21. How do we cultivate tolerance when a group interprets the same Quran as peace and another as violence? Which interpretation should we then follow?

The issue of myriad interpretations is not unique to the Quran; it is a fact of life. No book, law or constitution has ever had a uniform or a single interpretation, simply because difference is an inherent part of life. For instance, the Gita, the holy book of the Hindus, pertains to wisdom and moral values. Yet along with this is the exhortation of Krishna to Arjun, encouraging him to fight (3:30). While some derived a violent interpretation from its text, Gandhiji, on the other hand, derived his philosophy of non-violence from the same Gita.

The law of nature in the human world does not allow uniformity to prevail. It is this disparity which ensures that there is constant brainstorming leading to development. In truth, absence of difference would lead to intellectual stagnation.

The question that arises is which interpretation should a common Muslim choose to follow? A common Muslim may choose to follow any learned scholar (alim). After listening to the advice of the scholar, he is free to take a decision. A person shall be fully accountable before God for the decision he chooses to take. In other words, before God, the result of one’s actions shall be based on one’s intent. The is alluded to in the following hadith:

The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions. (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 1)

The above tradition means that the reward for an action is based on the intention behind the action.