Non-Violence and Peace-Building in Islam

acquire the results that we seek. You are free to choose whether to dive into the sea or not, but if you do not know how to swim, you do not have the power to stop yourself from drowning! Please remember that this world is merciless when it comes to accepting useless excuses, no matter how beautifully you might seek to embellish them. The fact of the matter is that we do not live in a world of our own making. Instead, this world has been made by God. We can obtain what we seek only if we live in accordance with the principles that God has put into place that govern the universe. If we deviate from these principles, we cannot get anything positive at all. The devastating results of the merciless violence engaged in by terrorists is ample proof of this. 2 Avoid Confrontation T he year after the Battle of the Trench, in 628 C.E., the Prophet Muhammad had a dream. At this time, he was in Madinah. In the dream, he saw himself and his Companions visiting the House of God in Makkah. His Companions were very pleased to hear this, for it meant that, after a lapse of six years, they would soon be going to Makkah and visiting the Kabah. In accordance with this dream, the Prophet set out for Makkah with 1400 of his Companions. When they reached Ghadir Ashtat, they heard that the