Harmony Conference Speech By His Eminence Sh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari 7 May 24

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

 

HARMONY

IN A DIVERSE MULTIFAITH WORLD

 

 

Presentation by

 

His Eminence

 

Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari

 

President and Grand Mufti

 

Jamiyatu Ulama Australia

 

7 May 2024

 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

الحمد لله رب العالمين حمدا يليق بجلاله وكماله، نحمده ونستعينه، جل شأنه وأفضل الصلاة والتسليم على المبعوث رحمة للعالمين، سيدنا وحبيبنا ومولانا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين.

 

The Honourable His Excellency Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime

Minister of Malaysia.

 

The Honourable His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, Secretary General of Muslim World League (Rabita)

 

The Honourable Senator Dato’ Setia Dr. Haji Mohd Na’im bin Haji

Mokhtar, Minister in the Prime Minister Department

 

Honourable speakers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters:

 

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

 

I am delighted to be a part of this historical conference that promotes peace, harmony and unity within diversity. What a wonderful and thought-provoking topic.  Please allow me in my capacity as, the president and Grand Mufti of Jamiyatu Ulama Australia, to convey the Salaams, best wishes and dua of the Muslims of Australia for the success of this conference.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the World Muslim League (Rabita) and the Secretary General and thank Jakim (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) for organising and coordinating this historical conference and inviting me to be part of this great occasion. I am honoured and grateful.

 

The Honourable His Excellency Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia.

My dear scholars and fellow speakers, distinguished guests, brothers and sisters, ladies and gentlemen, supporters of peace, harmony and unity within diversity.

 

I would like to thank everyone who has spoken in support for a permanent ceasefire and a just peace in Gaza and in the other trouble spots in the world.  The Genocide is happening before our eyes with the support of major world powers, we must continue to strive with all our efforts to stop the genocide and to bring about justice and reconciliation.  I salute all the advocates of peace, especially his excellency Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his most courageous stand on this matter (of Gaza, especially in today’s speech and in his interview with German TV).

 

After Cain killed his brother Abel, humanity received a warning that is in the Old Testament and in the Qur’an and is in every teaching: God condemns murder and blesses those who save lives.  Murder is a blight on humanity and genocide leads to the death of humanity.  Allah, Ta’ala says:

 

مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَن قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنْهُم بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ.  (المائدة 32)

“For this reason, we decreed for the Israelites that whoever kills a soul unjustly, or to wreak havoc in the earth, it would be as if he killed all humanity and however saves a life, it would be as if he saved all people.  And their messengers came to them with clear signs, but many of them transgress through the earth.”  (The Noble Qur’an 5:32)

 

It is indeed prophetic that thirteen centuries before the establishment of the state of Israel, Allah, Ta’ala, mentions the Israelites in this very context.

 

And in this context, while we stand witness over the genocide, most faith leaders are doing little more than words of condemnation and some, a minority ignominiously make justifications for the rogue state.

If we were true to our covenant with God, we, the faith leaders would have organised together the largest group of people from all over the world and we would have been in Gaza under the combined leadership of all the genuine people of God.  We would have organised the largest human gathering to stop the violence, to save the Palestinian hostages from torture in Israeli prisons and we would put an end the occupation. If we do not, then all our sermons and ostentatious regalia will have no meaning.

 

If we were all genuine, then no political leader in America, Britain, Germany, France or anywhere would ever be able to fund or arm Israel’s or any other genocide or settler colonialism.

 

This is what we must do, we must become genuine and sincere for the sake of humanity.

 

We have to exhaust all avenues to save the lives of the people of Gaza and the West Bank and along with that, save all the oppressed people of the world.

 

I move to my next concern and this is the targeting and marginalisation of faith traditions.  Starting with Islam, I want to say that those who are seeing Islam being attacked and marginalised throughout the world, would also see, when they talk to members of other faiths that all faiths are targeted at different levels.  They would also see that in some parts of the world, the members of the one faith are being used against the members of other faiths.  For many who don’t have time to investigate deeply into the root of the problem, this manufactured antagonism would naturally make them believe that religious differences are the cause when in fact they’re not.  Those who open their eyes will see that religious differences are being exploited as one of many tools.  They would also see that other tools are used to exploit people of the same faith and the same cultural background.

 

Over my decades working for social harmony and cohesion, we have convened and also participated in hundreds of programs to highlight that people of faith have many things in common.  We also continue to highlight, that even for those who do not believe in religion, we have our common humanity.  Whether they believe in creation or not, we say: We all descend from a first human being – “Adam” and we have all been created from this earth.

 

Therefore, the marginalisation of any section of humanity is a blight on all humanity and the marginalisation and victimisation of Muslims will feed into the anti-faith narrative and will worm its way into the marginalisation of all faith traditions.

 

From my faith tradition, Allah, Ta’ala says:

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِى آدَمَ (الإسراء 70)

“We have honoured the human race (the progeny of Adam)” (The Noble Qur’an 17:70)

Speaking from the perspective of Islam, I can draw on numerous verses from the Holy Qur’an, statements from the Hadith of our honourable prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, and examples from our rich Islamic history, that show how my faith directs me to celebrate diversity, to respect the rights of people to their own views and ideologies and to work with others peacefully for the common good.

 

We have the undisputable history of how Muslims came to the subcontinent and united the more than 370 small nations into an amazing pre-partition India. Even post-partition India remains the most populous nation on earth with citizens from diverse faiths.

 

We also have the undisputable history of how Muslims went into Al-Andalus, saved the nation and its people and transformed it into a prosperous beacon of science and philosophy that has given a wonderful legacy to the entire human family.

 

Both India and Spain today can boast of amazing monuments and scientific achievements that were introduced by Muslims.  India’s Taj Mahal, built by the Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan is one of the seven wonders of the world.

 

This is nothing new for Islam and Muslims, wherever we go, we bring prosperity, equality, fairness and respect for all life.

 

Our faith teaches:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ ۚ (المائدة 2)

“Cooperate in goodness with a conscious awareness that God is watching, and do not collude on wrongdoing or transgression.” (The Noble Qur’an 5:2)

 

Before he passed from this world, our beloved prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him, impressed upon us that:

“No person is better than another regardless of their nationality or colour.”

And Allah, Ta’ala taught us:

 

"فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ ۚ" (الكهف 29).

“Whoever wishes to believe may (freely) do so and whoever wishes to disbelieve may (freely) do so.”  (The Noble Qur’an 18:29)

and

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ (البقرة 256)

“There is no compulsion in (embracing) Islam” (The Noble Qur’an 2:256)

and

وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَن فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ (يونس 99)

“Had your Lord willed, all those on earth would have believed, you do not have any authority to compel people to believe.”  (The Noble Qur’an 10:99)

and

وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ۖ (هود 118)

“Had your Lord willed, He would have made humanity into one Ummah (culture, ethnicity or nation).”  (The Noble Qur’an 11:118)

Our diversity dear friends and colleagues is embellished by our pursuit of harmonious cooperative coexistence.  The following two verses give us great insight into the beauty of difference:

 

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِينَ (الروم 22)

“And from amongst His Signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and the diversity of your languages and colours.  Indeed, in this are Signs for the learned.”  (The Noble Qur’an 30:22)

and

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ (الحجرات 13)

“O People, We created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that you can learn from and get to know each other.  (Always bear in mind) that the most honoured amongst you with Allah is the person who is most conscious of his/her duty before Allah.  Indeed, Allah knows and is well acquainted (with all things).”  (The Noble Qur’an 49:13)

Before I end my speech, I want to again implore everyone to come together to save the lives of the courageous Palestinian people, not just with prayer, but also with positive courageous stands that will enforce a permanent ceasefire and liberation of the Palestinian people and the oppressed everywhere.  Long live Gaza, long live freedom and liberty for all human beings.

 

Once again thank you very much, may Allah bless you all.

 

والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

 

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari,

President and Grand Mufti - Jamiyatu Ulama, Australia

Founder of the Australian International Islamic College and 

Darul Uloom Islamic Academy of Brisbane, Australia

Founder of Qalam Group of Institutions, India