The Culture of Peace

obtain something in this world, it is by these principles of peace and non-violence. By deviating from them, you can be sure that you will get nothing at all. The Limits of Dissension A hadith report relates that the Prophet declared that the best jihad is to speak a word of truth and justice in front of an oppressive ruler. The Prophet is also said to have declared that a person who sees something in his ruler that he does not like should exercise patience with regard to that matter. Likewise, in a hadith contained in the Sahih Muslim, the Prophet is said to have declared that one should listen to one’s ruler and obey him, even if he whips one on one’s back and seizes one’s wealth. These hadith reports appear to provide two different commandments. On the one hand, we are told that if we see something wrong with our rulers, we should openly announce it. On the other hand, we are also told that if we see something wrong with our rulers, we should exercise patience in that regard and that even if he oppresses us, we should tolerate it. These prescriptions clearly indicate the distinction between announcing something, on the one hand, and taking action on it, on the other. It is a desirable thing that if you see something wrong with your rulers, you should announce it in the form of exhortation and well-wishing. But as far as taking practical steps as a reaction are concerned, one should completely abstain from them. One must distinguish between the politics of exhortation and that of confrontation. Using the legitimate right of exhortation, one should completely stay away from political confrontation. It is very important to keep this distinction in mind. Whenever people launch movements to practically confront their rulers and make plans to oust them from power in the name of ‘reform’, it inevitably creates a violent atmosphere in society. However, if