The errant Muslim who participates in inter-faith seminars seeks to pull wool over the eyes of unwary and ignorant Muslims in his bid to justify his participation and assistance in the joint-program of propagation. He deviously contends that he ‘builds bridges’ with the Yahood, Nasaara and atheists with his participation.

The miscreant further compounds his dishonesty and falsehood by asserting that such joint-tableegh programs “are in the spirit of Da’wah”. His claims are brazen lies which may fool ignoramuses. The Qur’aanic spirit of Da’wah has already been elucidated in these pages. There is no co-operation with baatil in Islam’s spirit of Da’wah. The spirit of Da’wah is to state the Haqq unambiguously without being a facilitator in the propagation and promotion of kufr, shirk and atheism. But the misguided Muslim participant in the inter-faith seminar is a perfect victim of Talbeesul Iblees, hence his blindness does not permit him to see and understand that Islam cannot and does not permit its Muballigheen to be parties in a project which allows for the propagation of kufr while simultaneously condescending to the Muslim to put forward his message, but without refuting the baatil and kufr which the exponents of other ideologies propagate at the joint-tableegh session.

While Islam allows the establishment of political bridges with non-Muslims, it does not permit the construction of any bridge which constitutes an inroad into the domain of Tauheed or which undermines or compromises Tauheed such as the joint-propagation inter-faith seminar where kufr and atheism are jointly promoted with Islam. “Verily the Deen by Allah is only Islam.” (Qur’aan)

Those molvis/sheikhs who participate in inter-faith seminars, because they are victims of Talbeesul Iblees, attempt the same satanic ploy of satanic confusion to mislead laymen and to entice them to attend and listen to the propagation of kufr and atheism.

The idea of the gathering being a ‘debate’ to demolish the baatil of kufr is bandied. However, it is downright dishonest to portray an inter-faith seminar as a debate or contest between Haqq and Baatil – Islam and Kufr.

In a debate the Muballigh contests, argues against and endeavours to demolish the falsehood which the opposition propagates. At the same time he presents Islam and argues strongly to prove that Islam is the only Truth and the only Path of everlasting salvation. The participants in a debate are antagonists. There is no spirit of co-existence and co-operation between the debaters.

In contrast to the inter-faith seminar, a debate is not a joint friendly effort to promote both Haqq and baatil from the same stage. At a joint seminar the Muballigh is not allowed to refute the kufr which the other parties propagate. He is allowed to only state his case without saying what the Qur’aan says will be the ultimate end of those who deny the Tauheed of Islam.

It is thus a palpable and brazen lie to claim that an inter-faith joint-tabligh seminar is a debate between Islam and Kufr. A debate is a Jihad on the intellectual level while the physical Jihad is on the battlefield. Just as there is no co-existence on the physical battlefield, so too is there no co-existence on the intellectual field of Jihad. The aim of a debate is the demolition of the corrupt and false beliefs of the people of kufr and baatil. In a debate Islam is not presented in a watered-down form to make it palatable to those who have a liberal approach.

The mushrikeen of Makkah had proposed a similar compromise to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). The compromise entailed that he should desist from criticizing their idols and idolatry. But the very mission of Nubuwwat was to efface all traces of shirk and kufr. This Divine Goal cannot be achieved by compromising with kufr and shirk.

The method of the Ambiya (alayhimus salaam) was always Mujaadalah Hasanah (Beautiful Debating) which precluded the slightest compromise. There was absolutely no ambivalence in the stance of the Ambiya in discharging the obligation of Da’wat and Tableegh. In a debate the opposition is told:

• That the only Truth is Islam.
• That the doctrinal chasm between Islam and all other religions and ideologies is unbridgeable.
• Salvation in the Aakhirah is inextricably interwoven with belief in only the Islamic concept of Tauheed.
• Those who deny Islam will be denied salvation in the Hereafter.

These vital and imperative beliefs are concealed by the Muslim participants in an inter-faith venture in which Islam is equated with all kufr ideologies. The compromise strategy of the inter-faith joint-propagation is that the participants should state their view without criticizing the beliefs of the other religions. But this strategy is repugnant to Islam.

Speaking with clarity, leaving no ambiguity in the stance and doctrines of Islam, should not be construed as an order to insult the other false religions. The truth can be stated with clarity without degenerating into trading insults. In fact the Qur’aan Hakeem prohibits insulting and abusing even the idols of the Mushrikeen. Thus Allah Ta’ala states: “Do not abuse those (false gods and idols) whom they worship besides Allah.”

This prohibition is not based on respect and reverence for the false deities of other religions. The Qur’aan explaining the reason for the prohibition, states:
“For then they (the mushrikeen) will abuse Allah out of ignorance and animosity (towards Muslims).”

While it is necessary to refrain from abusing the false ideologies and religions, the Truth should not be concealed or confused or presented with such ambiguity that the audience gains the impression that Muslims too believe that the variety of religions are merely different paths leading to the same Divine Goal. The beliefs of Islam should be presented with clarity. This is the meaning of Da’wat.

It is a massive deception and a self-delusion to labour under the impression that Da’wat of Islam is possible at an inter-faith seminar. On the contrary, Kitmaanul Haqq (Concealing the Truth) and Talbeesul Haqq bil Baatil (Confusing the Truth with falsehood) constitute the basis for the presentation of Islam at such a seminar from whose stage Islam is placed on the same level as all other baatil religions. Thus there is no Da’wat in the Islamic meaning of the term taking place at an inter-faith assembly where kufr and Islam are expected to join hands