Islam Rediscovered
12. Islamic Fundamentalism
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society. That is why the target set by Islam is exactly
in accordance with nature, that is, the reform of the
individual.
If, on the contrary, the Muslims had been given the
mission of establishing an ideal society, or an ideal
State, that would have been so unnatural as to be
quite impossible. Islam has, therefore, given
Muslims a target which is practicable and which, in
consequence, does not oblige them to come into
conflict with nature. The violence which marks the
activities of Muslim fundamentalist groups is the
result of not keeping in mind this wisdom of Islam.
If you aim at the reform purely of the individual,
you will not need to resort to violence for the
achievement of your goal. For the task of reforming
the individual can be carried on, from beginning to
end, in an atmosphere of peaceful persuasion.
Whereas the struggle to change the system of the
State, being a subversive activity, necessarily leads
to war and violence.
Well-known examples of peaceful persuasion are
the movements launched by the Sufis, the target of
which was not the state, but the individual. Their
