Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad 6. War and Peace in Islam
undeclared war is permissible in Islam. War for reform, for removing obstacles, or for putting an end to injustice, are also not permissible in Islam. If we have to bring about reform in any society, or we have to remove certain obstacles, these tasks can be carried out only through peaceful struggle. If the problem is not solved through peaceful struggle, even then we have to remain patient and on no pretext can we engage in armed struggle according to Islam. We have to remain patient and work peacefully towards that end. The Prophet of Islam has been called a Mercy to all the nations. The word mercy is another name for peace. We can put it differently and say that the Prophet of Islam was a Prophet of peace. He was sent to establish peace in the world. A study of Seerah tells us that peace was the greatest concern of the Prophet. Most of the traditions of the Prophet are directly or indirectly in the nature of an injunction to maintain peace. Similarly, a study of the 30-year life of the Prophet tells us that in all matters the Prophet always adopted methods aimed at establishing peace. For instance, according to one tradition, the Prophet of Islam said: “Do not wish confrontation with your enemy, always ask for peace from God.� (al-Bukhari) This shows that the actual object desirable by the Prophet was peace not confrontation. For one who is sincere in his prayers for peace, it is not possible to opt for war instead of peace.
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