The Culture of Peace

The Culture of Peace security. This undoubtedly reflects a very lofty character, that of one who, even in the face of violence, thinks of peace, and who in the midst of war makes plans for reconciliation. God’s Name is Peace The Quran tells us various names (or attributes) of God. One of these is As-Salam, i.e. ‘The Source of Peace’. This means that God is the epitome of peace. God loves peace and security so much that He has as one of His names As-Salam. The noted scholar Al-Khattabi writes that God is that Being from Whom all people are safe and secure, and from Whom they experience peace, not violence. When God’s dealings with human beings are based on peace and security, human beings should deal in the same way with each other, too. That is to say, we should relate with each other with peace and security, and not with harshness and violence. Who is Strong? According to a hadith report, the Prophet said that a strong person is not one who defeats others in wrestling, but, rather, only he who when angry, keeps his nafs, or lower self, under control. To be able to suppress one’s anger while in an overwrought state is a sign of self-control. And, self-control is, undoubtedly, the greatest power. In moments of anger, self-control saves one from wrong actions. One who is lacking in self-control will burst out uncontrollably when he is angry, so much so that he can easily become violent. To keep one’s anger under control is the way of a peace-loving person, while letting oneself get out of control when angry is the way of a person who glorifies violence. Suppose two people have a fight and one of them hurls the other to the ground. This may signify only that the former is physically stronger than the latter. However, physical strength is a