“But if the enemy inclines towards peace, do thou (also) incline towards peace.” (The Quran 8:61)
Surely there has come to you from Allah a Light and a Clear Book. Wherewith Allah guides all those who seek His good pleasure to the ways of peace, and leads them out of darkness, by His Will, unto the light and guides them to a Path that is straight. (Al-Ma’idah 5:15-16)
Allah calls to the Home of Peace and He guides whom He pleases to a Way that is straight. (Yunus 10:25)
Today, many non Muslims around the world regard, Islam as a religion which propagates terror, violence, war and barbarianism. Unfortunately, the electronic and print media around the world have all played their part in portraying this falsified image of Islam.
The first, foremost, cardinal, paramount and fundamental cornerstone of Islam is “Peace”. From the message of “Peace” stems the all abounding attribute of Mercy. Most of our clerics unfortunately in the recent years have laid more emphasis on the laws and principles of punishment and penalty that are enunciated in the Holy Book. They have all along considered the introduction of only the Penal Laws as a measure of Islamic Society. Mercy is the most important attribute of Allah and virtue of the Holy Prophet but it has been relegated.
“Tell My servants, that I am indeed the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (XV-49)
The consequence of such tunnel view of the basis for laying foundation of Islamic Society has led to the portrayal of Islam, in the west, as an intolerant, cruel, brutal, merciless, compassionless, inhuman, violent, harsh, oppressive and militant religion. Our religion subscribes to grievous punishments only when someone transgresses the standards and bounds of Islamic Society. The penal laws are therefore implementable only if an Islamic social structure exists. In a truly Islamic society, where the laws of social justice are prevalent no individual would be provoked to trespass the norms of just and kind behaviour.
We are constantly reminded and told to exercise kindness, forgiveness and mercifulness in the face of provocation and adversity. Allah commands us to be patient and forgiving against envy and injustice, “But forgive and overlook” (II:109); also: “And even when they are angry, even then forgive.” (XLII):37.
Islam is the religion of peace. Its very name is derived from the word ‘salam’. Salam is not only the absence of violence and aggression but it also means total well being and happiness. It means literally ‘to be safe, secure, sound, wholesome, unharmed, unimpaired and intact’. From these meanings in the physical sense it has also acquired the metaphysical and moral meanings, namely, ‘to be blameless, faultless and perfect’. In the Qur’an, God is called Al-Salam ie the Perfect one (Surah 59:23).
The state of Salam is the one where every thing finds its fullness, glory and perfection. Hence the Qur’an calls Heaven as Dar al-Salam which is the abode of peace and perfection (10:25). The paths of righteousness and virtue that lead to God are also called subul al-salam (5:16) and the greeting of peace both in this world and in the Hereafter is Assalam ‘alaikum which is emphasised in Islam and is taught as a proper greeting for the believers. The Prophet -peace be upon him- said, “The best Islam is to give salam to every one, whether you know that person or not.” (al-Bukhari, Hadith no 11)
Unlike many other religions where people were offered either conversion and peace or death, Islam came with the just word of our creator. In Quran 2:256; God said, “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error…”
There are many other verses in the Quran that deals with the nature of spreading God’s message. Verse 10:99 says, “If it had been thy Lord’s Will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! Wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!”
These verses and many others show how much emphasis Islam places on the mind of people, Muslims or non-Muslims.
Islam is in fact a religion that promotes peace and understanding among people of all faiths and it strongly prohibits all forms of violence and aggression against all people regardless of their faith or race. Muslims are governed by the rules which say that the relationship with non-Muslims should be based on justice, mutual respect, cooperation and communication. The Quran is very explicit about the justice part of the relationship when God stated in Verse 60:08, “Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.’
Islam is often translated as ‘submission’ or ‘surrender’. However, its full meaning is to give oneself fully and completely to God, to enter into a covenant of peace with Him, to accept the path of wholesomeness and perfection which God made available for humanity through His prophets and messengers throughout history and finally through Prophet Muhammad PBUH.
Anti-Muslims resort to a deceitful misrepresentation when they misquote the Quranic verses of the second chapter. They claim that Quran promoted killing the infidels wherever you find them. Indeed, this is true but only if the infidels attack Muslims. Quran clearly states:
Quran 2:190-193 Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors.
“And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.”
“But if they cease, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.”
The goal of Islam is the attainment of peace but this peace can only be experienced through that exertion (jihad) and the use of force which begins with the disciplining of ourselves and leads to living in the world in accordance with the dicta of the shar’ia
There are three major components in the concept of peace (Salam) in Islam ie Inner peace and harmony in the life of every individual, social cohesion in the community, Treatment of tensions and conflicts.
Lets join hands to cultivate the forces of peace in our every day lives. At such trying times we must extend the bonds of peace to build bridges with civilizations rather than creating demarcating fences around us. Let us preserve and develop peace, justice and tolerance in our families, in our neighbourhoods, in the places of work, among the people we know and we do not know.
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