RELIGIOUS HARMONY — Not Religious Uniformity

RELIGIOUS HARMONY Not Religious Uniformity W HAT the world needs today—perhaps more than anything else—is an acceptable formula for the attainment of religious harmony. This being currently one of the most important topics under discussion, I shall attempt to present here, in brief, the Islamic viewpoint. Let us begin with a verse of the Quran which reads: If anyone seeks a religion other than Islam (submission to God), it will not be accepted from him; he will be among the losers in the Hereafter. THE QURAN 3: 85 In the opinion of certain interpreters, this verse implies that salvation according to Islam is destined exclusively for Muslims. Islam thus appears to uphold the superiority of the Muslim community. But this is an out-of-context interpretation and is certainly not correct. Let us take another verse of the Quran which serves as an explanation of the above-quoted verse. It states that: Believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabeans — whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does what is right — shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear or to regret. THE QURAN 2: 62 This verse rules out the concept of community superiority for any given group: even Muslims have been bracketed here along with other religious groups. The content of this verse makes it very clear that salvation, by Islamic standards, depends upon the individual’s own actions, and that it is not the prerogative of any group. No man or woman can earn his or her salvation by the mere fact of associating with a particular group. Salvation can be achievable only by a person who truly believes in God and the world hereafter, and who has given genuine proof in this life of having lived a life of right action. Another important aspect of Islam is that it does not advocate belief in