Principles of Islam
30. Non-Violence
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direct or indirect influence of the Roman and
Sassanid empires. If the freeing of Arabia from this
influence had been made the starting point, this
would also have been met with an immediate
violent reaction on the part of the Quraysh.
Leaving aside these options, the path followed was
that of reading the Qur’an, an activity that could be
with certainty continued along peaceful lines: no
violent reaction would ensue from engaging in such
an activity.
The Prophet of Islam followed this principle
throughout his life. His policy was that of adopting
non-violent methods in preference to violent
methods. It is this policy, which was referred to by
Aishah, the Prophet’s wife, in these words:
Whenever the Prophet had to opt for one of two
ways, he almost always opted for the easier one.
(Fathul Bari
6/654)
What are the advantages of non-violent activism
over violent activism? They are briefly stated as
under:
