Page 42 - Non-violence and peace-building

The Quranic Way of Conflict-Resolution

certain key principles of conflict-avoidance and conflict-
resolution:
Firstly, the need to properly investigate something
that we happen to hear before taking action on it.

The Quran (49:6) says:
Believers, if an evil-doer brings you news,
ascertain the correctness of the report fully, lest
you unwittingly harm others, and then regret
what you have done […]

Often, people get provoked and resort to violence
on the basis of mere hearsay and rumour, without
investigating the veracity of what they have heard.
Sometimes, what they hear is completely baseless, but
by the time they realize this, it is too late: they have
already taken to violence, resulting in much loss of life
and property.
Secondly, the need to avoid useless things. The Quran
(23:3) says that one characteristic feature of the believers
is that they ‘turn away from all that is frivolous’. This
Quranic verse tells Muslims that when foolish people
do something wrong out of ignorance, they should not
get provoked. They should avoid confrontation and
conflict.

If Muslims adopt this Quranic method of avoidance
of conflict, it will cut the very roots of inter-communal
conflict. This is because the cause of many cases of inter-
communal conflict involving Muslims is that Muslims
fail to avoid reacting through confrontation in the wake
of provocation. They get quickly agitated and take to
fighting others.

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