Non-Violence and Peace-Building in Islam

doing this they are engaging in jihad. But it is actually nothing of the sort. Through this behaviour of theirs, they are only proving that they completely lack an exalted purpose or goal in life. A person who is inspired by an exalted purpose in life will always ignore petty issues. Because Muslims have lost consciousness of an exalted purpose to live for, they have also lost their tolerance. And because they have become a people without a goal, they have lost the strength to overlook minor inconveniences for the sake of being able to carry on with efforts for achieving a higher purpose in life. Communal violence is the price that the Muslims of India are paying for their religious degeneration. Although the religion sent by God is one, as far as Muslims’ real life is concerned, there are two types of ‘Islam’: one, the ‘Islam of pride’, and the other, the ‘Islam of humility’. Religious corruption and degeneration is another name for the ‘Islam of pride’. When Muslims are on the path of true Islam, they follow the Islam of modesty or humility. The fear of God takes away from them any sense of superiority. Because of this, all their unnecessary conflicts automatically come to an end. In the face of the prejudice of others, their God-consciousness makes them humble and modest. This acts like water in the face of the fire of other people’s prejudices. And it brings violence to an end. In contrast, when Muslims become bereft of God-consciousness, they become driven by the ‘Islam of pride’, which leads them to imagine that they are superior to others. This psychology creates all the differences and disputes that Muslims are today beset with. When every person starts thinking that he is superior to everyone else, harmony and unity are simply impossible. The only way to cement unity is for some people to agree to become less than others. Where everyone thinks he is superior to everyone else, unity is out of the question. When the psyche of pride and superiority