Islamic Principles that Promote


Peace


In the Name of Allah,


the Most Gracious,


the Most Merciful


For peace to be true and


comprehensive, it must encompass


all spheres of human activity fulfilling


the needs of life in a balanced and just


manner. Islamic laws and teachings


include the following principles, legal


precepts and guidance - presented


as examples only - all of which aim at


promoting universal and just peace.


Islamic Principles


that Pro-mote Peace


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01 RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE


Islam values all human life, and for


its protection imposes the death


penalty [Qisaas] for premeditated and


intentional murder of an innocent soul.


Accidental and unintentional killing


has a different penalty, which is called


“Diyyah” (blood-money or retribution),


defined as a pre-determined sum of


money, given to the heirs of the person


killed. This blood-money is by no means


an equal for the loss of the person killed,


but it is rather a financial compensation


for the harm they suffer as a result of


the loss of their loved one.


Atonement (kaffarah) is to be performed


by the killer by emancipation of a slave,


or observation of a continuous fast for


two consecutive months to expiate


the sin of his mistake. If the murderer


cannot observe this fast for a legitimate


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reason, he is obliged to feed sixty poor


people a reasonably sufficient meal.


This atonement is an act of worship


by which the sinner seeks pardon and


forgiveness from Allah, Most Merciful,


for his unintentional sin of killing a


human. All this is done to demonstrate


the sacredness of human life.


Islam prescribes the ultimate penalty


for taking a human life intentionally


since, if a potential killer realizes that


he or she will be killed in retaliation


for the crime, perhaps they will


reconsider before committing murder.


If the penalty were anything less


than strict retribution, the criminals


would continue boldly in their crimes.


The same applies to all capital and


corporal punishments, called Hudood


(castigatory) punishments in Islam.


Castigatory punishments in Islam are


efficient, just penalties and successful


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deterrents for the noble reason


of preserving and maintaining the


security of human life, as Allah, the


Most wise, states in His Qur’an:


“And there is for you in legal retribution


[saving of] life, O you [people] of


understanding, that you may become


righteous.” (2:179)


And Allah, Most Beneficent, said:


“Thus, We decreed upon the Children


of Israel that whoever kills a soul


unless for a soul or for corruption


[done] in the land - it is as if he had


slain mankind entirely. And whoever


saves one - it is as if he had saved


mankind entirely. And our messengers


had certainly come to them with clear


proofs. Then indeed many of them,


[even] after that, throughout the land,


were transgressors.” (5:32)


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Furthermore, the hardened


unrepentant criminal is threatened


with the everlasting penalty in the


Hellfire, a permanent abode of


humiliation and endless torture, under


the Wrath of Allah, the Almighty, in


the Hereafter. Allah, the Wise and


Almighty, states:


“But whoever kills a believer


intentionally - his recompense is Hell,


wherein he will abide eternally, and


Allah has become angry with him and


has cursed him and has prepared for


him a great punishment.” (4:93)


Abu Bakrah narrated: “I heard Allah’s


Messenger  saying:


‘When two Muslims fight each other


with their swords, both the murderer


as well as the murdered will go to


Hell-fire.’ I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger!


I understand for the murderer, but


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what about the murdered one?’ Allah’s


Messenger replied, ‘He surely had


the intention to kill his companion.’”


(Bukhari)


Of course, if one sincerely repents,


then Allah’s Mercy and Forgiveness


encompasses all sinners.


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02 EQUALITY OF HUMAN


STATUS


All humans are innately equal, and this


applies to both male and female alike.


When Allah, the Almighty, created


the first human, Adam, peace and


blessings of Allah be upon him, - our


great grandfather and the father of


all humanity - he also created our


grandmother Eve. Thus, humanity is


essentially one family and of one race


from this honorable couple. Humans


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became distinguished thereafter by


their belief and obedience, or their


disbelief and disobedience. Allah, the


Almighty, states in the Qur’an:


“O Mankind! Reverence your Lord,


who created you from a single Person


and created its mate, and from the two


of them scattered countless men and


women. Fear Allah, through Whom


you demand your mutual rights, and


reverence the wombs [that bore you],


for Allah is ever watchful over you.”


(4:1)


The Messenger of Allah  said:


“All people are the children of Adam


and Adam was created from earth.”


(Ahmed)


Since earth is of different colors


and traits, man also developed into


different colors and traits.


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The Prophet Muhammad  said:


“Allah has relieved you from the burden


of ignorance with its pride in fathers


and ancestors. You are all from Adam,


and Adam is from the earth. There is


no difference between an Arab and a


non-Arab, nor between a black man


and a red man, except in piety.” (Abu


Dawood)


All humans initially believed in the


common faith of Islamic monotheism


as revealed to Adam and spoke the


same common language. As Allah, the


Almighty, states in His Magnificent


Qur’an:


“Mankind was not but one community


[united in religion], but [then] they


differed. And if not for a word that


preceded from your Lord, it would


have been judged between them


[immediately] concerning that over


which they differ.” (10:19)


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Consequently, man began to differ,


and the reasons for their differences


include multiplication of their numbers;


emigrations to various areas of the


earth; divergence of colors and other


features of the human subgroups;


development of local languages and


dialects and so forth.


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Since Islam regards each human being,


regardless of race, color, language,


creed, religion, or country on an equal


footing with other human beings in


the trait of humanity, all human beings


are equal before the Laws of Allah, the


Almighty:


“O mankind, indeed, We have created


you from male and female and made


you peoples and tribes that you may


know one another. Indeed, the most


noble of you in the sight of Allah is the


most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is


Knowing and Acquainted.” (49:13)


And in the traditions, we read that


Aishah, Allah be pleased with her,


reported: “The Quraish were very


worried about the case of a woman


who had committed theft, and they


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wondered who should intercede on


her behalf with the Messenger of


Allah . Some said Usamah bin Zaid


was his beloved and thus he may dare


do so. So Usamah spoke to him about


that matter, and the Prophet  said to


him,


‘Are you interceding when one of the


penal codes ordained by Allah has been


violated?’ Then he got up and addressed


the people saying, ‘The people before


you were ruined because when a noble


person amongst them committed


theft, they would leave him, but if a


weak person amongst them committed


theft, they would execute the legal


punishment on him. By Allah, were


Fatimah1, the daughter of Muhammad,


to commit the theft, I would have cut


off her hand.’” (Bukhari & Muslim)


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All human beings are also equal


in terms of basic freedom and


responsibilities. Omar bin al-Khattab


made an eloquent statement on this


fact some fourteen centuries ago when


he declared to a sinning Muslim who


arrogantly had wronged a non-Muslim,


“Have you enslaved the people though


their own mothers gave birth to them


free?” Therefore, every human being,


in the sight of Islam, is entitled to the


following types of freedom, mentioned


in brief examples as follows:


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Freedom of thought and opinion.


Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings


of Allah be upon him, commanded the


Muslims to declare the truth, express


their honest opinion, and refrain from


intimidating others as he is reported to


have said:


“A person who knows the truth and


does not declare it, is a mute devil”


(Tirmidhi)


Freedom of access to benefit from the


wealth, minerals, and natural resources


of the earth. The Almighty states:


“It is He who made the earth tame


for you - so walk among its slopes and


eat of His provision - and to Him is the


resurrection.” (67:15)


Freedom of access to lawful income


and ownership. Islam encourages all


to work in beneficial trades so as to


have free access to lawful income. The


Messenger of Allah  said:


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“By him in whose hand is my soul, if


one of you were to carry a bundle of


firewood on his back and sell it, that


would be better for him than begging


a man who may or may not give him


anything.” (Bukhari)


Freedom of learning and teaching.


Islam advocates the freedom of


learning for every member in the


society. The Messenger of Allah  said:


“Seeking knowledge is an obligatory


duty upon every Muslim.” (Baihaqi)


In fact, Islam classifies the act of


monopolizing essential, useful and


Islamic knowledge, concealing it from


others, and not sharing it with them,


an unforgivable act that leads to the


Wrath of Allah, the Almighty, and


His Penalty. Allah’s Messenger  is


reported to have said:


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“A knowledgeable person who is


asked to share his knowledge with


others but refuses to do so and hides


his information would have a harness


of fire put on him on the Day of


Judgment.” (Abu Dawood & Tirmidthi)


Freedom of access to leadership


positions in the society, if he possesses


the necessary qualifications. Ability and


understanding are the main criteria


required for holding a leadership


position in the Islamic society, as


opposed to color, lineage and race,


for instance. Allah’s Messenger  is


reported to have said:


“If a person is assigned the charge of


the Muslim affairs, then appoints a


person on favoritism, irrespective of


his qualifications, he would deserve


the Wrath and Curse of Allah. Allah,


the Almighty, would not accept any of


his actions and such a person would be


in the Hellfire.” (Hakim)


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Freedom is often a misused word.


Real freedom cannot be achieved if a


man is a slave to his base desires - or


a servant to the desires of others - and


seeks to fulfill them by any immoral


and unlawful means. The man is


allured to this false freedom by the


enticement of Satan, the avowed


enemy of all mankind, who, in his


jealous rage, hates the human race


and has given his committed oath to


Allah to wait with his troops in ambush


to strike with their arsenal of weapons


whenever, and wherever, possible.


Allah, the Almighty, said:


“O children of Adam, let not Satan


tempt you as he removed your parents


from Paradise, stripping them of their


clothing to show them their private


parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his


tribe, from where you do not see them.


Indeed, We have made the devils allies


to those who do not believe.” (7:27)


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03 THE UNITY AND


INVIOLABILITY OF THE


RELIGION OF ALLAH FOR ALL


HUMANS


As the universal and eternal religion


of Allah for all humanity, Islam aims


at eliminating all aspects of tribalism,


nationalism, racism and party spirit


leading to conflict. Islam is the religion


of Allah that was taught to all men


in its essentials of monotheism,


even though particulars of the law


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and guidance may vary according to


man’s circumstances. The same basic


message was given from the Prophet


Adam all the way through to the final


Messenger, Muhammad .


Allah, the Almighty, states in the


Glorious Qur’an:


“[Allah] has ordained for you of religion


what He enjoined upon Noah and that


which We have revealed to you, [O


Muhammad], and what We enjoined


upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus


- to establish the religion and not be


divided therein. Difficult for those who


associate others with Allah is that to


which you invite them. Allah chooses


for Himself whom He wills and guides


to Himself whoever turns back [to


Him].” (42:13)


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Allah, the Almighty, also states:


“We have sent revelation to you as We


sent it to Noah and the Messengers


after him. We sent revelation to


Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and


the Tribes, to Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron,


and Solomon, and to David We gave


the Psalms. Of some Messengers We


have already told you the story, and of


others, We have not, and to Moses did


Allah speak directly. The Messengers


gave good news as well as warning, so


that mankind - after the coming of the


Messengers - should have no argument


against Allah, for Allah is Exalted in


Might and Wise.” (4:163-165)


And Allah says:


“That was Our [conclusive] argument


which We gave Abraham against his


people. We raise by degrees whom


We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and


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Knowing. We gave him Isaac and Jacob;


all We guided. And before him We


guided Noah, and among his progeny:


David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses


and Aaron. Thus, do We reward those


who do good. And Zachariah and John,


and Jesus and Elias; all are in the ranks


of the Righteous.” (6:83-86)


The Lord of Man, Allah, sent them all


with the same call:


“O my people, worship Allah. You have


no other god but Him.” (11:50)


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Allah, the Almighty also says:


“Say [O believers], ‘We have believed


in Allah and what has been revealed


to us and what has been revealed to


Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and


Jacob and the Tribes and what was


given to Moses and Jesus and what


was given to the prophets from their


Lord. We make no distinction between


any of them, and we are Muslims [in


submission] to Him.’” (2:136)


As such, all Muslims are obligated by


faith and creed to believe in all the


Prophets and Messengers; to believe


in the Divine Books and Scriptures


revealed and sent down to them; to


respect and honor every Divine Law


revealed by Allah, the Almighty, to


any previous people; and to believe


in the brotherhood of the previous


followers of the Book who welcomed


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the Mission of Muhammad . The


Message of Islam, which was brought


by Muhammad , is the Final Divine


Message to mankind, as Allah said:


“Muhammad is not the father of any


of your men, but he is the Messenger


of Allah, and the Last of the Prophets.


And Allah has full knowledge of all


things.” (33:40)


Thus, the final Divine Message of


Islam as revealed to the Prophet


Muhammad, peace and blessings


of Allah be upon him, abrogates all


previous messages. Abrogation by


no means is a denial of the previous


messages, but only signifies that they


are no longer in effect. Henceforth,


Islam is the only religion acceptable to


Allah, the Supreme Lord, as He said:


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“If anyone desires a religion other than


Islam, never will it be accepted of him;


and in the Hereafter he will be in the


ranks of those who have lost.” (3:85)


Islam urges the followers of previous


Divine Messages to believe in the


Message of Islam, as revealed to


Muhammad, peace and blessings


of Allah be upon him, as Allah, the


Almighty, said:


“So, if they believe in the same as


you believe in, then they have been


[rightly] guided. But, if they turn away,


they are only in dissension, and Allah


will be sufficient for you against them.


And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”


(2:137)


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And Allah, Most Great and Majestic,


said:


“Those who disbelieve in Allah and His


messengers and wish to discriminate


between Allah and His messengers and


say, ‘We believe in some and disbelieve


in others,’ and wish to adopt a way in


between - those are the disbelievers,


truly. And We have prepared for the


disbelievers a humiliating punishment.”


(4:150-151)


All forms of disbelief are categorically


castigated by Allah:


“As for those who divide their religion


and break up into sects, you should


have no part in them in the least; their


affair is with Allah. He will in the end


tell them the truth of all that they


did. He that does good shall have [the


reward thereof] ten times as much to


his credit. He that does evil shall only