Abstract
The ethics of reciprocity, known as the “golden rule,” is any moral dictum that
encourages people to treat others the way they would like to be treated. The
principle exists in the sacred texts of the world’s religions as well as the writings
of secular philosophers. Due to its ubiquity in many contexts, it has become an
important focal point for interfaith dialogue and the development of international
human rights norms. Islam, as a world religion with over one billion followers,
has an important role to play in facilitating dialogue and cooperation with other
groups in the modern world. The golden rule in Islamic traditions has been
explicitly invoked by numerous Muslim leaders and organizations towards this
end. This study examines the phenomenological appearance of the golden rule
in Islamic texts and modern interfaith dialogue with Muslims. Sources include
the Qur’ān, Ḥadīth traditions, exegetical commentaries, extracanonical or
apocryphal literature, and contemporary works. Sections are organised by
genre of literature and are loosely chronological. Key interpretive points from
the classical period are related to modern interfaith initiatives and universal
human rights, with a view of demonstrating the ways in which the classical
heritage informs the experiences of Muslims today
