The Quran

Preface

وَإِن طائِفَتانِ مِنَ المُؤمِنينَ اقتَتَلوا فَأَصلِحوا بَينَهُما ۖ فَإِن بَغَت إِحداهُما عَلَى الأُخرىٰ فَقاتِلُوا الَّتي تَبغي حَتّىٰ تَفيءَ إِلىٰ أَمرِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن فاءَت فَأَصلِحوا بَينَهُما بِالعَدلِ وَأَقسِطوا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ المُقسِطينَ

Yusuf Ali

If two parties among¹ the Believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: but if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses until it complies with the command of God; but if it complies then make peace between them with justice and be fair: for God loves those who are fair (and just).

Individual quarrels are easier to compose than group quarrels, or, in the modern world, national quarrels. But the collective community of Islam should be supreme over groups or nations. It would be expected to act justly and try to compose the quarrel, for peace is better than fighting. But if one party is determined to be the aggressor, the whole force of the community is brought to bear on it. The essential condition of course is that there should be perfect fairness and justice and respect for the highest principles; for Islam takes account of every just and legitimate interest without separating spiritual from temporal matters. The League of Nations failed because these essentials were absent and today the United Nations fails for the same reason. (R).