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.
PEACE IN THE QURAN
THE Quran is undoubtedly a book of peace. It is not a book of war and violence. This can be judged from the fact that all of the Quran’s pronouncements are directly or indirectly related to peace. Its opening invocation is: “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”, and this verse has been repeated in the Quran no less than 114 times. This is an indication that the greatest attribute of the Supreme Being who sent this book to mankind is mercy. Indeed, the theme of this entire holy book is God’s all-embracing compassion.
The greater part of the scriptures, directly or indirectly, strongly advocates peace. Of the 6,666 verses of the Quran, there are hardly forty verses, that is, less than one percent of the book, which deal with the injunction to wage war, and that too only in self-defence.
Those who accept the Quran as the Book of God will be regarded as true believers only when they follow its admonitions and become peaceloving in the full sense of the word. Under no circumstances, should they launch themselves on violent courses of action. In order to conduct an objective study of this subject, it is necessary to differentiate between Islam and Muslims. Muslim action should not necessarily be seen as deriving from the teachings of Islam. In effect, Muslim practices ought to be judged by the criteria of Islam—which is an ideology—rather than Islam be judged by Muslim practices. Those who have abandoned the teachings of Islam can have no claim to be Islamic in their conduct, even if by their own rights they regard themselves as champions of Islam. Muslims are Muslims only when they follow the basic teachings of their religion.
Peace is God’s Name
The Quran puts on record the many names or attributes of God, one
of them being As-Salam, that is, Peace. God loves peace and security so
much that He chose Peace as one of His names. That is to say, that God
Himself is the embodiment of peace.
Al-Qurtubi, has explained this verse in these words:
God is the Being from Whom all people feel safe and secure. From Whom people have the experience only of peace, not of violence.
God has set the highest conceivable standards. When God’s dealings with human beings are based on peace and security, then man should also deal with other human beings in a peaceable manner, and not with harshness or violence.
No Extremism
In the fourth chapter of the Quran the following injunction has been
given:
Do not go to extremes in your religion. (4: 171)
The same point has been made in a Hadith. The Prophet of Islam observed:
You should restrain yourselves from committing excesses (ghulu) in religion, for it was due to their having gone to extremes in religion that the previous communities were destroyed. (Al-Nasai, Ibn Majah, Musnad Ahmad)
Muslim practices ought to be judged by the criteria of Islam—which is an ideology—rather than Islam be judged by Muslim practices.
Ghulu means extremism. The way of extremism is wrong, whatever the circumstances, for it goes against the spirit of religion. Indeed, it is proneness to extremism which at times culminates in war and violence. Those who have extremist tendencies remain dissatisfied with the path of moderation, since this strikes them as being far from the ideal. That is why they so easily incline towards violence, and are ever ready to open hostilities in the name of achieving their objectives.
Moderation, which is the opposite of extremism, is closely interlinked with peace. When people possess the virtue of moderation, they necessarily think in terms of peace and will engage in their struggle in a peaceful manner. Where there is moderation there is peace, and vice versa.
In stark contrast to this, an extremist attitude very soon leads to confrontation and violence. Extremism and violence are obviously interconnected. That is why extremism is held in religion to be abhorrent. It would not be wrong to say that violence is another name for extremism and that moderation is to refrain from extremism.
Killing One Human Being is Like Killing all Mankind
The Quran states:
Whoever kills a human being, except as a punishment for murder or for spreading corruption in the land, shall be regarded as having killed all mankind. (5: 32)
Murder is a horrendous act. The killing of a human being is permissible only when the danger he poses to social peace has no other remedy.
Killing a single person without proven justification is equal to killing all human beings. The difference between the two is only one of degree and not in nature. Killing one human being is just as horrendous as killing all human beings. Such a killing, without proper sanction, appears to be a simple matter. But such an act breaks all traditions of respect for life.
God’s dealings with human beings are based on peace and security, then man should also deal with other human beings in a peaceable manner, and not with harshness or violence.
The above verse of the Quran shows the great importance of peace and security in Islam. If someone is unjustly killed, Islam demands that the whole of society should become so greatly agitated over this offence that it should work united towards restoring a state of peace and security. It should be treated as a matter of the greatest urgency, as if all of humanity were under attack.
Extinguishing the Fire of Violence
The Quran states:
Whenever they kindle the fire of war, God puts it out. (5: 64)
This verse of the Quran shows the creation plan of the Creator for this world—a plan based on the principle of peace. This means that whenever one of two opposing sides is intent on fuelling the fire of war, the other should attempt to extinguish it by resorting to some peaceful strategy, so that violence may be prevented from spreading.
It should never happen that if one side indulges in violence, the other follows suit. The proper and most desirable way of leading one’s life in this world is not to counter bombs with bombs, but rather to defuse them. And this should be done at the very outset. If we are imbued with the true spirit of Quranic teaching, we should realize that countering a bomb with another bomb is the way of Satan. On the contrary, the way approved of by God is to neutralize the bomb.
Moderation, which is the opposite of extremism, is closely interlinked with peace. When people possess the virtue of moderation, they necessarily think in terms of peace and will engage in their struggle in a peaceful manner.
It is but natural for any given society to have to face distasteful situations. No group of human beings can ever be totally free from untoward happenings in their midst. This being so, the actual solution to the problem lies not in putting an end to the unpleasantness itself, but rather in refraining from aggravating matters, which inevitably happens if one kind of unpleasantness is met with another. By refraining from violence, the baneful influence of social friction can be checked from spreading. There is no other possible solution.
War only for Defence
The Quran states:
Permission to fight is granted to those who are attacked because they have been wronged. (22: 39)
This is not just a Quranic injunction aimed at Islamic believers, but rather a statement of international law. The above verse clearly states that war is permissible only when, in order to counter open aggression, it is waged in self-defence. All other forms of war come under the heading of aggression. And aggressors have no lawful place in this world. According to this verse, there is no justification for any war other than a defensive one, when one is compelled to do.
According to the Quran, even defensive war can be fought only after a formal declaration of war has been made, and only by an established government. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have no right to wage war on any pretext. In view of these teachings, we can safely conclude that according to the laws of war stated in the Quran, all wars, except for a defensive war which has become unavoidable, are unlawful. For instance, guerrilla war, proxy war, undeclared war and aggressive war, are all undoubtedly unlawful in Islam.
War, in fact, is a bestial act. There is nothing human about it. Indeed, according to known and specific principles of Islam, peace is the rule, while war is only a rare exception.
Peace is something that can be opted for in all circumstances, whereas the decision to wage war should be taken only in times of emergencies for the purpose of defence, when it becomes inevitable, and that too at a time when all peaceful strategies for avoiding confrontation have failed.
Peaceful Persuasion, not Coercion On the subject of jihad, the Quran addresses the believers thus:
Do great jihad with the help of the Quran. (25: 52)
As we know, the Quran is a book, an ideological book. It is not a gun or a sword. Therefore, jihad by means of the Quran can only mean conveying the ideas of the Quran to the people. This implies that we should struggle peacefully to make the ideas of the Quran understandable by presenting them in the form of logical arguments.
Jihad in Islam entails only the kind of peaceful struggle which has nothing to do with violence. The Arabic word jihad is derived from the root juhd which means to strive, to struggle, that is, to exert oneself to the utmost to achieve one’s goal.
The above-mentioned verse makes it clear that what is called jihad in Islam entails only the kind of peaceful struggle which has nothing to do with violence. The Arabic word jihad is derived from the root juhd which means to strive, to struggle, that is, to exert oneself to the utmost to achieve one’s goal. This is the original meaning of jihad in Arabic.
This verse shows that peaceful effort is vastly superior to violent effort. Whenever one opts for the violent method, the sphere of one’s efforts becomes very limited. In resorting to violence, only the sword and the gun are of avail, whereas by peaceful methods, all kinds of things may be utilized to achieve our objective. Even a pen of the scholar can serve a great purpose.
Adhering to the Truth with Patience and Perseverance
The Quran tells us that the kind of people who can save themselves
from loss and achieve a successful life are those “who exhort each
other to justice and to fortitude.” (103: 3)
It is unfortunate that one who adheres to the path of truth himself, or calls upon people to accept the truth is almost invariably rejected by the people. The resistance he has to face is very great. At such times what the lover of truth should do is exercise great patience. He should bear with fortitude all hardships, without trying to hold others responsible for it.
Patience is another name for the nonaggressive method. One who stands up for the truth ought not to counter violence with violence. He must unilaterally adhere to peaceful ways.
Truth and violence cannot exist together. One who wants to opt for truth will have to abandon violence. Violence, whatever the pretext or justification, is still violence.
Truth and violence cannot exist together. One who wants to opt for truth will have to abandon violence. Violence, whatever the pretext or justification, is still violence. All forms of violence are equally pernicious, and no elaborate justification of violence can nullify or diminish its destructive consequences. The ultimate weakness of violence is that it begets the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Perpetrating violence in the name of truth is the negation of truth. Those who engage in violence in the name of truth only prove that their case is not that of truth. A lover of truth can never be a lover of violence. One who loves violence is certainly not a lover of truth, whether or not he regards himself as a champion of the truth.
Adopting the Course of Reconciliation
During the times of the Prophet of Islam, as a result of the aggression
of his opponents among the Quraysh, a state of war prevailed between
the Quraysh and the Muslims. One of the commandments given in the
Quran on this occasion was:
Then if they should be inclined to make peace, make peace with them, and put your trust in God. Surely, it is He who is All Hearing and All Knowing. Should they seek to deceive you, God is enough for you. (8: 61-62)
This verse of the Quran shows that peace is desirable in Islam to the greatest possible extent. Even if peace can be established only by incurring risks, this course should unhesitatingly be embarked upon in the way enjoined by the Quran. If reconciliatory offers are made by the antagonists in the course of the war, they should be accepted without delay. Even supposing that there is the fear of some deception in the making of the offer of peace, this offer should nevertheless be accepted in the hopes that God will always be on the side of the peace lovers and not on that of the deceivers.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it begets the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Another reality that emerges is that, in this world, peace can be established only by those who have great courage. In the present world, problems inevitably arise between different groups, for no human situation is ever absolutely ideal. Everyone at some point in his life is faced with injustice and the misappropriation of what belongs to him by right. In these situations, only such individuals can establish peace who can rise above all considerations and disdain all pretexts to engage in violent retaliation. Only the truly courageous can establish peace in this world. Those who are lacking in courage will continue to fight, and will thus never allow the history of the world to be re-written in terms of blessed peace.
No Corruption on this Earth
In the following verse, the Quran alludes to a particular kind of
character, the self-styled reformer:
When they are told, Do not cause corruption in the land,
they say, We are only promoters of peace. (2: 11)
This refers to those who claim to be engaged in reform work, but whose method is of the wrong kind, for their actions result in corruption and perversion. Here the word ‘corruption’ (fasad) means that their activities result in clash and confrontation with others, so that mutual hatred is generated. In the process morality is undermined and a negative mindset prevails. All these factors are referred to as spreading corruption on the earth, for they all destroy social peace, and ultimately, members of society are eternally at loggerheads with each other.
This teaching of the Quran shows that it is not enough for an action to have a good goal to be right. The kind of side effects produced by activities launched in the name of reform must also be examined. If these activities themselves produce tension and conflict—in spite of their goal being the laudable one of reformation—they would be regarded as spreading corruption. The doers will be deemed criminals and not reformers or servants of humanity.
No reform work is truly such, unless it is confined to the sphere of peace and humanitarianism. Any work, even if it is carried out in the name of reform, is to be condemned if it disturbs the peace, or worse, results in the loss of lives or the destruction of property. The task of reform should result in reform. If it results in social upheaval (fasad) then this reform movement is in itself a form of societal perversion, irrespective of whatever fine words we may find to describe it.
The Greater Provision
A principle of life has been thus stated in the Quran:
Do not regard with envy the worldly benefits We have given some of them, for with these We seek only to test them. The provision of your Lord is better and more lasting. (20: 131)
The truth is that there are two very different ways of living one’s life. The first is entirely directed towards the material world. One who seeks success in terms of worldly wealth and honour will find that there is no end to his ambition. For if he sets purely worldly goals before him, he will always find that there are people around him who have more than he has. There is no escaping these disparities. Therefore, one who lives for material things suffers a perpetual sense of deprivation. This produces feelings of discontent and jealousy, which surface again and again in the form of rivalry, revenge and the accompanying violence.
Only the truly courageous can establish peace in this world. Those who are lacking in courage will continue to fight, and will thus never allow the history of the world to be re-written in terms of blessed peace.
The second way for the individual is to lead his life with a sense of achievement. Such a person will be content with himself. This feeling of achievement will prevent him from nurturing hatred against others or engaging in violence. Who are those who are blessed with this feeling? In the words of the Quran, they are those who are the recipients of God’s provision. God’s provision means the conviction of having discovered the truth: that they have been blessed by their Creator is more precious than all the world’s treasures of gold and silver. Each individual should, therefore, lead his life with a keen awareness that the source of his intellectual and spiritual nourishment is the entire universe.
One who becomes a recipient of God’s provision in this world rises so high that material things like wealth and power become insignificant to him. This psychology of its own turns him into a peace-loving person.
Hatred and violence appear to him so meaningless that he has no time for such negative emotions or for making plans to engage in violence. One who has found something greater can never seriously pursue something smaller. He would therefore never engage in violence.
The Prompt Silencing of Complaints
The complaining mentality is an aggressive one, which stifles positive
thinking. It is the resultant negative thought which is undoubtedly
the root cause of all evil. In most cases, it gives rise to the permanent
sense of grievance, real or imaginary, which
underlies any violence which takes place.
The truth is that all the teachings of Islam are based, directly or indirectly, on the principle of peace. While all Islamic objectives may be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere, there are no Islamic objectives which may be achieved in a violent atmosphere.
The creation plan in this present world has been devised in such a manner that there is no escape from grievances. This being so, the moment the thought of complaining first takes shape in the mind, it should be immediately dismissed. The complaint, if constantly recalled or revived, becomes so entrenched in the memory that it can never be thrust aside. In such a situation, wisdom lies in nipping complaints in the bud. Failing this, complaining will gradually become a permanent part of one’s psyche, and then one’s thinking will acquire a negative character. Others will appear as enemies.
Given a chance, the complainant will not then hesitate to engage in violence against the targets of his complaints, even if he himself suffers in consequence.
What is the formula for putting an end to complaints at the very outset? It is to give serious thought to the following verse of the Quran:
Whatever misfortune befalls you is of your own doing. (42: 30)
This means whenever we have any cause for complaint against anyone, we should direct it first at ourselves. We should try to explain it in such a way that the blame falls upon us. When we come to understand that we, rather than others, have made some mistake, we shall then set about rectifying our own shortcomings, than wasting time in making protests and complaints against some supposed enemy.
A Mercy for Mankind
The Quran has the following to say of the Prophet of Islam:
We have sent you forth as a mercy to all mankind. (21: 107)
The advent of the Prophet of Islam made manifest God’s mercy for all mankind. Through him God communicated those principles of life by opting for which man may inhabit the abode of eternal peace and security (Dar-as-Salaam) (10: 25). Through him, such teachings were revealed as would turn human society into a peaceful society. For the first time in history, the Prophet of Islam presented a complete ideology based on the concept of peace. He gave us the principle for the building of a healthy life, by shunning hatred and violence. Through him a revolution was set in motion, which made it possible to construct a peaceful society by avoiding war and confrontation.
Although the Prophet of Islam was compelled to wage several battles, they were so brief that we might describe them as skirmishes rather than full-scale war. It would be quite correct to say that the Prophet of Islam initiated a revolution which, although very great in its scope and repercussions, was nevertheless almost bloodless. He gave peace the status of a complete ideology or system of life. He impressed it upon his followers that violence was the way of destruction, while peace was the way of construction. He held patience to be the greatest form of worship, implying as it does adherence to the path of peace in the full sense of the word. He held disturbing the peaceful system of nature to be the greatest crime (fasad).
The Prophet enjoined believers to greet one another by saying Assalamu Alaykum (peace be on you). This shows that mutual relationships should be based on peace and security. The Prophet told the believers that success in the Hereafter should be the target of the human struggle. In this way he dispelled the notion that worldly progress should be one’s aim in life, for that is what ultimately results in all kinds of confrontation and violence. His principle for better living was to make oneself useful to others, and if that was not possible, then at least not to harm others; no one should be regarded as an enemy; even the enemy must be given fair treatment, for only then would the realization come that one’s enemy was potentially one’s friend: the ‘enemy’ always has it in him to be a friend.
Self-evident Proof
It is no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory
to each other. The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously
unfounded that, prima facie, it stands rejected. The fact that violence
is not sustainable in the present world is enough to demonstrate that
violence as a principle is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam.
Islam claims to be an eternal religion and, as such, it cannot afford to have a principle in its scheme which at any time could be found unsustainable. Any attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts to casting doubt upon the universal message of the Islamic religion.
A phrase like ‘Islamic violence’ is the same kind of contradiction in terms as ‘pacifistic terrorism’. The truth is that all the teachings of Islam are based, directly or indirectly, on the principle of peace. While all Islamic objectives may be achieved in a peaceful atmosphere, there are no Islamic objectives which may be achieved in a violent atmosphere.