a. Introduction:
"Islam" has come from two root words - "salam" and "silm" which mean "peace" and "submission of one's will to Almighty God" respectively. So, "Islam" means such a way of life where a person submits his will to Almighty God for gaining peace. From this very essence, we can get the hint that every Islamic act is related to submission to One True Almighty God Allah with the ultimate gaining of peace.
But as it is not wise to judge medical science by an unskilled doctor, engineering by an unskilled engineer, a good car by an unskilled driver; similarly it is not also fully correct to understand Islam by its followers as man is not free from error and the true path is not always easy to follow perfectly by everyone. That's why to understand the religious tolerance and harmony in Islam, one has to judge its religious scriptures in the proper Islamic way.
b. What is religious tolerance according to Islam?:
Human being has free will in himself and so he can either obey or disobey Almighty God using his own free will. For this reason, Islam also defines the correct and wrong way from its own style. From here we can learn that Islam tolerates its own defined correct way which is called as "Haalal way" and protests the defined wrong way which is "Haaram way." So, tolerance is under the limit, but not as a mean to give the certificate of willfulness.
c. Tolerance towards other religion:
Islam from its own position declares itself as the only correct way. Quran declares in chapter 3, verse 19:
"The Religion before Allah is Islam (submission to His Will): Nor did the People of the Book dissent therefrom except through envy of each other, after knowledge had come to them..."[1]
In spite of this, Islam gives non-Muslim people the chance to practise their own religion personally and also ensures their safety under the government of proper Islamic laws in exchange for a certain amount of tax whereas the Muslim people must give charity more than the tax every year. That's why we Muslim think like this way:
"For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."[2]
Besides it is prohibited for a Muslim to insult a non-Muslim person in any Islamic or non-Islamic country. Quran declares in chapter 6, verse 108:
"And do not insult those they invoke other than Allah, lest they insult Allah in enmity without knowledge..."[3]
Moreover, Islam also teaches to behave politely with the peace loving non-Muslim people. It is mentioned in the Quran:
"Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity."[4]
d. Jihad does not mean "Holy War":
It is often misunderstood the concept of "Jihad" in Islam. The Arabic word "Jihad" comes from "Jahada" meaning "struggle", "strive", "try" and so on. It does not mean "holy war." Jihad in the correct Islamic sense means to strive in the path of Allah against evil and corruption. That's why it is not wise to think that any fight done by any Muslim for any reason is a Jihad! Rather striving only in the path of Allah for His satisfaction can be a Jihad and its form needs not to be always in the battlefield. For example, serving parents is a Jihad for the children in Islam.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr:
A man said to the Prophet, "Shall I participate in Jihad?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Are your parents living?"
The man said, "Yes."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do Jihad for their benefit."[5]
Again from Sahih hadith we can also know that doing Hajj (pilgrimage) is a Jihad for the Muslim women.
But although fighting in the battlefield is one kind of Jihad, yet Jihad can be of two types - 'Jihad fee Sabilillah' (Jihad for Allah's sake) and 'Jihad fee sabilees shaitan' (Jihad for the sake of evil). But in spite of all these, people only point their finger to Islam while the same type of Jihad in the battlefield is mentioned in other religious scriptures too.
e. No love Jihad in Islam:
There is no existence of love-Jihad in Islam. Love Jihad is a result of political corruption which is a false allegation on Islam.
Quran clearly forbids all types of illicit relationship:
"...And [lawful in marriage are] chaste women from among the believers and chaste women from among those who were given the Scripture before you, when you have given them their due compensation, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse or taking [secret] lovers. And whoever denies the faith - his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers."[6]
Even it is also prohibited for a Muslim male to make a dating with a non-Maharam (who can be marriageable in life by anyhow) female (Muslim or non-Muslim) outside marriage.
Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says:
"Behold! A man is not alone with a woman but the third of them is Ash-Shaitan(evil of temptation for wrong-doing)."[7]
f. No terrorism in Islam:
Most of the time, the double standard is put on the entire Muslim community. Often a non-Muslim criminal is called as a 'mad man' or 'ignorant' or 'mentally sick' person and his religion is not criticized at all; whereas if a Muslim does the same crime, he is labelled as a "terrorist", Islam is defined as a way of terrorism and the whole burden falls upon the entire Muslim ummah (community)!
If we look at the history, we can find the incidents of mass-killing of innocent people in the first world war, in the second world war and so on done by the non-Muslim rulers. Yet media never calls them terrorists!
However, if any Muslim or non-Muslim or any group having Islamic identity kills a single innocent human being (Muslim or non-Muslim) on earth, it will be considered as a prohibited act in Islam. Quran condemns such violence in a very strong mood like this way:
"...whoever kills a person not in retaliation for a person killed, nor (as a punishment) for spreading disorder on the earth, is as if he has killed the whole of humankind, and whoever saves the life of a person is as if he has saved the life of the whole of humankind..."[8]
"O you who believe! Al-Qisas (the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord. So after this whoever transgresses the limits (i.e. kills the killer after taking the blood money), he shall have a painful torment."[9]
g. Fighting is for self-defense:
With a corrupted partial thinking, often it is claimed that Islam commands to kill the innocent non-Muslims wherever they are found! But it is simply a foolishness as it is nothing but a context of battlefield where the soldiers are given command to be ready for responding the attack of the enemies. Such thing also happened at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) which has been told in several places of the Quran.
"Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight you, and do not transgress. Verily, Allah does not like the transgressors."[10]
Yet Quran is showing a beautiful way of peace for those who are peace loving people. It is mentioned in the glorious Quran:
"And if anyone of the Mushrikun (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Quran), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not."[11]
h. Slavery is not inspired at all:
One can study the history to find this issue that slavery and prostitution were there in the whole world before the coming of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The then period of Arabia is called as 'iyyamye jaheliya' or 'the age of ignorance' when women and slaves were used as commodities and they had no rights of their own.
When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came with the divine light "Al-Quran" on the ground of Arabia, such slavery had been removed gradually.
First, the slavery is kept in practice and slaves were given the respect like family members. So, it is fully a myth what some people falsely claim that Islam says to rape the slave girls. Rather it is mentioned in Sahih Bukhari where Prophet (peace be upon him) says:
"Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask them (slaves) to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them."[12]
"...one should not say, my slave, or my girl-slave, but should say, my lad, my lass, and my boy."[13]
In the next step, when the slaves got enough eligibility, the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and other Muslims started to make the slaves free and married among the religious slave girls too. Which religion shows us such a mercy of marrying the slaves???
"Narrated Abu Burda's father: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, any man who has a slave girl whom he educates properly, teaches good manners, manumits and marries her, will get a double reward.."[14]
Thus slavery was fully eradicated in a gradual process at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Now slavery is prohibited in this modern world, but yet it is present in various parts of the world! In different religious scriptures, slavery is also mentioned. But which religion except Islam shows us the way to remove slavery and prostitution fully from this world???
"And what may let you know what the steep course (i.e good and salvation) is?
(It is) freeing of the neck of a slave."[15]
i. Proper solution of rape and illegal sexuality:
People give objection that Islamic laws are very barbarous! But when they are faced the matter to solve the problem of rape and illegal sexuality, they can not give any proper solution. Here Islam shows us the right solution to make a society free from such error.
Islam shows the way of Hijab - the method of proper dress code and behaviour which decreases the rough attraction of lust and desire. Yet if anyone does rape or illegal sex, the accused one or ones will be given punishment of either death by stoning (if the criminal is a married one) or one hundred lashes (if the criminal is unmarried).
But it will be the fault of a ruler if he does not apply the laws properly!
Yet there remains the question, why Islam shows us such a strong unbearable punishment!
So to judge it neutrally, first forget all religious or national laws.
1) Now if adultery, fornication, homosexuality etc. are okay, then if a couple does any of such physical act, that is also okay.
2) If another couple does the same, it’s also okay.
3) So based on above two points, if the two groups change their partners among each other and do such physical act, it’s also okay.
4) Now based on these points, if anyone does physical relationship with anybody willingly, it will also be correct.
Now if this is going on, then the amount of married spouses and children with good and perfect mentality will be lessening. So in future, the amount of engineer, doctor, sociologist, good leader, good inhabitant etc. will also be decreasing and society will be broken. Then human civilization will gradually be damaged and the world will be unsuitable for living.
For this reason, Islam forbids all types of illicit relationship in a very clear-cut way.
Allah the Almighty declares in the glorious Quran:
"And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way."[16]
Yet if the prostitution is to be claimed as an outcome of poverty, then Islam gives the solution of 'Zakat' which is charity - an obligatory act for every eligible Muslim and also 'jiziyah tax' specially for the wealthy non-Muslim people under a proper 'Islamic law-based' country.
Conclusion:
Islam is the most misunderstood religion on earth. Though it shows us the perfect way of life, yet people do not want to realize it from a correct Islamic point of view. Such a few discussion is not really enough to uphold the religious tolerance and harmony in Islam. So, with the request to judge Islam in a proper Islamic way, we at last want to say to all that please be positive first and then come to study Islam as Islam never teaches to force anyone for accepting it.
"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things."[17]
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Reference:
[1] Al-Quran 3:19; translated by Yusuf Ali
[2] Al-Quran 109:6, Sahih International translation
[3] Al-Quran 6:108, Sahih International translation
[4] Al-Quran 60:8, translated by Hilali and Khan
[5] Sahih Bukhari (Tawhid)/Hadith no. 5972/Standard: Sahih/source - http://www.hadithbd.com/share.php?hid=30569
[6] Al-Quran 5:5; Sahih International translation
[7] Sunan At-Tirmizi/Hadith no. 2165/Standard: Sahih/source - http://www.hadithbd.com/share.php?hid=40860
[8] Al-Quran 5:32; translated by Mufti Taqi Usmani
[9] Al-Quran 2:178; translated by Hilali and Khan
[10] Al-Quran 2:190; translated by Mufti Taqi Usmani
[11] Al-Quran 9:6, translated by Hilali and Khan
[12] Sahih Bukhari (Tawhid)/Hadith no. 30/Standard: Sahih/source - http://www.hadithbd.com/share.php?hid=21894
[13] Sahih Bukhari (Tawhid)/Hadith no. 2552/Standard: Sahih/source - http://www.hadithbd.com/share.php?hid=26629
[14] Sahih Bukhari (Tawhid)/Hadith no. 5083/Standard: Sahih/source - http://www.hadithbd.com/share.php?hid=29646
[15] Al-Quran 90:12-13; translated by Mufti Taqi Usmani
[16] Al-Quran 17:32; Sahih International translation
[17] Al-Quran 2:256; translated by Yusuf Ali
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