Harmony In Diversity: Embracing Islam's Message Of Peace And Respect

In a world often divided by faith and ideology, it is refreshing to witness progress in the practice of Islam that fosters peace and understanding within communities. This progress is exemplified by a shift away from disruptive nighttime prayers towards a more considerate approach, characterized by the Azan's brief and unobtrusive call. Such evolution reflects an adherence to the core values of Islam, which prioritize respect for others' beliefs and comfort.

The Quran specifically declares: "If anyone murders an (innocent) person, it will be as if he has murdered the whole of humanity. And if anyone saves a person it will be as if he has saved the whole of humanity." [Quran 5:32] Person and humanity were used here, not Muslims. This implies that the practice of Islam should be within the confines of what others believe and value.

The Qur’an is full of stories and lessons from the history of humanity as a whole. The Injeel (Gospels) and the Torah are referred to; 'Eesaa [AS] (Jesus) and Ibraaheem [AS] (Abraham), are mentioned. In fact, there is more mention in the Quran of the prophet Moosaa (Moses) than of any other. It acknowledges the coexistence of other faiths, and in doing so, acknowledges that other cultures can live together in peace.

Hence, Jews, Christians and Muslims should strive together to spread moral virtues across the world. The Holy Qur’an explicitly states that the existence of people from different faiths and opinions is something that we have to acknowledge and welcome heartily, for this is how He created and predestined humankind in this world:

“We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had God willed, He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed.” [Qur’an 5:48]

The Holy Qur’an also states: "There is no compulsion in religion" [Quran 2:256] meaning that people should not be compelled to change their faith. Elsewhere it states: "To you, your religion; to me mine." [Quran 109:6] As stated in the verse, no one can be compelled to live by Islamic morals. Conveying the existence of God and the morals of the Qur’an to other people is a duty for believers, but they call people to the path of God with kindness and love, and they never force them. It is only God Who guides people to the right way. This is related in the following verse: “You cannot guide those you would like to, but God guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided.” [Quran 28: 56]

Some extremists take elements of the sacred scriptures out of context. They act as individuals, and when they can't come together as part of a political structure or consultative process, you find these dissident factions creating their own rules, contrary to the spirit of the Quran - which demands that those recognized as being in charge of Muslims must consult together regarding society's affairs. Did you know there is a whole chapter in the Quran entitled ‘Consultation’ [Quran 42]? In this chapter, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is reminded that he cannot force people to believe and that he is only required to deliver the message.

Communal well-being is central to human life, so there is a concept in Islam called Istihsaan, which means "to look for the common good". Even though the Qur’an may lay down a diktat (order or decree), scholars are also supposed to consider the circumstances prevalent at the time. Sometimes that means choosing the lesser of two evils or even suspending legislation if necessary: for instance, a person who steals bread during a famine is not treated as a thief. Hence, not reciting the verses of the Qur’an during Ramadan or any other time because we are not in a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood isn’t wrong. Calling the Azan without loudspeakers because members of the community are complaining about noise should not be an issue.

The Prophet (SAW), said: "Ruined are those who insist on hardship in faith" and "A believer remains within the scope of his religion as long as he doesn't kill another person illegally." The cousin of the Prophet Mohamed and leader of the Muslims after the Prophet, Imam Ali states “Know that people are of two types: they are either your brothers in religion or your equals in creation.” (Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 53). In fact, to disrespect another religion is explicitly condemned in the Quran; “Do not abuse those whom they worship besides Allah” (6:109).

Altogether, comparisons are usually made that the same members of the community who complain about noise from the call to prayer or recitations from the Qur’an don’t complain about noise from pubs, funerals, crusades, and others. Inasmuch as the comparison may be justified, it has no place in Islam. Islam enjoins believers to be peaceful. This is not conditional. There is a Hadith that narrates the Holy Prophet allowing a delegation of non-Muslims to pray in his mosque after he had said his Asr prayers: “When their worship time came, they stood up to perform their worship in the Prophet’s Masjid. Messenger of Allah said: “Let them (worship)” and they prayed towards east.”

Don’t misrepresent Islam for your own self-righteousness. Don’t allow your extremism to transcend the confines of your person or home. There is a lot of misrepresentation of Islam already and you don’t want to add on to it. Be a Muslim, yes; but don’t let the practice of your faith be a nuisance to others. Seek a deeper understanding of Islam, a holistic one. Read or listen to the Qur’an, its translations, and its interpretations, and combine them with the Hadith and Sunnah to guide your deeds. Above all, remember you’re living with people from various faiths. As discussed above, you are enjoined to accommodate the wishes of everyone insofar as they do not contradict your faith.

PS: I am not an Islamic scholar. I am only putting forth my thoughts and backing them with appropriate references. Therefore, I apologize for any misinterpretation or misrepresentation of facts. I also welcome clarifications, additions to, or subtractions from this write-up. May Allah forgive us of our shortcomings and grant us insight. Amen!

Mustapha Bin Usman
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+233 246 134 798