Analyzing and Criticizing Reynolds's Views regarding the Idea of "Fate and Immediate Retribution of Martyrs in the Quran" and its Biblical Subtext

علوم قرآن و حدیث

Article 12, Volume 56, Issue 1 - Serial Number 112, August 2024, Pages 263-285   

Document Type: Original Article

DOI: 10.22067/jquran.2023.83968.1583

Authors

Nasrin Vejdani^{* 1}; Soheila Jalalikondori²

¹Ph.D. Student, Department of Quranic Studies and Hadith, Faculty of Theology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

²Associate Professor, Department of Quranic Studies and Hadith, Faculty of Theology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Gabriel Said Reynolds developed his idea on the "Immediate retribution of Martyrs after Death" based on his interpretation of some Quranic verses and narrations and the opinions presented in Tabari's commentary. He believed that martyrs immediately ascend to eternal heaven without experiencing the intermediate state Barzakh (purgatory). Reynolds credited the Church Fathers, particularly the Syriac Fathers and selected verses from the Bible as inspiration for this idea.This study examined Reynolds' viewpoint and supporting documents using descriptive and analytical methods. This hypothesis was initially criticized based on Quranic and narrative evidence. It has been subsequently demonstrated that Reynolds has misunderstood Tabari's interpretation. Moreover, the claim that this doctrine, in addition to the Syriac Fathers, can also be found among church fathers in the West, such as Tertullian, who has been called the father of Latin Christianity and the founder of Western theology, was deemed a misinterpretation. Based on research on Tertullian's views about this idea, early scholars' reading of Tertullian's views revealed that martyrs, like other souls, remain in the place of deceased souls (Hades) until the Day of Resurrection.
Furthermore, analyzing the context and revising some of the terms in the Bible verses cited by Reynolds suggested that martyrs do experience the Barzakh period Barzakh (purgatory) according to the Bible's teaching. If this idea is proven, the commonality of this concept in Christian-Jewish theology and Islamic theology can be explained by the belief in the unique origin of divine revelation.

Keywords

Bible; Purgatory; Heaven; Immediate retribution; Reynolds; Martyr; Quran

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