Peace: The Summum Bonum

CHAPTER 5 PEACE: THE SUMMUM BONUM Which clauses of the Quran do you think are the most misinterpreted ones in today’s world? The most misinterpreted aspect of the Quran is jihad. Jihad, in reality, is peaceful activism but it has been misinterpreted as violent activism. Jihad is a fact of life. What is called ‘effort’ or ‘struggle’ in English is called ‘jihad’ in Arabic. Jihad is not something mysterious nor is it synonymous with violence. It simply means making great efforts or striving for a particular purpose. What do Muslims have to do to remove Islamophobia from people of other faiths? I do not believe that ‘Islamophobia’ exists. The irony is that this term has not been coined by other communities – it has been so named by the Muslim community themselves. Thus, Islamophobia is simply an allegation, and not a real phenomenon. In Islamic terms, this is a case of ‘calling others by offensive nicknames’, and is forbidden by the faith. Thus, first of all, Muslims must abandon using this term for others for the Quran reads: Believers, let not some men among you ridicule others: it may be that the latter are better than the former: nor should some women laugh at others: it may be that the latter are better than the former: do not defame or be