As far as I can understand, Islam has two schemes to offer for the
promotion of peace:
(a) a real and longterm scheme, and
(b) a short-term or interim one.
(a) a real and longterm scheme, and
(b) a short-term or interim one.
As regards the real, durable, and universal scheme to bring about
peace on earth, Islam asserts emphatically and unambiguously that it can be
achieved only through responding to the call of Islam, by believing in Allah (SWT)
as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and submitting to His will as
expressed in the last Divine Revelation, i.e., the Holy Qur’an.
A true Islamic society has the potential to expand and take the entire world into its fold, and thus to save all human beings from exploitation, disruption, oppression, and disquietude. The vicissitudes of human history are witness to the fact that whenever humanity adopted an ideology and way of life other than Islam, the world was torn by injustice and warfare. The Holy Qur’an says:
A true Islamic society has the potential to expand and take the entire world into its fold, and thus to save all human beings from exploitation, disruption, oppression, and disquietude. The vicissitudes of human history are witness to the fact that whenever humanity adopted an ideology and way of life other than Islam, the world was torn by injustice and warfare. The Holy Qur’an says:
Have you not seen how your
Lord dealt with the Ad, of the (city of) Iram with lofty pillars, the like of
whom were not created in (all) the land? And with the Thamud, who cut out
(huge) rocks in the valley? And with Pharaoh of Stakes? They were those who had
committed great excesses in the lands, and spread great mischief in them. (Al-Fajr
89:6-12)
Thus, the main emphasis of Islam is on calling the entire
humankind towards faith in its Lord and Creator, and urging it to submit to His
Will. Indeed, the real way to establish lasting peace on earth is the
following:
First of all, a true Islamic society and a genuine Islamic State needs to be established in one part of the world; this would act as a beacon, inviting the humankind towards the light of Iman and Islam. As a result, the boundaries of Islamic society and Islamic State would keep on expanding till the entire humanity would come within the fold of the love, benevolence and mercy of its Creator.
First of all, a true Islamic society and a genuine Islamic State needs to be established in one part of the world; this would act as a beacon, inviting the humankind towards the light of Iman and Islam. As a result, the boundaries of Islamic society and Islamic State would keep on expanding till the entire humanity would come within the fold of the love, benevolence and mercy of its Creator.
Under the present circumstances, however, this seems like a
far-fetched idea. But Islam has a message of peace, love, and harmony for the
interim period as well. Islam provides us with two cardinal principles, on the basis
of which the peoples of the world can be united in global harmony. Thus, the ayah
13 of Surah Al-Hujurat reads:
O mankind! We created you
from a single (pair of a) male and a female, and made you into nations and
tribes, so that you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight
of Allah is (one who is) the most righteous of you.... (Al-Hujurat 49:13)
Here the Holy Qur’an mentions two points which can create a deep
sense of unity among the diverse races and religio-cultural groups of the
world, viz., the unity of the Creator which leads us to the essential equality
of humankind, and the common origin of the entire human race in the primordial
pair of Adam and Eve, which leads us to the idea of universal brotherhood. This
ayah addresses all of humanity
and not just the Muslim community. All humankind has descended from the first
couple, Adam and Eve. Their tribes, races, and nations are conventional labels
by which we may know their differing characteristics. Before Allah (SWT) they
are all one, and the most righteous is the most honorable. Allah (SWT) is the
Creator of all human beings and as such they are all equal before Him.
These two principles of unity of the human race and oneness of
Creator may appear rather theoretical, but history tells us that the Prophet of
Islam (SAW) established a society based on these very principles which was free
of internal strife and conflict. Even H. G. Wells, who otherwise is a bitter
critic of the personal life of the Holy Prophet (SAW), acclaims that it was a
great feat of Muhammad (SAW) that he, in fact, established a human society
based on the lofty moral ideals of Islam.
Everybody knows that modern science and technology has brought
about fantastic changes in contemporary life. Our globe has shrunk
tremendously; we can travel from one corner of the earth to another in a matter
of hours. The world has been reduced to a village, various countries being like
localities of a single town. But this elimination of distance is entirely a
physical and outer phenomenon. Mentally and psychologically, the various nations
of the world are still far apart from each other. Even though at the political
level men aspire to develop a universal brotherhood and a single world-State,
yet in reality they cannot find a basis or value through which to overcome the
barriers of color, creed, and race. The
desire for world peace and cordial relations among the nations of the world led
to the formation of “League of Nations” in the early part of this century. But
it failed miserably and ceased to exist after a few years because of the
utterly selfish and inhuman attitude of some of the member countries. The
yearning for peace and amicability in international relations persisted and it
again resulted in the formation of a world body known as the “United Nations
Organization.” It is an open secret, however, that it too has failed to achieve
its purpose. Most resolutions passed by the UNO are not implemented in clear
defiance of its Charter. Even though it has a prestigious paraphernalia of
offices and divisions, its efficacy as a custodian of peace has never been up
to the mark.
If we look at the matter from the right perspective, we realize
that only Islam can meet the challenge of the time. The failure of peace-making
world bodies like the UNO lies in the fact that these cannot possibly offer a ground
for treating various national and ethnic groups as equal partners in the
community of nations. Islam, on the other hand, gives us two such fundamental
concepts which alone can bind the human race in one single totality. It tells
us that all human beings living on the surface of this earth come from one
primordial pair — Adam and Eve — and as such they are like members of one
family. Again, the Creator of all is Allah (SWT) and as such they are all equal
in His sight. White people have no superiority over colored nations, nor have
Western nations any ground to boast against the Eastern ones. Islam totally negates
all baseless values and attitudes which treat some people as inferior to others
in any respect whatsoever.
The contents of the above mentioned ayah of Surah Al-Hujurat have appeared in reverse
order in the first ayah of Surah Al-Nisa thus:
O mankind! Be mindful of
your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person. Created, of like
nature, his mate and from them twain scattered countless men and women. Be
mindful of Allah through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (be mindful
of violating relations based on) the wombs; for Allah ever watches over you.
(Al-Nisa 4:1)
All our mutual rights and duties, according to Islam, are referred
to Allah (SWT). We are His creatures; His will is the standard and measure of
good, and our duties are measured by our conformity to His Will. The Prophet of
Islam (SAW) has not only shown a way to salvation in a future life, but has
also brought practical answers to the problems of this-worldly life. And surely
we do need concrete facts. In today’s situation of crisis the call for renewal,
change, and progress is heard everywhere. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the
prime example of a personality who understood how to bring about revolutionary
progress and build a community of true brotherhood. For example, his address on
the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage epitomizes the climax of his mission,
in which he said: “An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor has a
non-Arab over an Arab. You are all born of Adam, and Adam was made out of
clay.” This universalism is also depicted subtly in the above cited Qur’anic ayaat
; both address all humanity and thus make explicit the fundamental facts
shared by all human beings.
