4WO 2ESPONSES TO h)NTERRELIGIOUS $IALOGUE AND 3PIRITUAL (OSPITALITYv
) (OSPITALITY IN )SLAM 3NJEZANA !KPINAR
!BSTRACT 4HE AUTHOR DESCRIBES THE TRADITIONS OF HOSPITALITY THAT WERE CENTRAL TO PRE )SLAMIC !RAB CULTURE AND THAT SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME CENTRAL TO )SLAM )N THESE TRADITIONS HOSPITALITY IS LINKED TO CHIVALRY AND TO ACCEPTANCE OF THE COM MANDS OF 'OD hWHO IS A GUEST FOR WHOSE VISIT ONE MUST ALWAYS BE PREPARED v !MONG EXAMPLES EXAMINED BY THE AUTHOR ARE THE STORIES OF !BRAHAM (AGAR AND )SMAIL AS THESE STORIES ARE TOLD IN THE 1UR AN
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OR -USLIMS THE CONCEPT OF HOSPITALITY GOES DEEPER INTO HISTORY THAN IS COMMONLY UNDERSTOOD IN THE 7EST )T IS A VIRTUE THAT LIES AT THE VERY BASIS OF THE )SLAMIC ETHICAL SYSTEM &OR !RABS IN PARTICULAR HOS PITALITY IS AN ANCIENT CONCEPT 0RE )SLAMIC !RAB CIVILIZATION SAW HOSPITALITY AS A HUMANIZING ELEMENT THAT INVOLVES BOTH THE GUEST AND HOST CREATES TRUST BETWEEN THEM LEADS TO AN ENNOBLING AND TRANSFORMATIVE MOMENT
AND EVOKES A RESTORATIVE ENERGY CRUCIAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE HUMAN RACE ,INKED CLOSELY WITH HONOR AND CHIVALRY HOSPITALITY WAS CONSIDERED AN ACT OF UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS )SLAM ACCEPTED THIS HERITAGE AT ITS VERY INCEPTION 4HREE ACCOUNTS OF HOSPITALITY WILL SERVE TO ILLUSTRATE ITS ROLE IN )SLAM THE STORY OF (ATIM AL 4AYY WHO WELCOMED ALL STRANGERS THAT PASSED BY HIS FATHER S TENTS THE RECORD OF (AGAR S WELCOME AMONG THE "EDOUINS AND THE HEROIC ROLE OF !BRAHAM S SON )SMAIL /NE OF THE EARLIEST TRADITIONS ASCRIBED TO THE 0ROPHET -UHAMMED IN TRODUCES THE STORY OF (ATIM AL 4AYY (E IS REMEMBERED l RST FOR HIS YOUTHFUL HONESTY AND ENTHUSIASM IN MEETING STRANGERS (E DID NOT TREAT STRANGERS DIFFERENTLY WHETHER OR NOT THEY CAME FROM HOSTILE TERRITORIES AND WITHOUT PASSING JUDGMENT HE WOULD PUT THE WHOLE HERD OF HIS FATHER S CAMELS AT THE STRANGERS DISPOSAL 3UCH ACTS ENRAGED HIS FATHER WHO l NALLY RENOUNCED >HHJ: D8ID7:G