URDU-RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE IN PAKISTAN AND THE EFFORTS OF THE LEARNED

مذہبی رواداری اور پاکستانی اہل علم کی کاوشیں۔ ایک تصنیفی جائزہ

Abstract

Tolerance refers to dealing with all human beings fairly irrespective of differences in class, creed, religion, race, color, country and belief. We should accept the concepts and ideas of others and respect their feelings without taking into account whether they are right or wrong. Difference of opinion should inculcate exchange of ideas and positive thought process rather than hate. We should therefore not hate other religions and their followers, although we do not agree with their philosophies and views, yet we should accept and fulfill their rights as human beings which God has bestowed with high status. In short, religious tolerance means to treat the followers of other religions without hurting their feelings and without any mistreatment just because of their views. This tolerance is not limited to non-Muslims. Muslims should also keep away from sectarian differences and if they exist, they should not be a means for division in the Ummah. We can all co-exist even with differences of opinion as our predecessors did. Theologians of different sects have written several books for religious tolerance and the moderate way to deal with the differences of belief. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review on this subject taking ‘religious tolerance’ as a particularistic case study.