The Quran tells us that “the sun is not allowed to overtake the moon, nor does the night outpace the day. Each in its own orbit runs.” (36:40)
For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.
When God created the heavens and the earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other part. For billions of years, therefore, the entire universe has been fulfilling its function in total harmony with His divine plan.
From this, we can understand that peace is no external commodity to be artificially imposed upon man. Peace is inherent in nature itself. The system of nature set up by God already rests on the basis of peace. If this system is not disrupted, it will continue to stay the course set for it by the Almighty. It is true that the only condition to maintain the human system on the path of peace is to keep it free from the elements of corruption. That is why the Quran states:
“Do not corrupt the land after it has been set in order.” (7: 85)
In order to preserve peace established by nature, two important injunctions have been laid down by Islam. One at the individual level, stresses the exercise of patience, and the other, at the social level, forbids taking the offensive.
Negative reaction on the part of the individual is the greatest factor responsible for disrupting peace in daily life. It repeatedly happens that in social life one experiences bitterness on account of others. On such occasions, if one reacts negatively, the matter will escalate to the point of a head-on collision. That is why Islam repeatedly enjoins us to tread the path of patience. The Quran says:
“Surely the patient will be requited in full without measure.” (39: 10)
The reason for the rewards for patience being so great is that patience is the key factor in maintaining the desired system of God. In the words of the Quran, the patient man is the helper of God. (61: 14)
Source: Spirit of Islam December 2018
Some people bracket justice with peace, but Islam does not subscribe to this notion. Islam believes in peace for the sake of peace. According to Islam, justice is not the direct result of peace. Peace only provides a framework within which we may work toward justice. There are so many examples in the life of the Prophet that prove that the Prophet never bracketed justice with peace.
He always took peaceful circumstances as an opportunity to work for justice and did not attempt to derive justice directly from peace. One such clear example is provided by the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, between the Prophet and his opponents. From the details of the peace treaty, it is clear that no clause regarding justice was included. Obviously, the conditions of this treaty were quite against justice. But the Prophet accepted this treaty, not because it was giving them justice, but because it was paving the way to work for justice.
According to Islam, peace is not simply an absence of war. Peace opens doors to all kinds of opportunities which are present in any given situation. It is only in a peaceful situation that planned activities are possible. It is for this reason that the Quran says, ‘reconciliation is the best’ (4:128). Similarly the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, has observed: “God grants to gentleness (rifq) what he does not grant to violence (unf). (Sunan Abu Dawud 4/255)
Source: The Man Islam Builds
Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Arabic root of Islam is ‘silm’ which means peace. The Quran calls its way ‘the paths of peace’ (5:16). It describes reconciliation as the best policy (4:128), and states that God abhors any disturbance of the peace (2:205).
A perusal of the Quran shows that most verses of the Quran (and also the Hadith) are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The Quran states: ‘…Gods calls to the home of peace’ (10: 25). It is, thus, God’s will that men and women should jointly establish a society of peace in this world.
The Quran presents the universe as a model which is characterized by harmony and peace (36:40). When God created heaven and earth, He so ordered things that each part might perform its function peacefully without clashing with any other part.
In fact, Islam cannot afford not to be in a state of peace because all that Islam aims at—spiritual progress, intellectual development, character building, social reform, educational activities, and above all dawah—can be achieved only in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.
Source: The Man Islam Builds
There is much talk today—as before—about peace and pacifism. That we need an ideology of peace is something every sensible person acknowledges.
People think injustice leads to war, and that, therefore, those denied justice should first be given justice for peace to prevail. This is a flawed concept. You may think you have given justice to someone, but he may not think he has received his just due. And so, he will remain dissatisfied and disgruntled and can easily take to violence. This demand for ‘just peace’ cannot work. It can never result in peace.
The only way to establish peace is to work for peace for its own sake, unconditionally, and not link it with justice or human rights or anything else. Agreeing unilaterally to peace will open doors to many opportunities to progress. Availing these opportunities, one can obtain all those things including justice.
This is the only workable formula for peace and also the formula that Islam recommends. Islam is an ideology of peace and presents this eminently workable formula for peace, yet strangely, Muslims have failed to understand this or convey it to others.
Source: Spirit of Islam August 2015
The Prophet of Islam fully adopted the way of pacifism or non-violence all his life. All his successes were achieved by non-violent methods. There were many issues in Makkah at that time which could have been the subject of clash and confrontation. But the Prophet avoided all such issues, strictly limiting his sphere to the peaceful propagation of his message.
- The first thirteen-year period of the prophethood is called the Makkah period. The method of non-violence, or pacifism, was adopted in the full sense in this phase. Many issues which presented themselves in Makkah could easily have led to confrontations. But the Prophet of Islam, avoiding all such issues, confined himself totally to the sphere of the peaceful propagation of ‘the word of God’. It was as a result of this policy that dawah work in this period could be effectively performed. One of the many benefits of this 13-year dawah work was that in this age all the best individuals who influenced Islamic history were brought into the fold of Islam, for instance, Abu Bakr, Umar, Usman, Ali, etc.
- When the Makkan leaders wanted to wage war against him, the Prophet, declining to retaliate, quietly migrated to Madinah.
Hijrah, in its nature, is, without doubt, an example of non-violent activism. This peaceful strategy enabled the Prophet and his migrant companions, about 200 in number, to build a powerful center of Islam in Madinah. If the Prophet had opted for the way of armed confrontation instead of peaceful migration, perhaps the history of Islam would have begun and ended in Makkah.
- After the emigration, the Prophet’s antagonists waged war unilaterally. The outcome was the bloody pitched battles at Badr and Uhud. At that moment, the Prophet again negotiated a 10-year peace treaty by accepting all the conditions of the enemy. This pact is known in the history of Islam as the Hudaybiyyah peace treaty. This event is called a ‘clear victory’ in the Quran (The Quran, 48:1). It was this peace pact, which paved the way for that peaceful constructive activity that finally made possible the conquest not only of Makkah but the whole of Arabia.
All great successes or victories in the first phase of Islam and in the succeeding period were achieved by the peaceful method.
Pacifism is a doctrine subscribed to by those who find war and its attendant evils abhorrent—violence, destruction, loss of life, and in particular, the disruption of normal existence. From the earliest times, peace has been a subject of compelling interest and study for all thinking people. Right from Aristotle to St. Augustine, from Bertrand Russell to Mahatma Gandhi, great minds have been preoccupied with this subject and have advocated adherence to the ways of peace. 1937 even saw the publication of an Encyclopaedia of Pacifism, yet a generally acceptable formula for establishing peace has still to be developed.
The law of nature maintains that peace can be attained only on a unilateral and not on a bilateral basis. This means that first of all we have to abandon confrontational methods such as political activism, protest-based activism and human rights activism. This kind of unilateralism will establish normalcy, which will lead to peace and peace will open the door to all kinds of opportunities. By wise planning we can achieve the desired goals of social justice and human rights.
Peace can only be established on a unilateral basis without confrontation. Establishing social justice and human rights, it becomes a bilateral issue. We have to fight other groups which we think are responsible for injustice and the violation of human rights. If we start our journey towards this goal, it is bound to lead to confrontation with existing groups. Instead of reaching the desired goal, people will become engaged in violence. We have to evolve a method that will work without confrontation. The achievement of social justice or human rights calls for wise planning. It is not a journey along a highway but through thickets of thorny bushes.
Peace for the sake of social justice is not a practicable formula. The only workable formula is peace for the sake of normalcy. Normalcy gives us the opportunity to plan wisely. Wise planning is non-controversial in nature. It can be done without confronting others, regardless of the section of the society to which they belong. The formula is: Establish a peaceful atmosphere at any cost, it will open up opportunities, and by availing these through wise planning, we can achieve success.
Source: Spirit of Islam February 2016
Another name for non-violence is non-confrontation. In this world, the non-confrontational approach is the only right approach. Following a non-confrontational approach means that when one is faced with an unpleasant situation, he should not react negatively but should rather react positively. Such a policy is the result of wise planning. All the successes of this world stem from wise planning. Without wise planning, there can be no success.
This policy of non-confrontation does not mean surrender. It means to remain strictly peaceful and continue to strive toward your goals. It is in actual fact, the same strategy which is known as ‘buying time’. That is to say, avoiding wasting one’s time in futile activities and directing all one’s energy towards result-oriented activities.
The policy of Islam in all matters is based on result-oriented action. If the result of an action is positive, only then should one go ahead, but if the result is likely to be counter-productive, then one had better opt for the way of non-violent reform, keeping oneself totally away from violence and confrontations. With the adoption of this method, peace will necessarily prevail, and one will be able to continue to strive toward one’s positive goals.
Source: Spirit of Islam September 2014
Non-violence is a way of life that relates to one’s entire existence. Practicing non-violence means to lead a life of positivity despite unfavourable conditions; to adopt a conciliatory and not a confrontational approach in social life. This applies both to individuals and to groups.
This world can be likened to a rose bush, which possesses thorns as well as flowers. Thorns are inseparable parts of the rose bush. This is an immutable law of nature. If we are to pluck the flowers, we have only one option in this matter and that is to avoid the thorns. The beautiful colour and the fragrance of the rose can come within reach, only of those who have the courage to grasp it in spite of its thorns. Otherwise, the possession of such a flower will remain an impossibility.
This phenomenon of nature shows us the way to lead a realistic life; that is, to accept the favourable, while avoiding the unfavourable. For, in this world, there will always be a multiplicity of both pleasant and unpleasant situations. These may seem in many ways to be of man’s creation, but in reality, they have been planned by the Creator Himself. Their existence is as real as that of fire and water. No one is powerful enough to rid the world of all that is negative, leaving only what is positive. The good cannot be separated from the bad.
This being so, there is only one option for us, and that is what we call nonviolence. Non-violence is not just passivity. Non-violence, in actual fact, is a well-considered policy, enabling man to live in peace, even in a violent situation. Indeed, its practice is synonymous with peaceful behaviour. Generally, non-violence is seen as an absence of war. That is, eschewing the way of violent encounter in favour of a peaceful approach. But this is a very limited definition of non-violence. For, the attitude of non-violence relates to man’s entire life, beginning from the moment he steps into this world. The non-violent way is valid in all ambits, right from hearth and home to the sphere of international affairs.
Source: Spirit of Islam May 2013
The Quran attaches great importance to non-violence. According to one tradition, the Prophet of Islam observed: God grants to rifq (non-violence) what he does not grant to unf (violence). (Sunan, Abu Dawood, 4/255)
The word rifq has been used in this hadith as an antithesis to unf. These terms convey exactly what is meant by non-violence and violence in present times. This hadith clearly indicates the superiority of the non-violent method. God grants to non-violence what He does not grant to violence embodies an eternal law of nature. By the very law of nature, all bad things are associated with violence, while all good things are associated with non-violence.
Violent activities breed hatred in society, while non-violent activities elicit love. Violence is the way of destruction while non-violence is the way of construction. In an atmosphere of violence, it is enmity that flourishes, while in an atmosphere of non-violence, it is friendship that flourishes. The method of violence gives way to negative values while the method of non-violence is marked by positive values. The method of violence embroils people in problems, while the method of non-violence leads people to the exploiting of opportunities. In short, violence is death, non-violence is life.
Source: Islam and Peace
A paradisiacal person is one fit to inhabit Paradise. He is a person who is such an ardent seeker of Paradise that he begins to feel as if he is living in Paradise while remaining physically in this world. If he has found Paradise in terms of such a feeling, in the next world he will physically become a resident of Paradise. When this paradisiacal personality develops in human beings, their intellectual plane reaches such heights that everything becomes immaterial. They do not find any fulfillment in the material things of the world. Owing to their heightened consciousness, they realize that the present world is not the place that they have been created for. Their hearts cry out to God: “O God! Bestow on us, the Paradise of the Hereafter. Give us a place in the world of Your neighbourhood.”
God’s angels will welcome those men and women, who reach the Hereafter with all the above qualities. The angels will come forward and say: “Congratulations, O Blessed Souls! Enter God’s heaven by divine decree. Here, there is no death and no parting from this joyous world.
The eternal life has been given to you for all eternity.” The Quran says:
“O Soul at peace! Come to your Lord well pleased, and He will also be well pleased with you. So enter among My chosen servants. And enter My Garden.” (89: 27-30)
Such are the souls who have discovered God, and whose greatest concern is the Almighty. They worship only one God and devote their lives to improving their intellectual and spiritual abilities to a high degree. Their activities are Hereafter-oriented rather than world-oriented. They succeed in steering clear of all negative feelings such as hatred, jealousy, prejudice, and selfishness, and raise themselves to the highest moral level. They follow the way of forgiveness and fix their gaze on the Hereafter in all situations. They have adopted the path of honesty; and have on their own imposed the divine discipline upon their words and deeds. They reserve their feelings of love and fear exclusively for God. Their life and death is for truth. They do not live their lives for anything less than the higher cause.
Source: Spirit of Islam April 2017
According to Islam, the ultimate state of spiritual upliftment is referred to in the Quran as the 'soul at peace' in these words:
“[But to the righteous, God will say], ‘O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing. Join My servants. Enter My Paradise.’” (89:27-30)
One who wants to be held deserving of Paradise in the Hereafter must prove that he is a complex-free soul (an-nafs-e-mutmainna). A complex-free soul is one who accepts the creation plan of God, who can give a positive response in any situation, good or bad, who develops no negative feelings in any adverse situation, and who never becomes proud or arrogant in a favourable situation. He is one who can face either situation with a balanced attitude. He is the one who stands up to the test by not allowing situations to negatively affect him but responds to them positively.
Our world is a world of differences, unwanted situations, and provocations, therefore, at all times we have to face predicaments that are not to our liking. This diversity of situations is a part of nature. Since no one can remedy this, one cannot have a world free of all these aspects. We have no option but to accept the world as it is. To pass the test of life, man is required to face all these odds with a tranquil mind. He is required to take them as a challenge and to do so in a positive way. Man is required to give a positive response even in negative situations. Those who prove themselves capable of doing this are complex-free souls. A complex-free soul does not mean a soul without complexes. A complex-free soul is one who is able to deal with all kinds of adversity. A complex-free soul exhibits the capacity to manage things rather than the capacity to eliminate them.
A complex-free soul is one who accepts God’s scheme: in return, God will accept him and reward him with eternal Paradise.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
A soul at peace or a complete person is someone in whom human attributes are found in abundance. He embodies these attributes to the fullest. According to the Quran, a person who is emotionally balanced and free from psychological complexes, and whose conscience prevails over his ego in all situations, is an emblem of a soul at peace. (89:27)
Such a person goes beyond the materialistic world and lives in the higher realms of life. Rising above the superficial. He engages himself in matters of deeper significance. He reaches the stage of perception described in a Hadith as the ability to “see things as they are” rather than as they appear to be. He willingly concedes a reasoned argument. He judges matters objectively with no subjective bias. Despite having great capabilities, he develops modesty in himself. He is totally free from negative emotions. He relates to people evenly, be they ‘friends’ or ‘strangers’. He is completely above personal interests. He lives by the higher principles of life.
All human beings were created as potentially complete persons. To turn this potential ‘completeness’ into a character reality is left to each person. A verse in the Quran speaks of this reality: “We have indeed created man in the best of mould, then We cast him down as the lowest of the low” (95:4-5). According to this verse, man is born with great potential referred to as the 'best of mould' but becomes a case of the 'lowest of the low' in this imperfect world. Only his own conscious effort can make him realize his potential to become a complete person worthy of inhabiting Paradise.
The secret of becoming a complete person lies in inculcating a sense of deep God-consciousness. It is the fear of God that makes one a complete person. There is no other way.
Source: Spirit of Islam October 2018
In Islam, the formula for social peace, social harmony, and inter-faith dialogue is based on peaceful co-existence as has been given in the following verse of the Quran:
“You have your religion and I have mine.” (109:6)
In other words, the principle of dialogue given by Islam is, 'Follow one and respect all', or the method of ‘mutual respect’. As per the teachings of Islam, while respecting others, we have to welcome differences wholeheartedly without any reservation. It is hatred, which has to be eliminated, and not difference of opinion. People may have their differences in belief, religion, culture, etc., but while following their religion, they have to have mutual respect for others and discover a common bond between them, which shows them all to be human beings.
Another principle of dialogue can be drawn from the Hudaybiyyah Peace Treaty signed only after long negotiations between the Prophet of Islam and the Quraysh. It is a matter of historical record that the conclusion of this treaty was possible because the Prophet unilaterally accepted the conditions laid down by the Quraysh. The principle of dialogue derived from this Sunnah (method) of the Prophet is that both parties should present their viewpoints supported by arguments, while remaining ever ready for give and take, rather than insisting on all demands being unconditionally met. In practical matters, Islam advocates flexibility to the ultimate possible extent.
Again, in the presence of the Prophet of Islam, tripartite talks were held between representatives of three religions—Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, in the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah. This historic event, which took place in the sacred place of worship, shows the importance given to peaceful dialogue in Islam. These examples, which are many in number, relate to the golden age of the Prophet and his Companions. That is why; the practice of dialogue in terms of bilateral negotiation enjoys the position of an established principle in Islam.
Source: Spirit of Islam April 2019
Islam prescribes to dialogue for peaceful negotiation. Islam is based on the principle of dawah, which is another name for peaceful negotiation. Violence is totally forbidden in Islam.
In the realm of religion, today, differences are managed only through meaningful and positive ‘inter-faith dialogue’ between people of world religions. The aim of dialogue is to seek peaceful solutions to controversial matters, in spite of differences. There may be differences in religion and culture, but there is absolutely no difference or discrimination between people in terms of respect and honour.
The principle of dialogue is that the parties should present their viewpoints supported by arguments, while remaining ever ready for give and take—a pre-requisite of a successful dialogue—rather than insist on all demands being unconditionally met.
Source: Spirit of Islam April 2019
There are three types of dialogue in my experience. The first is debate, which is when someone wants to win by showing or proving his or her theology’s superiority. In my opinion, this actually is no dialogue at all. It even kills the spirit of dialogue and makes people either scream in anger or be silent. The second is the search for unity. This means that you try to unite all religious doctrines by seeking to eliminate their differences. But by this people also deny their own identities and the distinguishing thoughts, understandings, and behaviours that characterize their lives and communities. Nature, traditions, and social structures are never uniform and cannot pretend to be. The third form of dialogue is intellectual partnership. In this case, we learn from and about each other, and even about ourselves by being shown a mirror from another perspective. This is the only genuine way of dialogue.
Source: Spirit of Islam September 2016
The study of psychology tells us that human beings are by nature egoists. Whenever their ego is hit, a hostile reaction is produced which easily becomes converted into hatred and the urge to do violence. This point has been dealt with very clearly by C.M. Joad in his book: “The Modern Wickedness.” It is this psychological weakness in human beings due to which we find that differences often take the form of animosity, which frequently leads to violence. This shows that violence is in no need of any ideology. Violence flares up or can flare up on its own. But, so far as peace is concerned, it is a course that we adopt by choice. One has to make oneself intentionally peace-loving. That is, while violence occurs on its own, restoring a state of peace requires a positive and peaceful ideology for man to strive toward.
To keep oneself intentionally peaceful, one needs to understand the creation plan of God. The present world has been designed by its Creator as a testing ground for mankind. Man has been granted full freedom of will in this world. But this freedom is not meant to produce anarchy. Its objective is to demonstrate whether man, despite having full freedom, can lead a disciplined life. He has to raise himself from the level of animal amorality to the level of human ethics. In spite of experiencing feelings of hatred and having the urge to be violent, he should become the embodiment of love and peace. When negative sentiments corrode his heart, he should be able to rid himself of them and make himself a positive thinker.
To put it briefly, despite possessing total freedom, he should of his own free will become an example of moral, disciplined behaviour. One who thus conducts himself will pass God’s test. Only those who act in this way will be selected by the Lord, the Creator and Sustainer of this universe, as the beneficiaries of that most wonderful blessing—eternal paradise.
Having understood the meaning of life, one will be willing to keep the peace as a matter of conscious decision-making. For peace, one will curb his anger and be forgiving. He will control his feelings of hatred and project feelings of love for others. He will suppress his negative thinking, and replace it with positive thinking. He will not allow himself to be provoked into violence. And he will do this by his own intention, not under compulsion.
Giving himself a complete moral overhaul, such an individual can play the role of a peace-loving person. This is a comprehensive ideology of peace based on the creation plan of God. Giving the target of Paradise in the Hereafter, it motivates people to adopt peaceful ways.
Source: The Ideology of Peace
Scholars have defined peace thus: “Peace is the absence of war.” This definition is absolutely correct. However, some people hold this definition of peace to be inadequate. They say that justice should accompany peace; that peace devoid of justice is no peace. But setting such a condition for the attainment of peace is impractical. As justice is made a prerequisite for peace, peace remains a distant dream.
In this world of nature, only the laws of nature can prevail, anything that is unnatural cannot be materialised. According to the law of nature, justice is not part of peace; it is the result of your own efforts. The natural formula of peace is based on the principle: Peace for the sake of peace, So, first of all, we have to establish peace at any cost. According to this law of nature, peace will certainly open the doors of opportunity and by making the most of those opportunities, you can achieve justice, peace, or any other goal.
This principle was successfully demonstrated by the Prophet of Islam in the form of Sulh al Hudaybiyyah or the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In fact Sulh al Hudaybiyyah was a peace agreement between Muslims and their opponents. The Prophet of Islam finalised this peace agreement by accepting injustice. At that time the Prophet and his companions wanted to visit Makkah and perform Umrah, but they were prevented from doing so. The Prophet dropped his Umrah plans and finalised the peace agreement by accepting all the conditions laid down unilaterally by the opponents. As a consequence, the companions of the Prophet were very disheartened: they considered it a degrading treaty. One of the companions said at that time, “Why are we accepting such a humiliating agreement?”
However, soon after this peace agreement was finalised, God Almighty revealed this verse in the Quran: “Truly, we have granted you a clear victory.” (The Quran, 48: 1)
Why does the Quran call it a “clear victory” when it was obviously a setback for the Prophet and his companions? This ‘victory’ was in terms of potential victory rather than immediate actual victory. The Hudaybiyyah Peace Treaty stopped all kinds of hostility between the two sides and opened up the doors of opportunity.
After this, it became possible to conduct a dialogue and, have an intellectual exchange, between the two parties. In other words, peace opened the doors for the Prophet to be able to spread his message throughout Arabia.
This prophetic example shows us the way to peace. It tells us how peace can be established and what actions must be taken in such situations of conflict. It is to detach peace from justice. It is to establish peace at any cost. It is to adopt peace for the sake of peace; to re-plan every strategy concentrating on opportunities and not on justice.
Justice is an indirect result of peace and not the direct outcome, so the formula for peace is to establish peace by accepting injustice for a temporary period. Peace will open the doors of opportunity and by availing the opportunities the goal of justice can be reached. The only formula for achieving justice is to accept injustice at the outset; then you will be able to achieve justice in the future by reaping the benefits of peace.
Source: Spirit of Islam January 2015
Prophet Muhammad has been called the mercy to all mankind by God in the Quran in these words: “We have sent you forth as a mercy to all mankind. (The Quran, 21:107)
The advent of the Prophet was an expression of God’s mercy for the whole of humankind. Through him, God informed us about the principles on the basis of which human beings can come to inhabit what the Quran (10:25) refers to as dar us-salam or ‘the Home of Peace’, an abode of peace and security for its inhabitants. Through the Prophet, God conveyed to us teachings that can make for a peaceful society. The Prophet presented humankind with a complete ideology of peace. He provided us with a formula that can enable us to abstain from hatred and violence and lead a healthy life. He ushered in a revolution that made it possible for humanity to avoid confrontation and war and nurture a peaceful society.
Because of certain compelling circumstances, the Prophet had to fight some battles, but these were so minor that they can be more appropriately called skirmishes, rather than wars. The great revolution that the Prophet wrought can, therefore, definitely be termed a bloodless revolution.
The Prophet gave peace the status of a complete and comprehensive way of life. He taught us that violence leads to destruction, while peace leads to construction. He termed patience as the highest form of worship, which means remaining fully established on the way of peace. He termed strife, the disruption of the peaceful system of Nature, as the biggest crime. He gave complete importance to peace in accordance with the Quranic teaching that equated the killing of a single individual with the slaying of the whole of mankind.
The Prophet termed patience as the highest form of worship, which means remaining fully established on the way of peace. He taught us to greet each other with the greeting Assalamu Alaikum or ‘May peace be upon you!’ This means that our relationships with each other should be based on peace and security. He taught us that success in the Hereafter is the real goal of human activity and struggle in this world. In this way, he uprooted the false belief that the target of our life is worldly progress, which is the basis of all forms of confrontation and violence. He taught us not to consider anyone as our enemy. From him, we learned that if we behave in a good way with our opponents, we will realize that hidden deep within every person we think of as our foe is a potential friend. He gave humanity this beautiful formula: Become someone who benefits others. And if you cannot benefit others, then at least become harmless as far as they are concerned.
Source: Spirit of Islam October 2014
The Quran gives important guidance on how to resolve controversial situations in these words: “for reconciliation is best.” (4:128)
The policy of reconciliation is not only effective for problems relating to family matters but is equally useful for all other problems, both national and international.
When controversy arises, reconciliation is the best course. That is, you have to adopt a conciliatory rather than a confrontational approach. The conciliatory approach always minimizes the problem, while the confrontational approach aggravates matters while leaving the initial problem unsolved.
The fact is that you are not living on an isolated island; you are bound to live in society. You have no option other than to live with others in a family, in a society, in a nation, and in international life. In such a situation, you cannot afford to live on your own. If you become egocentric and ignore other people, you will unnecessarily make others your rivals, so the best policy is to accept others, adopting the policy of adjustment. You have to avoid all kinds of clashes, so that you may save your energy and your time.
Adopting the policy of reconciliation is not just a question of being accommodating toward others. It is much more than that. It allows you to continue your journey of life without any breaks. It saves you from deviation and permits you to dedicate your life more and more to worthy goals.
If you adopt the policy of confrontation, you will very soon discover that there is no end to your difficulties, and this will lead to clashes and clashes will culminate in violence. And, of course, the next stage after violence is conflict, war, and fighting. The best policy, therefore, is to rid oneself of the confrontational mentality at the very outset.
The conciliatory approach seems to be directed against another person, but in fact, the confrontational approach is against the law of nature. It is a man-versus-nature issue rather than a man-versus-man issue. You cannot change the course of nature, so there is no option other than to seek a settlement with nature. This is the only way of success in this world.
Source: Quranic Wisdom
The best policy to adopt vis-à-vis one’s opponents is to save oneself from directly clashing with them, and instead, try to move ahead. Your opponent should not get the opportunity to feel that you are interfering in his domain. If you happen to confront your opponent, you should appear to be inactive, saving yourself from his aggression. Or you should keep yourself carefully confined to your own domain, and in this way, convince your opponent that you will not cause him any harm. Along with this, you should also adopt measures that will enable you to foil your opponent’s aggressive plans in a possible emergency situation. In this way, you will be able to save yourself from clashing with others. This will save you time and energy.
Source: Spirit of Islam July 2017
