THE WORD OF GOD

How should Muslims treat people of other faiths living in Muslim countries? Today we live in a world of equal citizenship. Any such categorization of people as ‘Muslim’ or ‘non-Muslim’ is wrong and no longer valid. So, a person is either an immigrant to a country or a citizen of the country. This is the universal norm and Muslim countries should also adopt this principle. They should not differentiate people on the basis of religion. Should we not encourage Muslims to open communication with other communities? Yes, this is definitely required. We have an example from the Prophet's life where a meeting was conducted with Jews and Christians in the Prophet's mosque in Madinah. The followers of three faiths gathered in one place. They carried out dialogues and discussions on various religious topics for many days. This was truly a great congress which the city of Madinah (then known as Yathrib) had witnessed. Although Islam believes in the oneness of reality, it lays equal stress on the practice of respect in everyday dealings with others. Open communication has been the rule throughout the history of Islam. It has, in fact, been one of the main underlying causes for its successful dissemination. Does Islam allow Muslims to wish people of other faiths on their festivals? Absolutely! Opportunities for engaging in interaction should never be lost. Greeting others is a part of social ethics and not a part of the belief system. One must strive to live peacefully and humbly in society. Society is the sub-unit of a nation, which is diverse yet interconnected. When the members of society acknowledge their diversity despite having different beliefs, they nurture a healthy atmosphere of open interaction, mutual learning, and peaceful coexistence. All religions believe they are right, then how can they coexist? The workable formula is to "Follow one and respect all". Religious acceptance requires that everyone be allowed to present their thoughts and be given a quiet hearing. Islam inculcates the mindset that the way to prosper is to ignore the matters that divide one from others and concentrate on cultivating areas of mutual concern. Further, Islam insists on human-friendly behaviour and does not instill any fear into its adherents that they will lose their identity by cooperating with people who hold divergent views. In fact, Islam encourages the intellectual exchange for greater learning and wisdom.