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“He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Almighty, the Subduer, and the Exalted. Holy is Allah, far above anything they associate with Him as His partners” (1).
The above verse of the Holy Qur’an mentions His name, as-Salam, along with other Beautiful Names of Allah. Elaborating on Allah’s name of as-Salam, the Promised Messiah (as) writes in The Philosophy of the Teaching of Islam:
“He is the Source of Peace, that is to say, He is the God who is fully safeguarded against all imperfections, afflictions, and hardships. Not only that, He provides peace and security for all. This meaning is obvious that if He had been afflicted with misfortunes, or was to be killed by people, and He was to be frustrated in His designs, then on seeing such bad examples how the hearts could be satisfied that such a God would surely deliver them from misfortunes?” (2)
As explained by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), God, as-Salam, is safeguarded fully against all imperfections, afflictions, and hardships; He is completely secure from harm or suffering. However, some world religions, both ancient and modern, make a compromise with God being fully safeguarded and being above pain or suffering.
For example, in India, there is the worship of some Hindu gods and goddesses who were either killed by others or themselves committed suicide. Such is the goddess Chinnamasta, who is depicted standing with her severed head in one hand and a sword with which she cut it off in the other hand, and jets of blood spurting out of her bleeding neck.
Similarly, another Hindu god by the name of Aravan is worshipped in some parts of India. He committed suicide as self-sacrifice to win the favor of the famous and terrible Hindu goddess named Kali.
According to Aztec faith traditions, to provide sustenance to the universe, the gods of the Mayans of South America sacrificed themselves by self-immolation, thus helping humanity to survive and enjoy the pleasures of life. The stars, the moon, the sun, the earth, and the crops were all sustained, according to Aztec religious belief, because the gods were sacrificing their flesh and blood continuously for the sake of human nourishment. Therefore, human sacrifice became a part of their religious tradition as repayment of the debt owed to their gods for their sacrifices.
In Christianity, to save humanity from the punishment of the ‘original sin’ committed by Adam and Eve, it is believed that God Himself took the form of a man to suffer death for the sake of humanity. He was inflicted with every kind of physical pain and torture. He was arrested, beaten, nailed to a wooden cross, thirsted for water and, Christians believe, bled to death.
In Islam, in contrast with all such concepts where God is neither secure from harm, nor at peace with Himself, Allah is as-Salam – He is above and beyond all weaknesses, inflictions, sufferings and self-imposed injuries and death. As stated at the outset, He is fully safeguarded and secure, and He is the Source of Peace and Security for humanity. It is humanity that needs peace and security through Him.
We know that maintaining peace has always been a great challenge for humanity throughout history, but perhaps sustaining peace has never been as crucial as it is at present. Currently, mankind seems to be in full rebellion against God. Sinfulness and atheism are on the rise everywhere. Our peace, peace of mind and heart, is also disturbed through constant fear, distress, and anxiety in our daily lives. And unfortunately, the world at large is engaged in numerous bloody conflicts: the danger of a disastrous global nuclear war that can annihilate a vast number of people and devastate a major portion of our natural environment is looming as a real threat.
Without any doubt, this tremendous loss of peace in every shape and form is due to one major factor: humanity is disconnected from Allah, as-Salam – the real Source and the Reservoir of Peace. Breaking away from as-Salam brings disturbance and destruction on mankind.
The very name ‘Islam’ means peace and security attained by surrendering one’s ego to the Will of God.
There is no peace because the personal connection with God — Who is the Fountainhead of Peace — is broken. There is no peace because the commandments of God, as-Salam, are being ignored. There is no peace because the personal example set by the Messenger of Allah (sa) is not being followed on how to live a righteous and peaceful life. There is no peace because the world at large has not yet accepted the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as) who was sent by Allah, as-Salam, to eliminate violence and conflicts that cause bloodshed. There is no peace because humanity is still unwilling to accept the sacred system of Khilafat, which was established by Allah, as-Salam, to bring about peace at home, in society and at national and international levels.
Allah, the Exalted has given the name “‘Islam’ to the way of life that He commands us to adopt. “Surely, the true religion with Allah is Islam” (3).
The very name ‘Islam’ means peace and security attained by surrendering one’s ego to the Will of God. To be a ‘Muslim’ one cannot imagine any other way but to yield completely to the Will of God, and to give up all self-centered desires by resisting all temptation.
To establish peace on earth, Allah, as-Salam, commands the most comprehensive teaching:
“Verily Allah commands you to act with Justice, to confer benefits upon others, and to do good to others as one does to one’s close blood-relatives and forbids evil which pertains to your own selves, and evil which affects others, and prohibits revolt against lawful authority. He warns you that you may remain mindful” (4).
Allah, as-Salam, says in the Holy Qur’an:
“He who killed a person – unless it be for a murder or for creating disorder in the land – it shall be as if he killed all mankind; and whoso saved a life it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind” (5).
Allah, as-Salam, makes it abundantly clear that He does not love those who create lawlessness, disorder, and violence in society: “Whenever they kindle a fire of war, Allah extinguishes it; and they strive to create disorder in the earth, and Allah loves not those who create disorder” (6).
Allah, as-Salam, makes it abundantly clear to us that once peace and security are established, then they should not be disturbed, and the Source of Peace should always be fully relied on: “And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order and call upon Him in fear and hope. Surely, the mercy of Allah is close to those who do good” (7).
Also, Allah, as-Salam, instructs us that family members, neighbors, employees, travelers, and even strangers should be provided with the utmost care and security. The elderly, widows, orphans, the disabled, poor and needy should be provided all necessary financial and emotional help. These commands and teachings emanating from Allah, as-Salam, lay the foundations of a peaceful society on the firm ground of justice, benevolence, mutual love, respect for human life, respect for law and order, and selfless services rendered to others.
Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) made it obligatory for all men and women who choose to accept him as the Promised Messiah, to follow the ten conditions of Bai’at as part of their code of life.
A pledge is included in Condition IV:
“That under the impulse of any passion, he/she shall not cause any harm whatsoever to the creatures of Allah in general, and Muslims in particular, neither by his/her tongue nor by his/her hands nor by any other means.”
Condition VII states:
“That he/she shall entirely give up pride and vanity, and shall pass all his/her life in lowliness, humbleness, cheerfulness, forbearance, and meekness”
And Condition IX requires:
“That he/she shall keep himself/herself occupied in the service of Allah’s creatures, for His sake only, and shall endeavor to benefit mankind to the best of his/her God-given abilities and powers.”
What could be a better foundation for enduring peace than sincerely adopting these conditions and molding our lives accordingly?
The Khulafa (Successors) of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) has continued to guide his followers on peaceful living, and how to resolve issues of conflict. Under their guidance, the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community have learned how to remain patient and steadfast under all kinds of persecution and extreme atrocities inflicted upon them by their opponents.
At times of international crisis, the Ahmadiyya Khulafa (plural of Khalifa) have always forewarned Heads of States and political leadership of the world to take necessary steps to avert the possibility of war. Recently, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V (aba), advised the political leaders of USA, Britain, Israel, and Iran to take concrete steps to avoid war in the Middle East which can spill over and become World War III. He also addressed the European Parliament in Brussels on December 6, 2012, calling for universal peace. Thus, the office of Khilafat Ahmadiyya is fully engaged in a continuous process of promoting and maintaining peace in the world (8).
Similarly, interfaith peace may be achieved and maintained, as explained by the Promised Messiah (as) in his last book “Paigham-e-Sulh” (A Message of Peace) by a better understanding of one another’s faiths. This can be accomplished through respectful and productive dialogue, by looking for virtues in others, by bringing commonalities to light, by understanding that all religions were initiated by none other than Allah, as-Salam, to establish peace, that is, to establish Islam, on the earth.
More than ever, we must pray for our political leaders and policymakers to stay away from the paths that may lead to destructive wars. Wars never solve problems; they only increase human suffering, pain, starvation, and bring loss of countless lives!
Once we have these fundamentals in place, only then can we hope that our end will be in peace, and we will be accepted by Allah, as-Salam, and He will have us in His presence – in His Paradise on this earth and in the Hereafter – in peace and full security:
“Verily, the righteous will be placed amid gardens and fountains. Enter therein with peace and security” (9).
May Allah grant us all the ability to become deserving of Allah, as-Salam’s pleasure, so that we may hear the most blessed greeting of peace emanating from the Source of Peace Himself: “Peace – a word of greeting from the Merciful Lord” (10).
References
1. The Holy Qur’an (59:24)
2. The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, p. 101
3. The Holy Qur’an (3:20)
4. The Holy Qur’an (16:91)
5. The Holy Qur’an (5:33).
6. The Holy Qur’an (5:65)
7. The Holy Qur’an (7:57)
8. Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V, Address at European Parliament in Brussels. On 3rd and 4th December 2012; https://www.alislam.org/articles/key-to-peace-global-unity/ [Accessed: August 25, 2019]
9. The Holy Qur’an (15:46-47)
10. The Holy Qur’an (36:59)
Last modified: April 2020
