NON-VIOLENCE AND ISLAM

~ 49 ~ ‘Read!’ (iqra) (96:1). By perusing this verse we learn about the initiation of Islamic action. It begins from the point where there is hope of continuing the movement along peaceful lines, and not from that point where there are chances of its being marred by violence. What are the advantages of non-violent activism over violent activism? They are briefly stated as under: 1. According to the Qur’an there are two faculties in every human being which are mutually antipathetic. One is the ego, and the other is the conscience, called respectively nafs ammara and nafs lawwama (The Qur’an, 12:53; 75:26). What the violent method invariably does is to awaken the ego, which necessarily results in a breakdown of social equilibrium. On the other hand, non-violent activism awakens the conscience. From this results an awakening in people of introspection and selfappraisal. And according to the Qur’an, the miraculous outcome of this is that “he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend.” (41:34)