In a world increasingly divided by religion, identity, and politics, true faith calls for a love that transcends sect and creed. As a Christian committed to pluralism, I reflect on the life and teachings of Muhammad ﷺ – not as a theological argument, but as an ethical witness to justice, mercy, and human dignity. This piece explores how love for the Prophet can inspire solidarity, moral courage, and inter-religious understanding in our shared human journey.
I am a believer in pluralism – in its deepest, richest sense. Religious, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and artistic diversity are not merely tolerated in India; they are celebrated and lived. From the intricate rhythms of classical music to the vibrant movements of folk dance, from ritual festivals to the multiple languages that colour everyday life, India is a living testament to human multiplicity. This wealth of diversity is not incidental; it is a foundation for ethical imagination, a lens through which we can view coexistence not as compromise but as creative flourishing. To inhabit India is to inhabit a space where difference is not weakness but strength, where dialogue between faiths, languages, and communities is essential, and where understanding is cultivated through encounter, curiosity, and shared humanity.
As a Christian, I make no distinction in my love or respect for human beings based on their religion. To hate a person for their faith is, in essence, to hate God’s creation. Religious haters, in their prejudice, reject the divine image in others, and in doing so, betray the very God they claim to serve. True faith calls for love that transcends sect, creed, and ritual – a recognition that the sacred is not confined to one tradition but lives in the hearts of all who seek justice, mercy, and compassion. It is not an abstraction; it is a practical commitment to seeing the other as fully human, and to resisting the ways in which political, social, or economic forces attempt to divide, demean, or dehumanise communities.
To say “I love Muhammad” is to acknowledge more than a historical figure; it is to embrace a vision of justice, mercy, and ethical courage that transcends time and faith. In a world fractured by identity politics, religious instrumentalization, and political exploitation, love for Muhammad – the Prophet of Islam – becomes an act of both spiritual devotion and political witness. It is a love that refuses to separate faith from justice, mercy from action, or devotion from ethical responsibility.
Muhammad’s life challenges us to confront oppression, to speak truth to power, and to value the dignity of every human being. He taught that wealth must serve the community, that the vulnerable must be protected, and that moral courage requires confronting those who misuse authority. His insistence on ethical accountability, compassion for the marginalised, and resistance to arbitrary power is not a set of historical anecdotes; it is a living framework for moral action today. To love him is to commit oneself to these principles in a world where political expediency, majoritarianism, and fear often silence conscience and corrode empathy.
In inter-religious spaces, such love is not a claim of superiority or exclusivity. It is, rather, a reminder that the ethical imperatives of faith are universal: to protect the vulnerable, to resist tyranny, and to cultivate moral courage. When Christians, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, and Muslims gather in dialogue, to speak of Muhammad is to speak of the human struggle for justice, the spiritual demand for integrity, and the moral responsibility to care for one another. His life becomes a lens through which we can examine the moral obligations shared across religions: the necessity of defending the oppressed, valuing human dignity, and recognising the sacred in every human being, regardless of creed or community.
To love Muhammad in this context is to reject the political co-optation of faith, whether through religious nationalism, sectarianism, or authoritarianism. It is to assert that true religious devotion cannot be separated from the pursuit of justice, mercy, and truth. It is to declare, across confessional lines, that ethics and politics are inseparable in the shaping of human life. It is also a reminder that interfaith solidarity is not sentimental; it is grounded in shared moral responsibility. It is a call to act – to resist injustice wherever it emerges and to cultivate spaces where dialogue and understanding can flourish.
This love is not sentimental; it is reflective, deliberate, and committed. It asks us to examine how power shapes belief, how fear shapes community, and how courage shapes the conscience. In honouring Muhammad, we honour the possibility that faith can be a force for solidarity, resistance, and ethical transformation – across religions, cultures, and histories. It invites us to consider the ways in which religious teachings, when misappropriated, can justify oppression, and conversely, how the same teachings, approached with integrity, can inspire liberation and justice.
To love Muhammad is, ultimately, to love justice, and to love justice is to affirm the sacred dignity of every human life. In this affirmation, we find common ground, not only among believers of different faiths, but among all who long for a world where love, not fear, governs the moral imagination. In a country like India, with its immense plurality, such love is both a spiritual and civic necessity. It reminds us that ethical commitment transcends borders and identities, and that the pursuit of justice – across religions, communities, and histories – is itself a sacred act.
[Ranjan Solomon –a Christian, writer, and advocate for the celebration of India’s religious, cultural, and linguistic plurality.]