Religious Harmony in India: Exploring the Enlightened Approaches of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Wahiduddin Khan

Abstract

Throughout multi-religious societies, living peacefully and maintaining harmony and integrity are key requirements. Peace is not merely the absence of war; it has much more socio-psychic connotations that involve all aspects of holistic existence. Religious harmony simply means the peaceful coexistence of different religions and their followers. Peace and religious harmony in India have been topics of great significance due to the country's diverse religious landscape. The nation's history has had some occasions for racial struggle and religious conflict. But there have also been people from multiple religions throughout history who have worked continuously to promote peace and harmony by encouraging acceptance and understanding of those of various faiths. Foremost among these stalwart figures are Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, whose progressive outlooks had a profound effect on India's religious structure. Sir Syed's efforts were rooted in modern education, so he advocated that "Hindus and Muslims are two eyes of the beautiful bride that is Hindustan. Weakness in any one of them will spoil the beauty of the bride". Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's approach is deeply spiritual in nature and his approach to peace and religious harmony was rooted in a reinterpretation of Islamic teachings and an emphasis on dialogue, understanding, and non-violence. This paper will explore the various ideas encompassed by both stalwarts, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, regarding religious harmony and the unique approaches utilized by them in order to promote mutual understanding among the religious diversity in India.