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Unlock This CourseIslam as a Religion of Peace: Pacifism and Passive Resistance showed that peace matters deeply to Muslims. This lesson looks at the next step: what Muslims are taught to do to bring peace about. Peace, Pacifism, Forgiveness and Reconciliation explained that peacemaking means working to end quarrels and bring people back together. Muslims find their guidance in the Qur'an and in the example of the Prophet Muhammad.
Key terms:
Qur'an 49:9-10 tells believers to make peace between those who quarrel, because believers are brothers and sisters in faith. Muslims take this to mean that a good Muslim does not stand back from a quarrel but steps in to settle it fairly.
Qur'an 8:61 says that if the enemy leans towards peace, believers should do the same and trust in Allah. Muslims take this to mean that peace should be accepted whenever it is honestly offered.
Together these verses give a clear message: Muslims should not wait for peace to arrive. They should work for it, and should say yes when the other side is ready.
For Muslims, peace that is only the end of fighting is not enough. A lasting peace needs three things working together.
The people of Makkah had treated the first Muslims badly for many years. Muslims remember that when the Prophet later returned to Makkah with a large following, he did not take revenge. He forgave the people and let them go free, and the city came into Muslim hands without a long, bloody struggle. Muslims see this as the model of forgiveness from a position of strength, and it shows why reconciliation matters.
Many Muslims and Muslim groups work for peace today. The main example for this course is the Muslim Peace Fellowship.
Another large Muslim charity, Islamic Relief, also runs community peacebuilding projects alongside its aid work, for example by training local leaders and young people to settle disputes peacefully.
Why do Muslims work for peace? Because the Qur'an tells them to make peace, because Allah is merciful and forgiving and believers should copy this, because the Prophet forgave, and because many Muslims believe they should serve others for the sake of Allah. Some Muslims feel that the best way to do this is to work through charities and groups, while others work through their own families, mosques and communities. They are all peacemakers in different ways.
Paper 1 style. Choose one religion and answer for Islam.
(a) Identify three things that Muslims may do to help bring peace. [3 marks, AO1]
1. Make peace between people who are quarrelling (1) 2. Accept peace when an enemy leans towards it (1) 3. Forgive people who have wronged them (1)
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two ways in which a religious organisation works for peace. [4 marks, AO1]
The Muslim Peace Fellowship holds conferences and publishes writing (1) to teach that non-violence is part of Islam (1). It also works with people of other faiths on peace projects (1), which helps different communities understand and trust each other (1).
(c) Choose one religion. Explain why forgiveness is important in Muslim peacemaking. [6 marks, AO1, AO2]
Muslims believe that Allah is the Most Merciful and the Forgiving, so believers should copy Allah by forgiving others. Qur'an 42:40 teaches that whoever pardons and makes things right will be rewarded by Allah, so forgiveness is seen as a better path than revenge. Muslims also remember that the Prophet forgave the people of Makkah after they had treated Muslims badly, which shows that forgiveness can end an old quarrel. This matters in peacemaking because revenge leads to more revenge, while forgiveness allows reconciliation, so that the two sides can become friends again. Muslims also say that forgiveness works best alongside justice, so that the peace lasts.
(d) "Forgiveness is more important than justice in making peace." 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 42:40 says pardoning is rewarded; the Prophet forgave Makkah; Allah is the Forgiving; revenge leads to more conflict; reconciliation, as in South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, can heal a divided society. Against: Qur'an 49:9 asks for peacemaking to be fair, so peace without justice may not last; victims may feel ignored if wrongdoers are simply forgiven; the same verse of 42:40 allows a fair response to wrong; Humanists and others stress fair laws and international law. Judge each point and cover the words "more important". Possible conclusion: the two work together, but forgiveness gives the deciding step that ends the cycle, as the Prophet's example shows, so the statement is partly true, provided justice is not ignored.
For an organisation question, name it (Muslim Peace Fellowship), say what it does, then say why, using a Muslim teaching.