| Answer: The oneness of God, the unity of
man and veneration for established moral principles, only this has always been
the message of Islam. It establishes these principles on the basis of belief in
the Hereafter. In my opinion, Islam should be presented as a call for the
purification of the individual and the collective life of man rather than a
system. This is its real introduction. The relationship that we should establish
in the entire world with our addresses is that of exhorter and the exhorted.
This relationship is of affection, dialogue, and propriety. Clash, subjugation,
pre-eminence, conspiracy, dogmatism and other words like these should be
expunged from our religious dictionary forever. In the present circumstances,
the best examples for us to follow is the life of Jesus (sws) when he preached
in Jerusalem and that of Muhammad when he preached Prophet (sws) in Makkah.
Bible in the sermon of the mount and the Qur’ān in its Makkan Sūrahs have
expounded it masterfully.
The attitude we should adopt is that of
patience and forbearance against tyranny and not that of recompense, persecution
and vengeance. In tender language, giving heed to propriety and fully taking
into account the psychology of the addressee, we have to tell the world that the
only lord of human beings is Allah, the Almighty. They are the sons of Adam and
Eve. No distinction can be sustained amongst them on the basis of colour and
creed or nation and country, and they have to adopt only one course for success
in the world and the Hereafter and that is: goodness of deed. I am sure that
mankind neither has anything better than this exhortation now, nor will the
coming time bring anything better than this. This is the exhortation that can
take humankind to the goal of a universal civilization |