Scholars have defined peace as the absence of war. However, putting an end to war and violence is only its initial phase. Whenever peace prevails in a society in the real sense, its members will channel their energies towards constructive activities. Peace in a society can be likened to removing a dam from a river. All life’s activities will be set in motion with no obstruction, propelled by human nature itself. They come to a halt only when the artificial barriers of war and violence are placed before them. From the point of view of its result, peace is entirely like an opening of all the doors of life. Peace is a complete ideology. Peace is the master key that opens all doors and paves the way for the success of sincere efforts in all spheres. The ideology of peace in Islam is based on how the Prophet of Islam arrived at the Hudaybiyyah Treaty in 629 AD. When we establish peace unilaterally, by becoming tolerant and accepting peace for the sake of peace, it opens opportunities by creating favourable conditions, which enable people to strive towards and attain their objectives. When people avail of these opportunities, they eventually obtain justice and bring many other constructive initiatives to fruition. In a state of peace, we can go about any task: it is impossible to act constructively without peace.
Islam and Violence