Community coexistence and regional and international peace In Christianity and Islam

Dr. Imad Mohammed Farhan

And Dr. Abdulrahman Taha Bdeewi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31972/dhiscrip19.001

Summary

Praise be to Allah. Who has said: “The religion with Allah, is Islam”, peace and mercy be upon our beloved Mohammed, the Seal of all Prophets and Messengers, blessing with His family and companions and followers until the Judgment Day.

Islam (in Arabic) is derived from the word peace, the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah. Their texts clearly refer to tolerance, coexistence and renunciation of violence and hatred. The Almighty Allah has said: “And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart” [Alanfal 46] And also said: ” And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided” [Al Imran 103] It is a call for solidarity and peaceful coexistence… because violence, quarrels, conflict are threatening social relations by fragmentation and loss.

While these texts reject conflicts, other texts suggest convergence, dialogue, understanding and intellectual interchange. It is an invitation to walk and meet and study the intellectual and historical components of the people of the same country and the national identity, between them and other human beings, Allah also has said: ” Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best” [Alnahl 125] also said: ” We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another” [Alhujurat 13].

Regarding to Hadeeth, the texts are full of the words (thought, vision, mind, insight, opinion, work…) which establishes in the mind of the human a kind of balance and the tendency to rationality, patience, progress and looking forward to the future.

And it is same with what Jesus has taught us before, He has set the principle of tolerance, Even the holly Qura’n has said: (will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, “We are Christians.” That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant) [Almaeda 82].

Also, tolerance has been mentioned so many times in the Holly Bible, such as: ” For if you forgive people their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you… Are tolerant of one another, and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint. As Christ has forgiven you, so do you… Be kind to one another, be patient and tolerant, as God has also forgiven you in Christ… When ye have stood, pray, forgive, if you have one thing, that your father may also forgive you your slips, and if you do not forgive, your father will not forgive you also your slips… Jesus said: Forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing’.

and many other texts in the Bible.

And this research will show this great principle, explain its origins and foundations in Islamic and Christianity.