God of Vengeance and Mercy: On the Qur'an's Theology in Relation to Jewish and Christian Tradition

FAIN: FA-232597-16

Gabriel Said Reynolds
University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN 46556-4635)

A book-length study of the interplay between vengeance and mercy in the Qur'an and its roots in Judaism and Christianity.

The Qur'an describes its God as a "possessor of revenge" (dhu l-intiqam) and relates numerous accounts of God's vengeance against those who refuse to believe in God and God's messengers. At the same time the Qur'an insists that God is merciful, indeed that God's mercy "encompasses all things" (Q 7:156). In this book project I will discuss the way in which this interplay between vengeance and mercy in the Qur'an has roots in Jewish and Christian discussions of the "God of vengeance" (Psalm 94:1). In light of this discussion I will examine how later Muslim commentators understand the notion of God's right to avenge himself and in particular the question of when and why God forgoes that right in order to show mercy, even on unbelievers. I will emphasize in the conclusion how certain currents of Islamic theological thought see the mysteriousness of divine mercy as an argument against militant activism.

Associated Products

Allah: God in the Qur'an (Book)
Title: Allah: God in the Qur'an
Author: Gabriel Said Reynolds
Abstract: The central figure of the Qur’an is not Muhammad but God, in Arabic: Allah. The Qur’an is marked above all by its call to worship Allah, and Allah alone. Yet who is the God of the Qur’an? What distinguishes the Qur’anic presentation of God from that of the Bible? These questions are taken up and explored with vivid detail in the Allah: God of the Qur’an. The theme of God’s mercy runs throughout the Qurʾan, every chapter of which (except one), begins with the invocation “In the name of God the merciful, the benevolent.” The Qurʾan, however, also emphasizes God’s justice and even His vengefulness. The Qur’an has God destroy nations for their rejection of prophets and oppose unbelievers by sealing their hearts and scheming against them. Thus the Qur’an does not describe a God who is simply merciful or vengeful. He is both. Allah, a God of both mercy and vengeance, therefore transcends a simple classification. He is personal and mysterious. Because of this, no limits can be placed on His mercy. Allah: God of the Qur’an argues that the Qur’an is open to God’s salvation of both sinners and unbelievers. At the same time, the book argues, Allah can and does lead humans astray, for which reason all are called to a disposition of piety and fear. Allah, in other words, is a dynamic and personal God. While Allah: God of the Qur’an emphasizes the uniqueness of the Qur’an’s God, it also shows how many of His characteristics – including mercy and vengefulness – have antecedents in the Bible. Allah: God of the Qur’an concludes with an epilogue in which the author argues that because Allah claims to right to exact vengeance, humans have no license to do so. The Qur’an provides no justification for religious violence.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: http://https://www.worldcat.org/title/allah-god-in-the-quran/oclc/1140126406
Primary URL Description: Worldcat
Secondary URL: http://https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0300246587/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
Secondary URL Description: Amazon
Publisher: Yale University Press
Type: Single author monograph
ISBN: 0300246587
Copy sent to NEH?: No

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