Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
6. War and Peace in Islam
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In such a situation the question is how to deal with the problem
of differences and controversies.
The teaching of Islam in this matter is that on all such
occasions our best efforts should be aimed at defusing the
controversy in its initial stage, it should not be allowed to reach the
stage of violent clash and confrontation scheme to war. This is
indeed a strategy to avoid a war from taking place. There are a
number of ways of such avoidance.
The first way, as the Quran tells us, is to “avoid the ignorant”.
(7:199) That is, instead of clashing with them one must adopt the
policy of avoidance. Another word that the Quran uses for this is
patience. The Quran goes to the extent of according patience the
status of worship:
Those that endure with fortitude shall be requited
without measure. (39:10)
Sabr
means avoidance of retaliatory activities, in spite of
provocation from the other party. This patient attitude has been
held to be deserving of the choicest blessings from God. This
Quranic teaching of patience and avoidance has been explained by
a companion of the Prophet in these words: “One who will not
tolerate minor evil perpetrated by an ignorant person will have to
tolerate a major evil.” This means that whenever there is any
provocation from antagonists, at that time an individual or a nation
has one of two choices: that the provocation should be avoided in
the very first instance and not allowed to reach the extent of war
and violence, so that the lesser evil is nipped in the bud. In this
