As far as the modern age is concerned, war has become entirely irrelevant. This age is one of an explosion of opportunities—opportunities have increased to such a great extent today that everything one wants can be achieved by treading the path of peace. It would be true to say that, under the present circumstances, war and violence are no longer an option. What one failed to achieve in the past through confrontation can be successfully achieved in the present day and age solely by making use of peaceful means.

Following the peaceful method, today is like letting a tree grow, while choosing the violent method is like cutting it down. Our task, then, is to grow a tree and not to cut it down – an indisputable axiom that is applicable not just to gardening but also in a highly significant way to human society.

Source: The Seeker’s Guide

God Almighty created man and settled him on the planet Earth. He gave man total freedom, which he was required to use in a self-disciplined manner. But he failed to do so. Greed for political power, economic self-interest, and religious intolerance became the order of the day. The situation continued for several thousands of years. This was the basic reason for the prevalence of war culture in previous centuries.

This state of affairs was against the creation plan of God. According to the creation plan, it was required that every man and woman should have a free environment in which to develop his or her personality. But over time this scheme was vitiated. Then, God endeavoured to manage history while maintaining human freedom. This required very intricate planning. It, therefore, took a long time for the goal to be reached. The present age is the culmination of this divine planning.

The limited options available in earlier times gave way to the gaining of monopolies over all things: political power, economic opportunities, and religion. Everything was monopolized by one group or another. In such a situation, the Creator wanted to de-monopolize all the resources of life so that every man and woman might have freedom of choice. Therefore, God initiated a process of management of history. Our modern civilization is the culmination of this long process of divine management.

The age of democracy brought the de-monopolization of political power. Modern industrialization was the outcome of de-monopolization in terms of economic opportunities. The modern age of intellectual freedom made possible the de-monopolization of religious dogmatism. The emergence of modern science led to the de-monopolization of ideological regimentation.

It is this phenomenon that the British writer J.F. West has rightly called a great intellectual revolution. The de-centralization of all kinds of monopolies was bound to lead to a culture of peace. After de-monopolization, everything has come within everyone’s reach, so that there is no question of having to indulge in violence to gain one’s ends.

In previous ages, the choices were apparently very limited. It was this state of affairs that produced the culture of monopoly. Human beings were then divided into two groups: the haves and the have-nots. This division of people was bound to create a clash of interests between different groups. This was the main reason why people of the previous ages were frequently engaged in war and violence.

Modern civilization has virtually de-centralized all the opportunities of life. It has become possible for everyone to be free to achieve what he or she wants to achieve in the field of his or her choice. Opportunities are now available for everyone. That is why the modern age can be called the age of opportunities.

Source: The Age of Peace

The present age is a unique period of human history. Ancient man would have been unable to even comprehend such a phase of mankind. Many revolutions in human civilization have bestowed man with numerous blessings. Religious persecution has been abolished and replaced by religious freedom, traditional and superstitious beliefs have given way to a rational and scientific era and the age of antagonism and hostility has been put an end to and replaced by an age of inter-dependence. In other words, an era of problems has been eradicated and in its place, we have only opportunities and more opportunities everywhere.

How do we avail of the many opportunities the age has to offer? It is through wise planning. Wise planning involves recognising these myriad opportunities in various fields—business, social work, education, and inviting people to God—and using the freedom we have been blessed with, to avail of these opportunities. There is but one restriction—one may not harm or trouble anyone else. As long as one does not harm others, there will be no obstacle to avail the many opportunities that abound today.

Let me cite a story to illustrate this point. When America won independence from Britain, an American man, overjoyed at the news, stepped out into the streets to celebrate. In his joy, he waved his hands about, and by mistake, struck a passer-by on the nose. The angry passer-by asked him why he had hit him. The man said “We’ve won freedom, and I’m now free! I was exercising my freedom!” The second man replied, “Yes, you are free, but your freedom ends where my nose begins!”

Source: Spirit of Islam April 2018