NON-VIOLENCE AND ISLAM

~ 6 ~ enmity which flourishes, while in an atmosphere of non-violence, it is friendship which flourishes. The method of violence gives way to negative values while the method of non-violence is marked by positive values. The method of violence embroils people in problems, while the method of nonviolence leads people to the exploiting of opportunities. In short, violence is death, nonviolence is life. Both the Qur’an and the hadith have attached great importance to Jihad. What is Jihad? Jihad means struggle, to struggle one's utmost. It must be appreciated at the outset that this word is used for non-violent struggle as opposed to violent struggle. One clear proof of this is the verse of the Qur'an (25:52) which says: Perform Jihad with this (i.e. the word of the Qur'an) most strenuously. The Qur’an is not a sword or a gun. It is a book of ideology. In such a case performing Jihad with the Qur'an would mean an ideological struggle to conquer peoples’ hearts and minds through Islam’s superior philosophy.