Voices of Islam (112 page)

(Qur’an 4:75)

This verse gives two explanations, among other reasons for fighting:

1. First is fighting in the cause of God, which is the intent the religion calls for until discord has vanished and the religion is practiced freely for God alone. This means one cannot fight a Jihad against a country in which Muslims can freely practice their religion and teach Islam to others.
   

2. Second is fighting for the sake of the weak, such as those who converted to Islam in Mecca, but were unable to undertake the migration to Medina. The Quraysh tortured them until they prayed to God for liberation. They had no means of protection from the persecution of the oppressors.
   

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God permitted armed Jihad against an aggressor, when He said:

Lo! God hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fi ht in the way of God and shall slay and be slain. It is a promise which is binding on Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’an.

(Qur’an 9:111)

So the rule of repelling aggression is not specifically for Muslims but is also the role of anyone following the Torah and the Gospel—the right to fight those who attack them. Giving oneself in God’s Way means repelling the aggressor. ‘‘A promise binding on Him in truth’’ means that God took this promise on Himself as a right, not only in the Qur’an but also in the Torah and the Gospel, giving the believers the Garden of Paradise in exchange for their selves and their lives.

He said, ‘‘God bought from the believers their lives and their wealth.’’ This means to give one’s wealth for building up society, for the welfare of others, and for establishing hospitals, schools, and civic society.

Can Muslims Fight if Religious Practice is Not Proscribed?

God said:

God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just.

God only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong.

(Qur’an 60:8–9)

One sees here that God does not hinder the Muslims from dealing justly and kindly with those who do not fight them for their religion. Thus, we see that Muslims today live in many non-Muslim nations, and they are living in peace, observing all their religious obligations and are free to practice their faith.

Today one cannot find any nation in which mosques are forced to close, or the authorities are removing the Qur’an or other religious books, or where Muslims are prevented from praying, paying their poor-due, fasting, or attending the pilgrimage. Instead we find that all Muslims today are free to practice their faith in every nation around the globe.

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We fi that in non-Muslim universities Islamic texts, including large troves of ancient manuscripts, are preserved.

Surely God loves those who are just.

(Qur’an 5:42)

This shows that Islam urges the believers to practice goodness with those who do good to them, and thus they are not permitted to attack them.

If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of God; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge.

(Qur’an 9:6)

This also shows that even if polytheists come to the Muslims, seeking to live and work in their nation for any reason, it is ordered to grant them safety and security to demonstrate the great care and compassion Islam takes in the care of others. Such are free to move where they like. This clarifies the under- standing that combative Jihad is only against transgressors.

Possibility of Success

Jihad against countries that are guilty of oppression and persecution only becomes compulsory after all political negotiations have failed, if the enemy is set on aggression. Additionally, the Muslims may fight when there is a like- lihood of success. The state must make preparation of whatever is necessary from weapons, materials, and men with the utmost possible scope as God says:

Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force.

(Qur’an 9:6)

This means that the leader must prepare and establish what is necessary of weapons, materials, and men with the utmost possible scope, as well as spending to the utmost from the nation’s capability and expending every effort, for it is God’s rule that without strength one cannot fight, for to do so would result in killing oneself and killing one’s people and the creation of mayhem (
fitna
), which in fact is worse than killing, for God says:

Tumult and oppression (
fitna
) are worse than slaughter.

(Qur’an 2:191)

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Creating mayhem (
fitna
) might grow to become a war or become a hate crime against innocent people. That is why God said it is worse than killing.
Fitna
is the work of
munafi
hypocrites. This is in fact conspiracy, the result of which may be a great war instigated between one or more nations, which may end up in the death of thousands or millions of innocents.

Now God has lightened your [task] for He knows that there is weakness among you. So if there are of you a hundred steadfast persons, they shall overcome two hundred, if there are a thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand with the leave of God and God is with the patient.

(Qur’an 8:66)

Thus, God declares that if the ratio of Muslim warriors to their opponents is half (1:2) they may fight and they will be given Divine Support in an open fight facing the enemy directly, warrior-to-warrior. This was a reduction from the original ratio, in which the believers were obliged to fight even if the ratio of Muslims to their opponents was one to ten.

Without Adequate Fighting Capacity Should War Be Instigated?

The rule ‘‘Without adequate fi g capacity war should not be instigated’’ also means that if the enemy is more than twice the Muslim force, then there is no possibility of success and therefore at that time one must not set forth. To do so will create nothing but
fitna
—a state of destruction and confusion.

Here the following questions arise: How can a group declare combative Jihad against an entire nation, when the group possesses no more than a few dozen or a few hundred dedicated warriors? If it is not permitted for 19 people to fi a group in excess of 38, what then about instigating war against a massively fortified and armed nation of over 250 million, such as Al Qaeda has done? This is in reality nothing more than mayhem, and the result is endangerment of the entire Muslim Umma. This is nothing but
fi
—confusion, sedition, disorder, and mayhem—and the Prophet declared those who create turmoil to be under God’s curse:

Confusion/sedition/mayhem (
fi
) is dormant. God curses the one who rouses it.

Today’s radicals justify combative Jihad without state authority by citing the skirmishes carried out by one of the Muslim converts against the Meccans.
Renaissance
’s Shehzad Saleem explains:

We know from history that after the treaty of Hudaybiyya, Abu Basir defected to Madinah. According to the terms of the treaty he was duly returned back to the Quraysh by the Prophet. He was sent back in the custody of two people of the

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Quraysh. He killed one of his two custodians and again defected to Madinah. When he arrived in Madinah, the Prophet was angry with what he had done. Sensing that the Prophet would once again return him to the Quraysh, he left Madinah and settled at a place near Dhu’l-Marwah, where later on other people joined him. From this place, they would attack the caravans of the Quraysh.

If these guerrilla attacks are analyzed in the light of the Qur’an, the basic thing which comes to light is that whatever Abu Basir and his companions were doing was not sanctioned at all by Islam. The Qur’an says that the actions and deeds of a person who has not migrated to Madinah are not the responsibility of the Islamic state: ‘‘And as to those who believed but did not migrate [to Madinah], you owe no duty of protection until they migrate’’ (Qur’an 8:72).

Not only did the Qur’an acquit the newly founded Islamic state of Madinah from the actions of these people, we even fi the following harsh remarks of the Prophet about Abu Basir when he returned to Madinah after killing one of his two custodians:

‘‘His mother is unfortunate! Though he is in the right, he is going to ignite the flames of war.’’
35

IS ISLAM BY NATURE HOSTILE TO NON-MUSLIMS?

The idea, often postulated in the media, that Islam is hostile to non- Muslims simply because they are non-Muslims is a major misconception. According to the majority of scholars, beyond the conditions described above, there exists no valid reason to hold any hostility toward non- Muslims. Sayyid Sabiq says:

The relationship of Muslims with non-Muslims is one of acquaintance, cooperation, righteousness and justice for God says: ‘‘O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)’’ (Qur’an 49:13).

And in advising righteousness and justice He says: ‘‘God does not forbid you from those who do not remove you from your homes (by force) and who do not fight you because of your religion, that you act kindly and justly towards them
...
’’ (Qur’an 60:8).

Among the bases of this relationship are the mutual, general well being (or welfare) of a society and the strengthening of human relations.
36

The reference in these verses is to the non-Muslims in general.

Loyalty and Enmity (al-wala’ wa al-bara’a)

Many of today’s self-appointed Islamic leaders and scholars state:

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Voices of the Spirit

Enmity for the sake of God (
al-bara’a
) means to declare opposition in deed, to take up arms against His enemies
37

Sayyid Sabiq says:

This meaning does not prevent friendship with non-Muslims. The prohibition exists only when friendship with non-Muslims is meant in aggression against the Muslims. Serious dangers to the existence of Islam come from assisting non-Muslims who are [actively] working against the Muslims, weakening the power [and security] of the believing society.

As far as the relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslim subjects (
dhimmis
) living in Muslim nations, Islam calls for harmony, peace, good man- ners and courtesy, friendly social intercourse, mutual welfare and cooperation for the sake of righteousness and good conscience.

Even with regard to those who fight against the Muslims, despite their enmity, God says:

It may be that God will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies. For God has power (over all things); And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

(Qur’an 60:7)

DOES ISLAM CALL FOR ONGOING WAR AGAINST NON-MUSLIMS?

Some Orientalists as well as some radical interpreters of Islam assert that Islam condones an ongoing combative Jihad, and that it means a continual war upon the non-Muslims until they repent and accept Islam or else pay the poll tax. However, the majority of Muslim scholars reject this view, citing as evidence:

...
and if any of the polytheists seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of God, and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.
38

(Qur’an 9:6)

The Imams argued from this that as long as the unbelievers are willing to live peacefully among the believers our divine obligation is to treat them peacefully, despite their denial of Islam. The succeeding verse affirms this:

So long as they are true to you, stand you true to them. Verily! God loves those who fear God.

(Qur’an 9:7)

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This verse instructs the Muslims to observe treaty obligations with meticu- lous care, and not to break them unless the other side breaks them first.

On the basis of the clear arguments of the scholars of Qur’an and Hadith, the majority concluded that physical fi is not a permanent condition against unbelievers, but is resorted to only when treaties are broken or aggres- sion has been made against Muslim territory (
dar al-Islam
) by unbelievers.

On the other hand, educating non-Muslims about Islam
is
a continuous Jihad, per the agreed-upon, multiply transmitted hadith:

The Messenger of God said, ‘‘I have been ordered to
fight
the people until they declare that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is His Messenger, establish prayers, and pay
Zakat
...
.’’
39

In his book
al-Jihad fi slam,
Dr. Sa‘id Ramadan al-Buti explains this hadith in detail based on the understanding of the majority of jurists, showing that linguistically the word ‘‘fi here and in many other places does not refer to combat, rather to struggle, including in its scope
da‘wa,
preaching, exhortation, and establishment of the state apparatus whereby Islamic preach- ing is protected. It does not mean forcing anyone to become Muslim at the point of a sword, and numerous examples can be cited from the life history of the Prophet showing that he never forced conversion, nor did his successors. Dr. Buti explains that the linguistic scholars of Hadith showed that the word
uqatil
used by the Prophet in fact means ‘‘fight’’ and not
aqtul,
‘‘kill.’’