Prophet Muhammad: A Man of Peace

Peace is the norm in Islam; war is the exception. All the teachings of Islam and the life of the Prophet of Islam testify to this. For example, a Hadith says that God grants to gentleness what He does not grant to harshness. That is to say, a peaceful approach is distinctly superior to violence. PEACE IN THE QURAN The Quran is undoubtedly a book of peace. It is not a book of war and violence. This can be seen from the fact that all of the Quran’s pronouncements are directly or indirectly related to peace. Its opening invocation is — “In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful”, and this verse is repeated in the Quran 114 times. This is an indication that the greatest attribute of the Supreme Being who sent this book to us is His mercy. We could say that the theme of this entire book is God’s all-embracing compassion. Judging by its consequences, the way of peace is far better than confrontation or conflict. According to the law of God for humankind, God has decreed success only through reconciliation, and not through violent courses of action. The Prophet’s wife Aisha said that the Prophet’s general policy was always to choose the easier path (Al-Bukhari). The non-confrontational approach is undoubtedly the easier approach than the confrontational approach. This means countering aggression with aggression is a hard option and countering aggression with patience and forbearance is an easier option, radicalism is harder than gradualism. Therefore, peace is always the easier option in achieving the desired results. PROPHET A MAN OF PEACE Islam is the name of the revealed religion professed by the Prophet Muhammad and exemplified in his life. The Prophet Muhammad was a prophet of peace, not a prophet of violence. In the Quran, he is called a ‘mercy to humankind’.