The Role of Interfaith Dialogue
By Imam Syed Rafiq Naqvi
Interfaith initiatives are one of the major successes of the Muslim community in the United States. With these initiatives, Muslims have been able to reach out to different religious groups, including Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and others. On many occasions, this has resulted in strong and lasting bonds of friendship between these groups. It is not uncommon for Muslims to regularly attend synagogue or church services, or for Christians, Jews, and others to observe Friday prayers at a number of mosques around the country. Such cases are most frequently observed in larger cities, such as Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Dearborn, to name a few. It is important to analyze the process of interfaith dialogue, understand its role in Islam, and create effective strategies to make the best use of such initiatives.
Often times, mosques and Islamic centers focus their interfaith efforts during the holy month of Ramadhan. Usually, such efforts take place in the form of a large scale dinner, where non-Muslims are invited to join Muslims as they break their fast. Or perhaps young Muslims invite their friends to college for “fast-a-thon” programs. Elsewhere, Muslim families may simply invite their neighbors to join them in their homes. All of these activities present an amazing opportunity for individuals of different faiths to get to know one another. These events are unique to the American Diaspora. In many Muslim countries, there are very few non-Muslims, and thus, few opportunities for Muslims to educate others about the holy religion of Islam. This is unfortunate, as Prophet Mohammad propagated the early days of Islam with what we would now call “interfaith initiatives.”
The Prophet regularly invited Christians, Jews, Polytheists, and others to dinners and khutbas (lectures), in order to educate non-Muslims about Islam. From history, we see that the entirety of the conversation was not focused on the beliefs and practices of Islam, but would involve in-depth conversations about the origins and nature of other religions. Islam considers all the prophets as brothers of one another, and on the event of Me’raj (ascension to the heavens), Prophet Mohammad met and conversed with various prophets, including Prophets Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Accordingly, when Prophet Mohammad spoke to others who believed in these noble personalities, he was able to provide them with a unique perspective and insight that helped bridge the relationship between them and the Muslim community.
It is this prophetic tradition that Muslims must implement. We must participate in earnest efforts to promote ties of friendship and warmth, while engaging in intellectual discussions on topics that both we and our non-Muslim brothers and sisters find important. What we will find, if we engage in such efforts, is that many of the world’s religions have a great deal in common with Islam. While news media outlets seek to emphasize differences, they rarely offer a real and humanistic view of members of different faiths.
Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims all live similar lives. They are fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of one another. They all strive for a better life for their loved ones, and a more peaceful and just world. They want to protect their families in the best way, and promote better values for those around them. Why then, should we not work all together towards this common cause? As Muslims, we learn many wonderful and amazing lessons from the lives of the Prophets and the Imams. It would be a great shame if we did not take every opportunity to pass them on to others.
However it is important to bear in mind that the goal of every interfaith initiative should not be conversion. While it is heartwarming to see others come to Islam, carrying out interfaith work with such a singular goal is neither productive nor warranted. Islam does not teach us to force others to become Muslim, but rather Islam teaches us to live as examples. There are traditions from the Ahlul Bayt (the family of the Prophet) that the Muslims of today are representatives of the Prophet and the Imams. Accordingly, we must prove the value of Islam not by forced and awkward measures, but by holding ourselves to a higher moral standard, and making our behavior an example to others. This exemplary behavior is the best way to show the world the true nature of Islam. In fact, proper and true akhlaq, or manners, is one of the hallmarks of Islam. In the early history of Islam, large numbers of individuals came to Islam because of their great love of the character of the Prophet. We, as the followers of this same Prophet, must work hard to learn the lessons he taught us, especially the ones of behavior towards our fellow human beings. Only in this way will interfaith initiatives succeed on multiple levels.
By engaging in interfaith dialogue, by building friendships, by properly showing the world how Muslims are and how Muslims must behave, we will succeed in this world and the next, God willing. Please make every opportunity to share more than the words of Islam; rather share the message of Islam through your every action, your every breath, and indeed every aspect of your life.