Under Construction Journal Issue 6.1 UNDER CONSTRUCTION JOURNAL 6.1 | Page 82

information counter to dominant orthodoxies and uses sources from literate people, rebels and ascetics,
all of whom were critical of power. However, this does not mean that the books were critical of the Emirs:
they were financed by al-Hakam II and we can infer that criticism was permitted only up to a certain point
(Ribera 1914). Finally, it is important to note that al-Andalus’ written sources often only relate to the city
of Cordoba, and little is known from the rest of the kingdom, even less from the countryside (Collins 2012).
Islam
Islam was the religion of al-Andalus and understanding how Islam supports peaceful ideas is key to
comprehending the Andalusian culture. The reason behind this is that traditional Islamic societies founded
upon Sunnah are highly influenced by what the Quran allows.
The Quran explicitly deals with peace. It says "do not begin hostilities; God does not like the
aggressor” and "when you go to war in Allah's way, make an investigation, and do not say to anyone who
offers you peace” that peace is to be made "if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you
peace" because "Allah has not given you a way against them.” The Quran also supports reconciliation,
stating that "those who forgive the injury and make reconciliation will be rewarded by God '' and affords
high importance to peaceful dispute resolutions. As Cortright 2008 notes, within the Quran it is stated
that: “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle, and those among you invested with authority;
and if you differ upon any matter, refer it to Allah and the Apostle. This is the best and fairest way of
settlement.”
The Quran tolerates other monotheistic religions, of which the most important were Judaism and
Christianity. The Quran states that, "to you your religion, to me mine", "there is no compulsion in religion”
and “the truth is from your Lord; believe it if you like, or do not”. Furthermore, egalitarianism and social
justice are embedded in Islam, with Cortright (2008) arguing that all Muslims have the duty to fight for
justice in the face of oppression.
We have therefore established the foundational peaceful purposes of Islam as laid out in its
guiding scripture and law. Nevertheless, the Quran also accepts the use of force and is consequently often
represented, by adherent variants of Islam and critics alike, as a religion of the sword which sees violence
as legitimate in spreading the faith. Providing some legitimizing weight to these assertions, the Quran
asserts that one should "slay the polytheists however you confront them" and "carry the struggle to the
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