Conclusion

Conclusion Just as it is a fact that world peace is the greatest need of our time, it is also a fact that world peace cannot be achieved without the establishment of peace in Palestine. I believe that the time has come for the prediction of the Prophet to come true about the establishment of peace in Palestine and, in consequence, in the rest of the world. Inspired by this tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, I wanted to discover the formula for peace in the light of the Islamic scriptures. This study brought me to the conclusion that according to the Quran the master principle in controversial matters is that of reconciliation (sulh).14 It means that peaceful settlement is the best. However, peaceful settlement is not an easy task. It requires great wisdom, the spirit of give and take, unbiased thinking, a realistic approach, and well wishing towards all mankind. Guided by this Quranic spirit, I discovered the first pointer, in the form of the law of diaspora. This law is mentioned in this verse of the Quran, ‘O my people! Enter the holy land which God has assigned to you.’ 15 The ‘promised land’ in the Bible, is called the ‘assigned land’ in the Quran. According to this law, any community living in diaspora enjoys the natural right to return to its original homeland. The Balfour plan, implemented in 1948, expressed exactly the same principle. But the refusal of the Arab leaders to accept it has resulted in a bloody conflict between the two groups. Now the time has finally come for a reassessment to be made by both of the parties. The Arab leaders — abandoning all kinds of violence — must accept Israel as a legitimate state, while Israel must make some kind of territorial adjustment which would be acceptable to the Arabs.