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Spirit of Islam Issue 35 November 2015
TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE
We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is
a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is
deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is a
complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion for
both-man and the universe. It is the master-key that opens
the doors to every success. Peace creates a favourable
atmosphere for success in every endeavour. Without
peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible.
THE AGE OF PEACE
A
Hadith
, which appears in several traditions, is cited in the
Sahih
al-Bukhari
as follows:
Khabbab, a Companion, complained to the Prophet about the
oppression and persecution by the unbelievers of Makkah. The
Prophet said, that the believers of earlier times faced much greater
persecution and oppression. But these difficulties did not prevent
them from following the religion of God, By God! there will come a
time which will be in favour of the religion of God. During this time a
traveller will make a journey from Sana’a to Hadramaut (a distance
of about 1000 miles) alone without any fear except the fear of God.
This time is sure to come by the will of God but you are hastening
for this period.
T
HIS
Hadith
highlights the mission of the Prophet of Islam to
usher in a revolution resulting in establishing religious peace in
the world. Religious intolerance and persecution of earlier times
were to end. The results of his mission were to appear in stages, and
not fully during the Prophet’s time.
The process began during the time of the Prophet. Religious persecution
was sorted out first at the tribal level. It was gradually abolished de
facto at the government level, through several stages. In the mid-20
th
century, the United Nations Organisation (UNO) was established. Under
its aegis, representatives of every country
pledged religious tolerance
at the international level and ensured that no one would be made a
victim of religious persecution.