Islam and Peace
Islam: An Ideological Movement for a Peaceful Co-existence
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aspects of the West that are productive, intellectual,
constructive, moral and so on.
Q.
Many Muslims tend to see non-Muslims as ‘the
other’ as it were, to the extent that there appears a
clear dichotomy between Muslims and non-
Muslims, us and them, good and evil. Does this
attitude have any basis in Islam?
A.
The Quran and Hadith are opposed to this
attitude of creating the “other” and constructing
divisions between ‘us’ and ‘them’. The Quran says,
“Call (people) to the Way of your Lord with
wisdom and with beautiful preaching and argue
with them in ways that are best (16:125); Repel (evil)
with goodness. Then he who hated you will become
your friend (41:34).”
So revolutionary is this idea, that even an enemy is
to be treated as a friend. One should consider even
one’s enemy as a potential friend and respond to his
mistreatment with goodness. Therefore, according
to the Quran, we do not have the right to call
anyone kafir which is the situation that emerges
when the Muslims see non-Muslims as the ‘other.’
To call people kafir just because they do not claim
