Islam and Peace
Limits of Tolerance
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Peace is no external factor to be artificially imposed
upon man. Peace is inherent in nature itself. The
system of nature set up by God already rests on the
basis of peace. If this system is not disrupted, it will
continue to stay the course set for it by the
Almighty. But the only way to keep humanity on
the path of peace is to rid it of corruption. That is
why the Qur’an enjoins: “And do not corrupt the
land after it has been set in order” (7:85).
In order to preserve the peace, established by
nature, from disruption, two important injunctions
have been laid down by Islam. One, at the
individual level, stresses the exercise of patience,
and the other, at the social level, forbids taking the
offensive.
1. Negative reaction on the part of the individual is
the greatest factor responsible for disrupting peace
in daily life. It repeatedly happens that in social life
one experiences bitterness on account of others. On
such occasions, if one reacts negatively, the matter
will escalate to the point of a head-on collision. That
is why Islam repeatedly enjoins us to tread the path
