Peace, Just War, and the Prophet of Islam

By Elias

Intolerance and malicious stereotyping were on full display during Christiane Amanpour’s recent CNN town hall debate, “Holy War: Should Americans fear Islam?” Participants promoting fear of Islam employed various strategies: cherry-picking from scripture, amplifying fringe extremists as representatives of “true Islam,” ignoring the moderate majority, and throwing in the occasional anti-Muslim canard (such as Islam encourages lying to non-believers). But perhaps no falsehood is more harmful to peaceful coexistence than, as Reverend Franklin Graham asserts, Islam is a religion of war and violence, hatred and wrath, conquest and domination. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Missing from the debate is a fair reading of Islam’s scriptural legacy, the Holy Qur’an, the Hadith, and the writings of Muslim scholars, jurists, and saints.  This article will demonstrate from scripture and the commentary of qualified Muslim scholars, both classical and contemporary, the following:


1) Prophet Muhammad, like the founders of every other major world religion, preached a message of love and peace, explicitly and repeatedly.

2) Prophet Muhammad articulated a theory of Just War that is not only equivalent to the Western Christian tradition, but is entirely compatible with modern international laws of war, the U.N. charter, and the Geneva Conventions.

The Prophet on Peace

From the outset, Muslims point out that the very word “Islam” is deliberately derived from the root “salima” meaning “peace, safety, security.” The standard Islamic greeting is “peace be upon you.” Therefore, the definition of “Muslim” is one who not only submits to the God of Abraham but is also committed to peace, justice, and safety for his fellow human beings. This definition of Muslim was stated explicitly by the Prophet: “The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people’s lives and wealth are safe.”[1]

The theme of peace, both in this life and the next, is consistently repeated throughout the Holy Qur’an:

The servants of the Lord of Mercy are those who walk humbly on the earth, and who, when the foolish address them, reply, ‘Peace!’ (25:63)

And (the believers) turn away whenever they hear frivolous talk, saying, ‘We have our deeds and you have yours. Peace be with you! We do not seek the company of ignorant people.’ (28:55)

God invites to the Home of Peace, and guides whoever He will to a straight path. (10:11)

The story of Abraham is particularly insightful:

Have you heard the story of the honored guests of Abraham? They went in to see him and said, ‘Peace.’ ‘Peace,’ he replied, [adding to himself] ‘These people are strangers.’ (51:24-25)

Abraham, who is as much a model for Muslims as he is for Jews and Christians, returned the greeting of peace to his visitors even though they were complete strangers, demonstrating that, in Islam, the offer of peace is universal.

In fact, the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet command Muslims, very explicitly, to seek out a peaceful solution to all conflicts. As the Holy Quran says: “If they incline towards peace, you [Prophet] must also incline towards it, and put your trust in God: He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.” (8:61) The great 14^th century exegete, Ismail Ibn Kathir, stated clearly that this verse was not abrogated or cancelled, citing the statement of the Prophet: “After me there will be many differences, so if you have a way to end them in peace, then do it.”[2] This tradition is significant because it was narrated by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, founder of the fourth and most conservative orthodox school of law in Sunni Islam, on the authority of Ali ibn Abu Talib, a figure revered by both Sunnis and Shi’ites. Furthermore, Arab grammarians will point out that the phrase “then do it” is an imperative command, indicating obligation. It should be no surprise, then, that Abu Umamah, the companion of the Prophet, said: “Our Prophet commanded us to spread peace.”[3]

In a famous tradition, the Prophet preached his message of peace and love: “By the One in whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something which if you did you would love each other? Spread peace amongst yourselves.”[4] Commenting on this tradition, the famous 13^th century Muslim jurist, Ibn Sharaf an-Nawawi, stated that “peace is the first cause of harmony, and the key to attract affection” citing as evidence a statement he attributed to the Prophet, mentioning characteristics of faith, one of which is “to offer peace to the world.”[5] Conversely, the Prophet discouraged hatred and division: “Do not envy each other, do not hate each other, and do not cut each other off, but be servants of God in brotherhood.”[6]

All of this is standard behavior related to the Prophet’s teachings on good neighborliness: “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him honor his neighbor.”[7]

The Prophet on Just War

Despite numerous calls for peace, Islam was born in a time and place of tremendous violence and criminal behavior. So in order to pacify the Arabs, the Holy Qur’an developed a strict theory of Just War, intended to bring law, order, and ultimately peace to the Arabian Peninsula. Far from being a symbol of conquest, the sword was in fact a symbol of justice. Yet, numerous anti-Muslim activists quote a few verses of the Holy Qur’an which, on the surface, appear to encourage violence against non-believers simply by virtue of being non-believers. However, an honest look at scripture and its exegesis demonstrates clearly that these verses are selectively cited out of context, and any scripture contradicting this claim is dismissed by anti-Muslim activists as “abrogated” or is otherwise ignored entirely.

The essential legal text dealing with the topic of war is the following: “Fight in God's cause against those who fight you, but do not transgress. God does not love those who transgress.” (2:190) The famous 9^th century father of Qur’anic exegesis, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, stated clearly that this verse was not abrogated or cancelled, citing the report of Ibn Abbas, the cousin of the Prophet: “Do not kill women, children, old men, or anyone who meets you with peace restraining his hand (from fighting). If you did that then indeed you would be transgressors.”[8] The current Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa, noted the compatibility of the Holy Qur’an with modern international laws and treaties. Writing in the Washington Post, he states: “This verse summarizes everything that has been agreed upon concerning guidelines of warfare, including the first and second Geneva Conventions.”

In fact, the Holy Qur’an consistently counsels Muslims to show restraint: “So if they withdraw and do not fight you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no way against them.” (4:90) Based on such verses, the famous 13^th century Muslim jurist, Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, wrote: “Islamic warfare is always defensive, because the basis of relationships with non-Muslims is peace. If one reflects deeply on the causes of the Prophet’s military expeditions, one will find that all of them were of this type.”[9]

In Islam, the purpose of war is not forced religious conversion, conquest, or domination. Religious conversion by force is explicitly forbidden: “There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break.” (2:256) Rather, the purpose of war is to create a climate of peace wherein God can be worshipped freely:  “If God did not repel some people by means of others, many monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God's name is much invoked, would have been destroyed.” (22:40) Far from a declaration of holy war against all Jews, Christians, and others, the Holy Qur’an declares the exact opposite: just war in the defense of freedom of religion.

The Holy Qur’an sanctions warfare only against those who first initiate warfare and thereby refuse offers of peace: “So if they neither withdraw, nor offer you peace, nor restrain themselves from fighting you, seize and kill them wherever you encounter them. We give you clear authority against such people.” (4:91) The purpose of such verses is, of course, to encourage righteous military service in defense of people’s God-given rights; the rights of life, safety, and freedom, among others. War is never justified simply because a person or nation is not Muslim. This has always been the majority position of the four Sunni schools of law:

“Among the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence only one, the Shafi‘i school, contains the view that a person’s belief can be a reason for fighting against them. This view, however, is mitigated by the fact that an opposite view, in agreement with the majority, is also attributed to Shafi‘i.”[10]

In classical Islamic law, the sanctity of peace treaties is strongly encouraged, based on the following verses: “(The believers) are faithful to their trusts and their pledges.” (23:8) and “(The believers) are faithful to their trusts and their pledges.” (70:32) The sanctity of peace treaties is so great, that the Prophet issued a severe warning to those who break their oaths and pledges: “Indeed, the treacherous person will have a banner planted for him on the Day of Judgment; it will be announced, ‘This is the treachery of so-and-so’.”[11] Consequently, warfare is only justified against those who stubbornly refuse or break their peace treaties: “If they break their oath after having made an agreement with you, if they revile your religion, then fight the leaders of disbelief—oaths mean nothing to them—so that they may stop.” (9:12) The phrase “so that they may stop” is a clear indication of the aim for peace, an essential cornerstone of Just War theory.

For these reasons, Dr. John Kelsay, professor of religion at Florida State University, writes that classical Islamic law “already provides an equivalent to the just-war criteria of legitimate authority, just cause, righteous intentions, and (at least) timely resort. We might also see in the overarching purpose of establishing and maintaining an Islamic state something equivalent to the just-war criterion of aim of peace.”[12]

Conclusion

Muslims can martial an enormous amount of scripture and classical commentary to support the basic religious principles of peace, love, and justice at the heart of all authentic religion. This article has only scratched the surface. Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri, an expert on Islamic law from Pakistan, recently published a 600 page fatwa, an expert Islamic legal opinion, which brought forth undeniable scriptural evidence that terrorism, suicide bombings, and any violence against innocent people for any reason is not only forbidden in Islam, it is a rejection of God Himself. It was not that 600 pages were required to make this point, but rather this massive volume of scriptural evidence was presented to show clearly to everyone that criminal terrorists, who falsely act in the name of Islam, have completely rejected the guidance of the Holy Qur’an, the Hadith, and classical Islamic law.

Anti-Muslim activism, on display at the recent town hall debate, is dangerous for America. It is dangerous because it is based on stereotyping and prejudice, selective citation of scriptures and facts, to create a crude caricature of a violent Islam bent on war and conquest, to paint the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims as an enemy threat. This demonstrable falsehood damages America’s ability to build crucial alliances with Muslim countries overseas, it encourages discrimination and harassment of American Muslim citizens at home, and it ignores the great contribution Muslims have made to America and the world. It echoes the same historical smear tactics and dishonest propaganda leveled against Jews, Catholics, African Americans, immigrants, and numerous others. All of this weakens and undermines America’s most important values: tolerance, pluralism, unity, and freedom.

Mr. Franklin Graham, I say to you what Reza Aslan, a scholar of Islam, rightly said to you and your partners in prejudice: “You’re on the wrong side of history. And very soon, in a couple of decades, you will be sweeped and your ideas will be sweeped into the garbage bin of history, along with the anti-Semites of the 20th century and the anti-Catholics of the 19th century.”

But only if God wills, for with God alone lies success.

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[1] Sunan An-Nasa’I, Book of Faith, graded “authentic”

[2] Tafsir Ibn Kathir, verse 8:61

[3] Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapters on Etiquette, #3693

[4] Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, #96, graded “authentic”

[5] Sharh Sahih Muslim, Ibn Sharaf An-Nawawi

[6] Sahih Muslim, Book of Righteousness, #6530, graded “authentic”

[7] Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith, #173, graded “authentic”

[8] Tafsir Al-Tabari, verse 2:190

[9] Majmu, Volume 8, Section 28, as cited in The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi, Zaytuna Institute, p. 92

[10] Jihad and the Islamic Law of War, Riyal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, p. 36

[11] Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Jihad, #2756, graded “authentic”

[12] Arguing the Just War in Islam, Harvard University Press, p. 103