THE CULTURE OF PEACE — Teachings of Islam

in some reformist efforts but whose method is not proper. Their method is such that, in actual practice, it causes fasad, or ‘corruption’ in the land. Here, ‘corruption in the land’ means that as a result of their method, people start clashing with each other. Their method leads to stirring up hatred between people, weakening their moral sensibilities and engendering negative thinking. All these are forms of fasad fil ardh or ‘corruption in the land’ which this Quranic verse talks about, because they destroy social peace, leading to violence and confrontation. All activities undertaken in the name of reform that disturb social peace and cause loss of life and property are wrong. From this Quranic teaching we learn that for an action to be considered proper, it is not enough that it appears to have started for a good cause. In addition to this, it is necessary to keep in mind the sort of results activities undertaken in the name of reform produce. If these activities give birth to hatred, tension, violence and so on and so forth amongst people, then, despite claiming to be reformist activities they are definitely not so. Rather, they are destructive activities, leading to fasad or ‘corruption’ in the land. Those who engage in such activities should be considered criminals and enemies of humanity, and certainly not reformers or servants of humanity. An action can be considered a genuine reformist effort only if it is carried out within the limits of peace and humaneness. All activities undertaken in the name of reform that disturb social peace and cause loss of life and property are wrong. Efforts in the name of reform must also necessarily bring about true reform in terms of their results. If, instead, they result in what the Quran refers to as fasad or ‘corruption’ in the land, then they are actually themselves a form of fasad, irrespective of the beautiful words used to describe them. Ending Conspiracies The Quran tells us: If you persevere and fear God, their designs will never harm you in the least. THE QURAN 3: 120 This Quranic verse indicates a very important fact of life. The real issue