Good to see the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia being received warmly by President and Prime Minister of India

Last updated on 21st Feb. 2019

Ceremonial Reception of Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTM2HNV7CHM, 10 min. 35 secs.

After the guard of honour, towards the end of the video, the Crown Prince speaks a few words about relationship between Arabian peninsula (represented by Saudi Arabia as 80% of Arabian peninsula) and India going back to thousands of years and being in the DNA of people of India and Arabian peninsula.

The Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman spoke warmly about Saudi Arabia and India relationship and that was very nice to hear.

For me as a writer on spirituality and religion, Saudi Arabia is a very important country due to Mecca and Medina being in that country. Islam is an important religion in India and I have had the good fortune of having quite a few Indian Muslim friends in my life in Mumbai and surrounding areas, and I also taught a few Muslim students during my free service stint in the Sai university in Puttaparthi. I must add that my life in Puttaparthi has been enriched by many Muslim residents of Puttaparthi (other than Sai university students) who I have interacted with and continue to interact with.

Haji Ali in Mumbai has been one of the Muslim shrines that I have visited and felt inspired. Note that Mumbai and surrounding coastal areas has had sea links with Arabian peninsula for thousands of years.

Shirdi Sai Baba has been, and continues to be, a great inspiration in my spiritual life. He led the life of a Sufi Muslim fakir who used to frequently say, "Allah Maalik" (Allah/God is the owner/master). Shirdi Sai Baba preached harmony between religions, especially between his Hindu and Muslim devotees, and would say, "Sabka Maalik Ek" [The owner/master of all is one.]

In my considered view, tolerant Islam like Shirdi Sai Baba's Sufi Islam has enriched India's religious life in a significant way. In my individual case, Sufi Islam has enriched my life significantly, without any shade of doubt.

And so I am happy to see the top representative (Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia) of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, being warmly received by President and PM of India and the warmth shown by him (Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia) towards India.
-----

PM Modi & Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman at a Joint Press Meet, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLtAjcR2Jtk, 17 min. 46 secs.
-----

Saudi Arabia increases India's Haj quota to 2 lakh after Modi-Salman talks, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/saudi-arabia-increases-indias-haj-quota-to-2-lakh-after-modi-salman-talks/articleshow/68083930.cms, 20th Feb. 2019

This year, India will be sending second largest number of Haj pilgirms after Indonesia!

It just shows how vital Islam in India is to global Islam. When Islam in India follows peaceful and loving Islam (Sufi Islam type) which has a friendly relationship with people of other religions like Hinduism, Christianity and Buddhism, then that becomes a model for global Islam to follow in what now is surely a multi-religion world, has been a multi-religion world for millennia, and will continue to be a multi-religion world for the foreseeable future, IMHO.