One Religion does not hold all the answers….

So can interfaith get us closer to the truth?

If there was ever a scene from a movie that struck me, it was that scene in the beginning life of pi where it shows Piscine practising both Hinduism, Christianity and Islam much to the bewilderment and slight disapproval of his family. They take comfort in the fact that he may eventually grow out of it but at the end of the film Pi still identifies with all these religions and even adds Judaism. Well, not sure he adds Judaism but I’m adding that in my version of the story. In a world where so many wars have been fought in the name of different religions or just misunderstandings between people of different faiths, this scene gave me so much hope.

But it’s more than that. It’s very true that sometimes we need to look towards a different religion from the one we were born in order to find the answers or the comfort we seek. For several years, I struggled to find answers on how to deal with guilt from having neglected or having hurt someone emotionally and not being able to make up for it because said person passes away. I was born in to the Islamic faith and so finding redemption would involve reciting verses from the Quran, specific verses aimed at asking forgiveness from God. And I suppose all religions would involve some variation of that i.e. reciting prayers pleading forgiveness from a higher power.

But somehow I couldn’t really find solace from the religion I was born in. That is not to say that the religion I was born it wouldn’t help someone else out with the same issue but it just wasn’t giving me the redemption I was seeking. The reality is, I simply didn’t research enough in to my religion of origin and I am by no stretch of the imagination a scholar/expert in my religion of birth. In any case, I did end up finding some solace in the arms of a paragraph I read on Chabad.org, an Orthodox Jewish website:

“How often do we wish that we could turn the clock back and change our behaviour, because in retrospect we understand things so differently? We cannot turn the clock back; we can only move ahead. What is impressive is that you admit your mistake and you wish to make amends for it. Your father-in-law is now in the World of Truth, and as such can see beyond the pettiness of our world. I would suggest that, if he is buried near where you live, you visit his grave and ask him for forgiveness for your past conduct. Speak openly and honestly and with a humbled heart. Ask for him to pray on your behalf and on behalf of your family.”

The rest of the article suggests doing good deeds in the deceased’s name.

Obviously, nothing this article said was particularly unique or different from other religions out there but somehow the way in which it was worded helped me to come to terms with my past mistakes. I realised that I was not the only person having this issue ( since the site existed, it meant somebody else had asked the same or at least a very similar question )and so I simply felt less lonely. I also came to the conclusion that the sensation of shame/regret was a good thing because it meant your humanity was back on which hence allowed you to recognise that it might have been off in the past.

I am by no means suggesting that Judaism could be an appropriate path to follow instead of other paths. I am simply suggesting that we do not need to limit ourselves to one path, one religion, or one school of thought. The fact that we live in a world that has different religions or rather different schools of spirituality exist must mean that we were meant to learn from each other and take the best of each religion i.e. whatever speaks out to you. We say God is infinite so perhaps we need to not limit ourselves to one way/one religion? Maybe in order to reach him we need to break down those barriers or whatever is making us see God as finite instead of infinite? I will end with a verse of the Quran that speaks out to me and I believe sums up the message of my blog :

“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.”(49:13)

Disclaimer: There are just my own thoughts; I am not qualified in theology or philosophy. However, I see no harm in sharing them as I believe both the layman and the scholar can contribute in different ways to the understanding of our existence.