Christian-Muslim Relations: an Analysis of the Quranic Articulation of Christian Friendliness to Muslims

Jul 16, 2026

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Qurʾanic references to Christians present a paradox of praise and condemnation, especially in Q 5:82 stating that Christians are “certainly nearest in friendship” to Muslim believers. The study evaluates whether Christian–Muslim friendship is possible by analyzing opposing views across classical and modern exegesis, including debates over the identity of the Christians mentioned, the nature of their friendship, and the reasons for their friendliness, and its implications for revising current understanding of relations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

Al-Bayān – Journal of Qur ʾān and Ḥadīth Studies 17 (2019) 24-37 [brill.com/jqhs](brill.com/jqhs) Christian-Muslim Relations: an Analysis of the Quranic Articulation of Christian Friendliness to Muslims Tazul Islam Faculty of Quranic and Sunnah Studies (FPQS ), Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM ), Malaysia [tazuljb@yahoo.com](tazuljb@yahoo.com) Abstract The Quranic discourse on Christians is paradoxical because its narratives express both compliments and condemnation, reproach and rapprochement. Scholars debate the sentiments behind the Quranic assertion that Christians are “certainly nearest in friendship” to the Muslim believers (Q 5:82). While some believe that this forms an incentive for rapprochement between Muslims and Christians, others interpret it incompletely the opposite way. As such, this study aims to answer the fundamental question of whether Christian-Muslim friendship is possible. To come to a conclusion, it will examine the pros and cons of Christian-Muslim friendship that are detailed in both classical and modern exegeses concerning the nature of such friendship, the reasons behind it, and the identity of the friendly Christians mentioned in the Quran. It is expected that the result of this study will contribute to revising current understanding of Christian-Muslim relations. 1 Introduction1 The two major religions of Islam and Christianity are followed by the majority of the world’s population. Fundamental global issues such as peace, security, stability, and development may be influenced by the nature of relations between Christians and Muslims. In recent history, there has been an uneasy tension between them, one which has been permeated by antinomies such as 1 Date of Submission: 06.09.2017; Date of Acceptance: 20.12.2018. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, [2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[D](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[4](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[o](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[0](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[w](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[0](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[n](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[6](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[lo](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[8](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8aded from Brill.com11/09/2020 10:44:02AM)[ ](2019 | doi:10.1163/22321969-123D4o0w0n6lo8ade

Jul 16, 2026

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