I was born a Muslim and raised as one. In everything I do, I begin with “Bismillahirrohmanirrahim” (in the name of Allah, the beneficent and merciful) – a chant I am so accustomed to and which underscores my deep love for the compassionate Almighty.

I remember when, as a little girl protesting about having to finish my meals, my mom used to persuade me patiently: “It’s a blessing from Allah. It is not right to push away your blessings. Eat slowly and you will taste Allah’s love in every bite.” That was how I learned to accept that everything which came across my path was a blessing from Him. At times, there were more challenges than blessings, but overcoming obstacles felt like blessings in themselves.

I remember the day I started school, and how dad tirelessly reminded me to recite my prayers every time I got into the school bus. He said by remembering Allah and surrendering to Him, He would ensure I was protected from harm. I trusted every word dad said. And sure enough, in every mishap I have encountered in my life, I have always bounced back – because Allah empowered me to do so.

Today, I see many men and women living their lives in similar ways. They obviously grew up in environments filled with love, and were raised to spread and share love with others. They are strong and courageous, they help the poor, feed the homeless, stand against discrimination and protest against wrongdoings. They work hard daily, seek blessings from the Almighty relentlessly, and trust Him to show them the path to righteousness.

These people are like me in many respects. Their parents taught them the same values my parents taught me as a child. But one thing which makes us different is that we do not share the same faith.

While I was raised to believe Islam was the one and true religion, they were raised to believe in their own religions wholeheartedly. It makes me wonder – if I had been born into a Christian family, surely I, too, would have been raised to be a devoted Christian who believed Lord Jesus was my saviour. Or if my parents were Hindus, I would probably visit the various deities in temples every Friday and proudly wear my ‘pottu’ on my forehead.

Would I have been a better person if I was a Christian or a Hindu?

Between religion and morality, what makes a good human ‘good’?

I recall as a child being taught to practise good deeds because as a Muslim, Allah would love me if I was good. I wonder if the outcome would have been any different if my parents had taught me to be good because that is what is expected of me as a human being. Sadly, even today, many of us raise our children by associating good values exclusively with the core teachings of our religions, rather than with morality per se.

The human mind is capable of so many wonders, yet it is still trapped within the limitations imposed by our respective religions. We have found ways to float on the ocean, fly in the sky, land on the moon, send satellites into space, experiment with microorganisms, and even observe the movements of an unborn child – yet we are still teaching our children not to lie, or else God will condemn them to hell (instead of instilling in them the notion that lying is bad in and of itself).

I do not mean to offend anyone with this question, but honestly, does religion really matter? Will a Muslim be less of a Muslim or a Christian, less of a Christian, if they were taught the path to righteousness through a universal morality rather than a religion-specific one which promises rewards for goodness in the Hereafter?

Too many issues in our world are caused by the divisions created by religion, yet we continue to fight each other and in so doing, widen the gap between humankind.

Seriously, when will our divisions end? It is time we started regarding ourselves as humans first and foremost, and treat each other with compassion, regardless of which religion we happen to be affiliated with.