Islamic Life

Patience is the Secret of Success

2012-04-22T10:50:00.000+05:30

One element of positive status-quoism is the “wait

and see” policy. This means that whatever man is

easily able to do at the present time should be done,

while whatever he feels presents too many

difficulties should be postponed until the situation

seems more favourable.

It often happens that whenever one is faced with

difficult situations or one undergoes some bitter

experience, out of sheer exasperation, one resorts to

violence. But this kind of reaction is a result of

deviation from nature. The truth is that the law of

nature always favours those who adopt a realistic

path. If such individuals or groups who stand by

truth and justice do not act in an over-hasty manner

and remain patient, such favourable conditions are

ultimately produced for them that success will

come to them on its own.

In the most cases, failure awaits those who are so

impatient that they act emotionally, without giving

much thought to the repercussions. On the contrary,

those who opt for the way of patience are destined

to be successful.

When an individual adopts the path of patience, he

is following the path of nature. And when he

adopts the path of impatience, he deviates from the

path of nature. And one who strays from the path of

nature has no prospects of success in this world of

God.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Violence Unnecessary

2012-04-22T10:43:00.000+05:30

Social violence is against real human nature.

Violence, the greatest of all crimes, is lethal to

humanity. In spite of this, why do people engage in

violence? The reason is that they take into account

only present conditions, and lack the ability to see

future prospects. Then such people find self-styled

justifications for engaging in violence. Their version

of justification appears to them to be based on

logical argument, but in actual fact their arguments

are fallacious. In defiance of all rational opinion,

they adhere to the notion that, in their own case, for

such and such reason, engaging in violence has

become morally justified.

But the truth is that any so-called justification for

violence is invalid. Whenever an individual or a

group engages in violence, they have at one and

the same time the option of a non-violent or

peaceful method. This being so, why should

violence be resorted to at all? When the

opportunity to achieve one’s objective is available

without having recourse to violence, why should

everyone opt for violent methods? The truth is

that violence must be in principle discarded

absolutely and peace must be adopted absolutely.

Therefore, man ought not to engage in violence on

any pretext. He must adhere to a peaceful course

of action in all situations.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Violence is the Result of Frustration

2012-04-22T10:40:00.000+05:30

One advantage of positive status quoism is that it

obviates the baneful effects of frustration that come

from a sense of deprivation. Bright prospects are

discernible in all situations, however unfavourable

those situations might appear. The miraculous

benefit of positive status quoism is that it gives

human beings unlimited courage. It saves them in

all situations from becoming so discouraged that all

doors appear closed, and they fail to identify any

viable course of action.

Violence results from a feeling of deprivation, while

peace results from a sense of discovery. Those who

have the notion that they have been deprived of

what is rightfully theirs suffer perennially from

negative psychology. It is this negativism that

frequently takes the form of violence. But those who

live with the positive feeling that they have

experienced the feeling of discovery enjoy mental

peace. Their lives remain eternally peaceful.

Those individuals or groups who feel hatred for

others, and who stoop to violence in their dealings

with them, prove by their behaviour that their

grievances derive from a sense of deprivation. On

the contrary, those individuals or groups who lead

peaceful lives prove by their behaviour that they

have experienced the feeling of finding what they

truly desire in life. The mind of a frustrated person

is always obsessed with the prevalent state of

affairs. While a person whose mind is free from the

psychology of frustration will be capable of

thinking by rising above the immediate

circumstances. Thus a frustrated person is a

present–oriented person while a person free from

frustration is a future oriented person.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Solution to the Problem of Enmity

2012-04-22T10:28:00.000+05:30

People generally hold that so and so community or

nation is their enemy. Then, for most people,

enmity becomes both the cause of and justification

for taking to a course of violence. They take up an

aggressive stance, openly or covertly, ostensibly to

put an end to the enmity. But this is as

misconceived a plan of action as any could be

which has been devised on the supposition that war

can be any kind of solution.

They fail to realize that the best solution to the

problem of enmity lies in the way of positive status

quoism, which facilitates dealing peacefully with

the enemy. This is possible because positive status

quoism is a psychological condition which enables

us to deal with the enemy in such a cool-minded

way that all animus will of itself disappear once and

for all.

It is imperative that we regard enemies as

superficial rather than as integral parts of our

existence, and we should recognize that the hostility

of any foe can be brought to an end by positive

strategy. The enemy can be likened to the dust

sticking to glass. Such dust can easily be washed off

with water. The real problem will arise only when

we have no water (i.e. a positive strategy) to wash

off the dust.

It takes two hands to clap. One hand on its own

cannot clap. Similarly, enmity is a two-sided matter.

If someone turns your enemy, you should not

respond to this with hostility. Not returning enmity

for enmity is the most successful solution to the

problem. Adopting positive behaviour towards the

enemy can yield such beneficial results that your

former enemy could one day turn out to be your

friend.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Benefits of Peace

2012-04-22T10:17:00.000+05:30

It is a fact that all worthy feats in this world have

been performed by peaceful endeavour. No great or

noble task has ever been carried out by the power of

violence. This applies equally to scientific

discoveries and technological progress. Neither

educational institutions nor research institutes have

ever been established by violent means. Iron’s

conversion into machines and major city planning

have all been done by the power of peace, not of

violence. Right from ensuring social welfare to the

setting up of the relevant infrastructure—all

progressive measures have been carried into effect

by peaceful strategies.

Violence per se is destructive and no constructive

result can ever come from a destructive act. This is

the law of nature and as such is immutable.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Way of Non-Violence

2012-04-22T10:13:00.000+05:30

One of the laws of nature is that non-violence is

result-oriented, while violence is destruction-

oriented. Therefore, if the individual confines his

activities to the field of gentleness and non-violence,

his work will yield results, whereas one who opts

for the way of violence and intolerance regresses

instead of advancing.

The truth is that whenever anyone opts for the way

of intolerance and violence, his energies are

unnecessarily divided between two fronts—internal

construction and doing battle with the external foe,

whereas one who opts for gentleness and non-

violence can devote all his available energy and

resources to the one front of internal consolidation

alone, and as a natural result, he can achieve a far

greater success.

This is the law of nature which is operative in our

world. Here if one is to achieve any estimable goal,

it will only be by adhering to this system of nature

which is entirely based on the principle of peace

and non-violence. Therefore, here one can be

successful by adhering to, and not by deviating

from this law. Non-violent activism can in fact, be

equated with positive status quoism.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Anger is a Weakness

2012-04-22T10:04:00.000+05:30

Anger is the killer of peace. Anger often results in

violence. Giving vent to anger is a sign of weakness,

whereas the mastering of anger is a sign of power.

Anger, moreover, confounds one’s thinking

capacity. The angry man can neither understand

any issue in a clear-headed way, nor can he give a

response which is adequate to the situation. What is

worse is that when an individual is angry, he is all

too prone to turn to violence. But the truth is that

violence is no solution to any problem. For one who

can prevent himself from succumbing to anger,

there is no situation which he will not be able to

turn to good account. He will seek a peaceful

solution—the only sure way to solve any problem.

Man’s mind has extraordinary potential. When he is

not angry, he is in a position to utilize his

capabilities to the best advantage. But when he is

angry, his mental balance is lost. He is not in a

position to make the full use of such mental

capabilities as would be to his own benefit. In short,

not becoming angry is victory, while becoming

angry is defeat.

It should be borne in mind also, that overcoming

anger is not simply a matter of suppressing one’s

emotions. It means being able to deal with the

problem by rising above the negativism of anger.

One should be able to respond, uninfluenced by

emotion in spite of being provoked. This principle

applies not only to the individual but also to entire

nations. Positive status quoism is undoubtedly the

surest way to success, but only those can adopt this

method who have the ability to think independently

of the psychology of anger.

The principle of positive status quoism can be

adopted only by those who have the mental

discipline not to resort to violence, despite facing

unpleasant situations. Those who cannot curb

violent tendencies will never be able to experience

the benefits of positive status quoism.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Aspects of Positive Thinking

2012-04-22T09:56:00.000+05:30

Positive status quoism is undoubtedly the most

successful strategy for the construction of a peaceful

life. The essential condition for the utilization of this

strategy, however, is for man to develop the kind of

positive attitude which will enable him to rise

above his circumstances. Even in the most adverse

situations, he should be able to weather all storms

as do the big birds of the storm. His thinking should

not be the result of prior conditioning. He should

rather think out and plan his actions without any

prejudice.

One of the obstacles to adopting positive status

quoism is the tendency to give way to anger and

vengefulness. Such an attitude so poisons man’s

mind that he is no longer able to think objectively. It

is this lack of objectivity which is the main reason

for failing to adopt a positive stance.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

A De-linking Policy

2012-04-22T09:53:00.000+05:30

Positive status quoism can also be defined as a de-

linking policy, which entails finding ways of

peaceful action despite the existence of

controversies. This means that irrespective of there

being a confrontational state of affairs or other

adverse circumstances. Such strategies should be

adopted as may prevent war being waged and

violence taking place. Controversial issues must be

set aside so that present opportunities may be

availed of in an atmosphere of peace. In following

this policy, two gains simultaneously accrue: one,

the establishment of peace, notwithstanding the

pernicious atmosphere created by controversies;

and, two, the optimization of work opportunities,

despite the presence of problems. One great benefit

of this de-linking policy—in that it is the most

felicitous natural formula for the establishment of

peace—is that conducive circumstances for result

oriented actions are no longer a matter of the past,

but become an actuality today.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Flowers & Their Thorns

2012-04-22T09:47:00.000+05:30

In our world there are flowers, but there are also

thorns. It is therefore a common experience for

one who wants to engage in any positive activity

to feel that there are obstacles in his way, perhaps

by the very law of nature. This applies to the

individual as well as to the entire nation. Now

one way of addressing such a situation is for him

to set about removing all obstacles from the path

and only then beginning to work towards his

goal. This method is generally defined as

radicalism.

Radicalism greatly appeals to extremists or to

those who are guided by their emotions. But it is

impractical in so far as achieving any positive

goal is concerned. While radicalism may be

effectively used for the purposes of destruction, it

is worse than useless when it comes to

construction. Once the path of radicalism has

been chosen, not only does the prevalent system

fall apart, but in the process of what are

essentially ruinous activities, all those social

traditions which had taken centuries to build,

simply fall to pieces. Then as a result of

bloodshed and violent confrontation,

innumerable people fall victim to all kinds of

afflictions. While experience shows that the

method of radicalism is ideologically very

attractive, in terms of its practical outcome, it is

devoid of all merit.

Another method is that of avoiding confrontation

with the status quo and chalking out a plan for

possible action within possible spheres. By

temporarily accepting the status quo, current

opportunities may then be availed of. This is the

positive status quoism to which I referred at the

beginning of this chapter.

The method of radicalism invariably produces

violence: on the contrary, positive status quoism

fulfills its target by keeping the peace in society.

While the former invariably aggravates the

problem, the latter, by avoiding friction, proceeds

smoothly, without creating any problems. If one is

the way to perversion, the other is the way to

construction.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Positive Status Quoism

2012-04-22T09:40:00.000+05:30

PEACEFUL method in one respect, is another

name for stat us quoism. The status quoism of a

peace-loving person is not a form of inaction, it

is rather a posit ive plan of action, in the real

sense of the word. That is, the peace-love

accepts the status quo to remove himself from

the point of confrontation to other fields where

he may proceed with constructive action.

Instead of becoming embroiled in problems he

looks to the fu t ure aid directs his energies

towards the availing of opport unities. That is

why the stat us quoism of a peace-loving person

is indeed positive stat us quoism.

In this world of diverse interests, positive status

quoism is the optimal base for the conception and

implementation of constructive projects. Taking

up this position may call for special virtues such

as insightfulness as well as the capacity for the

most superior type of planning. Thus it brings

twofold benefit. Firstly, no disturbance of the

peace, and secondly and ultimately, the guarantee

of success. This formula can thus be summed up:

Avoid confrontation, adopt peaceful activism.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Terrorism - A Barbaric Course

2012-04-15T10:49:00.000+05:30

The evil of terrorism has come to be a present-day

affliction. It is widely condemned, but what

terrorism is has not yet been clearly defined. After a

great deal of thought on this subject, I have come to

the conclusion that terrorism is definable as armed

action carried out by non-governmental

organizations. Certainly, the public have the right to

peacefully present their point of view, but on no

consideration do they have the right to engage in

militancy, for armed movements of this sort run

counter to accepted national and international

principles. What is known as terrorism in present

times is the result of armed action by NGO’S.

Moreover, war can be waged only by an established

government. And even for an established

government there are a number of essential

conditions for launching armed campaigns. For

instance, it can only fight a defensive battle. It

cannot commit aggression. Similarly, even a lawful

war can be fought only after making a formal

declaration of war. There is no room for undeclared

war in civilized society. Then, even in a lawful

defensive battle, a government must issue strict

orders that only combatants may be attacked.

Killing or injuring non-combatants is not lawful

even in a state of war.

According to established humanitarian principles,

only one form of war is acceptable and that is one

waged unavoidably in self-defence. Any other kind

of war, for instance, aggressive war, proxy war,

guerrilla war, undeclared war–are all totally

unlawful according to international ethics. On no

consideration can these wars be held lawful.

According to the above definition, any movement

based on terrorism is certainly unlawful. It cannot

be justified simply by giving it a high-sounding

name. Any attempt to achieve human objectives by

engaging in terrorism, rather than using lawful

means to do so, is to transgress all bounds.

Modern terrorism must, therefore, be brought to an

end. But this cannot be done through counter

attacks. For one thing, this would be like trying to

quell non-state terrorism by state terrorism. And for

another, modern terrorism derives its strength less

from guns and bombs than from its ideology. That

is why a counter ideology rather than counter-

bombing would the more effectively put an end to

terrorism.

The terrorists’ self-styled ideology gives them the

conviction that, by dying in battle, they become

martyrs and that, as such, they will have a new and

far better life in paradise. It is this belief, which has

made suicide bombing totally acceptable to them.

Given this situation, it is only when their self-styled

ideology is shown to be baseless by producing a

counter ideology that their violent actions will ever

come to an end.

It should be appreciated, moreover, that the present

terrorists, many of them very young people, would

never be able to continue their efforts without the

vast monetary contributions, public sympathy and

adulation as heroes, which as “active militants”

they receive from “passive” militants, that is to say,

from those who are not actively engaged in violent

activities.

The passive militants are, so to speak, the second

line of terrorism. Their role is an important one, that

of providing infrastructure and logistic support. A

war can be successfully waged only if the supply

lines continue to provide all military requirements

without any disruption. If they were to be cut off,

war would automatically come to an end, just as a

man would die if his oxygen supply were stopped.

But, ideologically, passive militants regard it as

their duty to give full assistance to active terrorists.

And if such terrorists are in their thousands, the

number of their supporters runs into millions. This

being so, the annihilation of known active terrorists

would not suffice to put an end to the phenomenon

of terrorism.

It is essential, therefore, that the issue of the

enormous support given by the world-wide

network of passive terrorists be immediately

addressed. Their minds must be changed. Their

violent thinking must be transformed into pacifism.

Only then will it be possible to rid the world of the

menace of terrorism.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Formula For Social Peace

2012-04-15T10:43:00.000+05:30

Peace is nature. In any society, peace is disturbed

only when any violent activity causes man to

deviate from his nature. The truth is that every one

of us has his ego. It is a state of mind which, if

provoked, takes no time in flaring up and wreaking

havoc. But by nature, in accordance with the system

of creation, it generally lies dormant. The easiest

way, therefore, to have a peaceful society is to let

this ego remain undisturbed. Social peace is

disturbed by those whose egos have been

provoked. If we refrain from such provocation,

there will be no disturbance of the social peace. This

shows that the establishment and maintenance of

social peace are within our control, and are not at

the mercy of anti-social elements. This shows that if

you do not provoke the ego of others, you will

certainly remain safe from their violence.

The possession of weapons is no guarantee of social

security. The principle of social security is to

become a peace-loving neighbour for others.

Perpetrate no violence upon others and you will, of

necessity, be safe from the evil and violence of

others. If you hate others you will receive hate from

them in return. If you have feelings of love and

well-wishing for them, you will receive the same

from them. In this world, peace is received in return

for peace and violence is received in return for

violence.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

From Revenge to Violence

2012-04-15T10:39:00.000+05:30

It often happens that if one person is hurt by

another, or one group suffers at the hands of

another, revenge is perceived as the immediate

goal. Those who are bent on revenge tend to forget

the warning of history—a warning inscribed on

every wall in silent language: Think before seeking

vengeance, that vengeance will be met with

vengeance. In this way a chain of violence is built

up, continues, and is brought to a conclusion only

when both sides are so depleted in energy and

resources that they are no longer able to exact

vengeance.

Whenever an individual or a group has any cause

for complaint, the solution lies not in retaliatory

activities, but rather in continuing to move forward

by adopting a policy of avoidance of conflict. Such

avoidance puts an end to the problem at the very

outset, while refusal to ignore the problem leads to

an unending chain reaction of hatred, revenge and

violence. Thus, the policy of avoidance of conflict is

the way of the peace-loving, while that of revenge is

the way of the violent.

Revenge is always directed against another but, in

actual fact, the greatest victim is the one who opts

for this course. The heavy price to be paid for this

revenge policy is that his mind becomes a

storehouse of negative thinking. Instead of

expending his resources on building his life, he

begins to squander them on the destruction of

others.

Say, an antagonist had caused him to use up fifty

percent of his energies, resources, etc., he would

himself, as a result of his policy of revenge, fritter

away the other 50%.

Taken to logical extremes, revenge would imply

that after an attempt on one’s life, one would launch

out on a course which would end in one’s own

death! The truth is that revenge is an evil, whatever

the circumstances, while refraining from revenge by

ignoring the matter at issue is at all events a virtue.

If the taker of revenge is your enemy, after

returning revenge for revenge, you become your

own enemy. And those who turn their own enemy

cannot be saved from destruction by anyone.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Politics of Religious Violence

2012-04-15T10:27:00.000+05:30

Emotional politics is one reason for hatred and

violence, especially when based on the slogan:

‘Religion is in danger!’ By presenting a wrong or

exaggerated picture, certain writers and speakers

try to give the impression that their religion is

under threat from others. Now an emotional

campaign is launched with great fervour in the

name of safeguarding religion. Far from saving

religion from danger, such politics only endangers

society as a whole by destroying peace.

This concept of religion being at risk clearly implies

that a community other than one’s own is to blame.

This fosters hatred in one group for another. And

when a policy of confrontation fails to put an end to

the supposed danger, frustration sets in. This leads

to violence as a final strategy. And when violence

does not give the desired result, suicide is resorted

to. Youths, surcharged with emotion, resort to

venting their ever-increasing hatred for their

supposed enemy by carrying out suicide bombings.

The politics of religion being “under attack” in its

final phase turns into the politics of “religious”

suicide. Launching their movements in the name of

the revival of religion proves to be the death knell

for themselves as well as for others. The truth is that

the only way to extricate oneself from such

destructive politics is to hold violence as a form of

action to be rejected in all circumstances. No

excuses, however weighty they may appear, should

be treated as sufficient to justify the use of violence.

The present world is a world of differences. Every

man is Mr. Different and every woman is Ms.

Different. That is why all kinds of differences exist

among people. But when these differences take on

an emotional aspect, it leads people into malevolent

conduct. And then society as a whole becomes

wracked with violence.

There is only one possible solution to this problem.

And that is to inculcate the notion that all members

of society must work within a peaceful sphere,

irrespective of general conditions. In no

circumstances must they go outside the arena of

peace. The correct mentality can be formed only

when people are brought fully abreast of the fact

that, in this world, any task can be performed

through peace. No task can be performed

successfully through violence. Violence contributes

only to destruction—not to construction. A religion

is never in danger. Any religion which appears to

be in danger is no religion at all.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Violence is the Result of Hatred

2012-04-15T10:20:00.000+05:30

One of the chief reasons for violence is hatred. And

hatred is mainly the result of negative thinking.

Positive thinking and hatred do not go together.

This being so, to maintain a peaceful society, it is

essential that positive thinking should never be

discouraged. Events should be explained in such a

way that people do not lapse into negative thinking,

but on the contrary, feel stimulated to think along

positive lines.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Anachronistic Policy

2012-04-15T10:12:00.000+05:30

The present age is one of globalisation. The entire

world has become a global village. Looked at from

this viewpoint, violence or armed struggle in the

present- day world has acquired the character of an

anachronism. If you were to ask those engaged in

armed confrontation why they had adopted this

course, they would say that they had done so in

order to overthrow the existing government. They

would further say that they aimed at building a

new system, and to attain their objective it was

necessary to seize power. But all such thinking is

the result of their being totally unaware of the spirit

of the age.

The present age has undergone such a great

transformation that the seizure of political power is

no longer required. Even without possessing

political power, those who aim at changing social

systems can achieve anything that they want to

through non-political institutions. Modern

communications and industrialization have

relegated government to a secondary position,

signifying “administration” rather than monarchical

or oligarchic rule. Now any task of reform or nation

building can be done without aspiring to political

eminence.

The truth is that political power has been reduced to

little more than a headache for those who wield it.

You should, therefore, leave this headache for

others and set about peacefully realizing your goals.

You will then see that you have won the war

without going into battle. Without possessing

political power, you have managed to receive all

possible benefits, or perhaps even more than were

formerly associated with political power.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Let the Law of Nature Take its Course

2012-04-15T10:08:00.000+05:30

According to the law of nature in this world, truth

lives on, while falsehood is destined for obliteration.

Given this state of affairs, it is enough for the

destruction of falsehood that we observe a policy of

silence. Speaking out or holding protest movements

to stir up agitation against falsehood is to give life

to it, while adopting a policy of avoidance results in

its dying a natural death.

Keeping quiet about falsehood means ignoring it,

not giving any violent response to it, not launching

any protests against it. However, opting for such a

policy is possible only for those who are aware of

the power of nature and who place their trust in it.

Those who are unaware of it give life to falsehood

by demonstrating against it.

Often people engage in violence in the name of

obliterating falsehood. This is nothing but

foolishness. Falsehood has no firm root. It is

destined to vanish. In such a case, there is no need

for unnecessary violence to obliterate it. The

adoption of a peaceful course to counter falsehood

is as good as extirpating it.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The System of Cause and Effect

2012-04-15T10:03:00.000+05:30

Violence is, to put it differently, laying the blame for

one’s own mistakes at the door of another. But this

world is based on the principle of cause and effect,

and when anyone suffers from some affliction, he

should try to find the cause within himself, rather

than attempt to find it elsewhere. As you sow, so

shall you reap.

When this reality of life takes root in the mind of a

human being, he will never hold anyone else

responsible for his own afflictions, and take to

violence against them. No, indeed, he will analyse

his own actions objectively to discover his own

shortcomings and rectify his mistakes in order that

he may be saved from being the victim of

unnecessary suffering.

Engaging in subversive activities against others,

using one’s own woes as a pretext, is like a patient

holding his neighbour responsible for his illness

and starting a fight with him. In a city where the

traffic has to keep to the right, anyone who thinks

he can flout the rule of law by driving his car on the

left will certainly have an accident.

This accident would apparently have occurred due

to the collision of another’s car with him, but he

would have no justification in saying that another

motorist had injured him by hitting his car. On the

contrary, he should have to admit that his car had

collided with another, because he had been driving

on the wrong side of the street, while the other

motorist was on the right side.

The same is true of all other aspects of human

existence. Whenever you have to face any loss

in life, you must consider that whatever

happened was due to your own shortcomings.

This is the way of peaceful thinking—the

correct way of thinking in the af fairs of this

life. If you can think along the right lines, you

wi ll be able to set yourself rectifying you r

mistakes, which wi ll save your future. If you

take the opposite cou rse, you will put all the

blame for your feelings of distress on others,

and then, by taking a violent option, you will

destroy your future, having already destroyed

your past and present because of choosing the

same violent course.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

A Friend in the Enemy

2012-04-15T09:58:00.000+05:30

The way of violence only increases the enmity of

opponents. On the contrary, the way of peace puts

an end to such enmity. It even converts enmity into

friendship. The study of human nature shows us

that a potential friend could be there inside every

enemy. We have to discover this friend, and accept

as a miracle the fact that one who had at one time

appeared to be our enemy became our closest

friend.

The truth is that enmity is not something natural. It

is an artificial reaction. Whenever for any reason

anyone apparently becomes your enemy, you

should remain mild-mannered in your dealings

with him and try to behave well, even if you have to

do so unilaterally and in the face of provocation.

This peaceful response on your part will result in

the subsiding of negative feelings in your enemy.

Your unilateral good behaviour will serve to

awaken his dormant humanity, thus turning him

into a new and better human being.

The truth is that the same temperament is

common to every n ewborn chi ld, which is

why everyone is fi rst Mr. Nature and only

later on, be comes either Mr. En emy or Mr.

Fr iend. This means that th e nature you

pos ses s is also pos ses sed by your supposed

enemy. Therefore, on e must se ek in an

apparent enemy the common man in him, and

each individu al should expe ct from oth ers

what he expe cts for himself. Th e law of nature

gives a guarante e that his expe ctations wi ll

not go unfulfilled.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Approved Method

2012-04-14T12:02:00.000+05:30

A violent method is adopted only by those who

have no patience or who do not believe in

perseverance. Those who opt for a peaceful solution

find that all the laws of nature come to their

support. On the contrary, those who opt for violent

methods can hope for no such backing. And those

thus deprived cannot look forward to anything in

this world of realities but failure and ruination.

What is meant by ‘treading the path of peace’? It

means that, even in the face of unpleasantness, no

individual should lose his patience. In this way, his

positive train of thought will not be upset and he

may then clearly differentiate between the possible

and the impossible.

Only then will he be able to set the possible as his

goal. He should not expect immediate results.

Rather, in going about his task, he should opt for

the gradual way. He should not be depressed by his

losses, but should rather engage himself in

purposeful activities, with his eyes on the future.

He should be content for the moment with what he

receives at the moment and patiently wait for future

blessings. He should keep his desires subservient to

the laws of nature rather than try to keep the laws

of nature subservient to his desires. The truth is

that, patience is a totally positive attitude. It is

neither negative nor passive.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Avoidance Not Confrontation

2012-04-14T11:57:00.000+05:30

It is certainly possible to avoid violence, even

although there may be reason to justify the option

of violence. This is possible through the peaceful

strategy of avoidance of conflict. Such avoidance is

the most effective way of checking violence and is,

indeed, the most important principle of a peaceful

social life. Treading the path of avoidance keeps one

within the peaceful sphere, while its very opposite,

the way of confrontation, leads one into taking

violent action against antagonists.

In the present world no individual or group is

alone. There are many others with their own

objectives, and they have their own separate

agendas. For this reason, they often find themselves

in confrontation with others.

In such a situation, there are two paths for man—

avoidance or confrontation. There is no third

option. Now, if man opts for the way of

confrontation, the result will be a clash. It is evident

from the entire history of humanity that an armed

confrontation only intensifies feelings of animosity

in people’s hearts. It does not benefit either side in

any real way. Therefore, the policy of avoidance

should be favoured over that of confrontation. The

way of avoidance not only saves one from further

losses, but also allows one to continue on the path

of progress without any hindrance. Indeed, any act

of avoidance, appears to be benefitting the other

party but its actual aim is to save one from the

futility of confrontation, thus enabling the journey

of one’s life to continue without encountering any

obstacle.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Tolerance is Peace

2012-04-14T11:50:00.000+05:30

The result of intolerance is violence and the result of

tolerance is peace. This sums up what peace and

violence essentially are. An atmosphere of peace

will prevail in any society which is characterized by

tolerance, while an atmosphere of violence will

prevail in any society in which the majority of the

people are lacking in tolerance. And, according to

the system of nature, violence is neither beneficial

for its perpetrators, nor for those who have been

subjected to violence.

Tolerance is a high moral and human quality, while

intolerance is a descent to the animal level. The act

of tolerance is not a matter of compulsion: it results

naturally from the doer being of an elevated moral

calibre. Any goal one strives to achieve by brute

force, can always be better achieved by displaying

tolerance. When an individual becomes intolerant

in unpleasant situations, he considerably weakens

himself and hence is unable to deal effectively with

problems. But when he maintains an attitude of

tolerance, he conserves all his energies, and is in a

position to deal more effectively with the matters at

hand.

Not descending to intolerant behaviour, in spite of

facing unpleasant situations, is a clear proof of self

control. One who has this ability becomes so

strengthened by it that no one can defeat him.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The Ways And Means of Peace

2012-04-14T11:42:00.000+05:30

JUST as violence is a way of life, so is peace a

complete culture in itself. Just as there are methods

of violence, so are there clear principles and

methods of peace. Here, we mention certain

methods which are of relevance to the conduct of

peaceful activities. This will show how the culture

of peace can be established and how one’s course of

life can be planned, in all matters, so that all human

beings may find the opportunities to realize their

ambitions.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Reconciliation is the Best

2012-04-14T11:38:00.000+05:30

In any controversy, one way to attempt to settle

matters is for both parties to enter into violent

confrontation. The better way to settle disputes is to

effect a reconciliation at the very outset.

Reconciliation is like a safety valve in any situation

where there are conflicting interests and where

tempers can become explosive. So at times of

provocation, the best course to adopt is a

conciliatory rather than a confrontational one. That

is a law of nature.

However, it rarely happens that such reconciliation

as can be effected exactly reflects the desires of both

the parties. In the majority of cases, reconciliation is

possible only on a unilateral basis. That is, one party

has to suppress his own inclinations and show a

willingness to put an end to the dispute in

accordance with other party’s wishes.

Why is this kind of unilateral reconciliation better?

The main benefit is that without wasting one’s

energy and time in unnecessary wrangling, one is

able to carry on a constructive course of action,

whereas a state of confrontation puts a full stop to

all such activity.

History shows that any success on the part of an

individual or a community has been achieved by

adopting the conciliatory method. The path of clash

and confrontation has never led to any genuine

success in this world. Reconciliation is vital, because

it gives man the opportunity to utilize available

opportunities to the fullest extent, whereas

confrontation leads to his entire energies being

channelized into planning the destruction of others.

The work of construction, therefore, is never

engaged in, although the secret of true success lies

in construction and consolidation rather than in

destroying supposed enemies.

Many people justify violence by saying that they

have been the victims of plots and conspiracies and

so must put an end to this by fighting. This excuse

is quite baseless. What is generally regarded as a

plot is, in actual fact, a manifestation of that plan of

nature which has been established in the present

world as a natural law.

In the present world, the actual problem for a

community is not that it has enemies plotting

against it. The actual problem is that it has failed to

purge itself of the weaknesses that provide others

with the opportunity to exploit it. An established

state of peace is a safeguard against this kind of

exploitation. Violence means rendering oneself

insecure by breaking the defence line.

Ref -The Ideology of Peace

- by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan