FOREWORD
We live today in an age of information, an age of knowledge explosion. Today, everyone wants to know more and more about everything, including religion. At the same time, we live in a world of differences—multi-religious, multi-cultural, and multi-ethnic societies. Some people fight amongst themselves to remove differences, not realizing that some differences cannot be removed. It is rightly said that Nature abhors uniformity. It means that ‘difference’ is part of Nature and exists in every aspect of life, including in the sphere of religion.
There may be differences in religion and culture among people, but no difference should be made between people in respect and honour. This formula of mutual respect is given in the Quran in these words: “You have your religion, and I have mine” (109:6). In this verse, the Quran is giving master advice for establishing a peaceful society, i.e., “To follow one and respect all.”
There are more than a dozen major religions in the world. Religions have two basic types of teachings—one related to theology and the other to ethical values. While there are significant differences in the theologies of various religions, there is no basic difference in many of their ethical values. The most important ethical values taught in various religions are peace and tolerance. This is because authentic religiousness seeks to make a person a spiritually developed human being and a person who has elevated his spirituality cannot afford to be violent or intolerant. The behaviour of a truly religious person is always one of peace and tolerance.
The philosophical ground of peace and tolerance in some religions is derived from the concept of the manyness of reality or of truth being plural. On the other hand, the philosophical base of peace and tolerance in certain other religions is their belief in the principle of the oneness of reality or the idea that truth is one. However, no matter what their different philosophical ideas are in this regard, all religions advocate mutual respect as the basis for interfaith relations.
In religion, differences can best be meaningfully and constructively managed through peaceful and positive inter-religious dialogue between adherents of different faiths based on mutual respect. A principal aim of such dialogue should be to seek peaceful solutions to controversial matters.
The second aim of inter-religious dialogue can be mutual learning. Inter-religious dialogue does not simply mean telling others about one’s religion. It also means discovering and appreciating wise and good things in other religions and learning from the insights and experiences of their adherents.
The third purpose of inter-religious dialogue is to help create a platform for uniting peace-loving people across the globe from different religious backgrounds to work for the common good and to celebrate our common humanity.
The fourth purpose of inter-religious dialogue can be to help individuals grow as spiritual beings, to become better human beings—which is surely a goal shared by various religions. In addition, ethical principles from various religions can be used to inculcate good moral conduct in people. Such ethical training of the adherents of religion is sure to yield positive results.
I have participated in many inter-religious dialogue programmes. In these programmes, I have always tried to establish the point that, given the theological differences between various religions, religious uniformity at the theological level is not possible, but what is possible is to find ways to maintain peaceful relations and harmony between different religious communities, or, in other words, people who follow or identify with different belief systems. The foundation for this should be mutual respect and mutual learning.
While participating in inter-religious dialogue meetings, I present the Islamic perspective while remaining ready to learn from others. Such an approach is a prerequisite for a successful dialogue.
Regarding inter-religious relations, problems sometimes arise when some insist others accept their viewpoint unconditionally. This is not at all a healthy approach. On the contrary, I find that dialogue can become a blessing when people present their point of view with sincerity and are ready to listen to and consider other people’s viewpoints and accept reality as it emerges after discussion.
After listening to my presentation of Islam, people often ask me why the version of Islam I present differs from that of many others. I explain to them that I present Islam as enshrined in its sources—the Quran and the Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet of Islam). In contrast, many other people take the actions and views of Muslims as Islam’s position on any issue. It is a basic error. To form a correct understanding of Islam, we need to differentiate between Islam, on the one hand, and Muslims, on the other. Islam is a religious worldview, whereas the position of Muslims on any matter is often determined by the sentiments and conduct of community members.
When I distinguish between Islam and Muslims, many common misconceptions about Islam are cleared. This way, I can promote a positive and open attitude among dialogue partners and engage in positive interactions with them.
I have found that every religion tells us how to live in a multi-religious society with peace and harmony. We find this formula, for instance, in the famous words of Jesus: “Love your enemies.” (Luke, 6:27)
Once, during a visit to the USA, I was invited by a church to deliver a lecture on Islam and Peace. After my lecture, a Christian scholar asked: “In Christianity, there is a moral injunction: ‘Love your enemies.’ Can you cite any such teaching from the Islamic scripture?”
I replied in the affirmative. Various religions have this same precept in common. It is said in the Hebrew Bible, “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love overlooks all offences” (Proverbs 10:12). In the New Testament, Jesus said: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew, 5:43-44). Similarly, the Quran says: “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.” (41:34)
God created human beings and provided them with a mind and resources to develop civilization. Today, we live in a materially advanced stage of civilization that has resulted from continuous efforts on the part of all of humankind. Those who sincerely ponder over this entire history may be led to acknowledge their Creator as the Giver of all blessings and, secondly, to look upon all of humanity as their benefactors. This realization can dispel the ‘we versus they’ concept and promote a ‘we-we’ culture.
The fact is that every other person is our benefactor, in some way or the other, in actuality or potentially. Awareness of this fact promotes the ‘love for all’ culture. This is the best formula for universal fraternity. In this world, the most realistic formula to live by is that of ‘love for all.’
Wahiduddin Khan
New Delhi, India
15 January 2020
