Interfaith Dialogue in Islam

No doubt! Whoever worshipped Muhammad, then Muhammad is dead, but whoever worshipped God, then God is alive and shall never die. (Sahih alBukhari, hadith no. 3667) Abu Bakr did not use any suffix with the name of the Prophet because the respect one has in one’s heart cannot be measured by the use of prefixes or suffixes. It is important to distinguish between true respect and paying lip service. Respect comes from within and does not have to become a matter of ritualistic lip service. I was raised a Muslim, but I committed a lot of sins carelessly and feel more like an agnostic. What do I do? Becoming an agnostic on account of one’s past mistakes, and with the thought that there was no place for them in Islam, is not right. Islam allows an honourable return for a believer anytime. There is always forgiveness in Islam; a true seeker could return to the fold of belief anytime. God loves those who repent. I hate the idea of being restricted. Why should I follow Islam that has so many restrictions? T he teachings of Islam are not restrictions, but principles which are in line with the laws of nature. For example, on the pretext of availing one’s freedom if someone becomes a drug addict, then one would not be able to continue such unhealthy behaviour because one’s health would not be able to withstand its ill-effects. In other words, even if one theoretically does not agree to follow restrictions, what would prevail practically would be the law of nature. In reality, therefore, we do not have any other option apart from adopting a realistic approach in life. Islam teaches this realism, which is not a matter of restriction but a matter of choosing a workable option in life. Is it against Quranic teaching if a Muslim chooses to be vegetarian? I am a vegetarian. This is entirely a matter of one’s personal choice. The Quran holds no compulsion on Muslims to eat meat. It is simply an individual’s own choice.