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For example, when Caliph Omar conquered Jerusalem, he was offered to pray in a church. He rejected and said: "If I pray here, next generations may convert this church into a mosque." This instance teaches us all a universal principle: If we do not respect others, we have no right to expect others to show respect to our religion and/or culture.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his successors rose such a merciful and loving generation that some remarkable people from the generation that followed the companions went to the Caliph of the time to inquire what their punishment would be if they accidentally stepped on a grasshopper. When we look at the outer walls of the mosques and minarets, we see tiny holes made for birds to nest in; this is an expression of the depth of love embedded in the hearts of the earlier Muslims. History is intertwined with such tremendously humane acts; acts that protected even animals and plants. <>
On the way he died. A man passing by saw two angels arguing over his dead body. The Angel from Hell said, 'His body belongs to me because he had not done any good in his entire life.' The Angel from Heaven said, 'His
body belongs to me because he had repented and left his town to be
with good people.
Painting Courtesy: Mahendra Shah
14 Biennial JAINA convention 2007
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