Peace is a basic human need. Progress is impossible without it. The basis of Islamic social ethics is peace. This is why peace is mentioned as a great blessing in several places in the Quran. Thus, for instance, it says:
‘Let them worship the Lord of this House, who provides them with food against hunger, and with security against fear [of danger]’ (106: 4).
The Ka‘abah, in Mecca, occupies a central place in Islam. It is referred to in the Quran as ‘a place of safety’ (2:125). In the verse that follows this one, the Quran refers to Abraham’s prayer to God to make Mecca ‘a city of peace’ (2:126). It was in this ‘city of peace’ that God sent the Prophet Muhammad. His aim was to establish peace in the world.
Islam’s commitment to peace is further stressed in the following Quranic verse:
‘[W]hosoever killeth a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind, and whoso saveth the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind’ (5:32).
Likewise, the Prophet declared, ‘The first thing to be decided among people on the Day of Judgment will be the shedding of the blood of innocents.’ Similarly, he said, ‘Whenever a person is wrongly killed, a part of his blood comes on the first son of Adam who committed the first murder […]’
One of the major causes of strife and conflict is the absence of social justice. The Prophet gave great stress to social justice, which is a basic human right. The sermon the Prophet delivered on the occasion of his last Haj or pilgrimage to Mecca is a manifesto for universal peace based on social justice. In his sermon, the Prophet condemned discrimination based on colour and race, and stressed the equality of all human beings. He declared that all humans are equal in the sense of being ‘children of Adam’. According to a tradition recorded in the books of Hadith, the Prophet said, ‘The whole of creation is God’s family’ (al-khalqo ayal Allah), adding that God loves best he who treats God’s family in the best way. Likewise, he said, ‘O God! I bear witness that all people are brothers of each other’ (alahuma ini shahidun an al-ibada kuluhum ikhwatun). Advising his followers, he said, ‘Be merciful to those on earth, and He who is in the heavens will be merciful.’ Further, he told them, ‘You can never be true believers if you do not have mercy [on others]’, adding that to be merciful is not simply to be kind to one’s companions. Rather, he said, one’s mercy must be general.
This universal brotherhood, which is the basis for universal peace, was well exemplified in the polity that the Prophet established in Medina. It was based on recognition of, and respect for, pluralism, at a time when such tolerance was virtually unknown in most parts of the world. The first brick, as it were, of this edifice was laid soon after the Prophet arrived in Medina, when he brought two groups of Muslims—the Muhajirs who had come from Mecca, and the Ansars of Medina—together on the basis of a strong sense of brotherhood. The Treaty of Medina that the Prophet later drew up described the Jews of the town and the Muslims as members of a single ummah. One clause of the Treaty states, ‘Whoever stays in Medina or goes out [of the town] shall be safe, except for those who do something wrong or commit treason.’ Another clause states, ‘The valley of Yathrib [the old name for Medina] is a sacred sanctuary for those who are party to this treaty.’ In line with the terms of the Treaty, the Prophet strove to establish peace and quell strife and conflict in Medina.
Protection of the rights of minorities is an accepted and important aspect of human rights discourse today. As the head of the Medinese polity, Prophet strongly defended this principle. Thus, it is said, once, a wrongfully Muslim murdered a Jew, and so the Prophet ordered that this Muslim man be punished by being put to death for his crime. On the basis of this, Imam Ali stated that the blood and property of non-Muslim minorities were to be protected and respected in the same way as those of Muslims.
While giving great stress to peace and to peace-making, it must also be said that Islam does not preach absolute non-violence. In this regard, it should be noted that in Islam war can be resorted to only if necessary. It is a temporary affair, if at all, and not a permanent phenomenon—in contrast to peace and the struggle to establish peace. The very restrictive conditions under which Islam permits jihad in the sense of physical fighting should be understood in the context of the great importance that the Prophet placed on peace, going to the extent of warning his followers, ‘Do not desire to confront your enemies, and seek protection from this from God’ (la tatamanau liqa al-aduvvi wasalu allaha al-‘afiyata).
In a state of war the progress of any society or community is badly hampered. Hence, Prophet exhorted his companions to become heralds of peace and peaceful persons, as far as possible. As he put it, ‘A true believer is one from whom people’s lives and wealth are safe.’ Warning Muslims to stay away from creating strife, he said, ‘Chaos (fitna) is asleep. He who wakens it is cursed.’ This is why the Prophet sternly forbade Muslims from revolting against an established Muslim government, no matter how oppressive it may be, provided it did not prohibit Muslims from observing their religion or promote infidelity. This is a basic principle for peace that Muslims in Muslim-majority contexts must observe. At the international level, Muslims need to follow the example of the Prophet, when, on entering Mecca victorious he declared a general amnesty against the Meccans who had been so virulently opposed to him for many years.
To sum up, the teachings of the Quran and the practice of the Prophet provide us ample inspiration and guidance to pro-actively work for the establishment of peace—in ourselves, in our communities, in our countries, and in the world at large.
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