War and Peace in Islam

great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:27-38) This utterance of Christ indicates what kind of character a man with a mission should have. Normal human relations between the da‘i (addressor) and the madu’ (the person addressed) are essential for the success of any dawah mission. The only way to establish a favourable atmosphere is for the da‘i to adopt the ethics of unilateralism, that is to behave well consistently and unconditionally, even if his hearers (the madu’) do not behave well towards him. In refusing to copy the attitude and conduct of the madu’, the da‘i adheres to the highest code of ethics based on Islamic principles. “And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.” (Luke, 6:29) We are told here in symbolic language what our behaviour should be. The da‘i does all he can so that no controversy is created between himself and the madu; all he does is convey the message of dawah. That is why the da‘i takes sole responsibility for the maintaining of a propitious atmosphere for dawah by unilaterally bringing all controversies to an end. Such an approach was not peculiar to Christianity; it was a feature common to the missions of all of the prophets. This principle of unilateral accommodation is a sine qua non for success in the task of dawah. The followers of Christ wholeheartedly adopted this teaching of their Prophet. This special feature of their missionary character contributed extraordinarily to the spread of the