Respect and Coexistence

RESPECT AND COEXISTENCE Islam is a religion of peace and huma nism. Mutual respect and peaceful coexistence is a sine qua non for Islam. ‘Peace with all’ truly expresses the spirit of Islam. Islam, understood correctly, is a religion of peace and humanism. Not only Islam but all other religions are religions of peace. The Sufis, in contrast to the theological interpreters, have given the best interpretation of Islam. They have a Persian saying: sulh-e-kul, which means ‘peace with all’. This truly expresses the spirit of Islam. Here, let me briefly describe some aspects of Islam’s early history. The Prophet of Islam was born in Makkah in 570 C.E. and received the first revelation in 610 C.E. when he was forty. It was with these revelations that Islam began. The Prophet started his mission in Makkah and continued there for thirteen years, then migrated to Madinah. Throughout these thirteen years in Makkah, the Prophet only engaged in peaceful activity. He used to tell people that God is One and that they should worship the One God alone. Islam began with a mission of peace. Moreover, its special concern was the Oneness of God. The Prophet then migrated to Madinah in 622 C.E., where he continued his mission till his death in 632 C.E. He successfully established the first Islamic society there. What was the guiding principle of this Islamic society? The Prophet issued a declaration that, in Islamic history, is called Sahifat ul-Madinah, also known as the Covenant of