Peace

To start with what is peace?
Peace can be said to mean freedom from disturbance; tranquillity. Or a state or period in which there is no war or a war has ended.
Peace in the Holy books i.e Quran and Bible.
Peace in the Bible:
Proverbs 16:7
“When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”

Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

John 14:27
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Peace in the Holy Quran and Hadith:

“O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of satan. He is an outright enemy to you.” (Holy Quran: 2, 208)

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Allah the Exalted said:

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say words of peace.

Surah Al-Furqan 25:63

And Allah said:

وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ لَا نَبْتَغِي الْجَاهِلِينَ

When they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say: For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace be upon you, we seek not the way of ignorance.

Surah Al-Qasas 28:55

And Allah said:

فَاصْفَحْ عَنْهُمْ وَقُلْ سَلَامٌ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ

So turn aside from them and say words of peace, but soon they are going to know.

Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:89

And Allah said:

سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِّن رَّبٍّ رَّحِيمٍ

Peace, a word from a Merciful Lord.

Surah Ya Seen 36:58

And Allah said:

قَالَ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّي إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِي حَفِيًّا

Abraham said: Peace will be upon you. I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Verily, He is ever gracious to me.

Surah Maryam 19:47

And Allah said:

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا ۖ قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ

Has there reached you the story of the honored guests of Abraham? When they entered upon him and said: We greet you with peace, so he answered: I greet you with peace, a people unknown.

Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:24-25

And Allah said:

وَإِن جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

If the enemy inclines to peace, then incline to it also and rely upon Allah. Verily, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.

Surah Al-Anfal 8:61

And Allah said:

فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلًا

So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause for fighting against them.

Surah An-Nisa 4:90

Aisha reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would invoke peace while sitting in prayer, he did not sit but long enough to say:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ تَبَارَكْتَ ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ

O Allah, you are Peace and from you is peace. Blessed are you, O Majestic and Generous.

Source: Sahih Muslim 592, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَوَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ بَيْنَكُمْ

You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love each other. Shall I show you something that, if you did, you would love each other? Spread peace between yourselves.

Source: Sahih Muslim 54, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Umar reported: A man asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “Which Islam is best?” The Prophet said:

تُطْعِمُ الطَّعَامَ وَتَقْرَأُ السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ عَرَفْتَ وَمَنْ لَمْ تَعْرِفْ

To feed the hungry and to greet with peace those you know and those you do not know.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 28, Grade: Sahih

Ammar ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

ثَلَاثٌ مَنْ جَمَعَهُنَّ فَقَدْ جَمَعَ الْإِيمَانَ الْإِنْصَافُ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ وَبَذْلُ السَّلَامِ لِلْعَالَمِ وَالْإِنْفَاقُ مِنْ الْإِقْتَارِ

Whoever has three qualities together will have gathered the faith: equity with yourself, offering peace to the world, and spending from small amounts.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 28, Grade: Sahih

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

‏لاَ تَمَنَّوْا لِقَاءَ الْعَدُوِّ فَإِذَا لَقِيتُمُوهُمْ فَاصْبِرُوا

Do not wish to meet the enemy, but if you meet them, then be steadfast.

Source: Sahih Bukhari 2863, Grade: Sahih

Ali ibn Abu Talib reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ بَعْدِي اخْتِلَافٌ أَوْ أَمْرٌ فَإِنْ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ السِّلْمَ فَافْعَل

Verily, after me there will be conflicts or affairs, so if you are able to end them in peace, then do so.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 697, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Salam said: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to Medina, the people rushed towards him and it was said, “The Messenger of Allah has come!” I came along with the people to see him, and when I looked at the face of the Messenger of Allah, I realized that his face was not the face of a liar. The first thing he said was:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ

O people, spread peace, feed the hungry, and pray at night when people are sleeping and you will enter Paradise in peace.

Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 1334, Grade: Sahih

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

اعْبُدُوا الرَّحْمَنَ وَأَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ

Worship the Most Merciful and spread peace.

Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 3694, Grade: Sahih

Abu Umamah reported:

أَمَرَنَا نَبِيُّنَا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ نُفْشِيَ السَّلَامَ

Our Prophet commanded us to spread peace.

Source: Sunan Ibn Majah 3693, Grade: Hasan

Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِاللَّهِ مَنْ بَدَأَهُمْ بِالسَّلَامِ

Verily, the best of the people to Allah are those who begin the greeting of peace.

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 5197, Grade: Sahih

Abu Ad-Darda reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِأَفْضَلَ مِنْ دَرَجَةِ الصِّيَامِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَالصَّدَقَةِ

Shall I not tell you about what is more virtuous in degree than fasting, prayer, and charity?

They said, Of course!” The Prophet said:

صَلَاحُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ فَإِنَّ فَسَادَ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ هِيَ الْحَالِقَةُ

It is reconciliation between people. Verily, corrupted relations between people are the razor.

In another narration, the Prophet added:

هِيَ الْحَالِقَةُ لَا أَقُولُ تَحْلِقُ الشَّعَرَ وَلَكِنْ تَحْلِقُ الدِّينَ

It is the razor. I do not say that it shaves hair, but rather it shaves the religion.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2509, Grade: Sahih

Urwah ibn Ruwaim reported: I saw Abu Umamah Al-Bahili greet with peace whomever he would meet among the Muslims and non-Muslim citizens and he would say:

هِيَ تَحِيَّةٌ لِأَهْلِ مِلَّتِنَا وَأَمَانٌ لِأَهْلِ ذِمَّتِنَا وَاسْمٌ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ اللَّهِ نُفْشِيهِ بَيْنَنَا

This is the greeting for the people of our religion, an assurance of security for the people of our covenant, and the name among the names of Allah that we spread between us.

Source: At-Tamheed Ibn Abdul Barr 91

Ibn Al-Qayyim said:

وَلَمْ يُكْرِهْ أَحَدًا قَطُّ عَلَى الدِّينِ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ يُقَاتِلُ مَنْ يُحَارِبُهُ وَيُقَاتِلُهُ وَأَمَّا مَنْ سَالَمَهُ وَهَادَنَهُ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلْهُ وَلَمْ يُكْرِهْهُ عَلَى الدُّخُولِ فِي دِينِهِ

The Prophet never forced the religion upon anyone, but rather he only fought those who waged war against him and fought him first. As for those who made peace with him or conducted a truce, then he never fought them and he never compelled them to enter his religion.

Source: Hidayat Al-Hayara 237

Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.

Importance of Peace:

Peace, as we all know, is very important in our lives and it is essential to our overall well-being. However, this is something that has, regrettably, eluded us for years and years in this world. It has been hindered by war, conflicts and disagreements throughout human history, which has left our world and the many people in it in a deplorable emotional and physical state. This should not be the case.

Even in the places where the guns are silent, there is still some form of conflict going on in many homes, which is obviously going to have negative effects on the future society and spark more wars and conflicts in this world.

For example, when there is conflict between siblings in a home; if not checked, they might continue this conflict on a much greater scale, and it might end up in either one of them dying.

Also, conflicts that can prevent peace from being possible are conflicts between different ethnic groups, different religions, different races, and so on, which are quite frequent in today’s society.

If this continues, then any chance of peace will be lost, so we should try as much as possible to raise the future generations that will replace us one day to value peace above all else so that this world will be a better place.

Any kind of violence, even in its lowest form can be a huge hindrance to peace, and that is why we must stamp it out in order to preserve peace and the lives of millions of innocent people. If we do not root it out, then we will be seeing full scale wars a lot more often and more lives will be lost.

In any case, conflict is senseless and accomplishes nothing for us but rather, it creates more problems. In fact, it is a big factor contributing to revenge, which is one of the biggest hindrances to peace.

However, it does not have to be this way as there is still hope for us to become peaceful.

How?

Peace has many benefits if we give it a chance, and it is a far more favourable option than conflicts. Imagine all the positive developments we could make if we were to have lasting peace throughout the ages. It might be hard, but we must all learn to do it.

A solution to these conflicts is finding some sort of common ground or understanding from the neutral point of view of a mediator. Mutual understanding is an element that is crucial to the development of peace in this world, because without it, we would not be able to resolve our differences and they would remain in place, which would give rise to more misfortunes.

It begins with raising children in a positive way, resolving differences with a mutually beneficial solution, and rooting out problems before they grow.

If we do all these, less lives will be lost, and there would not be as much chaos and destruction as we have it today.