4.4.1. Mercy-Centered Theology

*Al-Rah. man¯* , which means fullness of Mercy and Love, is the only divine Name to have the same value as the proper Name *Allah¯* , God, which indicates the divine Mystery:

Say, call Him God, or call Him the Merciful (*al-Rah. man¯* ). Whichever name you use, to Him belong the Best Names". (Q 17, 110)

*Al-Rah. man¯* coincides with another Name with the same root, *al-Rah.¯ım*, the Clement, the Merciful. Both derive from *r.h. .m*, from which also derives *rah. im*, maternal womb. The *basmala*, or the Qur" anic formula ¯ *b-ism Allah al-Ra ¯ h. man al-Ra ¯ h.¯ım*, often translated as in the Name of God the Clement and the Merciful, is repeated 114 times in the Qur" an. ¯ <sup>22</sup> *Rah. ma* is divine Love concretely expressed and realized and fulfilled in creation.<sup>23</sup> Mercy is not only the Truth of the divine Being but also His absolute commitment, as this verse indicates:

He has inscribed for Himself Mercy. (Q 6, 12)

It is the only time we find this expression in the Qur"an as the only divine commitment. ¯ That means that the truth and the end of every creation is Mercy. Mercy is unquestionably at the heart of divine ethics, the criterion for understanding the divine Will in all its forms and manifestations. Consequently, the unique *raison d'être* of Muh. ammad's mission is to convey divine Mercy everywhere:

[O Muh. ammad] We did not send you except as Mercy towards all the worlds. (Q 21, 107)

The meaning and purpose of Muh. ammad's mission is Mercy. It is the central value around which the other values are ordered. Under these conditions, one cannot espouse extremist attitudes that adopt the theory of the "sword verse", *ayat al-sayf ¯* , mentioned above.

#### 4.4.2. No Compulsion in Religion

We do not find the word "non-violence" in the Qur" an. Instead, we see the expression ¯ "no compulsion":

There is no compulsion in religion. *Rušd* (good sense, good judgment, correctness, rectitude, wisdom, maturity) stands out clearly from *gayy ˙* (misguidedness, delusion, error). Whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things. (Q 2, 256)

Non-compulsion is more radical than non-violence. It rejects even psychological violence, a hidden one that does not shed blood or leave bruises. Yet it still leads to physical violence by preparing the conditions for it. The verse "No Compulsion in Religion" is not only a fundamental moral principle but is also a definition of religion. Religion cannot be combined with coercion, which ranges from violence by hand and weapons to violence by words and gestures, extending to silence and neglect. Non-compulsion is a categorical rejection of all forms of violence, purification of religion from all impurities that would question or diminish human free choice. Embracing or leaving a religion,<sup>24</sup> practicing or abandoning it, are all possible options for a person as long as he or she is free and responsible. Anyone who thinks that an external authority (a state or law) can make a good believer is wrong. Coercion only creates hypocrites or those fearfully oppressed. Coercion is a psychological terror that enslaves and does not liberate, is anti-religious and contrary to the essence of belief.

The same verse states the reasons for non-compulsion: "*rušd* (truth, rectitude, wisdom) stands out clearly from *gayy ˙* (error, ignorance)". This clear distinction can be understood on two levels: the verse affirms the dynamism and autonomy of truth on the intellectual level. Its beauty and authority are enough to move and persuade. It does not need violence, even when it is subtle and hidden. The truth shines like a light in the dark. It does not require a protector or guardian. It runs through peoples and cultures, strong in itself and not because of others, dispensing goodness, beauty and freedom. It uses people, and people do not use it. As far as the practical level is concerned, coercion is oppression and injustice, which are incompatible with reason and wisdom. Non-compulsive religion is nonviolence par excellence.

#### *4.5. Narrative Theology*

The Qur"anic narratives are essential for the theology of nonviolence. The story of ¯ the creation of the human being, as in (Q 2, 30–33), the rebellion of Satan, (Q 38, 71–78), and many others, are rich in elements of spiritual anthropology and theology. These stories confirm and develop the nonviolent principles of divine and human mercy and non-compulsion; however, the most nonviolent passage in the Qur" an is the one that ¯ describes the first crime on Earth, the prototype of bloody violence. The protagonists remain anonymous, called "Adam's two sons". We are all the children of Adam, *banu¯ Adam ¯* :

[Prophet], tell them the truth about the story of Adam's two sons: each of them offered a sacrifice, and it was accepted from one and not the other. One said, "I will kill you", but the other said, "God only accepts the sacrifice of those who are mindful of Him. If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you. I fear God, the Lord of all worlds, and I would rather you were burdened with my sins as well as yours and became an inhabitant of the Fire, such is the evildoers' reward". But his soul prompted him to kill his brother: he killed him and became one of the losers. God sent a raven to scratch up the ground and show him how to cover his brother's corpse and he said, "Woe is me! Could I not have been like this raven and covered up my brother's body?" He became remorseful. On account of [his deed], We decreed to the Children of Israel that if anyone kills a person– unless in retribution for murder or for spreading corruption in the land– it is as if he kills all mankind, while if any saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind. (Q 5, 27–32)

The human desires and contradictions are manifest in this scene. Yet, strangely enough, Satan is absent. *Al-qurban¯* , the sacrifice, comes from the verb *qarraba* that means to come closer. Therefore, *qurban¯* , which implies an act of coming closer to God, has become the symbol of discord, sin and distance from God. It has become the reason for jealousy, violence and homicide. It is a metaphor for religion, which is supposed to lead to God, but instead, in former as well as in contemporary times, it is often used to justify war and religious jealousy.

The key phrase: "If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you", missing in the Bible, means the rejection and condemnation of violence. This sentence could serve as the theological basis for an Islamic theology of nonviolence.<sup>25</sup> Nonviolence does not mean assuming a lax attitude or a weak acceptance of destiny and violence. On the contrary, it is a courageous choice, which bears its fruits in the repentance of the aggressor. The story of the repentant man begins with man's return to the tenderness of nature, when he notices the raven. Man's violence is an imbalance in cosmic harmony, and repentance returns to the initial state of peace and harmony. Violence is blind, but repentance and the return towards God result in a new cosmic awareness. When man reopens his eyes to discover the signs of God, they will indicate the way to peace.

In this story, there are two essential elements: the refusal of the victim to imitate the aggressor, then the imitation of the killer of the innocent victim, who transforms the aggressor. The cure for violence, in this vision, is to cut the chain of reactions of mimetic violence, in Girardian terms, by creating an alternative mimetic model of peace.

The sacrifice of Abraham, (Q 37, 102–113), another important story as far as nonviolence is concerned, can be considered a hermeneutical key: the divine command appears to be one of violence, but the true divine intention is life and peace. To reach this deep understanding, we must sacrifice our egos. The first understanding of Abraham was *iblita¯* " , a trial. It is a trial and test to think that God can ask for such an extreme violence as killing our children. The culture of that time accepted it as a "possible" sacrifice. The decisive step that needs to be taken is the awareness of God's peaceful plan. There are not two divine contradictory and separate orders: kill–do not kill. They are, instead, just one order of peace and mercy that only the pure heart can grasp by overcoming appearance. This purification and liberation are realized by eliminating attachment and dispersive desires, an act of *tawh.¯ıd* that unifies human desires in the divine desire. The ego constitutes a veil when reading the Word of God, being the source of violence and disorder.

At the methodological level, the Mystical reading of the Qur"anic narratives ¯ *interiorizes* the meaning, searching for the inner significance concerning our lives. The stories are not seen as *historical* events of the past; they speak instead to us today thanks to their existential and anthropological symbolism.
