Policy of Peace in Islam

only with the conquest of Makkah when the Ka‘bah was cleared from all the idols. This tells us a very important principle of Islam called Al-fasl bayn alQaziyatayn, that is to separate two matters from one another. Under this principle Ka‘bah and the idols were separated from one another. Remaining patient on the presence of idols, Ka‘bah was accepted as the direction for prayer. 2. Another example in this connection is to be found in the event of Isra and Mi‘raj. This heavenly journey took place before the emigration in 622. At that point in time, Jerusalem was ruled by non-Muslims. It was non-Muslim Iranians who wielded political power. History tells us that the Iraninan ruler, Khusroe Parvez attacked Jerusalem in 614, wresting it from the Romans who had been governing it since 63 B.C. This political dominance of the Iranian empire ended only when the Roman emperor Heraclius defeated the Iranians, restoring their rule over Jerusalem. This means that when the Prophet Muhammad entered Jerusalem before his emigration during his Mi‘raj journey to say his prayers at al-Masjid al-Aqsa, Jerusalem at that time, was under the rule of a non-Muslim king, Khusroe Parvez. From this we derive a very important sunnah of the Prophet that worship and politics should not be confused with one another. 3. The third example is to be found after the Hijrah in 629. At that time Makkah was entirely under the possession of the idolatrous Quraysh. In spite of that the Prophet along with his companions entered Makkah for three days to perform ‘Umrah (minor pilgrimage) and circumambulation of the Ka‘bah. It was possible only because he did not mix up the worship aspect with the political aspect. If the Prophet had considered this condition necessary that ‘Umrah could be performed only when Makkah comes under the Muslim political rule, he would never have entered Makkah alongwith his companions. In the light of this sunnah of the Prophet the solution to the present problem of Jerusalem lies in separating the aspect of worship in al-Masjid al-Aqsa with the issue of political possession. Muslims belonging to Palestine or of other countries should come here freely in order to pray to God in the al-Aqsa Mosque. Worship should no longer be linked with the question of political power. The Islamic principle of Al-fasl bayn al-Qaziyatayn (to separate two matters from one another) is not just for Jerusalem, it has to do with the entire world. The