"Generally speaking, the Qur'an advances diversity as a natural law existing in the universe: {And of everything We have created pairs: That ye may receive instruction.} (Qur'an a
l Dhariyat 51:49).
According to this verse, aside from God, everything else in the universe is based on dichotomy. The dichotomic nature of the universe suggests on the one hand that "one individual is complementary to another" whilst on the other that one individual is best known and understood in the light of its opposite. Thus, a reciprocal relationship is set in motion (the dichotomic nature of the universe) by which we can derive the meaning that the more people know about the different other, the more they will know about themselves. In this way, in addition to being a natural law, diversity also appears as a source of knowledge, since "each of us has something someone else lacks, and we each lack something someone else has, we gain by interaction."
The Qur'an and Normative Religious Pluralism: A Thematic Study of the Qur'an
Arif Kemil Abdullah, pp. 126-127
Paperback: ISBN 978-1-56564-657-5
Buy at:
Amazon Buy at:
Kindle Store View at:
Google Books
Dr. Zahra Rafie presented her research titled, "Youth Empowerment, Ethics, and Islamic Curriculum for Ages 11+," on Wednesday, May 24, 2017. Dr. Rafie's research was supported by a IIIT grant.
Younus Mirza (2017 Pre-Tenure Faculty Participant: Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Allegheny College)
"IIIT's pre-tenure workshop was great! The workshop allowed me to engage with colleagues and senior scholars regarding the opportunities and challenges of teaching Islamic studies within the academy. In particular, I learned how to create a research narrative and how to navigate difficult subjects within the classroom. I now feel much more confident about the tenure process."
