Peaceful Interfaith Dialogue

PRINCIPLES FOR ETHICAL TRAINING According to this Quranic verse, all human beings share a common ancestor. It means that all men and women are blood brothers and blood sisters to one another. It also means that there is complete equality between different races and groups of people. The Prophet of Islam declared: “Mankind is a divine family.” (Musnad al-Bazzar, Hadith No. 6947) The Prophet used to rise early in the morning and say after his morning prayers: “O God, I bear witness that all men and women are sisters and brothers to each other.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 1508) These teachings from Islamic sources can be found in other religions, too. Teachings of this kind in various religions can provide a basis for building a good relationship between people from different faith backgrounds. In an ideal family, all its members live with a sense of oneness, a sense which inculcates in family members the spirit of unity and harmony. This family culture is also desirable globally among all the nations and religious communities of the world. Various religions endorse this kind of universal relationship. There may be some differences in terms of belief and practice between these religions, but in terms of social life, every religious individual should live in their society just as they ought to live in their family—in harmony with everyone else. Love Your Enemy There is a famous saying of Jesus: “But love your enemies, do good to them.” (Luke, 6:35). A similar teaching is to be found in the Quran, where it is said: “Good and evil deeds