THE CULTURE OF PEACE — Teachings of Islam

This is what reconciliation is about. It is very rare for this sort of reconciliation to be equally in accordance with the desires of both parties. In most cases, this reconciliation happens on a unilateral basis. That is to say, one of the two parties sets aside its desires and agrees to settle the dispute according to the desires of the other party. Why is this sort of unilateral reconciliation termed as ‘best’? The reason for this is because a situation of conflict puts a halt to constructive activity. The benefit of agreeing to reconciliation is that one is thereby spared the need to waste one’s time, strength and resources on useless confrontation and one can focus on constructive efforts instead. A course of action that is opposed to reconciliation is always and inevitably a course of destruction. The method of reconciliation is always, and in every case, a beneficial one. Those who do not follow Islam’s teachings do not have anything to do with Islam, even if they claim to be its champions. History is witness to the fact that whenever people have attained any kind of success following conflict, it has only been after adopting the method of reconciliation. Not a single person has ever achieved any real success through confrontation and fighting. The importance of reconciliation lies in the fact that it provides an opportunity to fully exercise one’s right to use the available opportunities. On the other hand, the path of confrontation leads one to waste one’s energies in trying to destroy others; as a result of which, one can engage in no constructive work whatsoever. The secret of success lies in stabilising and building up oneself, and definitely not in the destruction of imaginary enemies. No to ‘Corruption in the Land’ The Quran describes a certain form of behaviour in the following words: When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only promoters of peace,’ […] THE QURAN 2: 11 This Quranic verse refers to people who, on the face of it, are engaged