Ma`rifat Adyan

Muslim scholars have adopted five approaches in their discussions with the Christians: refutation, disputation, teaching and learning relation, fiqhi confrontation, and dialog or discussion. The present paper focuses on the fifth approach, that is, dialog or discussion and takes a probing look at the brief Persian version of Mujtahid Maraghi’s treatise, entitled "Jawab Kafi wa Bayan Shafi Leman Sabaqat Lahul Hosna". In its preface, he writes, "this treatise which was written at the request of the Armenians of Maragheh who wanted to know the true religion". Although we know nothing who the inquirers were and what their reaction to Maraghi's analysis was, this event is regarded unique in the history of the dialogs between Islam and Christianity. Maraghi's central point is "transition from monotheism to the necessity of the existence of a perfect man". He introduces Shiite school of thought as the true Muslim school due to its close attachment to the Imam of the Age (May God hasten his glad advent) as the perfect man and essence of the creation. Furthermore, he wrote another treatise in Arabic on Christianity entitled "Mishkat-al Hikmah wa Misbah-al Bayan" which, unlike the aforementioned treatise, is a more detailed one and the first approach, i.e. refutation is used here. However, the common property of these two treatises is that both of them cite the holy presence of Imam of the Age (May God hasten his glad advent) as the perfect man and the mediation of divine bounteousness.