THE RELIGION OF PEACE

To establish freedom and peace it was necessary to end this coercive system. The Prophet and his Companions engaged in war for a limited period so that this system could be ended. It was first brought to an end in Arabia. After this, the early Muslims were confronted by two major empires of the time, the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire. The Muslims were victorious over both the empires, which brought an end to the coercive rule that held sway in a large part of the world. The French historian Henri Pirenne asserts that, had the followers of Islam not put an end to this system of what he terms ‘Absolute Imperialism’, it would never have been possible for the age of freedom and peace to dawn in the world. After this, history began moving in a particular direction. The process that started with Islam in the seventh century then carried on, reaching its culmination in the 20th and 21st centuries. Thereafter, it became impossible for the old-style coercive system to be re-established in the world. This is no mere coincidence. The fact is that because of the developments in the last two centuries, the world has witnessed enormous changes that block the possibilities of old style empires being established anywhere. The factors that allow for such empires to be established now simply no longer exist. One can cite several examples of deterrents that oppose the establishment of political empires in the modern world. In the ancient past, when a monarch captured, through force of arms, a certain territory, the inhabitants of that territory accepted his sovereignty, considering this to be the conqueror’s right. This is why in those days, only a monarch, and not commoners, could defeat another monarch. But in today’s world, thanks to democracy, political freedom and the concept of national government, public opinion has changed so much that no external conqueror can gain the wide social acceptance that is necessary to establish rule. In the past, the economy was based wholly on land, and land was considered the personal property of the king. But today, the Industrial revolution has given birth to innumerable economic resources that everyone can access. And so, it has become possible for ‘ordinary’ The French historian Henri Pirenne asserts that had the followers of Islam not put an end to 'Absolute Imperialism', it would never have been possible for the age of freedom and peace to dawn in the world.