Chapter 5: The Positive Effect Of Cordial Relationship Among People In Securing A Wholesome Environment
Securing a wholesome environment, in addition to being a human right, is a human obligation. Thus, it is necessary to examine, in addition to the human being’s relation to the cosmos, his relation to himself and to other human beings.
One of the factors conducive to a wholesome environment is the healthy and civil interaction of individuals in a society. For this reason, Islam instructs the human being to promote a cordial relationship with his family, society, and the human world at large.
Islam’s Praising Cordial Relationships
The Qur’an addresses the faithful with plural nouns, suggesting that people should engage in their activities collectively. It educates the believers in a social decorum that promotes human dignity and is consistent with the man’s “excellent constitution” so that the environment humankind inhabit may be blessed with peace, security, and tranquility. As such, Islam condemns the elements of hatred and strife and, on the other hand, praises affection and unity as virtues.
The Qur’an approves ethnic, temporal, regional, and other differences only inasmuch as they function as devices for acquaintance, not as excuses for vainglorious boasting. The only factor that Islam recognizes as determining one’s superiority is shunning vainglory, vice, power-seeking, arrogance, etc.
Islam does not define cordial relationship as restricted to the believers - though it strongly encourages Muslim brotherhood. The faithful are indeed brothers (49:10). In accordance with its claim to universal guidance, Islam teaches love and affection for all humankind, ordaining that so long as people refrain from acting treacherously, they should be treated with respect and equity:
لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
God does not forbid you in regard to those who did not make war against you on account of religion and did not expel you from your homes that you deal with them with kindness and justice. Indeed God loves the just. (60:8).
إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْۚ
وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
God forbids you only in regard to those who made war against you on account of religion and expelled you from your homes and supported [others] in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them it is thy who are the wrongdoers (60:9).
Associating In The Best Possible Manner
As God created the human being in the “best constitution,”
it behooves him that he should associate with others in the best possible manner. Thus God says,
وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُۚ
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْۚ
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوًّا مُبِينًا
Tell My servants to speak in a manner which is the best. Indeed Satan incites ill feeling between them (17:53).
وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا
Speak kindly to people (2:83).
(It need be pointed out that speaking in this context encompasses, in addition to verbal communication, any form of association.)
Although it is necessary that Muslims should defend the Islamic nation against foreign invasion, but when it comes to internal conflict, Muslims should not destroy the other Muslims that they perceive as enemies.
In such a case, enmity should be destroyed rather than the Muslim enemy. Destroying the enemy is an easy task compared to destroying enmity and restoring friendly relations-a feat that can be accomplished only by the righteous:
وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُۚ
ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ
Good and evil [conduct] are not equal. Repel [evil] with what is best. [If you do so,] behold, he between whom and you was enmity, will be as though he were a sympathetic fiend (41:34).
The community of Muslims is akin to the family wherein love and affection are predominant, and as such when dealing with other Muslims we should hearken to the Qur’an where it says,
وَيَوْمَ يُحْشَرُ أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ إِلَى النَّارِ فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ
Consort with them in an honorable manner (4:19).
Within the Muslim nation, even the severance of relation, as its continuation, should be done in an honorable manner:
فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ
Then [let there be] either an honorable retention, or a kindly severance (2:229).
The elderly deserve respect-
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًاۚ
إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
[He has enjoined] kindness to parents. Should they reach old age at your side, one of them or both, do not say to them, ‘Fie!” And do not chide them, but speak to them noble words (17:23).
just as children should enjoy the affection of adults, such an affection as derives from reason.
Equality And Equity As The Bases Of Legal Relations
From the viewpoint of the Qur’an, legal relations in human society should be founded on equality and equity. Islam forbids yielding to oppression as well as oppressing. Thus, in certain instances the Qur’an proclaims the mission of the prophets to consist in upholding justice, such as in the following verses:
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ
Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that humankind may maintain justice (57:25).
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ
O you who have faith, be maintainers, as witnesses for the sake of God, of justice (5:8).
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ
O you who have faith, be maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of God (4:135).
And on other occasions, the Qur’an condemns both oppressing and yielding to oppression, declaring the latter as offensive as the former:
وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ
Neither oppressing others nor suffering oppression (2:279).
Condemnation Of Derision, Slander, And Exploitation In Islam
The Noble Qur’an explains the difference of talents and abilities among people as a means for the just distribution of labor in society and a basis for fair employment. It, however, strongly condemns treating others with contempt, making slanderous statement about others, or binding others in slavish employment:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَائِفَ الْأَرْضِ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَكُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْۗ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ سَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
It is He who has made you successors on the earth, and raised some of you in rank above others so that He may test you in respect to what He has given you. Indeed your Lord is swift in retribution, and indeed He is all forgiving all-merciful (6:165).
أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَتَ رَبِّكَۚ
نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَاۚ
وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّاۗ
وَرَحْمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ
Is it they who dispense the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have dispensed among them their livelihood in the present life, and raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take others into service, and your Lord’s mercy is better than what they amass (43:32).
We may infer from these verses that God’s bounties are tests, neither implying His favor nor His disfavor. They are meant as a basis for the just distribution of social obligations.
Verse 11 of Surah Hujurat, prohibits vainglorious boasting and decrees it necessary to observe mutual respect in relation to all and to associate with other individuals in society courteously, in order to prepare the way for the establishment of the ideal state and a wholesome environment:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِنْ نِسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِنْهُنَّ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
O you who have faith, let not men ridicule one another, for it may be that they [i.e., the ridiculed] are better than thy [i.e., those ridiculing]. Nor let women ridicule one another, for it may be that they are better than thy. And do not defame one another, nor insult one another with [disparaging) names. (49:11).
The Heavier Responsibility Of Authorities In Honouring Cordial Relationships
One’s responsibility concerning civil relationship is proportionate to one’s status. As such, this responsibility weighs heavier on the authorities of the Islamic government. It was in this light that God instructed Moses and Aaron to preach the word of God to Pharaoh in a polite manner:
فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ
Speak to him in a soft manner (20:44).
God thus instructed Moses despite His knowledge that Pharaoh would reject the truth and incur His wrath. Likewise, God commands the Prophet to be affectionate and humble in dealing with people:
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ
It is by God’s mercy that you are gentle to them, and had you been harsh and hardhearted, surely they would have scattered from around you (3:159).
And in the same vein, God enjoins the Prophet to consult with the Muslim community in making decisions. Such consultation, in addition to being a sign of respect for the opinions of Muslims, is an effective measure in bringing about unity, encouraging competent individuals, cultivating concurrence among the intellectual elite, and ensuring a mature decision.
The Prophet’s attitude toward the believers, which was inspired by God, was one of humility:
وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
And lower [humbly] your wing [of compassion] for the faithful who follow you (26:215).
(“To lower one’s wing” in the Qur’an is used either to express humility and faithfulness, as in the case of parents, or to show compassion, and it is in the latter sense that it is used of the Prophet.) But, in confronting the disbelievers who refused to submit to God, he was clear in distinguishing himself from them:
فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ
If they disobey you then say, “Verily disavow your actions” (26:216).
One of the main purposes of the Qur’an in enjoining cordial relations is to cultivate the superior civilized society, wherein people would trust one another as opposed to corrupt societies in which distrust is rife.
The Innate Human Predisposition To Cordial Relations
The human being is by his nature
predisposed to collectively His nature calls him to associate with other human beings and to respect their rights. This cooperation and mutual respect, as the basis of civility, is rooted in human nature. The following lines by Sa’di eloquently phrase this human inclination:
The children of Adam are parts of one body,
For in creation, they are from one essence [or gem].
Should vicissitudes pain one of the parts,
The other parts will be deprived of peace.
These verses, in addition to being an eloquent expression of the content of a number of Qur’anic verses and hadiths
are a definite articulation of the human being’s natural pred is position. Man naturally feels anguish at seeing others suffer just as he delights in seeing others prosper.
Another aspect of this natural human sympathy is the inclination to desire for others what one desires for oneself and to dislike for others what one dislikes for oneself. This is a requirement of faith, for the Prophet says,
The believer perfects not his faith until he likes for his brother that which he likes for himself.
And as such it is also a requirement of human nature, for human nature is founded on the true faith:
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
So set your heart on the religion as a people of pure faith, the origination of God according to which He originated humankind (30:30).
The natural inclination in the human being toward civility is opposed to destroying natural resources, polluting the environment, or encroaching on the rights of others. Although he seeks material benefits so as to fulfill his material needs, the undefiled human being never wishes to fulfill such needs at the expense of other creatures. Not only does he avoid harming others, he strives, as far as is possible for him, to help others to his own detriment:
عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ
[They) prefer [others] to themselves, though they be afflicted with poverty (59:9).
This state of moral excellence can be achieved as a result of conforming one’s conduct to the pristine human nature as bestowed by God, for when human conduct is so conformed, one’s motivations are no longer limited to the material. The pristine human nature yearns for the illimitable fountainhead of divine effusion and so cannot be quenched by material rewards; the undefiled human being always seeks in his actions his true longing. Thus when giving food to the needy, true believers say,
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا
We feed you only for the sake of God We do not want any reward from you nor any thanks (76:9).
The Vulnerability Of The Inherent Human Dispositions
It may be assumed that the inherent human dispositions are unalterable, the human being fully possessing them throughout his life. This conception, however, is wrong, for one of the aspects of being inherent is, owing to its delicateness, its vulnerability.
And for this reason, it requires constant and conscious care. Thus, God warns human beings lest they should defile their nature with the filth of egotism and desire. Such defilement would indeed entail great loss, and so if one is infected with such defilement, one must struggle tirelessly to purge it so as to reform and attain felicity:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا
One who purifies [the soul] is certainly felicitous (91:9).
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا
And one who betrays it certainly fails (91:10).
To convey the sense of defilement in the above-quoted verse, God employs the verb dassa, which derives from the root dasw, which means to bury something in the earth. Thus, the verb eloquently depicts how the human being can bury his nature as endowed by God by negligence and carelessness, rendering it impotent. So much so that he may end up with the mere resemblance of humanity devoid of its essence and truth. Such a human being is driven simply by his brute desires and hence is no different from other animals:
His countenance is that of a human being, but his heart is that of a brute.
God describes such a person as being on a par with the brute or even worse:
أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ
They are like cattle; rather they are more astray (7:179).
The reason that he may be worse than the brute is that the latter acts in accordance with his natural capabilities: apprehension and imagination in cognition and lust and anger in conation. But the human being who is endowed with the practical and theoretic intellect and yet fails to obey them, thus ends up falling lower than animals.
Violating The Rights Of Others
A look at the present global situation illustrates how contemporary human beings like those of the past-are engrossed in lust and desire, and ignorance in thought and action, neglecting their divine nature and burying it.
Human beings have forgotten the directions of their divine nature, especially in respect to social obligations. This fact is evident in the general, though perhaps unexpressed, assumption that helping our fellow human beings is futile or even dangerous.
Those who harbor such mentality are concerned exclusively for themselves, diseased by an extreme feeling of alienation toward others. Their values are confined to what promotes their comfort interpreted in an individualistic way.
The cooperation and sympathy that they feign are deprived of their essence and employed simply as hypocritical means for achieving success. This is manifest in the unfortunate state of marriage in contemporary human society and the inability to form this fundamental nucleus of social life. Human beings are no longer able to obey their divine nature and enter into a pact with a partner to live under the same roof.
The Gravity Of The Family Problem
The crisis with which the family, which is the nucleus of social life, is afflicted is so deep and grave that sociologists and legislatures, though aware of the consequences that it will have for modern societies, are incapable of resolving it. Not only are they incapable of resolving it, they find themselves hopelessly at a· loss as to finding a way to stop it from worsening.
So much so that the more the modern world advances in the way of science and technology, the more the values of family life wane. This is reflected in the increasing rate of divorce and promiscuity and the growing number of abandoned children. And these, in turn, lead to greater violation of people’s rights.
To study the consequences of such natural defilement on an international scale would produce even graver conclusions. The oppression of the stronger countries against the weaker ones is on a steep rise. Though weaker nations are no longer labeled as colonies, they are exploited and subjugated more than ever before: political, cultural, and financial relations among countries are determined exclusively by that evil principle condemned by the Qur’an:
وَقَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْيَوْمَ مَنِ اسْتَعْلَىٰ
Today, he who has the upper hand triumphs (20:64).
Such is the law of the jungle, a concrete example of which is the veto power of the few superpowers in the United Nations, by which they are entitled to violate the rights of the weaker nations for the sake of their own interests.
In conclusion, though human beings are possessed of a pure and sacred nature at birth, they can defile it, thus erasing from their souls the divine directions infused therein by God, especially with regard to social intercourse. Such defilement results in irreparable damage in the social as well as international sphere. This is our state in the modern world.
The Positive Effect Of Maintaining Affectionate Relationships With Kindred On The Mental Health Of Society
In order to guarantee the wholesomeness of the environment, in addition to the material aspect, Islam ministers to the spiritual aspect as well. It advocates friendship, trust and cordial relationship as the bases of interaction among human beings. To promote these bases, it enjoins the strengthening of ties among kindred and among societies. Islam strongly praises the strengthening of such ties and denounces breaking them:
الَّذِينَ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ مِيثَاقِهِ وَيَقْطَعُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَيُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِۚ
أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
[The transgressors are] those who break the covenant made with God after having pledged it solemnly, and sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption on the earth it is they who are the losers (2:27).
God teaches us that the human being is related to his Lord. To serve this relation of bondage to God is reprehensible. It is an instance of severing a tie which God has ordered to preserve (as expressed in the above-quoted verse), and as such is a violation of our pledge to God.
Moreover, as God created man as a social creature, He has promulgated certain guidelines for regulating how to associate with kinfolk and other believers, how to submit to the ruler of the Islamic community, and how to interact with non- Muslims societies.
These instructions are treated of, to different extents, in the Qur’an and in the corpus of Islamic tradition. One who violates the ties promoted by these instructions has in essence violated a tie that God has ordered to preserve and as such has broken the divine pledge. Below we will look at some of the relations whose maintenance God has declared sacrosanct.
Relations With Kinfolk
To break up one’s relationship with one’s parents and children is a clear instance of breaking a tie that God has ordered to preserve (as mentioned in the above-quoted verse). Concerning the parents, the Qur’an says,
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا
We have enjoined the human being to be good to his parents (29:8).
This is emphasized to a greater extent in relation to the mother:
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ
We have enjoined man concerning his parents: His mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning takes two years. Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me is the return (31:14).
In this verse, parents are mentioned directly after God, and this stresses the importance of respecting them. Parents are vessels of divine effusion, and so disrespecting them is a grave sin.
Breaking one’s ties with close kinfolk is also an instance of breaking a tie that God has ordered to preserve. The Noble Qur’an states,
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
Be wary of God in whose Name you adjure one another, and the blood ties (4:1).
Of course, by extension this verse also includes ties by marriage, for in some religious teachings, ties by marriage arc compared with ties by blood. In the Prophet’s sermon on the occasion of his daughter’s marriage to ‘Ali or the sermon on the occasion of Imam Jawad’s marriage, we read,
Indeed God established relation by marriage as a secondary [kindred] relation.
Thus one is also obliged to honor one’s relatives by marriage.
In Islamic law, there are precepts that apply only on the condition of being Muslim, such as prayer and fast. Although such precepts are binding on non-Muslims as well, yet their prayers and fasts would be unacceptable should they perform them.
On the other hand, there are certain precepts that apply even to non-Muslims such as is the case in regard to parents. Thus, even if one’s parents are non-Muslims, one is still under an obligation to respect them and to fulfill their needs:
وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا
And associate with [your disbelieving parents] honorably in this world (31:15).
Honoring the ties of kinship is more than just visiting one’s relatives. The primary purpose of such relationships is to go to their aid before others do so.
The Noble Qur’an also addresses the conjugal relationship, which is at the core of the family, affirming that spouses should maintain a healthy relationship:
وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
Associate with (your wives] in an honorable way (4:19).
As such, when the husband fails to treat his wife honorably, he is breaking a tie that God has ordered to preserve. The Qur’an establishes mutual rights between the spouses:
وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِۚ
وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ
The wives have rights similar to the obligations upon them, in accordance with honorable norms; and then have a degree above them (2:228).
To violate the wife’s rights is again an instance of breaking a tie that God has ordered to preserve.
These instructions pertaining to ties of kinship hold even with respect
to non-Muslims. But these relations are honorable so long as they do not conflict with other religious obligations. In such a case, these relations are harmful and should be avoided. If disbelieving parents, for example, try to convince their believing children to revert to unfaith, the children should resist their parents:
وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا
But if [your parents] urge you to ascribe to Me as partner that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them (31:15).
One of the main instructions of the Prophet, which is a general principle in light of which other religious instructions should be understood, is,
Obedience of a creature in violation of the Creator is impermissible.
Thus, we would be unjustified in following another human being, even if he were “superior”, should it lead to a violation of an Islamic precept. To say, “I was only following directions from superiors,” will in no way absolve us of the wrong we helped to perpetrate.
Relations With Fellow Believers
Believers are brothers:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ
Indeed the believers are bothers (49:10).
To fail to honor this brotherhood is also an instance of breaking ties that God has ordered to preserve. Imam Al-Sadiq says,
A friendship of twenty years (earns) kinship.
Up to forty houses in every direction constitute one’s neighbors, in relation to which we must observe special rights
. This is of course, not limited to horizontal vicinity but includes also vertical vicinity as is the case in modern housing.
Relations With The Islamic Community
To set oneself apart from the Muslim community is yet another instance of breaking ties that God has ordered to preserve. Concerning unity in the Islamic community, the Qur’an says,
وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا
Holdfast, all together, to God’s cord and do not split up into factions (3:103).
Thus, it would be wrong to seek for God’s cord while staying aloof of the Muslim community, for this would be an instance of breaking ties that God has ordered to preserve. The above-quoted verse conveys two points: one, holding fast to God’s cord and, two, doing so collectively. This is exemplified by the congregational prayer that combines both elements. The Master of the Faithful says,
Indeed he who digresses from the society is a prey for Satan, as a stray sheep is a prey for the wolf.
Thus the Qur’an warns us against being distanced from the Islamic community and instructs us to seize God’s cord in unity. Furthermore, the Qur’an denounces those who kindle discord:
وَإِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ
Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so be wary of Me. (23:52).
فَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًا كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ
But they fragmented their religion among themselves, each party exulting in what it had (23:53).
Unwarranted disagreement is seen by the Qur’an as a sign of weak intellect:
تَحْسَبُهُمْ جَمِيعًا وَقُلُوبُهُمْ شَتَّىٰۚ
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
You suppose them to be a [united] body, but their hearts are disunited. That is because they are a lot who do not apply reason (59:14).
Relation With The Ruler Of The Muslim Community
The most serious instance of breaking the ties that God has ordered to preserve is dishonoring one’s relation with the ruler of the Muslim community. In this connection, the Qur’an says,
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِذَا كَانُوا مَعَهُ عَلَىٰ أَمْرٍ جَامِعٍ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَسْتَأْذِنُوهُۚ
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَأْذِنُونَكَ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۚ
فَإِذَا اسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِبَعْضِ شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَنْ لِمَنْ شِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمُ اللَّهَۚ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ
Indeed the faithful are those who have faith in God and His Prophet, and when they are with him in a collective affair, thy do not leave until they have sought his permission. Indeed those who seek your permission it is they who have faith in God and His Prophet. So when they seek your permission for some work of theirs, give permission to whomever of them you wish and plead with God to forgive them. Indeed God is all forgiving all-merciful (24:62).
True believers are those who participate in social affairs and do not abandon their leader when they are expected to help, such as in time of war. Those who fail to participate from the start are guilty of abandoning their entire duty.
Those, however, who consent to participate but then decide to leave, must be genuinely justified in so doing, for to leave an affair without the leader’s permission is a flagrant instance of breaking ties that God has ordered to preserve.
In the above-quoted verse, God commands the Prophet to pray for the forgiveness of those who are excused in failing to aid him so that some of their spiritual loss may be rectified in this manner. The verse also gives the Prophet discretion over whom he wishes to pardon, for he is in charge and he should decide, based on his reasoned judgment, as to whom he should pardon.
God admonishes the weak believers who, when the Prophet calls on them to participate in a hard social obligation such as war, would seek an opportunity to escape:
قَدْ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ يَتَسَلَّلُونَ مِنْكُمْ لِوَاذًاۚ
فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
God certainly knows those of you who slip away under cover. So let those who disobey his orders beware lest an ordeal should visit them or a painful punishment (24:63).
And addressing those believers who did help the Prophet, God warns them against abandoning the front line:
مَا كَانَ لِأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَرْغَبُوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ
It is not fitting for the people of Medina and the Bedouins around them to lag behind the Apostle of God and prefer their own lives to his (9:120).
Living Peacefully Along With The Adherents Of Other Faiths
To live peaceably with adherents of other faiths is not a necessary evil that must be: suffered with the knowledge that they are condemned to Hell. Muslims should realize that though non-Muslims are wrong in their belief, they may be excused rather than condemned to Hell. Not every wrong deserves punishment in Hell.
The non-Muslim may be honest in his rejection of Islam in so far as his unbiased studies have led him to believe and-though he will naturally be deprived of the invaluable benefits of true faith-he would not be cast into Hell.
In other words, living peaceably with adherents of other faiths and ways of life is a peace made on the grounds of what we share in common as human beings; it should not be seen as a tormenting experience in the process of which we must of necessity feign peace for political reasons.
We should keep in mind that the non-Muslim may be unknowingly rejecting Islam, not out of obstinacy. That is, he has endeavored to find the truth but has at length failed to realize it. Such people are pardoned by God:
وَآخَرُونَ مُرْجَوْنَ لِأَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِمَّا يُعَذِّبُهُمْ وَإِمَّا يَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْۗ
ٌ
[There are] others waiting God’s edict: either He shall punish them [should they sin], or turn to them clemently (9:106).
The Criterion For Leading A Peaceful Life
The verses of the Qur’an suggest that the adherents of different faiths may live a peaceful life together on the basis of the general principles of religion that they share in common. That is, there must be one predominant religion, which forms the basis for the public matters of society, but alongside which other faiths may be practiced in the private sphere. Thus, addressing the People of the Book, the Qur’an says,
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ
Say, “O People of the Book, come unto a word that is common between us and you: that we will worship no one but God, and that we will not ascribe any partner to Him, and that we will not take each other as lords beside God” (3:64).
The content of this verse is that we should all believe in monotheism and refrain from imposing our beliefs on others, while accepting the general guidelines of Revelation. This, of course, should not be understood to imply pluralism of religion, meaning that divergent religions can be simultaneously true and genuine.
Islam is the final and only true religion, and the other faiths are true to the extent that they agree with Islam on the main principles. The adherents of other faiths, when residing in an Islamic state, are under the protection of the Islamic government. Nevertheless, the people of salvation, those who will attain felicity, are the Muslims, for there is but one way that leads to the end.
There are two questions here that must be distinguished. First, is it right to live peacefully with the adherents of other faiths? In other words, can the adherents of various faiths come together and live peacefully in order to preserve the state’s security?
The answer to this question will be treated below. But the second question: is the factor leading to human perfection one or multiple? Is there one truth that leads to human perfection or more than one? Let us take up this question here.
Regarding the question of human perfection and eschatology, there is undoubtedly only one way that can fulfill that purpose. But as regards the question of governance and how to collect the opinions of various people, there are two ways. One way is that all people believe in one faith.
The alternative is that people of various faiths, while maintaining their distinct doctrines, comply with the law of one particular religion in public matters and in this way promote peaceful coexistence. In this world, no one individual or party can claim to rule over people’s thoughts, and so it would be wrong to impose one thought to the exclusion of others on the society. All people are free to think. Confirming this truth, the Qur’an says,
وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ
[Let us] not take each other as lords beside God (3:64).
Peaceful coexistence with adherents of other faiths and their freedom in thought and expression is altogether different from the question of felicity in the Hereafter. For, as explained previously, God’s creation pursues one purpose, human being’s share one and the same nature, and so their path is one, the path of human nature, which they must traverse to reach the one purpose.
Hence, if we consider the question of multiplicity of thoughts in relation to the Hereafter, then we must say that there is only one truth and one path of salvation. But concerning the life of this world, people with different beliefs may coexist while exercising freedom of opinion, without transgressing the red lines established by reason and Islamic tradition, and in this way strive for their worldly purposes. It is in this sense that Islam advocates peaceful coexistence with adherents of other faiths.
Peaceful Coexistence As Encouraged By Islam
Islam teaches Muslims to interact with their fellow believers and believers of other faiths in a spirit of justice and equality. This is a Qur’anic injunction and as such must be endorsed in practice by the Islamic government. Regarding peace among Muslims, the Qur’an affirms,
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
The faithful are indeed brothers. Therefore make peace between your brothers and be wary of God, so that you may receive [His] mercy (49:10).
Moreover Muslims are to relate peacefully to non-Muslim monotheists such as Jews and Christians-living under the protection of the Islamic state.
This peaceful coexistence in addition includes those non-monotheists, whether followers of a religion or materialists, that wish to live peacefully along with Muslims without conspiring to subvert the Islamic state. Obviously, those infidels who are intent on overthrowing the Islamic state must be repelled and destroyed. Concerning how to deal with non monotheists, the Qur’an states:
لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْۚ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
God does not forbid you in regard to those who did not make war against you on account of religion and did not expel you from your homes that you deal with them with kindness and justice. Indeed God loves the just. (60:8).
إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَىٰ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْۚ
وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
God forbids you only in regard to those who made war against you on account of religion and expelled you from your homes and supported [others] in your expulsion, that you make friends with them, and whoever makes friends with them it is they who are the wrongdoers (60:9).
Based on this verse, Muslims should treat with equity the disbelievers who have not harmed Muslims, whether prior to the establishment of the Islamic state or afterward.
Thus during the time of the Prophet, Muslims had to respect the Arabian disbelievers who avoided harming the Prophet and his followers in Mecca and afterward in Medina, when they had established the Islamic state there, and those who remained neutral in the conflicts in which Muslims were engaged against the heads of disbelief, meaning that they refrained from abetting the army of disbelief financially, ideologically, militarily, or politically.
Muslims must treat these non-monotheists with utmost justice and equity, for these are virtues even in respect to disbelievers, just as injustice is evil, even if it is against disbelievers.
The Difference Between Peaceful Coexistence And Indifference
We should not confuse peaceful coexistence with indifference. Islam has set certain conditions for Muslims’ coexistence with disbelievers without in any way encouraging them to be indifferent to the true faith. One of the pillars of the Qur’an’s teachings is uncompromising opposition to falsehood and those who have sided with it:
فَلَا تُطِعِ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ
So do not obey the deniers, who are eager that you should be pliable (68:8).
وَدُّوا لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ
So that they may be pliable [towards you] (68:9).
This verse condemns being lenient in the face of falsehood. In other words, this verse warns the Prophet against approaching the false suggestions of the disbelievers with a compromising attitude.
Truth-seeking human beings cherish purposes that are sacred to the, and they are not willing, under any circumstance, to abandon them m compromise or show the least indifference to them. In this regard, the Master of the Faithful says,
I swear by my soul that in fighting those who oppose the truth and walk in deviation, I will not compromise or show lenience.
The devout believer never slackens in the face of falsehood, whether in his actions or in his beliefs; he remains true to his ideological stance without turning away from his fundamental tenets.
A source of confusion in this relation is a number of hadiths related from the Infallibles in which they describe Islam as a “lenient and easygoing [faith].” But this should not be conflated with compromise and indifference. What these hadiths denote is that Islamic doctrines and precepts, due to Islam’s harmony with human nature, are free of excruciating requirements and as such can be observed by the ordinary man.
Shaykh Kulayni reports that the wife of one ‘Uthman ibn Ma’un once came to the Prophet and complained that her husband fasts during the day and keeps vigil during the night and devotes no time to his family. Infuriated from hearing this, the Prophet went to ‘Uthman and found him immersed in worship. On seeing the Prophet, ‘Uthman faced him; the Prophet then said:
O ‘Uthman, God did not appoint me to teach monasticism. Rather, He entrusted me with the Primordial Religion, which is easy and tolerant. I fast and pray and copulate with my wife. Thus he who likes my tradition should embrace it, and indeed conjugal relationship is part of my tradition.
Imam Al-Sadiq says,
Indeed God, exalted and blessed is He, bestowed on Muhammad the traditions of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus-monotheism, sincerity, dismissal of partners for God, and the primordial and tolerant religion but not monasticism nor siyahah
. By it [i.e. by means of the true and tolerant religion] God has made purities permissible and impurities impermissible and has freed [the believers] of their burden and shackles that enfettered them.
Describing the Qur’an, God says,
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ
Certainly We have made the Qur’an simple for the sake of admonishment. So is there anyone who will take admonishment? (54:17).
Qur’anic instructions and precepts are simple such as the ordinary person can observe without much difficulty. But God has also described the Qur’an as “weighty,” meaning that, though simple, it is substantial and profound:
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا
Indeed soon We shall cast on you a weighty word (73:5).
Weighty in this context conveys substance and profundity. The message of the Qur’an is profound and deep, and though, it may be expressed in such a way as could be easily grasped, its true essence is beyond the ken of the ordinary mind.
In conclusion, we may once again reiterate that though Islam is easy and tolerant, it does not promote indifference and compromise, for the latter two are human weaknesses that the Qur’an defines as pliability. Islam, on the other hand, is characterized by ease and tolerance, which are positive features.
The Role Of Islam M Universal Peace And The Wholesome Environment
Islam, as the timeless and universal religion introduces itself as the ultimate judge on universal peace. To elucidate this, we must offer a brief explanation regarding Islam, peace, universality, and the other concepts and propositions on which this position rests.
Islam is the most potent vitalizing factor in human society:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
O you who have faith, answer God and the Prophet when he summons you to that which will give you life. Know that God intervenes between a man and his heart and that toward Him you will be mustered (8:24).
Human life, which transcends material life, is unachievable without just peace.
As life and peace are embedded in the essence of Islam, it alone is capable of leading the world to universal peace. Thus, the Prophet is described as a mercy unto all creatures:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ
We did not send you but as a mercy unto all creatures (21:107).
Universal peace is one of the clear manifestations of this divine mercy.
Islam is the sole religion revealed to all prophets, from Adam to Muhammad, and as such its final manifestation encompasses all the truths taught in Abraham’s Scriptures, David’s Psalms, Moses’ Torah, and Jesus’ Evangel, albeit in a more comprehensive and perfect manner.
The difference in the teachings of these prophets is merely in some practical precepts, otherwise their essence is one. When speaking of the essential unity of all divine revelations, the Qur’an states,
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ
Indeed the sole religion with God is Islam (3:19).
وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ
Should anyone follow a religion other than Islam, it shall never be accepted from him (3:85).
It explains their differences as only a matter of practice:
لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًاۚ
For each [community] among you We had appointed a code [of law] and a path (5:48).
The essential unity of all revelations is due to the immutable human nature, which all human beings of all times share in common:
فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَاۚ
لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
So set your heart on the religion as a people of pure faith, the origination of God according to which He originated humankind. There is no altering God’s creation; that is the upright religion (30:30).
Nevertheless, there are certain natural needs in the human being that change in time. It is to fulfill these varying needs that God has ordained various laws. Islam as the primordial religion, and the only religion, has a set of fixed principles that cater to humanity’s immutable nature but also possesses various manifestations to bring peace to the evolving aspect of human needs.
Peace Among All Religions, All Prophets, And All Believers
By demonstrating the peace present among all religions, all divine prophets, and all their true believers, Islam paves the way to universal peace for all those who aspire to a peaceful coexistence. Islam shows how governments can achieve peaceful relationships among themselves, how nations can enter into peaceful coexistence, and how governments can interact with their people in peace. It is only in this way that human rights may be protected, especially the rights of children, women, and the elderly, who are more vulnerable to being aggressed by the more powerful.
The peace that exists among all divine religions is due to their springing from the divine source of the absolute wisdom of God, for whatever flows from this fountainhead is undoubtedly free of tension and disharmony:
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا
Do they not contemplate the Qur’an? Had it been from [someone] other than God, they mu/d have surely found much discrepancy in it (4:82).
Religions are afflicted neither by internal discrepancy nor by external tension with one another, for they are all from God.
Prophets are also at peace with one another, for they are infallible and free of error, both in knowledge and in conduct. Hence, it was the custom among the prophets that the prior prophet would foretell the coming of the subsequent prophet and the latter would confirm the teachings of his predecessor:
وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ
And when Jesus son of Mary said, “O Children of Israel, indeed I am the prophet of God to you, to confirm what is before me of the Torah, and to give the good news of a prophet who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad” (61:6).
But peace among the followers of God’s prophets is achievable since following the messengers of peace prevents treachery and conflict:
يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا إِنِّي بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
O prophets, eat of the good things and act righteously. Indeed I know best what you do. (23:51).
وَإِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ
Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord, so be wary of Me (23:52).
Now that we have furnished the principles, we may give heed to the call of universal peace as voiced by divine Revelation:
وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا
Speak kindly to people (2:83).
Speak in this context does not denote speech as contrasted with action and written communication; it, rather, reflects the social aspect in human life, just as people in the following verse does not designate a particular class:
فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ
Observe fully the measure and the balance, and do not cheat the people of their goods (7:85).
This injunction includes, not just commerce, but any type of profit human beings may derive, whether it pertains to technology, innovation, or exploitation of nature.
Cultivating Stable Universal Peace By Rejecting Injustice
Reiterating the necessity of honoring human rights, the Qur’an, after condemning cheating in particular, makes a general denouncement concerning any form of vice and corruption:
وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ
Do not act wickedly on the earth, causing corruption (26:183).
In order to attain to stable peace in the world, we must not be content with simply refraining from oppressing others but must go further to oppose any act of aggression, for otherwise, we would be aiding in corrupting the centers of worship as well as the entire earth.
There are two verses in the Qur’an that explicitly address the destructive effects of undermining peace and brotherhood:
الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّا أَنْ يَقُولُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرًا وَلَيَنْصُرَنَّ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ
Those who were expelled from their homes unjustly, only because they said, “God is our Lord. “Had not God repulsed the people from one another, nun would have befallen the monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques in which God’s Name is mentioned greatly. God will surely help those who help Him. Indeed God is all-strong, all-mighty (22:40).
فَهَزَمُوهُمْ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
Thus thy routed them with God’s will, and David killed Goliath, and God gave him the kingdom and wisdom, and taught him whatever He liked. Were it not for God’s repelling the people by means of one another, the earth would surely have been corrupted; but God is gracious to the world’s creatures (2:251).
Although opposition to injustice has a general effect in bringing about universal peace, yet its more conspicuous results are the benefits it has for the impoverished and the defenseless women and children, as mentioned in this verse:
وَمَا لَكُمْ لَا تُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا مِنْ هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهَا وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا وَاجْعَلْ لَنَا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ نَصِيرًا
Why should you not fight in the way of God and the abased men, women, and children, who say, “Our Lord, bring us out of this town whose people are wrongdoers, and appoint for us a guardian from You, and appoint for us a helper from You”? (4:75).
The above clarification should suffice to explain that the pristine Islam as taught by the Prophet is the sole key to attaining universal peace: Islam is the way, the companion, the guide, the provision, the origin, and the end. This is effectively demonstrated in Imam Khomeini’s thought and the Islamic movement he initiated. It was out of the fabric of this genuine Islam that the Islamic Republic was weaved; and it is based on this firm foundation that it advances toward its ultimate fruition in domestic as well as international arenas.
The Influence Of Islamic Political Thought On Universal Peace And Environmental Security
One of the most critical of the humanistic disciplines is political science, the discipline dealing with how to govern a country. Islam port rays religion as the legal constitution in all matters, whet her private or social, relating to culture, economics, military, etc., which invites people to uphold justice as the pillar of universal peace:
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ
Certainly We sent Our prophets with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that human kind way maintain justice (57:25).
God’s messengers remained steadfast in this tortuous path, offering their life and wealth. To cultivate just peace in the world and prepare the wholesome environment for human coexistence, they welcomed martyrdom for God’s sake:
وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُوا لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوا وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواۗ
وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ
How many a prophet there has been with whom a multitude of godly men fought. They did not falter for what befell them in the way of God, neither did thy weaken, nor did thy abase themselves; and God loves the steadfast (3:146).
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ
They would defy the signs of God and kill the prophets unjustly (3:112 & 2:61).
But in this path, the aggressive oppressors also made every effort to establish an unjust and coercive peace in their own favor in lieu of the just peace that God’s prophets endeavored for. To achieve this, they devised numerous deceptions: At times they would dismiss religion as superstition or call it outdated nonsense. In modern times, however, the snare has been separation of religion and state.
The purpose that oppressors seek in this separation is to disarm religion so as to render it incapable of defending itself. After thus weakening religion, they then assail and captivate it in order to distort it to satisfy their own evil desires and interests. In allusion to this truth, the Master of the Faithful says,
Verily this religion was a captive in the hands of the wicked; it was manipulated for egoistic purposes and sought for worldly gain.
One of the fixed policies of political powers is to manipulate religion for their interests, as they are aware of its appeal to people’s hearts. It is for this reason that unjust rulers, past and present, employ corrupt clerics and so-called spiritual men to pursue their evil intentions. But we should know that such manipulation succeeds only when religion has been separated from state and reduced to the latter’s servitude.
The Divine Prophets’ Efforts In Promoting Universal Peace
The most praiseworthy struggle of God’s prophets throughout history, besides preaching monotheism, has been their combating injustice in an effort to establish universal peace. God commends Abraham’s aversion to polytheism in these words:
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنْكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ
There is certainly a good exemplar for you in Abraham and those who were with him, when they said to their own people, ‘Indeed we repudiate you and whatever you worship beside God” (60:4).
But Abraham’s struggle was not confined to championing monotheism. He fought oppression and injustice and thus was condemned to be thrown into fire:
قَالُوا حَرِّقُوهُ وَانْصُرُوا آلِهَتَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ
[The disbelievers] said, “Burn him, and help your gods” (21:68).
Moses commenced his ministry with an overt political approach to faith and an unequivocal opposition to injustice, declaring,
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ فَلَنْ أَكُونَ ظَهِيرًا لِلْمُجْرِمِينَ
He said, ‘My Lord, as You have blessed me, I will never be a supporter of villains” (28:17).
It is guidance to this Straight Path for which we beseech God in every canonic prayer, asking Him,
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Guide us onto the straight path (1:6).
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ
The path of those whom You have blessed (1:7).
God’s commandment to Moses for supplanting the rule of injustice by that of peace and justice was,
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِۚ
إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ
Certainly We sent Moses with Our signs: “Bring your people out from darkness into light and remind them of God’s [holy] days. There are indeed signs in that for every patient and grateful [servant]” (14:5).
God’s command to Moses to fight injustice still resonates in the halls of history:
اذْهَبْ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَىٰ
Go lo Pharaoh. He has indeed rebelled (20:24).
And the miracle of the earth’s devouring Korah and his wealth is still on display in God’s collection of mysterious wonders:
فَخَسَفْنَا بِهِ وَبِدَارِهِ الْأَرْضَ فَمَا كَانَ
So We caused the earth to swallow [Korah] and his house (28:81).
Following the lead of God’s prophets will make the harshest ways easy by God’s Grace:
وَلَقَدْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَسْرِ بِعِبَادِي فَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ طَرِيقًا فِي الْبَحْرِ يَبَسًا لَا تَخَافُ دَرَكًا وَلَا تَخْشَىٰ
Certainly, We revealed to Moses, [saying), ‘Take My servants on a journey by night. Then strike out for them a dry path through the sea. Do not be afraid of being overtaken, and have no fear [of getting drowned]” (20:77).
On the other hand, to disobey God’s prophets renders the easiest of ways cumbersome:
قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا مُحَرَّمَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْۛ
أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةًۛ
يَتِيهُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِۚ
فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْفَاسِقِينَ
[God] said, ‘It shall be forbidden them [to enter the city] for forty years; they shall wander about in the earth. So do not grieve for the transgressing lot” (5:26).
Jesus’ struggles against oppression are also recorded in God’s Book:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا أَنْصَارَ اللَّهِ كَمَا قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ لِلْحَوَارِيِّينَ مَنْ أَنْصَارِي إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنْصَارُ اللَّهِ فَآمَنَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَفَرَتْ طَائِفَةٌ فَأَيَّدْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَىٰ عَدُوِّهِمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا ظَاهِرِينَ
O you who have faith, be God’s helpers, just as Jesus son of Mary said to the disciples, ‘Who will be” helper for God’s sake?” The Disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers.” So a group of the Children of Israel believed, and a group disbelieved. Then We strengthened the faithful against their enemies, and they because the dominant ones (61:14).
It is important to bear in mind that global development, whether economic or political, is possible only on the condition of a just universal peace. Otherwise, global development will lead to the spread of corruption and insecurity. In this way, we should be steadfast, for only the steadfast can enlist the succor of God’s angels:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ
Indeed those who say, “Our Lord is God” and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them, [saying,] Do not fear, nor be grieved. Receive the good news of the paradise which you have been promised” (41:30).
The splendid historic event of the Islamic Revolution of Iran as a fruit of steadfastness confirms the truth of this verse.
In the end, we pray and hope for the advent of the Final Savior, who will establish peace once and for all over the entire earth.
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Author: Ayatullah Jawadi Amuli
