What message does Islam have for humanity in the new millennium?

Return to the Oneness of God, lived out in practice. Only in this way can humanity come together and reach true justice.

Islam does not divide humanity into West and East, or into Christians and non-Christians. Its message is the same for everyone. It can be put in one sentence: let us return to the Oneness of God.

This does not mean a doctrine that is merely recited. It means the Oneness of God made visible in how we live. Anyone who truly believes that one God created all people cannot look down on another human being. Colour, origin and national borders then lose their power to divide.

As long as this is missing, humanity cannot truly become one. Differences of colour, nation and state will go on creating disorder in the world. Each group measures with its own yardstick, and justice gets bent. The second verse above shows another way. The variety of nations is a reason to get to know one another. Before God, all that counts is how righteously someone lives.

Absolute justice needs a standard that stands above every group. Such a standard exists only when everyone knows they are answerable to the one God. That is why the only way to perfect justice is a return to the perfect Oneness of God.

This message is not tied to a date. It is an invitation to every new generation, including those of the new millennium.