PEACE IN ISLAM

Muslims are also not permitted to commit suicidal bombings. This can in no way lead to shahadat, or martyrdom. According to Islam, to die while fighting for a just cause is to achieve martyrdom, but we cannot court death deliberately or use our own deaths as weapons. A Mercy for Mankind The Quran says of the Prophet of Islam: We have only sent you as a mercy to all mankind. THE QURAN 21: 107 The advent of the Prophet of Islam made manifest God’s mercy for all mankind. Through him, God communicated those principles of life by opting for which man may inhabit the abode of eternal peace and security (Dar us Salaam). (THE QURAN 10: 25) Through him, such teachings were revealed as could turn human society into a peaceful society. The Prophet of Islam presented a complete ideology based on the concept of peace. He gave us the formula for a peaceful life — to shun hatred and violence. The Prophet of Islam initiated a revolution which, although very great in its scope and later repercussions, was ideologically non-violent. The entire life of the Prophet illustrates this peace-loving policy. At the time of the migration or Hijrath, the people of Makkah were all set to wage war against the Prophet and his companions. Had the Prophet wished, he and his companions could have confronted the enemy. Omar and the other companions were seeking permission to engage with the enemy but the Prophet refused and avoided conflict by quietly leaving his homeland for Medina. This was not escaping out of fear for their lives, rather it was a concerted decision to avoid conflict and change the place of action. Just prior to the Hudaybiya treaty in 628 AD, a state of war prevailed, but the Prophet accepted all the conditions of his enemies unilaterally and agreed to a peace treaty. On the occasion of the battle of Khandaq, the 12000 strong army of the Quraysh had arrived at the borders of Medina, in order to do battle. But the Prophet and his companions dug a long trench to set up a buffer between themselves and their enemies, thus avoiding bloodshed.