ISJS Transactions 2018 07 To 09 Vol 02 No 03

Author(s): International School for Jain Studies
Publisher: International School for Jain Studies

Page 23

An interesting example of the legacy of non-violence in Islam is that of Abdul Ghaffar Khan (nicknamed Bacha Khan), a dear friend of Gandhi and a Pashtun Muslim. Inspired by ahimsic principles, Khan founded a nonviolent resistance organization for Muslims called the Khudai Khidmatagāra ("Servants of God'). He told his more than 100,000 followers, "I am going to give you such a weapon that the police and the army will not be able to stand against it. It is the weapon of the Prophet, but you are not aware of it. That weapon is patience and righteousness. No power on earth can stand against it."! Inspired by the Indian National
16 ISJS-Transactions, Vol.2, No.3, Jul-Sep, 2018
Congress and the charismatic spiritual-political leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, The Servants of God organization blossomed during the non-violent civil disobedience movement and were essential to the Mahatma's early efforts to oppose the British Raj in India with a nonviolent, multi-faith, unified front.18
In contemporary culture, the Arabic word "Jihad" is often understood as "holy war,' but in a purely linguistic sense, the word translates as 'struggle.' Amongst many Islamic scholars and practitioners, it is often divided into the lesser Jihad and the greater Jihad. The lesser Jihad reflects the context of physical fighting, yet is seen as inferior to the greater Jihad, which has been defined by the Prophet Muhammad as 'jihad an-nafs' (the war against the soul): the inner struggle or unremitting combat against inner voices and the devil within." Unfortunately, the superiority of greater Jihad over lesser Jihad seems to have been forgotten or discarded by the fanatical terrorist cells who have twisted the message of Islam for their own agendas.
Like Christianity, non-violence in Islam is mostly limited to inter-human relationships. However, some consideration has been provided to the animal kingdom. One verse in the Quran tells the story of the Prophet Solomon marching with his army: in devotion, he thanked God for the faculty to appreciate nature and ordered his soldiers to avoid harming any of the small ant upon the ground.
With regards to animal cruelty in eating habits, one purpose of slaughtering meat in the Islamic 'dhabiha' manner is to minimize the animal's suffering as much as possible. According to his studies at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Professor Wilhelm Schulze concluded that the Islamic way of slaughtering is the most humane method of slaughter. However, in recent studies, brain signals have shown that calves do appear to feel significant pain when slaughtered according to Muslim religious law..."
Vedic Traditions and Non-violence
In the ancient philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent, there are two main groupings: those who uphold the authority of the ancient wisdom teachings called the Vedas (the Vedic traditions) and those who do not uphold the authority of the Vedas (the Sramaņic traditions). The Vedic traditions, often called the Orthodox schools of Hinduism, consist of six major schools of thought: namely Sāmkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiseșika, Pūrva Mimāṁsā and Vedānta. These six schools all uphold that the Vedas are a valid source of knowledge, that atmā/brahma (the single spiritual reality) exist, and that life after death does exist. In spite of their differences, the Vedic and Sramanic traditions share many of the same concepts, such as dharma, karma and reincarnation, samsāra and duhkha (suffering), renunciation and Liberation, and importantly, a set of basic moral pre-requisites for practicing religion.