The Results of Peace

Peace results in the best outcome. Those who make peace remain, however many enemies they have. Even if they stumble and fall it will only be temporary. Those involved in the Islamic movement if th ey surround themselves with an air of peace they will firstly halt their enemies and they will not be able to destroy them, and secondly, if their enemy is able to get to them this will only be tempo rary and will eventually end in advancement for the peace-makers.

We can see that the Prophets and Imams (A) always inclined to peace. The Messenger of Allah (S) used to make peace with his enemies even when he was at the height of his power and his wars were all defensive in nature as history shows. The Messenger of Allah (S) did not initiate a single war ever and if he did do battle, his battles were characterised by peace except to the amount that was necessary.

Because of this the Messenger of Allah (S) made great advances and still does to this very day. Not a day goes by but the number of Muslims increases despite what the Islamic state has had to face in the way of plots and ploys from the first d ay of its existence until now.

Also Imam 'Ali (A) inclined to peace to the utmost of his capacity. He did not make war on the people of the Jamal but they made war on him and solely because the war ended he dealt with those who remained as if they were friends and b rothers and as if nothing had hap pened. This was also the case with the battle of Nahrawan where the Kharijites had made war against the Imam and spread rumours and insulted him until the Imam made a beautiful speech (to be found in Nahj al-Balagha) while around him were his companions.

A Kharijite heard the speech and commented on it saying: 'Allah curse him for his infidelity how wise he is.' Meaning that Imam 'Ali is an infidel but he is wise. His companions wanted to punish the Kharijite but the Imam said: 'Leave him for the rule is a curse for a curse or forgiveness of sin and I prefer to forgive.' Meaning that he has cursed me so I am entitled to curse him back or forgive and I am more worthy of the second so he pardoned him. In fact Imam 'Ali (A) was able to gain control over the Kharijite movement which was a corrupt movement with his calmness and flexibility.

The chronicles show that when the war with the Kharijites had ended, the Imam (A) forgave what remained of them and did not imprison them or punish them in any other way.

They were in Kufa and elsewhere denigrating the Imam (A) but he remained silent for he knew that the peace-maker will eventually make progress. The Kharijites were making life difficult for the Imam in many ways like attending the mosque but not praying with him the congregational prayer.

Once a Kharijite read

the following Qur'anic verse in front of the Imam: {And it was revealed to you and to those before you that if you associate partners with Allah your actions will be in vain.} (39:65). Implying by this that the Imam (A) was a Mush rik (one who associates partners with Allah) and that his actions were in vain. Still the Imam pardoned him. This was the nature of the Imam; patient in the face of criticism even oppressive criticism, and patient in the face of pressure even if this pressure came from corrupt people for he knew that peace provides the most noble consequences and that the peace-maker survives as we indeed see ourselves that he has survived for 1400 years and he will survive until the end of history no matter what the circumstances.

In the battle of Siffin, one of the most violent battles against the Imam (A) the chronicles report that when the Imam defeated a soldier from the army of Mu'awiya he would ask him to swear not to assist Mu'awiya again then he would leave him to his own devices. This is unheard of in history except in the history of the Imams and the Prophets and the great reformers who followed their footsteps.

Because of this, we see that the Imam (A) has remained like a lofty mountain despite the fact that the Umayyad Clan put pressure upon him and cursed him from seventy thousand pulp its for almost one-hundred years, and despite the fact that the 'Abbasid Clan oppressed him including the Caliph Mutawakkil who made war upon him and killed his sons and imprisoned them and desecrated the grave of Hussein (A) and destroyed Karbala twice as is to be found in the chronicles. A man called 'Ubadah al-Mukhnath used to come to meetings and put a pillow between his shirt and stomach and walk around the gathering saying: "I am Amir-ul-Mu'mineen." Making fun of Imam 'Ali (A) while everyone present laughed.

But what was the outcome? Those people only hurt themselves and not the Imam except superficially. The Imam (A) said once: 'I have not been kind to anyone and no-one has harmed me.' Those around him said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, you have been kind to many and many have harmed you.' He said: 'Have you not heard Allah's words: {If you do good you do it to yourselves and if you do harm then you do it against yourselves.} 57 , for I have done good to myself by doing good to others and the people have done ill to themselves by doing ill to me.'

In fact, those who put pressure upon the Imam (A) from the Umayyad and Abb asid Clans and their ilk only injured themselves. Mutawakkil was killed along with his vizier al-Fath ibn al-Khaqan as were those who came before him and after him. The Imam remains like a lofty mo untain, or a shining sun that illuminates more than one billion people on earth. All of this was due to the nature of the movement of the Imam (A) and his peacefulness that he adopted as a motto in his personal, family, and social life.

The hadith reports that Ibn Muljim, when he struck the Imam (A), the Imam said to him: 'Have I not been good to you, did I not give to you generously?' The Imam despite having knowledge given to him by the Messenger of Allah (S) that Ibn Muljim would kill him, he continued to favour him and treat him kindly. After Ibn Muljim had struck by his sword on his head, Imam Ali still ordered that he b e treated well. When he drank milk he would leave some and say: 'Feed your prisoner.' The Imam had also said to his sons: 'If I recover from this blow of his I will pardon him. If I do not recover then you have the right of retaliation but do not mutilate the man for I heard the Messenger of Allah (S ) saying: 'Do n ot mutilate even a rabid dog.' However he recommended that his sons pardon the man.

Likewise, Mu'awiya has gone and the Kharijites have perished and the people of the Jamal have passed away as have Haroun and Mutawakkil and Ma'moun and others like them who used to oppose the Imam (A). They have all gone and the Imam remains as a minaret illuminating travellers.

The Islamic movement which seeks a resurgence in order to establish the government of a billion Muslims must also adopt peace as its watchword so that it might b e able to attract the people and repel the enemy. And if the Islamic movement were to stumble and fall then it would inevitably arise again. And because it is human nature to support peace-makers and to exact revenge upon the war makers, then if the Islamic movement adopts peace as its mantra properly and not just as an empty sl ogan, in word , deed, thought, writing, speech, and in gatherings then it will be able to expand until it encompasses all the lands of Islam. This will be the beginning of the government of a billion Muslims by the leave of Allah.

Notes:

57. The Holy Qur'an: The Ascension (17): 7.

Adapted from the book: "War, Peace & Non-Violence" by: "Sayyid Muhammad Sadiq Shirazi"