Avoidance of friction is one of the most important principles of Islam. Such avoidance means refraining from retaliation on all occasions of complaint and dissension.
By temperament, all men and women differ from one another in many ways. Everyone has experienced disagreeable situations, arising from such differences. In social life, be it inside or outside the home, it is natural that unpleasantness should occur from time to time. This is unavoidable.friction
Now, whenever any negative situation arises one way of dealing with it is a head-on clash, i.e. an attempt to solve the problem by direct confrontation. Such attempts are abortive as they only aggravate the problem. In no way will they improve matters.
Islam tells us that on such occasions we should adopt the policy of avoidance. That is, instead of behaving violently and fighting, we should opt for the course of tolerance and forbearance; instead of combating violence with violence, we should adopt the policy of avoidance; remaining united in spite of differences.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is an Islamic spiritual scholar who has authored over 200 books on Islam, spirituality, and peaceful coexistence in a multi-ethnic society.
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