The Religion of Peace

Fa feehima fajahid This means ‘Strive in them [your parents]’. This indicates that serving one’s parents is an act of jihad. In this way, from various Quranic verses and traditions of the Prophet we learn that jihad is essentially a peaceful action. It refers to struggling for a desirable Divine purpose within a peaceful framework. The correct translation of the word ‘jihad’ is thus ‘peaceful struggle’. Ease in Hardship The Quran tells us: So, surely with every hardship there is ease; surely, with every hardship there is ease. (94:5-6) This means that one aspect of the law of nature on the basis of which this world functions is that ease is always present along with difficulty. Along with obstacles, solutions are always present. From this we learn the secret of maintaining peace in this world—and that is, to find a way out in the event of a difficult situation without engaging in confrontation. The cause for disruption of peace in any society is always this—that when an individual finds an obstacle in his path, he wants to destroy it in order to clear the way. This happens at the level of groups, too. This mentality is the biggest cause for the disruption of peace. That is why whenever people are faced with any difficulty, they should not consider it as an obstacle. Rather, they should be convinced that where there is difficulty, there is also ease; that where one’s journey appears to come to a halt, a new journey can also be embarked upon. If you stand at the foot of a mountain, you will notice streams tumbling down the slope from the peak and rushing towards the plains below. Numerous boulders stand in their way, seeming to