Chapter Two

transformations have made peaceful methods popular, and, at the same time, more effective. As mentioned earlier, according to the Prophet’s sunnat, or practice, when peaceful methods are practically available, these methods alone must be used and violent struggle should be avoided. One can very well say, without fear of exaggeration, that today, violent methods have not only become difficult, but that they are also, in practical terms, completely counter-productive. In contrast, peaceful methods are easier to adopt and also much more likely to be successful. No longer is the use of peaceful methods a question of choosing between two possible options— peaceful versus violent. Rather, the peaceful method is now simply the only possible and viable existing option. And so, it is absolutely correct to say that violent methods must now be abandoned in practice, or what in the language of the shariah is called mansukh or ‘abrogated’. Now the followers of Islam are left with only one method to choose—and that, without any doubt whatsoever, is the peaceful method, unless and until such changes take place in the situation as once again change social imperatives. It is true that in the past violent methods were used on some occasions, but these were only a choice based on the compulsions of the then prevailing causes and conditions. As a result of the changes in the conditions in our times, there is no longer such compulsion, so the choice of violent methods must now be considered to be unnecessary and not in consonance with the essential spirit of the Prophet’s sunnat. Now, with the new conditions, only peaceful methods should be chosen. As far as the issue of jihad is concerned, peace is the general rule or norm, while war as a necessity is a very rare exception. An example from recent times of what we have been discussing here, and from which we can gain valuable lessons, is the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Because of the changes in the times that we have talked of, it was possible for Mahatma Gandhi to engage in a full-fledged political struggle and succeed. And all of this