Muhammad Mehdi Jafari
Dr Muhammad Mehdi Jafari, works as an Assistant Professor in Shiraz University
One can rightly affirm that the invitation of the Holy Quran towards the people of the book to assemble for a dialogue which is of equal importance " between you and us " (Quran 3/64) concerning the Almighty God, who is a common factor among divine religions, is perhaps the first step towards a dialogue instead of conflict among civilizations.
In following the Quran and the Prophet (pbuh.) Imam Ali (A.S.) followed the same method and stated that "if I am to decide among the people of the book, I shall judge them in accordance with their own commands. This is because Imam Ali was acquainted with the Holy Books of the Jews as well as Christians. Imam Ali instructs his envoy Malik Ashtar who is sent to Egypt to treat the Egyptians well, "for either those people are Muslims and therefore your brothers or they are non-Muslim, and therefore equal to you (Malik Ashtar) in creation." Therefore he is required to treat both groups humanely (Letter 53).
Imam Ali always had a discourse or a dialogue with his political and ideological opponents, or with Jews and Christians. He also always preferred speaking with his opponents rather than adopting different methods. In his will, Imam Ali is said to have said the following to his son:
"My child, even though I have not had a long historic life, yet have I looked upon the conditions of historic and ancient nations with such precision and have thought about the history and methods of their lives that I am regarded as one of them, as though I have lived with the first to the last of the tribes of these ancient nations (letter 31)". These words show that Imam Ali (A.S.) had a wide and deep Knowledge regarding the history and civilizations of the past and was fully prepared to enter into a dialogue with rival civilization and cultures.