Notes: The World Religion
The Light (Pakistan), 1st July 1922 Issue (Vol. 1, No. 14, p. 1)
An enlightened correspondent of the Epiphany, in a recent issue of the paper, has expressed his desire of uniting the different religions of the world into one homogeneous whole. In order to do this he urges that
“we would no longer remain Christians, Hindus or Mussalmans [Muslims], but we would simply be ‘men’ and as such the sons of a common father.”
“Conscience,”
he says,
“will be our touchstone.”
Although he is aware of the fact that conscience will differ in different cases, but he believes they will agree on important vital matters such as
“avoidance of forcible conversion to Islam and abolition of idolatry.”
While agreeing with the noble ideal of unity, we must beg leave of bringing this fact to the notice of the correspondent that Islam is a religion that has practically laid the foundation of unity among various creeds. One of its fundamental principles is the belief in the unity of God, or Allah, as Lord of all the worlds and all the creatures, and in the catholicity of the divine law, which was sent to various peoples at various times through various prophets.
Thus, the idea of common fatherhood is very dominant in Islam although the English or the Biblical word “father” is quite inadequate to express the full significance of the Quranic word Rabb.
It may also be noted that the forcible conversion to Islam is unlawful, because the Holy Quran says
“there should be no compulsion in religion” [The Holy Quran, 2:256],
and idolatry is throughout condemned by Islam. As a matter of fact, Islam is meant to bring about unity between the different creeds of the world; and hence it acknowledges the divine origin of every religion.