The Story of Two Brothers

In 1966, Jawdat Saʿīd (d. 2022), a Syrian Islamic thinker and preacher, crafted a timely credo in his book titled Madhhab Ibn Ādam al-Awwal: Mushkilat al-ʿUnf fī al-ʿAmal al-Islāmī (“The Doctrine of the First Son of Adam: The Problem of Violence in Islamic Movements”). Thirty years later, he published another book titled Kun ka-Bni Ādam (“Be Like the Son of Adam”), a direct reference to a Prophetic ḥadīth bearing the same wording. The gist of his argument was a call for Muslims to embody the spirit of the martyred son of Adam, a figure who chose not to answer violence with violence but rather held back his hand and refrained from engaging in violent exchange. This is not simply an action but a methodology and a profound doctrine that, according to Saʿīd, should be adopted by Islamic movements and societies in their quest for justice, peace, and the true principles of Islam. Saʿīd became a beacon of inspiration, and his teachings were brought to life during the initial nonviolent phase of the Syrian revolution, as the youth marched to the streets holding roses against the armed forces (for more on Saʿīd’s thought, see Rak 2016; Menghini 2019; Lohlker 2022).