THE PROTAGONIST OF
WORLD PEACE

Farooq Azam   
Part - I      

The 6th century is the darkest era of the history. Humanity had come to the apex of savagedom. Man was thirsty of man’s blood. No more importance was given to a human life and even the honor and reverence were not secured enough. The biggest lurch was that ordeal of humiliation and ignorance. There was none to show them the light. As the religious laws brought by the messengers and prophets of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) either have been forgotten or mutilated by making changes or amendments in them. It resulted in a situation where man was slave to avarice and lust and had at last lost his senses and wisdom. Only a few right perceiving figures were there. Seeing this savageness, they have also been isolated and sheltered themselves in serenity. In such pitch darkness, there rose the ray of hope, Islam. And through the resplendent rays, it was rife throughout the desert of Arab in no time. It became a beacon house for those who were going astray. It eradicated injustice and oppression. Humanity turned a new leaf of its history. The people who were enduring injustice and oppression got rid of such torments. Sedition and revolt came to an end and the hell of savageness cooled down.

Islamic teachings
Every thing has its own form. Every one can recognize it very easily if the thing is in its real form and it is its characteristic. On the other hand its distinction will end and it all be difficult to recognize it. Similarly, a human will be known as human when he appears in his authentic form of humanity. And the complete guide book for humanity is Islam. Islam is not a soulless concept. Rather, it covers almost every element of life. It is a complete commendation revolutionary way of living a real human life. It depicts a very clear picture of faiths, worship, affairs, economics, ethics, politics, etc., in an ideal human society.

Islam is the only religion, which by its true faiths, forbade the human being to bow down before false gods, and bestowed the ability to bow down before the only true God, Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) who is the creator of this whole universe. The Prophet of Islam, Hadhrat Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wasallam) taught ethical lesson to bury the hatchet and become friendly; diverted the attention of human beings towards earning a fair keep; stopped to oppress; gave a message of love, brotherhood and unity on the basis of mutual respect. Islam set a man free of his responsibilities to make the basic laws and primary acts by sending Divine laws and rules (Quraan and Sunnah) through the holy Prophet regarding his wealth, his soul, other’s wealth, other’s soul, and the rights and duties as neighbor, citizen, countryman, alien, the status of crime and its sentence, the basic rules of war and reconciliation, sale and purchase, borrowed articles, gifts, racial security, matrimonial relation etc.

In short, Islam is a complete code of life, which is a circle of human life agility in the world and gives very complete guideline in every walk of human life.

The Cruelty and oppression in the eyes of Islam
In fact, Islam confirms its existence through the eradication of oppression and injustice from human life and keeping peace and serenity in the society. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) says: “the one whose assassination has been forbidden by Allah don’t kill him without authentic reasons”. On another place He says, “We wrote on Bani Israel, the one who kills the person who hasn’t killed anybody so he created a tumult and so he killed all the people and the one who kept alive one person he kept alive all the people”.

And to stop this oppression and cruelty, on another place the holy Quraan says, “Don’t kill your offspring with a fear of starvation, we’ll provide you and them the fated keep”.

Regarding theft, it is said as “cut off the hands of those who steal whether a man or a woman”.

Islam has balanced the crime with certain sentence and made hundreds of people desist from committing crimes.

The Holy Quraan elucidates it, “Thus O People of wisdom and prudence! There is a great life for you in giving death sentence to a murderer”.

Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) doesn’t like all these things at all. It is the sayings of the holy Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wasallam), “To Allah, the most hated person is the one who quarrels.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Islam can’t stand oppression, injustice, and violence and riots at any moment. No single statement can be found which shows a favor to any oppression and injustice if all the Islamic literature are read thoroughly. So the greatest human spiritual leader Hadhrat Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wasallam) has said without any prejudice, “Enforce the limits set by Allah, far and wide, without any distinction and don’t care for any one who reproaches you”. (Mishkaat ul Masaabeeh, Kitaab ul Hudood P: 313)

The way of peace in Islam
Islam desires peace and serenity in the human world. It has proposed very effective and magnificent system for collective peace. On its implementation, there appears an incredible peace and serenity in the society. The dweller of the society heaves a sigh of relief that his soul wealth, honor, and reverence are at no peril. Islam for this purpose has fixed severe but exemplary punishments for seven big crimes. 

(1) Murder (2) Theft (3) Robbery (4) Fornication (5) False accusation of fornication (6) Alcoholic drink (7) Apostasy after embracing Islam.

So, if any real searching soul is called and asked to observe carefully, those who have wisdom and sight will come to know that these are the very causes which create tumult, oppression and injustice and to eradicate these crimes, it is not ample to go on with oral appeals or admonish about the consequences on the Doomsday only. Rather, it is inevitable to counter these practically. By the implementation of such laws, society can be saved from harmful elements. The criminal, if proven, should be punished in such a way, that the one who sees or hears it, gets a nice lesson and never even dares to commit such crime.

The summary of the admonitory punishments prescribed divinely in Islam is; for murder, Qisaas (the law of retaliation) is imposed or Deyat (an amount of certain money for the assassinated person’s heirs); for theft, cut off the hands; for robbery, murder, or cut off hand or foot; for fornication, if married stoning to death or 100 lashes if unmarried; for false accusation of fornication, 80 lashes; for drinking liquor, 80 lashes; and for apostasy, sentence to death. Keeping in view the above facts, Islam has, no doubt, given a new life to those who were terribly suffering from the oppression and injustice in the human society through their fellow human beings.

According to one of the scholar, Islam is the only glory of shelter, peace and serenity. He adds while saying, the basic elements of peace are: (1) life should be safe (2) none should be there to dare to raise hand towards anyone’s respect or reverence (3) none should be there to consume anyone’s money or wealth without due permission (4) the mind should be good and the moral standard should be pious and pure.”

Further, he describes those who have studied Islam thoroughly they know that Islam has given much leniency in all these things. The most securable and the most important thing is human life. Everybody has the right to live like a citizen freely in the country and his mind should be at ease to live a peaceful life. He should be free in his faith, belief and thought. It doesn’t matter whether he is poor or rich, king or beggar, child or young, man or woman, urban or rural, educated or illiterate, son of a big short or small fry, Muslim or non Muslim.

Tolerance in Islam
Islam has emphasized and admonished very strictly to maintain justice and equity on every turn. The holy Quraan says, “Indeed Allah gives you decree to do justice”.

In Islam it is admonished to maintain justice not only with one’s own relatives. Rather, it is also to be maintained with equity even with the unknowns and with the enemy. The Holy Quraan openly depicts that the enmity of any nation may not urge you to commit sin that you begin to play injustice with them. Do justice. This is nearest to Taqwaa (the Piety).

From this Quraanic verse, it is obvious that a Muslim can’t play injustice with any nation or person even if he is at enmity or at war with him.

If a Muslim does not maintain justice, he will be condem-ned as culprit and sinner in the eyes of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa).

A glance of unity and love in Islam
Islam has not only taken the man out of ocean of oppression and savageness but also has taken him to the shore of peace and serenity and bestowed him the wealth of mutual brotherhood, sympathy and gentle behavior.

Hence, the Holy Prophet Hadhrat Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wasallam) says that all the creatures are just like family of Allah. Among them the most beloved one is he who behaves and treats the others gently and leniently. (Al Baihaqi)

One can see the best example of better behavior in the wording of Hadrath Anas, a close companion of Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wasallam). He says, “I served the Holy Prophet Hadhrat Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wasallam) for a decade but he never even grumbled upon me (for any mistake).

Islam has commanded its followers to behave with parents leniently and the same for spouse, offspring and slaves. It has been proven that Islam is a real teacher for brotherhood and sympathy. (Cont.)

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