Quranic Perspective on Multiculturalism

MULTICULTURALISM

        Multiculturalism entered the public discourse in the second-half of the twentieth century when Australia and Canada started supporting it. Multiculturalism never aimed at segregation and separation rather it has involved the creation of structures that incorporates immigrants and minorities fairly and to retain aspects of their cultures. It refers to the doctrine that several cultures can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country. Defining multiculturalism is problematic as it means different things in different contexts. A multi-cultural society includes a wide range of socio- cultural junctures and preferences emerging out of multi-religious, multi- regional, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual spirit of the people sharing each other’s hopes and fears and bound together by common interest and sympathy. It is a manifestation of unity amid diversity, of oneness amidst many. It not only means co-existence but more significantly it means convergence of divergent cultures. Multiculturalism aims to provide equality, respect and civil rights to every member in order to establish a tolerant society for the construction of social harmony. An idea that culturally binds different groups of people to coexist in one state,besides, advocating the notion of multi-cultural citizenship and multi- cultural nationhood.

             At a broader level it aims at reconciliation of cultural diversity and political unity. The present notions of globalization and human migration around the globe at an exceptional scale brought forth the notion of multiculturalism to the public and academic debates and encouraged scholars to discuss its practicality from various dimensions.

The ‘term’ is very commonly used to describe societies of different cultures, religions, languages and races. Nowadays multiple words and connotations are used interchangeably to point same meaning like the terms

plurality, diversity, tolerance and multiculturalism. It refers to the numerous cultures as well as understanding and acceptance of other cultures, respecting  their social beliefs and religion. It stands on the core principles like equality, responsibility and identifying collective benefits.

QUR’ANIC INJUNCTIONS ON MULTICULTURALISM

      The Qur‘ān mentions the dignified status bestowed to humans by Allāh. This status applies equally to Muslims as well as non-Muslims as the following verse reveals:

 ÙˆÙŽÙ„َقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍۢ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلً

And indeed We have honored the sons of Adam; provided with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of Our Creation.

 ÙƒÙŽØ§Ù†ÙŽ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخْتَلَفُواْ فِيه

Mankind was one single nation, and God sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book of Truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed.

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ

And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours.

وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ۖ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ

If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one people: but they will not cease to dispute.

 Ø¥ÙÙ†Ù‘َا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا Ûš إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ Ûš إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

AMÄ€NAH (TRUST) &‘ADL (JUSTICE)

As the soul in a human being is a trust (Amānah) which will render back to its  origin i.e. Allah Similarly, the trust of anyone kept with another has to be returned to its real inheritor maintaining the statusquo. As Allah commands in the Qur’an:

God doth command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due; and when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice. Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! For God is He Who heareth and seeth all things.

          After the Conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (SAW) called ‘Uthmān bin AbÄ« Ṭalha whose family had been the bearers of the keys of Ka’abah, took  keys from him to open the door of Ka’abah and entered. When the Prophet (SAW) came out, his uncle Abbas (R.A.) submitted to entrust the keys to Banu Hashim what the prophet (SAW) did not agree and said: this is the day of generosity and one of the gifts and donations. Then ‘Uthmān was called and keys were handed over to him by saying: “whoever tries to snatch them from you will be an Usurping tyrant.

     Allah commands the believers in the Qur’an, to stand for justice even if it goes against your own interests, as:

O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witness to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear God. For God is well- acquainted with all that ye do.

         While dealing with the matters ones intentions must not be dominated by the hatred of the other as Qur’an says:

And let not the hatred of some people in (once) shutting you out of the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part.

            In the year (6 A.H.) the pagans, by way of hatred and persecution of the Muslims, had prevented their access to the Sacred Mosque. When the Muslims returned to Makkah (after conquest), some of them wanted to retaliate and take revenge. But the hatred of the wicked is not a justification for the hostility from our part, it is condemned. Rather, we have to help each other in  piety and keep distance from hatred and enmity. We may have to nip the evil

but not in a spirit of malice and hatred but in a spirit of righteousness.Allah commands to make peace and act justly as the Qur’an maintains:

Make peace between them with justice, and be fair: For God loves those who are fair (and just).

CONCEPT OF IḤSĀN

        Iḥsān refers to the beautification of a thing or an act. It means to give better treatment to the good and best to the better. It refers to the doing of the good deeds or inner purification. The interpretation of this term is the well known ḤadÄ«th-I Jibrā‘Ä«l asking the Prophet about three sources of how to behave (Islam, á¿™mān and Iḥsān) wherein Iḥsān refers to the actualization of the inward and the outward.The Qur’ān uses the term at many instances like:

God commands justice (‘Adl), the doing of good (Iḥsān), and liberality to kith and kin.

Speak fair (Ḥusnah) to the people.

But do good: For God loveth those who do good.

But do thou good, as God has been good to thee, and seek not (occasions for) mischief in the land: For god loves not those who do mischief.

Those who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; For God loves those who do good.

God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just.

Even with unbelievers, unless they are rampant and out to destroy us and our faith, we should deal kindly and equitably, as is shown by our Prophet’s (SAW) own example.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION

Let there be no compulsion in the religion: truth stands out clear from the error.

            Compulsion is alien to religion as religion depends upon faith and will, and these would be invalid if induced by force. Truth and error have been so explicitly portrayed by the mercy of God that there should be no doubt in the mind of any person of good-will as to the fundamentals of the faith.

Therefore do thou give admonition, for thou art one to admonish. Thou art not one to manage (men’s) affairs.

           The prophet of God is sent to teach and direct people on the way. He  is not sent to force their will, or to punish them, except in so far as he may receive authority to do so. Punishment belongs to God alone.

It is not required of thee (O Apostle), to set them on the right path, But God sets on the right path whom He pleased.

It refers to relieve all those who are really in need, good or bad, Muslims or otherwise. One’s chief motive should be God’s pleasure and his own spiritual good.

EXAMPLES FROM THE MUSLIM HISTORY

                 In the course of Muslim history, there are examples of living together in multicultural societies the basis of what is the Qur’anic injunctions that guide  the humanity how to deal with ‘the others’. The incident of placing of the black stone of al-Ka’ba where Prophet (SAW) made the arbitration between the people of Quraysh and suggested that the stone would be put in a rug and all the tribes would hold it and he (SAW) picked it up and placed it.

During the Prophetic era Muslims and non-Muslims were brought together to defend the Madīnah from the external aggression. Prophet (SAW) invited religious and tribal leaders to come to an agreement known as Ṣaḥīfahal-Madīnah, which reads that all those who live and come together to sign the agreement, devoid of their religious grounds, are recognized as Ummah. The main objective of which was to unite the tribes and resolve the disputes among them. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) also confirmed freedom of

Religion, possessions, rights and the duties on the Jews in this document. It states multi-religious, multi-ethnic, pluralist political identity and sanctions co- existence and recognition of different communities.

Islamic history is an example of prosperous relationships between Muslims and non-Muslims, another example which is the document of al-‘Ahd al-‘Umariyyah, a significant document made for the Muslims and ‘others’ who resided in Bayt al-Maqdis. It reads as:

this is an assurance of safety given by servant of God (the second Caliph, ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattāb, the AmÄ«rul MuminÄ«n), to the people of Aelia He confers on assurance of safety for their lives and properties, churches and crosses; the healthy and the sick (to everyone with no exceptions); and for their whole religious community.

CONCLUSION

Human society is just like a human body which consists of different systems every one of which is equally important for its well-being. Just as there is diversity in the human body so is in the society that is made up of different communities living together on the concept of social interdependence ‒ building block of the society‒ for the general and collective gains. A society can be a real society only if it possesses true values and attributes, like beauty, perfection, goodwill and justice, towards which Humans are naturally inclined. If it is devoid of these things, it can lead humanity to deception and disaster, a proof of which Humanity has witnessed in the form of two Great Wars, claiming the lives of millions. In the present day scenario one finds chaos, confusion, deception and communal conflicts