YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)

The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Can Muslims and followers of other religions live peacefully in the long term, considering the fact that wherever Islam exists there is always a potential for conflict?

There is conflict even between two members of a family. This is because conflict is inherent in human nature; it has got nothing to do with the religion one follows. If people have the right thinking and are able to tolerate, then peace will prevail. What we see in the media regarding Islam is an outcome of selective reporting which is meant to capture only sensational news, so that viewers can get interested. There are many societies and cultures around the world where interfaith harmony exists, and a free secular atmosphere has been established.

How do you see Western cultural influences in contrast to Muslims’ way of life?

Cultural influence exists everywhere. African Muslims are very different from Russian Muslims in their culture. The cultural difference should never be the yardstick for evaluating Islam. Islam should be judged on the basis of character.

How can trust be built between Muslims and other communities?

Trust does not happen simply by saying ‘trust each other’. We have to remove the obstruction in this matter. This obstruction can be named ‘negativity’. The wisdom behind this is that every person is free in this world to use his or her freedom. You too can use your freedom. If we want no unwanted discussions to take place in the world and that only trust should remain, then we need to remove negativity for others from our hearts. Once these negative emotions are removed, feelings of trust will blossom.

How should Muslims treat people of other faiths living in Muslim countries?

Today we live in a world of equal citizenship. Any such categorization of people as ‘Muslim’ or ‘non-Muslim’ is wrong and no longer valid. So, a person is either an immigrant to a country or a citizen of the country. This is the universal norm and Muslim countries should also adopt this principle. They should not differentiate people on the basis of religion.

Should we not encourage Muslims to open communication with other communities?

Yes, this is definitely required. We have an example from the Prophet's life where a meeting was conducted with Jews and Christians in the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. The followers of three faiths gathered in one place. They carried out dialogues and discussions on various religious topics for many days. This was truly a great congress which the city of Madinah (then known as Yathrib) had witnessed. Although Islam believes in the oneness of reality, it lays equal stress on the practice of respect in everyday dealings with others. Open communication has been the rule throughout the history of Islam. It has, in fact, been one of the main underlying causes for its successful dissemination. Does Islam allow Muslims to wish people of other faiths on their festivals? Absolutely! Opportunities for engaging in interaction should never be lost. Greeting others is a part of social ethics and not a part of the belief system. One must strive to live peacefully and humbly in society. Society is the sub-unit of a nation, which is diverse yet interconnected. When the members of society acknowledge their diversity despite having different beliefs, they nurture a healthy atmosphere of open interaction, mutual learning, and peaceful coexistence. All religions believe they are right, then how can they coexist? The workable formula is to "Follow one and respect all". Religious acceptance requires that everyone be allowed to present their thoughts and be given a quiet hearing. Islam inculcates the mindset that the way to prosper is to ignore the matters that divide one from others and concentrate on cultivating areas of mutual concern. Further, Islam insists on human-friendly behaviour and does not instill any fear into its adherents that they will lose their identity by cooperating with people who hold divergent views. In fact, Islam encourages the intellectual exchange for greater learning and wisdom. Can a Muslim be secular? Yes. First, let us understand that secularism is not an anti-religious idea. There is a 20-volume book called Religion and Ethics. It is a compendium of the writings of some great scholars and is considered to be a very authentic and authoritative compilation. There is an article on secularism in this book which runs into twenty pages. It says that secularism is another name for the policy of non-interference. Secularism in itself is not anti-religion, but rather it is following the principle of non-interference in matters of religion. A secular person is one who practices his own religion and does not interfere with the religious practice of other people. o