Islam is the only hope for humanity to achieve comprehensive peace throughout all of existence. This encompasses peace within the conscience, the family, society, as well as regional, international, and global peace among all of humanity. Allah Almighty revealed Islam for two primary objectives:
1. Establishing justice for all of humanity. In Islam, injustice is prohibited without exception; it is forbidden to oppress both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
2. Achieving peace in every corner of this world.
In this study, we will outline Islam’s approach to establishing global peace. We will not delve into discussions on peace within the conscience, the family, or society, as these topics will be reserved for another discussion.
At the outset, it is essential to emphasize that Islam is a religion that came to bring peace to all people, not just Muslims, as some may mistakenly believe. In pursuit of this noble goal, which humanity has yearned for throughout history but has only ever encountered as an illusion, reaping nothing but wars, destruction, and devastation, Islam offers humanity the dream it has been deprived of in every time and place. To realize this vision, Islam imposes obligations and enacts safeguards to guide humanity towards this noble aim. Among these obligations and safeguards are the following:
1. Equality among all people.
2. Relations between Muslims and others are based on cooperation and dialogue, not conflict and fighting.
3. The aim of Islam is to achieve justice and freedom for all humanity.
4. Peace is the foundation of international relations in Islam.
5. The legislation of jihad to prevent injustice and aggression and to spread peace.
6. The reasons for jihad in Islam.
7. Negotiations and arbitration.
8. Respect for treaties.
9. The prohibition of killing and harming humans and animals.
10. The jizya (tax) is an Islamic civilizational precedent.
11. One of the guarantees of peace in Islam is the obligation to love humanity.
12. The virtues of Muslims and the massacres committed by non-Muslims.
Let us now explore in more detail the ways Islam seeks to achieve global peace.
First: Equality Among All People
Allah Almighty has honored mankind and subjected everything in the universe to serve humanity, marking this as a sign of His honor to humankind. Allah says: "And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided them with good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference." (Surah Al-Isra: 70).
However, is this honor exclusive to one race or nation? Absolutely not, because Islam considers all people as one community. Moreover, Islam regards all humanity as one family. Allah says: "O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer." (Surah An-Nisa: 1).
Islam does not consider Muslims to be God’s chosen people, nor does it regard them as superior to others. Instead, it views all people as one community, descendants of a single man, Adam, the father of humanity. Thus, all humans are brothers in humanity, with no distinction based on color, race, religion, wealth, or poverty. While Jews may consider themselves the chosen people of God, seeing themselves as the masters of humanity and others as their slaves, this is forbidden in Islam, as it fosters injustice and aggression.
One might argue that such a view is held by only a small, misguided group, while humanity has risen above such racism and views all people as one community. However, even today, United Nations laws continue to differentiate between white and black people. The right of veto is still granted to the white man while denied to the black man. This discrimination prevents the United Nations from fulfilling one of its primary roles—maintaining international peace and security. Humanity remains incapable, even today, of achieving equality among people, even theoretically. More than 1,400 years ago, the Quran declared that humanity is one community, and all people are one family. Allah says: "Mankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]; then Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed. And none differed over the Scripture except those who were given it—after the clear proofs came to them—out of jealous animosity among themselves. And Allah guided those who believed to the truth concerning that over which they had differed, by His permission. And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path." (Surah Al-Baqarah: 213).
Humanity was once one community, and when it strayed, Allah sent messengers to guide them from error to guidance, from misguidance to righteousness. Whoever follows the messengers is rightly guided, while whoever disobeys them is led astray. Yet, Allah has made differences among people a universal law, an inescapable reality. Allah says: "And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ, except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them." (Surah Hud: 118-119).
Allah has made these differences among people for mutual support and cooperation, not for conflict and confrontation. Allah says: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another." (Surah Al-Hujurat: 13).
Despite these differences, all people are equal in the eyes of Islam. All people are equal in rights and duties, regardless of differences in color, race, or nationality, as all people are from one soul.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized this meaning in many hadiths, warning against tribalism. He said, "Leave it. for it is something disgusting" (agreed upon). He also said, "You are all from Adam, and Adam is from dust. The most honorable of you with Allah is the most pious among you" (reported by Al-Azraqi in Akhbar Mecca). Abu Dawood narrated from Jubayr bin Mut'im that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "he who summons others to party-spirit does not belong to us; and he who dies upholding party spirit does not belong to us."
Islam combats all forms of tribalism, nationalism, and racism, ensuring that justice prevails and peace, love, and cooperation flourish among all humanity.
However, does this mean that a person should not love their country or belong to their homeland? Certainly not. Loving one’s country is part of faith, but Islam condemns the kind of tribalism that leads to injustice, arrogance, and aggression. Suraqa bin Malik reported that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "The best among you is the one who defends his tribe as long as he does not commit sin" (narrated by Abu Dawood, Al-Tabarani in Al-Saghir, and Al-Bayhaqi in Al-Shu'ab). Wathila bin Al-Asqa' said, "I asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), 'Is it tribalism that a man loves his people?' He said, 'No, rather tribalism is when a man helps his people to do wrong.'"
Islam calls for love of country and dedication to its advancement, reform, and development. However, Islam opposes tribalism that fosters injustice, arrogance, and conflict.
Thus, it becomes clear from the Quranic texts and the purified Sunnah that Islam considers all of humanity as one community, indeed one family. There is no superiority of a white person over a black person or of one race over another. All human beings are equal, and this is one of Islam’s methods for establishing global peace.
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