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Chaplaincy Services
National Chaplains' Conference,
June 2004
All praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds. Blessing on His Messengers
(Abdul Rashid)
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Friends,
Let me begin with the translation of verses from the Muslim Scripture, the Holy Qur'an:
And be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord and for a paradise as vast as the heavens and the earth, which has been readied for the God-conscious who spend (freely) whether in prosperity or in adversity, and hold in check their anger, and pardon their fellow beings, for God loves those who do good; and those, having done something to be ashamed of or have (otherwise) wronged their own souls, earnestly remember Allah, seek His forgiveness for their sins - for who can forgive sins except Allah - and they do not persist in repeating the mistake knowingly. (Holy Qur'an 3:133 - 135)
There are many similar verses in the Holy Qur'an. We are told again and again that the our Creator never closes the door of His mercy as long as we regret our mistakes, make amends as much as possible and return to the right way. It behoves us human beings to emulate the Divine tradition and keep our hearts and minds open to forgiveness and reconciliation.
As I understand it, in the system of criminal justice, there are two parties, the State and the offender. The State determines both the guilt and the penalty. In the restorative model, the victim, the offender and the community participate in the quest to repair and reconcile human relationships. His model is now being adopted in many family preservation and family-centred services.
Perhaps I can give two examples from Islam that are akin to this approach. In the case of murder, the victim's family is given the option of forgiving the murderer. On the one hand, this brings closure to the family's grief and, on the other; it is a move towards restoration of normality in the community. Another example is in the case of spousal disputes and acrimony. Each spouse is asked to nominate a representative. The two representatives discuss the causes of complaints and sincerely attempt reconciliation.
From an Islamic point of view, any measure which enhances the peace and tranquility of the society and its members is a form of worship and is commendable. The organizers of today's service deserve our appreciation and thanks.
