THE SECOND FORBIDDEN TREE
On Earth
ADAM was the first human being. He was originally inhabited in Paradise. There, he had every kind of freedom and all that he desired. But, there was one tree which was forbidden to him. Adam was instructed that he could do anything he wanted except going close to the forbidden tree. If he approached this tree, he would be evicted from Paradise.
This was the forbidden tree of Paradise. There is also a forbidden tree in this world and that is violence. Those who indulge in violence will have to pay a heavy price for this crime. They will be deprived of entry into Paradise.
Violence is an interference in the order of nature established by the Creator and such interference is without doubt the most serious of crimes.
From the Quran we understand that Adam and his spouse were expelled from Paradise and made to settle on earth. During the early part of their life on earth there was a serious conflict between their two sons Qabil and Habil which led to the killing of Habil by Qabil. The Quran says that after this incident, God decreed that:
Whoever killed a human being except as a punishment for
murder or for spreading corruption in the land shall be
regarded as having killed all mankind, and that
whoever saved a human life shall be regarded
as having saved all mankind.
THE QURAN 5: 32
Such severe words have not appeared in the Quran for any other crime. From this we can understand that in the eyes of God, the most heinous of crimes is to commit a violent act against another human being. In this matter if there is any exception it is only for an established government after a judicial process. For common man, there is no exception in this matter.
This strict forbidding of violence is because violence is against the system of nature. The order of nature established by the Creator gives full freedom and opportunity to every man and woman to do as they please. But, violence and conflict destroys this very fabric of nature. Violence is an interference in the order of nature established by the Creator and such interference is without doubt the most serious of crimes.
If you indulge in passive or active violence, you will be considered as having eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree.
The question arises as to how can we establish a society free of violence and conflict. There is only one answer to this. Those who fear God should take upon themselves the responsibility of unilaterally showing patience. In spite of experiencing violence they themselves will be free of it. This is the only way a society devoid of violence can be established. According to the Quran, when Qabil wanted to kill Habil, Habil said:
Even if you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise my hand
to kill you. I fear God the Lord of the Universe.
THE QURAN 5: 28
This is the ultimate example of unilateral patience in the face of violence, as established by Habil, the son of Adam. According to the Hadith, the Prophet of Islam said: 'In later times there will be political degeneration but you should never confront your rulers'. One of the companions asked, 'If they should come into our homes to kill us, then what should we do?' The Prophet replied, 'You become the better of the two sons of Adam'. That is, even though you face death at the hands of others, you should not attempt to kill them.
There are two forms of violence; passive and active. Passive violence is that wherein you regard others as oppressors and then show hatred towards them. Active violence is when you deem others as oppressors and instigate and participate in violent acts against them.
Both these types of violence are sins of the same magnitude. If you indulge in any of these types of violence, you will be considered as having eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree. Between the two types of violence the difference is only external in nature. In truth, there is no difference between them at all.