WAR AND PEACE IN ISLAM — In the Light of Quran and Hadith

message to mankind. It should be clearly understood that there is no Quranic verse that directs Muslims to establish ‘Islamic rule’. This kind of commandment is alien to the Quranic scheme of things. Political rule is a relative part of Islam, whereas the peaceful dissemination of the divine message is an essential part of Islam. A relevant social teaching of Islam is reflected in this Quranic verse: As-sulh khair (THE QURAN 4: 128). That is, “Reconciliation is the best.” According to this verse, Muslims must try to establish peaceful relations with others. They are not commanded to impose any system on others. If they try to impose any system, it would lead to conflict, and everything would be jeopardized. As far as the socio-political system is concerned, there is no ideal model for it in Islam. It depends on the actual situation prevailing in any given period. The socio-political system emerges from within a given society, rather than being imposed from outside. Muslims must reconcile with such a system. They must accept the principle of status quo in this matter. They have been instructed not to precipitate problems. It is in the best interests of Muslims to establish peace between people, because peace leads to normalcy, and normalcy helps in availing opportunities for the real mission of Islam, which is the mission of inviting people onto God’s path. The central Islamic teaching is the discovery of God and the understanding of God's creation plan for mankind. Islam does not permit Muslims to engage in war against anyone. Under normal circumstances, Muslims are exhorted to engage in peaceful communication of God’s message and to abstain from a confrontational approach in all matters. The only exception to this is in the face of aggression by others. The Quran clearly mentions that there should be no war unless one is faced with aggression from another party. This means that in Islam there is only one legitimate form of war, and that is defensive war. Muslims have not been commanded to initiate war. Nor are they allowed to engage in wars of aggression. However, if another party begins war, then Muslims can engage in self-defence. The Quran says: And fight in God’s cause against those who wage war against you, but do not commit aggression—for surely, God does not love aggressors. THE QURAN 2: 190