PEACE IN ISLAM
The Quran is undoubtedly a book of peace. It is not a book of war and violence. This can be judged from the fact that all of the Quran’s pronouncements are directly or indirectly related to peace. Its opening invocation is: “In the name of God, the Most beneficent, the Most Merciful” and this verse has been repeated in the Quran no less than 114 times. This is an indication that the greatest attribute of the Supreme Being who sent this book to mankind is mercy. Indeed, the theme of this entire holy book is God’s all-embracing compassion.
The greater part of the scriptures, either directly or indirectly, strongly advocate peace. Of the 6666 verses of the Quran, there are hardly forty verses, which deal with the injunction to wage war, and then only in self-defence; that is, even less than one percent. To put it more specifically, only 0.6%.
Those who accept the Quran as the Book of God will be regarded as true believers only when they follow its admonitions and become peace-loving in the full sense of the word. Under no circumstances, should they launch themselves on violent courses of action. In order to conduct an objective study of this subject, it is necessary to differentiate between Islam and Muslims. Muslim action should not necessarily be seen as deriving from the teachings of Islam. In effect, Muslim practices ought to be judged by the criteria of Islam — which is an ideology — rather than Islam be judged by Muslim practices. Those who have abandoned the teachings of Islam can have no claim to be Islamic in their conduct, even if by their own lights they regard themselves as champions of Islam. Muslims are Muslims only when they follow the basic teachings of their religion.
Peace is God’s name
The Quran puts on record the many names or attributes of God, one of them being As-Salam, that is, Peace. God loves peace and security so much that He chose Peace as one of His names. That is to say, that God Himself is the embodiment of peace.
Alkhattabi, has explained this verse in these words:
“God is the Being from Whom all people feel safe and secure. From Whom people have the experience only of peace, not of violence.” (Al-Qurtubi, Part 18, p. 46)
God has set the highest conceivable standards. That is, when God’s dealings with human beings are based on peace and security, then man should also deal with other human beings in a peaceable manner, and not with harshness or violence.
No Extremism
In the fourth chapter of the Quran the following injunction has been given:
“Do not go to excess in your religion.” (4:171)
The same point has been made in a hadith. The Prophet of Islam observed:
“You should restrain yourselves from committing excesses (ghulu) in religion. For it was due to their having gone to extremes in religion that the previous communities were destroyed.” (Al-Nasai, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad, 1/215, 347)
Ghulu means extremism. The way of extremism is wrong, whatever the circumstances, for it goes against the spirit of religion. Indeed, it is proneness to extremism which at times culminates in war and violence. Those who suffer from extremist tendencies remain dissatisfied with the path of moderation, since this strikes them as being far from the ideal. That is why they so easily incline towards violence, and are ever ready to open hostilities in the name of achieving their objectives.
Moderation, which is the opposite of extremism, is closely interlinked with peace. When people possess the virtue of moderation, they necessarily think in terms of peace and will engage in their struggle in a peaceful manner. Where there is moderation there is peace, and vice versa.
In stark contrast to this, an extremist attitude very soon leads to confrontation and violence. Extremism and violence are obviously interconnected. That is why extremism is held in religion to be abhorrent. It would not be wrong to say that violence is another name for extremism and that moderation is to refrain from extremism.
Killing one human being is like killing all mankind
The Quran states:
“If someone kills another person, unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption on the earth, it is as if he had murdered all mankind.” (5:32)
Murder is a horrendous act. The killing of a human being is permissible only when the danger he poses to social peace has no other remedy. Killing a single person without proven justification is equal to killing all human beings. The difference between the two is only one of degree and not in nature. Killing one human being is just as horrendous as killing all human beings. Such a killing, without proper sanction, appears to be a simple matter. But such an act breaks all traditions of respect for life.
The above verse of the Quran shows the great importance of peace and security in Islam. If someone is unjustly killed, Islam demands that the whole of society should become so greatly agitated over this offence that it should work unitedly towards restoring a state of peace and security. It should be treated as a matter of the greatest of urgency, as if all of humanity were under attack.
Extinguishing the Fire of Violence
The Quran states:
“Each time they kindle the fire of war, God extinguishes it.” (5:64)
This verse of the Quran shows the creation plan of the Creator for this world — a plan based on the principle of peace. This means that whenever one of two opposing sides is intent on fuelling the fire of war, the other should attempt to extinguish it by resorting to some peaceful strategy, so that violence may be prevented from spreading. It should never happen that if one side indulges in violence, the other follows suit. The proper and most desirable way of leading one’s life in this world is not to counter bombs with bombs, but rather to defuse them. And this should be done at the very outset. If we are imbued with the true spirit of Quranic teaching, we should realize that countering a bomb with another bomb is the way of Satan. On the contrary, the way approved of by God is to neutralize the bomb.
It is but natural for any given society to have to face distasteful situations. No group of human beings can ever be totally free from untoward happenings in their midst. This being so, the actual solution to the problem lies not in putting an end to the unpleasantness itself, but rather in refraining from aggravating matters, which is what inevitably happens if one kind of unpleasantness is met with another. Again, I would reiterate that bombs should not be countered with bombs. By refraining from violence, the baneful influence of social friction can be checked from spreading. There is no other possible solution.
War only for defence
The Quran states:
“Permission to fight is given to those who are attacked because they have been wronged.” (22:39)
This is not just a Quranic injunction aimed at Islamic believers, but rather a statement of international law. The above verse clearly states that war is permissible only when, in order to counter open aggression, it is waged in self-defence. All other forms of war come under the heading of aggression. And aggressors have no lawful place in this world. According to this verse, there is no justification for any war other than a defensive one, when one is compelled to do so.
According to the Quran, even defensive war can be fought only after making a formal declaration of war has been made, and then only by an established government (18:58). Non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) have no right to wage war on any pretext. In view of these teachings, we can safely conclude that according to the laws of war stated in the Quran, all wars, except for a defensive war which has become unavoidable, are unlawful. For instance, guerrilla war, proxy war, undeclared war and aggressive war, all are undoubtedly unlawful in Islam.
War, in fact, is a bestial act. There is nothing human about it. Indeed, according to known and specific principles of Islam, peace is the rule, while war is only a rare exception.
Peace is something that can be opted for in all circumstances, whereas the decision to wage war should be taken only in times of emergencies for the purpose of defence, when it becomes inevitable, and that too at a time when all peaceful strategies for avoiding confrontation have failed.
Peaceful Persuasion, not coercion
On the subject of jihad, the Quran addresses the believers thus:
“Do great jihad with the help of the Quran”. (25:52)
As we know, the Quran is a book, an ideological book. It is not a gun or a sword. Therefore, ‘jihad’ by means of the Quran can only mean conveying the ideas of the Quran to the people. This implies that we should struggle peacefully to make the ideas of the Quran understandable by presenting them in the form of logical arguments.
The above-mentioned verse makes it clear that what is called jihad in Islam entails only the kind of peaceful struggle which has nothing to do with violence. The Arabic word ‘jihad’ is derived from the root ‘juhd’ which means to strive, to struggle, that is, to exert oneself to the utmost to achieve one’s goal. This is the original meaning of ‘jihad’ in Arabic.
This verse shows that peaceful effort is vastly superior to violent effort. Whenever one opts for the violent method, the sphere of one’s efforts becomes very limited. In resorting to violence, only the sword and the gun are of avail, whereas by peaceful methods, all kinds of things may be utilized to achieve our objective. Even a pen in a closed room can serve a great purpose.
Adhering to the truth with patience and perseverance
The Quran tells us that the kind of people who can save themselves from loss and achieve a successful life are those “who exhort each other to justice and to fortitude.” (103:3)
It is unfortunate that one who adheres to the path of truth himself, or calls upon people to accept the truth is almost invariably rejected by the people. The resistance he has to face is very great. At such times what the lover of truth should do is exercise great patience. He should bear with fortitude all hardships, without trying to hold others responsible for it.
Patience is another name for the non-aggressive method. This means that one who stands up for the truth ought not to counter violence with violence. He must unilaterally adhere to peaceful ways.
Truth and violence cannot exist together. One who wants to opt for truth will have to abandon violence. Violence, whatever the pretext or justification, is still violence. All forms of violence are equally pernicious, and no elaborate justification of violence can nullify or diminish its destructive consequences. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it begets the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Perpetrating violence in the name of truth is the negation of truth. Those who engage in violence in the name of truth only prove that their case is not that of truth. A lover of truth can never be a lover of violence. One who loves violence is certainly not a lover of truth, whether or not he regards himself as a champion of the truth.
Adopting the Course of Reconciliation
During the times of the Prophet of Islam, as a result of the aggression of the Quraysh his opponents, a state of war prevailed between the Quraysh and the Muslims. One of the commandments given in the Quran on this occasion was:
“And if they incline towards peace, you too incline to it, and put your trust in God. Surely, it is He Who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. And if they intend to deceive you, then surely God is sufficient for you.” (8:61-62)
This verse of the Quran shows that peace is desirable in Islam to the greatest possible extent. Even if peace can be established only by incurring risks, this course should unhesitatingly be embarked upon in the way enjoined by the Quran. If reconciliatory offers are made by the antagonists in the course of the war, they should be accepted without delay. Even supposing that there is the fear of some deception being practised in the making of the offer of peace, this offer should nevertheless be accepted in the hopes that God will always be on the side of the peace lovers and not on that of the deceivers.
Another reality that emerges is that, in this world, peace can be established only by those who have great courage. In the present world, problems inevitably arise between different groups, for no human situation is ever absolutely ideal. Everyone at some point in his life is faced with injustice and the misappropriation of what belongs to him by right. In these situations, only such individuals can establish peace as can rise above all considerations and disdain all pretexts to engage in violent retaliation. Only the truly courageous can establish peace in this world. Those who are lacking in courage will continue to fight, and will thus never allow the history of the world to be re-written in terms of blessed peace.
No Corruption on this Earth
In the following verse, the Quran alludes to a particular kind of character, the self-styled reformer:
When they are told, ‘Do not create disorder on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right.’ (2:11)
This refers to those who claim to be engaged in reform work, but whose method is of the wrong kind, for their actions result in corruption and perversion. Here ‘disorder’ (fasad) means that their activities result in clash and confrontation with others, so that mutual hatred is generated. In the process morality is undermined and a negative mindset prevails. All these factors are referred to as spreading corruption on the earth, for they all destroy social peace, and ultimately, members of society are eternally at loggerheads with each other.
This teaching of the Quran shows that it is not enough for an action to have a good goal to be right. The kind of side effects produced by activities launched in the name of reform must also be examined. If these activities themselves produce tension and conflict—in spite of their goal being the laudable one of reformation—they would be regarded as spreading corruption. The doers will be deemed criminals and not reformers or servants of humanity.
No reform work is truly such, unless it is confined to the sphere of peace and humanitarianism. Any work, even if it is carried out in the name of reform, is to be condemned if it disturbs the peace, or worse, results in the loss of lives or the destruction of property. The task of reform should result in reform. If it results in social upheaval (fasad)) then this reform movement is in itself a form of societal perversion, irrespective of whatever fine words we may find to describe it.
The Greater Provision
A principle of life has been thus stated in the Quran:
Do not regard with envy the worldly benefits that We have given certain of them so that We may test them. Your Lord’s provision is better and more lasting. (20:131)
The truth is that there are two very different ways of living one’s life. The first is entirely directed towards the material world. One who seeks success in terms of worldly wealth and honour will find that there is no end to his ambition. For if he sets purely worldly goals before him, he will always find that there are people around him who have more than he has. There is no escaping these disparities. Therefore, one who lives for material things suffers a perpetual sense of deprivation. This produces feelings of discontent and jealousy, which surface again and again in the form of rivalry, revenge and the accompanying violence.
The second way for the individual is to lead his life with a sense of achievement. Such a person will be content with himself. This feeling of achievement will prevent him from nurturing hatred against others or engaging in violence. Who are those who are blessed with this feeling? In the words of the Quran, they are those who are the recipients of God’s provision. God’s provision means the conviction of having discovered the truth: that the existence they have been blessed with by their Creator is more precious than all the world’s treasures of gold and silver. Each individual should, therefore, lead his life with a keen awareness that the source of his intellectual and spiritual nourishment is the entire universe.
One who becomes a recipient of God’s provision in this world rises so high that material things like wealth and power become insignificant to him. This psychology of its own turns him into a peace-loving person. Hatred and violence appear to him so meaningless that he has no time for such negative emotions or for making plans to engage in violence. One who has found something greater can never seriously pursue something smaller. He would therefore never engage in violence.
The Prompt Silencing of Complaints
The complaining mentality is an aggressive one, which stifles positive thinking. It is the resultant negative thought which is undoubtedly the root cause of all-evil. In most cases, it gives rise to the permanent sense of grievance, real or imaginary, which underlies any violence which takes place.
The creation plan in this present world has been devised in such a manner that there is no escape from grievances. This being so, the moment the thought of complaining first takes shape in the mind, it should be immediately dismissed. The complaint, if constantly recalled or revived, becomes so entrenched in the memory that it can never be thrust aside. In such a situation, wisdom lies in nipping complaints in the bud. Failing this, complaining will gradually become a permanent part of one’s psyche, and then one’s thinking will acquire a negative character. Others, will appear as enemies. Given a chance, the complainant will not then hesitate to engage in violence against the targets of his complaints, even if he himself suffers in consequence.
What is the formula for putting an end to complaints at the very outset? It is to give serious thought to the following verse of the Quran:
And whatever misfortune befalls you, is due to what your own hands have wrought. (42:30)
This means that whenever we have any cause for complaint against anyone, we should direct it first at ourselves. We should try to explain it in such a way that the blame falls upon us. When we come to understand that we, rather than others, have made some mistake, we shall then set about rectifying our own shortcomings, rather than waste time in making protests and complaints against some supposed enemy.
A Mercy for Mankind
The Quran has this to say of the Prophet of Islam:
We have only sent you as a mercy to all mankind. (21:106)
The advent of the Prophet of Islam made manifest God’s mercy for all mankind. Through him God communicated those principles of life by opting for which man may inhabit the abode of eternal peace and security. (Dar as Salaam) (10:25). Through him, such teachings were revealed as would turn human society into a peaceful society. For the first time in history, the Prophet of Islam presented a complete ideology based on the concept of peace. He gave us the formula for the building of a healthy life, by shunning hatred and violence. Through him a revolution was set in motion, which made it possible to construct a peaceful society by avoiding war and confrontation. Although the Prophet of Islam was compelled to wage several battles, they were so brief that we might describe them as skirmishes rather than full-scale war. It would be quite correct to say that the Prophet of Islam initiated a revolution which, although very great in its scope and repercussions, was nevertheless almost bloodless. He gave peace the status of a complete ideology or system of life. He impressed it upon his followers that violence was the way of destruction, while peace was the way of construction. He held patience to be the greatest form of worship, implying as it does adherence to the path of peace in the full sense of the word. He held disturbing the peaceful system of nature (fasad) to be the greatest crime.
The Prophet enjoined believers to greet one another by saying Assalamm-o-Alaikum. This shows that mutual relationships should be based on peace and security. The Prophet told the believers that success in the Hereafter should be the target of the human struggle. In this way he dispelled the notion that worldly progress should be one’s aim in life, for that is what ultimately results in all kinds of confrontation and violence. His formula for better living was to make oneself useful to others, and if that was not possible, then at least to do others no harm; no one should be regarded as an enemy; even the enemy must be given fair treatment, for only then would the realization come that one’s enemy was potentially one’s friend: the ‘enemy’ always has it in him to be a friend.
Peace in all circumstances
The Prophet of Islam was a peace lover to the ultimate extent. His opponents repeatedly attempted to draw him into war, but on each occasion he avoided becoming entangled. However, sometimes in view of unilateral aggression, he had no option but to fight purely in self-defence, and for a limited duration. Badr is one such battle.
History shows that at the exact moment when the armies of both sides were standing ready for battle, the Prophet was visited by Gabriel, God’s angel. He said to the Prophet: ‘O Muhammad, God has sent you peace (salam)’. On hearing this, the Prophet of Islam replied:’ God is peace, peace is from Him and to Him is peace.’ (Al Bidaya was al-Nihayah, Part III, p. 267).
This incident shows that even at such a juncture, the Prophet of Islam was a peace-lover. Even in that extremity, his mind was free from feelings of hatred and violence: he was thinking in terms of peace and security and his heart throbbed with the desire for these beneficent conditions to be established in the world with the succour of God. The true man is one who can think of peace even in times of war, whose heart is filled with feelings of peace and well-wishing, even during emergencies on the battlefield.
This is no ordinary matter. In reality, this serves as the highest example of positive thinking. As we know, war is the most negative of all events. The Prophet, who was at the helm of affairs, was on the brink of war, yet the words that came to his lips were those of peace and security rather than of war and violence. This is indicative of the highest human virtue. The noblest human character is one who thinks of peace amidst violence and who can plan for reconciliation even in wartime.
Peaceful citizens
According to a hadith, the Prophet of Islam defined a believer thus:
A believer is one from whom people are safe as regards their lives and property. (At-Tirmizi, An-Nasai, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad).
There are two ways of leading one’s life in society. One is to live peacefully among one’s fellow men. The other is to keep quarrelling with others. According to this hadith, the way of the faithful is to live as peaceful citizens in society. No one should pose any danger to others’ lives, property or honour. In no circumstances, should one take the way of violence.
How should life be led so that the members of a society remain safe and secure from others’ injustices? It is to maintain the way of moderation, irrespective of there being causes for complaint. They should be able to bury their complaints in their own hearts instead of pouring them out upon others. A society in which such self control is exercised is one in which its members can enjoy a feeling of security. Indeed, a peaceful society is the ideal framework for positive human development. On the contrary, a society fraught with violence is an animal, not a human society. It can offer little hope of the realization of individual human potential.
The love of peace is a noble human virtue, whereas the love of violence brings the human being down from a high ethical plane to the level of brutishness.
No confrontation with the enemy
The Prophet of Islam one observed: “Do not wish for confrontation with the enemy, ask for peace from God.” This means that if someone has become our enemy, we should not necessarily turn against him and start fighting with him. Despite his enmity, we should opt rather for avoidance of friction, so that conflict is effectively prevented.
‘Ask for peace from God’ means to adopt the way of peace instead of confrontation and secure God’s succour for peaceful activities. A believer should not pray to God thus: “O God, destroy the enemy.” Rather his prayer should be: “O God, help me to stay away from the path of violence and confrontation, in spite of the enmity of others, and help me to pursue the journey of my life along the path of peace.”
This shows that according to the plan of nature, peace in this world is the general rule, while violence is a temporary necessity. Furthermore, this tells us that if an individual or a group is our enemy, the way of confrontation is not the only way to solve the problem. A better and far more appropriate method is to neutralize enmity through a peaceful strategy. The power of peace is far more effective and far more useful than the power of violence.
The peaceful method is the best
We learn from a tradition what the Prophet’s policy was in general matters:
“Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two paths in any problematic situation, he would always opt for the easier course.” (Al-Bukhari)
If this principle of taking the easier option is looked at in the context of the violent versus the peaceful method, it would be true to say that the way of the Prophet in any given situation was to refrain sedulously from using violent methods in dealing with the matter at hand. The peaceful course, therefore, must invariably be taken. For there is no doubt about it, that the violent method falls into the category of the harder option, while the reverse is true of the peaceful method.
However, this is not simply a matter of easier or harder options. It means rather that in our general dealings, the peaceful method is invariably oriented towards producing positive results, while the violent method is merely an exercise in futility. The violent method not only fails to solve the problem, but it further aggravates and complicates it. In the hadith, the harder method implies taking a course which is strewn with obstacles. On the contrary, the easier method implies acting in a way which facilitates the achievement of our goal.
The Limits of Difference
On the one hand, the Prophet of Islam observed: “To say a word of truth to a tyrant ruler is a superior form of jihad.”
On the other hand, there is another hadith according to which the Prophet observed: “One who finds in his ruler something which he dislikes should endure it with patience.” Similarly, on another occasion the Prophet observed: “Listen to and obey your ruler, even if he flogs you on your back or he appropriates your wealth.”
There appear to be two kinds of commandments in these traditions: on the one hand, we are enjoined to tell the ruler clearly if he is treading the wrong path, whereas the other hadith enjoins us to remain unilaterally patient and bear all injustice.
These are extremely important injunctions, which distinguish between the verbal communication of advice and the taking of a practical step. It is certainly desirable that if a loyal subject sees his ruler taking the wrong path, he should bring this to his attention by means of sincere advice and with an attitude of well-wishing. But as far as taking practical steps is concerned, he must totally refrain from doing so. He must differentiate between sincere advice and the politics of confrontation. He should make use of his lawful right to utter well-meaning words of advice, while totally refraining from political confrontation.
This underlying principle is extremely important. An atmosphere of violence is produced in society when its members launch confrontational movements directed against their rulers, with the aim of overthrowing them in the name of political reform. If, on the other hand, they confined themselves to verbal advice and refrained from controversial politics, society would always remain peaceful. It would never become a jungle of violence.
The virtue of flexibility
According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam observed: “The believer is like a gentle plant. Whenever the wind blows, it inclines accordingly, and when the wind stops blowing, it again comes back to its upright position. In this way, it saves itself from the impact of the wind.”
According to this tradition, there are two ways of behaving during a storm. One is to face up to it with total rigidity. The other is to be flexible and bend before it. We can put it differently and say, there are two ways of countering adversity: one by the peaceful method, the other by the violent method. God enjoins renouncing the violent method in favour of the peaceful method.
Violence is basically an ego-related problem. It is a provoked ego that creates almost all kinds of violence and disturbance. When one’s ego is affected, it turns into super ego and the result is breakdown. It is inevitably those who suffer from egoism who choose to be inflexible in weathering life’s storms. Conversely, it is the modest who, in the face of adversity, tread the path of peace. In this world of God, destruction awaits those who indulge in egoism, while success awaits those who conduct themselves with modesty. The same point has been underlined in a hadith:
“One who chooses the way of modesty will be raised up by God.”
So the secret of peaceful living is to sedulously avoid any ego clash taking place between individuals or groups. This is the only successful formula for establishing a peaceful society on a permanent basis.
Self-evident Proof
A three-day symposium was held in Washington under the auspices of the American University in February 1998. At its meeting on February 6, the writer delivered a speech on the concept of peace in Islam. One part of this speech is reproduced hereunder.
It is no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory to each other. The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously unfounded that, prima facie, it stands rejected. The fact that violence is not sustainable in the present world is enough to demonstrate that violence as a principle is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam. Islam claims to be an eternal religion and, as such, it cannot afford to have a principle in its scheme which at any time could be found unsustainable. Any attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts to casting doubt upon the everlastingness of the Islamic religion.
A phrase like ‘Islamic violence’ is the same kind of contradiction in terms as ‘pacifistic terrorism’. The truth is that all the teachings of Islam are based, directly or indirectly, on the principle of peace. While all Islamic objectives may be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere, there are no Islamic objectives which may be achieved in a violent atmosphere.
