The Power of Peace

Hostility flourishes in an atmosphere of violence, while amity flourishes in an atmosphere of non-violence. The way of violence gives rise to negative values, while the way of non-violence gives rise to positive values. The way of violence embroils people in problems, while the way of non-violence shows people the way to exploit opportunities. To put it briefly, if violence is death, non-violence, as compared to violence, is life. Both the Quran and Hadith speak of jihad as a very superior act. What is jihad? Jihad means ‘struggle.’ This word is used for non-violent activism as compared to violent activism. One clear proof of this is provided by the verse of the Quran which says: “Do not yield to the unbelievers, but struggle with them by means of it (the Quran) most strenuously.” (The Quran, 25:52). The Quran is no gun or weapon of war. It is a book of ideology. In such a situation asking people to struggle by means of the Quran signifies to strive by means of ideology. That is to say, to work hard to conquer people’s hearts and minds by the superior ideology of Islam. In the light of this Quranic explanation, it would be true to say that jihad, in fact, is another name for peaceful activism or non-violent activism, that is to say, if qital is violent activism, jihad is non-violent activism. Peaceful Beginning When the Quran began to be revealed, the first word of the first verse was iqra, ‘read’ (The Quran, 96:1). When we reflect on this verse, we find the starting point of Islamic action. It is to start from where there is no fear of violent reaction, from the point where it is possible to continue one’s movement along peaceful lines. At the time when the command of iqra was revealed in the Quran, several options existed in Makkah regarding the starting point for the Islamic movement. One option was to begin by launching a movement to clear the Kabah of the 360 idols, which had been placed in it. This option would certainly have provoked a violent reaction on the part of the Quraysh. Another option was to find a seat in Dar Al Nadwah (Makkah’s parliament). The third option was to launch a movement to free Muslims from the domination of the Roman and Sassanid empires. This starting point again would have provoked a violent reaction on the part of these forces. Leaving aside all these courses of action, the option followed was that of studying the Quran, about which it was certain that it could be continued peacefully, and that it would not provoke any violent reaction. The Prophet of Islam adopted this principle throughout his life. His policy was to adopt a nonviolent method rather than a violent method. It is this policy, which was referred to by his wife, Aisha: “Whenever the Prophet had to opt for one of two things, he always chose the easier one.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6786) The Benefits of Non-Violent Activism