Program Particulars
*Times indicated refer to web version of audio

(02:10–02:59) Music
"The Multiples of One" from Awakening, performed by Joseph Curiale

(06:06) Qur'an and Corruption of the Earth
As Abou El Fadl pointed out, the fifth surah of the Qur'an — titled Al-Maeda, The Table or The Feast — explicitly warns people not to corrupt and destroy the earth:

VERSE 32
Yusufali: On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person — unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land — it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land.
Pickthal: For that cause We decreed for the Children of Israel that whosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind. Our messengers came unto them of old with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty), but afterwards lo! many of them became prodigals in the earth.
Shakir: For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our messengers came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land.

VERSE 33
Yusufali: The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;
Pickthal: The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom;
Shakir: The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement,

VERSE 64
Yusufali: The Jews say: "Allah's hand is tied up." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter. Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth. But the revelation that cometh to thee from Allah increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them we have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time they kindle the fire of war, Allah doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth. And Allah loveth not those who do mischief.
Pickthal: The Jews say: Allah's hand is fettered. Their hands are fettered and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, but both His hands are spread out wide in bounty. He bestoweth as He will. That which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them, and We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. As often as they light a fire for war, Allah extinguisheth it. Their effort is for corruption in the land, and Allah loveth not corrupters.
Shakir: And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up! Their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are spread out, He expends as He pleases; and what has been revealed to you from your Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and unbelief; and We have put enmity and hatred among them till the day of resurrection; whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land; and Allah does not love the mischief-makers.

(08:08–08:47) Music
"Gogun Yedi Kati" from Suleyman the Magnificent [soundtrack], by Brian Keane and Omar Faruk Tekbilek

(08:43) Jewish Concept of the Beauty of Holiness
In Psalms 29, verse 2, the Hebrew term hadrat kodesh is used to indicate the beauty and majesty of holiness:

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;
     bow down to the Lord, majestic in holiness.

(09:03) Jewish Concept of Tikkun Olam
Literally meaning "world repair," the Hebrew phrase tikkun olam connotes social action and the pursuit of social justice in modern Jewish culture. Our world is broken, Rabbi Schulweis notes, and religion created by man has played a role in this fragmentation.

(12:15) Jacob Versus Esau
In the Speaking of Faith program, "Hanukkah, and a Rediscovery of Jewish Customs," book designer Scott-Martin Kosofsky recounts the pivotal story of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for "a bowl of soup." The following passage of this story was taken from the book of Genesis 25:21-34 (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures):

Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord responded to his plea, and his wife Rebekah conceived. But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, "If so, why do I exist?" She went to inquire of the Lord, and the Lord answered her,

"Two nations are in your womb,
Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger."

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau. Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp. Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rebekah favored Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished. And Esau said to Jacob, "Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished"—which is why he was named Edom. Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." And Esau said, "I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me?" But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn the birthright.

(13:30) The Jewish Concept of Oneness
"Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is One," which Schulweis recites, begins the foundational Jewish prayer known as the Shema Yisrael. It is often recited several times a day by Orthodox Jews and is the last prayer to be said on one's deathbed.

The first portion comes from the book of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, in which Moses continues instructing the Israelites after proclaiming God's commandments:

Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

(14:11) Passages from the Qur'an
This extended passage was excerpted from The Place of Tolerance in Islam by Khaled Abou El Fadl:

The Qur'anic discourse, for instance, can readily support an ethic of diversity and tolerance. The Qur'an not only expects, but even accepts the reality of difference and diversity within human society: "O humankind, God has created you from male and female and made you into diverse nations and tribes so that you many come to know each other. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous." Elsewhere, the Qur'an asserts that diversity is part of the divine intent and purpose in creation: "If thy Lord had willed, He would have made humankind into a single nation, but they will not cease to be diverse…. And, for this God created them [humankind]." The classical commentators on the Qur'an did not fully explore the implications of this sanctioning of diversity, or the role of peaceful conflict resolution in perpetuating the type of social interaction that would result in people "knowing each other."

(17:45–18:29) Music
"Escalay (Waterwheel)" from Pieces of Africa, performed by Kronos Quartet

(18:40) Parable from the Talmud
For an interesting twist on the story of the mirrors discussed by Rabbi Schulweis, listen to Avivah Zornberg, a scholar of the Torah and rabbinic literature, recount one of her favorite midrashic interpretations in the Speaking of Faith program, "Exodus, Cargo of Hidden Stories."

(20:10) Reading from El Fadl's Work
The passage Krista recites can be found in Abou El Fadl's The Place of Tolerance in Islam:

The idea that Muslims must stand up for justice even against their own self-interests is predicated on the notion that human beings are capable of achieving a high level of moral agency. As agents, Muslims are expected to achieve a level of moral conscientiousness, which they will bring to their relationship with God. In regards to every ethical obligation, the Qur'anic text assumes that readers will bring a preexisting, innate moral sense to the text. Hence, the text will morally enrich the reader, but only if the reader will morally enrich the text. The meaning of the religious text is not fixed simply by the literal meaning of its words, but depends, too, on the moral construction given to it by the reader. So if the reader approaches the text without moral commitments, it will almost inevitably yield nothing but discrete, legalistic, technical insights.

(23:49) Reference to the House of Shammai and Hillel
Shammai and Hillel were Talmudic scholars (37-4 CE) who sometimes disagreed with each other on Jewish law and politics. With each generation from the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai, differences of opinion grew and conflict between families increased.

(26:52–28:58) Music
"Variation 25 (Miserere)" from J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, performed by Andras Schiff

(32:02) Abraham's Criticism of God
The famous story about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah can be found in chapters 18 and 19 of the book of Genesis. When God revealed his intent to Abraham, the story depicts Abraham confronting God because he was worried about the righteous people in the city who would be unjustly killed:

Abraham came forward and said, "Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"

And the Lord answered, "If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." Abraham spoke up, saying, "Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the five?" And He answered, "I will not do it, for the sake of the forty." And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?" And He answered, " I will not do it if I find thirty there." And he said, "I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty." And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" And He answered, I will not destroy, for the sake of ten."

When the Lord had finished speaking to Abraham, He departed; and Abraham returned to his place.

(35:08–35:48) Music
"Auscencia" from Tata Monk, performed by Alex de Grassi and Quique Cruz

(45:42) Reference to the Book of Isaiah
Read the complete text of Isaiah 19 that Rabbi Schulweis says believers should be obligated to read and remember, taken from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures by Jewish Publication Society:

The "Egypt" Pronouncement.

Mounted on a swift cloud,
The Lord will come to Egypt;
Egypt's idols shall tremble before Him,
And the heart of the Egyptians shall sink with them.

"I will incite Egyptian against Egyptian:
They shall war with each other,
Every man with his fellow,
City with city
And kingdom with kingdom.
Egypt shall be drained of spirit,
And I will confound its plans;
So they will consult the idols and the shades
And the ghosts and the familiar spirits.
And I will place the Egyptians
At the mercy of a harsh master,
And a ruthless king shall rule them"
          —declares the Sovereign, the Lord of Hosts.

Water shall fall from the seas,
Rivers dry up and be parched,
Channels turn foul as they ebb,
And Egypt's canals run dry.
Reed and rush shall decay,
And the Nile papyrus by the Nile-side
And everything sown by the Nile
Shall wither, blow away, and vanish.
The fishermen shall lament;
All who cast lines in the Nile shall mourn,
And those who spread nets on the water shall languish.
The flax workers, too, shall be dismayed,
Both carders and weavers chagrined.
Her foundations shall be crushed,
And all who make dams shall be despondent.

Utter fools are the nobles of Tanis;
The sagest of Pharaoh's advisers
[Have made] absurd predictions.
How can you say to Pharaoh,
"I am a scion of sages,
A scion of Kedemite kings"?
Where, indeed, are your sages?
Let them tell you, let them discover
What the Lord of Hosts has planned against Egypt.
The nobles of Tanis have been fools,
The nobles of Memphis deluded;
Egypt has been led astray
By the chiefs of her tribes.
The Lord has mixed within her
A spirit of distortion,
Which shall lead Egypt astray in all her undertakings
As a vomiting drunkard goes astray;
Nothing shall be achieved in Egypt
By either head or tail,
Palm branch or reed.

In that day, the Egyptians shall be like women, trembling and terrified because the Lord of Hosts will raise His hand against them. And the land of Judah shall also be the dread of the Egyptians; they shall quake whenever anybody mentions it to them, because of what the Lord of Hosts is planning against them. In that day, there shall be several towns in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing loyalty to the Lord of Hosts; one shall be called Town of Heres.

In that day, there shall be an altar to the Lord inside the land of Egypt and a pillar to the Lord at its border. They shall serve as a symbol and reminder of the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt, so that when [the Egyptians] cry out to the Lord against oppressors, He will send them a savior and champion to deliver them. For the Lord will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall acknowledge the Lord in that day, and they shall serve [Him] with sacrifice and oblation and shall make vows to the Lord and fulfill them. The Lord will first afflict and then heal the Egyptians; when they turn back to the Lord, He will respond to their entreaties and heal them.

In that day, there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians shall join with the Egyptians and Egyptians with Assyrians, and then the Egyptians together with the Assyrians shall serve [the Lord].

In that day, Israel shall be a third partner with Egypt and Assyria as a blessing on earth; for the Lord of Hosts will bless them, saying, "Blessed be My people Egypt, My handiwork Assyria, and My very own Israel."

(51:08–53:12) Music
"Escalay (Waterwheel)" from Pieces of Africa, performed by Kronos Quartet