War, it must be understood, is completely undesirable as far as Islam is concerned. Just as trade can prosper only in a climate of peace and moderation, so is the case with Islam. In this regard, a hadith contained in the Sahih al-Bukhari advises believers not to desire confrontation with their enemies. Rather, they should seek peace from God. (Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith No. 2966; Sahih Musli, Hadith No. 1742) War is often fought for the sake of acquiring political power. However, in Islam political power is not something for which war should be resorted to. The Quran observes that men of faith need not make the possession of power and dominance their target, for these are actually blessings of God, conferred upon deserving believers as a reward for their faith and good deeds. Thus, the Quran states: God has promised to those among you who believe and do good works that He will surely grant them power in the land as He granted to those who were before them. (24:55)
According to the Quran, God is the Ultimate Power. It is He who gives political power to whoever He wills among human beings. Likewise, He it is who takes it away from whomever He wills. This is why the holders of power keep changing. The Quran says: Say, “Lord, sovereign of all sovereignty. You bestow sovereignty on whom you will and take it away from whom You please; You exalt whoever You will and abase whoever You will. All that is good lies in Your hands. You have the power to will anything.” (3:26)
This Quranic truth can be expressed in a different way, as follows: Acquiring and losing political power are both governed by the law of nature. It is not that a group gets political power because of its own efforts. Nor, too, can a group lose its political power because of the conspiracy of others.
