‘Be inclined to peace!’ An ethics of peacemaking and non-violent conflict resolution in the Islamic milieu

Peace ( salm/silm/salam ) and peacemaking ( sulh ) are essential concepts within the foundational texts of Islam. In these texts, peace is idealized as the state that governs the life of the faithful and defines their relationship with the Creator and His creation. Particularly within the worldview of the Qur’an (the central scripture of Islam, which Muslims believe to be directly revealed by God), peace is the ultimate desideratum, the achievement of which is the noblest and loftiest objective of human striving and existence on earth. This article provides an overview of the contents of these foundational texts and discusses two significant concepts – human stewardship of the earth and justice tempered by mercy – the adoption of which leads to positive peace that addresses the root causes of structural violence and conflict.