This work is the first of a series of articles addressed not only to the scientific community, but also to a wider circle of intellectuals, primarily Muslim, who are called upon to mobilize their forces to debunk widespread stereotypes in society (and partly among Muslims themselves) about the cruelty and intolerance of Islam, and to ideologically disarm the rigorists who speak on its behalf and fanatics. It is necessary to free the Islamic teaching from those medieval interpretations and layers that significantly obscured the true humanism of the Koranic message. This task is served by the proposed series of articles devoted to the problems of religious diversity and the attitude of Islam towards non-Believers, religious violence and religious freedom, as well as some issues of Muslim criminal law. Due to its focus, this work is written not in a purely academic manner, but with an appeal to the actual theological methods of argumentation. The articles are aimed at a wide audience. While paying attention to this, we do not expect any leniency in terms of demanding the scientific validity of the provisions put forward here.

Article one

PLURALISM IS ORDAINED BY GOD

Denouncing exclusivism

The doctrine of the unity of God1 , which is common to the three Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), is associated with the concept of the unity of humanity. Like the Bible, the Qur'an proclaims the metaphysical unity/equality of human beings as creatures of the one God, called to serve Him. Like the Bible, the Koran preaches the ethnic unity of humanity, because all people are one family, being the sons of common ancestors-Adam and Eve. But it is in the Muslim Holy Scriptures that the universalist understanding of monotheism is first supplemented by two new dimensions-the revivalist (or prophetological)one2 and soteriological 3 .

1 The Qur'an, collections of hadith and other sources in Arabic will be quoted by the author in his own translation (unless otherwise agreed). Tafsir-commentary on the Qur'an and its translations into Russian are given by the number of surahs and ayat; six canonical codes of hadith and the code of Ibn Hanbal-by the number of hadith, preceded by the letter indicating the compiler: B (al-Bukhari), M (Muslim), D (Abu Dawud), G (Ibn Majah), H (an-Nasai), T (at-Tirmidhi), H (Ibn Hanbal). Classical commentaries on these texts are also quoted by the number of hadiths. If the hadith appears in both al-Bukhari and Muslim, whose codes are considered the most reliable, then when referring to the canonical codes, only these two sources are indicated.

2 From lat. revelatio - revelation and Greek prophets - prophet.

3 From the Greek soterion-salvation.

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God's guidance (primarily expressed in the exaltation of prophets and the revelation of spiritual perfection and eternal salvation) is no longer confined to a single, God-chosen people, as was the case in Judaism. The saving grace of God also ceases to be tied to a certain (rather late) moment in history - to the arrival of the heavenly Savior, who by his self-sacrifice removed the sin of the first parents, as Christianity teaches 4 . According to the Qur'an, the gates of spiritual perfection were opened to mankind from the very beginning of its history, and prophets were given to all nations. Moreover, all people are overshadowed by God's love/mercy, which means that they are worthy of eternal salvation, dwelling in Paradise. For the first time in the history of the monotheistic tradition, the Qur'an declares that the diversity of people's beliefs is fully consistent with Its will and destiny.

Alas, this breadth of the Islamic message did not prevail for long. The doctrine that later prevailed among Muslims was increasingly inclined to the confessional exclusivism characteristic of traditional religions, which the Koran opposed. Muslim theologians have followed the path of theologians of other faiths, who declare their religion to be true, and all others to be false. The intolerance of otherness was even more severe in relation to diversity within Islam itself. The Prophet's mouth was filled with words about the division of the Muslim community into 73" sects " (firaq), of which 72 are doomed to Hell, and only one is destined to enter Paradise. Takfir (accusation of disbelief, anathema), which the founder of Islam so warned against, has become a widespread disease. Some Muslim groups dare to label "kafir" (infidel) all other Muslims who do not share their views.

Such narrowness in the interpretation of Islam is not only religiously erroneous (because it goes against the guidelines of the Koran and Sunnah), but also socially dangerous. With the conviction that "only I follow the right path, and everyone else is mistaken", that "only my sect/denomination is saved, and the rest of humanity will burn with eternal flame" - with such a conviction, it is impossible for people to fully coexist and treat followers of other religions with genuine respect. Exclusivism is also disastrous for its adherents themselves, since it can instill in them a sense of complacency, when instead of diligent work on the path of spiritual improvement, a person relies solely on confessional affiliation.

The growing desire in the modern world to overcome ethnic and confessional isolation, to realize the unity of humanity and to cooperate with all peoples to solve global problems makes it even more urgent to return to the authentic, universalist-pluralistic values of the Qur'anic message.

As is clear from the Qur'an, the Jews and Christians of the Prophet Muhammad's time, united here under the common name "people of the Book/Bible", were distinguished by extremely exclusivist claims. Each of the two faiths boasted of being God's chosen ones: both of them proudly declared that they alone were the sons and favorites of God (5: 18), the only ones who were led by God, and therefore only following them guaranteed access to the path of truth (2:135).

Jews and Christians showed their exclusivism not only in relation to the new religion, Islam. In mutual polemics, they stooped to discredit each other, for which they are reproached by the Koran.:

4 According to traditional Christian doctrine, even the prophets and righteous men of former times languished in Hell until the Savior came and brought them out. In addition, in Christianity, the possibility of salvation, opened with the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, is made dependent on faith in his mission.

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Jews say:
"Christians have nothing to back them up",
And Christians will say
, " It's the Jews who have nothing under them."
Despite the fact that they read [unified] The scripture!
(2:113)

The logical conclusion of the monopolization of truth in the earthly life was the claim to exclusivity in the life to come:

"No one will enter Paradise except Jews",
"No one will enter Paradise except Christians" -
So [everyone] flatters himself with hopes!
(2:111)

Rejecting such exclusivism, God in the following Verse clearly defines two criteria by which eternal salvation is granted:

No way!
Anyone who has surrendered (aslama) To God and does good,
He will receive a reward from the Lord;
There's nothing to worry about,
And they will not know sorrow.
(2:112)

Apparently, exclusivist thoughts even in the time of the Prophet occurred to some of the adherents of the new faith, Islam. As an admonition to such, the Scripture emphasizes::

Do not think as you [followers of Muhammad] do
And the people of the Bible don't think so;
No it's not -
Who will do evil, will receive for it...,
And who, whether it is a man or a woman,
Does good with faith [in God],
Enter Paradise...
(4:123 - 124)

However, the condemnation of exclusivism expressed in these and many other verses of the Qur'an was not properly heard. Moreover, most Muslim theologians refer to the Scriptures themselves as the only religion that guarantees eternal salvation.

What kind of Islam is pleasing to God?

Exclusivists who speak on behalf of the Qur'an most often cling to verses 19 and 85 of Sura 3, interpreting them in the sense that Islam is the only profession that God can please. And this interpretation is usually found in translations of the Koran offered to Russian Muslims, prepared under the guidance or with the assistance of foreign spiritual authorities of a traditionalist orientation. In particular, according to E. Kuliyev, these ayats are respectively transmitted as follows:"Indeed, the religion of Allah is Islam"; "It will never be accepted from anyone who seeks a religion other than Islam... "[Semantic translation..., 2004-2005] 5 .

Some theologians, apparently aware of the incompatibility of this interpretation with the Qur'anic recognition of the pre-Islamic prophets, make the reservation that in the UK-

5 See also the translations: "Indeed, the religion before Allah is Islam"; "Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam will not be accepted from him" (al-Mansi and Afifi); "And verily, Islam is the religion of Allah"; "Whoever chooses a religion other than Islam, / Nothing can please Him" (V. Porokhova) [Koran, 1997].

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In these verses, God's threat is addressed to people who refuse to recognize the messenger of Muhammad. In the commentary on Ayat 3: 85, the authors of al-Muntahab write:: "After Muhammad... Whoever chooses a religion other than Islam and its Shari'ah will displease Allah, and... in the Hereafter there will be a painful punishment for him." The same idea, but put in the mouth of the Prophet himself, is expressed in the comments given to this ayat by E. Kuliyev. In the narration of Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet is quoted as saying: "By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad! If anyone in this community, whether Jewish or Christian, hears about me and dies without believing in what I was sent with, then he will surely be an inhabitant of the Fire."

This hadith, we note, is not included in any of the six canonical codes, except for the Muslim Code (M 153) 6 . The very fact that al-Bukhari does not have it, despite the fact that it is the only hadith on this topic, already causes a certain amount of caution. In addition, hadith belongs to the category of ahad7, and such, as many theologians (especially among Hanafis) believe, cannot be the basis for categorical - dogmatic or normative - conclusions.

It is also not clear which community we are actually talking about-the Arabs in general, or only the contemporaries of the Prophet, or only the Meccans, Medinans, or perhaps a certain tribe or genus. After all, without such information - and they are not! - it is too risky to draw such far-reaching conclusions, referring the hadith to all peoples and to all times since the seventh century.

A more serious objection to the validity of a hadith understood in this way is as follows. Is it possible that just knowing about the Prophet firsthand is enough to believe in him? But what if the Muslim religion was conveyed to a person in a distorted form, as is done not only by the detractors of Islam, but also by a considerable number of its ignorant adherents?8

The main thing, however, is that this hadeeth contradicts the Qur'an, and the Prophet could not possibly have taught about anything that goes against God's Scripture. Verses 2:112 and 4:123-124 quoted above, as well as verses 5:69 quoted below, clearly show that God has set only two conditions for eternal salvation : faith in Him and doing good.

In addition to these revelations, other Qur'anic references to the Prophet's contemporaries from among the Jews and Christians of Arabia speak about this, and this is despite all their deviation from the Jewish and, accordingly, Christian orthodoxy9 and despite all their hostility (especially Jews) to the Prophet and armed clashes with Muslims. In particular, Surah 3 notes:

Not all of them are the same, Bible followers.
Some of them are pious,
Who spends their nights reading the revelations of God,
Making prayers;
6 In the comments themselves, E. Kuliyev gives a non-canonical version with the words:"...from my followers, either Jews or Christians...".

Khad 7 - "single" hadiths reported by a single transmitter.

8 In general, in order to judge a person who refuses to accept certain propositions of faith, it is necessary to determine whether these propositions have reached him in their true interpretation, and whether he has been convinced of their truth - only under these conditions can we speak of his unbelief. Unbelief, which the Qur'an alone qualifies as an unforgivable sin , is unbelief due to proud stubbornness, noted in Ayat 27: 14. And the Prophet says: "God will not punish any of His servants with Hell, except for the haughty rebel (al-marid al-mutamarrid)\ "(W 4297).

9 Note, for example, the belief of the Jews of Arabia in Ezra as the son of God, or the teaching of the Arabian Christians about the Trinity consisting of God, Mary, and Jesus. (A separate article in the series will be devoted to the relationship of the Koran to Jews and Christians.)

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They believe in God and the Last Day,
Incline to the good, warning against the bad,
They strive for good deeds;
Such are truly righteous.
(3:113 - 114)

And in Surah 7 it says about the Jews:

And in the people of Moses there are such,
Who follows the path of truth,
Who judges it fairly.
(7:159)

But let's go back to Verses 3:19, 85 and see how adequate their exclusivist interpretation is. The word "Islam" that appears in the Arabic original did indeed later come to refer to the religion preached by the Prophet Muhammad. But in the Qur'an, this word, as well as its derivatives, have a broader meaning, expressing the idea of devotion to God and submission to His will. Therefore, according to the Qur'an, all revealed religions are Islam, and their adherents are Muslimun, "Muslims." And the Holy Scriptures widely apply such epithets to the pre-Islamic prophets and their followers .10

Moreover, the very context of Ayat 3: 19, 85 indicates that the word "Islam" is used here in a broad sense. The first verse follows the mention of the testimony given by God, as well as by angels and learned men, that there is no god but He. And the second ayat completes the ayats, which speak about the submission (aslama) to God of all who are in the heavens and on earth, and about the commandment of faith in all the former prophets, without making a distinction between them.

Therefore, the following interpretation and translation corresponds to these verses: "Truly, [pleasing] Religion is devotion (submission)to God To him [alone]"; "Who will choose a faith other than monotheism (submission)? To God, / It will not be accepted ... " 11 .

Prophetological guidance is universal

In the Qur'an, "Islam" also refers to fitra - the good nature or natural faith that is inherent in all people (see 30:30). This confession of humanity took place at a certain metaphysical, transhistorical moment, which is described in Ayat 7: 172. Having gathered all future people (their souls?), God asked::

"Am I not your Lord?"
"Yes, indeed," they answered. -
We [it] testify.
And this confession, it is believed (D 4716; X 2451), is implied in the words of the Prophet: "Every child is born according to Fitr." 12 From birth, all people are true believers, "Muslims". Only later, under the influence of religion.-

10 In particular to Noah (70: 72), Abraham, and Ishmael (2:128; 3:67), Lot (51: 36), Joseph (12: 101), Moses (10: 84), Solomon (27: 42). Abraham and Jacob bequeathed to their descendants to die only "Muslims" (2: 132), and the apostles of Jesus (havariyun) claimed to be "Muslims" (5:111).

11 The meaning of these ayats is correctly conveyed, in particular, in the translation of the Koran by M.-N. Osmanov [Koran, 1999]. In G. S. Sablukov and D. N. Boguslavsky, the word "Islam" is preserved, but immediately (in parentheses or in a footnote) its meaning is interpreted as "submission" [Koran, 1991; Koran, 1995].

12 These words are related in hadiths B 1358-1359 and M 2658. In versions T 2138 and X 7394, milla, i.e. "[Muslim] faith " appears instead of fitr. And Hadith M 2865 narrates the words of God: "Indeed, I have created all My servants as believers (hunafa')."

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they may deviate from this belief. But even if they grow up in a non-Muslim environment, they are considered "Muslims" until they reach adulthood, and in case of death, they will immediately go to Paradise .13 Some theologians also interpret the hadith of fitr in the sense that the original recognition of the Creator God will remain with people, even if they worship Him under other names or if other deities are worshipped along with Him .14 And this interpretation is quite consistent with the words of the aforementioned ayat 30: 30 - " created by God [fitra] immutable."

In the matter of the pious nature of man, the Muslim doctrine differs significantly from the Christian one. Both religions teach about the creation of man "in the image" of God15, which is usually understood as giving him such "divine", spiritual qualities as reason, freedom, conscience, faith, etc. Like the Bible, the Koran tells about the sin of the first parents-Adam and Eve. But Islam does not share the Christian interpretation of the consequences of this event, which connects with it the loss of man's "likeness to God", a substantial change in his nature, which has become truly sinful - "original sin" is hereditary, passing from the first parents to all their descendants, and its removal became possible only thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus. According to the Qur'an, Adam 16's sin itself was unintentional, in a state of oblivion (20: 115). And after they were removed from Paradise, Adam and Eve repented at God's suggestion, and God forgave them (2: 37). The original pious nature of man after the "fall" did not significantly suffer, because fitra, as noted, is unchangeable.

According to Ayat 20: 122, when God accepted Adam's repentance, He drew him back to Himself and guided him to the right path. Another verse (2:38) conveys the words of God addressed to the first parents and their descendants:

Guidance will come to you from Me -
Who will follow it,
There's nothing to worry about,
And they will not know sorrow.
Thus, God promised people guidance, in particular, by giving Revelation, Scripture and prophets, the following of which ensures happiness both in this world and in the next. Therefore, the path to eternal bliss was opened from the very beginning of human existence on earth.

In His all-encompassing mercy, God revealed prophets to all human communities to enlighten and exhort them: "In every nation We raised up a messenger" (16: 35); "Every nation [had] its own guide" (13:7). This universality of prophetic missions stems from the fundamental principle of Qur'anic ethics-the principle of justice. And the very Arabic word that expresses this concept- 'adl-etymologically means "equality", "to be equal, equal". God's justice presupposes that no people should be ignored, that no one should be left without the prophetic gift.

The universality of the prophetic gift expresses the principle of justice in another aspect. After all, without first explaining the relevant provisions of the true faith and the rules of proper behavior, people cannot be judged for deviating from them:

13 This is what follows from Hadiths D 2521 and X 20060, and it is also mentioned in Hadith B 7047 about the Prophet's vision of dead children, including Gentile children, in the" bosom of Abraham " in Paradise.

14 This is what al-Nawawi says in the commentary to M 2658, among others.

15 However, the Qur'an itself only mentions inspiration in man/Adam "from the spirit" of God (15:29; 32:9; 38:72) and about entrusting him with the covenant of faith (Haman-see 33: 72). The very formula " in One's own image "('ala suratih) is found in hadiths B 6227 and M 2841.

16 But Eve does not appear in the Qur'an as the initiator of the violation of God's prohibition not to eat of the Tree.

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And We sent forth Messengers to proclaim good tidings and to warn,
so that the people would no longer have any excuse.

(6:165)

And there is no nation to whom a warner has not been given.

(35:24)

We [never] subject anyone to punishment,
Without first sending a messenger [with a warning].

(17:15)
The Qur'an teaches not only the universality of prophetic missions, but also their substantial identity. All the prophets preached the same religion (4:163; 21:92; 23:51 - 52; 42:15), the core of which is the belief in one God (16:36; 21:25; 41:14). Monotheism, which is common to all the prophets, is, as already mentioned, "Islam." In this sense, all revealed religions are equal, and no group has a monopoly on the truth.

Therefore, the Qur'an preaches loyalty to all the spiritual missions that the former messengers of God carried to people. Ayat 2: 136 commands Muslims to declare:

We believe in God and in the Revelation that has been revealed to us,
What was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes,
C received by Moses and Jesus -
C That which all the prophets received from their Lord,
Without making any distinction between them.
Along with the followers of Islam, adherents of other religions can also hope for eternal salvation.:

Indeed, the believers in [the Qur'an],
Jews, Sabeans and Christians,
Everyone who believes in God and the Last Day,
When you do good deeds,
you should not worry about them,
And they will not know sorrow.
(5:69)

However, the Qur'an does not only recognize the prophets whose names are known in the Semitic tradition. In Ayat 40: 78, God reveals to the Prophet Muhammad:

We sent Messengers before you;
We told you about some of them,
About others-no.
The Muslim Holy Scriptures mention about thirty prophets. According to a non-canonical hadith, there were 124,000 of them (X 21785) .17 And if all peoples were given messengers of God, then the basis of such religions of the East as Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism could be based on the revealed faith.

Everything, except God, is plural

"One God - one humanity" is in fact an intrinsically necessary implication of Qur'anic monism. But it would be a mistake, as exclusivists often do, to understand this unity as uniformity, a kind of uniform - one religion, one state, one party, etc. One must realize that, from the point of view of strict monism, only God is truly one, everything else is multiple; and God himself is absolutely one only with the whole world. sides of the entity (zat), for It is multiple in terms of its names and properties/attributes. The unity of humanity, therefore, necessarily implies its diversity, including religious and confessional. and to-

17 In the Muslim literature there are other figures, in particular - 180, 224, 240 thousand.

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The Russian Academy of Sciences repeatedly emphasizes that this diversity fully corresponds to God's plan of the world order.

When God informed the angels of His intention to create a man who would be His vicegerent on earth, they objected: "Will You not root someone there / Who will sow confusion and shed blood?!", to which the Lord replied: "I know what you do not know" (2: 30). The All-knowing and all-wise God, of course, knew better than anyone that differences between people (individual, ethnic, religious, etc.) are fraught with strife, conflicts, and wars. But it is precisely the presence of such differences in needs and opportunities that should ensure the cooperation so necessary for a person to properly perform his viceroyalty.

The diversity of intellectual abilities is intended, among other things, to promote a better understanding of the Lord's revelations. This is probably what Ayat 4: 1 says, which calls people to pay reverence to the Most High, who created them from a single soul, but different.

Pluralism in the world, differences in languages and skin color are "signs of God for people who know" (30: 22), a manifestation of His supreme wisdom. Diversity should promote universal solidarity, harmony and mutual enrichment:

O people!
We created you as men and women,
They have made you peoples and tribes,
So that you [better] know each other.
(49:13)

In the same spirit, the Qur'anic revelation calls for: "Help one another / In good and pious deeds, / But not in sin and aggression " (5: 2). In order to deepen mutual understanding with other communities, Muslims should engage in dialogue in the "best possible way", in the most positive, constructive and benevolent way possible - with all Gentiles (16: 125), but especially with "people of the Book" among Christians and Jews (29:46).

God Himself has divided the united humanity into different religions, and They are destined to preserve such differences until the Day of Judgment (2:213; 10:19). Therefore, the Qur'anic revelations warn against attempts to abolish them, especially against the desire to forcibly unite people under the banner of a single religion. As God repeatedly reminds the Prophet, if God had willed, people would not have worshipped other deities along with Him, if He had willed everyone to accept the true faith, He would have done it himself (6:107; 10:99; 16:93 In this way, the Almighty tests people in the following ways: the revelation, intelligence, and freedom that they have been granted - whether they will use them to serve Him appropriately, improve morally, and cooperate constructively, or vice versa.

Pluralism is not a curse or an aberration; it is conditioned by God's own will and wisdom. Diversity is not meant to be a source of strife, but of competition in the service of the common good:

Indeed, to every [community]
We have established [our] law and way.
If God willed it,
I would make you a single [religious] community.
But [It pleased Him otherwise],
that He might test you in what He has given you.
So compete with each other in good deeds.
To God you will return,
And He will tell you [the truth] about it.,
What was the difference between you?
(5:48)

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This positive purpose of pluralism is perfectly expressed in the widespread decision that is ascribed to the Prophet: "Indeed, the diversity of my community is a sign of [God's] mercy" (ikhtilaf ummati rahma). Our classical theological and legal thought has appreciated this diversity, approving the pluralism of legal interpretations-madhhabs. The time has come to extend such a tolerant and pluralistic approach to the theological sphere itself, not only within the Ummah of the Prophet, the Muslim community, but also in relation to the Ummah of God, to all mankind.

About the eternity of Hell

The Qur'an (as well as the Bible before it) speaks about the eternal stay of sinners in Hell (2: 81; 4: 169, etc.), from which they will not come out (2:167; 15:48; 22:22); they will not be finished with them, nor will they be put to death (35: 36). They will not enter Paradise until the camel passes through the eye of the needle (7: 40). One hadith tells how on the Day of Judgment death is brought in the form of a ram that is slaughtered (B 4730; M 2849), which symbolizes the incorruptible stay of people in Heaven and Hell.

The prevailing doctrine in Muslim theology insists on the eternal torment of hell for all polytheists and infidels, presenting the hope of liberation from them only for sinners from among Muslims/monotheists. However, there were also some thinkers who, in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and in the statements of the companions of the Prophet, found weighty arguments in favor of the doctrine of the finiteness of Hell and the subsequent overshadowing of all its inhabitants by God's mercy .18

The first argument . God is all-merciful. The name-epithet ar-Rahman, "the All-merciful" - is the second proper name of God, along with Allah. Hundreds of times in the Qur'an, God is described as All-merciful and All-forgiving, as" the most merciful of the merciful " (arham arrahmeen). Moreover, Ayat 6: 24 says that " the Lord has ordained mercy for Himself." The Prophet's explanation to Ayat is also well known: after the creation of the creatures, God made an inscription above the Throne that is with Him: "Truly my mercy exceeds my wrath!" (B 3194, 7422; M 2751)19 .

There are also numerous verses that proclaim the universality of God's mercy, which "embraces all things" (7:156; 40:7); therefore, despair of His mercy is a sin and a manifestation of lack of faith (12:87; 15:55 - 56; 39:53). God also often instructs Muslims in the Qur'an to forgive their abusers and enemies (5:13; 24:22; 42:40 etc.). He required the Prophet to show not just generosity to the warring infidels, but noble generosity (as-safh al-jamil-15: 85). Even infidels have a right to hope for God's mercy.

And Ayat 39: 53 proclaims that God can absolve all sins. Strict theologians, condemning infidels to eternal punishment, refer to other verses that exclude polytheism from God's forgiveness (4: 48) and unbelief (47: 34). Tolerant thinkers refer such ayats to the category of "pedagogical" ones, which have a purely educational and intimidating purpose. In addition, they note that in these ayats, non-forgiveness of polytheists or infidels does not mean the continuity of punishment, its infinity.

The second argument . In the same threatening terms, the Scripture admonishes the sinners among the Muslims themselves. Explaining some rules in the opening verses of Surah 4

18 This teaching was partially followed by al-Ghazali (d. 1111). Among those who thoroughly justified it were Ibn Arabi (d. 1240), Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328), and especially Ibn al-Qayyim (Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, d. 1350). In nineteenth-century Russia, the concept of the all-embracing grace of God was developed by the prominent Tatar reformer Musa Bigiev (1875-1949).

19 In some versions of the Hadith, the word "exceeds" is replaced by "outstrips".

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regarding marriage and division of property, Hashem further warns: "These are the precepts of God... Those who disobey God and His Messenger and transgress His laws, He will cast them into Hell, where they will remain forever " (4: 14). And for a Muslim who commits premeditated murder, the same Surah promises: "His retribution will be Hell, / And there he will abide forever" (4: 93). If the " sectarians "(Kharijites and Mu'tazilites) insist on God's fulfillment of such a threat, on the eternal punishment of great sinful Muslims, then the" orthodox " Sunni theologians unanimously reject the literal interpretation of these ayats, believing that after a corresponding stay in Hell, all sinful Muslims will leave there by God's will and enter Paradise. According to the proponents of tolerant interpretation, ayats addressed to infidels should also be understood in the same "pedagogical" way.

The third argument . All that the Qur'an says is that the doomed infidels remain in Hell as long as it exists, and as long as it exists, they will not come out of it, as the monotheists do. After all, it is not the same thing to get out of prison, and the prison remains a prison, or to be released from prison along with its destruction. It is impossible to equate Hell with Heaven in terms of eternity and infinity - "there is no evidence in favor of such equality from the Koran or Sunnah" [Ibn al-Qayyim, 1990, p.402].

The fourth argument . God Himself in the Qur'an lets us know about the pedagogical orientation of the "terrible" ayats, naming in other ayats the time periods of punishment in Hell or making them dependent on His sovereign will.

Thus, Ayat 78: 23 defines staying in Gehenna as wrong "for ages" (ahkab), and "age" (huqb), according to various estimates, varies from several tens of years to several thousand years. This means that the punishment has a fixed term, even if it is long, but it still has an end.

According to another verse 11: 107, the infidels will remain in Hell "as long as the heavens and the earth exist" (or: "for the duration..."). But the heavens and earth themselves are not eternal (see Ayat 14: 48).

It is also noteworthy that the Qur'an, describing the heavenly bliss awaiting the faithful, never once associates it with a specific day; the sufferings of the doomed are often tied to a specific day - "the sufferings of a painful day" (11:26; 43:65); "the suffering of the dreadful day" (6:15; 7:59) In one of the hadiths, the duration of the Day of Judgment is defined as 50 thousand years (M 987; D 1658; H 2442).

Ayahs 6:128 and 11:107 provide even more explicit indications of the relative/conditional nature of the sentence to the infidels. According to the first Verse, on the Day of Judgment, the infidels will be told: "Your abode is the Fire [of Hell], / And you will abide therein forever, / Unless God wills otherwise." Similarly, in the second Ayat, after the threat of the outcasts remaining in Hell "as long as the heavens and the earth exist", there is a reservation: "Unless your Lord wills otherwise; / Indeed, He does what He wills." And there is no reason to narrow down the circle of people who are subject to the gospel of these ayats, as exclusivists do, referring to them only sinners from among Muslims/oneness of God.

The fifth argument . Among the prominent Sahaba companions of the Prophet and their Tabi'i followers, there were some who openly declared the temporary nature of hell's punishment. In the commentary on the above-mentioned Ayat 11:107, at-Tabari reports that this Ayat, and with it Ayat 78:23, is extended by some to all the inhabitants of Hell. In this regard, he quotes the words of Jabir ibn Abdallah, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, or some other Sahabee.: "Verily, this ayat [11:107] abrogates all [ayats] The Qur'an, [mentioning] eternal abiding [in Hell]." And the Sahabee Ibn Mas'ud swore that the time would come when the gates of Hell would swing freely and there would be no one left in it.

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human. In this sense, al-Tabari continues, Tabiit al-Shabi (the teacher of Abu Hanifa) also expressed himself: "Of the two abodes, [here and there], it is Gehenna that will be most quickly built and destroyed."

Other sources report that the Sahabee Ibn ' abbaas, quoting Ayat 11: 107, remarked:: "It is not fitting for any mortal to impose on God a definite decision about His creatures, placing them in Heaven or Hell." And regarding Ayat 78: 23, Sahabee Abu Hurayrah stated:: "I will not say that the time will never come when there will be no one left in Hell." Regarding the same ayat, Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab said: "If the inhabitants of Hell remain in [Hell] as long as there are grains of sand in the Sahara, then the day will still come when they will come out" [see Ibn al-Qayyim, 1990, pp. 393-397].

The sixth argument . The Prophet is quite clear about the happy outcome of sinners, including the inhabitants of Hell. So, according to Umar, the Prophet once asked if a mother would throw her child into the fire. The companions who were with him replied that she would certainly not give up, if only it was in her power to do so. The Prophet then exclaimed, "Indeed, God is more merciful to His servants than a mother is to her child!" (B 5999; M 2754)20 .

According to the Prophet Abu Said al-Khudri, on the Day of Judgment, after the departure of the chosen to Paradise and the rejected to Hell, God commands: "Bring out [from Hell to Heaven] the one in whose heart there was [even] a grain of faith!" (B 22; M 184)21 . Exclusivists who condemn all pagans (polytheists and idolaters) to eternal torment should remember that the Qur'an itself bears witness to the pagans of the time of the Prophet: "If you ask them: / Who created the heavens and the earth ... / - God! - they will surely say" (29:61-63; see also the Qur'an). also 23:84-89); "We worship [idols] only in order that they may bring us closer to God" (39: 3). Isn't all this more than a grain of faith?!

God's mercy, the Sunnah further proclaims, is not limited to this. According to a hadith from the same al-Khudri, first, at the request of angels, prophets and believers, not only those who have a grain of faith are released from Hell, but also those who have done at least a small amount of good. And then God will declare, " There is [intercession]left The Most Merciful of the merciful, " and with His hand He will draw from Hell a handful of sinners who have done no good at all. Once again, hard-hearted rigorists should be reminded that the handful of God is so large that it can contain all the heavens and the earth (see Ayat 39:67)!

The seventh argument . The endless sojourn of sinners in Hell does not correspond to the all-goodness or wisdom of God.

After all, God is absolutely good and kind. And the people created by Him are essentially good beings, because-as was said-they are born orthodox. Evil, unbelief, and sin are transitory, accidental, and not substantial. And the punishment in Hell is designed to purify sinners from evil, so that they will return to that pure place.-

20 The authors of the Russian edition of the abridged version of the Al-Bukhari Codex provided an exclusivist note to this hadith, claiming that some of its versions refer to "believing slaves" [Sahih, 2003, p.767]. The reader may get the impression that al-Bukhari himself gives this version. In fact, there is no such version not only here, but also in any of the Six Canonical Codes. Indeed, the classical commentaries (al-Asqalani and al-Nawawi) do not mention such a non - canonical version, and the extension of the hadith only to believers appears only as one of the possible interpretations.

21 In one version of this hadith, from Anas, it says: "Bring out of Hell anyone who has ever remembered Me or feared Me" (T 2594). And it is involuntarily asked: "Is there anyone who in his entire life, from beginning to end, has never thought of God and has never been afraid of Him?!"[Ibn al-Qayyim, 1990, p. 419].

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the condition in which they came out of the hands of God. To assume that God created a part of people for incessant torment, that evil is eternal, means to equate evil with good, and this is more in line with the dualist doctrine of two equal deities - good and evil, but not with the monotheistic vision of God as absolutely good.

The idea of eternal, never-ending torment does not correspond to God's mercy either. For the reward of paradise is an expression of His mercy, and the punishment of hell is an expression of His wrath. If Hell were eternal, like Paradise, God's mercy would not prevail over His wrath!

The infinity of Hell is also incompatible with God's own justice. A person's life, however long it may be, is like a single moment, and even less, compared to infinity. So is it fair to be sentenced to eternal torment for temporary crimes?!

Finally, the interminability of punishment is not consistent with the wisdom (hikma) of God. It is difficult to find the expediency in creating or allowing infinite, never-ending evil. Punishment in the earthly life for a crime is beneficial either to the sinner himself, correcting and purifying him, or to those around him, protecting them from criminals and giving them edification. But in the next world, punishment, of course, can only have a purifying meaning. And if it is never-ending, then this meaning is also lost.

It is not appropriate to assume that the spectacle of sinners suffering in Hell is intended to increase the bliss of the inhabitants of Paradise. After all, from the hearts of those who entered Paradise, as the Koran says, God removed malice (7:43; 15:47). But is there any anger more terrible than enjoying someone else's suffering?! It is all the more blasphemous to attribute such satisfaction to a sense of vengeance to God himself, the Most Merciful of the merciful, Who loves His servants more than a mother loves her child.

In conclusion, we will focus on two counterarguments put forward by opponents of the concept of the finiteness of Hell and the universality of salvation. The first of them boils down to the fact that accepting it for the truth is equivalent to declaring a general amnesty - no matter what sin a person commits, he is not afraid. "Freedom to commit crimes," the Tatar thinker M. Bigiev answered a hundred years ago, " comes not from the belief in the universality of salvation, but from the fact that salvation applies only to followers of a certain teaching. The belief that "salvation concerns only me" leads me to say the following to all other people who profess other teachings:: "Since all of you will be subjected to eternal torment for your beliefs and beliefs, there is no point in doing good, and the evil you do will not make your situation worse. Therefore, leave the good and commit crimes! "" [Bigiev, 2005, p. 142-143].

The second argument - the statement that if salvation is universal, then Islam will lose its inherent significance-can also be answered in the words of M. Bigiyev: if the whole breadth of Qur'anic universalism is revealed to humanity, "it will become an adornment of the face of Islam, its value and greatness among other religions will increase even more" (Bigiyev, 2005, p. 98, 142].

list of literature

Al-Askalyani. Fatah al-Bari bi-sharh Sahih al-Bukhari. Beirut, 1990.

Bigiev M. J. Izbrannye trudy [Selected works]. Т. І // Anthology of Tatar theological Thought. Kazan, 2005.

The meaning and meaning of the Qur'an. Vol. I-IV. Translated by A. S. Al-Mansi and S. Afifi. [Under the auspices of] the Islamic Congress, Moscow, 2002.

[Ibn al-Qayyim]. Hadi al-aruah ila bilad al-afrah, li-l-imam... Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. Beirut, 1990.

The Koran. Translated and commented by I. Y. Krachkovsky, Moscow, 1986.

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The Koran. Translated by G. S. Sablukova, Moscow, 1991.

The Koran. Translated and commented by D. N. Boguslavsky, St. Petersburg, 1995.

The Koran. Translated and commented by V. Porokhova, Moscow, 1997.

The Koran. Translated and commented by N. O. Osmanova, Moscow, 1999.

Al-Muntahab. Interpretation of the Holy Quran. [Sponsored by] Al-Azhar, Min. waqfs and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs of the Republic of Egypt. Cairo, 2000.

[Al-Nawawi]. Sharh an-Nawawi ' ala Sahih Muslim. Beirut, 1392x. [1972-1973].

Sahih al-Bukhari. Mukhtasar, Moscow, 2003.

Semantic translation of the Holy Quran. Translated by E. Kuliev. [Under the auspices of] Min. islamic Affairs of Saudi Arabia. Medina: 1425h. [2004-2005].

At-Tabari. Jami 'al-bayan' an ta'wil ai al-Qur'an. Beirut, 1988.

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