ISLAM AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE WORLD
Emulating the Prophetic Model
MAN faces a number of challenges—intellectual, political, economic, etc.—which are universal in the modern world. A major issue confronting man is whether humankind can continue to live in peace on this planet. This is a matter of great importance because man’s very existence is in peril. It is the future of humankind which is at stake.
Various sets of adverse circumstances have together produced a state of unrest throughout the world. At different places, groups of people are engaged in violent clashes with other groups. This state of affairs is such as to render our scientific progress meaningless, and it must be acknowledged that our very civilization is in jeopardy.
Unfortunately, in this baneful sequence of events, the name of Islam has come to be linked with violence. Due to the foolish and imprudent acts of certain Muslims, Islam and violence have come to be regarded as interchangeable terms.
Due to the foolish and imprudent acts of certain Muslims, Islam and violence have come to be regarded as interchangeable terms
An Indian now living in Europe, was called for an interview by some company there. The interview started like this: “Are you a Muslim?” “Yes”, he replied. “Then you must be a terrorist”, came the verdict. As you can imagine, the interview could hardly proceed beyond this point.
But the truth about Islam is the very opposite. The word Islam itself means peace, having been derived from the Arabic root silm meaning peace. And the Prophet of Islam is described in the scriptures as a “Mercy to the world.” The Quran has this to say: “And God calls you to the home of peace”. The lesson that is imparted through Hajj, a course of training for a Muslim for the whole of his life, is not to harm a single human being, not even an animal. To call such a religion as one of violence is therefore highly inappropriate.
Islam came to humankind in an age when violence was an integral part of every nation’s culture and, as such, was prevalent all over the world. Violence, it was thought, was the most dependable means for the achievement of all ends.
It was at this point that Islam brought to the world the message of peaceful co-existence, not only in theory, but also in practice. The truth is that Islam is a peaceful way of life. It was so for the man of the past, and it is so for the man of today.
But mere casual talk about peace will not, of itself, produce peace for humanity. It is essential rather to formulate a concept of peace in such a manner as to explain and underline its importance. Furthermore, such a concept must be accompanied by a methodology which will facilitate its practical realization.
Simplifying One’s Difficulties
The concept presented by Islam for peaceful living is based on the idea
that, in this world, adversity is always accompanied by some positive,
simplifying factor. That is to say that disadvantages will always be
accompanied by advantages. The common man is nevertheless of the
view that whenever any difficulty presents
itself, the only solution is to fight. And it is this
mentality which breeds violence. If, however,
he could be convinced that whenever the
path to success seemed barred to him, there
would always be something inherent in the
situation to ease his difficulties, his whole
manner of thinking would change.
Mere casual talk about peace will not, of itself, produce peace for humanity. It is essential rather to formulate a concept of peace in such a manner as to explain and underline its importance.
This is not a concept which is immediately acceptable, the main reason being that most people have never formed the habit of identifying the positive factors in a seemingly negative situation. But once this concept has taken root in a man’s mind, he will no longer clash head-on with anything unfavourable that comes in his way. He will, on the contrary, direct his efforts towards seeking whatever advantages lie in store for him. Only after securing these advantages will he start his struggle anew. In this way, on the ideological plane, this concept strikes at the very roots of violence. In addition to this conceptual approach, Islam offers a new methodology based on non-violence rather than on violence. This topic is dealt with briefly here:
Willingness to Accept the Possible
The first principle of the non-violent method is to show willingness to
accept what is possible. A fine, practical example of this principle was
personally demonstrated by the Prophet of Islam at the outset of his
missionary career in Makkah. At that time, in Makkah, the most sacred
house of worship, the Kaaba, many deities were being worshipped. The
ritual of Hajj had been distorted. For instance, the solar instead of the
lunar calendar was being used for its observance. Drinking and other
evils were rife.
Had the Prophet of Islam directly launched a violent struggle against these he would at once have set off a violent confrontation in Makkah, and the armed conflict would have overshadowed his message of peace.
The Prophet had, at that juncture, formulated an important principle of peace. Presenting it to the world, he put it into practice himself. The principle he followed was to make one’s starting point from what was possible. That is to say, to confine one’s activity to the field in which opportunities are available under the prevailing system. The rest had to be left for the future.
Hijrah means that if the other party comes to the point of aggression in order to stop whatever peaceful work is being undertaken, one must move away from that place rather than take to fighting.
This was the principle which he followed for thirteen years while working in Makkah. Any attempt to bring about a change in the system in Makkah would only have resulted in clash and confrontation. He, therefore, set before himself the target of bringing about a change in the individual, and continued to work on those same lines for the whole of the Makkan period.
Moving Away from the Point of Confrontation
Another principle formed by the Prophet in this regard was to move
away from the point of conflict. This principle took practical shape in
the Hijrah (emigration). It was in adherence to this principle that the
Prophet emigrated to Madinah, leaving his hometown, Makkah, in the
thirteenth year of his prophethood.
Hijrah literally means ‘to leave’. It means that if the other party comes to the point of aggression in order to stop whatever peaceful work is being undertaken, one must move away from that place rather than take to fighting.
Indeed, Hijrah is just one of the strategies employed to avoid confrontation, but if it proves the best method, it must be resorted to, even if it entails leaving one’s homeland, property, and relatives.
The Hudaibiya Principle
When the Prophet of Islam emigrated to Madinah, he did not launch any
military campaign from there. His adversaries, the Quraysh, however,
made military preparations and launched an onslaught without any
provocation from the other side. It was due
to this aggression that some defensive battles
had to be fought. At this juncture, in order
to avoid further bloodshed, the Prophet
followed an excellent principle which can be
termed the Hudaibiya principle.
The superior strategy employed on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah was, quite simply, to achieve one’s end, not by the use of force, but by the demonstration of strength.
What the Prophet of Islam did with regard to the Hudaibiya treaty was to accept all the demands of the other party in return for their agreeing to his demand that no battle be fought between them, directly or indirectly, for a period of ten years. The Hudaibiya treaty was, in fact a no-war pact. The Hudaibiya principle can thus be summed up in these words: unilateral acceptance of all the demands of the opposite party in order to obviate any risks of further clash and confrontation.
The Demonstration Rather Than the Use of Force
In spite of this no-war pact, the Prophet’s opponents reopened
hostilities—thus committing a breach of their agreement. This time the
Prophet adopted a different strategy, with the result that Makkah was
ultimately conquered. Very few lives were lost, however, for, beyond
minor skirmishes, no armed struggle between the opposing forces
took place.
The superior strategy employed on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah was, quite simply, to achieve one’s end, not by the use of force, but by the demonstration of strength.
Refraining from Vengeance
The initial strategy adopted by the Prophet after the conquest of
Makkah was one of remarkable leniency. After the victory, men who
had been his deadliest enemies were now brought before him. Today, we would call them war criminals of the worst kind. The only possible
fate for such criminals in those days was summary execution. But the
Prophet granted them all an unconditional amnesty.
The greatest advantage of this general amnesty was that the country was spared a counter-revolution and all the bloodshed that would have ensued. Had the Prophet punished these men, the fire of revenge would most certainly have been ignited in the tribes all over Arabia. The shedding of Arab blood would then have reached a new peak.
Rising Above the Psychology of Reaction
If a peaceful atmosphere is to be maintained in society while one goes
about achieving one’s ends, albeit in a peaceable manner, a great
sacrifice is required. The Prophet himself set such perfect examples
for the building of the nation on the basis of non-violence.
One example of such a sacrifice can be seen in the Battle of Badr. In this battle, 70 Makkans were taken as prisoners of war. All of them belonged to the nobility of Makkah and all were well educated by the standards of the time. Considering that in Madinah, where the Prophet was staying, the people lacked such an education, the Prophet did not order the execution of the Makkans, but instead set a ‘ransom’ for each of them. That is, each one had to teach ten children of the Ansar (Madinan inhabitants) how to read and write. After that they were to be set free.
At that time, one great risk was involved in setting these prisoners of war free. They being leaders of hostile tribes, there was the genuine fear that, once back in Makkah, they would use their freedom to incite the citizenry to prepare for another war. This fear became a reality when they succeeded in provoking their fellow Makkans to fight the Battle of Uhud.
The history of Islam shows that its message of peace is not just a utopian dream, but is a fully practicable programme.
Fully aware of the risk involved, the Prophet had, nevertheless, set these Makkans free. This instance not only demonstrates his love of peace, but also underlines the importance he attached to education. He felt that its importance was so great that it had to be acquired— even at the risk of a future war.
Conclusion
These few points, though brief, show that Islam has a great role to
play in countering the deadly challenges, namely violence and conflict,
which haunt the world today. This scheme of Islam is not based on mere
ideology, but has a genuine history of practical success to back it. The
history of Islam shows that its message of peace is not just a utopian
dream, but is a fully practicable programme. It is a historical fact that
the Prophet of Islam adopted such a well-considered strategy that all
his successes were achieved with surprisingly little bloodshed. The toll
of casualties in the revolution he brought about in Arabia amounted
to only about a thousand on both sides. This number is comparatively
so low that this revolution can rightly be termed bloodless. Thus Islam
teaches conflict resolution in a peaceful manner.