THE WAY OF TOLERANCE
Religious discord is another name for communal discord. We cannot eliminate it. We can, however, protect ourselves from its harm through tolerance.
A large institution under the Christian Church called De Nobili College in Pune houses an ‘Institute for the Study of Religion.’ In collaboration with an American institution, they organized a conference on religions from November 2-6, 1991, in Pune, India. The conference’s theme was ‘Religion and Society’. An invitation to the conference prompted me to journey to Pune.
The conference sessions took place at the Blue Diamond Hotel, spanning three days. The program began with the worship of different faiths each day: on the first day, it started with Hindu worship; on the second day, it started with Islamic worship; and on the third day, it began with Christian worship. Representatives from each religion performed their respective forms of worship.
The Pune Religious Conference provided opportunities to present Islamic perspectives in various sessions. For instance, on November 3, the participants were divided into three groups. About a dozen individuals in my group were affiliated with Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. Each shared their influences regarding religion. In one meeting, the issue of religious authorities was discussed. I asserted that in Islam, the main emphasis lies on ‘spirituality’.
During the meeting on the evening of November 3, some people said that Islam is a religion of jihad (in the sense of warfare). Clarifying this point, I said that Islam is a religion of peace. In Islam, war is only defensive and as a last resort when all peaceful measures have failed. The term used for war in Islam is qital, not jihad. Jihad means struggle. Any sincere effort for the cause of religion will be called jihad. Furthermore, war (qital) can only be declared by an established government in defense. No individual, group, or organization can declare war. Someone asked why Prophet Muhammad fought so many battles. I explained that it was related to the context of the time and age, not the teachings of Islam itself. The traditional age was a time marked by religious persecution. Therefore, during that time, every new religion had to go through a phase of violence. Today, we are in an era of freedom. Hence, there is no opportunity for such circumstances to arise in general situations.
In the morning meeting of November 4, various people expressed the teachings of their respective religions. When it was my turn, I said I had studied Islam extensively. I found that Islam is based on two fundamental principles: belief in God and being beneficial to humanity. For the first principle, I elaborated on chapter 112 of the Quran: “Say, ‘He is God, the One, God, the Self-sufficient One. He does not give birth, nor was He born, and there is nothing like Him.’” To explain the second principle, I shared a Quranic verse, “Whatever is of use to man remains behind.” (13:17)
I further said I had received education primarily in an Islamic madrasa (Islamic seminary). After completing my education at the madrasa, when I interacted with people around me, I realized that what we are taught at the madrasa is not in keeping with modernity. I explained that Islam has been taught in a traditional idiom for more than a thousand years. After a deeper self-study, I realized that there are many aspects of Islam that, if explained, can be applied to describe Islam in a contemporary style. Having spent a lifetime studying Islam and modernity, I can say that Islam is entirely compatible with the modern age. My writings present Islam in a contemporary idiom.
I also explained that after graduating from the madrasa, I extensively studied Islam and other religions in a structured manner. Then, the truth of Islam was revealed to me again, and I discovered Islam again. In this way, Islam is a personal discovery for me rather than merely an inherited traditional belief.
I further said that besides Islam’s innate teachings, what particularly influenced me was its historical aspect, for Islam has obtained unique and exclusive historical credibility.
In a meeting, the issue of religious values was discussed. I stated that the real significance lies in the ‘spirit’ of Islam. If you read the Quran, you will find that it emphasizes matters related to the soul or spirit. There are relatively fewer explicit legal injunctions in the Quran. The Quran contains more verses about issues concerning the spirit.
In another session, I mentioned that all principles of Islam are based on common sense. Common sense is a creation of God. Similarly, the Quran is also the divine word sent by God. Hence, there is perfect harmony between the two. If people keep their common sense in their natural state, they will find Islam perfectly aligned with their common sense.
After the Pune Interfaith Conference, I arrived in Solapur on November 11, 1991. I stayed at the Dak Bungalow there. A press conference was held there, which was attended by more than a dozen editors and journalists from various newspapers. One of them was an editor of an Urdu newspaper. The remaining were associated with Marathi newspapers. A representative from a Marathi newspaper stated that the most crucial task at hand is to eradicate religious hatred. I argued that what is often termed as religious discord in contemporary times is indeed another name for communal discord. We cannot eliminate it; however, we can protect ourselves from its harm with prudent measures. Such prudence is tolerance. There is nothing beyond it.
A unique program in Solapur was organized under the auspices of the Rotary Club, where people from different religions participated, and everyone listened to my speech with keen interest.
The following individuals contributed significantly to the success of the Solapur program: Shri Bala Sahib Jadhav, Shri Mohan Pasnor, Shri K. C. Mude, Shri Shanti Lal Batda, Shri Ramesh Grewal, and others.
I received a letter dated November 29, 1991, from Dr. Ramesh Eshwardas Agarwal, the Secretary of the Rotary Club, Solapur, who had listened to my address. The letter included the following words:
“We were very pleased to hear you speak on a rare subject: Islam and science. Your lecture has truly clarified doubts in the audience’s minds regarding Islamic contributions to the development of science.”
I have often received such positive responses when I explain Islam to people during such dialogues.
