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.
ISLAM AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE WORLD
MAN faces a number of challenges—intellectual, political, economic, etc.—which are universal in the modern world. A major issue confronting man is whether humankind can continue to live in peace on this planet. This is a matter of great importance because man’s very existence is in peril. It is the future of humankind which is at stake.
Various sets of adverse circumstances have together produced a state of unrest throughout the world. At different places, groups of people are engaged in violent clashes with other groups. This state of affairs is such as to render our scientific progress meaningless, and it must be acknowledged that our very civilization is in jeopardy.
Unfortunately, in this baneful sequence of events, the name of Islam has come to be linked with violence. Due to the foolish and imprudent acts of certain Muslims, Islam and violence have come to be regarded as interchangeable terms.
But the truth about Islam is the very opposite. The word Islam itself means peace, having been derived from the Arabic root ‘silm’ meaning peace. And the Prophet of Islam is described in the Scriptures as a “Mercy to the world.” The Quran has this to say: “And God calls you to the home of peace”. The lesson that is imparted through hajj, a course of training for a Muslim for the whole of his life, is not to harm a single human being, not even an animal. To call such a religion as one of violence is therefore highly inappropriate.
Islam came to humankind in an age when violence was an integral part of every nation’s culture and, as such, was prevalent all over the world. Violence, it was thought, was the most dependable means for the achievement of all ends.
It was at this point that Islam brought to the world the message of peaceful coexistence, not only in theory, but also in practice. The truth is that Islam is a peaceful way of life. It was so for the man of the past, and it is so for the man of today.
But mere casual talk about peace will not, of itself, produce peace for humanity. It is essential rather to formulate a concept of peace in such a manner as to explain and underline its importance. Furthermore, such a concept must be accompanied by a methodology which will facilitate its practical realization.
Simplifying One’s Difficulties
The concept presented by Islam for peaceful living is based on the idea that, in this world, adversity is always accompanied by some positive, simplifying factor. That is to say that disadvantages will always be accompanied by advantages. The common man is nevertheless of the view that whenever any difficultypresents itself, the only solution is to fight. And it is this mentality which breeds violence. If, however, he could be convinced that whenever the path to success seemed barred to him, there would always be something inherent in the situation to ease his difficulties, his whole manner of thinking would change.
He will then direct his efforts towards seeking whatever advantages lie in store for him. Only after securing these advantages will he start his struggle anew. In this way, on the ideological plane, this concept strikes at the very roots of violence. In addition to this conceptual approach, Islam offers a new methodology based on nonviolence rather than on violence. This topic is dealt with briefly here:
Willingness to Accept the Possible
The first principle of the nonviolent method is to show willingness to accept what is possible. A fine, practical example of this principle was personally demonstrated by the Prophet of Islam at the outset of his missionary career in Makkah. At that time, many deities were worshipped in Ka'ba, the house of One God. The ritual of hajj had been distorted. For instance, the solar instead of the lunar calendar was being used for its observance. Drinking and other evils were rife.
The Prophet had, at that juncture, formulated an important principle of peace. Presenting it to the world, he put it into practice himself. The principle he followed was to make one’s starting point from what waspossible. That is to say, to confine one’s activity to the field in which opportunities are available under the prevailing system. The rest had to be left for the future.
Moving Away from the Point of Confrontation
Another principle formed by the Prophet in this regard was to move away from the point of conflict. This principle took practical shape in the Hijrah (emigration). It was in adherence to this principle that the Prophet emigrated to Madinah, leaving his hometown, Makkah, in the thirteenth year of his prophethood.
Hijrah literally means ‘to leave’. It means that if the other party comes to the point of aggression in order to stop whatever peaceful work is being undertaken, one must move away from that place rather than take to fighting.
Indeed, Hijrah is just one of the strategies employed to avoid confrontation, but if it proves the best method, it must be resorted to, even if it entails leaving one’s homeland, property, and relatives.
The Hudaibiyah Principle
When the Prophet of Islam emigrated to Madinah, he did not launch any military campaign from there. His adversaries, the Quraysh, however, made military preparations and launched an onslaught without any provocation from the other side. It was due to this aggression that some defensive battles had to be fought. At this juncture, in order to avoid further bloodshed, the Prophet followed an excellent principle which can be termed the Hudaibiyah principle.
The superior strategy employed on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah was quite simply this: to achieve one’s end, not by the use of force, but by the demonstration of strength.
What the Prophet of Islam did with regard to the Hudaibiyah treaty was to accept all the demands of the other party in return for their agreeing to his demand that no battle be fought between them, directly or indirectly, for a period of ten years. The Hudaibiyah treaty was, in fact a no-war pact. The Hudaibiyah principle can thus be summed up in these words: unilateral acceptance of all the demands of the opposite party in order to obviate any risks of further clash and confrontation.
The Demonstration rather than the Use of Force
In spite of this no-war pact, the Prophet’s opponents reopened hostilities—thus committing a breach of their agreement. This time the Prophet adopted a different strategy, with the result that Makkah was ultimately conquered. Very few lives were lost, however, for, beyond minor skirmishes, no armed struggle between the opposing forces took place.
The superior strategy employed on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah was, quite simply, to achieve one’s end, not by the use of force, but by the demonstration of strength.
Refraining from Revenge Psychology
The initial strategy adopted by the Prophet after the conquest of Makkah was one of remarkable leniency. After the victory, men who had been his deadliest enemies were now brought before him. Today, we would call them war criminals of the worst kind. The only possible fate for such criminals in those days was summary execution. But the Prophet granted them all an unconditional amnesty.
The greatest advantage of this general amnesty was that the country was spared a counter-revolution and all the bloodshed that would have ensued. Had the Prophet punished these men, the fire of revenge would most certainly have been ignited in the tribes all over Arabia. The shedding of Arab blood would then have reached a new peak.
Rising above the Psychology of Reaction
If a peaceful atmosphere is to be maintained in society while one goes about achieving one’s ends, albeit in a peaceable manner, a great sacrifice is required. The Prophet himself set such perfect examples for the building of the nation on the basis of nonviolence.
One example of such a sacrifice can be seen in the Battle of Badr. In this battle, 70 Makkans were taken as prisoners of war. All of them belonged to the nobility of Makkah and all were well educated by the standards of the time. Considering that in Madinah, where the Prophet was staying, the people lacked such an education, the Prophet did not order the execution of the Makkans, but instead set a ‘ransom’ for each of them. That is, each one had to teach ten children of the Ansar (Madinan inhabitants) how to read and write. After that they were to be set free.
At that time, one great risk was involved in setting these prisoners of war free. They being leaders of hostile tribes, there was the genuine fear that, once back in Makkah, they would use their freedom to incite the citizenry to prepare for another war. This fear became a reality when they succeeded in provoking their fellow Makkans to fight the Battle of Uhud.
The history of Islam shows that its message of peace is not just a utopian dream, but is a fully practicable programme.
Fully aware of the risk involved, the Prophet had, nevertheless, set these Makkans free. This instance not only demonstrates his love of peace, but also underlines the importance he attached to education. He felt that its importance was so great that it had to be acquired— even at the risk of a future war.
Conclusion
These few points, though brief, show that Islam has a great role to play in countering the deadly challenges, namely violence and conflict, which haunt the world today. This scheme of Islam is not based on mere ideology, but has a genuine history of practical success to back it. The history of Islam shows that its message of peace is not just a utopian dream, but is a fully practicable programme. It is a historical fact that the Prophet of Islam adopted such a well-considered strategy that all his successes were achieved with surprisingly little bloodshed. The toll of casualties in the revolution he brought about in Arabia amounted to only about a thousand on both sides. This number is comparatively so low that this revolution can rightly be termed bloodless. Thus Islam teaches conflict resolution in a peaceful manner.
Islam teaches conflict resolution in a peaceful manner.
The word Islam itself means peace, having been derived from the Arabic root ‘silm’ meaning peace. And the Prophet of Islam is described in the Scriptures as a “Mercy to the world.”
The concept presented by Islam for peaceful living is based on the idea that, in this world, adversity is always accompanied by some positive, simplifying factor
