Light of Peace

Islam was introduced to the world when Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the last of the prophets of God was sent to the people. The prophet hood of Muhammad marked the culmination point of the era that started with Adam (the first of the prophets) and consisted of a large number of prophets sent to all nooks and corners of the world, where ever the human societies exited. The holy book revealed to Muhammad, Al Quran, is the last of the holy books and marks the end of a direct one–on-one dialogue between the man and God. Quran is the only book whose responsibility of safe custody to maintain its originality has been taken up on by God Himself. One can now say with authenticity that whatever is written in the Quran is the true word of God. Similarly if someone now claims a direct talk or communication with God in any form, the claimant will be a false person. Quran is now the beacon of guidance for the whole mankind for all the people and for all times to come.

The Islam is a complete system of life. It is not only a collection of few prayers or religious rituals but encompasses all the aspects of social life like politics, economics, research and knowledge and international relations/contracts, just to name a few. The outlines of this system are given in the Holy Quran and were further elaborated by the holy Prophet Muhammad with his practical actions and sayings. After the death of the holy Prophet his sayings were compiled by different authors who were renowned religious scholars of their times. These books are called the books of Hadith ie the saying of the Prophet. Later on a large number of books were written by many scholars, thus laying the foundations for the Fiqa or the schools of thought. The authority of the Holy Quarn is supreme, followed by the Hadith and then the other books.

Concept of Peace

The word for peace in Islam is ‘salama’, which is akin to the Hebrew word ‘shalom’ in Judaism. This word is all encompassing and covers many aspects of human life, both in this word and hereinafter. The basic meaning of the word ‘Islam’ is also ‘peace, submission’. Islam demands submission of mankind to the sole authority of God and no one else. Once a person or the mankind as a whole totally submits to the will and authority of God, they come into the protection and then the peace follows automatically.

Islam is a religion that advocates peace and harmony among the mankind. Its message of peace is universal and above the distinctions of faiths, beliefs and races. According to Islam, man by virtue of being a human being is to be respected as God has made him respectable.

"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: Whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows all things." (Surah 2, Verse 256) .

The holy Qur'an reminds us that there must not be compulsion in religion. It states that the truth stands out clear from error, and that those who reject error and believe in God are the saved ones.

This means that Muslims are not allowed to force people to convert to Islam. Muslims should only seek to make the truth clear to others, and talk to them about Islam, then let them decide for themselves. In fact, most people who study Islam without having made a decision to hate it first, come to love its message and convert to Islam after learning about its values and principles.

Another verse that also states this principle is the following:

"If one amongst the Pagans asks thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge." (Surah 9, Verse 6).

This beautiful verse instructs Muslims to grant asylum to non-believers, and make them safe, and allow them to hear the word of God. Then they are to be escorted to whatever place they will be safe and secure. This is because these non-believers simply have no knowledge of Islam, and no knowledge of the message from God. Once they are given asylum, they will get a chance to be in close contact with Muslims and hence may enter the circle of Islam after understanding it.

There are many other verses in the Quran that deals with the nature of spreading God's message. One of such verse is:

"If it had been thy Lord's Will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! Will tyou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!" (10:99)

These verses and many others show how much emphasis Islam places on the free will of people, both Muslims or non-Muslims.

Islam also accords very high value to justice, and recommends a system that will disallow and eliminate the aggressors and unjust people from the society The system so designed is required to punish such people according to the law. Even in the legal and punitive system the emphasis is laid on the reformation of the people who have left the righteous path. A lot of importance is attached to the repentance of such criminals before they are brought to justice. At the same time, Islam encourages people to forgive those who have wronged them, whenever possible.

These concepts are vividly elaborated in the Holy Qur'an and are also found in the Hadith, (the sayings of Mohammad peace be upon him), A few extracts of these rulings from the Holy Qur'an are listed below::

"Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!" (Surah 41, Verse 34).

"O those who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do." (Surah 4, Verse 135).

"God advocates justice, charity, and regarding the relatives. And He forbids evil, vice, and transgression. He enlightens you, so that you may take heed." (Surah 16, Verse 90).

"And if you do punish them, punish them no worse than they punished you: but if you show patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient." (Surah 16, Verse 126).

"The prohibited month, for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of equality. If then any one transgresses the prohibition against you, transgress you likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain themselves." (Surah 2, Verse 194).

"…and let not the hatred of some people in (once) shutting you out of the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgression (and hostility on your part). Do help one another in righteousness and piety, but do not help one another in sin and rancor: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment." (Surah 5, Verse 2).

The above verses indicate that the goodness and evil are never equal, and that we should repel evil with good actions. This means that when someone is unjust to us or commits evil against us, we are encouraged to respond with kind and good actions, so that the hatred between us and that person may evaporate and become an intimate friendship!

Muslims are instructed to stand up for justice, even if it is against themselves or their family, and even if it is against those who are rich or powerful, because justice applies to everyone. It also reminds us that God knows everything we do, and so if we act unjustly even in our hearts, God knows what we did and we will be accountable for that.

God enjoins the mankind to follow justice, and that God forbids us from committing evil, vice and transgression. If somebody is punished for bad deeds, the punishment should conform to their deeds only and should not exceed. However, the Muslims are reminded that forgiveness and patience are the best and most recommended acts.

If someone transgresses against Muslims, they should respond to them likewise, and it reminds Muslims to fear God and to restrain themselves to this limit. It reminds Muslims not to let hatred of some people for past reasons to lead them to transgress against those people or be hostile towards them. It also instructs us to help each other in good and righteous actions, and not to cooperate in aggression and sin. It reminds them finally of the strict punishment of God to encourage them to abide by these principles.

Some of the wonderful ideals of Islam are as appended below::

• To pursue peace with everyone including past enemies, except when they fight the Muslims and refuse peace, then Muslims are allowed to fight in self-defense.
  
• To ensure that we always apply justice and never transgress against others even if they are our enemies.
  
• To repel evil actions with good actions, in order to replace hatred with an intimate friendship.
• To give punishment according to the intensity of crime, but that forgiveness and patience is even better than retaliation and revenge.

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full Knowledge and is well-acquainted (with all things)." (Surah 49, Verse 13).

This magnificent principle of Islam makes it clear that no single nation, race, or tribe is better than the others. God created us all equal. In God's eyes, the best of us are the most righteous and most kind ones.

God created mankind as different races and nations although He could have created us all as one nation, with one language and one religion. However, as stated in the verse mentioned above, God created the different nations and tribes so that we get to know each other. Hence there is no reason to hate each other because we are different. This tells us that we should celebrate our differences and not hate each other based on them. Islam also teaches us to realize that no single race or people have supremacy over others, and that we are judged solely based on our actions. As a matter of fact diversity in nature is a matter of beauty and not conflict. This universe is beautiful because it is diverse and not homogeneous.

This verse also teaches us that we should live peacefully with other nations and tribes and we should respect each other and our differences. We should learn to live together and to get to know each other, and to engage in dialogue amongst all nations and treat every human being as being equal.

Restraint and Forgiveness

Islam places very premium on the attribute of restraint and forgiveness in human beings. As a matter of fact anger and vengeance are the animalistic instincts and being a human is to become superior to animals. The anger and vengeance have been the major causes of conflicts, fights and wars both at individual as awell as at global level. If a person is able to control his anger and shun the desire of revenge, he or she has in fact, done a wonderful job to achieve the peace. The holy Quran says in this regard:

“Those who restrain their anger and forgive the offences of their fellow men; and Allah loves Muhsieen .(Sura 3, Verses 132-34)

According to the above verses the dwellers of ‘ihsaan’ have to ‘restrain their anger’. Obviously in this we are dealing with a social problem the solution of which is clear: if it happens that somebody utters fowl words, the believer should pass over it peacefully and pay no heed to it. If his anger bursts into flames, he should keep himself away from violence, which is a kind of madness. He should suppress his anger and calm it down with the water of patience.

Anger is a natural psychological reaction in a social situation. One may therefore not object if a person feels insulted, but in spite of his wounded feelings he is expected to restrain his anger and behave peacefully. This is the duty of the dwellers of ‘ihsaan’, who form the majority, and such rules are within their own power.

Forgiveness is a more dignified state in which the wayfarer resides beyond the realm of anger and hatred. He does not think of revenge and will not become violent, for he understands the ignorance behind all hostile acts. So he forgives passionately.

Today, many non-Muslims regard Islam as a religion that promotes violence, terrorism and war. Unfortunately, they rely in their view of Islam on the general media, which is not always accurate in reporting the news. Many media outlets, such as TV, radio, newspapers and magazines, are influenced by their investors or owners who have certain agendas and who want to promote certain values and points of view. Other media outlets are simply after the "big story", in order to make more money and more profits. Others are simply "followers", who only gather news from other sources, re-package it and try to sell it again purely as a business.

In all these cases, the news reporting is not accurate, but is driven by ulterior motives or simply by profits. Only very few media organizations are committed to providing accurate and true information, regardless of financial gain. Therefore, people today should be very careful in what they take from the media.

Before blindly accepting what the TV, radio or newspaper is reporting, one should think critically about what is being reported. Is this being reported accurately, or is it being exaggerated or even completely fabricated? Who are these people reporting the news, and do they have vested interests to report the story in a certain way, or are they completely objective and fair? Critical thinking is very important in all aspects of life, especially when it comes to accepting the media reports about important and controversial issues.

'Jihad' as Seen in the Backdrop of Crusades

No concept of Islam has been misunderstood and badly exploited against Islam itself than the concept of ‘Jihad’. This concept has been so badly distorted in the West that its true meanings have now become almost impossible to be explained to the people, particularly the youth. They have been continuously told through all sorts of media campaigns that ‘Jihad’ in Islam is nothing but sheer barbarism and an aggressive and indiscriminate use of brute force against the non Muslims Islam has been portrayed as a bunch of savage hoards, waving weapons of destruction whose mission is to wipe out the non Muslim populations, spill blood shed and enforce their own faith and beliefs with totalitarian authority. A Muslim is depicted as a person who is totally hostile to the human knowledge, is allergic to science and technology and is not ready to listen to any arguments based on logic and reasoning. A Muslim, according to the propagandists, is a rigid person with primitive and outdated beliefs and cannot be accommodated in the modern society.

The question arises; then why so much of hue and cry against Jihad? In order to understand the correct reason we may go back in history. The jihad phobia has been haunting the non Muslims, particularly the Christians since the days of the Crusades. The Crusades were an unnecessary series of wars between Muslims and Christian that could have been avoided with little diplomacy and patience. These wars were primarily fought for the occupation of the ‘sacred land’ of Palestine along with the city of Jerusalem. This land is historically considered as sacred by Muslims, Christians and the Jews, and hence all of them wanted to occupy it. Since Jews were a non entity in the days of the crusades, the decisive battles were therefore fought between the Muslims and the Christians.

In the Crusades the Christians remained the over all losers. They could not digest this defeat easily and the fighting spirit of Muslims kept haunting them through ages. After lots of studies the Christians came to the conclusion that they may never be able to defeat the Muslims till the time the spirit of jihad is alive in the Muslims. Hence a well planned and a coordinated campaign was started by the Christians to undermine the concept of jihad. The term, ‘militant Islam’, which has been in vogue in the world press for many decades and now war on terror has revitalized the same phobia, is easy to comprehend. All this is a follow-up of the same mind set to the fundamental concept of Islam and a continuation of the old Jihad’ phobia of the non-Muslims. The after-affects of the Crusades, which badly affected the relations between the Muslims and the Christians, still linger on. Some of the elements in the western countries with predominant Christian population, who do not want cordial relations with the Muslims due to their own vested interests, are still smarting under the defeat in Crusades. They have, therefore, tried all sorts of means to eliminate the spirit of Jihad from amongst the Muslims, as it was this spirit that reduced their designs to dust. Through malicious propaganda campaigns, distortion of the true concept of Jihad and labeling of Muslims as barbarous killers and usurpers, they have portrayed a horribly ugly picture of Islam in the eyes of the world.

Need to Redefine the Mutual Relationship

We have traveled through many centuries since the days of the Crusades. Neither the West now have the Christian kingdoms and states of the medieval era of knighthood, nor are the today’s Muslim countries oriented towards the conquest of foreign lands. With Israel now occupying the sacred land of Palestine and Jerusalem, the geo-political scenario has totally changed in the 21^st century. In the present era of enlightenment and science and technology, there is a need that we all, the Muslims, the Christians and even the Jews, should leave behind the times of mutual hatred and redefine the relationships based on better understanding and peaceful co-existence. Since the present day Christian nations comprise the most developed and advanced countries of the world, it is high time that they should come out of the old (and wrong) notions about the concept of jihad. On the contrary Muslim countries are still in developing stage and hence are on the receiving end, more responsibility lies with the Western nations to take this initiative and foster this new relationship.

People have been basically fighting for the possession of land- lands not occupied or inhabited by others, lands inhabited by hostile groups, lands in possession of neutral people. Every person having a sort of authority or position wanted to add some feather to his cap. This could easily be done by grabbing more land and thus expanding his domain (read empire).

There is a proverb in Urdu language (Pakistan) that “Woman, Wealth and Land are the route cause of war”. And history has proved it also-. At times possession of one would lead to the possession of other. This was true during the agrarian era of the history and same is true even today when we breathe in twenty-first century. The ensuing periods of history that witnessed the aggressions and expansionism of ancient, medieval and modern ages- the colonial period and then the world wars- further confirms the same myth.

The big questions today facing the humanity are:-

Should we allow this to continue forever?

Should we not learn to get mature enough to harness our animalistic instincts?

Should we not sincerely and seriously endeavor to make this planet safer for our coming generations?

The concept of Jihad must, be studied in the light of the Holy Quran. The literal meaning of Jihad’ is striving utmost to achieve an objective. The primary objective before the Muslims is establishment of a social order based on the Quranic fundamental principles. All efforts to that end fall with in the meaning of ‘Jihad’. Armed fight against formidable resistance by self-seeking people, which is called ‘Qital’ is also Jihad and has been allowed by the Quran. Otherwise, Islam is a ‘deen’ (system) of peace and safety. Before giving a verdict about jihad, one must ask three questions to his / her satisfaction:

(1) Is Islam really a ‘deen’ (system) of peace, justice, and tolerance?

(2) Does it allow discriminate fighting against the enemy, or has it laid down certain checks and rules for it?

(3) Under what circumstances have the Muslims been fighting against non-Muslims?

So for as the first question is concerned, the Holy Quran says,

“There has come to you from God a light in the form of a perspicuous book wherewith God guides all who seek His good pleasure to a path of peace and safety.” (5: 15-16).

The very word ‘Islam’ means peace. Mischief is prohibited in Islam. Thus it is said,

“Do no mischief on the earth after it has been set in order.” (7:56).

The Quran refers to past nations who were destroyed for spreading mischief in the world (18:4-5). According to the Holy Quran, the very object of sending Muhammad (peace be upon him), the last messenger of God, was to eradicate mischief which had spread on account of human whims and wishes replacing the Divine laws brought by the previous messengers of God (30:41). Belief in God and mischief cannot go together. They are opposed to each other. (38:28).

Justice First

A Muslim society cannot accommodate injustice.

“O you who believe stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to God, even as against yourself, or your parents, or your kin, or whether it be (against) rich or poor for Allah can best protect both.” (4:135).

Justice even to the Enemies

To do justice in a favorable and neutral atmosphere is meritorious but the real test comes when you have to do justice to people who are your enemies. The Quran says:

“O you who believe, stand out firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing and let not the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice.” (5:8).

Prohibition of Killing and Plundering

The Holy Quran has strongly prohibited killing anyone unless one is a murderer, or one who spreads mischief in the land.” (5:35). The Quran strongly prohibits plunder and arson whether the offender or the victim a Muslim or a non-Muslim (2:205). In code of ethics, how can one expect the followers of the Quran to be cruel and usurpers? The vigorous enemy propaganda that Islam was spread by dint of sword springs from sheer prejudice. Compulsion in the matter of faith is contrary to the basic Quranic teachings. The objective before a Muslim is to develop his personality in accordance with the Divine laws as to survive beyond physical death and reach a higher evolutionary stage in the life hereafter. Can an unwilling convert then fit in the Quranic society? The Quran says,

“If it had been thy Lord’s will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth; will you then compel mankind to believe against their will? (10:99).

Again it is said,

“So the truth is from your Lord. Let him who will, believe, and let him, who will, reject it.” (18:29).

The Holy Quran has forcefully declared:

“Let there be no compulsion in ‘Deen’; truth stands out clear from error.” (2:256).

The question then is, under what circumstances did Muslims fight against non-Muslims? Islam is a ‘Deen’ which relates to a social organization encompassing all aspects of human life. In a state based on ‘Deen’, the sovereignty is that of God or of the fundamental and immutable laws that lie safely inside the Holy Quran. The central authority of the State is only an instrument for the enforcement of laws.

Law and Power
An organized political community cannot exist without power. According to the Holy Quran, the Book (law), the balance (justice) and the iron (power) hold a society together. Thus the law, its enforcement with justice and the power to protect the rule of law are the basic pillars of a state organization under Divine guidance. The Quran says:

“We sent afore time our messengers with clear signs an sent down with them the Book and the balance that men may stand forth in justice; an we sent down iron which is a great strength (for protection) as well as many other benefits for mankind.” (57:25).

A law becomes law in reality when it has been enforced, which cannot be done without power. But power too should be used in accordance with law for otherwise it will reduce itself to barbarism.

Active Fighting in Self Defense only

Qital (fight) is only a part of Jihad, which is constant struggle for the establishment and protection of ‘Deen’. It was first permitted to Muslims in self-defense only when the Quraish attacked Medina. Medina was the city where the former had migrated to escape persecution by the Meccans to work for Islam in a more favorable environment. The Holy Quran says,

“To those against whom war is made permission is given (to fight) because they are wronged: and verily Allah is more powerful for their aid. (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes for no truthful cause except that they say, ‘Our Sustainer is Allah.;”