Perennialism Is False

Our paths are different… our destinations are different.

A man was riding his camel in the opposite direction of the Ka’bah and he wanted to go Hajj… the poet says:
ترسم نرسی به گعبه ای اعرابی
این ره که تو میروی به ترکستان است
“I fear that you will never reach the Ka’bah, O Bedouin!
Because this path that you are on leads to Turkey!”

This whole notion of Perennialism i.e. “Unity of Religions” (وحدة الأديان) under the guise of “co-existence”, “tolerance” and “building-bridges, not walls” is a false notion.

Hear me out:

Of course, we should be good with people of other faiths, we should co-exist peacefully, build-bridges and collaborate for humanities common good.

The Qur’an states:
‏لَّا يَنْهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَتِلُوكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَرِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ ‎
“God does not forbid you from dealing kindly and equitably with those who did not fight you because of your faith and did not drive you out of your homes. God loves those who are equitable.” [60:8].

However:

This idea that we all should accept each other’s beliefs as correct and that all paths – iman & kufr, haqq & baatil – all lead to eternal salvation – is nonsense.

Who made this is a pre-condition for peaceful co-existence?

It is not a pre-condition!

The Qur’an states:
وَلَا تَلْبِسُوا الْحَقَّ بِالْبَاطِلِ
“Do not cloak the truth with falsehood.” [2:42].

Let’s not blur the lines.

These faiths hold contradicting beliefs – how can they all be correct?

They do share a lot of common truths, but as a whole, they each go in a different direction. How can they all lead to the same destination?

People of various faiths have been living peacefully side by side for many centuries, while each maintaining their own beliefs.

You can still be good to a person on human level, while disagreeing with that person on so many issues.

This is not intolerance, this is actually tolerance, because you ‘agree to disagree’.

Our paths are separate… each to their own.

There is no compulsion in religion.

On the Day of Judgement God will judge who is right and who is wrong.

The Qur’an states:
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
وَلَا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَا عَبَدْتُمْ
وَلَا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ
“Say, “O disbelievers:
I do not worship what you worship.
Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.
Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship.
Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
[109:1-6].