Life-of-Muhammad

108Life of Muhammad saChristian ideals. The power which wins is canonized asthe true Christian power. It is true, however, that fromthe time of Jesus as to our time, Christendom has beeninvolved—and indications are that it will continue toremain involved—in war. The practical verdict of theChristian peoples, therefore, is that war is the realteaching of the New Testament, and that turning theother cheek was either an opportunist teaching dictatedby the helplessness of early Christians, or it is meant toapply only to individuals, not to States and peoples.Secondly, even if we assume that Jesus as taughtpeace and not war, it does not follow that those who donot act upon this teaching are not holy and honoured.For Christendom has ever revered exponents of warsuch as Moses as , Joshua as and David as . Not only this,the Church itself has canonized national heroes whosuffered in wars. They were made saints by the Popes.THE QUR’AN ON WAR AND PEACEThe teaching of Islam is different from both theseteachings. It strikes a mean between the two. Islam doesnot teach aggression as did Moses as . Nor does it, likepresent-day (and presumably corrupt) Christianity,preach a contradiction. It does not ask us to turn theother cheek and at the same time to sell our clothes tobuy a sword. The teaching of Islam fits into the naturalinstincts of man, and promotes peace in the onlypossible way.Islam forbids aggression, but it urges us to fight iffailure to fight jeopardizes peace and promotes war. Iffailure to fight means the extirpation of free belief and ofthe search of truth, it is our duty to fight. This is theteaching on which peace can ultimately be built, andthis is the teaching on which the Prophet sa based hisown policies and his practice. The Prophet sa sufferedcontinuously and consistently at Mecca but did not fightthe aggression of which he was an innocent victim.