U.S. Catholic explains “What Catholics can learn from Islam about the pursuit of happiness.”
May 23, 2025
Reprinted from Jihad Watch
This is yet another marvelous example of Roman Catholic outreach to Muslims, a gesture of good will that U.S. Catholic’s editors and readers are likely confident will be swiftly reciprocated. Yet it will not be. Have you ever seen an article in a Muslim publication entitled something like “What Muslims can learn from Christianity about the pursuit of happiness”? No, and you never will. For Muslims, Muslim-Christian dialogue is simply a means of proselytizing and bringing non-Muslims into Islam.
“The chasm between Islam and Jahiliyyah [the society of unbelievers] is great, and a bridge is not to be built across it so that the people on the two sides may mix with each other, but only so that the people of Jahiliyyah may come over to Islam.” — Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, chapter 10. (Mother Mosque Foundation edition p. 140)
“What Catholics can learn from Islam about the pursuit of happiness,” by Zeyneb Sayılgan, U.S. Catholic, May 22, 2025:
…Islam teaches that it is a sacred obligation to build trust and respect by nurturing human relationships. As Muslim scholar Bediüzzaman Said Nursi put it, while solitude can be healthy, we are social creatures who fundamentally need each other. The oneness of God calls for the oneness of humanity, urging us to refrain from division and work towards unity. The Qur’an reminds us we are here to know one another: “O humankind, We created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should know one another. In God’s eyes, the most honoured of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
Catholic traditions similarly emphasize the need for human connection and the sacredness of communal life. In fact, in both Islam and Catholicism, as well as many other world religions, we find shared values around hospitality, communal meals, spiritual gatherings, and service to others. These are not just cultural customs; they are pathways to joy and healing in an increasingly disconnected world.
In these challenging times, the teachings of Prophet Muhammad offer valuable lessons on nurturing community and joy in daily life that transcend religious boundaries. He offers a powerful model for cultivating trust, engaging with others, and creating a sense of belonging. His teachings on connection, compassion, and community can resonate with people of all faiths—Catholics included—because so many traditions share this sacred impulse toward togetherness.
Inspired by Prophet Muhammad’s teachings, I try to employ several tools from my spiritual toolbox to cultivate healthy human connections.
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