A Personal Experience

Islam and Peace There are a number of such traditions as enjoin people to totally refrain from confrontation with their rulers. If they have any complaints against their rulers, they should change their field of action. Instead of politics, they should devote their energies to other fields. There are a number of traditions under the heading Kitab al-Fitan recorded in books of Hadith. On this subject al-Imam al-Nawawi has thus described the opinion of the ulama: ‘Only peaceful advice can be given to the ruler of the time. So far as revolt (khuruj) and war (qital) against them are concerned, it is unlawful (haram) by the consensus of the ulama, even if someone thinks that the ruler is corrupt (fasiq) and oppressive (zalim).’2 This principle does not mean abandoning politics. Rather, it has great wisdom in it. It shows that Islam has enjoined a division of the spheres of activity. If you study the Quran, especially verse 41 of Chapter al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) and other verses on this subject, you will find that the Quran differentiates between two domains of life: the political and the non-political. The Quran suggests maintaining a division of labour between the two. According to the Quran, the duty of the ruling party is to maintain peace and stability in society, while the duty of reformers is to focus on non-political activities, such as education—both formal and informal—conveying God’s message to people, instilling right thinking, and similar efforts. Thus the two groups can play their roles in building a better society. In this way all kinds of work will be carried on smoothly and