INTERFAITH RECONCILIATION
True religiousness is to realize that the universe has one Lord and Maker—God Almighty—to whom we will have to answer for our actions on Judgement Day. Therefore, the discovery of God and the realization of one’s answerability before Him are integral parts of true religiousness.
Despite recent improvements in global communications, there is still widespread ignorance and misinterpretation of different faiths, and this often leads to religion being used as a divisive rather than a cohesive force. Therefore, there is an ever-increasing need to promote a better understanding of all major faiths so inter-religious harmony may prevail. Given our multi-religious world, we must cultivate the transcendent genius of spirituality so that conflicting religious identities do not cause a disintegration of the socio-political framework of any country or wrongly channel people’s energies. Religions must play a positive role in inter-community bridge-building.
Interfaith dialogue assumes particular in this regard. In such dialogue, the basic truths about different religions need to be emphasized so that superficial interpretations of one another’s scriptures may not be used, wittingly or unwittingly, to aggravate inter-community tensions. Scriptures should be read not to find their faults but to grasp their underlying spirituality. Religious traditions must be understood in depth. They must be lived in order to be known.
Moreover, we must avoid judging any holy book by the conduct of its adherents. Rather than judging the Quran or the Bible, for instance, by what Muslims or Christians do, we should follow what the scriptures prescribe. Above all, we must respond to each other’s scriptures and communities with considerable tolerance of difference and appreciation of their virtues.
In the modern world, several religions prevail. Now, the question arises about creating an atmosphere of unity among the adherents of various religions and facilitating interfaith bridge-building. Here I would like to quote a well-known Sufi formula: sulh-e-kul, which means ‘peace with all.’ This formula echoes a Quranic verse that teaches that ‘as-sulh khair,’ that is, ‘reconciliation is best’ (4:128). This means that in a situation where there is a conflict or controversy between two parties, peaceful reconciliation is the best policy. In every situation, we should strive to adopt a peaceful rather than violent method.
The difference is a part of life, and religion is no exception in this regard. Now, the question is: How should one deal with religious differences? The Quran gives us a simple formula: “You have your religion, and I have mine.” (109:6) This principle, based on mutual respect between followers of different religions, may also be expressed in these words: “Follow one, and respect all.”
This principle illustrates what can be called ‘the art of difference management.’ The essence of this teaching is that while one follows one religion, he respects all others. This principle of mutual respect can form the bedrock of peaceful living in a multi-religious society. This is because differences are an integral part of nature. So the only way we can live peacefully in a society characterized by religious differences is by practicing religious tolerance and respecting other people’s religious convictions. Of course, everyone is entitled to follow what they think is best for their inner solace. However, mutual respect should be for each other and their deeply-held convictions.
While studying major religions, I found that every religion, including Islam, teaches the art of difference management. Every religion tells us how to live in a multi-religious society with peace and harmony. A spiritually evolved person lives in society as a disciplined person, a harmless member of society, and a no-problem person to his neighbours. In short, such a person’s attitude and behaviour towards all fellow human beings, irrespective of religion, should be human-friendly.
The One God has created this vast universe and everything in it, including people who look different and subscribe to different belief systems. If we are conscious that one day we will have to return to God and answer for all our actions while we were on Earth, it may help us deal kindly and gently with all of God’s creatures whom we may meet, including people from different walks and ways of life, religions and communities. Such God-consciousness can help us relate with goodness with everyone who comes into our life, irrespective of their religion or another such identity marker.
