Ubaguzi na kuwatenga wengine ni moja ya vikwazo vikubwa zaidi vya mshikamano wa kijamii.

Prejudice and ostracising others is one of the greatest impediments to social cohesion.

Watafiti wamegundua kwamba katika saa zao za kwanza za maisha, watoto wachanga hulia wakisikia watoto wengine wakilia. Wanaiita hali hii mimicry, yaani kitendo cha kuiga mihemko ya wengine - katika kesi hii, mifumo ya kuomboleza. Ni aina ya awali ya huruma. Kwa mujibu wa nadharia ya primitive emotional contagion, mtu huiga bila kujua wala kukusudia sura ya mwili, uso au sauti ya hisia za mwingine. Kwa mtazamaji, hili linaonyesha kutambua dhiki ya mwenzake. Mfano huu wa mimicry kwa watoto wachanga unaonekana kupendekeza kwamba binadamu hawazaliwi na mwelekeo wa ubaguzi; badala yake, ni kitu wanachojifunza. Kama tungekuwa na mwelekeo wa kuonyesha ubaguzi kwa kila mmoja, kutengwa, kudhulumu, kuonea, kuchukia na kuua, dunia yetu ingeacha kufanya kazi tu, tungekuwa tumeshaangamizana. Ubaguzi ni kitu tunachojifunza, na kwa hiyo ni kitu tunachoweza pia kukiondoa kwa kujifunza upya. Harry Bridges alisema, "Hakuna mtu aliyewahi kuzaliwa kuwa mchukiaji wa Mnegro, mchukiaji wa Myahudi, au mchukiaji wa aina nyingine yoyote. Maumbile hukataa kushiriki katika vitendo hivyo vya kujiangamiza."36

Researchers have found that during their first hours of life, babies will cry if they hear other babies crying. They call this mimicry, the act of mimicking emotional expressions of others - in this case, the patterns of grieving. It is a rudimentary form of empathy. According to the theory of primitive emotional contagion, one unconsciously and spontaneously mimics the emotional bodily, facial or vocal expressions of another. For the audience it suggests an acknowledgement of the other’s distress. This example of mimicry in babies appears to suggest that humans are not born with a disposition towards prejudice; it is instead something they learn. If we were predisposed to show prejudice to one another, to ostracise, bully, victimise, hate and kill, our world would simply cease to function, we would readily have destroyed each other. Prejudice is something we learn, and it is therefore something we can also unlearn. Harry Bridges said, “No one has ever been born a Negro hater, a Jew hater, or any other kind of hater. Nature refuses to be involved in such suicidal practices.”36

Uhusiano kati ya Uislamu na mifumo mingine ya imani na itikadi daima umekuwa tata na wenye pande nyingi. Tangu kuanzishwa kwa Uislamu, Waislamu walianzisha mawasiliano yenye maana na wasio Waislamu na tamaduni zao. Jacques Waardenburg anaeleza: "Tangu mwanzo wake ustaarabu wa Kiislamu umekuwa katika uhusiano endelevu na tamaduni na ustaarabu mwingine.

The relationship between Islam and other faith and belief systems has always been intricate and multifaceted. From the advent of Islam, Muslims established meaningful contact with non-Muslims and their cultures. Jacques Waardenburg describes: “Since its inception the Muslim civilization has been in continuous relationship with other cultures and civilizations.

Inaenea kuanzia Bahari ya Atlantiki hadi Bahari ya Pasifiki na kupitia maeneo ambayo kwa muda mrefu yamekuwa vibebaji wa tamaduni. Kwa sababu hiyo, Waislamu wamekutana na dini nyingi.

It extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans and through regions which have long been carriers of culture. As a consequence, Muslims have come into contact with many religions.

Mtu anaweza kufikiria si tu aina mbalimbali za Ukristo na Uyahudi ndani na nje ya Mashariki ya Kati, bali pia Uzoroasta na Umanichaeism, Uhindu, na hata Ubudha, bila kusahau dini zisizo na maandishi katika sehemu nyingi za Asia na Afrika.”37

One may think not only of various forms of Christianity and Judaism inside and outside the Middle East but also of Zoroastrianism and Manicheism, Hinduism, and even Buddhism, not to speak of non-literate religions in many parts of Asia and Africa.”37

Ingawa Qur’ani inasisitiza kwa uwazi ukweli wa Uislamu, wa Mtume wake (rehma na amani zimshukie), na wa njia ya kumwabudu Mwenyezi Mungu, pia inatufahamisha kwamba kuna wengine wenye mitazamo, maisha, imani, rangi, lugha na ustaarabu tofauti. Jamii ya binadamu ni jamii moja, lakini wanadamu wanaendelea kuwa na tofauti – “isipokuwa wale ambao Mola wako amewarehemu; na kwa hilo aliwaumba” (11:118-119). Baadhi ya wafasiri wanahusisha hili na uwezo wa binadamu wa kutofautiana kifikra baina yao.38

Though the Qur’ān is very clear in stressing the truth value of Islam, of its Prophet (peace be upon him), and of the path servitude to God, it also informs us that there are others with differing views, lives, faiths, race, languages and civilisation. The human community is a single community but mankind continues to have differences – “except those on whom your Lord has mercy – for He created them to be this way” (11:118-119). Some commentators relate this to man’s ability to differ intellectually from one another.38

Watu mbalimbali wanaotajwa katika Qur’ani, kuanzia manabii na mitume; wale waliojaliwa sifa njema za uadilifu na uchamungu; wenye kiburi na wale wanaokataa kwa ukaidi; wanaume na wanawake; watoto na wazee; wenye afya na wagonjwa - wote hawa huunda wingi wa uzoefu wa maisha. Mafunzo tunayoyapata katika wasifu wa masahaba wa Mtume ﷺ, pamoja na makafiri wa Quraish, kwa hakika hutoa mifano isiyoisha ya jinsi uzoefu wa maisha wa watu mbalimbali unavyoingiliana. Wakati mwingine huchangamana vizuri, na wakati mwingine hugongana.

Personalities in the Qur’ān, from prophets and messengers; those endowed with positive qualities of uprightness and piety; the arrogant and obstinately rejecting; men and women; children and elderly; healthy and infirm - form a myriad of life experiences. The lessons we find in the biographies of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him), as well as the disbelievers of the Quraysh actually provide endless examples of how different people’s life experiences interact with one another. Sometimes complimenting and other times colliding.

Qur'āni inafundisha kwamba maisha yenyewe yako katika mabadiliko ya kila wakati, na kwamba mabadiliko hutokea katika kila ngazi ya uhai wa mtu na katika ulimwengu tunaouona. Usiku na mchana hubadilishana, sayari huogelea katika mizunguko yake, na kutoka katika kutokuwepo tunapita katika hatua za maisha, za utoto, na mwanadamu hubadilika katika umbile lake la mwili, katika uwezo wake wa kufikiri na katika fahamu zake. Mabadiliko muhimu zaidi ya mtu yeyote yanahusu imani na itikadi yake. Ukweli rahisi kwamba watu hubadilika ni ushahidi tosha kwamba mtu mwenye ukaidi mkubwa zaidi anaweza kugeuka moyo wake, na vivyo hivyo mtu mvumilivu na mpole anaweza kuwa mkaidi. Watu wanaweza kubadili dini, kuikubali dini na kuiacha dini kabisa. Ni jambo la lazima kwa Mwislamu kutowahi kudhani kwamba hakuna mtu aliye nje ya uongofu.

The Qur’ān teaches that life itself is in flux, that changes occur at every level of a person’s existence, and in our observable world. The night and day alternate, planets swim in orbit, from nothingness we pass through stages of life, of infancy, and man transitions in his physical being, his mental aptitude and in his consciousness. The most significant transitioning of any person relates to his or her faith and belief. The simple fact that people do transition is a proof enough that the most obstinate can have a turn of heart and so too can the forbearing and mild become obstinate. People can change faith, embrace faith and leave faith altogether. It is essential that the Muslim thus never assume that anybody is beyond guidance.

Kumtenga mtu yeyote kwa namna hiyo kunaweza kuwa ni kuwadhalilisha kibinadamu, kwani kunadokeza kwamba hawana moyo, hata kama ni mpotovu kiasi gani, unaoweza kubadilika na kugeuka, kama ilivyo moyo wetu wenyewe.