Fortunatus C . Nnadi

One of the biggest misunderstandings shown by Christian theologians is the notion that Islam has little or nothing to say about mercy and love. Even though more recent scholarship has done a much better job of describing the diverse theological approaches of Islamic thought, this has had relatively little effect on Christian theologians' prejudices in seminary years ago. If God is so majestic, who does practically every chapter begin with the formula of consecration: “In the name of God, the All-merciful, the Ever-merciful.”?  And why is it the case that in the text itself, divine names and attributes associated with mercy and kindness are far more common than those associated with magnificence and majesty?
In this write-up, we intend to attempt an investigation of the concept of God’s mercy in Islamic Religion and Philosophy.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Sacred Writers composed the bible which God bestowed on mankind in order to teach, to reprove, to correct and to instruct in justice so that the Children of God may be perfect. The Holy Church considers this heaven-sent treasure the most valuable source of doctrine on faith and morals. This is why in recent times, and at other times when the divine origin and correctness of its interpretation are questioned, the Church undertakes its defense and protection with great zeal and care. Among the bodies that have taken part and those still taking part in this defense and protection are the Council of Trent, the Vatican Council and lastly, Pope Leo XIII in his encyclical letter-Providentissimus Deus. Pope Pius XII in this encyclical letter declares his interest to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical letter by first of all, ratifying and inculcating its teachings with the aim of helping to consolidate and perfect its exhortations and secondly, by pointing out what seems necessary in the present day with the intention of encouraging all those who devote themselves to the study of the Bible. Pope Pius sets forth to expound the content of Providentissimus Deus and to defend them. He first of all posits, as contained in the in the above mentioned encyclical letter, that there is no error if the sacred writer, speaking of the things of the physical order, went by what sensibly appeared. He continues by saying that the sacred writer is not also to be taxed with error if copyists have made a mistake or the real meaning of a passage remains ambiguous and finally, that it is absolutely wrong and forbidden to narrow inspiration to certain passages of the Holy scripture or to admit that the sacred writer has erred as it is impossible that God, the supreme Truth, can utter that which is not true. The Holy Father makes a clarion call here, as he proclaims the above teaching of his predecessor, urging all to adhere to it religiously. Concerning what should obtain in the present day, he makes an addition by inculcating obedience to the above counsels and exhortations. Following the founding, by Pope Leo XIII, of a counsel of eminent men whose duty was to ensure that the sacred texts received thorough exposition and were kept safe, other Predecessors

Understanding of ‘the Muslin World’ is usually predicated on two assumptions: that Muslim communities are homogeneous; and, that the terms ‘Muslim’ and ‘Arab’ are more or less synonymous because the majority of Muslims are Arab. Both of these are misconceptions. There is wide variation in Muslim discourses (the belief systems, legal systems, and practices of those communities which claim adherence to Islam). And in fact, there are more non-Arab Muslims than there are Arab. This is evident in Asia (Indonesia is after all the largest Muslim country with a population of nearly two million)