The Ruling on Calling for Dialogue Between Religions and Coexistence Among Them
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
The questioner asks: What is the ruling in the Shari'ah regarding one who calls for dialogue between civilizations and coexistence between religions?
Answer:
This is a false statement. As for dialogue between religions, there are no religions now except the religion of Islam. There are no valid religions except the religion of Islam, and whatever is other than Islam is a false religion. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:158] He is the Messenger of Allah to all of humanity, including the Jews and the Christians, the people of the two religions. Because with the sending of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), no valid religion remained except what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Is there any valid religion with which to hold a dialogue other than this religion, the religion of Islam? Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. He the Exalted said:[Ali 'Imran 3:85] [Ali 'Imran 3:85] And Islam is what all the messengers came with, upon Islam. Then, after the sending of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), Islam became what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) brought, and Allah does not accept from anyone anything other than it. Allah does not accept from anyone anything other than it. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every one of you will enter" Sahih al-Bukhari 7280 enter the Fire. Are the Jews and the Christians obedient to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), or are they disbelievers in him?
They are disbelievers in him. It is not enough that they disobeyed the Messenger; rather, they disbelieved in him. So how do we say we will hold a dialogue with them? We hold a dialogue between disbelief and faith, between tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and shirk (associating partners with Allah), between misguidance and guidance. This means equating the true and false religions, that they are on one level and coexist, and that each believes what he wants and worships what he wants. And if a person wishes, he becomes a Jew, or if he wishes, he becomes a Christian, or if he wishes, he becomes a Muslim. And they are all Muslims and all believers, that is what they say. We say: No, there is no religion and there is no Islam except what Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. And whatever contradicts it is disbelief and misguidance, and its people are in the Fire, abiding therein, whether they will it or not. They want the Muslims to enter with them and leave their religion, but they came with this cunning method. They came with this path. Did they die, or do they want to come with the Muslims? No, they want the opposite. One must be cautious of this propaganda and this false, misguided claim that is spread by those who spread it. And unfortunately, some of those who claim to belong to the da'wah (calling to Islam) and to Islam utter it due to their ignorance, or their stubbornness, and their rebellion. Yes.
The questioner asks: What is the ruling in the Shari'ah regarding one who calls for dialogue between civilizations and coexistence between religions?
Answer:
This is a false statement. As for dialogue between religions, there are no religions now except the religion of Islam. There are no valid religions except the religion of Islam, and whatever is other than Islam is a false religion. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًاBy Myself in Whose Hand is your soul, no Jew or Christian hears of me and then does not believe in what I have brought, except that he will enter the Fire.
والذي نفسي بيده لا يسمع لي يهودي ولا نصراني، ثم لا يؤمن بالذي جئت به إلا دخل النار.Is there any valid religion with which to hold a dialogue other than this religion, the religion of Islam? Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. He the Exalted said:
And whoever desires other than Islam as religion
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًاnever will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَParadise except those who refuse." They said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who will refuse?" He said, "Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys
الجنه الا من ابى قالوا يا رسول الله ومن يابى؟ قال من اطاعني دخل الجنه ومن عصانيThey are disbelievers in him. It is not enough that they disobeyed the Messenger; rather, they disbelieved in him. So how do we say we will hold a dialogue with them? We hold a dialogue between disbelief and faith, between tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and shirk (associating partners with Allah), between misguidance and guidance. This means equating the true and false religions, that they are on one level and coexist, and that each believes what he wants and worships what he wants. And if a person wishes, he becomes a Jew, or if he wishes, he becomes a Christian, or if he wishes, he becomes a Muslim. And they are all Muslims and all believers, that is what they say. We say: No, there is no religion and there is no Islam except what Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. And whatever contradicts it is disbelief and misguidance, and its people are in the Fire, abiding therein, whether they will it or not. They want the Muslims to enter with them and leave their religion, but they came with this cunning method. They came with this path. Did they die, or do they want to come with the Muslims? No, they want the opposite. One must be cautious of this propaganda and this false, misguided claim that is spread by those who spread it. And unfortunately, some of those who claim to belong to the da'wah (calling to Islam) and to Islam utter it due to their ignorance, or their stubbornness, and their rebellion. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-007-أصول اعتقاد أهل السنة والجماعة|صالح الفوزان|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:13:21)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.