Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Holy Qur’an calls its way ‘the paths of peace’ (5:16). It states that God abhors any disturbance of peace (2:205). In fact the root word of Islam is ‘silm’ which itself means peace. So the spirit of Islam is the spirit of peace. The first verse of the Qur’an breathes the spirit of peace. It reads: In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. This verse is repeated in the Qur’an no less than 113 times. It shows the great importance Islam attaches to such values as Mercy and Compassion. One of God’s names, according to the Qur’an, is As-Salam, which means peace. Moreover the Qur’an states that the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was sent to the world as a mercy to mankind. (21:107) A perusal of the Qur’an shows that most verses of the Qur’an (and also the Hadith) are based on peace and kindness, either directly or indirectly. The ideal society, according to the Qur’an is Dar as-Salam, that is, the house of peace (10:25). Islam attaches great importance to peace. In fact, Islam cannot afford not to be in a state of peace because all that Islam aims at—spiritual progress, intellectual development, character building, social reform, educational activities, and above all Missionary work —can be achieved only in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.
According to Islam, peace is not simply an absence of war. Peace opens doors to all kinds of opportunities that are present in any given situation. It is only in a peaceful situation that planned activities are possible. It is for this reason that the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) went to great extents to establish peace at all costs. Islam means complete submission to the will of Allah Almighty. As a Muslim, it’s obligatory for us to follow the rules and guidelines that Allah (SWT) described in Holy Quran. In this regard, Allah (SWT) stated in Holy Quran: “O’ who believe! Enter into Islam wholeheartedly, and follow not thes footsteps of the evil one; for he is to you an avowed enemy” (Quran, 2: 208). Unity is primitive to Islam so it should be to Muslims as well. Unity among all Muslims must follow two things: Quranic teachings and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). All Muslims must know the value and importance of unity among the Muslims around the world. In Holy Quran Allah Almighty stated in a way, “And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves, and remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His grace ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of fire and he saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make his signs clear to you: that ye may be guided” (Quran, 3:103).
Islam is a religion of peace, love, and unity that’s why its emphasis on mutual understanding, love, and respect for each other.Great stress is laid upon the unity and development of brotherhood among Muslim brothers. In the sight of Allah Almighty, all Muslims are equal and no superiority is given to anyone on the bases of color, cast, and profession. Our holy Prophet (SAW) has related the Muslim community with the human body according to Him all the Muslims is like one body. When even a single part of the human body suffers for any reason the restlessness is felt in all parts of the body. The stress that has been laid upon unity among Muslims makes it compulsory for all the Muslims to respect and care about the comfort of their Muslims brothers. Holy Quran says: “The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islam). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.”(Quran, 49:10) We should treat our fellow Muslims with love and respect so that we may receive Allah’s mercy as mentioned in above verse. We should keep in mind the last sermon of Prophet (SAW) in which He (SAW) said: “… Arabs have no superiority over non-Arabs and Non-Arabs have no Superiority over Arabs, You are all equal except by piety and good actions. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray” (Prophet’s Last Sermon). Muslim rules over the world when they were united and when they were acting according to the teachings of Allah Almighty and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). We Muslims should live our lives according to the teachings of Allah (SWT) and Sunnah of Prophet (SAW) then we may be able to rule the world again. The unity of people makes an unbeatable strong nation. This is the reason Islam lays great stress on the importance of unity.
The foundation of Islam is the unity of Allah Almighty. Allah’s unity teaches us the message that we should not divide humans into sections and sects instead we should treat other fellows Muslims with love and respect. Unity teaches peace, equality, and lineage that’s why Islam laid great stress on Unity. Another important concept of unity among Muslims is the concept of Ummah. Islam is a religion of peace in the complete sense of the word. Every teaching of Islam is based on the principles of peace and avoidance. Any deviation from the model is a deviation from Islam and is due to misconceptions. We should, therefore, understand the ideology of peace given in Islam and base our actions upon this ideology so that peace will prevail in the world. Today, Ummah represents the unification of Muslims all around the globe.
Islam preaches that all people are equal regardless of culture, race or gender. Quran is important for Muslims in order to achieve Unity and Brotherhood among Muslims. If we start following the teachings of Quran we will stay united and can rule over the world again. Our beloved Prophet (SAW) said about unity in one of his Hadiths: “The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, and fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever.” (Sahih Muslim) Holy Prophet (SAW) said in another hadith: “The Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, he doesn’t oppress him, neither does he hand him over to the enemy, he doesn’t disappoint him, nor does he humiliate him.” From these sayings, we can conclude that our beloved Prophet (SAW) emphasis on unity, love, respect, and brotherhood among fellow Muslims. We should follow the Sunnah of Prophet (SAW) so that we can achieve success in this life and hereafter. In short, from above Quranic verses and hadiths, we conclude the result that Islam believes in the unity of all humans and teaches peace, justice, love, and equality. Religion Islam basically is to serve humankind. We must criticize extremism and terrorism in the name of religion and unite humankind if we believe in the unity of Allah Almighty. For having a good Islamic society we should follow Allah’s teachings and his Messenger Prophet (SAW).
(The author an Associate Professor at S K University of Agriculture Sciences & Technology {SKUAST} Srinagar writes on Islamic topics exclusively for “Kashmir Horizon”. View of the author are his own)