No Religion Differs on Religious Essence of Other Religions - Human Beings Do
By
Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
6 September
2021
We Are
Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jains And Baha'is Etc.
Only By Our Own Social Admission, Religion Does Not Discriminate Among Us
Main
Points:
1. Allah says
in the Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has been sent as a messenger of peace
for the entire universe, not for any particular community.
2. There is no
religious discrimination among the people as far as the world religions are
concerned.
3. Unless the
discriminatory policies of world politics are not taken care of, there has to
be social and political chaos.
------
We are Muslims,
Hindus, Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jains and Baha'is etc. only by
our social admission. From Judaism, first of all, the Abrahamic religions to
Islam the last, Allah the Most Gracious talks of inclusivity and pluralistic
ethos when He says ‘the worlds’ in various verses of the Holy Quran. Allah says
in the Holy Quran about the Seal of All the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
that he has been sent as a messenger of peace for the entire universe, not for
any particular community. Consider this verse:
"And we have sent thee not but as a
blessing (mercy) for the entire universe (for all peoples)" (21:108)
In one of the verses of the Holy Quran Allah
says, ‘All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds, -
(Al-Fateha - 2)’. The expression, ‘All the worlds’ is an expression describing
the pluralistic and inclusivist essence of Islam. It shows Allah, the Most
Gracious is not for the followers of Islam only but the entire universe. The
whole of humanity is His Creation, hence, He is God of the universe.
Other
religions also do not discriminate among people, consider the following verse
and Shloka from the Holy Bible and Git:
...through whom he also created the worlds.
(Heb. 1:2)
I (Krishna) am the same to all beings; to Me
there is none hateful or dear, but those who worship Me with devotion abide in
Me and I in them. - Gita 9:29.
There is no
religious discrimination among the people as far as the world religions are
concerned. From the oldest of all the religions, Judaism to the newest Islam,
all the scriptures value human beings as one. None of these has ever talked of
Jews, Christians, Hindus and Muslims. It is we the humankind that have created
our identity with the name of religion and the nations, we belong to. No
problems if the human being is divided into nations and communities as the Holy
Quran says, ' "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female
and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another - (Al-Hujurat - 13).
There are
different religions and religious beliefs but humane ethics remain the same.
Traits of peace love, compassion, brotherhood, and divine inclusiveness do not
differ. Divinity and its divine attributes of humankind, no matter which nation
or community they belong to are the same. No one among us, humankind, differs
on the virtues of spiritual enlightenment of peace and inclusiveness we all
have.
Our
religiosity has changed our way of worship, our cultural and religious
teachings but it has not affected our inner inclusive sense of belonging. We
differ in religious appearance and religious norms but we do not differ in our
social responsibilities. We accept and follow the norms of social life. We have
formed various social organisations that have formulated human rights for all
humanity not for political-religious faith or ideology or the nation.
At heart,
the world acknowledges human differences but does not discriminate against
human beings is one. We acknowledge our social needs are the same as we all are
born through the same process of birth. It is not that the Muslims, the
Christians, the Jews and all other are born through different processes. We
acknowledge that our physical needs are the same as our physical build is the
same. We all have the same nervous system consisting of the same system, be it
our hearts, our kidneys or any of our other physical attributes.
We have the
same hearts and minds, it’s built wise but we all always think differently and
feel differently from each other. The reason is clear. Allah has blessed us all
with wisdom, intellect and logic and has blessed us with the power of thinking
and feeling differently on every matter, religion, religious teachings and
social norms.
Allah says
in the Holy Quran:
‘Those
who listen to the Word, and follow the best (meaning) in it:
(Az-Zumar - 18)’
That was a nation that has passed on. It will
have [the consequence of] what it earned, and you will have what you have
earned. And you will not be asked about what they used to do. - (Al Baqarah: 134)
The
above-mentioned verses say, those people who listen to the world means
intelligent people, and make their own decisions and the blessed ones. The
second verse says that no one of us the humankind will be answerable to what
other’s do. We all have been blessed with our intellect to use it by selecting
the righteous path. We will stand answerable to our deeds, good or bad. Allah
the Most Gracious has created the world and created human beings as His
vicegerent and distributed them in nations and communities to test them for their
beliefs and use of intellect in making the world an abode of peace and
inclusiveness, like these, are the traits Allah loves the most. Following
Quranic and Biblical verses, as well as Shlokas from the Hindu religious epics,
demonstrate human beings uniformity in everything except the religious beliefs.
Quranic
Verses on Humane Virtues of all Humankind
And who believe in what has been revealed to
you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you ... - (Al-Baqarah - 4)
But it is not except a reminder to the worlds. - (Al-Qalam - 52)
O people of Islam, "You are the best
people ever raised for the good of mankind because you have been raised to
serve others; you enjoin what is good and forbid evil and believe in
Allah."
(3:111)
"And do not forget to do good to one
another." (2:238)
And will aid you with worldly goods and
children, and will bestow upon you gardens, and bestow upon you running waters
- (Nuh (Noah):12)
"O ye People of the Book! Believe in what
We have (now) revealed, confirming what was (already) with you, " (An-Nisa':47)
"The same religion He has established for
you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration
to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that
you should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: - (sh-Shuraa - 13)
.... To each among you, we have prescribed a
law and an open way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single
people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He has given you: so strive as in
a race in all virtues. ... - (Al-Ma'idah - 48)
Hindu
Epics Depicting the Essence of Inclusiveness of Human Beings
This Being
(neuter) entered all beings, he became the overlord of all beings. That is the
Atman (Soul, Self) within and without – yea, within and without! — Maitri
Upanishad 5.2,
Even those
who, endowed with faith are devoted to other gods, they worship Me alone, O
Kaunteya, in an indirect manner. - Gita 9:23.
Whichever
manifestation (of the Divine) any devotee desires to worship with faith – that
faith I make unshakeable and firm. - Gita 7:21.
Neither
here [in this world] nor there [in the next], O Arjuna, is there destruction
for the one [who meditates on the inconceivable Absolute]. For verily, no one
who does good, my son, ever comes to grief. - Gita 6:40
Biblical
Verses Advocating Inclusiveness of Humanity
He upholds
all things by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3)
For we were
all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or
free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. - 1 Corinthians 12
“Whoever
sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his
own image. - Genesis 9:6
For we
brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 1 Timothy 6:7-8
I made the
earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens,
and I commanded all their host. - Isaiah 45:12
Islam,
Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism with all other faiths and religions stand on
the same pedestal as far as human beings having the same spiritual and social
essence that teaches exclusivism in every human being is concerned. The
lessons, therefore, taught by the world religions is not that of discrimination
based on religion or communities. It is we that have created a huge religious,
social and spiritual gulf among ourselves. It is all against the teachings of
the religions we follow and boast of it being the best.
Following
are the Quotes of the Scholars Depicting Oneness of Human Beings
“All
differences in this world are of degree, and not of a kind because oneness is
the secret of everything.” ― Swami Vivekananda
“We all are
so deeply interconnected; we have no option but to love all.” ― Amit Ray,
Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style
“Technology
is destructive only in the hands of people who do not realize that they are the
same process as the universe. ” ― Alan Watts
“We never
stopped being each other.” ― Alicen Grey
“I'm
Different, I Don't See Any Difference-in-Differences.” ― Syed Sharukh
Unless the discriminatory
policies of world politics are taken care of, there will be social and
political chaos. The powers that be must take cognizance of the pain and grief
spread all over the world and come forward with the teachings of inclusiveness
and pluralism that Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism have taught.
And
Allah Knows the Best.
-----
Arman
Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
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