THE CULTURE OF PEACE — Part V
Teachings of Islam
We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. The fact is that peace is deeply linked with the whole of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every sort of success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every sort of endeavour. Without peace, no positive action — small or big — is at all possible.
Peace At All Costs
THE Prophet Muhammad was a great lover of peace. His opponents repeatedly wanted to embroil him in war, but he avoided it and stayed away from fighting with them. However, on a few occasions, in the face of the one-sided aggression of his opponents, he was forced to engage in defensive battles, which were of a temporary nature. One of these defensive battles was the Battle of Badr. At the very moment when the two armies faced each other at Badr, an angel of God came to the Prophet. The angel told the Prophet that God had sent him a message of salam or peace. Hearing this, the Prophet replied that God is Peace; Peace is from Him and Peace will return to Him.
An exalted person is one who even in the face of violence thinks of peace, and who in the midst of war makes plans for reconciliation.
From this incident we learn that even at the time of war the Prophet remained a peace-loving person. Even at this moment of great emergency, he did not allow his mind to be filled with hatred and violence. Rather, even at this time he continued to think in terms of peace and security. At this moment, too, his heart was heaving with hope that, with God’s help, he could establish an atmosphere of peace and security in the world. A true person is he who even during war thinks of peace, and who, even during battle, harbours the hope of peace and security in his heart.
This is no ordinary matter. Rather, it is an exalted model of positive thinking. War is the most negative of all negative things. The Prophet here stands at the edge of war but on his lips are words, not of bloodshed and violence, but, rather, of peace and security. This undoubtedly reflects a very exalted character. An exalted person is one who even in the face of violence thinks of peace, and who in the midst of war makes plans for reconciliation.
God’s Name is Peace
The Quran mentions various names (or attributes) of God. One of these is As-Salam, i.e. ‘The Source of Peace’. This means that God is the epitome of peace. God loves peace and security so much that he has kept As-Salam as one of His names.
The noted scholar Al-Khattabi writes that God is the Being from Whom all people are safe and secure, and from Whom they experience peace, not violence. When God’s dealings with human beings are based on peace and security, then human beings should deal in the same way with each other. That is to say, we should relate to each other with peace and security, and not with severity and violence.
Who is Strong?
According to a Hadith report (Sahih Bukhari), the Prophet said that a strong person is not one who defeats others in wrestling, but, rather, only he who when angry, keeps his nafs or lower self under control.
When God’s dealings with human beings are based on peace and security, then human beings should deal in the same way with each other.
To stop one’s anger while in a state of anger is a sign of self-control. And, self-control is, undoubtedly, the greatest power. At moments when one is angry, self-control saves one from committing wrong actions. Someone who lacks the power of self-control will burst out uncontrollably when he is angry, so much so that he can easily become violent. To keep one’s anger under control is the way of a peace-loving person, while losing control when angry, is the way of a person who glorifies violence.
Suppose two people have a fight; and one of them hurls the other to the ground. This may signify only that the former is physically stronger than the latter. However, physical strength is a very limited sort of power. In contrast, someone who is angry but is able to control his anger and behaves in a balanced way towards the person who provokes him is much stronger than the person who is only physically strong. His behaviour proves that he possesses the power of intelligence, which is undoubtedly much more powerful than physical strength. Such a person can, because of his wise planning, win every battle without physically harming anyone.
Formula for Social Peace
What is the ideal formula for social peace? How can balanced conditions be established in society? In this regard, a Hadith report gives us some valuable clues.
According to this report, the Prophet said that fitna, or strife, is asleep, and that God’s curse is upon he who wakes up a sleeping fitna. This is a natural formula for social peace.
The Prophet said that a strong person is not one who defeats others in wrestling, but, rather, only he who when angry, keeps his lower self under control.
The fact of the matter is that within every human being is a deeplyrooted egotism. And this egotism is such that if it is provoked, it very quickly explodes and sets off violence. However, Nature has arranged for this egotism to be dormant within every person’s breast. It is present inside everyone, but, in accordance with the system of Creation, it is in a state of sleep. Under such conditions, a simple way to establish a peaceful society is to let the egotism that lies fast asleep inside people’s breasts remain as it is.
Only those people whose egotism has been provoked go about disrupting social peace. If one abstains from provoking other people’s egotism, social peace will not be ruptured. From this we learn that establishing social peace is within our own control, rather than being dependent on others. Through your positive behaviour you can avoid provoking other people’s egos, and then you will certainly remain protected from their wrath.
Do Not Confront the Enemy
In a Hadith report recorded in the Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet is said to have remarked that one should not desire confrontation with one’s enemy, and that one should ask for peace from God. This means that if someone thinks of us as his enemy, we should not react in the same way by considering him our enemy and starting to fight with him. Rather, despite this person’s enmity, we should seek to avoid quarrelling with him. Even though he treats us as his enemy, we should try to avoid fighting with him.
When, in this Hadith report, the Prophet tells us to ask God for peace, it means that we should adopt the path of peace, rather than confrontation, and that along with our peace-loving efforts, we should seek succour from God. Your plea to God should not be for the destruction of the enemy. Rather, you should ask, ‘O God! Bless me that, despite people’s enmity, I do not take to the path of violence and confrontation, but, instead, that I carry on with the journey of my life walking on the path of peace.’
Establishing social peace is within our own control, rather than being dependent on others.
From this we learn that according to the Law of Nature, peace is the general rule, whereas violence is an exception. We also learn that if a person or group appears to be one’s enemy, confrontation is not the only way to respond.
A better and more effective way is to solve the problem of an enemy through peaceful actions. The power of peace is both more effective and also more beneficial than the power of violence.
Method of Non-Violence
According to a Hadith report (Sahih Bukhari) the Prophet said that God gives in response to softness what he does not give to sternness. 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 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 report 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, 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. By deviating from them, you can be sure that you will get nothing at all.
Limits of Dissension
A Hadith report (Musnad of Ahmad) relates that the Prophet declared that the best jihad is to utter a word of truth and justice in front of an oppressive ruler. On the other hand, in another Hadith report (Collections by al-Bukhari), the Prophet is said to have declared that a person who sees something in his ruler that he does not like should exercise patience with regard to that matter. Likewise, in a Hadith report contained in the Sahih Muslim, the Prophet is said to have declared that one should listen to one’s ruler and obey him, even if he whips one on one’s back and grabs one’s wealth.
Do not desire confrontation with your enemy, instead seek peace from God.
— The Prophet
These Hadith reports appear to provide two different commandments. On one hand, we are told that if we see something wrong with our rulers, we should openly announce it. On the other hand, we are also told that if we see something wrong with our rulers, we should exercise patience in that regard and that even if he oppresses us, we should tolerate it.
These prescriptions clearly indicate the distinction between announcing something, on the one hand, and taking action on it, on the other. It is a desirable thing that if you see something wrong with your rulers, you should announce it in the form of exhortation and well-wishing. But as far as practical steps are concerned, one should completely abstain from them. One must distinguish between the politics of exhortation and confrontation. Using the legitimate right of exhortation, one should completely stay away from political confrontation.
It is very important to keep this distinction in mind. Whenever people launch movements to practically confront their rulers and make plans to push them out of power in the name of ‘reform’, it inevitably creates a violent atmosphere in society. However, if people abstain from such conflictual politics and remain satisfied just with verbal exhortation, peace will always prevail and society will not degenerate into a jungle of violence.
Peaceful Means Are Better
A Hadith report recorded in the Sahih al-Bukhari sheds light on a very important Islamic teaching. According to this report, whenever the Prophet had to choose between two methods with regard to any matter, he would always choose the easier one.
The power of peace is both more effective and beneficial than the power of violence.
If you view this choice of the easier option in the context of violent versus peaceful methods, then it would be true to say that whenever the Prophet was faced with any matter, then he chose peaceful, and not violent, methods to deal with it.
However, this is not simply a matter of ease versus difficulty. Rather, it means that peaceful methods are always efficacious, while violent methods are always ineffective. Instead of solving a given problem, violent methods only further exacerbate it and make it seem even more complicated. In this regard, what the Hadith report referred to above means by difficult method is a method through which it is difficult to achieve one’s goal. Compared to this, by easy method is meant a method through which it is easy and certain to attain one’s goal.
Flexibility, Not Stiffness
A Hadith report (Sahih Muslim) likens a momin, a true worshipper of God, to a soft plant, which, whenever it is faced with a gust of wind, bends accordingly. And when the gust goes away, the plant once again stands up. In this way, it saves itself from troubles and difficulties. According to this Hadith report, there are two ways to face a storm. One way is to be stiff when faced with it. The other way is to exercise flexibility; one way of reacting is the violent way, while the other is the peaceful way. God wants us to abstain from the former and to choose the latter. Those who try react to a storm by adopting the method of stiffness only show by this action of theirs that they are victims of extreme egotism. In contrast, the path of peace is based on modesty. In this world, those who let their egotism dictate their behaviour are bound to face destruction, while success is for those who adopt the path of modesty. This is expressed in the form of a Hadith report, according to which the Prophet said that God will raise high those who behave modestly.
Peaceful Citizens
Explaining who a momin (a true believer) is, the Prophet is said to have remarked (Ibn Majah) that people’s blood and wealth are safe from him.
God gives in response to gentleness what he does not give to harshness.
— The Prophet
There are two ways of living in any society. You can live peacefully with others, or you can choose to keep quarreling with them. The Hadith report referred to in this instance indicates that the way of a true believer is to live along with others as a peaceful citizen. He lives without creating any problem at all for other people’s life, property and honour. Under no conditions whatsoever does he engage in violence.
How can members of a society live at peace with each other, refraining from troubling and oppressing each other? There is one way—and that is, despite whatever complaints against others one may have, one should remain steadfast on the path of balance. One should bury deep in one’s heart the complaints one has against others. One should abstain from venting one’s ire and other negative emotions on others. In a society that consists of people who are like this, every individual will feel safe at the hands of everyone else. Such a peaceful society is an ideal human society.
.....to be continued. This article is in continuation of a series entitled ‘The Culture of Peace’ that commenced from Issue 19 (July 2014).