ISLAM AND THE CHALLENGES OF THE WORLD

Hijrah means that if the other party comes to the point of aggression in order to stop whatever peaceful work is being undertaken, one must move away from that place rather than take to fighting. Willingness to Accept the Possible The first principle of the non-violent method is to show willingness to accept what is possible. A fine, practical example of this principle was personally demonstrated by the Prophet of Islam at the outset of his missionary career in Makkah. At that time, in Makkah, the most sacred house of worship, the Kaaba, many deities were being worshipped. The ritual of Hajj had been distorted. For instance, the solar instead of the lunar calendar was being used for its observance. Drinking and other evils were rife. Had the Prophet of Islam directly launched a violent struggle against these he would at once have set off a violent confrontation in Makkah, and the armed conflict would have overshadowed his message of peace. The Prophet had, at that juncture, formulated an important principle of peace. Presenting it to the world, he put it into practice himself. The principle he followed was to make one’s starting point from what was possible. That is to say, to confine one’s activity to the field in which opportunities are available under the prevailing system. The rest had to be left for the future. This was the principle which he followed for thirteen years while working in Makkah. Any attempt to bring about a change in the system in Makkah would only have resulted in clash and confrontation. He, therefore, set before himself the target of bringing about a change in the individual, and continued to work on those same lines for the whole of the Makkan period. Moving Away from the Point of Confrontation Another principle formed by the Prophet in this regard was to move away from the point of conflict. This principle took practical shape in the Hijrah (emigration). It was in adherence to this principle that the Prophet emigrated to Madinah, leaving his hometown, Makkah, in the thirteenth year of his prophethood. Hijrah literally means ‘to leave’. It means that if the other party comes to the point of aggression in order to stop whatever peaceful work is being undertaken, one must move away from that place rather than take to fighting.