Peace is the only religion for both—man and the universe. In a peaceful environment all good things are possible, whereas in the absence of peace, we cannot achieve anything of a positive nature, either as individuals, or as a community. The same holds true at national and international levels.
What is Peace?
Scholars have defined peace thus: “Peace is the absence of war.” Peace in fact means the absence of a situation of war or violence.
While this defines the essence of peace, there are some who consider it to be inadequate. They say that peace should be accompanied by justice; that peace devoid of justice is no peace. But setting such a condition for the attainment of peace is impractical. This is because peace on its own does not bring justice. That is, justice is not necessarily an element of peace. What peace does, in actual fact, is open up opportunities. It creates favourable conditions that would enable us to strive for justice and other constructive ends. Peace is always desirable for its own sake. Everything else comes after peace, not along with peace.
The Hudaybiya Peace Treaty
The Prophet of Islam provides a clear historical example in his method of negotiating of the Hudaybiya peace treaty. On this occasion he brought matters to a successful conclusion by unilaterally accepting the conditions of his opponents. In this peace treaty, the Prophet had apparently not received justice or his rights. What was in effect a 10-year no-war pact, gave the Prophet an opportunity to work uninterruptedly on a constructive programme which would otherwise have been impossible. By means of this peaceful non-political programme, the Prophet and his companions were able to consolidate themselves so thoroughly that they had no need to wage war: their opponents were left with no option but to surrender.
This Hudaybiya peace treaty of the Prophet of Islam was like a peace ‘bomb’, its positive effects spread far and wide. The result of this treaty shows that the peace ‘bomb’ is mightier than the violent bomb. Peace is life, and violence means death. Peace promotes construction and progress, while violence leads to destruction and annihilation. Peace enhances creativity, whereas violence does the very opposite. The power of peace is based on love, while that of violence is based on hatred. The capacity of peace is unlimited, while that of violence is limited.
Some Historical Examples
Japan’s industrial cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were destroyed by the atom bombs in 1945. After the holocaust, Japan abandoned violence and adopted a peaceful course, which it termed a reverse course for its national development. As a result within forty years, Japan rose rapidly to become a great economic power.
India's freedom struggle is an excellent example of the use of peaceful methods to achieve political ends. India’s freedom struggle began in 1857. But even after 60 years of sacrifice, the desired political goal remained a distant dream. Then, in 1920, M.K. Gandhi emerged as the leader of the freedom struggle. Taking a U-turn, he abandoned the violent method and opted for a peaceful course of action for the freedom movement.
Peace means life, and violence means death. The power of peace is based on love, while that of violence is based on hatred. The capacity of peace is unlimited, while that of violence is limited.
Things took a miraculous turn after that, leaving the British nonplussed. a non-violent Gandhi had taken away from the British any justification for the use of violence. The following anecdote is an apt illustration. When Gandhi launched his freedom movement by following a peaceful method instead of resorting to violent means, a British officer sent a telegram to his secretariat in these words:
“Kindly wire instructions how to kill a tiger non-violently.”
The success which was not forthcoming, even after a long and violent struggle, was achieved by peaceful methods in a short period of time.
Peace—A Complete Code of Conduct
Both violence and peace have wide connotations. Violence includes everything from hatred to war while peace spreads across the range from tolerance to love. Violence, war and peace are both the results of human thinking. Those who engage in violent activities are the worst of humanity, while those who opt for peaceful behaviour are the best. Peace means normalcy, and normalcy provides opportunities that favour the growth of a healthy environment. A natural condition should prevail, where people can live and work without any hindrance.
Violence closes the doors to positive activities, peace opens the doors to healthy activities, creating an atmosphere of positive living for the individual, society and the nation at large. All achievements are possible in an environment of peace. If violent situations hamper opportunities, peace helps favourable situations to flourish, where man’s creative abilities can be nurtured and developed.
Never lose your peace of mind even in moments of crisis. Respond positively, even in negative situations.
While peace is a boon for human society, violence is a curse. Peace is an asset, and violence, a liability. Peace is love and violence is hatred. Peace is amity and violence is enmity. Peace brings people closer and violence distances them. Peace fosters a high level of human culture, whereas violence breeds a jungle culture. Peace elevates humanity to the level of civilized social existence, whereas violence causes a descent to barbarism. Peace promotes life, while violence is the harbinger of death and destruction. Peace highlights the good elements of a society, while violence does the very opposite.
Jesus Christ said, “Love your enemy.” This means, live with your enemy peacefully, i.e. win over your enemy by using the power of peace. Human history testifies that peace affords everything, while violence yields nothing.
Peace Turns Minus into Plus
German psychologist, Alfred Adler, has said that humans alone possess the unique 'power to turn a minus into a plus’. What enables man to perform this extraordinary feat?
The human brain is a treasure house of unlimited power. When man loses his peace of mind at a time of crisis, he loses the ability to use this powerful resource, i.e. his intelligence, in a positive way. Negative thinking is an obstacle to human development, while positive thinking is a life-giver, a stimulant of human capacities. Therefore, when an individual or a nation is able to maintain peace in every situation, infinite possibilities open up. This is when ‘minuses’ can be turned into ‘pluses’. The following two examples will illustrate this point. One is of a societal nature and the other is at the individual level.
The Prophet of Islam provides us an excellent historical example. In his famous book The 100, Dr. Michael Hart has observed: “Muhammad was the only man in history who was supremely successful at both the religious and secular levels.”
How was the Prophet of Islam able to achieve this supreme success? though he repeatedly faced moments of crisis in his mission, he never once lost his peace of mind. This made him respond positively, even in negative situations. By avoiding confrontation and availing of opportunities, it became possible for him to convert disadvantage into advantage. British writer, E.E. Kellett, describs this achievement of the Prophet:
Take your share without usurping that of others. Satisfy your desires without thwarting others and fulfil your ambitions without denying others the right to do likewise.
“He faced adversity with the determination to wring success out of failure.”
The life of the Prophet was a practical example of this principle.
Swami Vivekananda, an Indian saint, was once invited to the home of one of his friends who wanted to test his mettle. The Swamiji was ushered into a room where the sacred scriptures of all major religious traditions were placed on a table, one on top of the other. The arrangement was such that the Gita, the Hindu religious scripture, was placed at the bottom, and others placed on top of it. Swamiji’s friend was sure that he would be provoked by this arrangement. So he drew the Swamiji’s attention to the books placed on the table, and asked him to comment. Swamiji simply smiled and said:
“The foundation is really good.”
This beautiful response from the Swamiji was due to the fact that his peace of mind was not disturbed.
The Way to Attain Peace
Peace is essential for a better way of living—peace of mind, peace in the family and peace in nature. Today, in our modern, technological world, man apparently has access to everything he desires. In the absence of peace, however, everything has been rendered meaningless. What is needed to redress the balance is love, compassion, tolerance, forbearance and the spirit of co-existence.
How can we attain peace? The formula is very simple. Take your share without usurping that of others. Fulfil your needs without depriving others of theirs. Satisfy your desires without thwarting others and fulfil your ambitions without denying others the right to do likewise. In short, solve your own problems without creating problems for your fellow creatures. Peaceful co-existence is the only way of existence in this world.
However, a peaceful life can be achieved only when human beings understand their limitations. According to the Divine law, you can take from the world whatever will satisfy your need—not your greed. You may do business with others but you should not exploit them. You may also establish your individuality, but not at the cost of the family and society. You may lead your life by maintaining social structures and tradition and not by destroying them. You have the freedom to lead your own life, but also care for the rest of society and not neglect it. Resources may be utilized for the benefit of humanity, but not for the sake of exploitation. You are free to use peaceful methods, but you are not entitled to use violence. You can make use of nature, but only by maintaining its balance: the equilibrium of nature must never be upset. You have the freedom to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, but not to manufacture destructive weapons. You are at liberty to nurture feelings of love and compassion, but not to give way to hatred and prejudice. You are free to fulfil your physical desires, but not by spiritually killing your soul. In short, you have the freedom to enjoy life by sharing with others, but certainly not by eliminating them.
Solve your own problems without creating problems for your fellow creatures. Peaceful co-existence is the only way of existence in this world.
Price of Peace
Everything in this world has its price and this is particularly true of peace. If we want peace, we should be ready to pay for it or else stand deprived of it. What is the price of peace? It is simple tolerance. We live in a world of differences, and these differences cannot be eliminated. Therefore, we have only two options: tolerance or intolerance. While the latter leads to violence, the former ensures peace. Where there is tolerance there is peace, and where there is intolerance, there is war and violence. There is only one universal formula of tolerance for peace, applicable at all levels - to one’s family life, social life, and at the international level. Peace requires us to foster a culture of tolerance, whereas intolerance can lead only to war.
Nature—A Model of Peace
The root cause of most of our problems is traceable to our deviation from the peaceful model of nature — the best model for us to follow. All the dilemmas we face today arise because we have not followed nature’s lead.
The stars and planets are in continual motion in their orbits, but they never collide with one another. This shows man how to proceed to his destination in life without coming into conflict with others. The sun too is an excellent model. It shows us how we should give life to others in a totally indiscriminating way. The tree is another shining example, supplying healthy and beneficial oxygen in exchange for harmful carbon dioxide. Just look at how the flowers spread fragrance all around, regardless of whether they are appreciated or not. A flowing stream irrigates fields without expecting anything in return. Without the inculcation of these altruistic values, no meaningful life on earth is possible.
According to the Divine law, you can take from the world whatever will satisfy your need—not your greed. You may do business with others but you may not exploit them.
Positivity prevails throughout Nature. Negativity just does not exist in the natural world. This teaches us the lesson that we should give a positive response at all times, even in negative situations.
Christ has exhorted us to follow Nature’s example in these divine words: ‘Our Father in Heaven! Hallowed be Your name, Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.’ (Matthew 6: 10)
The Beautiful World of Nature
The relevance of positive living is not limited to individual moral behavior. It is incumbent on us to follow a positive course at all times and in all situations. For, in this vast universe, there is only our tiny earth on which human beings may survive. To date, there is no other spot in the cosmos where we have discovered life-supporting systems. Preserving Nature, is synonymous with sustaining life, while destroying Nature will lead to total extinction. In short, consistently engaging in positive living amounts to saving life, while failing to do so is a certain way of committing suicide.
This beautiful world of nature created by God is well on its way to being ruined by man. Widespread violence, ecological disturbance and global warming have together become a menace greater than that of a Third World War. Indeed, it is as if a Third World War has already been thrust upon us. We have to work unitedly and sincerely to save Nature in the interest of all humanity.
The Home of Peace
The religious viewpoint on this subject is very aptly conveyed in the Quran in the following statement:
‘God calls to the Home of Peace.’ (THE QURAN10: 25)
This means that according to the creation plan, peace and harmony should prevail in human society. God Himself is peace. He intended this world to be peaceful, and only a peaceful world will be able to receive His blessings.
A peaceful world is like paradise on earth. It is only in such a world that we can meet and establish contact with God Almighty, the creator of man and the universe.
Nature was a paradise on earth, but man is turning it into hell. Nature, a source of spirituality, is God’s language: it teaches us the lesson of peace and harmony. It is the source of life to all mankind, and destruction of Nature means destruction of mankind. Nature is a fundamental necessity for human beings, both physically as well as spiritually.
Peace requires us to foster a culture of tolerance, for intolerance can lead only to war.
Nature and man are interdependent. We cannot think of human beings without Nature, or conversely, Nature without human beings. We have either to go on together or else perish together. Nature encompasses a huge family of which Man is a dominant member endowed with the unique and powerful gift of intelligence. This puts a responsibility on mankind to use this gift judiciously and ensure that Nature is maintained the way it was intended by God. But Nature is now in peril and once again the responsibility is in the hands of mankind to save it.
Nuclear Arms for What?
Nuclear weapons and other destructive devices are totally against the divine scheme prevailing in the beautiful world of nature. Why then should there be the stockpiling of nuclear arms, which is the greatest threat not only to peace but also to the very survival of mankind?
Here it should be stressed, that nuclear arms are not usable. Weapons of mass destruction, their widespread devastation and the long lasting effects of radioactive fallout make the use of these weapons impractical. Such weapons can be—and have been—used only once over Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States near the end of World War II. Hiroshima and Nagasaki represented a full stop to this matter—not a comma. Why then are some countries acquiring more and more nuclear bombs? The answer is that they want to maintain their status as nuclear powers.
There is, however, an alternative far superior to the nuclear power status. Destroy all nuclear weapons. Such an action would lead to a peace explosion. Anyone who dared to do so would emerge as a spiritual winner and a moral superpower, unlike the competitors in the nuclear race, where there can be no winner.
Preserving nature, is synonymous with sustaining life, while destroying nature will soon lead to extinction.
It is a fact that being a moral superpower is on a far higher plane than being a nuclear superpower. But such a revolutionary step cannot be taken bilaterally; it is possible only on a unilateral basis. Nuclear disarmament is not the mere destruction of nuclear weapons. It is to turn a ‘violent’ bomb into a ‘peace bomb’. It would bring about a peaceful explosion. Any nation that has the courage to take this peace initiative would apparently lose its status as a nuclear power. But at the same time, it would gain a far more elevated status— that of a moral or spiritual superpower. Only such a superpower can initiate the process of peace. Only this peace ‘explosion’ can transform a violent world into a world where peace reigns supreme.
Peace—A Positive Behaviour
Peace is a product of positive mental attitude and a natural state of society. Violence is the result of negative thinking and an unnatural state. Peace is as much in accordance with nature’s plan as violence is against it. If the atmosphere of peace is disturbed, the normal functioning of society is disrupted. This law applies to the entire universe of which man is a member. According to the scheme of nature, peace is the only secret of smooth functioning in human society as well as in the rest of the universe. Peace, therefore, is such a basic requirement of man, that it is crucial to maintain it in all situations. Without peace there can be neither development nor progress. No excuse whatsoever justifies the use of violence, be it individual, national or international life. Regardless of how unfavourable circumstances might be, an environment of peace is indispensable. We must maintain peace unilaterally, for nothing that we desire can be achieved without it.
Failure to establish peace will result in total destruction. The option facing us is not between peace and no peace, but between peace and annihilation. Without peace, there is no hope for mankind.
Spiritual Comfort
What disturbs the peaceful plan of Nature can be, to a great extent, traced to people’s growing materialism. It is this thinking which leads to mindless exploitation of nature, resulting in the disturbance of the peaceful plan of nature. A path of moderation would soon make clear that if earlier they were comfortable physically, now they are comfortable spiritually. And undoubtedly spiritual comfort is far better than material comfort.
God Himself is Peace. He intended this world to be peaceful, and only a peaceful world will be able to receive His blessings.
The perpetrator of violence, be he a ‘Hitler’ or a common man, invariably suffers from remorse, while the peacemaker derives great satisfaction from a measured response. If one were to think of the end result, one would never indulge in violence. Remember, peace is in consonance with humanity, whereas violence is a descent to the animal level.
Peace—Man’s Absolute Right
Peaceful revolution is the outcome of peaceful thinking. Peaceful minds make for a peaceful world. Man was born in peace. Man must die in peace. Peace is man’s birth right— God’s greatest blessing to humanity.
