Since the start of the 21st century, and especially over the few days, we have witnessed horrific tragedies and wept for innocent deaths. We have also realized the tremendous need for peace...peace in our lives and peace in this world.
As Mother Theresa said, 鈥淚f we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.鈥� And in today鈥檚 society where we are divided along political, racial, and religious lines, we have truly forgotten that we are all connected and dependent upon the rest of humanity.
The quest for peace is many times harder than the quest for war. Regardless, it can be accomplished by following some very simple guidelines. Those guidelines generally centre on three things: talking with someone who does not share your belief, living alongside those people, and valuing a person鈥檚 life above all things.
1)聽聽聽 Multiple times every day of our lives, we speak with people who do not share our beliefs or values. The offers a defined guideline in dealing with this. It is such a simple step and requires very little, but through its implementation, much can be accomplished.
鈥淭he worshippers of the All-Merciful are those who tread gently upon the Earth, and when [the unacquainted] address them, they reply 鈥楶eace鈥�.鈥� [25:63]
The One All-Merciful God tells us that simple saying 鈥楶eace鈥� to those whom we may disagree with will help us to accomplish the immense task of ending disagreements amongst ourselves.
2)聽聽聽 The most horrible wars in humanity鈥檚 history have been the result of the disintegration of co-existence between two groups with different values. Establishing this co-existence is what returns peace to our world. Allah advises His worshippers in the on the way to achieve this.
鈥淎nd when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say, 鈥楾o us our deed, and to you yours; peace be to you.鈥� [28:55]
In this verse, Allah advises the believers to follow their values while the people around them follow their own values, therefore maintaining a peaceful life with those around them.
3)聽聽聽 The most important way to maintain peace is by placing a very high value on life.
鈥淚f anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.鈥� [5: 32]
This verse speaks for itself. For those who kill a person, they will face the punishment of killing all of mankind and will therefore not enter into Paradise. But for anyone who so much as saves one single person鈥檚 life, they will be considered to have saved everyone鈥檚 life. In that verse alone, we can see the Infinite Wisdom of Allah. Peace is the only solution, and through peaceful interactions, peaceful co-existence, and a high value of life, the world will find peace with the help of Allah.
Maryam Baksh聽is a first-year student at the University of Victoria studying psychology. She is also a member of the Victorian Muslim community and is active within the local mosque, Masjid al-Iman. Maryam spends her free time reading, writing, and volunteering in various interesting places.
You can read more posts from our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking
