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Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue

This paper will examine Gülen's inspiring thoughts on the necessity of inter-religious dialogue through which mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities can be promoted. Due to the lack of mutual respect and better understanding of one another, the followers of mu...

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Main Author: Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi
Format: Conference or Workshop Item
Language:English
English
Published: 2011
Subjects:
BL Religion
BP171 Relation of Islam to other religions
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/2/ConferencePaperNigeria2011_Dr.FatmirShehu_Malaysia.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/7/Establishing_a_Culture_of_Coexistence.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/
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spelling my.iium.irep.147772013-12-27T02:43:47Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/ Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi BL Religion BP171 Relation of Islam to other religions This paper will examine Gülen's inspiring thoughts on the necessity of inter-religious dialogue through which mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities can be promoted. Due to the lack of mutual respect and better understanding of one another, the followers of multi-religious communities have experienced a relationship prevailed by one's enmity, superiority, selfishness, and disrespect for others. Indeed, this very hostile environment has been an immense obstacle for the construction of a friendly coexistence among the followers of world religions in general and the followers of Islam and Christianity in particular. According to the Holy Qur'an, Allah (s.w.t.) has revealed to humanity only one Transcendental Way of Life - DÊn al-IslÉm (complete submission and obedience to the Creator). Nevertheless, compulsion of people to this way of life is forbidden. Islam, hence, encourages Muslims to enter into a dialogue with others. The Islamic approach towards inter-religious dialogue has inspired many scholars of religion in general and Fethullah Gülen, a contemporary Muslim thinker, in particular to assert that mutual respect and better understanding among the members of multi-religious communities can be promoted through sincere dialogue only. Gülen's starting point for dialogue is Islam, which is a religion of peace and dialogue. According to Gülen, the Holy Qur’an promotes the fundamental pillars of dialogue, like tolerance, forgiveness, humility, mutual respect, and better understanding. For Gülen, to have a fruitful inter-religious dialogue between Muslims and others, an intra-dialogue must first start amongst Muslims. Dialogue can take place in different aspects of peoples’ daily activities, like religious, civilizational, political, sociological, cultural, economic, and so on. After a philosophical analysis of Gulen's thoughts on inter-religious dialogue, this study strongly assures to provide important solutions, which will help Muslim and Christian communities of Nigeria to enhance their relationships. Finally, this paper will provide for the conference audience an awareness of accepting each other as they are and not as they want each other to be. 2011 Conference or Workshop Item REM application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/2/ConferencePaperNigeria2011_Dr.FatmirShehu_Malaysia.pdf application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/7/Establishing_a_Culture_of_Coexistence.pdf Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi (2011) Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue. In: International Conference on Establishing a Culture of Coexistence and Mutual Understanding : Exploring Fethullah Gulen's thought and action, 18-19 Nov 2011, Abuja.
institution Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia
building IIUM Library
collection Institutional Repository
continent Asia
country Malaysia
content_provider International Islamic University Malaysia
content_source IIUM Repository (IREP)
url_provider http://irep.iium.edu.my/
language English
English
topic BL Religion
BP171 Relation of Islam to other religions
spellingShingle BL Religion
BP171 Relation of Islam to other religions
Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi
Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
description This paper will examine Gülen's inspiring thoughts on the necessity of inter-religious dialogue through which mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities can be promoted. Due to the lack of mutual respect and better understanding of one another, the followers of multi-religious communities have experienced a relationship prevailed by one's enmity, superiority, selfishness, and disrespect for others. Indeed, this very hostile environment has been an immense obstacle for the construction of a friendly coexistence among the followers of world religions in general and the followers of Islam and Christianity in particular. According to the Holy Qur'an, Allah (s.w.t.) has revealed to humanity only one Transcendental Way of Life - DÊn al-IslÉm (complete submission and obedience to the Creator). Nevertheless, compulsion of people to this way of life is forbidden. Islam, hence, encourages Muslims to enter into a dialogue with others. The Islamic approach towards inter-religious dialogue has inspired many scholars of religion in general and Fethullah Gülen, a contemporary Muslim thinker, in particular to assert that mutual respect and better understanding among the members of multi-religious communities can be promoted through sincere dialogue only. Gülen's starting point for dialogue is Islam, which is a religion of peace and dialogue. According to Gülen, the Holy Qur’an promotes the fundamental pillars of dialogue, like tolerance, forgiveness, humility, mutual respect, and better understanding. For Gülen, to have a fruitful inter-religious dialogue between Muslims and others, an intra-dialogue must first start amongst Muslims. Dialogue can take place in different aspects of peoples’ daily activities, like religious, civilizational, political, sociological, cultural, economic, and so on. After a philosophical analysis of Gulen's thoughts on inter-religious dialogue, this study strongly assures to provide important solutions, which will help Muslim and Christian communities of Nigeria to enhance their relationships. Finally, this paper will provide for the conference audience an awareness of accepting each other as they are and not as they want each other to be.
format Conference or Workshop Item
author Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi
author_facet Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi
author_sort Shehu, Fatmir Mehdi
title Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
title_short Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
title_full Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
title_fullStr Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
title_full_unstemmed Gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
title_sort gulen's thoughts on promoting mutual respect and better understanding among multi-religious communities through inter-religious dialogue
publishDate 2011
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/2/ConferencePaperNigeria2011_Dr.FatmirShehu_Malaysia.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/7/Establishing_a_Culture_of_Coexistence.pdf
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14777/
_version_ 1643606941641998336
score 13.211869

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