Learning to choose love and peace

Our world is struggling with an unprecedented wave of hostilities burning everything in its path as it rages across the globe, with the rippling effects reaching the furthermost corners of the world, ensuring that no one is left untouched. Everywhere on internet, on TV, on radio, we see and hear constant screams urging on more strife, more violence and more blood. Wherever we look in the world, we see angry faces ready for a fight. Amidst this flux of aggression and hostility, some find it difficult not to get carried away and join in this sheer madness. They allow themselves to be absorbed by pure hatred, vengeance and aggression and reach a stage where they begin to hate people they've never even met with a passion. 

Where is the hatred coming from?

The level of conflicts of today is something our world has never seen before. From Israel, to Philippines, from East Turkestan, to Rohingya and Central African Republic, the resentments of the past have combined with the mad spirit of today's hatred and unleashed terror on the souls and bodies of the people of the world. 

And even those who are physically far from the troubled parts of the world don't hesitate to join in the craze and take their anger to Internet to incite even more madness.

It is no doubt that so many unspeakable crimes have been committed all around the world. And because injustice and oppression are all too common today, taking the higher ground and pushing for peace becomes more important than ever before. However, this is no easy task; it is not a job for the faint of the heart. It takes courage, bravery, a very strong moral compass and most importantly an insurmountable fear of and love for God. That is because only then that person will be empowered to choose love and stand alone in the face of the seemingly insatiable hunger for war and revenge everywhere he looks, even if it means that he will be the only one speaking for justice and peace. 

More people need to rise with this focus. The world needs them more than ever. People that are going to be the voice of reason, wisdom and common sense. People who do not give into the temptation of revenge and hatred no matter how many millions seem to be doing it. People who speak for peace, people who dare to stand up against millions - or even billions - to do the right thing.

And Muslims should be the first people to excel this behavior, following the commands of God and path of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). God wants His servants to love Him and to love other servants for His pleasure, to see them as a manifestation of Him. To see others as a palette of  diversity created by Him. 

Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s Sight is the one with the most fear of God. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)

Remember the time of our beloved Prophet, when the unbelievers mercilessly launched attack after attack, constantly  harassing them, both mentally and physically, with vicious assaults. But the believers didn't retaliate: when God allowed them to take action, it was only in the form of self-defense, it was never an unwarranted attack.

This is the extent of the peaceful character God wants from us. God has created this world for love alone; for us to know and love Him. As Satan tries to ratchet up the tensions, building upon the resentments and pains of the past, our duty is foiling his plot and choosing the way of peace and forgiveness. 

A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surah al-Fussilat, 34)

Surely, it is our basic right to demand justice and see that those  who commit crimes are brought to justice and definitive steps should be taken by relevant administrations to ensure this. However, after this is done, the people of the conflicting sides should learn to bury the hatchet and begin to see each other as servants of God and learn to feel compassion and love for each other. They should look at things with the clarity that God provides to us and understand that vengeance and hostilities will bring only more pain and more violence.

They should also see that we are all human beings with a short amount of time given to us, which we should use to prove ourselves deserving and worthy of God’s approval and love. Spending our lives on hatred will merely hurt everyone involved in the end and will leave those hateful ones with nothing but  their atrocious actions to dwell upon and the blood of countless innocents on  their hands for which they will have to answer to God. 

You can choose to be one those people who stand for peace. You can raise your voice and speak up against hatred and hopefully gain God’s pleasure and contribute to the peace of the world.

Adnan Oktar's piece on Muslim Mirror & Daily Mail:

http://muslimmirror.com/eng/learning-to-chose-love-and-peace/

http://www.dailymailnews.com/2014/08/12/columns-articles/1.php