The Equality of Religions: A Preliminary Response

Probably, the most serious threat to the belief of modern Muslims is the false dogma of the transcendental unity of all religions and religious pluralism which claim that transcendentally all religions become one and the same. According to this dogma, all religions are equal but use the various approaches to arrive at Truth. Furthermore, none of the religions has the right to condemn or degrade any other religion. Thus transcendentalism teaches that every religion is equally right. It considers the variety of world’s religions as alternative ways or means along which men and women can find salvation, spiritual liberation, fulfilment and happiness provided that they practice their own respective religions wholeheartedly and sincerely. This belief was unfortunately accepted by a number of Muslim scholars who were inappropriately convinced that this is the true tolerant position of Islam towards the people of the book and other religious faiths. This article is an attempt to highlight Islamic response to this issue.