Pluralism and Its Various Spheres

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The belief in multiple straight paths, in the interpretation of pluralism, in that there are many different truths (ḥaqāʾiq) on one issue is by no means acceptable.

According to the interpretation of pluralism and the existence of a single truth and the inaccessibility of human beings to it, the assumption of multiple straight paths to God is also wholly false – however it can be accepted only in very limited areas, as the Muslim commentators have referred to it in their books that this is in the meaning of more than one “way” (subul) and not path (ṣirāṭ).

The word path (ṣirāṭ) means the principle highway and there is no more than one such path and this is proven by certainty. It is possible that in certain areas, there are sub-paths in which there may be deviations which do not harm the principle of religion, but accepting these sub-paths does not mean that there is more than one straight path (al-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm).

Therefore, in the Quran, God considers The Path (al-ṣirāṭ) as [being limited to] one, however He does mention multiple ways (al-subul) which can lead to Him.

 

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Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi - Religious Pluralism

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