Investigating the Islamic Government’s Approach to Cultural and Linguistic Pluralism in Light of the Qur’anic Principle of Taʿāruf and Respect for Human Diversities as Divine Signs

The contemporary world increasingly encounters the phenomenon of cultural and linguistic pluralism—a phenomenon that can serve as a source of civilizational richness and flourishing or, if mismanaged, as a ground for conflict and social fragmentation. In this context, the question of how an Islamic government should engage human diversities gains particular importance, especially since Islam, in its sacred texts—above all, the Noble Qur’an—offers clear principles and foundations for articulating the relation between diversity and unity. Key verses such as “O humankind, indeed We created you from a male and a female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another (li-taʿārafū) …” (al-Ḥujurāt, 13) and “And among His signs is the diversity of your tongues and your colors” (al-Rūm, 22) both affirm the divine wisdom in diversities and the necessity of mutual recognition, and also identify taqwā rather than race or ethnicity as the criterion
of merit. Alongside these, concepts such as the “single umma (ummatan wāḥidah)” and “holding fast to the Rope of God (ḥabl Allāh)” delineate a unifying framework that can harmonize diversities under a shared, value-oriented telos. The central problem of this study is how to translate these two complementary principles—upholding the intrinsic worth of diversity and prioritizing faith-based unity—into an effective model for Islamic governance that both forestalls the threats of division and harnesses the synergistic opportunities arising from diversity. This research aims to undertake a deep rereading
of Qur’anic foundations related to pluralism and unity and to extract their practical implications for governance in an Islamic society. Its primary focus is how Qur’anic teachings can simultaneously combine acceptance of and respect for linguistic, ethnic, and cultural diversities with the strengthening of cohesion and faith identity. Accordingly, the study endeavors to present a theological–strategic framework by which an Islamic state’s cultural and social policy-making in plural settings can be organized so that the values of diversity are preserved and allowed to flourish while the solidarity of the Islamic umma is reinforced. A subsidiary aim is to clarify the distinction between the Qur’anic concept of “milla” (a revealed way and sacred law) and the modern concept of “nation” in nationalist terms, in order to prevent theoretical conflations and identity misunderstandings. The method is descriptive–analytical with an approach of “critique of foundations” and strategic inference. First, data were collected from authentic sources, including the Noble Qur’an and authoritative Sunni and Shiʿi exegeses, as well as documents and statements of leading thinkers of the Islamic world. Second, content analysis of the relevant verses was conducted to examine key concepts—taʿāruf (mutual recognition), “divine signs (āyāt Allāh),” “single umma (ummatan wāḥidah),” “the Rope of God (ḥabl Allāh),” and “milla”—from the perspectives of classical and modern exegetes. Then, by comparing juridical, exegetical, and political-theory readings, points of convergence and divergence were identified and employed to derive applicable principles for cultural policy-making. Finally, through an inferential method, the proposed framework was translated from the level of Qur’anic concepts to the level of executive strategies in governance. Examination of the Qur’anic verses and commentaries showed that the Qur’anic view of cultural and linguistic pluralism is not threat-centered but opportunity-centered. The principle of taʿāruf indicates that ethnic and linguistic diversities—as divine signs—form a groundwork
for recognition and constructive interaction among human beings, and that denying or disparaging them constitutes opposition to God’s creational sunnah. At the same time, the Qur’an regards taqwā as the criterion of excellence and of social ordering, thereby engendering an identity that transcends ethnic and geographic affiliations. Concepts such as the “single umma” and “the Rope of God” emphasize that the community of faith must be defined under monotheistic belief and that its unity is preserved by adherence to the divine religion and shared values. The data also showed the necessity—both theoretical and practical—of distinguishing the Qur’anic “milla,” which is related to religion and sharīʿa, from the modern “nation” of the nation-state, since the former is defined by faith and mission while the latter is grounded largely in political borders and historical attachments. It can thus be concluded that, for an Islamic government, combining the two aforementioned principles as a dual yet complementary structure—diversity as a legitimate reality and faith-based unity as the orienting guide of that diversity—can provide the basis for cultural and social policy. In practice, this combination yields strategies such as recognizing different languages and cultures within the framework of law and sharīʿa; eliminating any discrimination based on ethnicity or language; creating institutional mechanisms for inter-cultural dialogue; and actively countering divisive ideologies. In this way, an Islamic government can, while benefiting from the rich reservoir of diversities, strengthen faith identity and social cohesion, and offer a model of peaceful coexistence and civilizational advancement that is rooted in revelatory principles and responsive to the complex needs of contemporary society.