By
Mufti Mohammad Sanaul Hoda Qasmi
Translated
from Urdu, New Age Islam Staff Writer
26
October 2022
The
need for tolerance in a society with a diverse and religious population
Main
Points:
1.
In a
country where people of all religions, civilizations, and cultures coexist, it
is essential for followers of all faiths to cultivate tolerance toward one
another.
2.
Tolerance
refers to respect for one another rather than acts of polytheism [shirk] and
disbelief [Kufr] that violate the laws of worshipping the One God.
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In a
country where people of all religions, civilizations, and cultures coexist, it
is essential for followers of all faiths to respect one another and cultivate
tolerance toward one another in line with the coexistence principle. How far a
Muslim can go with this tolerance is the question that people have in their
minds at a time when intolerance is on the rise across the country. People are
spewing venom via social media, television, and other media because they are
unsure of how to resolve the problem. If people wish to protect themselves
against this hateful pollution, they must be aware of their level of tolerance
and refrain from thinking about things that are not important.
Islamic
tolerance is characterized by kindness, respect, and consideration for the
rights and justice of non-Muslims. If they need financial assistance, it should
be given to them, and there should be sufficient charity and gifts to satisfy
their needs. Disrespecting someone is against human dignity. As a result,
neither the subject matter nor any non-religious person should be treated with
disdain. This caution is necessary both in relation to men and to women in
order to prevent this shared joke from turning into a declaration of war.
Everyone
should also approach the situation honestly. In any circumstance, cheating is
abhorrent to everyone and is not supported by Islam. Cheating is one thing, and
being duped as a result of an action is quite another, but in a state of war,
such actions are permitted that dupe the opposing party.
For
this reason, according to the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him),
“a cheater is not one of us. It is crucial to preserve any legislation of this
kind that does not contravene the core values and tenets of Sharia.
Because Islam has taught us to keep contracts and violating the conditions of a
peace deal is an extreme case of bad faith, it is essential to uphold all
existing agreements, whether they are documented or spoken.
In the
same way, tolerance is also required to go through all those movements, which
create an atmosphere of hatred and promote murder, including speech and
writing. Nothing should be done or spoken about that would fan the flames of
sectarianism or that would serve as a springboard for temptation and
corruption. Mutual contact should be improved, and persons from other religions
should be invited to participate in the events, in order to clear up any
misunderstandings that have been sown by the media.
Rumours
shouldn't be believed, and people shouldn't let their hearts grow suspicious of
the other side. Hateful chants should not be made throughout the march.
Provocation is never appropriate. Store vandalism, burning of vehicles, and
other vandalism-related offences pose a threat to public order. Therefore, a
situation like that shouldn't be tolerated and should be prevented at all
costs. It is common to see non-religious persons join the parade. It is unknown
what percentage of those taking part in the parade are Muslims and what
proportion are non-Muslims because Muslims have abandoned their religious
identity. These other individuals, who also join the parade for that reason,
then commit crimes against peace and order before leaving.
The
most crucial aspect of tolerance is to refrain from disparaging the leaders and
deities of other religions. They will start speaking negatively about our Allah
and Messenger if we insult their religious leaders and deities. This makes it
appear as though we are the ones who are insulting Allah and His Messenger.
Even if
we need to explain anything to someone or assist others in understanding it, we
should keep a good attitude, avoid being aggressive, and behave sensibly.
Wisdom is the believer's lost treasure, thus it should be accepted and
assimilated wherever it is discovered. We should also keep in mind that Allah
Almighty commanded Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Haroon (peace be
upon them) to talk softly when they were sent to the worst individual [Pharaoh]
of the period.
However,
tolerance does not require us to adopt a particular religion's tenets or any of
its distinctive slogans. Words must be avoided at all costs if they are used to
justify actions of unbelief [Kufr], whether literally or figuratively. Muslims
should refrain from using any words that violate the fundamental beliefs of
Islam. Because speaking things like these are not a sign of tolerance but
rather a mockery of faith.
Some
gullible Muslims believe that uttering such things has no bearing on their
faith or their practice of Islam. They are misinformed because if a Muslim
speaks or behaves in a way that contradicts Islamic principles, the foundation
of Iman and Islam will crumble. It is forbidden to use language that
encourages disbelief.
It is
important to keep in mind that this situation cannot be equated to the one
where a Muslim is made to use the language of unbelief. Because when a Muslim
is compelled to express his disbelief, his heart is filled with faith, while
his mouth is the only organ used to express his disbelief. However, if a Muslim
deliberately expresses disbelief [kufr], it indicates that he is mocking
his religion or that he is endorsing the denial. Both mocking religion and
embracing the argument against belief are detrimental to faith.
The
culture that is being fostered in India under the banner of tolerance is an
exact replica of Akbar's secularism, and its spirit has nothing to do with
Islamic beliefs or principles. In their minds and hearts, they believe that
Muslims today wish to be tolerant because they live in a society that is filled
with fear and horror, despite the fact that we really refer to it as a source
of brotherhood. When our Muslim brothers violate their religion in order to
appear secular to their non-Muslim brothers, they are actually meddling with
it. Tolerance refers to respect for one another rather than acts of polytheism
[shirk] and disbelief [kufr] that violate the laws of worshipping
the One God. Our politicians are the main carriers of this mindset. I am unable
to explain why someone who values life, religion, and Islam would travel to
such a field. You should absolutely go into politics, but don't compromise your
moral principles in order to advance in office or amass a fortune. Speaking the
truth shouldn't be avoided in favour of a marginal benefit. The reason is that
the roles and advantages of this world are temporary whereas life in the
afterlife is forever. For the sake of a few days, destroying eternal existence
is not just foolish—downright it's insane and an act far away from wisdom.
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Urdu
Article: Tolerance Is Required for Coexistence روداری : بقائے
باہم کے لئے ضروری
URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/tolerance-coexistence-religions-faiths/d/128265
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