Every year our Hindu brothers and sisters celebrate the festival of Ram Navami to mark the occasion of the birth of Shri Ram. Many also carry out a procession during this festival. Unfortunately, we see that this festival is used by some to incite violence and hatred. How should we look at Ram Navami? Let’s discuss.
Understanding and living by the ideals of Shri Ram
Should we celebrate Ram Navami but completely forget the ideals of Shri Ram or should we celebrate Ram Navami to LIVE the ideals of Shri Ram? Every true devotee of Shri Ram will agree that Ram Navami should be celebrated to live the ideals of Shri Ram.
Ram Rajya – a kingdom of peace, brotherhood and harmony
For a true devotee, Shri Ram will mean the path he followed and the ideals that he held high. Keep this in mind while you read further.
How did people live in Ram Rajya? Did they live in peace or did they fight with each other? Was peace prevalent in Ram Rajya or hatred? Obviously, peace and harmony. If Ram Rajya was full of hatred and animosity with fights between people, who would want to talk about Ram Rajya? Please think.
If Shri Ram lived and was among us today in India, do we really believe that he will endorse the hatred and animosity between people? Do we really believe he will allow people to fight with each other and spread hatred? Any sane person will say NO. If that is the case, how can some people who claim to believe Shri Ram as avatar indulge in acts of hatred and animosity? Why don’t we think about this?
Ram Navami – an occasion to spread brotherhood and peace
True devotees of Shri Ram should use the occasion of Ram Navami to spread awareness about the ideals of Shri Ram and do acts that facilitate brotherhood, peace and harmony among all the communities.
Muslims and Ram Navami
Muslims should have an open mind and understand that the ideals of peace, harmony and brotherhood that Shri Ram preached is the same that Islam preaches also. So, a true Muslim cannot have an opposing opinion to the universal and eternal ideals of peace, harmony and brotherhood. Therefore, they should reach out to the Hindu brothers and sisters to spread love and peace because this is exactly what the Quran asks Muslims to do.
Quran and Universal Brotherhood
God teaches Universal Brotherhood in the Quran. God says in the Quran:
O people! surely, We have created you from a pair of male and female, and made you nations and families that you may know each other; surely the most honorable of you with God is the one who is the most righteous; surely God is all Knowing, all Aware.
Quran Chapter 49 Verse 13
As you can clearly see from the verse, Quran makes it very clear that God created all humans in this world (irrespective of nationalities and race) from ONE man and ONE woman. This means that, we are all from the same parents which makes all brothers and sisters in humanity.
God made us different nations and families NOT to fight or discriminate BUT to understand and know each other. God ONLY sees who is righteous and the person who is superior among us is the one who is righteous. A person may be a Muslim BUT if he is not righteous, he is NOT honourable in front of God.
Did you know Allah is NOT a personal God of Muslims?
Allah is an Arabic word that means God.
Example: In English we say God, in Hindi we say Ishwar, in Kannada we say Devaru etc. In Arabic we say Allah. That’s it. Different names for God in different languages.
Conclusion
The ideals of peace, harmony and brotherhood for what Shri Ram stood for and what Quran preaches are the same. If one understands this, they will come to the conclusion that Ram Navami is an occasion to come together to spread peace & harmony unite and NOT to divide and discriminate!
