Peaceful Interfaith Dialogue

This discussion is of direct relevance to plural societies where members of different communities might occasionally have complaints against each other. If individual members of communities focus on their duties to the larger society and fulfil them properly, it will automatically earn them and their community the goodwill of people from other communities, and in this way, their rights will also be secured. PEACE: THE BEDROCK OF POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS Islam, understood authentically, is a religion of peace. The Arabic root of the word ‘Islam’ is silm, which means peace. Peace is the religion of the universe. Peace should, therefore, be the religion of man, too. When God created the heavens and the earth, He ordered things so that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other parts. The Quran says, “The sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each floats in [its own] orbit.” (36:40) For billions of years, the entire universe has fulfilled its function in total harmony with God’s Divine plan. While God has imposed the Laws of Nature upon the universe, in submission to which things that comprise the universe follow the path of peace, there remains just one exception to this rule—that of man. God has endowed man with free will to make moral choices. He may or may not choose to follow the path of peace uniformly followed by the rest of