Seminar urges peaceful co-existence in religious matters

Islamabad:A National seminar on ‘The conduct of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in dealing with Non-Muslims in a Muslim society’ was organised by the of Islamic Research Institute (IRI) of the International Islamic University (IIU) in which participants agreed that the message of peace in the light of Seerah of Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) must be disseminated with the use of contemporary means.

They opined that the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) teaches that there must not be any use of force for the religion, while salient features of Seerah such as respect, peaceful co-existence and avoiding coercion in matters of religion should be adopted to build a stable society.

This national seminar was organised at the Faisal Masjid ampus of IIU by Islamic Research Institute in collaboration with National Rahmatul-Lil-Aalameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin Authority and Jamia Muhammadiyah, Chiniot.

Addressing the seminar, Chairman Rahmatul-Lil-Aalameen Authority Khurshid Ahmad Nadeem said that today's session is related to the aspect of the Holy Prophet's life that describes the breadth of His message. He said that it is not difficult for Allah to bring people together as an Ummah, but it is a beauty that Allah has made it clear that no one is forced in the matter of religion. He further said that in Islamic society, it was taught by Islam to run the affairs above religious discrimination. Chairman Rahmatul Rahmatul-Lil-Aalameen Authority said that peace should be given a chance by establishing a society in the light of mutual respect and honour without discrimination of religion. He emphasized that there is a need to create a diverse society where righteousness and coexistence are important.

Mr. Mohiuddin Wani, Special Secretary, Federal Education and Vocational Training in his presidential address said that governance, commerce, education and other sectors should be included in the seminars related to the life of Prophet (PBUH) so that the world knows that the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is a complete guide of conduct.

He also emphasized on adopting modern means to publicize Seerah. He urged that the lessons learnt through Seerah must be applied in religious and practical life as it would make our lives peaceful and easy. He further said that Seerah is actually a way of living life with honesty, truth, integrity and transparency. He hoped that all sections of the society would be invited to the Sirat-ul-Nabi (peace be upon him) seminars.

Addressing the seminar, IIUI Rector Dr. Samina Malik said that religion and practical life should be integrated in such a way that reflection of the Seerah of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) can be seen regularly in our society. He said that higher education institutions have a responsibility to play their role in promoting all aspects of the Holy Prophet's (peace be upon him) life and its practical application in the society. Rector IIUI said that one of the most important and beautiful aspect of Seerah is kindness towards non-Muslims and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) set an example of tolerance and generosity towards non-Muslims.

Speaking on this occasion, Brigadier Simon Simpson Sharaf mentioned the commonalities between Christianity and Islam and also highlighted the historical and contemporary significance of the Najran Treaty.

Head of Jamia Muhammadiyah Sharif Chiniot, Sahibzada Syed Qamarul Haq discussed the wrong and negative publicity of terms like Dhimmi and Harbi in relation to the topic and pointed out the misconceptions in this regard. He also discussed the rights of non-Muslims in the Islamic state.

The Director General of the Islamic Research Institute, Dr. Muhammad Ziaul Haq said that the purpose of the seminar is to highlight the importance of implementation of the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in society. He said that in the light of the vision of President IIUI, Dr. Hathal Homoud Alotaibi, the Seerah project has been started under which publications, training programs, conferences and dialogues are being organized and this collaboration is part of these efforts. Earlier, Mohiuddin Wani inaugurated the Seerah exhibition at the IRI’s Dr. Hamidullah Library.