Here is the English abstract of Farzad Dehqani (Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith, Hakim Sabzevari University, Iran)'s presentation at the 9^nd pre-con meeting of the conference “Imam Reza (PBUH) and Interreligious Dialogue" which was held in Hakim Sabzevari University Sabzevar, Iran on  December 12, 2023.

Recognizing the Central Concepts in the Holy Quran Related to the Interreligious Dialogue

The Holy Quran, particularly during its revelation in the Medinan period, emphasizes the dialogue among religions, specifically aiming at the proximity of religions and their guidance toward Islam. The foundation of this dialogue is an invitation to commonalities. Commonalities among religions provide a shared knowledge base for dialogue. One significant and common area in the Holy Quran that facilitates understanding and collaboration with Judaism and Christianity is the central concepts. Central concepts are meanings arranged together in a specific order, forming a structured framework. Among them, certain concepts have a leadership role over others, encompassing and covering them, while other concepts revolve around those central concepts. This research, using a library-documentary approach and a descriptive-analytical, seeks to identify central concepts corresponding to the interreligious dialogue in the Holy Quran and their impact on religious discourse. The findings indicate that concepts such as covenant, word, and wisdom, are the most central concepts for interreligious dialogue. These concepts not only construct a semantic field and reveal the Quran's worldview in the relevant domain but also serve as effective tools for interreligious dialogue. Understanding these concepts, despite creating a common ground in religious discourse, leads to the discovery of their meanings and examples, resolving interpretative differences. The “covenant”, centered around the religion of Prophet Adam, provides a basis for understanding the discourse of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and ultimately the Hanif religion, emphasizing obedience to God and disobedience to Satan. “Wisdom” in the Quran, in the context of specific laws, is equivalent to the Ten Commandments in the Torah. The “word” in relation to Jesus in the Quran and the Gospel signifies the words revealed to Prophet Adam for his repentance acceptance.

Translator: Mahdi Qasemi