Zaid Shakir

Indeed, We have given you, a clear victory. (Surah al-Fath, 48:1) As current events continue to perpetuate the idea that Islam and violence are inseparable, and pundits reinforce a narrative that the Qur’an enjoins on its followers an endless cycle of violence, what is a myth and what is a reality? Is armed conflict and compulsion essential to the Islamic world-view, or are other responses legitimate and more praiseworthy? The Treaty of Hudaybiyah, most notably, was considered initially by contemporaries of the Messenger of God to be inequitable and a humiliation, yet the Qur’an described it as an emphatic victory. Does this mean that peace should be made even when full justice has not been achieved? How do we balance the requirements of justice with the desire for peace? Is there a greater spiritual wisdom and practical methodology to glean from the Treaty that modern Muslims have yet to recognise?