A man who is intolerant, is not a human being in the full sense of
the expression. To become enraged at antagonism is surely a sign of
weakness. Of course, there are many who do not want to recognise the
principle of tolerance as being eternal, for, in conditions of adversity, the
temptation to retaliate becomes too strong. The feelings of anger which
accompany negative reaction must somehow be vented, and those who
think and act in this way are ken to retain the illusion that, in hitting back,
they are not doing anything unlawful.
Such thinking is quite wrong. In reality, when a man is enraged
at anything which goes against his will, tolerance as a priority becomes
paramount. Many men strive to become supermen. But the true superman
one who, in really trying situations, can demonstrate his super- tolerance. Just any act of antagonism does not give us the licence to be
intolerant. Rather, such occasions call for greater tolerance than in normal
circumstance.
In everyday matters, where there is none of the stress and strain
of opposition, no one has difficulty in being tolerant. It is only in
extraordinary situations, fraught with conflict, that the truly tolerant man
will prove his mettle.
One of the stark realities of life is that divergence of views does
exist between man and man, and that it impinges at all levels. But at the
level of a family or a society, a community or a country, differences are
bound to exist everywhere. Now the question is how best unity can be
forged or harmony brought about in the face of human differences.
Some people hold that the removal of all differences is the sine
qua non for bringing about unity. But, this views is untenable for the
simple reason that it is not practicable. you may not lie their thorns which
essentially accompany roses, but it is not possible for you to pluck out all
the thorns and destroy them completely. For, if you pluck out one, another
will grow in its place. Even if you run a bull-dozer over all rosebushes,
now plants will grow in their place, bearing roses which are ineluctably
accompanied by thorns.
In the present scheme of things, roses can be had only by
tolerating the existence of thorns. Similarly, a peaceful society can be
created only by creating and fostering the spirit of tolerance towards
diversities. In this world, unity is achievable only by learning to unite in
spite of differences, rather than insisting on unity without differences. For
total eradication of differences is an impossibility. The secret of attaining
peace in life is tolerance of the disturbing factor.
There is nothing wrong in diversity of opinions. In fact, this is a
positive quality, which as many advantages. One advantage flowing from
this attitude is that it builds character. if you are well-mannered towards
those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly
good character. But, if you behave properly with those holding views
divergent from you or who criticise you, then you deserve to the credited
with having an excellent character.
In the same way, a society whose members hold identical views
and never have any controversial discussions, will soon find itself in the doldrums. The intellectual development of the members of this society will
be frozen, because personal evolution takes place only where the
interaction of divergent thinking provides the requisite mental stimuli.
The adoption of a policy of tolerance in the midst of controversy
course
of action.
in the face of opposition is not a negative step. It is undoubtedly a positive
Divergence of views plays an important role in the development
of the human psyche. It is only after running the intellectual gauntlet that a
developed personality emerges. If, in a human society, this process ceases
to operate, the development of character will come to a standstill.
Nobody in this world is perfect. If a man is endowed with some
good qualities, he may be lacking in others. This is one of the reasons for
.differences cropping up between people. But for life as a whole, this
desperateness is actually a great blessing; the good points of one man may
compensate for the shortcomings of another. Just as one set of talents in
one man may complement a different set in another. If people could only
learn to tolerate other’s differences, their very forbearance would become
a great enabling factor in collective human development.
The habit of tolerance prevents a man from wasting his time and
talent on unnecessary matters. When negatively affected by another’s
unpalatable behaviour, your mental equilibrium is upset, whereas when
emotionally untouched by such behaviour, your mind will fully retain its
equilibrium, and without wasting a single moment, you will continue to
carry out your duties in the normal way. The policy of tolerance or
forbearance enhances your efficiency, while intolerant behaviour reduces
it.
Tolerance is not an act of compulsion. It is a positive principle of
life, expressing the noble side of a man’s character. The existence of
tolerant human beings in society is just like the blooming of flowers in
garden.
So far as Islam is concerned, it is an entirely tolerant religion.
Islam desires peace to prevail in the world. The Quran calls the way of
Islam ‘the path of peace’. The state of peace can never prevail in a
Society, if a tolerant attitude is lacking in the people. Tolerance is the only
basis for peace; in a society where tolerance is absent, peace likewise will
be non-existent. Peace is the religion of the universe. Peace should, therefore, be
the religion of man too, so that, in the words of Jesus Christ, the will of
the Lord may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
In a similar vein, the Quran tells us that: “The sun is not allowed
to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own
orbit runs”.
When God created Heaven and the Earth, he so ordered things
that each part might perform its function peacefully, without clashing with
any other part. For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has
been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.
which is know in
The universe is following this path of peace
science as the law of nature, as it is imposed upon it by God, whereas man
has to adopt this path of peace of his own free will. This has been
expressed in the Quran in these words, “Are they seeking a religion other
than God’s, when every should in heaven and Earth has submitted to Him,
willingly or by compulsion? To Him they shall all return.”
Peace is no external factor to be artificially imposed upon man.
Peace is inherent in nature itself. The system of nature set up by God
already rests on the basis of peace. If this system is not disrupted, it will
continue to state the course set for it by the Almighty. But the only way to
keep humanity on the path of peace is to rid it of corruption. That is why
the Quran enjoins:
“And do not corrupt the land after it has been set in order.”
In order to preserve the peace established by nature from
disruption, two important injunctions have been laid down by Islam. One,
at the individual level, stresses the exercise of patience, and the other, at
the social level, forbids taking the offensive.
Negative reaction on the part of the individual is the greatest
factor responsible for disrupting peace in daily life. It repeatedly happens
that in social life one expereinces bitterness on account of others. On such
occasions, if one reacts negatively, the matter will escalate to the point of
a head-on collision. That is why Islam repeatedly enjoins us to tread the
path of patience. The Quran says, “Surely, the patient will be paid their
in full, without measure.” The reason for the rewards for patience being so great is, that
patience is the key factor in maintaining the desired system of God. In the
words of the Quran, “the patient man is the helper of God.”
The other injunction, designed to maintain peace in human
society, forbids the waging of an offensive war. No one in Islam enjoys
the right to we war against another. There are no grounds on which this
could be considered justifiable. There is only one kind of war permitted in
Islam and that is a defensive war. If a nation, by deviating from the
circumstances, subject to certain conditions, is temporarily allowed.
principles of nature, wages war against another nation, defence in such
Peace is basic to all religions. Let us all strive then to establish
peace in the world; for that is the bedrock on which all human progress
