Journal: Southeastern Theological Review
Volume: STR 15:2 (Fall 2024)
Article: Holiness In Islam: A Qur’anic Understanding Of The Conceptions Of Divine And Human Holiness
Author: Matthew Bennett

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Holiness In Islam: A Qur’anic Understanding Of The Conceptions Of Divine And Human Holiness

Matthew Bennett

Cedarville University Reaching and Teaching International Ministries

Abstract: Islam and Christianity share the language of holiness (the qds root), yet the conceptions of this holiness differ within each system. In this article we will explore references to holiness as they appear in the Qur’an, considering what the Qur’an means by holy. After I examine the qur’anic use of this language, I will compare that use to the biblical conception in order to expose the manner in which the shared language shared language obscures the differences between what each faith means by those words. Communicators of biblical truth among Muslims will benefit from recognizing the Islamic meaning that could distort apprehension of the biblical command to, “Be holy as I am holy.”

Key Words: Bible, Christianity, comparative religion, holiness, Islam, Qur’an

Islam is a monotheistic faith. The Islamic conception of God’s oneness and transcendence is central to its teachings about God. Interestingly, the language of holiness—language central to the biblical conception of God and the expectations for God’s people—is hardly present within the Qur’an. In fact, throughout the Qur’an, there are only ten occurrences of the root qaf-dal-sin (Hereafter quds), which is usually translated using various forms of the word “holy.”1

Since there are so few occurrences, we have the advantage of being able to consider the usage of this word within the horizons of the Qur’an’s text exhaustively, seeking to understand its relationship to the apparent biblical counterpart.

Students of both faiths should compare the biblical and qur’anic use of quds because the Qur’an uses quds language in renarrating the story of Moses, the burning bush, and holy ground. In Exodus 3, Moses

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approaches a bush that is burning but not consumed and is instructed to remove his sandals because he is standing on holy ground. The Arabic Bible uses quds to refer the ground as “holy.” Likewise, the Qur’an reports this incident in two places referring to the valley in which it occurred as “holy” and connects the instructions to remove his sandals to this reason.

Given the presence of the same language in the Qur’an as is used in the Bible, are the qur’anic and biblical conceptions of holiness equivalent? As this essay will demonstrate, the conceptions diverge despi...