AVOIDANCE, NOT CONFRONTATION

The Quran instructs us, ‘Avoid the ignorant’. (7:199)

The opposite of avoidance is confrontation. The method of avoidance keeps one within the peaceful sphere, while the method of confrontation leads to violence with others.

No one—whether individuals or groups—lives alone in this world. People live in proximity to many others, each of whom has his own objectives and separate agendas. It is because of this that people and groups repeatedly come into confrontation and conflict with each other.

There are two ways to respond to this situation: avoidance of conflict, on the one hand, and confrontation, on the other. There is simply no third option. If one chooses the path of confrontation, it will only result in fighting. The whole of human history testifies to the fact that fighting only enables one to give vent to one’s pent-up emotions and that it brings no real benefit at all. Hence, one must abstain from, and consciously avoid, confrontation. This sort of avoidance not only saves one from further harm but also gives one the opportunity to carry on in the journey of progress without being stopped by any hurdles that may come one’s way. Such avoidance may seem like cowardice in the face of an opposing party, but its purpose is actually to save oneself from useless confrontation and to carry on with one’s journey free from obstruction.