Dr. Raza Abbas
Assistant Professor
Women’s College, Aligarh Muslim University
The wrong belief that only the followers of one particular religion or faith will get salvation eventually breeds bigotry, intolerance, and fanaticism. This belief is contrary to the true spirit of every religion including Islam. In quran, the first verse of the second surah commands us to believe in not only what was revealed to prophet Muhammad but also in what was revealed to those who went before him.
The first saying of prophet Muhammad when he started preaching Islam was "whoever says there is only one God will attain salvation". This statement is contrary to the spirit of exclusiveness. The holy verse of quran is perfectly in conformity with the saying of the prophet when it says:" Verily those who believe and those who are Jews, Christians or sabians, whoever has faith in God and the last day, and works that which is right and good- for them shall be the reward with their Lord; they shall have no fear, neither shall they be grieved. "(5:69)
True religions are not inconsistent with each other, so is the case with Islam, only the sectarian dogmatic creeds fight one another. Every religion in its true essence preach the fatherhood of God and brotherhood of mankind
Dr. Nadeem Ashraf
Assistant Professor, Department of Sunni Theology
Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
Peace-loving citizens of any country want to find a peaceful atmosphere wherever they live so that they can develop a beneficial environment for the coming generations, especially when people of different religions live in the same society and that the establishment of law and order becomes a big issue. In a pluralistic society where people of different languages, colors, races, creeds, and religions live, everyone has the tendency to think of himself as a true believer following the truest religion due to which differences begin to arise thus destroying the social harmony peace, and block the paths of development.
In order to overcome such tensions, it is necessary for us to know each other nationally, to establish an atmosphere of mutual trust based on the commonalities of ourselves and of other religions, study the religious books, and act wisely while controlling our emotions so that we can present a better picture of our religion to others. The most important role in all these things is the religious books. Therefore, one should study them with a clear heart and preach the good things. However, the biggest reason for the misunderstandings which usually arise between us is due to our ignorance. Consequently, if one wants to know about other religions besides ours, the best way is to go through them with a mature faith. Such a step will give birth to proper religious understandings and will help to bring positive changes in all spheres of life in a pluralistic society.
In short, the study of religions is of great importance in order to establish a better and more harmonious environment in a pluralistic society because until and unless we do not learn about the teachings of other religions through proper research, we will not be able to give the correct respect to their followers.
Dr. Mohammad Muslim
Assistant Professor
Department of Islamic Studies
AMU, Aligarh
Interfaith dialogue tries to harmonize the religious groups in such a way that their common features
such as brotherhood, love, compassion, tolerance, and mutual respect can be shared. Interfaith
dialogue promotes intercultural values and peace-building initiatives to lay the foundation for
peaceful coexistence, harmony, and brotherhood. This is a powerful tool to establish a pluralistic
society where all religious communities get respect, love from each other.
The objective of inter-faith dialogue is to create mutual understanding, respect, and tolerance to work
in unity for the peace and prosperity of humanity without harming the identity of any culture or
religion. It is believed that every religion has some universalized values as a common ground. The
profound study of the Holy Quran shows dialogue as the sole legitimate path to peaceful coexistence
and to finding solutions to social and political problems.
Islam is synonymous with peace. It encourages its followers to explore every possible avenue for
peaceful negotiation to resolve conflicts among people so that they can put their efforts into
establishing peace in the society.
The Holy Quran asks Muslims to engage in constructive dialogue with people of other faiths on the
basis of what they have common; doing righteous deeds. Peace and harmony constitute the soul of
Islam. The Quranic vision of peace is not limited to the borders of the particular country or the
confines of its own followers or community; rather it addresses all of humanity. Islam calls on people
of different faiths to have mutual respect for each other on the basis of their common humanity while
following their own religions. As God says in the Quran:
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples
and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of
Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” [Quran,
49:13]
Religious tolerance is a key to open the door for harmony among diverse religious community. Islam
highly emphasised on religious tolerance. As mentioned in the Quran:
For you is your religion. And for me is my religion. (The Quran, 109:06)
There is no compulsion in religion. (The Quran 02: 256)
Peace and progress are the aim of the Holy Quran. The Quran is the dialogue between the Divine and
Human. The Quran addresses all men of every age, in accordance with the degree of their
understanding and development. It is a book that teaches human beings the eternal principles of
mutual respect, honesty, justice and equality, which are the required foundation for peace and
tranquillity in the world.
Dr. Mohammad Teisir Bin Shah Goolfee(Aligh)
Mauritius
Interreligious dialogue refers to the communication between the adherers of various religions. It is the responsibility of all individuals of every religion to exchange thoughts, facts, and experiences, paying special attention to the belief systems and divergences all of which should take place within an atmosphere of mutual respect. The purpose of dialogue is to propagate peaceful understanding and develop harmonious cooperation amidst the followers. Prosperity amidst religions leads to harmony between countries or nations. Dialogical initiative among the adherers of different Faiths helps in bringing renaissance in the thought-process as well as in the social milieu.
Dialogue between religions today focuses on the issue of justice and harmony. However, it is much more than that. In fact, it is a horizon of considerations that exposes several insights. Man is supposed to be conscious of his comportment towards the followers of other faiths. No religion teaches the belittling of people on any ground. On the contrary, it gives meaning to the existence of man and enables him to reside and construct civilization. All religions invite coexistence, broad-mindedness, and understanding. Interfaith harmony is of utmost significance because it eradicates sectarian conflicts, civil war, and the clash of civilizations. Thus, it can be said that interreligious dialogue has actually turned into a science of realistic dialogue. In a war-ridden world along with various misconceptions and misunderstandings, the emergence of unity within diversity is to prevail where every race and tradition are respected fully. Social and cultural diversities, if maintained within the proper parameters, strengthen human relations.
In order to make it successful, one must educate himself regarding the belief system of other religions, develop a harmonious comprehension about what role religions play in issues related to faith and especially boost up the morale of the youths to work out on interreligious projects. This is possible only when the experts of every religion come on the same platform with the aim of learning each other’s religious teachings with a universal approach and not with an ostentatious one and propagating them to their respective communities with the same approach. Some scholars are of the viewpoint that one must dismantle the old-dated cultural patterns that societies have lived for centuries. In its place, new ideas and thoughts without harming the religious sentiments of others must be welcomed. The language of tolerance and hope will prevent the followers from engaging in unnecessary conflicts. Since nowadays social media is very rampant, it is one of the most powerful platforms to project the message of serenity to the whole world.