Interfaith Dialogue in Islam

Jerusalem holds utmost importance for Jews because an important prophet of Judaism, Solomon, was born there. He established Jerusalem as the capital state of his kingdom. He built a Jewish Synagogue (or Solomon’s Haykal) in 975 BC. For Jews therefore, Jerusalem holds direct significance. Solomon’s Haykal has been razed down twice in history. The first incident was in 586 BC when the King of Babylonia, Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed it. After a long period of time, the Jews re-built their place of worship. This was again brought to ruins in 70 AD by the Romans. Today certain groups of Jews have made it their duty to restore and re-build the Haykal as it was originally built by Solomon. However, according to the Torah, Solomon’s Haykal can be re-built only by a prophet born in their midst. Jerusalem holds an important historical significance for the Christians since after being born in Bethlehem (Palestine), Jesus Christ, once came to Jerusalem where he lived and preached. Muslims attach importance to Jerusalem on account of the spiritual journey, Isra, that the Prophet Muhammad had undertaken and also due to his changing of the direction of prayer from the Kabah in Makkah towards Jerusalem for a temporary period while he was in Madinah. What bridges the gap between followers of these faiths is that they have common prophets. Hence, from a historical perspective, the Kingdom of Solomon and the birthplace of Jesus Christ are indirectly significant for Muslims. What is Sufism? I slamic spiritualism has come to have two schools of thought. One may be called the Quranic school of thought, according to which the spiritual quest is a means for an individual to contact his Creator. The other school of thought is commonly known as Sufism or Tasawwuf, or the form which mysticism has taken in Islam. The term ‘Sufism’ embraces the philosophy and practices in Islam that aim at direct communion between God and man. The book Sufism: An Introduction by Dr. Farida Khanam is a historical study of Sufism (Tasawwuf) with specific reference to its spread throughout the Indian subcontinent. It deals with the major Sufi orders, their distinguishing features and the ideology and method of Sufism. The aim of Tasawwuf, to put it briefly, is to attain the realization of God. The realization of God produces all kinds of spiritual qualities. Although the term ‘Tasawwuf’ came into vogue as late as the 8th century AD, Tasawwuf, in its spirit, was actually integral to the believer’s life from the very beginning. Tasawwuf is, in fact, another name for one’s spiritual journey of the discovery and realization of God. In later periods of Islamic history, the propagation of Islam all over the world was due less to the spread of the Muslim empire than to the efforts made by the Sufis. The greatest feat of the Sufis has been the development, by dint of great striving, of a version of Islam which has been found acceptable to all. This version of Islam is free of all negative features such as hatred, the desire for revenge, and the urge to perpetrate violence. It is