Tolerance Is Required for Coexistence

By Mufti Mohammad Sanaul Hoda Qasmi Translated from Urdu, New Age Islam Staff Writer 26 October 2022 The need for tolerance in a society with a diverse and religious population Main Points: 1. In a country where people of all religions, civilizations, and cultures coexist, it is essential for followers of all faiths to cultivate tolerance toward one another. 2. Tolerance refers to respect for one another rather than acts of polytheism [shirk] and disbelief [Kufr] that violate the laws of worshipping the One God. ------ In a country where people of all religions, civilizations, and cultures coexist, it is essential for followers of all faiths to respect one another and cultivate tolerance toward one another in line with the coexistence principle. How far a Muslim can go with this tolerance is the question that people have in their minds at a time when intolerance is on the rise across the country. People are spewing venom via social media, television, and other media because they are unsure of how to resolve the problem. If people wish to protect themselves against this hateful pollution, they must be aware of their level of tolerance and refrain from thinking about things that are not important. Islamic tolerance is characterized by kindness, respect, and consideration for the rights and justice of non-Muslims. If they need financial assistance, it should be given to them, and there should be sufficient charity and gifts to satisfy their needs. Disrespecting someone is against human dignity. As a result, neither the subject matter nor any non-religious person should be treated with disdain. This caution is necessary both in relation to men and to women in order to prevent this shared joke from turning into a declaration of war. Everyone should also approach the situation honestly. In any circumstance, cheating is abhorrent to everyone and is not supported by Islam. Cheating is one thing, and being duped as a result of an action is quite another, but in a state of war, such actions are permitted that dupe the opposing party. For this reason, according to the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him), “a cheater is not one of us. It is crucial to preserve any legislation of this kind that does not contravene the core values and tenets of Sharia. Because Islam has taught us to keep contracts and violating the conditions of a peace deal is an extreme case of bad faith, it is essential to uphold all existing agreements, whether they are documented or spoken. In the same way, tolerance is also required to go through all those movements, which create an atmosphere of hatred and promote murder, including speech and writing. Nothing should be done or spoken about that would fan the flames of sectarianism or that would serve as a springboard for temptation and corruption. Mutual contact should be improved, and persons from other religions should be invited to participate in the events, in order to clear up any misunderstandings that have been sown by the media. Rumours shouldn't be believed, and people shouldn't let their hearts grow suspicious of the other side. Hateful chants should not be made throughout the march. Provocation is never appropriate. Store vandalism, burning of vehicles, and other vandalism-related offences pose a threat to public order. Therefore, a situation like that shouldn't be tolerated and should be prevented at all costs. It is common to see non-religious persons join the parade. It is unknown what percentage of those taking part in the parade are Muslims and what proportion are non-Muslims because Muslims have abandoned their religious identity. These other individuals, who also join the parade for that reason, then commit crimes against peace and order before leaving. The most crucial aspect of tolerance is to refrain from disparaging the leaders and deities of other religions. They will start speaking negatively about our Allah and Messenger if we insult their religious leaders and deities. This makes it appear as though we are the ones who are insulting Allah and His Messenger. Even if we need to explain anything to someone or assist others in understanding it, we should keep a good attitude, avoid being aggressive, and behave sensibly. Wisdom is the believer's lost treasure, thus it should be accepted and assimilated wherever it is discovered. We should also keep in mind that Allah Almighty commanded Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Haroon (peace be upon them) to talk softly when they were sent to the worst individual [Pharaoh] of the period. However, tolerance does not require us to adopt a particular religion's tenets or any of its distinctive slogans. Words must be avoided at all costs if they are used to justify actions of unbelief [Kufr], whether literally or figuratively. Muslims should refrain from using any words that violate the fundamental beliefs of Islam. Because speaking things like these are not a sign of tolerance but rather a mockery of faith. Some gullible Muslims believe that uttering such things has no bearing on their faith or their practice of Islam. They are misinformed because if a Muslim speaks or behaves in a way that contradicts Islamic principles, the foundation of Iman and Islam will crumble. It is forbidden to use language that encourages disbelief. It is important to keep in mind that this situation cannot be equated to the one where a Muslim is made to use the language of unbelief. Because when a Muslim is compelled to express his disbelief, his heart is filled with faith, while his mouth is the only organ used to express his disbelief. However, if a Muslim deliberately expresses disbelief [kufr], it indicates that he is mocking his religion or that he is endorsing the denial. Both mocking religion and embracing the argument against belief are detrimental to faith. The culture that is being fostered in India under the banner of tolerance is an exact replica of Akbar's secularism, and its spirit has nothing to do with Islamic beliefs or principles. In their minds and hearts, they believe that Muslims today wish to be tolerant because they live in a society that is filled with fear and horror, despite the fact that we really refer to it as a source of brotherhood. When our Muslim brothers violate their religion in order to appear secular to their non-Muslim brothers, they are actually meddling with it. Tolerance refers to respect for one another rather than acts of polytheism [shirk] and disbelief [kufr] that violate the laws of worshipping the One God. Our politicians are the main carriers of this mindset. I am unable to explain why someone who values life, religion, and Islam would travel to such a field. You should absolutely go into politics, but don't compromise your moral principles in order to advance in office or amass a fortune. Speaking the truth shouldn't be avoided in favour of a marginal benefit. The reason is that the roles and advantages of this world are temporary whereas life in the afterlife is forever. For the sake of a few days, destroying eternal existence is not just foolish—downright it's insane and an act far away from wisdom. ---- Urdu Article: Tolerance Is Required for Coexistence روداری : بقائے باہم کے لئے ضروری URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/tolerance-coexistence-religions-faiths/d/128265 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism