An Inquiry on Muslim-Christian Relations in the Qur'ān

In the Qurʾān, Christians are generally referred as the “People of the Book” in the meaning of those who believe in a divine book, and as “Nasārā” in particular. In the verses referring to Christianity, the good news about the birth of Jesus, his coming into the world and his miracles are mentioned. Another view in the Qurʾān with respect to Christianity is the rejection of Jesus’ divinity. As such, in many verses, Christian belief of trinity is criticized; it is stated that God will not have children, that Jesus is human and he is the servant and messenger of God. On the other hand, there are also Qur’anic verses which praise some amongst the Christians. In this paper, the process analysis in the Qur’anic verses related to Christianity will be made within the framework of Meccan and Madinan periods that are crucial in terms of tracking the developments in the revelation process of the Qurʾān. Besides that, the question of whether the Qurʾān sees Christians as the “other” during its 23-year revelation period will be discussed. In addition to this, this study will give information about Christianity in the context of the Qur’anic revelation. It will also look into the question of which Christian sect/school corresponds to the Christianity in the Arabian Peninsula. However, the nature of miracles attributed to Jesus will not be mentioned