Page 115 - Age of Peace Goodword.indd
P. 115
The Age of Peace
supposed enemy, they destroyed them in an unusual air raid
of unprecedented destructiveness.
The above historical prediction of the Quran has manifested
itself in numerous ways in the present age. For example, in
ancient times, the marvels of God’s creation could only be
vaguely discerned with the naked eye, whereas today they can
be observed in far greater detail and to a much greater degree
of magnitude, due to the invention of the telescope and the
microscope.
In the previous ages we could do the work of dawah, or
conveying the message of God, on a very limited scale at a
local level. However, today due to the developments in print
and electronic communications dawah can be performed
at a global level. Similarly, earlier while travelling one was
hindered in one’s journey due to unavoidable obstacles, such as
mountains, jungles and oceans. But in today’s age aeroplanes
have the potential to rise above all obstacles and have made
travel swift and convenient.
In the age of kingship, a common man had very few
opportunities before him. But today democracy has drastically
limited the political power of the ruler, and this phenomenon
has opened up great scopes for everyone in a great number
of fields. Likewise, the previous age was marked by religious
persecution, but today every person enjoys unlimited religious
freedom.
The above changes in modern times have rendered violence
totally futile. Advances in the present age have made it
possible to achieve by peaceful means what could previously
be gained only by violent means. Earlier every expansion
led to confrontation because it involved encroaching on the
domain of others, but now such new ways of development
have been discovered that great expansion is possible without
the slightest need to resort to confrontation.
114