SHARED WISDOM

of a fellow human being, no matter what their religion, ethnicity, or social class, you can discover a fellow being who, just like yourself, has been created by the One God and who, therefore, is just as worthy of respect as you think you are. His relationship with God is equal to your relationship with God. When a devotee of God respects a person, it could be said to be an expression of the sublime feelings aroused in him related to God as the Creator. The expression of these feelings has no limit. Such feelings find expression in all kinds of human beings, not just those who are related to themselves or belong to the same religion or community. This is why one must respect all human beings, regardless of background, religion or community. One must respect all creatures since they are all from the One God. HAVE A GOOD OPINION OF OTHERS One must hold a good opinion of others. W hen engaged in inter-religious dialogue, it is essential to follow this principle. It is reported that the Prophet of Islam once observed, “Holding good opinions about others is a form of worship.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 7956) In life, occasions repeatedly arise when a person comes to mistrust another. For example, this may happen if a person is suspicious about someone. Then, consciously or unconsciously, he comes to regard him as evil, which is why he thinks of being engaged in wrongdoing.