Sign up to access the complete lesson and track your progress!
Unlock This CoursePeace, Pacifism, Forgiveness and Reconciliation explained that peace means more than no fighting: it includes safety, justice and good relationships. This lesson looks at how Muslims understand it. In Islam peace is built into the language and the daily life of the faith.
Key terms:
Islam and salam come from the same Arabic root, so many Muslims say that the religion itself is about finding peace: peace with Allah, peace inside yourself and peace with other people. Muslims greet each other with as-salamu alaykum, "peace be upon you", and the reply returns the wish. Muslims say it to friends and strangers alike, so every meeting begins with a wish for the other person's safety. As-Salam, "the Source of Peace", is also one of the names Muslims use for Allah.
The Qur'an is the holy book of Muslims, which they believe is Allah's word. A hadith is a recorded saying or action of the Prophet Muhammad. Both are sources of teaching on peace.
The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the ignorant speak to them, they answer with words of peace. Muslims take this as a picture of the ideal believer: calm, modest and not looking for a fight.
A well-known hadith says that the strong person is not the one who beats others in a fight, but the one who controls themselves when angry. Real strength is shown by staying calm.
Because of teachings like these, many Muslims say that Islam is a religion of peace. They point to the greeting, to the name as-Salam, and to verses such as Qur'an 5:32, which says that killing an innocent person is like killing all humankind. They also stress that Allah is ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim, the Most Merciful. Muslims who live by this try to be gentle in speech, to settle arguments without violence and to treat neighbours well.
Not everyone agrees on what the phrase "religion of peace" means. Some people point out that wars have been fought by Muslim rulers, as they have by the followers of every religion. Muslims reply that what people do in wars does not decide what the faith teaches, and that the lesser jihad has strict rules, as Muslim Attitudes to Conflict, Jihad and Holy War explained.
Pacifism is the belief that violence is wrong. Absolute pacifists refuse to fight in any situation; conditional pacifists accept force only in rare cases (see Peace, Pacifism, Forgiveness and Reconciliation for the history of pacifism, including conscientious objectors). Where do Muslims stand?
So the usual Muslim view is closer to conditional pacifism: peace is the ideal, and force is a last resort in defence.
Muslim teachings about passive resistance draw on the Qur'an and on the example of the Prophet Muhammad.
In 1929 Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a Pashtun Muslim leader from the north-west of British India, founded the Khudai Khidmatgar, which means "Servants of God". It was a non-violent movement against British rule. Members wore red uniforms and promised not to use violence or take revenge, and to serve humanity. They ran schools, did social work and took part in peaceful protests. Many members were arrested, but the movement kept to its promise.
Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a devout Muslim, and he argued that non-violence is part of Islam, not against it. He pointed to the patience of the Prophet and to the idea that serving other people is serving Allah. He worked with Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian leader famous for non-violent protest, and is often called "Badshah Khan" or the "Frontier Gandhi". His life shows that Muslims can use passive resistance, but it does not mean that every Muslim thinks it is the only answer to injustice.
Paper 1 style. Choose one religion and answer for Islam.
(a) Identify three things that show the importance of peace to Muslims. [3 marks, AO1]
1. The greeting as-salamu alaykum, "peace be upon you" (1) 2. The link between the words Islam and salam (1) 3. The name as-Salam, "the Source of Peace", for Allah (1)
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two Muslim teachings about passive resistance. [4 marks, AO1]
Muslims teach patience (sabr) (1), as Qur'an 16:126 says that being patient is better than taking revenge (1). Muslims also follow the example of the first Muslims in Makkah, who answered persecution with patience and did not fight back (1), leaving for Abyssinia and Madinah instead (1).
(c) Choose one religion. Explain why Muslims believe that Islam is a religion of peace. [6 marks, AO1, AO2]
Muslims believe that Islam is a religion of peace because the word Islam is linked to salam, so the faith itself is about finding peace with Allah and other people. Muslims greet one another with as-salamu alaykum, which means that every meeting begins with a wish for peace. The Qur'an teaches that the servants of the Most Merciful answer the ignorant with words of peace (25:63), so a believer should be gentle, not aggressive. Qur'an 5:32 says that killing an innocent person is like killing all humankind, which shows how precious life is. Muslims also say that Allah is merciful and is called as-Salam, so believers should copy this. This is why many Muslims say that fighting is allowed only in defence and under strict rules.
(d) "Muslims should always use passive resistance instead of fighting." Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks, AO1, AO2]
For: Qur'an 16:126 says that patience is better; the first Muslims in Makkah did not fight back; Abdul Ghaffar Khan showed that non-violence can work and fits Islam; Qur'an 25:63; fighting kills innocent people. Against: Qur'an 2:190 and 22:39 allow defence, so most Muslims are not absolute pacifists; people may have a duty to protect others; passive resistance may not stop a determined attacker; Humanists and others also accept force as a last resort. Judge each point and cover the word "always". Possible conclusion: passive resistance is a strong and respected Muslim response, but "always" goes too far, because most Muslims accept defensive force as a last resort.
For "Muslim views" questions name a verse or example, then say what it shows. Use "many Muslims" and "most Muslims" to show that Muslims have different views.