*3.6. Thinking Inter-Disciplinarily and Inter-Religiously*

We previously discussed the importance of Qur" anic narration as an essential part ¯ of discourse and not as a purely decorative addition. Reconsidering this aspect implies reconsidering the biblical heritage, overcoming the gap between the legacies of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, created by the theory of *tah.r¯ıf*, falsification, and elaborated in the context of religious polemics.<sup>6</sup> The result is a feeling of superiority towards the sacred texts that preceded the Qur" an. There is also an equivalent feeling of superiority on the other ¯ side concerning Islam and its Scripture. This reciprocal exclusivism must cease in order to find a means of dialogue and collaboration. The Qur" an describes the Torah and the Gospel ¯ as "a guide and a light" (Q 5, 44, 46), (Q 6, 91), terms applied to the Qur" an itself (Q 42, ¯ 52). The Qur" an invites Jews and Christians to embrace the values existing in their own ¯ Scriptures (Q 5, 45, 47). It is a rare invitation in the history of religions, as each religion usually invites for itself while excluding others. The Qur" an came "to confirm the Book that ¯ was there before it and to prevail over it" (Q 5, 48). To prevail, to be *muhaymin*, means here to be the exegetical authority; the previous Books must be read in the light of the Qur" an¯ as far as Muslims are concerned. The confirmation refutes the accusation of falsification and a loss of authenticity circulating in polemical writings. It is worth mentioning that the early commentaries, such as the Tafs¯ır of Ibn Gar ˘ ¯ır al-T. abar¯ı (d. 310/923), attributed an important place to the so-called *isra¯* " *¯ıliyyat¯* , information from the biblical, Talmudic, or Midrashic heritage. This heritage was gradually marginalized in Islamic thought (cf. Saleh 2008, 2016).

Thinking on a truly global level, so that Islam is not just a local belief claiming universality, requires an openness to human heritage. It is a matter of restoring biblical heritage to its place and activating its role in a new style, in a profound dialogue with the human, historical and linguistic sciences and methods applied to biblical studies.<sup>7</sup> It is crucial to focus on the unity and complementarity of human knowledge, based on the concept of a "heritage of humanity", considering knowledge to be a "common good".

This interdisciplinary and interfaith approach permits one to see Islam's position in the historical landscape of world religions and to develop a more inclusive theology of religions. René Girard's mimetic theory, for example, assists the discussion of the relationship between religion and violence and the role of faith in pacifying human beings or increasing violence. In point of fact, Girard focused on Greek mythology and the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. Later, the mimetic theory became the center of a more extensive interreligious debate. Various researchers applied the theory to Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religious traditions (cf. Palaver and Schenk 2017; Collins 2014; Goodhart 2014). It is now time to see the complex relationship between Islam and memetic theory as part of a new Islamic theology of nonviolence. This theory offers new tools for analysis that allow Islamic theology to understand itself better and participate in global discussions.8
