Grand Sheikh Al Azhar calls for anti monopoly on truth

Jakarta, NU Online
Grand Sheikh Al-Azhar Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad ath-Thayyeb appealed to Muslims not to claim themselves as the righteous party while assuming that groups outside them are wrong or deviant.

According to him, the monopoly of truth is not the right thing to do. Islam forbids its adherents to regard other Muslims as infidels.

"I can not say 'only I am the right one, while others are not'," he said during a visit to the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Jakarta, Wednesday (2/5).

Grand Sheikh Al-Azhar was warmly welcomed by the General Chairman of NU KH Said Aqil Siroj. In front of hundreds of attendees, the two prominent figures discussed the theme "Islam Nusantara for World Peace."

Sheikh ath-Thayyeb called on the Muslims to focus on the point of equality rather than differences among Muslims, including Sufi, Wahabi, Ahlussunnah, Shiite and others.

The supreme leader of Al-Azhar also said that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was sent as a mercy to all mankind, not limited to Muslims.

Previously KH Said Aqil Siroj explained brief profile of Nahdlatul Ulama. He also introduced to Sheikh ath-Thayyeb about Islam Nusantara as Islam that upholds moderatism (wasathiyah).

"Islam Nusantara is not a new school of thought, but the typical character of Islam in the archipelago that is friendly to the culture and builds harmony with diversity," he explained.

Grand Sheikh Al-Azhar admitted his arrival in Indonesia was part of strengthening the vision of moderate Islam and optimistic that "this is the first step for world peace in general." (Mahbib/Masdar)