Islam and Peace
Social Aspect of Islamic Mysticism
~ 81 ~
One of the teachings of Islam is that when two or
more people meet, they must greet one another
with the words,
Assalamu-’Alaikum
(Peace be upon
you). Similarly,
Salat,
or prayer, said five times daily
is the highest form of worship in Islam. At the close
of each prayer all worshippers have to turn their
faces to either side and utter the words
Assalamu-
’Alaikum wa rahmatullah
(May peace and God’s
blessing be upon you). This is like a pledge given to
people: ‘O people, you are safe from me. Your life,
your property, your honour is secure with me.’
This sums up the spirit of true religion, the goal of
which is spiritual uplift. It is the ultimate state of
this spiritual uplift which is referred to in the
Qur’an as the “serene soul” (89:27).
Thus a true and perfect man, from the Islamic point
of view, is one who has reached that level of
spiritual development where peace and peace alone
prevails. When a person has attained that peaceful
state, others will receive from him nothing less than
peace. He may be likened to a flower which can
send out only its fragrance to man, it being
impossible for it to emit an unpleasant smell.
