Interfaith

FAITHS IN HARMONY Everything in existence has both a secular and a spiritual aspect to it. The spiritual side is metaphysical, intangible, and is to do with meaning or subtle realities.

Life is experienced as interplay between two complementary opposites, dualities or polarities. There is time and timelessness, inner and outer, meaning and form, vice and virtue, person and society, and very importantly, self and soul (or spirit). All creation relates to this consciousness, which is conditioned and becomes specifically definable with individual beings or species.

Most world religions began through enlightened insights regarding a supreme, all encompassing pure consciousness, or god-­‐awareness. Prophets have seen the unity and one power behind the diversity of manifestation in this world. Prophets have seen the eternal light beyond countless shadows with beginnings and endings, all of which relate to light whose nature is most sublime and complex.

The universal truth taught by ISLAM is that there is one unique essence and source behind the web of life, which engages everything that has emanated from it and returns to it. This is the meaning behind the Islamic declaration that ‘there is no god but God’. Islam was a revival of the ancient Abrahamic revealed knowledge which had not reached the Arabs and had been distorted and eroded over time.

ISLAM’s revolutionary message was against human ignorance, arrogance, pride, and tribal injustices and discord. It brought God and absolute truth to the centre of every aspect of life at all times.

The emphasis upon the ever present, all knowing, all seeing, perfect God brought about a very high level of personal ethics and morality. It is this personal accountability to the light within the heart, to one’s God-­‐consciousness, or higher pure consciousness, that brings the individual back to appropriate reference and stability.

The notion of the hereafter radically changes the natural human egotistical tendency towards immediate gratification and pleasures. When this notion is internalized, it becomes transformative; otherwise it remains a ritual without much benefit or meaning. The result was the emergence of a major global empire and civilization within a few decades.

My first memories are waking up to the sight of the highest mountain in Africa – Mt Kilimanjaro, taking in the fragrance of fresh mountain air and hearing my father reciting the call of prayer from the local mosque. A successful business man who travelled the world I would ask him as a 8 year old would – why Papa? Why wake up so early and announce your faith! And he would say because I wear my heart on my sleeve.

Quoting the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) he would say – “If anybody asks you – What is Islam? What religion is it? Islam is the religion of the heart, the religion in which the most important thing is to seek God in the heart of human kind”.

When I hear the title ‘FAITHS IN HARMONY’ it is his words that ring in my ears – SEEK GOD IN THE HEART OF HUMAN BEINGS. JUST AS GOD SAYS IN THE QUR’AN 49:13