Witnesses of Mercy for Peace and Reconciliation

13 We have a very important saying when reading the Qur’an and listening to the lives of the prophets – it is that there are 100 different ways of practicing mercy. So, human beings may behave mercifully in 100 different ways and all of those different ways are put together after humans reach paradise and their deeds await them. My question is: “Are we able to turn this theoretical text into practical behaviour?” I affirm that we can, because, according to the Qur’an, the theoretical ideas of behav- iour were learned from the sayings of the Prophet (PBUH). We have learnt from the Qur’an because we have been able to translate it into everyday life, into practical life. The waqf institutions were able to translate mercy into everyday life and this system has not only been used for ages in Islamic countries but is also found today in the United States of America. I read that there are Waqf institutions in the US for ownerless dogs, and these insti- tutions receive donations in order to take care of the dogs, so I think that this is just one minor example of how mercy is implemented, not only with human beings, but also with animals. We do need to look at those examples from our practical world and not just hold the examples in theory. In spite of Islam’s very holistic approach, we still see that some groups have abandoned this understanding altogether and now act aggressively, so this is the big challenge that all of us face. How can it happen that a group of people misuses their religion in a way which differs altogether from our understanding of mercy? I think that those terrorists, who raid, murder and displace people have an understanding of Islam very far from its true values which are humanitarian and place mercy at their heart. I reiterate that the challenge facing us all cannot be dealt with alone. We must unite and stand side by side internationally, institutionally, and regionally. The actions of religious leaders are central to this solidarity because all of us, all religions, speak up for peace. Islam is a religion of peace, a religion of mercy. We greet people saying: “May peace be upon you,” but nevertheless we shall not succeed in dealing with all of these challenges unless we stand together and find stability and security. His Excellency Grand Mufti Sheikh Dr. Shawki Ibrahim Allam HE Grand Mufti Shawki Allam, was born in the Nile Delta Governorate of Beheira. He received a PhD in Juris- prudence and Sharia Law from Al-Azhar University in 1996. Prior to his appointment as Grand Mufti, he served as chairman of the department of jurisprudence at the School of Sharia at Al-Azhar University’s Tanta branch. In 2013, he was elected to the post of Grand Mufti by Al-Azhar’s Council of Senior Scholars headed by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb, an unprecedented act since the Grand Mufti had previously been chosen by the President of Egypt. He has written over 25 works, many of which address issues pertaining to women. Pictured left: The first day of the symposium with HE Grand Mufti Shawki Allam (left), HG The Rt. Rev. Bishop Elias Toumeh (centre) and Bibi Kiranjot Kaur (right) THE FOUNDAT IONS OF MERCY