The document discusses different conceptions of the word "peace" in the Quran, Bible, and other scriptures. It notes that peace is often translated from words meaning submission or surrender, implying the end of rebellion or war against God. True peace comes from submitting to God, while a lack of submission results in chaos and insecurity. The document examines various biblical concepts like sacrifice, covenants, and worship in this light. It aims to reconcile apparent contradictions by viewing peace as the outcome of complete surrender to God's will and judgment.
4. Peace ≠ « Peace of Mind »
● Worship ≠ « Intense feeling of devotion »
● Idolatry (Shirk) ≠ « Having your mind focused on
something other than God »
● Submission ≠ « Saying / Thinking that there is no god but
God »
● Glorifying / Praising ≠ « Thinking that God is great and
raising him up in our mind »
5. Believe AND do good works
● « āmanū waʿamilūl-ṣāliḥāti » in arabic.
● 43 verses with this phrase in the Quran; why ?
● Because of hypocrites.
● Because we are prone to wishful thinking (57:14):
● Wishing to do good not the same as doing good.
● We may be deluded by our « nefs » (12:53)
7. Rachid Taha « Barra Barra »
BARRA BARRA hozd wel boghd ou zawara Sadness, hate and the reign of arbitrary
barra barra fezd wel l'hozd ma b'qa amene Destruction, jealousy; there is no trust left
barra barra l'alach we ness menhoussine Thirst and people are unlucky
barra barra la horma dolm wet ouboudia No honour, but oppression and slavery
barra barra nechfou l'widane helkou b'houratte Rivers were dried up and seas have ruined everything
barra barra noujoum t'fate derguete chems Stars are switched off and the sun went down
barra barra ma b'qa kheir la saada wala z'har There is neither good, nor happiness, nor luck anymore
barra barra ma b'kate sadjra sektou la t'iour There are no trees left and the birds stopped singing
barra barra ma bka lil ka n'har ghir dalma There are neither days, nor nights left, darkness only
barra barra jahanama ma b'ka zine Desolation, Hell; there is no beauty left
barra barra k'tar z'mane ma b'kate horma Time has increased, there is no honour left
barra barra fozd l'harb we dem isil Ruin and war and the blood is flowing
barra barra ghir l'hitane l'hitane waqfine There are only walls left, walls standing up
barra barra l'khaouf wa ness saktine Fear and people remain silent
8. The Bible, Book of Lamentations
1:1 How lonely sits the city that was full of people! 1:1 Eh quoi! elle est assise solitaire, cette ville
How like a widow has she become, si peuplée! Elle est semblable à une veuve!
she who was great among the nations! Grande entre les nations, souveraine parmi les
She who was a princess among the provinces états, Elle est réduite à la servitude!
has become a slave.
1:11 All her people groan 1:11 Tout son peuple soupire, il cherche du
as they search for bread; pain; Ils ont donné leurs choses précieuses
they trade their treasures for food pour de la nourriture, Afin de ranimer leur vie.
to revive their strength. -Vois, Éternel, regarde comme je suis avilie!
“Look, O Lord, and see, for I am despised.”
2:21 In the dust of the streets lie the young and the old; 2:21 Les enfants et les vieillards sont couchés
my young women and my young men par terre dans les rues; Mes vierges et mes
have fallen by the sword; jeunes hommes sont tombés par l'épée; Tu as
you have killed them in the day of your anger, tué, au jour de ta colère, Tu as égorgé sans
slaughtering without pity. pitié.
9. The Bible, Book of Lamentations (II)
4:1 How the gold has grown dim, 4:1 Eh quoi! l'or a perdu son éclat! L'or pur
how the pure gold is changed! est altéré! Les pierres du sanctuaire sont
The holy stones lie scattered dispersées Aux coins de toutes les rues!
at the head of every street.
4:9 Happier were the victims of the sword 4:9 Ceux qui périssent par l'épée sont plus
than the victims of hunger, heureux Que ceux qui périssent par la faim,
who wasted away, pierced Qui tombent exténués, Privés du fruit des
by lack of the fruits of the field. champs.
4:10 The hands of compassionate women 4:10 Les femmes, malgré leur tendresse, Font
have boiled their own children; cuire leurs enfants; Ils leur servent de
they became their food nourriture, Au milieu du désastre de la fille de
during the destruction of the daughter of my people. mon peuple.
10. Quran
22:45 Many a community we have annihilated because 22:45 Que de cités Nous avons anéanties en punition de leurs
of their wickedness. They ended up in ruins, stilled péchés, et dont il ne reste plus que de vagues vestiges: là, un
wells, and great empty mansions. puits comblé ; et là, un château puissamment édifié,
aujourd‟hui totalement abandonné!
28:58 Many a community we annihilated for turning 28:58 Combien de cités, dont les habitants vivaient dans
unappreciative of their lives. Consequently, here are l‟opulence, n‟avons-Nous pas anéanties pour leur
their homes, nothing but uninhabited ruins after them, ingratitude? Voyez leurs demeures, devenues presque
except a few. We were the inheritors. désertes, après leur mort. Et c‟est Nous qui en fûmes
l‟Héritier suprême.
16:112 GOD cites the example of a community [= city] 16:112 Et Dieu propose en parabole une ville : elle était en
that used to be secure and prosperous, with provisions sécurité, tranquille; sa part de nourriture lui venait de
coming to it from everywhere. But then, it turned partout en abondance. Puis elle se montra ingrate aux
unappreciative of GOD's blessings. Consequently, bienfaits de Dieu. Dieu lui fit alors goûter la violence de la
GOD caused them to taste the hardships of starvation faim et de la peur [en punition] de ce qu'ils faisaient.
and insecurity. Such is the requital for what they did.
14. Hebrew / Latin
Meaning Latin Word English Word
absence of chaos /
PAX « peace »
insecurity
contract PACTUM « pact »
to pay PACARE « pay »
(medieval)
15. Original meaning
● Latin : Proto Ido-European *pak- « fasten, link, attach »
● Semitic : *slm, « sound, whole, uninjured »
16. « Peace » as « to pay »
● Exodus 22:7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep,
and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
● Quran 2:233 Divorced mothers shall nurse their infants two full years, if the
father so wishes. The father shall provide the mother's food and clothing
equitably. No one shall be burdened beyond his ability. No mother shall be
harmed on account of her infant, nor shall the father be harmed because of his
infant. (If the father dies), his inheritor shall assume these responsibilities. If the
infant's parents mutually agree to part, after due consultation, they commit no
error by doing so. You commit no error by hiring nursing mothers, so long as
you pay them equitably. You shall observe GOD, and know that GOD is Seer of
everything you do.
17. Idea of a sacrifice to « appease » God
● Gen 22:7 Ram substituted for Isaac as « burnt offering ».
● Exo 20:22-24 « burnt offerings » and « peace offerings »
● « peace offering » = , shelem
● Quran 5:97 GOD has appointed the Ka`bah, the Sacred
Masjid, to be a sanctuary for the people, and also the Sacred
Months, the offerings (to the Sacred Masjid), and the garlands
marking them. You should know that GOD knows everything in
the heavens and the earth, and that GOD is Omniscient.
18. Yet God says « Your offerings I did not desire »
● Ps 40:6 In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me
an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.
● Hos 6:6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God
rather than burnt offerings.
● Ps 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
● Quran 29:6 Those who strive, strive for their own good. GOD is in no need of
anyone.
● Quran 35:15 O people, you are the ones who need GOD, while GOD is in no
need for anyone, the Most Praiseworthy.
19. « Peace » as « Contract »
● Ps 7:4 … if I have repaid my ally with evil or plundered my enemy without
cause, 5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
● Gen 9:11 I establish my covenant with you [Noah], that never again shall all
flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood
to destroy the earth.
● Gen 17:4 Behold, my covenant is with you [Abraham], and you shall be the
father of a multitude of nations.
● Quran 2:63 We made a covenant with you [Moses], as we raised Mount Sinai
above you: "You shall uphold what we have given you strongly, and remember its
contents, that you may be saved."
20. Yet, transgressors excluded from covenant
● Matt 3:9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, „We have
Abraham as our father,‟ for I tell you, God is able from these
stones to raise up children for Abraham.
● Quran 2:124 Recall that Abraham was put to the test by his
Lord, through certain commands, and he fulfilled them. (God)
said, "I am appointing you an imam for the people." He said,
"And also my descendants?" He said, "My covenant does not
include the transgressors."
21. Contradiction ?
● God orders sacrifices to be made in His honour then says
« offerings I did not desire ».
● God speaks of a « covenant » but then says transgessors are
excluded. And he is the only judge of who is a transgressor.
What is the meaning of this ?
22. « Peace » in Arabic: « Submission »
● Quran 2:131 When his Lord said to him [Abraham],
"Submit," he said, "I submit to the Lord of the universe."
● Out of 141 occurrences of the root “SLM” in the Quran, 79
are of words expressing the idea of “submission”.
What does “submission” mean ?
23. « Submission » = « Surrender »
● SLM words sometimes translated as « Surrender »
What is « surrender » ?
● Example of Vercingetorix surrendering to Caesar.
● Surrender is humiliation (ego crushing).
● The consequence of surrender is captivity (slavery).
24. « Submission » = « Surrender »
● Quran 1:5 iyyāka naʿbuduwa-iyyāka nastaʿīnu
● Root of “naʿbudu = “abad” = “slave”
”
● Quran 2:54 Recall that Moses said to his people, "O my people, you have
wronged your souls by worshipping the calf. You must repent to your Creator.
You shall kill your egos. This is better for you in the sight of your Creator." He
did redeem you. He is the Redeemer, Most Merciful.
● Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to
grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he
shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
25. Peace Submission
no Submission no Peace
● Opposite of « Submission » is « Rebellion »
● If we rebel against God, we are at war with Him.
→ We lose.
● Being at war with God means being at war with everybody
because God controls everything.
→ Chaos, insecurity, etc.
26. Practising Submission
● Giving freely of our time and money for God’s work
… as if we were trying to appease a dangerous monster.
● Trying anxiously to follow God’s commands
… as if we were trying to fullfill an all-important contract.
● Feeling meek and crushed in spirit
… as if we were vanquished slaves who had just surrendered to a
victorious conqueror.
