A CRITICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DIVINITY AND SONSHIP OF CHRIST IN LIGHT OF THE TWO QURANIC EXEGESIS TA’ARUF AL-FURQAN AND URWA-TUL-WUTHQA

Abstract

This research paper examines a critical and comparative analysis of the Divinity and Sonship of Christ in Light of the two South Asian Quranic Exegeses Ta’aruf Al-Furqan and Urwa-Tul-Wusqa. While both interpretations align in their core translations, they differ significantly in their approach. A detailed analysis of the two Islamic exegetes revealed that Ta'aruf Al-Furqan greatly emphasised the world philosophy of religions and their beliefs, and its style is more explanatory debating and survey-based. Ta'aruf Al-Furqan, overall, is written in the style of Tafseer bil Ma'thoor (exegesis based on transmitted traditions). In contrast, Urwa-Tul-Wuthqa with jurisprudential style explicitly contains Athari's distinctive views relying heavily on the Gospels and historical events, offering alternative interpretations on key issues such as Jesus being the son of Joseph, the death of Jesus, the permissibility of marrying Christian women and consuming their food, the allegorical nature of Jesus' miracles, and the ambiguity surrounding Jesus' ascension. Therefore, some Christian beliefs are interpreted against the consensus of traditional exegetes. These differences highlight the diversity within Islamic exegesis and provide a nuanced understanding of the theological discussions surrounding Jesus in Islam. Contrary to post-Jesus Christian doctrines (systems of beliefs), both exegeses agree that Jesus Christ is neither divine, nor the son of God, nor part of the Trinity but rather a servant of God and his messenger, reflecting the consistent message of the Quran.