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

only engaged in opposition, but when the Prophet migrated to Medina, these opponents launched armed military aggression against them. It was at this point in time that the following verse was revealed: Permission to fight is given to those who are attacked, because they have been oppressed. THE QURAN 22: 39 In this verse, the word “oppression” (zulm) is meant in the sense of aggression. As is known, during the thirteen-year period of the Prophet’s life as a prophet in Makkah, the opponents of Islam continuously subjected the Muslims to persecution. However, in this period, no commandment for war was revealed. Such a command was revealed only after the Prophet migrated to Medina, when the opponents of Islam embarked on military aggression against the Muslims. Therefore, in this verse “oppression” implies aggression, and not non-aggressive oppression. The Quran clearly mentions that there should be no war unless one is faced with aggression from another party. A related issue that needs clarification is that of jizyah or tribute. It must be noted that jizyah is not a permanent command of Islam. Instead, it was a temporary order. At that time it was common practice among governments to impose a levy like the jizyah as a temporary punitive tax on those who had waged an unprovoked war. This same practice was applied to the contemporary opponents of the Prophet. Jizyah was therefore a temporary tax imposed on those opponents of the Prophet who were his contemporaries. The Muslim rulers who tried to continue this practice of jizyah after the Prophet were not right. They have misinterpreted this verse of the Quran. (THE QURAN 9: 29). Jizyah is not at all applicable in the present age. Yet another issue that needs clarification in this discussion about war and peace in Islam is a Hadith from al-Bukhari, which is translated as: “I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: ‘La ilaha illallah’ (‘There is no god but God’), and whoever said ‘No god other than Allah’ will save his property and his life from me.” In this Hadith, 'al-nas', or ‘people’ refers to the people of Makkah. So, this Hadith must be interpreted only in the light of the actual conduct of the Prophet of Islam towards the people of Makkah. It is on record that