Prospects and Dimensions of Conflict Resolution

Programs in the Islamic Context

Amr Abdalla (professor and vice rector, University for Peace, San Jose, Costa
Rica) visited the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) on February
1, 2013, to discuss the challenges of conflict resolution and peace that has
caught the attention of so many Muslim and non-Muslim scholars and poli-
cymakers for several decades. As the Muslim world remains plagued with vi-
olent confrontations between states and non-state actors, regional and national
sectarian conflicts, and domestic conflicts with gender and family elements,
such a discussion is very timely.

The outbreak of the Arab Spring, which has resulted in several Islamist
groups taking power, has raised various questions: Why is it important to talk

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about conflict resolution and peace building in an Islamic context? How can
the theoretical be combined with the practical? How does Islam fit into the
demonstrations that occurred during the Arab Spring as well as into moder-
nity? This is, according to Abdalla, the first opportunity that contemporary
Muslims have had to answer these questions for themselves.

Abdalla pointed out several issues that have been problematical for
Muslims. Among them are the fact that fiqh, which is human scholarship as
opposed to revelation, has become overly legalistic and that different cul-
tures have influenced the perception of Islam. To illustrate the second issue,
he spent quite a bit of time on how Qur’an 12:20 (S´rah Y´suf) has affected
women: “And when [her husband] saw that his [Yusuf’s] tunic was torn
from behind, he said: ‘Behold, this is [an instance] of your guile [kay-
dikunna], O womankind! Verily, awesome is your guile [kaydakunna]!’”
According to him, many Muslims believe that kaydakunna is actually kay-
dakum and thus apply the verse to all women for all time, instead of to just
those women who were present.

He then launched into an analysis of conflict based upon Q. 2:190: “And
fight in God’s cause against those who wage war against you, but do not com-
mit aggression, for verily God does not love aggressors.” Out of this verse he
extracted four elements that deal with conflict: the situation/condition, the rul-
ing, the manner by which the Muslim is to fight, and accountability. He said
the scholars and their works traditionally focused on the ruling and largely ig-
nored the manner in which the Muslim was to fight.

Following this he shifted to the domestic sphere. Citing Qur’an 2:226-
42, he remarked that all but two of these verses related to divorce, family
disputes, custody, alimony, and similar matters. Right in the middle, Q. 2:238,
which calls upon Muslims to maintain their mid-day prayer, indicates that
they should calm down, step back, take a prayer break, and then reengage
with the other party.

In the case of divorce, he asked the audience how the principles of ma‘r´f
and iú§Œn should be defined. Claiming that scholars did not pay enough at-
tention to these terms, he presented his own definition: Iú§Œn means “highest
respect, dignity,” while ma‘r´f means “shared knowledge that has become a
traditional practice” or, in other words, “how you share kindness.” The issue
then becomes how one is going to act upon these concepts and thereby avoid
escalating the matter. While classical scholars called upon Muslims to obey
the rulings, Abdalla says that we need to exercise self-control so that we can
deal respectfully with everyone involved in order to achieve the best result
possible. 

Conference, Symposium, and Panel Reports 151



He then listed four levels of conflict: value parameters (“red lines,” such
as no alcohol, adultery, and gambling), juristic matters (e.g., inheritance, di-
vorce, custody, and other fiqh¥ issues), cultural issues (e.g., confusing culture
with religion, such as forced arranged marriages), and needs and interests (that
which has no specific religious ruling and so is open to negotiation and me-
diation). As this last category is the largest area of conflict, the involved parties
need to stop saying “we have our own way” and remain open to all of the rel-
evant literature and scholarship. While there are certain issues on which one
does not comprise, no group has the right to force its views upon another.

He closed with several points: (1) realizing that peace and conflict reso-
lution are universal (as opposed to “Islamic”) concepts can help Muslims be-
come more effective because they cannot reject others; (2) studying how
modern scholarship on peace and conflict resolution approaches can be of
some help; and (3) existing cultural variations on peace and conflict resolution
approaches mean that there is no one “correct” way and that mutual under-
standing is necessary.

However, he pointed out that Islam’s emphasis on community, family,
and adherence to the “way of Allah” dictates that its models of conflict reso-
lution and peacemaking respond to such values. Thus the models formulated
by Muslims will depart, to one degree or another, from the dominant models
found in the West, all of which have a strong interest-based and individualistic
underpinning.

Several issues were discussed during the question and answer session:
the meaning of “prepare your horses” (the importance of context); “God will
tell you the truth of your dispute” (Q. 31:15; creates a space for coexistence);
values change because of material development (“red-lines” can change); is-
sues must be analyzed from an Islamic perspectives so that they can be made
applicable today; and the entire context of the conflict must be analyzed (viz.,
what were the viewpoints and the lessons learned?), because legalism cannot
produce this type of knowledge.

In conclusion, twenty-first-century Islamic scholarship must recognize
the shortcomings of existing scholarship due to its historical and cultural lim-
itations. As such, models of conflict resolution and peacemaking in an Islamic
context must represent the strong adherence and attachment to Islamic prin-
ciples and the maqŒ§id al-shar¥‘ah without reinforcing history- and culture-
specific models.

Jay Willoughby
AJISS

Herndon, VA

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