Man
has been facing a number of challenges – intellectual, political, economic, etc
– which are universal in the modern world. A major issue is whether man can
continue to live in peace on this planet. This is a matter of crucial
importance because man’s very existence is in peril. It is the future of
mankind which is at stake.
Various
sets of adverse circumstances have together produced a state of unrest
throughout the entire world. At different places groups of people are engaged
in violent clashes with other groups. This state of affairs is such as to
render our scientific progress meaningless, and it must be acknowledged that
our very civilization is in jeopardy.
Unfortunately,
in this baneful sequence of events, the name of Islam has come to be linked
with violence. Thanks to the foolish and imprudent acts of certain Muslims,
coupled with the propaganda campaign launched by Islam’s antagonists, Islam and
violence have come to be regarded as interchangeable terms.
But
the truth about Islam is the very opposite. The word Islam itself means peace,
having been derived from the Arabic root slim meaning peace. And the Prophet
Muhammad is described in the scriptures as a ‘mercy to the world.’ The Qur’an
has this to say: ‘And God calls you to the home of peace. The lesson that is
imparted through Hajj, a course of training for a Muslim for the whole of his
life, is not to harm a single human being, not even an animal. To call such a
religion one of violence is therefore highly inappropriate.
Islam
came to mankind in an age when violence was an integral part of every nation’s
culture and, as such, was prevalent all over the world. Violence, it was
thought, was the most dependable means for the achievement of all ends.
It
was at this point in time that Islam brought to the world the message of
peaceful co-existence, not only in theory, but also in practice. The truth is
that Islam is a peaceful way of life: it was so for the man of the past, and it
is so for the man of today.
But
mere casual talk about peace is not going, of itself, to produce peace for
mankind. It is essential rather to formulate a concept of peace in such a
manner as to explain and underline its importance. Furthermore, such a concept
must be accompanied by a methodology which will facilitate its practical
realization.
