Islam and Human Rights — Page 94
Isl am and Hum an R ights 94 mar insisted that the arrangement must be adhered to. Thus they arrived in Jerusalem, where the notables and the population were assembled to welcome the great Khalifah, and saw the Khalifah leading the solitary camel ridden by his “slave”! 49 It will thus be seen that Islam aimed at the elimination of slavery and bondage, and instituted regulations and means towards the achievement of that purpose. With the firm establishment of freedom of conscience for everybody the major source of conflict would be removed, and war, which Islam regards as an abnormal and destructive activity, to which recourse should be had only in the last resort, would be abolished. The Quran describes war as a con flagration, and declares that it is God’s purpose to put out such a conflagration whenever it erupts. “Whenever they kindle a fire for war, Allah extinguishes it. They strive to create disorder in the earth, and Allah loves not those who create disorder” (5:65). With the abolition of war the only source of such bondage as Islam countenanced would be come obsolete and even that mild form of bondage would disappear. History took a different course. To that we shall 49 Prof. Abdul Qadir, History of Islam, Vol. I.