The Islamic Case for Terror II
Seems I have set myself a mission impossible. Visiting openly Jihadist websites has proved a lot more difficult than I thought. It's not a simple matter of googling Jihad because these websites are constantly being closed down. Then they go up again on new ISP's but you can't know these unless you're part of their network or a regular visitor.
Most of the websites that do come up on Google are those that call themselves anti-Jihadist. Those are a waste of time from what I've read so far because they can't resist the urge to indulge in a bout of Islam-bashing while simultaneously apologizing for things like the Crusades.
My comment on these is that it is very easy to selectively quote bits & pieces out of a religious script out of context & make them mean whatever you want them to mean. It's exactly what AlQaeda & it's supporters are doing. Wish those who promote the argument that terror comes from 'the foundational teachings of Islam' would wise up enough to understand something very simple: To the overwhelming majority of Muslims in the world the Qura'an is the word of God & Mohamed is the Prophet of Islam.The only hope of defeating the ideology of terror in the name of Islam is to de-legitimize it using the Qura'an & the Sunna & the consensus of Muslim scholars.
So when you present the Qura'an & the Sunna as the sources of terror you are playing into the terrorist's hands. You are giving them the only legitimacy they really need.
I do not subscribe to the argument that Islam is a religion of peace. No ideology that touches on politics can be completely pacifist. War is part of the human condition & so it is natural that war is touched upon in the Qura'an & the Sunna. But I still don't see in what way or by what stretch of the imagination, Muslims are at war with the commuter community in London or Madrid, or the 24 children in Iraq who were asking for sweets from an American soldier or the Egyptian laborers in Sharm El Sheikh.
Verses in the Qura'an which call for war:
"Fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! Allah loveth not aggressors. And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. But if they desist, then lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." Qura'an[2:190-193]
"And a proclamation from Allah and His messenger to all men on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage that Allah is free from obligation to the idolaters, and (so is) His messenger. So, if ye repent, it will be better for you; but if ye are averse, then know that ye cannot escape Allah. Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve, Excepting those of the idolaters with whom ye (Muslims) have a treaty, and who have since abated nothing of your right nor have supported anyone against you. (As for these), fulfil their treaty to them till their term. Lo! Allah loveth those who keep their duty (unto Him)." Qura'an [9:3-4]
"Would you not fight people who violated their treaties, tried to banish the messenger, and they are the ones who started the war in the first place? Are you afraid of them? Allah is the One you are supposed to fear, if you are believers. You shall fight them, for Allah will punish them at your hands, humiliate them, grant you victory over them, and cool the chests of the believers." Qura'an [9:13-14]
But the Qura'an also says:
"O you who believe, if you strike in the cause of Allah, you shall be absolutely sure. Do not say to one who offers you peace, "You are not a believer," seeking the spoils of this world. For Allah possesses infinite spoils. Remember that you used to be like them, and Allah blessed you. Therefore, you shall be absolutely sure (before you strike). Allah is fully Cognizant of everything you do." Qura'an[4:94]
"O you who believe, do not prohibit good things that are made lawful by Allah, and do not aggress; Allah dislikes the aggressors." Qura'an [5:87]
"If they resort to peace, so shall you, and put your trust in Allah. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." Qura'an [8:61]
"If they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then Allah gives you no excuse to fight them." Qura'an [4:90]
"O you who believe, if you strike in the cause of Allah, you shall be absolutely sure. Do not say to one who offers you peace, "You are not a believer," seeking the spoils of this world. For Allah possesses infinite spoils. Remember that you used to be like them, and Allah blessed you. Therefore, you shall be absolutely sure (before you strike). Allah is fully Cognizant of everything you do." Qura'an [4:94]
"Allah does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. Allah loves the equitable. Allah enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors." Qura'an [60:8-9]
"Say, "Come let me tell you what your Lord has really prohibited for you: You shall not set up idols besides Him. You shall honor your parents. You shall not kill your children from fear of poverty - we provide for you and for them. You shall not commit gross sins, obvious or hidden. You shall not kill - Allah has made life sacred -except in the course of justice. These are His commandments to you, that you may understand." Qura'an [6:151]
"You shall not kill any person - for Allah has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. If one is killed unjustly, then we give his heir authority to enforce justice. Thus, he shall not exceed the limits in avenging the murder; he will be helped." Qura'an [17:33]
"They never implore beside Allah any other god, nor do they kill anyone - for Allah has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. Nor do they commit adultery. Those who commit these offenses will have to pay." Qura'an [25:68]
"They commit a gross sin, then say, "We found our parents doing this, and Allah has commanded us to do it." Say, "Allah never advocates sin. Are you saying about Allah what you do not know?" Qura'an [7:28]
The Qura'an cannot be taken in parts. Verses that permit something must be taken in context & other verses that impose limits on the same thing cannot be ignored.Not if you believe that the Qura'an is the perfect, unchallenged, complete word of God which is the core belief of Islam.
to be contd.
Labels: Faith
posted by LouLou @ 2:50 AM
6 Comments:
you know what loulou, even though this terrorism is destructive and has no good in it, i am glad that we (at least I) want to go deeper into religion and the meanings of quran to understand where we exactly are. reading into our religion properly to know the real truth about what Islam is about. it is not just about praying 5 times a day and the other 4 pillars.
"I do not subscribe to the argument that Islam is a religion of peace. No ideology that touches on politics can be completely pacifist. War is part of the human condition & so it is natural that war is touched upon in the Qura'an & the Sunna"
yes you are right. being peaceful means not unjustly agressing on others. and when peace is an option, it should be the one taken.
fighting for what is right is noble and pure, when done for the right causes AND IN THE CORRECT METHOD OF APPLICATION.
i am glad with what you are doing, gathering the verses that touch apon war and peace in Quran. ever since all this has started, it has been in the back of my head, want to read about the details of rules of war in Islam. i am not well read in that area. will wait for the rest of your post.
I think it is a lost case attempting to prove or disprove that islam calls for peace or for war using Coran, even if read within its context. Theories about Islam was in a 'formative stage', wanted to build a nation, their enemies attacked them first,...all that negate that Islam is peace. Maybe inside peace, but, my point is Islam is very political from day 4.... and thus you cant just separate it from what its political 'package' consequences.
"Theories about Islam was in a 'formative stage', wanted to build a nation, their enemies attacked them first,...all that negate that Islam is peace. "
Yes this was my meaning. The war-like parts of the Qura'an all refer to the period when the Prophet was a political leader of a city(Medina) and a community. Qura'anic war is between political entities - tribes, cities, communities.
But terrorism is a war initiated by an individual or a group of individuals from within a community on the community. This has no precedent in Islam.
If you look at the early period of Islamic history when the Prophet & his early followers were weak & being persecuted in Mecca that was the time to use terrorism if the Prophet had wanted to make that precedent. Instead they chose to seek asylum outside their own homeland several times. And only after the Meccans followed them to Medina did the Prophet & the Qura'an start talking of war because by then they were a political entity with a political leader & an army fighting against another army or armies.
Even the 'offensive Jihad' that Islamists talk about was based on the assumption that Muslims would not have freedom from religious persecution except within an Islamic state. It was true at the time because all surrounding states banned the propagation of the faith & persecuted converts. Now if you want to spread Islam in the West why fight a Jihad?You are free to go there & promote Islam & convert as many people as you want.You have much more freedom there than in any Muslim countries.Can anyone deny that Western Muslims are more free than us?
Even Jihadism used to be granted freedom of expression in the West up until Sept 11. When I was in the States Islamic groups that were banned in their home countries like Egypt & Algeria were free to promote their ideas in America. At my university you could be given Islamic pamphlets that preach about how evil the West is etc...written by people who had been given political asylum from their own Islamic countries.
Infact I had a tough time finding a nearby mosque or MSA that wasn't completely taken over by Wahabis.
Isn't that the argument of the terrorists?That Muslims are weak so they have to resort to terror because it is the weapon of the weak?However weak we are today we are not as weak as the Prophet's early companions were in Mecca. Look at what happened to Bilal & the Yassirs in Mecca. And yet the Prophet never told them to go kill a group of Meccan children.
"i am not well read in that area. will wait for the rest of your post.
"
Thanks Doshar.If you come across or know of any texts from Qura'an or Sunna that I might have missed please let me know.
Very Insightful BLOG. Hopefully, the world can withstand this latest storm of hatred and violence. Somehow, instead of focusing on those issues which divide our world, it's time to build a permanent bridge of peaceful understanding...
I truly admire your courage to speak from your heart.
Stay Gold!
v/r
Peter,
"Somehow, instead of focusing on those issues which divide our world, it's time to build a permanent bridge of peaceful understanding..."
Couldn't have put it better myself.
Thanks for stopping by.
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