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Peace is a key word in Islam. Of the beautiful names of our Creator is the name Peace, Heaven is called the Home of Peace, our greeting to one another is ‘peace be upon you’.
Without peace, there can be no accomplishment – it is a prerequisite of any meaningful or beneficial activity.
Peace is akin to happiness – true lasting and deep happiness.
In this life we strive to attain and work hard to maintain the sense of peace and tranquility in our hearts. Much happens on a daily basis to disturb the waters of our heart, but we must not allow it to diminish the purity, transparency or calm of it, for a serene heart is our most important asset. With it we are able to truly benefit from our prayer, with it we come closer to attaining the meanings of Quran and with it we are able to stay tuned in to our Creator throughout the turmoil of our lives.
This is why as Muslims we strive, sacrifice and forgo much to retain peace in our hearts, in our lives, and all around us. There is a relationship more important than all others, that with our Lord, that justifies such focus and concentration on the tranquility of our feelings and thoughts.
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Heaven is the Home of Peace and in it is peace and its greeting is peace and they hear peace and their Lord says, peace:
سَلامٌ قَوْلاً مِّن رَّبٍّ رَّحِيمٍ
Peace! the words of a Merciful Lord {Yaseen:58}
وَاللهُ يَدْعُو إِلَىٰ دَارِ السَّلامِ وَيَهْدِي مَن يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
And Allah invites to the Home of Peace and guides whom He wills to a straight path {Yunus:25}
تَحِيَّتُهُمْ يَوْمَ يَلْقَوْنَهُ سَلامٌ
Their greeting the Day they meet Him will be, “Peace.” {Al-Ahzab:44}
لا يَسْمَعُونَ فِيهَا لَغْوًا وَلا تَأْثِيمًا. إِلا قِيلاً سَلامًا سَلامًا
They do not hear therein vain or sinful talk … only peace, peace {Waqi’ah:25-26}
ادْخُلُوهَا بِسَلامٍ آمِنِينَ
[Having been told], “Enter it in peace, safe [and secure].”{Al-Hijr:46}
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Peace is the response of the pious to the ignorant:
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الأرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا
خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلامًا
And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace. {Furqan:63}
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A sound heart is vital on the day no wealth or children will benefit you:
إِلا مَنْ أَتَى اللهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart {Shu’ara’:89}
The man the Prophet (s) said was of the people of Heaven attributed it to the fact that he sleeps “with no ill or grudge in his heart toward anyone.”
أبات وليس في قلبي غل على أحد
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The greeting of peace breeds love amongst the members of a community:
ألا أخبركم بشيء إذا فعلتموه تحاببتم: أفشوا السلام بينكم
“Shall I not tell you of something if you were to do it would cause you to love one another? Spread the greeting of peace amongst you.”
The Prophet (saw) used to make this dua after prayer:
عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ قَالَ ” كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا انْصَرَفَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ اسْتَغْفَرَ ثَلَاثًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ السَّلَامُ وَمِنْكَ السَّلَامُ تَبَارَكْتَ ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَام.”
“Allahuma You are Peace and from You comes peace and to You returns peace, blessed and glorified are You, Oh Revered and Generous One.”