“True Spirit of Islam is engaging with People of All Faith and Philosophies”

Aligarh : “There is a need to grasp and understand the true spirit of Islam that is engaging and dealing with people of all faiths, civilizations and philosophies by seeking common grounds and recognizing the diversities and differences which are divine gift and blessing from the God”, said the Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt Dr. Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam in his address to a large gathering of teachers, students and officials of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) today at the Kennedy Auditorium.

Delivering his speech on ‘Dialogue among Civilisations’, Dr. Shawki said “building bridges and engaging with followers of different faiths has been the practice of the Prophet Mohammad until he passed away at the age of 63. The Prophet sent his companions to Abyssinia which was predominantly a Christian land and in Medina he signed an agreement known as the ‘Constitution of Medina’ in which he set the rules of engagement with Jewish clans and other residents of the city”.

Quoting from the Quran, the Grand Mufti of Egypt said that Prophet Mohammad was an epitome of mercy and compassion and he is a role model particularly for Muslims in respect to their conduct and behaviour towards neighbours, friends, relatives and humanity at large.

Warning Muslims against the ‘crooked understanding of faith’ he said “it is our shared responsibility to re-claim Islam from those who interpret it in the wrong way; and become ambassadors of peace and bridge building in the world”.

Dr. Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam expressed his gratitude for being invited to AMU. “Established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a great visionary, this institution is historic and it has a role to play in peace-building measures”, he pointed out.

Giving his presidential remarks AMU Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Gulrez said engaging with civilizations and people of various faiths is the only way forward for the peaceful existence and progress of humanity. “The thesis of the ‘Clash of Civilization’ propounded by Hutington after the World War was a dangerous philosophy. Instead, building bridges between civilizations, cultures and religions and inter-faith dialogue is the only way to foster harmony among people”, the Vice Chancellor remarked.

He praised the Grand Mufti for spreading the message of peace at various global platforms including the World Sufi Summit at New Delhi (2016) and the World Economic Forum at Davos (2016) etc.

Earlier, Mr. Mohammad Imran IPS, AMU Registrar introduced the esteemed guest and welcomed him on behalf of AMU. He also mentioned the Dara Shikoh Centre for Interfaith Understanding and Dialogue of AMU and described the shared bonds between India and Egypt.

The Vice Chancellor presented a memento, a coffee-table book Jahan-e-Syed and another book ‘A History of Aligarh Muslim University 1920-2020’ to the Grand Mufti, who also presented a gift to the Vice Chancellor.

Prof Abdul Alim, Dean, Students’ Welfare, AMU extended a vote of thanks.

The English speeches were translated into Arabic by Prof Mohd. Sanaullah, Chairman, Department of Arabic, AMU, while the Arabic speech of the Grand Mufti was translated into English by Dr Ibrahim Negm, Advisor to the Grand Mufti of Egypt.

Dr. Shariq Aqil conducted the programme.

After the programme, the Grand Mufti Dr. Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam visited the University mosque and mausoleum of the University founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

The programme ended with the University Tarana followed by the national anthem.

The one day AMU visit of the Grand Mufti of Egypt was a part of his state visit to India hosted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.