The Liberating Arc: Quran’s Continuity with Prior Revelations
By V.A. Mohamad Ashrof, New Age Islam
25 August 2025
Abstract
In an age where sacred texts are often weaponized to erect walls of division, a liberatory hermeneutic is not merely an academic exercise but a spiritual and ethical necessity. This paper argues that the Quran, when read through a humanistic and progressive lens, reveals itself not as a scripture of exclusion but as a profound call to a universal, evolving ethical consciousness rooted in the shared Abrahamic narrative. It posits that the Quran’s self-proclaimed continuity with the Scrolls of Abraham, the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel is best understood as a "liberating arc"—a divine-human story that progressively seeks to free humanity from the shackles of tribalism, dogmatic rigidity, and spiritual apathy. By re-examining the Quranic concepts of confirmation (tasdiq) and guardianship (Muhaymin) as acts of affirmative dialogue and ethical preservation, this paper demonstrates how the Quran builds upon its predecessors to champion a pluralistic and just world. This interpretation provides a robust, scripture-based foundation for an ecumenical vision that fosters mutual respect, human dignity, and a collective pursuit of the common good.
Reclaiming Scripture as a Tool for Liberation
The history of religion is a paradox. The very scriptures that speak of universal love, divine mercy, and human brotherhood have been invoked to justify sectarian violence, colonial conquest, and dogmatic oppression. The sacred texts of the Abrahamic traditions, in particular, have been cast as rival narratives, each claiming exclusive access to truth. This has created what the theologian Hans Kung calls a "bloody trail" of religious conflict, a legacy that continues to fuel division in the 21st century (Kung, p.75). The challenge for the modern believer, the scholar, and the conscientious human being is to develop a hermeneutic—a theory of interpretation—that can liberate these texts from the prisons of dogmatic exclusivism and rediscover their potential as sources of human flourishing and global peace.
This paper proposes such a hermeneutic for understanding the Quran’s relationship with its predecessors. It moves beyond a simplistic reading of confirmation or abrogation to explore the Quran’s role within a "liberating arc" of revelation. This arc begins with the call to free the human conscience from idolatry, progresses through the establishment of covenantal justice, deepens into a radical ethics of love and inwardness, and culminates in a universal call for a pluralistic human community dedicated to righteous competition in doing good.
This approach is unapologetically ecumenical and inclusive, seeking to build bridges rather than walls between faith traditions. It is progressive, suggesting that divine guidance is not static but dynamically responsive to the evolving needs of humanity. It is liberatory, arguing that the ultimate purpose of revelation is to free humanity from fear, injustice, and the spiritual bondage of narrow identities, a theme central to progressive Islamic thought (Safi, p.15). Finally, it is humanistic, centring the innate dignity (Fitrah), ethical responsibility, and shared spiritual quest of the human person as the primary focus of the divine-human encounter. Through this lens, the Quran’s declaration that "Nothing is said to you except what was said to the messengers before you" (Quran 41:43) is transformed from a statement of mere repetition into a profound affirmation of a single, continuous, and liberating human story.
The Primordial Covenant
The Quranic narrative of continuity does not begin with Moses or even Abraham; it begins with the very dawn of human consciousness. The Quran posits a primordial covenant (Mithaq) made between God and all of humanity before their physical existence, where every soul testified to God's oneness (Quran 7:172). This concept is profoundly humanistic. It suggests that the knowledge of a transcendent, moral source is not the exclusive property of any one religion but is woven into the very fabric of human nature itself—the Fitrah. As Seyyed Hossein Nasr explains, the fitrah is the inherent disposition within every human being to recognize God, and the purpose of all subsequent revelation is not to introduce a foreign concept, but to awaken this innate human disposition towards truth, goodness, and beauty (Nasr, p.27).
The archetype of this awakened conscience is Abraham (Ibrahim). The Quran’s portrayal of Abraham is a masterclass in liberatory theology. He is presented not simply as the patriarch of a tribe, but as the model of the intellectually and spiritually emancipated individual. His story is one of rebellion—not against God, but against the inherited idolatry of his father and his community (Quran 21:51-70). He uses logic, observation, and introspection to deconstruct the false gods of his society, be they celestial bodies or carved idols. Abraham is the quintessential Hanif—the one who, guided by his Fitrah, breaks free from the chains of tradition and turns his face to the one, universal Creator.
By positioning Abraham as "neither a Jew nor a Christian, but a Hanif, one who submitted to God" (Quran 3:67), the Quran performs a radical ecumenical act. It bypasses later sectarian divisions to ground its message in a shared, pre-confessional humanism. The "Religion of Abraham" (Millat Ibrahim) becomes synonymous with this liberated, rational, and ethical monotheism. This is not about claiming Abraham for Islam in a proprietary sense, but about claiming the method of Abraham—the courageous quest for truth against the inertia of dogma—as the ideal for all humanity. This interpretation liberates Abraham from being a figure of division and recasts him as the shared ancestor of a universal family united by a common search for meaning and justice. The mention of his "Scrolls" (Suhuf Ibrahim) in the Quran (Quran 87:19) thus serves as a powerful symbol of this lost, primordial wisdom—a universal ethical charter centred on individual accountability and moral rectitude—which all subsequent scriptures seek to restore (Mattson, p.45).
Dialogical Partner: Tasdiq and Muhaymin
To understand the Quran’s role in the liberating arc of revelation, we must reinterpret the key terms it uses to define its relationship with its predecessors: Tasdiq (confirmation) and Muhaymin (guardian/overseer). A rigid, traditionalist reading can see these as acts of passive validation followed by authoritarian correction. A progressive, humanistic hermeneutic, however, reframes them as dynamic, dialogical functions.
Tasdiq, in this reading, is more than simple confirmation; it is an act of affirmative dialogue. The Quran actively engages with the Torah and Gospel, affirming their divine genius and their contributions to the moral development of humanity. It honours the Torah as a source of "guidance and light" (Huda Wa Nur) that established the foundational principles of a just, covenantal community (Quran 5:44). It celebrates the Psalms as a divinely inspired expression of the universal human heart in its intimate conversation with God (Quran 4:163). It reveres the Gospel for its radical call to love, mercy, and an ethics of the heart (Quran 5:46). This affirmative dialogue is an ecumenical act of profound respect. It tells the People of the Book: "Your story is our story. Your prophets are our prophets. The light that shone upon you is the same light that shines upon us." It liberates believers from the need to invalidate another’s sacred history in order to validate their own (Esposito, p.88-89).
Muhaymin is the more challenging concept, but it is also the key to a progressive understanding of revelation. If read as authoritarian "control," it leads to supersessionism. But if understood through a liberatory lens, Muhaymin functions as protective re-articulation. The Quran acts as a guardian not of textual literalism, but of the liberating ethical core of the divine message. Its "corrections" are aimed at what it perceives as historical and cultural incrustations that may have obscured this core.
For example, when the Quran universalizes the covenant beyond the "Children of Israel" to all of humanity, it is not negating the Torah but liberating its ethical vision from the confines of ethnic particularism. When it critiques what it sees as excesses in Trinitarian dogma, it is, from its perspective, protecting the radical monotheism taught by Jesus himself from what it views as later theological constructs that could compromise that principle (Quran 5:116-117). When it tempers the lex talionis ("an eye for an eye") with the immediate encouragement of forgiveness and charity (Quran 5:45), it is guarding the principle of justice while elevating it with the spirit of mercy.
In this sense, the Quran as Muhaymin is a progressive force. It argues that revelation itself has an evolutionary trajectory. As scholar Fazlur Rahman noted, the Quran often seems to be driving toward a more universal, more ethical, and more spiritually interiorized expression of the faith (Rahman 37). The Quran, as guardian, ensures that this liberating arc continues its forward momentum, freeing the timeless divine message from the limitations of its temporal expressions.
The Ethical Evolution Across the Scriptures
When viewed through this hermeneutic, the relationship between the Quran and its predecessors is not one of static repetition but of dynamic, ethical development—a single divine story unfolding in progressive stages.
The Torah: The Charter of Social Justice: The Quran’s deep reverence for the Torah stems from its recognition of the Torah as a revolutionary charter for social justice. In a world of pharaonic tyranny and tribal lawlessness, the Torah established the blueprint for a community founded on a covenant with a just and merciful God. The Quran affirms the Torah’s foundational contributions: the establishment of the rule of law over the rule of men, the creation of a social safety net for the "stranger, the fatherless, and the widow" (Deuteronomy 24:19), and the radical ethical monotheism of the Ten Commandments. The Quran’s own legislative passages on justice, compassion, and communal responsibility are a direct continuation of this Mosaic project. The liberation of the Israelites from bondage in Egypt becomes, in the Quran, a universal human allegory for the struggle against oppression in all its forms (Quran 2:49-50). The Quran’s role is to take this covenantal ethic, which was historically situated with the people of Israel, and universalize it as a moral imperative for all humanity.
The Psalms: The Voice of the Universal Human Heart: If the Torah represents the structure of the just society, the Psalms represent its soul. The Quran’s affirmation of the Zabur of David is a validation of the deeply personal, emotional, and poetic dimension of faith. The Psalms give voice to the universal human experience: the awe of creation, the despair of suffering, the anger at injustice, and the profound solace of divine presence. The Quran is replete with this psalmist spirit. Its lyrical descriptions of nature as a sign (ayah) of God, its powerful eschatological warnings, and its verses of deep comfort and reassurance all tap into this same wellspring of human spirituality. The Quran’s direct quotation from the Psalms—"My righteous servants shall inherit the earth" (Quran 21:105, cf. Psalm 37:29)—is a powerful ecumenical statement. It signifies a shared hope, a common eschatological vision where the world is ultimately not inherited by the arrogant and powerful, but by the humble, the just, and the righteous, regardless of their religious label. This is a profoundly liberatory promise for all the oppressed peoples of the world.
The Gospel: The Radical Turn to the Heart: The Quran sees the mission of Jesus and the Gospel as introducing a crucial deepening of the religious consciousness—a radical turn toward inwardness. The Gospel’s message, as affirmed by the Quran, is a liberation from the dangers of dead-letter legalism and performative piety. Jesus’s emphasis on the intention behind the act, his call to love one’s enemies, and his championing of the poor and marginalized represent a new ethical frontier. The Quran embraces this spirit wholeheartedly. God’s mercy (Rahmah) is the most frequently invoked divine attribute. The shared Golden Rule—loving for others what one loves for oneself, a principle found in the teachings of Jesus (Matthew 7:12) and the Prophet Muhammad (Bukhari 13)—becomes a cornerstone of Islamic ethics. The Quran’s high praise for Jesus and Mary, and its depiction of Jesus as a bringer of peace and a "spirit from God," signals its affirmation of this radical ethics of love (Khalidi, p.88-91). By incorporating this message, the Quran guards against the tendency of any religion, including Islam, to become a system of hollow rituals, reminding believers that the true measure of faith lies in the purity of the heart and the quality of one’s compassion.
Toward a Global Ethic of Pluralism
The ultimate implication of this hermeneutic of continuity is its call for a radical and religiously-grounded pluralism. If the divine message has been a continuous and evolving arc, then no single community can claim a monopoly on truth or virtue. This liberates believers from the dogmatic prison of religious exclusivism and the compulsion to view those of other faiths as adversaries.
The capstone of this vision is arguably one of the most progressive verses in any world scripture:
"To each of you We prescribed a law and a method (Shirʿatan Wa Minhājan). Had Allah willed, He would have made you one single community, but [He willed otherwise] in order to test you in what He has given you. So race to [all that is] good (Fastabiqu Al-Khayrat). To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ." (Quran 5:48)
This verse is a divine mandate for a pluralistic world. As scholar Abdulaziz Sachedina has powerfully argued, it posits that diversity in law and ritual (Shirʿah and Minhaj) is not a historical accident or a sign of error, but a feature of the divine plan (Sachedina, p.34). God’s "test" is not about who has the "correct" rituals, but who can best translate their faith into good works. The purpose of religious diversity is to spark a friendly competition in virtue, a "race to all that is good." It reframes the goal of interfaith relations not as conversion or assimilation, but as mutual encouragement in the service of humanity.
This is a profoundly liberating idea. It frees Muslims, Christians, and Jews from the burden of polemical warfare and invites them to a shared project of global ethical construction. It suggests that our common humanity and our shared responsibility to build a just and compassionate world are more important than our theological disagreements, the resolution of which is deferred to God. This verse provides the ultimate foundation for what can be called a "prophetic humanism"—a humanism that champions dignity, justice, and peace, drawing its inspiration and moral energy from a shared narrative of divine revelation.
The Call of the Unbroken Arc
Reading the Quran through a hermeneutic of continuity—one that is ecumenical, progressive, liberatory, and humanistic—is not an act of watering down its message, but of unlocking its deepest potential. It allows us to see the Quran not as a terminal point that ends the conversation, but as a vast, inclusive chapter in a continuing dialogue between God and humanity. It reveals a scripture that honours its past, engages its present, and offers a timeless vision for a pluralistic future.
The liberating arc of revelation, as traced in this paper, is a story of ever-expanding moral horizons. It moves from the individual’s break with idolatry (Abraham), to the formation of a just community under law (Moses), to the cultivation of a universal human spirituality (David), to the radical ethics of love and inwardness (Jesus), and finally to a global call for diverse communities to race each other in goodness (Muhammad). This is not a story of rupture, but of growth. It is the story of a single divine message being polished and perfected through the ages, culminating in a vision of a world where human dignity is sacrosanct and all people are invited to participate in the shared task of making the world a more just, merciful, and beautiful place.
Embracing this interpretation is more than an intellectual choice; it is a spiritual and ethical commitment. It is a commitment to read our sacred texts with eyes that seek connection rather than division, to listen for the harmonies rather than the dissonances, and to see in the face of the religious "other" not a rival, but a fellow traveller on the same path, following the same liberating arc toward the one, universal Light.
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V.A. Mohamad Ashrof is an independent Indian scholar specializing in Islamic humanism. With a deep commitment to advancing Quranic hermeneutics that prioritize human well-being, peace, and progress, his work aims to foster a just society, encourage critical thinking, and promote inclusive discourse and peaceful coexistence. He is dedicated to creating pathways for meaningful social change and intellectual growth through his scholarship.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/liberating-arc-quran-continuity-revelations/d/136594
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