Islam means submission. Submission is the essence of Islam. Submission means submission — or surrender — to God. When one discovers the existence of God and makes Him his sole concern, he surrenders before Him in the complete sense of the word. When a person Islamises his thought, dealings, his actions, he is a Muslim. This is the true spirit of Islam. The verse in Chapter 41 reads: ‘Good and evil deeds are not equal. Do a good deed in return for a bad deed; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend” (The Quran, 41:34). According to Islam, categorising people into enemies and friends is wrong. According to Islam, everyone is either a friend or a potential friend. An enemy is a potential friend. A Muslim must turn this potential into actuality through good deeds. This is the true spirit of Islam. An adverse reaction or negative thinking is un-Islamic. The word Islam itself has a connotation of peace. Because the root word of Islam is silm, which means peace. So, Islam is a religion of peace. Severing relationships due to differences is not in accordance with the spirit of Islam. Mutual relationships should be maintained while continuing serious discussion of contentious issues. Not greeting the person with whom one has differences, or refusing to meet such a person, is highly improper. The Prophet himself faced many hostile cases of abuse, but he never protested. The prophet’s life is a model for Muslims. Thus violent protest in this manner is against the spirit of Islam.