Is Islam Exclusive or Does it Encompass all religions.

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Is Islam Exclusive or Does it Encompass all religions?<p>This attitude that Islam is the Chosen and the rest of mankind is damned or hell-fire has attributed to the extremism & distortion of Islam that has taken place and is very firmly entrenched.<br> <br>This is not all there is to it; this attitude of "beggar or damn thy neighbour" has gone further where each muslim calls or Damns the other and considers itself the 'one & only true muslim', I call it the poleymics of the absurd. <p>So, what is the answer? Exclusivity or Inclusivesness?<p>The aya of quran most commonly abused to impose Exclusivity is [3:85] but is it a "stand-alone" ayath or is it to be read in context with the aya that preceeds it or [3:84]? Tell you what - you decide.<p>(note: The below is an excerpt from link provided at the bottom)<p>Consider more explicit Qur’anic verses describing this essential religion:<p> “Say: We believe in God and that which is revealed unto us, and that which is revealed unto Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes and that which was given unto Moses and Jesus and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and unto Him we have submitted.” <p>Then comes this verse:<p> “And whoso seeketh a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be a loser in the Hereafter.” (3:84-85). <p>Now whereas this last sentence is understood, from a theological point of view, as upholding the exclusive validity of ‘Islam’, defined as the religion revealed to God’s last Prophet, it can also be seen as confirming the intrinsic validity of all the revelations brought by all the prophets mentioned in the previous verse. ‘Islam’ thus encompasses all revelations, which can thus be seen as so many different facets of essentially one and the same self-disclosure of the divine reality.<p>The universality of this guidance through revelation is clearly stressed in the following verses:<p>“For every community (umma) there is a Messenger.” (10:47).<p>“Verily We sent Messengers before thee; among them are those about whom We have told thee, and those about whom We have not told thee.” (40:78).<p>“And We sent no Messenger before thee but We inspired him [saying]: ‘There is no God save Me, so worship Me.’” (21:25).<p>“Naught is said unto thee [Muhammad] but what was said unto the Messengers before thee.” (41:43).<br>___<br>Note: Excerpts from the section of the article - Islam Ecompasses all Revelations<br>http://www.iis.ac.uk/research/academic_ ... nchor22<br>

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A universal religion CANNOT be exclusive!