ISLAMIC TEACHINGS RELATED TO CONFLICT MANAGEMENT: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF YOUTH AMID RELIGIOUS AND SECTARIAN CHALLENGES

Abstract

This phenomenological research dwells upon the way Muslim youth in Pakistan interpret, observe, and use Islam teachings when dealing with conflicts due to religious and sectarian variations. The study is based on Islamic Peace and Conflict Resolution Theory, ideas of Restorative Justice and Social Identity Theory and explored the ethics and practice of Islamic conflict management in the form of in-depth interviews with sixteen university students who belong to different sectarian and cultural patterns. Based on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the participants perceive Islamic conflict resolution as an ethical framework that is lived that focuses on reconciliation (sulh), forgiveness (ʿafw), justice (ʿadl), benevolence (ihsan), good intentions (husn-e-zan), and consultation (shura). The Quranic values are used as a learning guideline in creating patience, empathy, and unity in practices. Although the youngsters understand the transformative power of the Islamic values in terms of restoring peace and enhancing social connections, they also emphasize the difficulty of such principles in practice in the context of sectarian pressures, polarization of social media, and cultural forces. The research finds that Islamic conflict management is not an ideal theological notion but a realistic moral practice that influences social conduct and enhances peace among young people. The research proposes the development of a single Quranic system of life with no sectarianism where the rule, education, and social behavior are based only on the Quranic principles of unity, justice, and peace.