Islam means peace, unconditional submission to God. According to the doctrine of Islam, religions are not the product of human imagination. As misunderstood by many, Islam is not a religion which was established by Muhammad, the Prophet of Arabia. Islam menas the religion of God, revealed to the humanity at various stages of history through his chosen apostles and Prophets. The Quran tells us, “There is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them.”
All the Prophets came to this world as messengers of God to preach the gospel of truth and faith and they left their footprints of righteousness to be followed by coming generations.
It follows from what I have stated above that Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, and the Buddha, Vardhamana Mahavira and many Rishis and Munis of our great motherland who made their appearance when humanity suffered from degenation and degration might also have been Prophets of God, though their names have not been specifically mentioned in Quran.
Similarly the names of founders of religions of China and other eastern religions have not been mentioned in Quran. In all probability Confucious must also have been Prophet sent by God to China.
In that view it has to be considered that not only the followers of Abrahimic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam but also the followers of other eastern religions as people of the Book (Ahlul Kitab). Islamic scholar Shah Abdul Azeez son of Shah Valiyullah Dahlavi has opined that Hindus are people of the Book (Ahlul Kitab).
According toe the Islamic perception, Muhammad is the last link in the chain of Prophethood. Islam recognizes all Prophets and scriptures. It is not open to a Muslim to deny the truth preached by any of the Prophets. He cannot make any discrimination between these Prophets. This concept of Islam itself goes a long way in bringing unity and harmony among followers of different traditions.
Islam denies all kinds of discrimination and declares the common brotherhood and equality of all human beings. The Quran says: “O, human kind, we created you from a single (pair) of a male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you.”
Prophet Muhammad in his famous farewell sermon said, “An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab and non-Arab is not superior to an Arab. Nor does a white man have superiority over a black man, nor has black man superiority over a white man. You are all children of Adam, and Adam was created from Clay.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
The universal brotherhood preached by Islam was acknowledged by Swami Vivekananda as well. In a letter written by him from Almora on 10th July, 1898, to his friend Mohammad Sarfaraz Husain of Nainital, he says: “…My experience is that if ever any religion approached to this equality in an appreciable manner, it is Islam and Islam alone. Therefore I am firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, theories of vedantism, however fine and wonderful they may be, are entirely valueless to the vast mass of mankind.”
Violence always leads to breath of peace and is a crime against society. The Quran says, “if any one slew a person, unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he slew all people and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people.”
Islam considers that killing a human being is crime against the entire humanity and saving of a human being is saving of entire humanity.
The Prophet Mohammad said:”Do not initiate or reproduce the treatment that you receive. You say that if people do good to you, you will do good to them and if they injure you will injure them. That is not right; remain self-possessed and undisturbed. If they do good to you do good to them; if they treat you badly, even then do not return evil for evil.”
Islam also commands that you should uphold justice in all circumstances. We know that denial of justice often leads to violenc.
See what Quran says, “O Ye, who believe! Standout firmly for justice as witnesses to god even as against yourselves or your parents or your kin.”
The Quran further says, “And when Ye judge between man and man that, ye judge with justice. Verily how excellent is the teaching which he giveth to you. For God is he who heareth and seeth al things.”And says, “O, ye, who believe! Stand out firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing. Let not the hatred of tohers make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just, that is next to piety. Fear God. For God is well acquainted with all that ye do.”
All the Prophets came to this world as messengers of God to preach the gospel of truth and faith and they left their footprints of righteousness to be followed by coming generations.
It follows from what I have stated above that Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, and the Buddha, Vardhamana Mahavira and many Rishis and Munis of our great motherland who made their appearance when humanity suffered from degenation and degration might also have been Prophets of God, though their names have not been specifically mentioned in Quran.
Similarly the names of founders of religions of China and other eastern religions have not been mentioned in Quran. In all probability Confucious must also have been Prophet sent by God to China.
In that view it has to be considered that not only the followers of Abrahimic religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam but also the followers of other eastern religions as people of the Book (Ahlul Kitab). Islamic scholar Shah Abdul Azeez son of Shah Valiyullah Dahlavi has opined that Hindus are people of the Book (Ahlul Kitab).
According toe the Islamic perception, Muhammad is the last link in the chain of Prophethood. Islam recognizes all Prophets and scriptures. It is not open to a Muslim to deny the truth preached by any of the Prophets. He cannot make any discrimination between these Prophets. This concept of Islam itself goes a long way in bringing unity and harmony among followers of different traditions.
Islam denies all kinds of discrimination and declares the common brotherhood and equality of all human beings. The Quran says: “O, human kind, we created you from a single (pair) of a male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you.”
Prophet Muhammad in his famous farewell sermon said, “An Arab is not superior to a non-Arab and non-Arab is not superior to an Arab. Nor does a white man have superiority over a black man, nor has black man superiority over a white man. You are all children of Adam, and Adam was created from Clay.” (Bukhari, Muslim).
The universal brotherhood preached by Islam was acknowledged by Swami Vivekananda as well. In a letter written by him from Almora on 10th July, 1898, to his friend Mohammad Sarfaraz Husain of Nainital, he says: “…My experience is that if ever any religion approached to this equality in an appreciable manner, it is Islam and Islam alone. Therefore I am firmly persuaded that without the help of practical Islam, theories of vedantism, however fine and wonderful they may be, are entirely valueless to the vast mass of mankind.”
Violence always leads to breath of peace and is a crime against society. The Quran says, “if any one slew a person, unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he slew all people and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people.”
Islam considers that killing a human being is crime against the entire humanity and saving of a human being is saving of entire humanity.
The Prophet Mohammad said:”Do not initiate or reproduce the treatment that you receive. You say that if people do good to you, you will do good to them and if they injure you will injure them. That is not right; remain self-possessed and undisturbed. If they do good to you do good to them; if they treat you badly, even then do not return evil for evil.”
Islam also commands that you should uphold justice in all circumstances. We know that denial of justice often leads to violenc.
See what Quran says, “O Ye, who believe! Standout firmly for justice as witnesses to god even as against yourselves or your parents or your kin.”
The Quran further says, “And when Ye judge between man and man that, ye judge with justice. Verily how excellent is the teaching which he giveth to you. For God is he who heareth and seeth al things.”And says, “O, ye, who believe! Stand out firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing. Let not the hatred of tohers make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just, that is next to piety. Fear God. For God is well acquainted with all that ye do.”
Justice P.K. Shamsuddin
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