ASK MAULANA
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.
Can Muslims and followers of other religions live peacefully 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 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, which is negativity. The wisdom behind this is every person is free in this world to exercise their freedom. You too can use your freedom. If you want no unpleasant discussions to take place in the world and that only trust should remain, then you need to remove negativity for others from your heart. Once these negative emotions are removed, feelings of trust will blossom.
How should Muslims treat Non-Muslims 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 Any such categorization of people as Muslim or non-Muslim is wrong and no longer valid.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, because this would be unacceptable to the modern mind.
Should we not encourage Muslims to open communication with other communities?
Yes, this is definitely required. When the Prophet went to Madinah, half of the population comprised of Jews. The direction of prayer for the Jews was not the Kabah, it was Jerusalem. The Prophet adopted the Jewish qiblah (direction of prayer) for the Muslim prayer as well. Today, education is secular and the state too is administered along secular principles. Muslims should accept this. If they do not change now, then they shall have to pay the price of being called backward.
Can a Muslim be secular?
Yes, first and foremost let us understand that secularism is not an antireligious idea. There is a multi-volume encyclopaedia 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 noninterference. Secularism in itself is not anti–religious, but rather it is following the principle of non-interference in matters of religion. A secular person is one who practises his own religion and does not interfere with the religious practice of other people.