偏见与排斥他人，是社会凝聚力最大的障碍之一。

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

研究人员发现，婴儿在出生后的最初几个小时里，如果听到其他婴儿哭泣，自己也会哭。他们将此称为模仿，即模仿他人情绪表达的行为，在这里指的是悲伤哭泣的模式。这是一种初级形式的同理心。根据原始情绪传染理论，人会无意识地、自发地模仿他人的情绪性身体、面部或声音表达。对于旁观者而言，这表明对他人痛苦的一种认可。婴儿的这一模仿例子似乎表明，人类并非天生就有偏见倾向，偏见是后天习得的。如果我们天生就倾向于对彼此表现出偏见，去排斥、欺凌、迫害、憎恨和杀害，我们的世界将根本无法运转，我们早就会彼此毁灭。偏见是学来的，因此也是可以放下的。哈里·布里奇斯说过：“从来没有人天生就是黑人的憎恨者、犹太人的憎恨者，或任何其他类型的憎恨者。自然拒绝参与这种自我毁灭的行为。”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

伊斯兰与其他信仰和信念体系之间的关系一直错综复杂、层次多样。自伊斯兰教诞生之初起，穆斯林便与非穆斯林及其文化建立了有意义的接触。雅克·瓦登伯格（Jacques Waardenburg）写道：“自其开端起，穆斯林文明便与其他文化和文明保持着持续的联系。”

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.

它从大西洋延伸至太平洋,穿越了长期以来承载着悠久文化的地区。因此,穆斯林与许多宗教有过接触。

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.

“人们或许会想到的，不仅有中东境内外的各种基督教与犹太教形式，还有琐罗亚斯德教与摩尼教、印度教，甚至佛教，更不用说亚洲和非洲许多地区的无文字传统宗教了。”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

尽管《古兰经》十分明确地强调伊斯兰的真理价值、其先知（愿主赐福并使他平安）的价值，以及崇拜真主的道路的价值，它也告诉我们，还存在着观点、生活方式、信仰、种族、语言和文明各不相同的人群。人类社会是一个单一的共同体，但人类之间依然存在差异——“除了那些主所怜悯的人。他们为此而被创造”（11:118-119）。一些注释家将此解释为人类在思想上彼此相异的能力。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

《古兰经》中既有关于善人的类别，也有关于恶人的类别，还有一些中立的类别。其中包括：以色列后裔（即雅各伯的后代，既有善人也有恶人）、贝都因人、乞丐、俘虏、儿童、贫困者、无家可归者、难民、牧人、母亲和妻子等。这些以及其他一些群体，都属于中立的类别。

The Qur’ān contains categories of righteous people and unrighteous people and also contains categories of neutral people. These include groupings like the Banī Isrā’īl (Children of Israel (Jacob) - made up of both the righteous and unrighteous; Bedouins, beggars, captives, children, destitute, homeless, refugees, shepherds, mothers and wives. These, amongst others, emerge as neutral categories.

3:113 - 但他们并非都是一样的。在有经人中，有一些是正直的人，他们在夜间诵读真主的启示，并且叩拜崇拜。

3:113- But they are not all alike. There are some among the People of the Book who are upright, who recite God’s revelations during the night, who bow down in worship.

《古兰经》中的人物形形色色：有先知和使者，有具备正直与虔诚等优秀品质的人，有傲慢并顽固拒绝真理的人，有男人，也有女人；有孩童，有老人；有健康的人，也有病弱的人。他们的生命经历汇成了无数种不同的人生图景。我们从圣门弟子的传记，以及古莱氏多神教徒的故事中所获得的教训，实际上提供了无穷的例子，展现不同人的生命经历如何相互作用：有时相辅相成，有时相互冲撞。

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.

《古兰经》教导我们，生命本身处于不断的变化之中：在人的存在的各个层面，以及在我们所能观察到的世界里，变化无时不在。黑夜与白昼交替更迭，行星在轨道上运行，人从虚无中走过生命的各个阶段，从婴孩时期成长，人的身体、心智能力和意识也都在转变。人一生中最重要的转变，与他的信仰和信念相关。人会改变，这一简单的事实本身就足以证明：最顽固的人也可能回心转意，而温和宽厚的人也可能变得固执。人可以改变信仰、皈依信仰，也可能彻底离开信仰。因此，穆斯林绝不应认定任何人已超出引导的范围。

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.

将任何人如此归类，可能会使他们失去人性，因为这暗示他们没有心，无论其心多么败坏，都无法改变和转向，而我们自己的心却能够如此。

To relegate anybody in such a way may be dehumanising of them since it suggests that they are void of a heart, however corrupt, that can alter and turn, just as our own can do.

例如，'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb 曾经敌视先知ﷺ及其同伴，后来却获得了正道，成为先知ﷺ及其使命的忠诚拥护者。另有一些人也给予了支持，但他们的信仰并未改变。他们不可能全都一样，因为其中有持不同良心立场者、人道主义者、同情者和支持者。其中还有超然物外、不问世事的人，有牧人和游牧民，他们的世俗事务使他们无暇顾及神学讨论和思考。一位值得注意的人物是古莱什部落中Banū Nawfal氏族的首领Muṭ'im ibn 'Adī，他有很大影响力，曾设法结束麦加对Banū Hāshim的抵制。尽管Abu Lahab禁止先知ﷺ返回，Muṭ'im ibn 'Adī仍然支持先知ﷺ，并确保他回到了Ṭā'if。

Examples of prominent personalities like ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, once hostile to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions, eventually found guidance as a loyal supporter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his mission. Others also lent support though they remained unchanged in faith. They could not all be the same if among them were conscientious objectors, humanitarians, sympathisers and supporters. Among them were the disinterested and aloof, shepherds and nomads, and their earthly concerns kept them distracted and away from theological discussions and concerns. One notable individual, chief of the Banū Nawfal clan of Quraysh, Muṭ’im ibn ‘Adī was very influential in attempting to end the Makkan boycott of Banū Hāshim. Muṭ’im ibn ‘Adī supported the Prophet (peace be upon him) and ensured his return to Ṭā’if despite Abu Lahab’s ban on the Prophet’s return.