VIOLENCE IS NOT AN OPTION — Choose the Easier Option

lesser evil. One party accepting lesser evil is bringing about greater good for the entire mankind. At the time of attack, people generally know of one option, that is, of defence. But in fact, in every such situation, there is one more option— that is, of compromise. In such situations, compromise means opting for the policy of buying time. After making a compromise, you get the opportunity to re-plan your strategy. The example of the Prophet of Islam shows that this kind of policy always leads to new success. The Hudaibiya Agreement at the time of the Prophet was based on this wisdom. The Prophet opted for compromise by accepting all the conditions of the other party. Apparently, it was a case of surrender, but it was actually opting for a policy of buying time. Thus, after finalising this agreement, the Prophet availed the situation to reorganize his energies and re-plan peaceful work, of calling people towards God with the result being great success. According to Islamic teachings, there is no such thing as justified violence. According to the Quranic principle of As-sulh khair (THE QURAN 4: 128), in terms of results, peace is always the best. The Islamic strategy is always based on the ensuing results. If experience shows that war— even defensive war—leads to more loss than gain, then it is better to opt for compromise rather than for defence, except in extremely compelling situations. During the Prophet’s time, the Battle of Hunayn was an example of this. It was an entirely compulsory option for the Companions of the Prophet. If there is no such compulsion, one should opt for compromise rather than taking the option of defence. There is a Hadith report in Sahih al-Bukhari which says: “Don’t wish for confrontation with the enemy. Always ask for peace from God.” It means that violence and war are not options. You must try to establish peace at any cost. o