THE METHOD OF NON-VIOLENCE

According to a hadith report, the Prophet said that God grants to non-violence what he does not grant to violence. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2593; Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith No 4807) This is a way of expressing a law of nature that God has established in this world. On the basis of this law, if you behave in a gentle, non-violent way, your work will be more effective. But if you are harsh and violent, you will not succeed, and your efforts will fail.

Whenever someone adopts the harsh and violent way, his efforts are unnecessarily divided on two fronts: on his own inner development, on the one hand, and on fighting his external enemies, on the other. In contrast, if someone is gentle and non-violent, it becomes possible for him to focus all his energies on just one front: on his inner development. Consequently, he will be much more successful.

The above-mentioned hadith tells us about this basic law of nature on the basis of which the entire system of this world functions. Whatever one obtains in this world is what one gets by behaving in accordance with this system, rather than in violation of, this system. This system of nature is based completely on the principles of peace and non-violence. That is why whenever you obtain something in this world, it is by these principles of peace and non-violence. By deviating from them, you can be sure that you will get nothing at all.