Islam and Peace
Religious Harmony
~ 130 ~
Believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabeans – whoever
believes in God and the Last Day and does what is
right – shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have
nothing to fear or to regret (2:62).
This verse rules out the concept of community
superiority for any given group: even Muslims have
been bracketed here along with other religious
groups. The content of this verse makes it very clear
that salvation, by Islamic standards, depends upon
the individual’s own actions, and that it is not the
prerogative of any group. No man or woman can
earn his or her salvation by the mere fact of
associating with a particular group. Salvation will
be achievable only by a person who truly believes
in God and the world hereafter, and who has given
genuine proof; in this life of having lived a life of
right action.
Another important aspect of Islam is that it does not
advocate belief in the manyness of reality; on the
contrary, it stresses reality’s oneness. That is,
according to Islam, reality is one, not many. That is
why, in describing monotheism, the Qur’an states:
