NON-VIOLENCE Our Only Hope

hood. During these 23 years, the Quran was revealed at intervals and according to the circumstances. If this period is divided up under the headings of war and peace, we will find that one part of the Quran, covering a span of twenty years, relates to peaceful teachings on the subjects of faith, worship, ethics, justice, humanity, etc., whereas the verses relating to war were revealed during a period of only three years, when the believers were faced with armed aggression. There are 114 chapters in the Quran, containing about 6500 verses. There are hardly 40 verses which relate directly or indirectly to war. This means that the verses dealing with war represent barely 0.6 per cent of the entire text. This kind of difference can be found in the constitutions of every country as well as in all religious books. For instance, while the Bible enshrines many teachings on the subject of peace, it also includes this saying of Jesus Christ: I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Similarly, while the Bhagavad Gita holds forth at length on wisdom and ethics, it also contains passages where Krishna insists that Arjuna should go ahead and fight. It is obvious that these injunctions in the Bible and the Gita are intended to cover only exceptional cases. One important aspect of Islam as regards its peace-loving policy is that it differentiates between the enemy and the aggressor. According to the teachings of lslam, if a group unilaterally attacks, thus opening hostilities, war can, as a matter of necessity, be waged in self-defence. The Quran states: Permission to fight is given to those who are attacked. (THE QURAN 22: 39) But so far as engaging in combat with the enemy is concerned, the Quran does not allow military action just on account of enmity. There is a verse in the Quran which gives clear guidance in this regard: And good and evil are not alike. Requite evil with what is best. Then truly he between whom and you there was enmity, will become your dearest friend.” (THE QURAN 41 :34)