121- The Qur’an on the International Peace (Series: Inviting Reflections).

Peace is a state when a society is free from sedition, civil strife and chaos, which is even dangerous than killing someone. The Qur’an has declared “Fitna” more dangerous than to kill someone. The Arabic word: “Fitnah” entails the meanings and nuances of sedition, civil strife, chaos, uncertainty, temptation and black mailing along with some other shades of meanings, according to the context it is employed in. The Holy Qur’an says:

."وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ أَشَدُّ مِنَ ٱلْقَتْلِ"  ( And Oppression is more serious than murder). Surah: 2, Verse: 191; and: 

."وَٱلْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ ٱلْقَتْلِ" (And persecution is more serious than killing). Surah: 2, Verse: 217.

Uncertainty and chaos, may it be in a society, for non-dispensation of justice equitably; or, at international level, may it be the result of non-adherence to international treaties or grabbing the natural resources of the less developed nations, is the real enemy of peace. 

It is Justice and mutual trust, both on internal level in a society, and on international level, which can guarantee peace, a state of comity and respect among nations. The present post-modern scenario reminds us Pre-Socrates Era of Sophists in Ionia (Greece) who claimed that: “Man is the measure of all things”. The Sophists further preached: “What seems to you right is right for you and what seems to you wrong is wrong for you”, which resulted in chaos in the society; and, the objectivity of higher values was gone. The same we are witnessing today on international level that the big powers, which have military might, can have “Right of Pre-Emptive Strikes” on the pretext of “Doctrine of Self-Defense” or “National Interest”, though they may tender ‘apologies’ after some years that their attacks were not justified.

The Holy Qur’an has very clearly elaborated the concept of social relations with other nations in peace and war times. Allah says:   

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَآءَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَـَٔانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ ٱعْدِلُوا۟ هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ

(O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing; and let not the hatred of a certain people (nation) prevent you from acting justly. Adhere to justice, for that is nearer to piety; and fear Allah. Allah is informed of what you do). Surah 5: Verse: 8. 

The believers are further ordained to do justice even if the decisions are to be made against one’s own self or relatives or parents. The internal peace is possible only when law is applied equitably; and, while passing a judgement, no distinction is made among subjects of a state keeping in view their social status.  Allah says:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُونُوا۟ قَوَّٰمِينَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ ٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ وَٱلْأَقْرَبِينَ ۚ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَٱللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا ۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ ٱلْهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ ۚ وَإِن تَلْوُۥٓا۟ أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

(O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even if against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. So do not follow your desires, lest you swerve. If you deviate, or turn away---then Allah is aware of what you do). Surah: 4, Verse: 135. 

The Holy Qur’an warns the mankind and particularly the world nations who do not adhere to the morality and higher values that such systems which are based on coercion will not persist long and will change. The Divine Design is very well elaborated by Allah; as He (Allah) says:

."...وَأَمَّا مَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ فَيَمْكُثُ فِى ٱلْأَرْض "                                                         

(…while that which is for the good of mankind remains on the earth). Surah: 13, Verse: 17. Allah further reminds the nations in the Qur’an:

 إِن يَمْسَسْكُمْ قَرْحٌ فَقَدْ مَسَّ ٱلْقَوْمَ قَرْحٌ مِّثْلُهُۥ ۚ وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَيَتَّخِذَ مِنكُمْ شُهَدَآءَ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

(If a wound afflicts you, a similar wound has afflicted the others.   Such days (of varying fortunes) We (Allah) alternate between the people, that Allah may know those who believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks witnesses (to truth). Allah does not love the evildoers). Surah: 3, Verse: 140. 

Subsequently, it is worth-mentioning that such higher values on which rational consensus can be built is only a Divine Code. Any chaos or ‘asking for the right to kill someone’ can never be justified under any “Morality of Murder”. The irony of the episode is that, in 21st century, the lectures like ‘The Moral Side of Murder’ are being delivered by the custodians of justice and such events are taking place in the highest Seats of Learning, in the developed world, which used to claim to be the champions of civic traditions and higher moral values. Killing of other nations, as rationalized by the consequentialists for the sake of some “intrinsic virtue” does not fit in the framework of higher values; and the absence of such values will make this world a worst place. How a moral reasoning can allow a nation to invade the other?!!! Is not the killing of someone itself a breach of morality? Islamic ideology helps rather in a different dimension, as Allah’s Prophet, peace be upon him, warned: “Who kills a sparrow for nothing, it will cry aloud to God in the day of resurrection, saying: “O my Lord! Such-and-such man killed me for nothing: he never killed me for any good”, (Sunan al-Nisa’i, Hadith # 4451).

Keeping in view the significance of topic, it is an established fact that ‘skepticism’ (a resting place for human reason) along with principles of ‘utilitarianism’ highly pleads for maximization of utility by surpassing sorrows with happiness by increasing the pleasure. But all the argument stuck on one point: Who will define the happiness and pleasure? Presumably, this is something that will be attained at the cost of others’ sorrows and pains, as conceived by the learned speaker in the lecture: “The Moral Side of Murder’.

International peace demands only the foundation that is laid by the Qur’an: “Oppression is more serious than murder”, (2/191). Specially, the developed world must realize that ‘murder is murder’ and any necessity, sacrifice, consent, or even desire of the victim-to-be-victimized doesn’t justify the murder. Nonetheless, no treaty, no agreement, or procedure can justify the ‘murder’ or Violation of Peace, especially among nations. The whole narration also needs to be corroborated with the fact that Peace and Terrorism are different dimensions. Every believer is a peace-lover and viz-a-viz victim of terrorism of some kind either on the notion of pre-emption or its reaction thereof to.

Karen Armstrong has very rightly pointed out that inclusion of “Song of Roland” (an epic composed in first crusades and chanted in wars) in curricula at secondary level in some Western countries speaks volumes about the selective morality of the new-colonial powers.

It is, indeed, an important question for today’s developed countries; their rulers; and, their people---particularly the intelligentsia, that how they will be remembered in history!!!