Islam Says Peace is One of God's Names

25 September 2001, 12:08am IST
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.

The so-called islamic fundamentalism, if judged by its result, is the greatest crime of its kind against humanity. anything or anyone can be eliminated, but what is impossible to eliminate is the hatred produced by a sacred ideology: hatred generates violence and ideological hatred generates unlimited violence. it can kill off all of humanity without suffering any feelings of remorse or repentance. hence the self-styled islamic fundamentalism turns into an un-islamic theory. there are, in this world, two types of movements. one is based on love. the aim of this movement is to reform human beings. such a movement awakens in its adherents feelings of generosity and good wishes towards other human beings. its exponents strive peacefully to pass on the truth that they have discovered for the benefit of their fellow men. such a movement, far from causing harm to society, becomes a driving force towards the moral and social uplift of people in all walks of life. the other type of movement is one which is based on hatred. the adherents of this movement consider those who are not like-minded to be enemies. they have an overriding desire to wipe them off the face of this earth. they hold that these ``enemies'' are obstacles to their success and that it is therefore necessary to destroy them altogether. only then can a system of their own choice be set in place. the so-called islamic fundamentalism is a movement of this nature. as a result of this negative thinking they divide humanity into two camps, one comprising their enemies, and the other of their friends. once having made this division, they allow their aversion for their ``enemies'' to grow into virulent hatred. if the incentives for the members of the movement based on love are generosity and the goodwill of the people, the incentives for the members of the movement based on hatred are ill-will and animosity. owing to this negative attitude, all activities of islamic fundamentalism take a pernicious direction. to make matters worse, the hatred felt by the muslim fundamentalists has become inseparable from their ideology. they hate others who think differently from themselves because they hold them to be ideologically in error. experience shows that of all kinds of hatred, that based on an ideology is the most rabid. personal hatred, on the other hand, arises from temporary factors, and seldom takes long to dissipate in the ordinary course of events. but there is little chance of ideological hatred abating. and its target is the obliteration of enemies. not until this end is achieved will it ever die down. this is the reason that ideological hatred takes no time in assuming the shape of violence. when it is found that peaceful means of persuasion are showing no results, arms are then resorted to, so that all enemies may be removed from its path. at the present time, muslim fundamentalists are responsible for actions resulting from hatred and marked by violence taking place in the name of islam. a justification of what they are engaged in is presented in the couplet by the poet iqbal which can be translated as, ``to every vein of falsehood every muslim is like a surgical knife''. we, however, find that it is implied in a different manner in the qur'an, ``when it is said to them: `do not commit evil in the land', they reply: `we do nothing but good'.'' but it then is they who are the evil-doers, ``though they may not perceive it''. it would be right to say that islam is a name for peaceful struggle, while the so-called islamic fundamentalism is quite the reverse. islam is a religion which preaches non-violence. according to the qur'an, god does not love fasad or violence. basically, fasad is that action which results in disruption of the social system, causing huge losses in terms of lives and property. conversely, we can say with certainty that god loves non-violence. he abhors violent activity being indulged in human society, as a result of which people have to pay the price with their possessions and lives. this is supported by other statements in the qur'an. for instance, we are told in the qur'an that peace is one of god's names. those who seek to please god are assured of the sixteenth surah that they will be guided by him to ``the paths of peace''. paradise, which is the final destination of the society of god's choice, is referred to in the qur'an as ``the home of peace''.