Islam:Between Mercy and Terror

Thank you very much for your contribution sister. a great post. but I hope you do not mind if I have minor modifications to it.

format_quote Originally Posted by Yrvhere?

With the name of Allah, we begin. All praise is due to Allah, al-Qawi, al-Matin; and may the salam and salah [of Allah] be upon the one sent with the sword as a mercy to the ‘alamin. As for what follows…

Indeed, Allah has created this world and all of His creation for a wisdom and reason and He made purposes for all of His creation. Here we want to take a quick glance regarding men whom He created for a test, as He said, “Blessed is He in whose hand is the dominion, and He is over all things competent – [He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving” (al-Mulk: 1-2). This test, what is it? The test in its essence is to see who obeys Allah and who disobeys Him, who believes in Allah and who disbelieves in Him, it is about who comes to Him as a obedient servant and who comes to him as a wicked rebel. If we understand this we can move to our purpose of life, as Allah says, “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (adh-Dhariyat: 56). This is the purpose and this is the reason why we are here, going through a test and being in the servitude of Allah.

To give people a chance to understand this, you should also mention why this test is needed. Allah is omnipotent. This means He already knows the outcome of the test and therefore does not need "testing". However this test is not for Allah, it is for us!! so that on judgement day we will be witnesses of our own deeds and decisions. during the covenant of Alas, Allah asked us "Am I not your Lord?". we answered "Kaalu balaa" which means (No, you are). But not believing those words is difficult if he "stands" in front of you. So He gave us the opportunity to find that out on our own. So here we are, looking for our God on our own...that is our test. we either succeed or we fail.

format_quote Originally Posted by Yrvhere?

We are not here in a paradise nor a hell, nor are we here to obey and worship anything created nor to follow some man-made system – whether democracy or anything else. And whoever gets to know the basic meaning of worship and Islam, which is being in servitude and surrendering to Allah, and if he is someone who tries to implement Islam in his life, he will come to know that there are some rulings and actions in Islam that he may find distasteful due to his inadequate knowledge of affairs, but because of his islam he acts upon these rulings and does not oppose it and knows for certain that every ruling coming from Allah has a divine wisdom behind it, about which only some humans whom Allah bestows His mercy upon can understand after pondering and analyzing.

totally agree on this. some rulings may appear to be distasteful in Islaam like you said...but that only because the true wisdom behind it is not clear. So we may search for the wisdom behind it, but we may not question it. and whether we may or may not find the answer, we always act upon it.

format_quote Originally Posted by Yrvhere?

An example of this can be a man marrying multiple wives which to women due to their natural state of jealousy for their husband may have some difficulty complying with. But a Muslimah submits to this ruling as she knows that this is the ruling of Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, One who has “no adjuster of His decision. And He is swift in account” (Ra’d: 41). “And who is better in judgement than Allah for a people who have firm faith” (al-Maidah: 50). She does not disobey Allah, her Lord, in this so she submits to His will as she knows “it is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His messenger, he has indeed strayed in a plain error” (al-Ahzab: 36).

If I remember correctly this example needs to be nuanced a little. For what I know, the husband still needs permission of his wive or wives to marry another (one more). He cannot do as he pleases. The wive cannot just say no, because it is his right to do so, but if she has clear objections against it, for example the person in particular is her enemy, or clearly a bad person, then she could

format_quote Originally Posted by Yrvhere?

There are other examples of such rulings in which a Muslim is needed to have a sincere submission to his Creator, while believing with firm faith that there is wisdom behind all rulings.

or Musa (as) asking Hizr(as) for knowledge.

format_quote Originally Posted by Yrvhere?

Another such ruling is the ruling of fighting for the sake of Allah and terrorizing the enemies of Allah. Engaging in war while knowing that the ones who he is fighting, killing, terrorizing is his fellow human being. He naturally dislikes that he should harm anyone, as well in relation to himself in the difficulty it entails in being wounded or killed, but it is his submission to Allah that he believes there is a divine wisdom behind it and he acts upon it while pondering upon the ayah, “Fighting has been enjoined upon you while it is hateful to you. But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah knows, while you know not” (al-Baqarah: 216). Ibn Kathir stated in his tafsir of the ayah,

Meaning: fighting is difficult and heavy on your hearts. Verily, fighting is as ayah describes it, as it includes being killed, wounded, striving against the enemies and enduring the hardship of travel… Fighting is followed by victory, dominance over the enemy, taking over their lands, wealth, and offspring… One might covet something, yet in reality it is not good or beneficial for him, such as refraining from joining jihad, for it might lead to the enemy taking over the land and the rule… He has better knowledge than you of how things will turn out to be in the end, and of what benefits you in this world and in the Hereafter. So obey Him and adhere to His commands, in order that you may acquire true guidance.

Fighting for the sake of Allah...I totally agree...however, "terrorizing his fellow human being" i don't agree with. multiple verses clearly state that we should fight the enemy wherever we see them unless they are peaceful, or just minding their own business. you should stop the violonce immediately when they surrender or when they are no threat to you. So terrorizing people (for what I know) is not a good thing a muslim should do.
One may try to discuss that terrorism is a part of Jihad...but is it?
I understand that a jihad can be called out if we are under attack, or that the complete Islaam is being treatened to be terminated or changed for good or whatever.
I can understand that in such cases even women, children the sick and the old will grasp anything they can find and go on the streets to fight the enemy...Jihad can be felt in the bones.
But to grab a gun and just shooting people down who are just minding their own business?
Is that also Jihad? I do not think so.

format_quote Originally Posted by Yrvhere?

Here we want to discuss about the mercy that Islam has guided mankind to and about the terror which Allah has obligated upon the believers to put in the hearts of the disbelievers. “And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows. And whatever you spend in the cause of Allah will be fully repaid to you, and you will not be wronged” (al-Anfal: 60). How is it possible for us to balance between the above and between the saying of Allah, “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds” (al-Ambiya: 107). And His saying, “O Prophet, fight against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them. And their refuge is Hell, and wretched is the destination” (at-Tawbah: 73). And, “It is not for a prophet to have captives [of war] until he inflicts a massacre [upon Allah’s enemies] in the land” (al-Anfal: 67). The ayat showing both sides, mercy and terror, are many. But what are the reconciliation factors between these two? What made the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say, “I was sent before the Hour with the sword until Allah alone is worshipped” (Ahmad), and, “I have been commanded (by Allah) to fight the people until they testify that there is nothing worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and they establish salah and pay zakah, then if they do that, then they save their lives and property from me except for its (i.e. the testimony’s) right, and their reckoning will be with Allah” (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

If one ponders upon ayat and ahadith of this meaning, it shows that the only purpose for which jihad and fighting has been ordain is in order to make mankind worship Allah alone, to establish tawhid, and to warn them from ascribing partners to Him: to establish the law of Allah upon the earth and eradicate all types of man-made laws from the earth. To make mankind submit to His will and not to the desires and doubts spread by the devils of mankind and jinn. It is for this that the swords were unsheathed, as a mercy to mankind, to bring them out from darkness to light by their Lord’s permission. Jihad was ordained to remove those forces that block the people from seeing the brightness of the light of the tawhid of Allah, just as mountains block the brightness of the morning’s sun. And apart from defensive jihad, this is the only purpose for which Muslimin will be engaged in wars. For the Muslimin do not fight for their personal gain or taking revenge for personal reasons, or for dominance over the earth: conquering as many lands possible only for the sake of power. They also do not fight for the modern idols of democracy, secularism, “freedom”, etc. Their reason is only one: to wage war for the sake of Allah.

With the knowledge that shirk leads one to spend eternity in Hell, and with the knowledge that tawhid is the cause for one to dwell in bliss in the Gardens of Eden, Allah sent the best nation to prevent the people from Hell and to invite the people to His garden and kingdom. He (ta‘ala) said, “You are the best ummah sent forth for mankind” (Al ‘Imran: 110). Abu Hurayrah said commenting on this, “The best ummah for the people, you bring them tied in chains on their necks, and then they later embrace Islam” (al-Bukhari). Rabi’ ibn ‘Amir said to Rustom when he was sent as a messenger to him,

Allah has sent us that we remove whoever He wills from the worship of His slaves to the worship of Allah and to deliver you from the constriction of this world to its vastness and from the oppression of the religions to the justice of Islam. He sent us with His din to His creation to call them towards Him. So the one who accepts this then we will also accept it from him and we will turn away from him and whoever rejects it then we will fight him forever until the promise of Allah arrives.

This finds its similitude in a father forbidding his children from something that he knows is harmful for them, while they do not know, and in commanding them to do a thing which is good for them, but they do not know of it yet. As for defensive jihad, its purpose is also related to this purpose, the only change is that here the oppressors try to invade the lands and the Muslimin come in defense for their din, and then the lives, honor, and wealth of fellow Muslimin. There is a point that is hidden for many people here in understanding jihad and its wisdom, that is why Muslimin should only distinguish based upon iman and kufr, tawhid and shirk, as the point is to stop the kuffar from their kufr and the mushrikin from their shirk. So if some people are killed, then others take it as a lesson and take heed, by their Lord’s permission. Also to this effect to eradicate shirk from land and establish tawhid, for every type of bad stems from shirk and every type of good stems from tawhid.

Tawhid is the biggest mercy that the din of Allah presents for people, however, it can only be tasted by those who truly act upon it, and it is the joy which one can hardly mention, it is the calmness of heart and its life. When we understand and ponder over this point we can see that Islam incites it followers only to one war that is also for the greater benefit of mankind and not for their destruction, rather it is to save them from their own destruction. As such, Islam becomes a mercy for all of mankind by stopping them from shirk, corruption in the land, sins, and so on, and encourages them and calls them to act upon tawhid, for the performance of good deeds, and to behave morally upright with the best of manners.

Corruption on land only stems from the deeds of mankind; He (ta‘ala) said, “Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness]” (ar-Rum: 41). Do we need to bring up the facing dilemma that mankind looks directly into from global warming and the abuse of the resources placed on earth or the unjust killings and dealings raging throughout the planet? One can look at that as a reason that all of the rulings are implemented in the Shari‘ah, it prevents mankind from sins and evil deeds and from more local issues like robbery, fornication, adultery, usury, alcohol, slandering chaste women, and so on. This leads to a society that has real sense of peace and security, not the one that America, the West and their apostate allies offer mankind in their illusionary form of freedom and democracy, which only increases mankind to become entangled in these evil deeds rather than saving them from it.

The West should realize that there is no such thing as absolute freedom. this because freedom for you automatically means restrictions for the other...as long as you are not alone on this planet, you cannot have absolute freedom.
Second, Freedom of speech, a topic the western world loves to speak about...does not mean you should go and be sellfish or insult people. You can think whatever you want, but you should not bother others with it.