The Culture of Peace

and groups, if they act with patience and not in haste, will inevitably be successful. Success will inevitably come to them. In most cases, those who fail are those who act hastily and who engage in emotionally-driven actions before their appropriate time. On the other hand, those who are patient always succeed. According to the Quran (46:35), the opposite of patience is haste. A person who behaves in a patient manner follows the creation plan of God. In contrast, someone who deviates from the creation plan can be sure that it will be impossible for him to succeed. Avoid Conflict The Quran tells us: Let them not dispute with you on this matter. Call them to the path of your Lord. (22:67) From this Quranic verse we learn that not disputing with someone means not giving the other person the chance to dispute. That is to say, whenever differences arise between two parties, they should keep them within the limits of peaceful dialogue. They must never let these differences go beyond their initial limits and turn into a violent conflict. In this world, tensions constantly arise on various grounds between individuals and groups. In itself, this sort of tension is something quite natural. It happens everywhere, and under all sorts of conditions. The real thing to consider here is that we should make sure that these tensions or differences do not get out of hand. If differences are not to create friction, they must remain within their limits. When differences turn into physical confrontation or violence, they transgress their limits. No differences are in themselves wrong if they remain within their limits. But when they go beyond this point, they become unacceptable.