How did Submission Turn Intolerant?

What you seek is seeking you?

Rumi

The word Islam means submission. In the context of the religion, it’s submission to the One God, who the Quran describes as merciful. When we submit to God, our ego disappears and Self, the energy appears. As Ramana said, one does not need to add ‘thy will be done’ , amen or amin, at the end of a prayer if one truly has submitted oneself to that completely. With that submission, we become one with that energy.?

Islam is misinterpreted in some areas, as all religions are. It’s as false to say that Krishna encouraged violence and killing, based on his exhortation to Arjuna to stand up and fight for his dharma, as it’s to say that the Quran advocates killing of non-believers. There is enough evidence from the Prophet’s life that he respected other beliefs. The much-misinterpreted word?jihad?is used mostly the internal struggle against temptations, and only on a couple of occasions in an active combative sense, when it’s used for self- preservation and preservation of one’s beliefs. Unfortunately, religious leaders have fomented hatred towards others in Islamic followers through misinterpretation of?jihad.

Islam is now viewed as a fundamentalist religion. Some of its followers seem to believe that a tenet of Islam is to destroy others who do not believe in Islam. A history of colonizing Islamic invaders of foreign lands used the label of Islam to conquer, massacre and suppress other faiths has not helped to reduce this impression. People seem to ignore colonizing, marauding and crusading Christian invaders who did far worse in many more parts of the world. Christian missionaries committed atrocities in the guise of propagating their religion, which are being unearthed after centuries in many colonized countries. Native Americans and Old Nation people, let alone those brought in as slaves for other continents, have been used as animals in the most advanced nations of the world, with no apologies till date. Within the Hindu faith in India, the untouchables suffer a fate worse than death, while living. As an enlightened spirit said, ‘He that is without sin amongst you, let him cast the first stone at her.’

My rantings on this won’t help, till each of us reflect, introspect and transform. My own Vedic religion, one that is founded on tolerance, is on a reactive mode of violence in the guise of Hinduism ostensibly under threat from Islam.?

Reaffirming adherence to Islam’s 5 pillars of faith, prayer, philanthropy, fasting and pilgrimage would help its followers practice what the founders preached, and also help bring its glory back. Within Islam, Sufism embodies this spirit best in terms of total surrender to Allah. Sufis place spirituality above religion and rituals. In a religion that believes in one formless God, rejecting all forms of imagery and finery, the purest form of submission and surrender is to give into that inner voice of God. This is what the Prophet did, and perhaps, he is the first Sufi.

India adores Sufism. Hindu saints have been Sufis. Kabir, a poet saint, a Sufi and Hindu, is venerated by both faiths. Kabir has been a major influence in India in bringing harmony between Hindus and Muslims. More about Sufism later.

Swami Vivekananda said, 't is very good to be born in a church, but it is very bad to die in a church. It is very good to be born within the limits of certain forms that help the little plant of spirituality, but if a man dies within the bounds of these forms, it shows that he has not grown, that there has been no development of the soul.'

Our Spirit recognises the equality of all religious beliefs. Our minds have a problem. Let go the mind.

Reflection

·??????There are verses in the Quran that have been interpreted as promoting intolerance and violence. So are statements in every religious scripture, which can be interpreted out of context. Can we reflect on what they sought to mean??

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Ram is a co-founder and mentor at Coacharya?https://coacharya.com. Ram's focus is the integration of Eastern wisdom with modern science, spiritually, systemically and sustainably. Visit Coacharya.