Seminar Paper Tolerance, Interfaith Unity and the Responsibilities of Religious Scholars Two-day International Virtual Conference: “The Role of Tolerance in the Stability of the Society” Organized By Department of Islamic Theology, Aliah University, Kolkata In collaboration with Department of Arabic, Aliah University, Kolkata Date: 19th & 20th January, 2021 Presented by: Dr Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi khaliliqasmi@gmail.com | 9457049675 https://deoband.academia.edu/DrMuhammadullahKhaliliQasmi Tolerance, Interfaith Unity and the Responsibilities of Religious Scholars Dr Muhammadullah Khalili Qasmi Deoband Allah Almighty created the human being and make them inhabit the earth. He sent down prophets and messengers who delivered the message of God to the mankind, but later with passage of time, people were divided into different religions and creed. The study of religions reveals that as far as their social and ethical values are concerned, they have much in common. Peace and coexistence have been utmost necessity of human society and this was the reason it has been a natural process of human life as no human society can live in peace until it behaves tolerantly with his neighbours. Islam is the religion of blessings, kindness and tolerance for all humanity without any differentiation. It stresses on its followers to behave with equality, sympathy, love and tolerance towards non-Muslims. It orders the rulers not to have any discriminatory attitude towards them. Their lives, honour, property and rights must be protected. Thus, Muslims, throughout their history, have been living with peace, tolerance and coexistence along with people of other faiths. The Muslim societies have always observed religious pluralism and the people of other faiths have always lived under their rule very peacefully and amicably. Tolerance Through Teaching of Equality The first and foremost fundamental of Islam about equality is that all human beings are descended from one father and mother, thus on the basis of humanity they are equal. The Quran says: “O mankind, we have created you from a male and a female, and made you into races and tribes, so that you may identify one another. Surely the noblest of you, in Allah‘s sight, is the one who is most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (49:13) The Quran very explicitly declared that the differences of races, tribes, colours and places are of no value and importance and they are only for identification. Only on the ground of race, colour and nationality one cannot be considered higher and superior. By this, the Quran aimed at levelling the differences and discriminations of nations, races and tribes. The second thing which Quran proclaimed in the verse is that the cause of nobility is only ‘piety’. Thus Islam uprooted the racial pride and ego of the so-called higher classes. Page 2 of 10 This fundamental of equality was more elucidated in Hadith by the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬: O people! Behold, your Lord is One, there is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a nonArab over an Arab, nor for a black on a red, nor for a red on a black, but due to piety and righteousness, in deed the best amongst you are those who are more pious and righteous.1 This was the first example of its kind in human history that the Quran eradicated racial prejudice so vehemently and emphatically, and asserted Muslims to consider the people of the world their brother and a human being like themselves. It uprooted racial hatred and asked to treat each other with good conduct. It is the fundamental principle of tolerance to consider the other communities human being like yourselves; since then only you can behave with them tolerantly and morally. If we consider them humiliated, abject and lowly then it is impossible to have a moral and tolerant conduct towards them. Tolerance through Justice and Fairness The Quran asked Muslims to maintain justice and transparency with all people in all matters: “But if you judge, judge between them with justice. Surely, Allah loves those who do justice.” (5:42) Justice is to be maintained even if it goes against ones near and dear ones: “O you who believe, be upholders of justice - witnesses for Allah, even though against (the interest of) your selves or the parents, and the kinsmen. (4:135) Muslims must hold on justice and fairness with people in every condition even if they have enmity with them to any extent, the Quran warns: “O you who believe, be steadfast for (obeying the commands of) Allah, (and) witnesses for justice. Malice against a people should not prompt you to avoid doing justice. Do justice. That is nearer to taqwa (piety).” (5:8) The enmity against any people should not stop you to do justice. If you have some malice and rivalry against anyone you should not find fault with him in every matter, but you must accept what is good in him. You should not violate the obligation of justice in any matter only because the other party is your opponent, rather you must observe justice and fairness. When the oppressions and transgressions of enemies go beyond limits then punishing them is also in complete accordance with the law of nature. But, the moderate law about those 1 Ahmad, Imam Ahmad, Musnad, Hadith No. 22391 Page 3 of 10 oppressors deserves to be written with golden water as the Quran asserts to forgive and tend to reconcile. The Quran says: “The recompense of evil is evil like it. Then the one who forgives and opts for compromise has his reward undertaken by Allah. Surely, He does not like the unjust.” (42:40) Tolerance through Fulfilling Promises One of the most significant teachings of the Quran about tolerance towards others is to fulfil every promise made to them, lest government, prestige and power or racial pride make you to go against your promises. So, the Quran states: "And fulfil the covenant, surely the covenants shall be asked about (on the Day of Reckoning)." (17:34) It asserted: "So, fulfil the treaty with them up to their term, surely Allah loves the God-Fearing." (9:4) Some Muslims enquired the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬about the pledges they made to non-Muslims in ‘the Days of Ignorance’ (before Islam). The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬replied: “Fulfil the promises and pledges made in the Days of the Ignorance; since Islam emphasizes more to fulfil them.”2 Good conduct with Others The Quran commanded the believers to observe tolerance and good conduct with people: “Worship Allah, and do not associate with Him anything, and be good to parents and to kinsmen and orphans and the needy and the close neighbour and the distant neighbour and the companion at your side and the wayfarer and to those (slaves who are) owned by you. Surely, Allah does not like those who are arrogant, proud.” (4:36) In the abovementioned verse, those who were asked to be treated kindly have not been discriminated on the basis of their religion. Muslims were asked to have good conduct with them whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. The Holy Quran taught Muslims very clearly and openly to behave the non-Muslims with tolerance, good conduct and politeness: “Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them, and deal justly with them. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice.” (60:8) 2 Tirmidhī, Jami' al-Tirmidhi. Hadith No. 1511 Page 4 of 10 Leave alone the common people, Islam taught tolerance to such an extent that it asked Muslims to have good conduct with their enemies. The Quran requires Muslims to observe high grade tolerance with enemies in tough and trying situations as well, as it says: “Good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with what is best, and you will see that the one you had mutual enmity with him will turn as if he were a close friend.” (41:34) Tolerance towards Other Religions People have differences in belief, religion, culture etc, but while following their religion, they need to have mutual respect for others and discover a common bond between them, which shows them all to be human beings. Islam did not create any ill-will and hatred in its followers about other religions and their leaders; rather it pushed forth their love and strengthened their relation with other religions by various means. Islam regarded freedom a birth right of human being and termed force and oppression as unfair and forbidden. The Quran strictly forbids forcing something on somebody which his conscience does not accept, it clearly and vividly declared: “There is no compulsion in Faith.” (2:256) Islam utterly abhors conversion by force and called those who accept Islam due to any force, fear or greed as ‘munafiq’ (hypocrite). It regarded ‘nifaq’ (hypocrisy) such a great sin that the lowest part of Jahannam (Hell) has been allotted as abode of the hypocrites: “Surely, the hypocrites are in the lowest level of the Fire, and you shall never find for them a helper.” (The Quran 4:145) The Quran presented a model of high grade tolerance that it regarded all the prophets and messengers of the Jews and the Christians as true prophets sent down by Allah. The Quran says: “Surely, We have revealed to you as We have revealed to Noah and to the prophets after him.” (4:163) And, it regarded the books believed by the Jews and the Christians as divine revelation from Allah: “Surely we have sent down the Torah, in which there was guidance and light.” (5:44) “We gave him the Injīl (Gospel) having guidance and light therein, and confirming the Torah that was (revealed) before it; guidance and a lesson for the God-fearing.” (5:46) Page 5 of 10 Thus it extended the hand of friendship towards the Judaism and Christianity which were the well-known and prominent religions of the age. As far as other religions and nations are concerned, it declared that there were prophets from Allah to other nations and communities: “and there was no community without a Warner having passed among them.” (35:24) One of the tolerances which Islam showed to non-Muslims is that it did not create any ill-will and hatred in its followers about other religions and their leaders; rather it also forbade Muslims to blaspheme the sacred personalities of other religions saying: “Do not revile those whom they invoke other than Allah, lest they should revile Allah in transgression in ignorance.” [6:109] Concisely, it secured the honour of the sacred figures of other religions in the eyes of Muslims forever and stopped Muslims absolutely to abuse any religious leader. Thus, it established the foundation of universal brotherhood, sympathy and tolerance which was extinct before the advent of Islam. Treaty of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬with the Jews The Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) set a great example of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance. After the Prophet arrived in Madinah, he entered into an important treaty with the Jews so that friendly relations and peaceful coexistence between Muslim and Jewish communities might be established and both might live peacefully and show tolerance to each other helping in removing anxieties and troubles from each other. Some important articles of the treaty are as follows: 1. All Jews will enjoy the same rights of citizenship that they had enjoyed before the coming of Muslims. 2. Muslims will have friendly relations towards all people. 3. If a Muslim is killed by a Madinah, a ransom will be taken from the killer if agreed by the heirs of the person killed. 4. If any inhabitant of Madinah commits a serious crime, his family will not be punished. 5. In need, Jews and Muslims will help each other. 6. Any group will not deceive its ally. 7. The wronged and distressed will be helped without any communal discrimination. Page 6 of 10 8. If the Jews are attacked by foreign enemies, Muslims will defend them. 9. The Jews will enjoy their religious freedom. 10. If any Muslim ill-treats someone, he will be punished by Muslims. 11. The Jews of Bani Auf will be considered among Muslims. 12. If any dispute takes place between the Jews and Muslims, the Prophet will act as judge in the case. 13. This treaty will not favour any sinful or criminal person.3 Everyone can observe the equal rights granted to Jews with an open heart and full justice. The Prophet followed the treaty but it was Jews who breached the terms of the treaty. They helped Makkan Non-Muslims against Muslims. They always tried to do harm to Islam and Muslims. Treaty of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬with the Christians The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬showed exemplary good treatment towards Christians also. An important Christian delegation of Najran situated between Makkah and Yemen met and conversed with the Prophet. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬accommodated them in the mosque and they had a dialogue with him on religious issues. A historic and important treaty was concluded between Muslims and Christians in which terms and conditions were agreed upon from both sides. The articles of the treaty are as follows: 14. The lives of Christians will be safe. 15. Their land, property and wealth etc. will continue to be in their custody. 16. Any change will not be made in their religious system. 17. Religious office-holders will continue their offices. 18. Crosses and statues will not be damaged. 19. Anything belonging to them will not be taken. 20. They will not be employed in military services. 21. Tithe or Ushr will not be levied on them. 22. Soldiers will not be sent to their country. Ibn Hisham, Seerat Ibn Hisham, Abridged English Version by Abdus-Salam M Harun, (Al-Falah Foundation, Cairo, 2000) pp 107-110; Hamidullah, Dr Muhammad, The First Written Constitution of the World, (1941) pp. 31–42 3 Page 7 of 10 23. Full justice will be delivered in their cases and issues. 24. Any tyranny and ill-treatment will not be allowed against them. 25. Interest will not be allowed. 26. Any innocent will not be punished in the place of the offender. 27. They will not have any mistreatment from Muslims. 4 This is a model treaty made fourteen century ago. It shows us the extent of tolerance Islam exercised throughout its history towards other communities and followers of other faiths. There was another “Ashtiname of Muhammad”, also known as the Covenant or Testament of Muhammad, a document which is a charter written by Hadhrat Ali and ratified by the Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬granting protection and other privileges to the followers of Christians given to the Christian monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery.5 Common Grounds for Interfaith Unity Dialogue or peaceful negotiation, is the path prescribed by Islam. The Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) set standards for dialogue with people of other faith. The Quran encouraged Muslims to talk to the Jews and Christian on matters which are common between them: “Say, O people of the Book, come to a word common between us and between you, that we worship none but Allah, that we associate nothing with Him and that some of us do not take others as Lords instead of Allah. Then, should they turn back, say, .Bear witness that we are Muslims.” [3:65] The Prophet Muhammad (‫ )ﷺ‬advocated reconciliation with other religions. In Makkah in 615 CE, he sent Muslim fleeing persecution from the Meccans to find refuge with the Christian king of Abyssinia, current-day Ethiopia, as a signal of mutual trust with Christianity. Later when he migrated to Madinah, he signed peace treaty with the Jewish tribes and later with the tribes of Makkah in 6th year of Hijra. He also had religious discussions with the Christians of Najran and entered into treaty with them. Al-Baladhuri, Futuh al-Buldan, (al-Maktaba al-Shamila) vol. 1, p 77-78; Ahmed El-Wakil, The Prophet’s Treaty with the Christians of Najran: An Analytical Study to Determine the Authenticity of the Covenants, Journal of Islamic Studies, Volume 27, Issue 3, September 2016, Pages 273–354 4 See: Morrow, Dr. John Andrew, The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (Angelico, 2013); Haddad, Anton F. (1902). "The Oath of the Prophet Mohammed to the Followers of the Nazarene". New York, NY: Board of Counsel, 1902; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtiname_of_Muhammad (accessed on 16/01/2021) 5 Page 8 of 10 So, following the footsteps shown by the Quran and Hadith, Muslims can engage themselves with the people of other faith on the issues which form a common ground for them and which may help in promoting peace. This is the Islamic principle of co-operation which advises Muslims to extend their best help and assistance to the people of other faiths in common social and national issues. If even some members of other faiths are bitter enemies to Islam, Islam teaches Muslims to deal justly with them and show tolerance and patience toward them. Muslim Ulama and their Role in Interfaith Unity in India After the decline of Muslim rule in India when the country was occupied by the British colonists, the Indians were ruled through the brutal policy of ‘divide and rule’. Subsequently, hatred was created between the two major communities of India i.e. Hindus and Muslims. So, the Muslim scholars paid their attention to this state of affair and tried their best to preserve the national unity and integrity. Maulana Mahmood Hasan (1851-1920), the principle of Darul Uloom Deoband, who is known as ‘Shaikh al-Hind’ set forth a great example of mutual cooperation and interfaith unity during his freedom movement which is called ‘Silk letter movement’. The English masters labelled it as “The Silk Letters Conspiracy of 1915-1916.” In this movement, Shaikh al-Hind joined hands with Hindu leaders to oust the British from India.6 Later, the Muslim scholars of India founded Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (organization of Muslim scholars) in Delhi in 1919 and carried forward the mission of Shaikh al-Hind. Jamiat Ulama became the largest platform of Muslim scholars in India and championed in promoting nationalist and plural thoughts among the Muslims and other countrymen. Jamiat Ulama was the union of nationalist Ulama who sided with the Indian National Congress in the freedom movement. Jamiat Ulama played crucial role in strengthening nationalistic approach among the common Muslims and in furthering the secular image of independent India. Jamiat Ulama even very staunchly opposed the Muslim League and its idea of a separate land for Muslims.7 See: Muhammad Miyan, Silk Letter Movement, English translation by Muhammadullah Qasmi, (Manak Publications, New Delhi 2012) 6 See: Metcalf, Barbara, Husain Ahmad Madani: The Jihad for Islam and India's Freedom, (Oneworld Publications 2012) 7 Page 9 of 10 Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulana Hasrat Mohani and many other Muslim scholars are prominent Muslim faces who strived every nerve and spent their whole life to strengthen the inter-religious harmony and to promote tolerance among the Indians. Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani (1879-1955), Principle of Darul Uloom Deoband and President of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, was another great Muslim leader who was actively involved in India's freedom struggle. His work Muttahida Qaumiyat Aur Islam (Composite Nationalism and Islam) was published in 1938 and advocated for a united country, in opposition to the partition of India. Maulana Madani urged all Indians to endeavor jointly for a democratic government in which Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and Parsis live peacefully. According to him, such a freedom was in accordance with Islam and Muslims could live as observant faithful in a religiously plural society where they would be full citizens of an independent and secular India.8 Tolerance and Interfaith Unity is the Most Urgent Need of the Country At this juncture of Indian history, when the country witnesses rampant waves of communal hatred and bigotry, it is high time for all, especially the religious leaders of each community, to revisit the pluralistic ideas set by their religions and to convey to the people of their faith that the real progress of the country lies in those principles and values. Tolerance and peaceful co-existence are the core of Indian values that are being lost in the darkness of divisive politics and hatred mongering. It is pity that some so-called religious leaders of some communities spit venom against the other communities. The long-nurtured rich interfaith unity and mutual values of India are threatened by the aggressive and Islamophobic approach of these sick minds. The religious leaders of all communities need to focus the necessity of tolerance for our societies. The best gifts we can extend to our next generation is to protect the interfaith values of great India, an India that wants all its children flourishing and prospering, an India that is full of justice, equality and fraternity. See: Madani, Hussain Ahmad, Composite Nationalism and Islam, translated by Mohammad Anwer Hussain & Hasan Imam, (New Delhi: Manohar, 2006) 8 Page 10 of 10