Peace is the Name of God

that feeling to everyone. That is why one of the teachings of Islam is that when the Muslims meet one another, they should greet each other by saying “Assalamu-Alaikum,” May peace be upon you. One notable incident in the early history of Islam is very relevant to this topic. In 2 AH the battle of Badr took place between the Prophet of Islam and his opponents. As we learn from traditions, the Prophet of Islam was seated at that time under a tent on a small hillock at the edge of the battlefield. At that moment, an angel visited the Prophet and said: ‘O Muhammad, God has sent you Salam (peace).’ On hearing this, the Prophet expressed himself thus: ‘God is Peace, Peace is from Him and Peace is to Him.’ (Ibn Kathir, AI-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 3, p. 267) This incident shows how great is the importance attached to peace in Islam. Even at a time of war hysteria, the message of God brought by the angel was one of peace. Moreover, the words uttered in response by the Prophet at such a delicate moment were those of peace. Besides the Quran, the books of Hadith contain many saying which tell us of the importance of peace in Islam. For instance, the Prophet of Islam said, ‘Peace is from Islam.’ On another occasion, the Prophet of Islam observed, ‘God is peace.’ We also learn from traditions that the wording of the conclusion of the Prophet’s prayer included the eulogy: ‘O God, You are Peace and Peace is from You.’ A tradition in Sahih al Bukhari is related by a companion, Ammar ibn Yasir “There are three actions, the performance of which is equal to possessing the whole faith. These are doing justice, doing one’s utmost for the peace and well-being of the world, and spending on others in spite of a lack of means.” This part of the hadith, exhorting one to do utmost to bring