Diversity in Islam

Knowing each other ~ Diversity in Islam
by Raheel Raza
March 18, 2007

Salaam Alaikum.

May peace and blessings of God be upon you.

Thank you. I note that you are affiliated with St. James Bond and I have a strong connection there. I was invited to speak at St. James Bond the first Sunday after 9/11 and thanks to Dr. Karen Hamilton who was the Minister there, my path to interfaith was charted out. As I proudly tell my community “I go to church more often than most Christians do” and I am a better Muslim for this.

Friends, we, who have gathered here this morning building inter-religious trust in a climate of fear know that we live in times that do not just try ones souls, but times that define our souls, that determine our character, that demonstrate who we really are.  There is a religious struggle going on in the world among those who want to argue that my God is better or bigger than your God.  Trusting in each other’s religions with respect is not the path the extreme religious right wants to travel.  So I’m honoured to be here to share with my brothers and sisters in creation.

You may ask why it’s so important to learn about each other? Latest statistics in Canada show that Eastern religions namely Hinudism, Buddhism and Islam are the fastest growing religions in Canada. Furthermore, 6 out of 10 Canadians say they are interested in learning more about other religions and spiritual matters and this is a positive sign seen only in this country.  Canada’s religious diversity should be a source of strength for all.

As a Muslim involved in teaching and scholarship on the Islamic tradition, I’ve spent a lot of time on this beat.  Today we move beyond September 11 – because the world has seen and knows that violence only begets violence. From the ashes of Afghanistan to the burning of Baghdad, there are no winners in any war. 

 In 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. published a monumental essay titled “Where do we go from here: Chaos or Community? Dr. King ended this essay by stating “we still have a choice today. Non violent co-existence or violent co-annihilation.”  Like Martin Luther, I too believe that as people of faith we have a choice. If we are ever to have peace between nations, we must begin with peace between religions, so today, I choose to talk a language of peace and love, emphasizing that the path to peace is through justice and truth.

There is an old Arabic saying that words from the lips reach only the ears, but words from the heart, reach the heart. So I invite you to open your hearts and minds and allow me to share with you, two beautiful characteristics of my faith – pluralism and diversity, which we know are also the strength behind Canada’s multicultural, multi-faith mosaic. I should add that this type of interfaith dialogue is essential to our survival in this new world order which mixes and matches people of all faiths, colors, creeds and nationalities into one geo-political mass.

Diversity is not new to Islam, in fact there are scholars that say diversity was built into the Islamic tradition 1400 years ago. From Albania to Zanzibar, Muslims come from a tremendous diversity of backgrounds and speak many languages. Today, some 1.2 billion people are Muslim -- one of every five human beings. Clearly, the so-called Muslim world is not a monolith. Nonetheless, history and geopolitics (reinforced by recent crises) have often led Western observers to equate the Muslim world solely with the Arab world, or the Middle East. For your information, all Arabs are not Muslim and all Muslims are not Arab – matter of fact there are Arab Christians and Arab Muslims. Muslim societies in the past have included sizeable and thriving populations of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Hindus -- a testimony to the inclusive character of Islamic civilizations.

God did not create diversity for it to become a source of tensions, divisions and polarization in society. Indeed, whether humans recognize it or not, human diversity is a sign of divine genius. The Qur’an, which is the holy book of Muslims, says “humanity is one community”.

The Quran, like the Bible, demands belief in monotheism; refers to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jesus, etc., has a substantial legalistic component reminiscent of the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, and poetic content as beautifully uplifting as the Book of Psalms.

Some scholars say that Islam stems from the Judeo-Christian tradition and we should think in terms of the "Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition."

This is a concept that envisages a world in which people, regardless of their differences, are united by their devotion to God. The emphasis on the universality of God’s message is characterized in the Quran’s fundamental teaching that God has revealed His message to all peoples and to all cultures; not a single people or nation has been forgotten. Although humans may have misinterpreted that message to suit their needs in creating conflicting traditions, all religions, at their core, have sprung from the same divine source and inspiration.  

This essence has been beautifully encapsulated by the great Sufi mystic poet and scholar of the 17^th C, Rumi  who says:

Fools laud and magnify the mosque, church and synagogue while they strive to suppress holy men of heart but while the former is mere form, the latter, spirit and truth.  The only true mosque is that in the heart of saints. It is the place of worship of all - for God dwells there. 

Confirming this pluralistic stance is the following command in the Qur’an to believers:  “Say: we believe in God and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and in what was given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between one and another among them and to [Allah] do we submit”. 

Quranic beliefs in the truth of the Judaic and Christian traditions are also encapsulated in another term: the ahl al-kitab or People of the Book. This is the umbrella term in the Quran to refer to communities, or peoples, who have received revelation in the form of scripture. Significantly, the Quran does not claim that it abrogates the scriptures revealed before it.  On the contrary, it affirms their validity. In one verse addressed to the Prophet Muhammad, God advises him “And if you [Muhammad] are in doubt concerning that which We [God] reveal to you, then question those who read the scripture [that was revealed] before you” (Quran 10:94). Another verse addressed to the Muslim faithful says, “And argue not with the People of the Book unless it be in a way that is better, save with such of them as do wrong; and say we believe in that which has been revealed to us and to you; and our God and your God is one and unto Him we submit” (Quran 29:46).

Christianity and Islam both look upon Abraham as their spiritual ancestor. Christian and Islamic cultural, historical and religious traditions emanate from the same geographical and historical source. Both are religions of ethical monotheism – both believe in Prophets, angels, revelation and a scripture.  In perhaps the most beautiful parallel between Mohammad and Jesus (pbuh) both insisted that their spiritually enriching messages were for all humanity.

Jesus tells his disciples in John 10:16 “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen” – The Koran tells Mohammad “all those who believe, the Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians – anyone who believes in God and the last day and does good – will have nothing to fear or regret”. It may surprise some of you to know that Jesus is mentioned more times by name in the Qur’an, than Muhammad.

Historical Islam began as a minority tradition in a non-Muslim setting. When Prophet Mohammad received his first revelations in Mecca in 610 ce, the people around him were largely tribal and polytheistic and the majority population of Arabia was of Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians.  Therefore, the Qur’an as a message to Mohammad from God, talks clearly and eloquently about human relationships, about forming alliances and trusts and about respect for those who follow a different path.  The Qur’an also assumed that the first hearers of the revelation were familiar with the stories of Judaism and Christianity. For example, a verse in the Qur’an  (5:27) begins “recite to them in truth the story of the two sons of Adam”. The implication is that the hearers are already familiar with aspects of the story, but the Qur’an affirms the previous narrative. Other similar examples and verses are found in the Qur’an.  

I want to share with you an incident in the History of early Islam, to put into perspective the fact that while religion can divide, it can also be a great unifying force, depending on who is propagating the message. 

In the early days of the revelation of the message of Islam, the followers of Prophet Mohammad were persecuted and he advised them to leave Mecca and take refuge in Abyssinia, a Christian country ruled by a Christian king, whom he had heard was a just ruler. A small band of Muslims were called to the court where the ruler asked them what they knew of Christianity. One of the companions of the Prophet, Jaffar read from the Koran the chapter on Mary and the birth of Jesus and it is recorded that king stepped down from his throne and with tears in his eyes, drew a line in the sand and said “the difference between us is as minimal as this line and we are the light of the same candle”. 

Through the centuries, however, this message and others like it, have been sidelined and Islam has been subjected to anti-pluralist, or exclusivist, interpretations in order to advance both political and religious subversive agendas.

In more recent times, exclusivist discourses have also been prevalent among a variety of groups in the Muslim world including the so-called Islamists who have increasingly interpreted Islam in exclusivist ways to provide a political ideology on which to base their conception of a modern nation- state.

The zeal of such groups to understand Islam in a “pure” monolithic form, to engage in revisionist history, and to read religious texts in an exclusivist manner that denies any plurality of interpretations, has created a situation in which any Muslim who dares to disagree or oppose their perspective is immediately branded a heretic.

The reasons for the rise of such groups are complex. Broadly speaking, these movements are a reaction against westernization, economic deprivation, the politics of oil, global domination by western powers (particularly the United States), and support by such powers for repressive regimes in predominantly Muslim lands.

These groups disregard and ignore the teaching of the Quran, which essentially espouses a pluralist worldview, one that promotes peace and harmony among nations and peoples, says in chapter 49 verse 13: “O humankind We [God] have created you male and female, and made you into communities and tribes, so that you may know one another - not to conquer, convert, subjugate, revile or slaughter but to reach out with intelligence and understanding. Surely the noblest amongst you in the sight of God is the most godfearing of you.”

This verse from the Quran formed the first teaching I read on the subject of pluralism. Now, many years later, as I reflect on it and its meaning, I believe it is clear that from the perspective of the Quran, which forms the core of the Islamic tradition, the divine purpose underlying human diversity is to foster knowledge and understanding, to promote harmony and co-operation among peoples.

The Arabic word Islam means submission to the will of God and when you believe in God, you open your heart to all faiths.  Canadian Professor Wilfred Cantwell Smith, a Christian scholar writes in his book Islam in Modern History, “A true Muslim, however, is not a man who believes in Islam – especially Islam in history; but one who believes in God and is committed to the revelation through His Prophet”.    

Similarly, the Persian poet Saadi phrased the challenge of Prophet Mohammad in the following words:

Human beings are like members of one body

Created from one and the same essence

When one member feels pain, The rest are distraught

You -  unmoved by the suffering of others

Are unworthy of the name human.

Sadly there are many people today who indulge in acts that are unworthy of being called human. But lets look at the messenger and his message.

From the time that Muhammad received his first revelation in 610 to the year 622, Islam was a persecuted minority religion in Mecca, and remained a minority tradition until two years before the death of Muhammad. In the year 622 Muhammad immigrated with his community to Medina, where Islam was also a minority tradition.  Muhammad, in a spirit of pluralism asked each Meccan to befriend a person from Medina irrespective of their faith. Muhammad’s reputation as a just and honest guide had reached Medina so the Jews and Christians of Medina took his counsel in matters of legal proceedings.

In 628 C.E., after Heraclius, Ceaser of the Byzantine Empire had captured Constantinople from the Persians he went to Jerusalem to thank God for his victory. In the ancient holy city, he received a most extraordinary letter from a land further to the East.  “In the name of God, the compassionate, the Merciful. From Mohammad, slave and messenger of God, to Heraclius ruler of the Byzantium.  Peace upon all who follow guidance. I call you with the call to submission to God. Surrender to God and you will be safe. Surrender to God, and God will give you a double reward. If you turn away, then the misdeeds of the peasants will be your fault. People of the Book – come to a word common to both of us, that we worship only one God”. 

Heraclius summoned a noble Arab to inquire about the author of the letter. Afterwards he declared, “I asked what he enjoins upon you, and you stated that he enjoins you to worship God, and not to associate anything with God, and not to worship the fetishes of your ancestors.  And he enjoins you to pray, to give charity and to be chaste, to keep promises and to fulfill trusts. This is the description of a Prophet. I knew he would appear, but I did not know he would be coming from among you”.

About the followers of Moses, Koran says Chapter 7:159 “And from the people of Moses, there is a community that leads with truth and establishes justice”

Within Islam, there is a rich plurality within it’s two main denominations expressed historically as the Sunni and the Shia. Their differences are not theological but political and those of leadership. The Koran tells us that our challenge is not to eliminate or hide these differences but to live with them.  Unity of human beings does not mean their uniformity but it needs to also reflect the essence of the multifaith spirit that binds us with a common thread.

In Islamic history, the followers and companions of Muhammad, chose to follow the model of pluralism that he preached and practiced.  In 638 Muslims under the rule of Caliph Umar, the second successor to Muhammad arrived at Jerusalem. Umar walked into Jerusalem as time approached for prayers, so he asked for a place where he might offer his prayers.  The Patriarch offered Umar the opportunity to pray at the Holy Sepulcher, one of the most important Christian sites. Umar refused saying that wherever, he, the first Muslim ruler in Jerusalem, was to offer his prayers, his followers would build a place of prayer (a mosque). He would not let that place be inside a spot that was of crucial importance to Christians. Instead, he prayed outside the Church. Today, there is small mosque of Umar across the street. Clearly Umar’s actions were done out of respect to Christians and their places of worship. 

It’s important to emphasize that Islam has long existed in Western culture, first in Europe and later in North America.  The pluralism that we see in the modern Western world has ancient roots.  Historically, there was an Islamic presence in Southern France, Italy, Sicily with Arabic being a language known to the highly educated.  Under Ottoman rule, there was a profound Muslim presence in Turkey, the Balkans and Eastern Europe.    From the 8^th to the 15^th centuries, much of Spain was Muslim and Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain or Andalucia) was a high point of Islamic civilization.  In the 9^th and 10^th centuries, Cordoba in Muslim Spain became one of the most important cities in the history of the world.  Christians and Jews were involved in the Royal Court and in the intellectual life of the city.  

Today, the architecture of Spain reflects the glory of a pluralistic tradition that didn’t just tolerate – but embraced other faith traditions.  

But why go that far? Right in the heart of Toronto, we have what we proudly call “The Spiritual strip”.  On Bayview Avenue there is a Zoroastrian temple, a Buddhist temple, an Anglican church (where I’ve spoken), a Muslim mosque and a Jewish synagogue. Two Montreal film-makers were so taken up by the fact that the mosque and synagogue share a parking lot, that they have made a documentary called “A Lot to Share”.  

It wouldn’t be fair to end without invoking the “f” word which is associated primarily with my faith. However Islamic "fundamentalism" is not a species apart from other fundamentalisms, including the Christian, Jewish, and Hindu varieties. They are all anti-modern, anti-science, anti-intellectual, rarely harmless and potentially (if not necessarily) fascistic. They demand belief in received dogma, inscribed in texts, rather than open-ended scientific inquiry. They either legitimate the existing order, or call for a return to a past social order in which class and gender relations were properly sorted out in line with the Divine Will.

As a moderate Muslim, I’m dealing with my share of fundos as we fondly call them, and have received in return: a fatwa, a legal notice, hate mail and warnings. It won’t stop me from building bridges and speaking out against violence and hate.  

As a pluralist Muslim who is Canadian, I am struck by the resonance between the pluralism espoused in the Quran and that in the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms. Contrary to what some may claim, one can be fully Canadian and Muslim simultaneously.  

I’ll end with words from the Quran that exemplify my faith to me:

Humanity is one community.