It is commonplace to hear Malaysians citing tolerance and justice as necessary ingredients for the nation to remain stable and peaceful.
Why tolerance and justice? How are these two mutually related?
To answer, it is important to realise that tolerance and toleration, in their original import, are not the same with what we, Malaysians at large and Malays in particular, have understood them to mean.
We understand them as an act or attitude that involves mutual respect and, better still, love.
That is why we usually associate or loosely use them interchangeably, with other Malay words of Arabic origin such as tasamuh and muhibah, the former signifying magnanimity, generosity, kindness and liberality and the latter, mutual respect and love.
This feeling of love towards others, as regards Malays in relation to their colleagues of different faiths and races, can be traced to the famous prophetic saying: "One's belief shall not be complete until one loves for one's friend what one loves for one's own self."
Imam Muhyiddin al-Nawawi (d. 676 AH), a prominent jurist in the Shafiʻite school of Islamic Law, emphasised that friendship meant therein is not limited to Muslims but applies to non-Muslims too.
According to him, in the Muslim's mindset, what one ultimately loves for one's non-Muslim friend is that he or she embraces Islam and, accordingly, for one's fellow Muslim friends, that they remain in Islam.
In the context of today's interfaith relations, however, the above saying of the Prophet (PBUH) has often been cited as the distinct Islamic formula "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
Yet, for that to work, there must be common ground between all parties involved, among the most important of which is justice.
Essentially, justice means "putting things in their proper place(s)".
We also need to differentiate between justice and equality. The former may imply the latter in some, but not all, cases.
In many respects, equity reflects justice better than does equality. This can be illustrated as follows.
Suppose there are three boys of different heights eager to watch a football match.
Unfortunately, they happen to be separated by a wall from the field where the match is taking place.
Suppose, too, that of the three of them, only one is tall enough to watch the game without being obstructed by the wall, whereas the heights of the other two are such that one is the shortest and the other is of medium stature.
Let's assume that of the two, the shortest needs a ladder to climb to see the match while the other boy merely requires a chair to stand on.
Equity being justice demands that to enable all three to watch the game, the tallest can be left to his own devices. The shortest should be given a ladder and the one of medium stature be provided with a chair.
Yet, to treat the three equally, say, by providing each with merely a chair, is to commit injustice.
To illustrate further the difference between justice and equality, let's now attend to a lucid explanation that Professor Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas had provided in some of his lectures.
Imagine a situation that takes place in court.
Normally, in any legal proceedings the judge must treat the plaintiff and the respondent equally.
The judge must be impartial. For he does not know yet who is right, and who is wrong.
However, at the end of the trial, when he has considered all the evidence and arguments presented before him, and having known the truth, he would have to issue a verdict.
At that point, he must be partial to the right side, siding with the truth.
In understanding and exemplifying justice thus, knowledge and truth are necessary.
Therefore, for tolerance as well as justice to be instituted and nurtured to ensure the longevity of Malaysia's peace and stability, dissemination of true knowledge and right understanding among citizens through education is indispensable.
As we will soon celebrate the 65th National Day on Aug 31 and come Sept 16, the 59th Malaysia Day, may the country, by God's leave, continue to flourish and prosper in harmony.
The writer is deputy director-general, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times