The Understanding of the Concept of Tawhid as the Basis for Harmonious Religious Plurality

Efforts in forming harmonious existence among religious believers have produced two important responses and approaches as reaction to religious diversity. The first type views religious diversity as a need for implementing active tolerance attitude among religious believers although this does not proceed to relativism and the second type of view acknowledges the unity of religious truths. Essentially, Islam has many models and systems in dealing with religious diversity. In evidence, the essence of Islamic teachings is the obligation of Muslims to act in justice and peaceful to all human beings regardless of their religious beliefs. This has also been described in Al-Faruqi’s discourse on meta-religion. However, the Islamic teachings that emphasize on respect to other religious believers should not exceed the basic tenets of Islamic creed and faith. This study found that the concept of tawhid in Islam can be a strong argument in cultivating tolerance and harmony among people of different religions.