This document discusses contemporary Muslim theologians who argue for non-violence based on Islamic theology. It outlines several approaches Muslim theologians take to justify non-violence, including using spiritual, juridical, and historical arguments from the Quran, hadith and Islamic history. It profiles several prominent Muslim theologians of non-violence such as Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Muhammad Mahmoud Taha, Wahiduddin Khan, and Chaiwat Satha-Anand, and summarizes their key theological approaches and arguments for non-violence based on an Islamic framework. In conclusion, it notes both the promises and challenges of Islamic theologies of non-violence.

1. Contemporary Muslim
Theologians of Non-Violence
Marcia Hermansen
Loyola University Chicago

2. Why?
Is religion the cause of or the solution to
violence?
• “Sociological” proof—at least some
Muslims interpret the Islamic tradition as
non-violent-how do they argue this?
How does this topic illustrate recent Islamic
“theology”?

3. Non-Violence and Islam
• Categories of Non-Violence
– Just war (limited, strategic non-violence
possible)
– Islamic Approaches to Conflict Resolution
– Muslim Advocates/Activists for Peace
– Muslim Pacifists-principled non-violence

4. Who is a Muslim Theologian?
• Sources-use of religious texts, Qur’an,
hadith, legal tradition
• What is Islamic “theology”?
• Authority?
• New topics, revival, new institutional contexts
in Europe and “Muslim” societies

5. Muslim Theological Approaches
to Non-Violence
• Theological/Spiritual/Metaphysical
– Nature of Allah, universe, human being
• Juristic
– Concept of Dar al-salam, rules of jihad
• Historical-sunna (Prophet Muhammad’s
example) and sira (his bio), examples of
peaceful co-existence in Muslim history

6. Theological/Spiritual/Metaphysical
• Al-Salam (“Peace”) as one of the Divine Names
(Q 59:23)
• Allah’s mercy (Rahma) encompasses all 7:156
• “jamal” beauty as a principle (divine names,
hadith)
• Sakina (tranquility as a principle)48:4
• Human nature—Fitra (normalcy)

7. Juridical
• Dar al-salam— The “Abode of Peace” as
an ideal
• Jihad as a category (defensive, necessary
for stability and order)—limited, rules of
engagement—to limit violence—not “holy
war”

8. The “Inner” Jihad

9. Revisioning Jihad

10. Historical Examples of Non-
Violence
• Sunna and sira--biography of Prophet
Muhammad as advocating mercy “a mercy
to the worlds”, accommodation,
forgiveness—the surrender of Mecca
• Islamic history—examples of peaceful co-
existence

11. Contemporary Figures
• Khan Abdul Ghaffar “Badshah” Khan d. 1988
• Muhammad Mahmoud Taha d. 1985
• Wahiduddin Khan
• Said Jawdat
• Chaiwat Satha-Anand
• Muhammad Nimer
• Rabia Harris
• Activists, Academics, Theologians

12. “Badshah” Khan--South Asia

13. Khan ‘Abd al-Ghaffur “Badshah”
Khan
• Gandhian, 1930s/40s-spends 1/3 of life in jail
• Philosophy of Amal (action), yaqin (certainty),
muhabbat (love)
• “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.”

14. Mohammad Mahmoud Taha-
Sudan

15. Theological Moves
• Second Message of Islam
• Meccan vs. Medinan Chapters of the
Qur’an—new concept of abrogation
(naskh)—Meccan are more timeless and
universal, Medinan ones are contextual
• Advocates Pluralism and Equality
• Sufi influence

16. Wahiduddin Khan--India

17. Wahiduddin Khan’s Approach
• Islam as a religion seeks to cultivate a “moral”
rather than a political ethos (Omar, 161)
• Jihad as purely spiritual—bi-n-nafs (inner jihad)
• Historical examples--Muhammad tried to avoid
war by negotiation and making settlements
• Al-sulhu (reconciliation) is best (khayrun) (not
battle)

18. Wahiduddin Khan
• Patience and gentleness as quranic concepts
• Themes-- normalcy, peaceful Da’wa
• Against public protests and rallies (critique of
Gandhi) , encourages inner moral transformation
• Critique of contemporary Muslim attitudes and
behaviors—need for Muslim self-criticism

19. Wahiduddin Khan
• Criticism of contemporary Muslim positions:
–Muslims as “witnesses”
–No supremacism/triumphalism
–al-hukm b’illah (“the mandate/rulership
is God’s”)—should be taken in a
metaphysical, not political sense
–End glamorization of khilafa (the
caliphate)
–Muslims need to reconcile with the
present (Kashmir/Palestine)

20. Chaiwat Satha-Anand (Qader
Muheideen) Thailand

21. Chaiwat Satha-Anand
• Thai Muslim political scientist
• Book: Islam and Non-Violence
• Eight Theses on Muslim Nonviolent
Actions

22. Chaiwat Satha-Anand
1. For Islam, the problem of violence is an integral
part of the Islamic moral sphere.
2. Violence, if any, used by Muslims must be
governed by rules prescribed in the Qur‘an and
Hadith.
3. If violence used cannot discriminate between
combatants and noncombatants, then it is
unacceptable in Islam.
4. Modern technology of destruction renders
discrimination virtually impossible at present.

23. Chaiwat Satha-Anand
5. In the modern world, Muslims
cannot use violence.
6. Islam teaches Muslims to fight for justice with the
understanding that human lives—as all parts of God’s
creation—are purposive and sacred.
7. In order to be true to Islam, Muslims must utilize
nonviolent action as a new mode of struggle.
8. Islam itself is fertile soil for nonviolence because of its
potential for disobedience, strong discipline, sharing and
social responsibility, perseverance and self-sacrifice, and
the belief in the unity of the Muslim community and the
oneness of mankind

24. Jawdat Said--Syria

25. Jawdat Said
• Syrian scholar
• The Doctrine of the First Son of Adam:
The Problem of Violence in the Islamic
World (1966) + 11 more books
• Abel as a model of the non-violent path
• The story of Adam and the angels=
science over bloodshed

26. Jawdat Said
• Influenced by other Muslim thinkers, Iqbal,
Shari’ati, Muhammad Arkoun
• Importance of freedom of belief
• Violence is allowed against a society that
kills or exiles people because of their
ideas

27. Mohammad Abu Nimer-USA

28. Islam and Non-violence
• Palestinian American peace builder and theorist
• Emphasizes the pursuit of justice in the building of
Islam. As divinely ordained in the Qur'an, (the holy book
for Muslims), all Muslims have a duty to struggle to
remove injustice and bring justice in the different aspects
of their lives. Active “civic jihad” rather than negative—lā
‘unf
• Social empowerment by doing good, both to oneself
and to one's fellow humans.
• Islamic Ummah-the unity of all Muslims, to eliminate
intra-Musim violence.

29. Rabia Terri Harris
. (Muslim Peace Fellowship USA)

30. Rabia Terri Harris
• The Arabic term for nonviolence as a life
decision is islam.
• The Arabic term for nonviolence as a
method is jihad.
• The Arabic term for the principle
underlying both aspects of nonviolence is
tawhid, the affirmation of the unity of God

31. Conclusions
• Promises and Challenges of Islamic
Theologies of Non-Violence
– Hopefulness
– Internal critique
– Clearly a “modern” approach, and thus shares
strategies with Islamic liberalism, pluralism,
feminism, etc.

32. Strategies of Islamic Liberals
(Kurzman)
• Liberal shari’a—argue within shari’a
norms
• Silent shari’a-carve out new areas
• Interpreted shari’a-denies that orthodoxy
ever had the ‘final’ say

33. “New” Islamic Theologies of
Non-Violence
(Previous examples were 1990s or earlier)
• 1. Non-violence is broadened to include
issues of gender justice, domestic
violence, psychological roots, etc.
• 2) approach becomes more global,
considers private and public aspects
• 3) Muslim theologians come into deeper
conversation with philosophy, comparative
and critical thought

34. THE CHOICE AHEAD?
Book by Ali Asghar Engineer (pro-Isis blog Ansarukhalifa)