NO EXTREMISM

PEACE IN ISLAM ~ 144 ~ “Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two paths in any problematic situation, he would always opt for the easier course.” (Al-Bukhari) If this principle of taking the easier option is looked at in the context of the violent versus the peaceful method, it would be true to say that the way of the Prophet in any given situation was to refrain sedulously from using violent methods in dealing with the matter at hand. The peaceful course, therefore, must invariably be taken. For there is no doubt about it, that the violent method falls into the category of the harder option, while the reverse is true of the peaceful method. However, this is not simply a matter of easier or harder options. It means rather that in our general dealings, the peaceful method is invariably oriented towards producing positive results, while the violent method is merely an exercise in futility. The violent method not only fails to solve the problem, but it further aggravates and complicates it. In the hadith, the harder method implies taking a course which is strewn with obstacles. On the contrary, the