپنے رسول ﷺ کو اس سے آگاہ فرمایا۔ اس نے آپ ﷺ کو حکم دیا کہ یہ بات ان تک پہنچا دیں، تاکہ باہمی طور پر اپنے اپنے فرائض کا تبادلہ ہو جائے۔ لہٰذا جب اللہ سبحانہ وتعالیٰ نے خبر دے دی کہ وہ موت تک کافر ہی رہیں گے، تو اس کے بعد کسی بھی طرح کے مکالمے کی کوئی گنجائش باقی نہیں رہتی۔ یہ سورت مخصوص لوگوں کے بارے میں نازل ہوئی۔ اللہ نے سچ فرمایا۔ ان میں سے کچھ کفر پر قائم رہے اور کچھ قتل کر دیے گئے، اور ان میں سے کوئی بھی ایمان نہ لایا۔

"If one of the polytheists seeks your protection, grant him protection until he hears the word of Allah; then escort him to a place of safety" [TMQ At-Tawbah: 6] for dialogue with polytheists; this is an incorrect deduction and outside its context. Surat Al-Kafirun has pronounced a judgment against them, which states that they are kuffar and will remain upon their kufr without ever believing. Allah subhanahu knew that they would never believe ever and He informed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that. He commanded him to convey it to them in order to offer their mutual exchange of duties. So there remains no place for dialogue whatsoever after Allah subhanahu informed that they would remain disbelievers until death. This Surah descended regarding specific people. Allah spoke the truth. Some of them disbelieved and some of them were killed; and none of them believed.