JOHOR BARU: Tolerance, or 'tasamuh', is an important value for a multiracial and multicultural country like Malaysia as it is a tool to unite everybody.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said tasamuh is an Arabic word which means tolerance or acceptance.
"In other words, tasamuh also means accepting or being at peace with whatever situation one is facing, for example in religious tolerance, it is to respect the rights of other religions.
"Islam has not only set the rules of worship but also for social life and practising tasamuh in the community is one of them," said Ismail Sabri.
He said Islam is a religion which values differences within a certain limit and Prophet Muhammad SAW has provided an example of tasamuh.
"The history of Madinah has proven that Prophet Muhammad had successfully managed the multiracial community there, which led to a harmonious life.
"In the Keluarga Malaysia reality which consists of a multiracial society, the variety of cultures and customs is a uniqueness that should be celebrated for creating a peaceful and prosperous society.
"Any culture that is not against the Islamic faith should be able to be practiced without any stigma or discrimination.
"Tasamuh is the basis for facing diversity and differences of race and religion, especially in the context of Malaysia which has a diversity of race, religion, culture and languages," said Ismail Sabri.
The prime minister said this in his speech at the opening of Majlis Tilawah dan Hafazan Al Quran Kebangsaan 2022 at Pusat Islam Iskandar Johor here tonight.
Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad.
Ismail Sabri also said that with the advances in technology, there was no excuse for Muslims not to read or listen to the Quran.
"With the various Quran applications that can be downloaded to our smartphones, tablets or laptops, we can read or listen to the Quran at anytime and anywhere.
"It is a golden opportunity for Muslims to improve our ibadah to Allah," said Ismail Sabri.