The "Common Word" verse in the Islamic Interpretive Tradition
A Muslim group from Jordan posted a statement to the internet in October 2007, titled "A Common Word between us and you." The prominent use of a Qur'anic verse in the Muslim statement (Q3:64) did not seem quite right to me, so I decided to study the Islamic interpretive tradition on this verse. I found that Muslim understandings of this verse for more than 1000 years were significantly different from its use in the Muslim statement. Here are the details from the Muslim commentaries, plus a discussion of the implications of Muslim understandings for interfaith conversation.
