TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE
We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion for both-man and the universe. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour. Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible.
HAS THE AGE OF OPPRESSION RETURNED?
Abolishment Of Violence
I N the year 661 CE, Imam Hasan ibn Ali formally relinquished power and the Islamic Caliphate fell into the hands of the Umayyads. With the death of the first Umayyad Caliph, Amir Muawiyah, in 68O CE, several successive claimants to the Caliphate arose, and the Umayyads were continually involved in hostilities against them.
Abdullah ibn Zubair was one of these claimants. From his stronghold in Makkah, he held out against Umayyad rule. A force under Hajjaj ibn Yusuf was deployed to deal with the threat from Ibn Zubair. The two were engaged in constant hostilities, until finally Abdullah ibn Zubair died fighting his adversary in Makkah (692 CE).
The threat to Islam is from the violent behaviour of the
Muslims themselves and not from anyone else.
Imam Bukhari has related in his Sahih Hadith of two people who came to see Abdullah ibn Umar while Abdullah ibn Zubair was involved in fighting against Hajjaj. “People are being destroyed,” they complained, “and you—the son of Umar ibn Khattab and a Companion of the Prophet—are doing nothing. What keeps you from going out and doing battle?”.
“God prevents me from doing so, for He has forbidden me from spilling my brother’s blood,” Abdullah ibn Umar replied. The threat to Islam is from the violent behaviour of the Muslims themselves and not from anyone else. Spirit of Islam Issue 33 September 2015 33 “But hasn’t God said: “Fight them until there is no more oppression?” they protested.
“We did just that,” Ibn Umar told them. “In the Prophet’s day we fought until there was no more oppression, and God’s religion reigned supreme. Now you want me to fight so that there should be oppression and the religion of others’ besides God should reign supreme.”
Another tradition goes into ibn Umar’s reply in greater detail. The two men pointed out that Ibn Umar went on a pilgrimage to Makkah every other year, but did not join in jihad, although he knew the importance that had been attached to it in the Quran. Ibn Umar told them that Islam was based on five things: belief in God and His Prophet; prayer five times a day; fasting during the month of Ramazan; paying the poor-due and going on pilgrimage to Makkah. Then the two men mentioned the verse of the Quran in which Muslims are told to fight until there is no more oppression, and God’s religion reigns supreme. “That’s what we did in the Prophet’s day,” Abdullah ibn Umar replied. “At that time Islam was in the minority, and Muslims used to be persecuted—even killed—for their faith. As Islam grew in strength this persecution came to an end.”
The assumption that Muslims are being oppressed and besieged
by others and that Islam is under threat is baseless.
The above stance of Abdullah ibn Umar is clear proof that religious persecution had ended at that time itself and people were free to practice their own religious beliefs. Since then, humanity has progressed in leaps and bounds to the present age of openness and intellectual exchange in every field.
The present attitude of some Muslims who are engaged in violence with the assumption that Muslims are being oppressed and besieged by others and that Islam is under threat is baseless. The threat to Islam is from the violent behaviour of the Muslims themselves and not from anyone else.
