Principle 49 — Pacifism

The Prophet of Islam, in one of his admonitions, said, “Do not desire confrontation with the enemy but seek forgiveness from God.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 2966) This tradition gives a basic principle of life, which is important both for the individual as well as the nation. When a person lives a community life, differences arise amongst one another. Differences sometimes lead to confrontations. But it is not right that if someone appears to be an enemy, one should start fighting. Instead, the right way is to live peacefully and avoid confrontation, whatever the cost.