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| Peace & Religion Maulana Wahiduddin Khan The theme of peace and justice is very
important and also very timely. As we know, science has shown great scope
for the betterment of the world, offering apparently unlimited hope for
human progress. Now mankind finds itself on the threshold of a new era.
With technological progress we are able to find a new world of
prosperity...a new and better world. But at the same time we see violence
and intolerance everywhere in the world. This unhappy state of affairs seems to
nullify all our scientific progress. I think that religion has a great
role to play in this matter. What is religion? Someone has very aptly remarked that
religion is peace and peace is religion. Without peace there is no
religion. And also, without religion there is no peace. I hope that these
discussions and consultations produce something very substantial, which
will prove helpful in the building of a peaceful world. I hope and pray
that there will emerge some practical formula towards peace. God willing,
we shall be able to contribute something very constructive for the
betterment of humanity. Now I would like to give a brief
description of the major religions of the world. Let’s take Hinduism
first, as it is the most ancient religion. Everyone who has studied
Hinduism will agree that Hinduism in itself is a philosophy of peace. The
basic concept of Hinduism is that Truth is one and that different
religions are only different manifestations of the same truth. This
concept was termed by a great religious scholar Sarwa dharma sambhawa. So
Hinduism is nothing but a philosophy of peace. Some scholars like Arnold
Toynbee have pointed out that this concept of Hinduism generates a spirit
of mutual coexistence. It is a philosophy of live and let live. As the
great Hindu philosopher Vivekananda put it: "Follow one, hate
none." This kind of respect is just another name for peaceful living. Now take the case of Buddhism and Jainism.
These two religions are very similar in their teachings. Both religions
believe in non-violence. They have gone to the extent of including the
concept of non-violence as an article of faith in their system. This
concept can be described in these words: "The killing of a sensation
is sin and to save a sensation is virtue." This means that according
to Buddhism and Jainism, violence is not simply bad conduct in the moral
sense, but a sin which is even greater than bad conduct. Now take the case of Christianity. Christianity is also a religion of peace. That is why Christianity has gained such great popularity. And now it enjoys the status of the greatest religion numerically. As you know, Jesus Christ said: "I tell you not to resist an evil
person. Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him
also." It means that the Christian formula for
peace is unilateral accommodation. According to this saying of Jesus
Christ, you yourself have to adjust in the face of any controversy. This concept of unilateral adjustment is
neither cowardice nor defeatism. It is a matter of great practical wisdom
and I think, the only possible formula for peace. Actually there is no
alternative. We have to adopt this formula of unilateral adjustment,
otherwise peace will forever remain a distant dream. Now take the case of Sufism and Sikkhism.
Both these traditions are very similar to each other. The essence of both
these traditions is love, compassion and peace. A sufi poet has described
this beautifully in a Persian couplet which translates thus: I will give here an example from Islamic
history. One day, in Madinah, the Prophet of Islam noticed a funeral
procession passing along the street. The Prophet stood up in deference. A
companion of the Prophet remarked at this: "O Prophet, you know it
was the funeral of a Jew, that is a non-Muslim." The Prophet replied:
"(alaisat nafsan) Was he not a human being?" It shows that in the Prophet’s vision
everyone was a human being. He saw everyone on an equal plane. Thus,
according to Islam, everyone deserves equal respect. Everyone is a
creature of God. One can say, therefore, that according to this brief
description, the formula for peace according to Hinduism is mutual
coexistence. And the formula for peace according to Buddhism and Jainism
is non-violence, or no violence. The Christian formula for peace is based
on the concept of unilateral adjustment, while the sufi formula for peace
is love for all. And the Islamic formula for peace is respect for all. I would like to say something more about
Islam, because Islam is the most misunderstood religion today. You know
Islam is always in the news. Every day brings some fresh news in the media
in which Islam is portrayed as a religion of violence, a religion of
intolerance. So people are puzzled. They ask whether Islam is a different
kind of religion. Whether Islam is an exception among the religions. And
whether peace is not a concern of Islam. I have studied Islam from its
direct and original sources—the Qur’an, which is the sacred book of
Islam, the Sunnah, and those Arabic books that are considered to be the
classical literature of Islam. After this thorough study, I am convinced
of the fact that all those impressions are based on sheer
misunderstanding. Quite contrary to the general view, Islam is a religion
of peace in the complete sense of the word. Even the name of Islam
connotes peace. You know the root word of Islam is silm. Silm in Arabic
means peace. One of God’s names is Salam, and Salam means peace. The
Qur’an mentions itself as barakah. The Prophet of Islam is described as
Rahamah. And barakah and rahamah are only other names for peace. That is,
peace is basic to Islam. Islamic living is living in peace. All the
teachings of Islam are oriented towards peace. Now the question arises as
to why this misunderstanding exists. The answer is simple. People see that
a number of Muslims are engaged in violence around the world in the name
of Islam. It is this practice on the part of certain Muslims that is
responsible for the confusion and misunderstanding. But I would emphasize
that you must differentiate between Muslims and Islam. Islam is an ideal.
Islam is an ideology, while Muslims are only those groups of people who
claim to be followers of Islam. But Muslims have to be judged by Islam,
and not vice versa. To explain this point I would like to give a parallel
example of democracy. There is democracy as a political ideology. And
there are people who claim to have adopted the democratic system. If
anyone wants to know what democracy is, he will study authentic literature
on democracy. He will not confuse democracy as an ideal with democracy as
practiced by a certain group of people. The same course has to be followed
when studying Islam. Islam and Muslims have to be seen as distinct entity.
Muslims have to be seen in the light of Islam and not vice versa. Anyone who studies Islam from its direct
sources will be convinced that Islam is a religion of peace in the
complete sense of the word. When you open the Qur’an, the very first
verse reads: This verse is repeated in the Qur’an 114
times. This clearly shows that the God of Islam is the God of Mercy and
Compassion, and the book of Islam is the book of mercy. This tells us
clearly that the people of Islam must also possess the quality of mercy
and compassion. If you go through the Qur’an, you will find that most
verses of the Qur’an, directly or indirectly, express the spirit of
peace. For instance, there is a verse in the Qur’an: ‘And God calls to
the home of peace’ (10:25). This means that the destination of Islam is
peace. All the teachings of Islam are oriented toward the goal of peace. If you make a detailed study of the
Qur’an you will discover many verses that deal with the objects and
events of the universe, as signs of nature. These verses project the
universe as a model of peace and harmony. For example, there is a verse in
the Qur’an which says the ‘sun and moon have no right to change their
orbit,’ (36:40) and this is true also of all the planets and stars.
There are innumerable astronomical bodies in space. All are in motion, but
all follow their own orbits without the slightest deviation. The Qur’an
presents this universal phenomenon as a model for peaceful behavior.
Holding up this phenomenon as an ideal, the Qur’an asks us to follow the
same course of peace, that is, to move in one’s own orbit and not
trespass on that of others (3:83). Thus peaceful living is the religion
for both man and the universe. There is an interesting story in American
history. When America gained its freedom, an American went out to
celebrate. Walking along the road, he started waving his hands about
enthusiastically. He happened to hit the nose of a passerby. The passerby
asked: ‘What’s this nonsense? Why did you hit my nose?’ The man
replied, ‘Today America is free, I am free to walk as I wish, I am
exercising my freedom.’ The passerby replied, ‘Your freedom ends where
my nose begins.’ There is nothing particularly American
about this formula. It is, in fact, a formula of nature. As Islam is a
religion of nature, it is also an Islamic formula. According to this
everyone should work in his own sphere without trespassing upon
another’s domain. And if all people were to act like this, the outcome
would no doubt be peace and harmony. Now I would like to present some
examples from the traditions of the Prophet. Once a man came to the
Prophet with this request, ‘O Prophet, give me a masterly piece of
advice which will enable me to manage all the affairs of my life.’ The
Prophet replied: ‘Don’t be angry. ’That is to say, stick to positive
behavior in all situations. In fact, in normal conditions man is governed
by his own nature. And nature always takes the course of peace. When
people are provoked, their nature is upset, and they are derailed into
negativity. So the Prophet advised people never to take a negative course
of action, and to keep to peaceful and positive behavior in all
situations, even in the face of provocation. According to another tradition, the Prophet
of Islam once observed: That is, even when they have enemies,
Muslims are not allowed to take the course of confrontation. They must
rather seek the way of avoidance. The Qur’an further states that if you
deal with your enemy positively and return good for evil, he will become
your closest friend (41:34). These references from the Qur’an and Sunnah
make it clear that peace is the greatest concern of Islam. The Islamic
method is a peaceful method. Islamic activism is a peaceful activism.
There is no doubt about it that Islam is a religion of peace in the
complete sense of the word. Why does Islam lay such great stress on
peace? The reason is obvious: all the good things that Islam wants to see
in human life can be brought about only in a peaceful environment. For
instance, constructive activities such as spiritual uplift, character
building, educational activity, social welfare, worship and prayer—all
of these can be performed only in peaceful conditions. In fact, no peace,
no progress; no peace, no development. Peace is thus the central point of Islamic
living; in this world as well as in the life hereafter. According to
Islam, a peaceful life is the ideal life in both worlds. Some people
portray Islam as a religion of violence by using the word Jihad. They say
that Jihad in Islam is a holy war. In fact, there is no concept of holy
war in Islam. Jihad has nothing to do with war or violence. Jihad actually
means struggle, that is, peaceful struggle. This is clear from this verse
of the Qur’an: ‘And make Jihad on them, with the help of the
Qur’an’ (25:52). There is no verse in the Qur’an which says: And
make jihad on them with the help of the sword. This shows clearly that
Jihad is an act to be performed by the power of ideology rather than the
power of the sword. In fact, Islamic activism is a peaceful activism. Thus
Jihad is only another name for peaceful activism on Islamic lines. Let’s take another example. There is a
verse that reads: ‘Reconciliation is the best.’ We learn from this
verse that, according to the Qur’an, the best policy is one of
reconciliation (4:128). When there is a conflict between two individuals
or two groups, Muslims ought to follow the course of reconciliation. In
controversial matters, the policy of Islam is one of adjustment and not of
confrontation. According to the Qur’an, God has promised the
highest reward for those who practice patience. Why has the Qur’an laid
such great stress on patience, known as Sabr in Arabic? The reason is that
sabr, or patience, is the only bedrock for the establishment of peace.
As we all know, social life is full of unpleasant situations. Everything
depends on responses. In such circumstances a negative response will
result in breakdown, whereas a positive response will lead toward peace.
Hence patience is the price that has to be paid for the achievement of
peace. In conclusion, I would like to refer to a
very relevant verse from the Qur’an. The Qur’an says that on the Day
of Judgment God will say: Thus, according to the Qur’an, Paradise is a divine haven of peace. It is only those who have proved to be Mr. Peace in this world will be allowed to enter God’s Paradise. Source: http://www.alrisala.org/Articles/papers/religion.htm |