NON-VIOLENCE AND ISLAM

~ 59 ~ Muslim community had tried to pose a threat to the political institutions, certainly all this constructive work would have been left undone. That is why the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, expressly prohibited any clash with political institutions. This avoidance of strife guaranteed that non-political constructive work would continue to be performed without any break. In every society there are always two systems side by side, one political and the other non-political. The latter is established through various nonpolitical institutions. According to the scheme of Islam, non-political institutions established at the social level have always to remain stable. In this way there is a continuing endeavour—even when the political institutions have become corrupt, or keep changing—to keep Islam firmly established at the level of the non-political system. There is no aggressive or offensive war in Islam. Islam allows only a defensive war and that, too, only when there is no other option.