In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Perhaps the most challenging issue for Muslim communities today is the spectre of terrorist violence afflicting many places in the world and the false perception of Islam this creates in the minds of people. Terrorism has been defined by modern Muslim authorities as follows:
Any act of violence or threat perpetrated to carry out a criminal plan with the aim of terrorizing people or threatening to harm them or imperiling their lives, honor, freedom, security, or rights.
Source: OIC Convention to Combat Terrorism
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According to this definition, terrorism includes the unlawful and random killing of women, children, and non-combatants as a means of political change. Such acts are completely forbidden and condemned by Islam. Muslims are only allowed to fight hostile forces who initiate aggression against themselves and innocent people.
Fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but do not transgress. Verily, Allah does not love transgressors.
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:190
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“Do not transgress,” has been interpreted by scholarly authorities as a firm prohibition against killing women, children, and civilians.
Do not kill women, children, old men, or whoever comes to you offering peace and refrains from fighting. If you did so, you would have certainly transgressed.
Source: Tafseer At-Tabari 2:190
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This concern was addressed directly by the Prophet himself when he explicitly forbade and condemned the killing of women, children, and civilians.
A woman was found killed in one of the battles of the Messenger of Allah, so he condemned the killing of women and children.
Source: Sahih Bukhari 2851, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
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Hanzala Al-Katib reported: We went on an expedition with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and we passed by a woman who had been killed and the people were gathered around her. The Prophet said:
مَا كَانَتْ هَذِهِ تُقَاتِلُ فِيمَنْ يُقَاتِلُ
She was not one of those who were fighting.
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Then the Prophet told a man to make the announcement:
Verily, the Messenger of Allah has commanded you, saying: Do not kill children or workers.
Source: Sunan ibn Majah 2842 Grade: Hasan
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The Quran declares that killing, kidnapping, terrorizing people, and expelling them from their homes are all crimes that were forbidden for the Israelites, and likewise for the Muslims.
You are those same ones who are killing one another and evicting a party of your people from their homes, cooperating against them in sin and aggression. If they come to you as captives, you sell them for ransom, although their eviction was forbidden to you. So do you believe in part of the Book and disbelieve in the rest?
Surah Al-Baqarah 2:85
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People who commit such crimes in the name of religion are guilty of a glaring hypocrisy, strictly adhering only to part of the scriptures and ignoring the values expressed in other passages.
For these reasons, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at the United Nations issued the following statement:
The tenets of the tolerant Islamic Law rejects all forms of violence and terrorism, and in particular especially those based on extremism, and it calls for protection of human rights, whose provisions are paralleled by the principles and rules of international law founded on cooperation between peoples for the establishment of peace.
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Even Orientalist scholars with less-than-favorable views of Muslim societies must admit that Islam does not permit terrorism in way. Professor Bernard Lewis of Princeton University cannot be described as an Islamic apologist. His writings are often critical of Muslims, yet he states clearly that modern terrorism committed in the name of Islam has nothing to do with the classical scholarly tradition. Lewis writes:
Muslim fighters are commanded not to kill women, children, or the aged unless they attack first; not to torture or otherwise ill-treat prisoners; to give fair warning of the opening of hostilities or their resumption after a truce; and to honor agreements… At no time did the classical jurists offer any approval or legitimacy to what we nowadays call terrorism. Nor indeed is there any evidence of the use of terrorism as it is practiced nowadays.
Source: Lewis, B., & Churchill, B. (2009). Islam: The religion and the people, p. 151
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Lewis affirms that the sacred scriptures of Islam provide no legal support for terrorist actions:
At no point do the basic texts of Islam enjoin terrorism and murder. At no point, as far as I am aware, do they even consider the random slaughter of uninvolved bystanders.
Source: Lewis, B. (2003). The crisis of Islam: Holy war and unholy terror, p. 39
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Professor Lewis’ writings are subject to peer-reviewed scrutiny by scholars of competing academic presses. No one with the relevant academic credentials has been able to seriously challenge him on this point because it is the truth.
However, verses of the Quran are taken out of context by some Muslims and non-Muslims alike to argue that Islam justifies acts of terrorism. One verse in particular refers to Allah and the angels casting fear into the hearts of the unbelievers who, at the time, were waging a war of aggression and extermination against the early Muslim community.
Remember when your Lord inspired to the angels, saying: I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike them upon their necks and strike their every fingertip.
Surah Al-Anfal 8:12
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Often quoted but rarely contextualized, the verse refers to a miraculous event in which the enemies of Islam were confronted by the angels. It does not command Muslims to terrorize other communities through bombings and acts of random violence.
Ibn Kathir explains the meaning of this verse, saying:
You – the angels – support the Muslims and strengthen their resolve against their enemies, thus implementing My command. I – Allah – will cast terror, disgrace, and humiliation upon whoever defies My command and rejects My messenger.
Source: Tafseer Ibn Kathir 8:12
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In the aftermath of the battle, there were signs that the angels had supported the Muslims in their defensive struggle against the persecuting army.
In the aftermath of the battle of Badr, the people used to recognize whomever the angels killed by the wounds over their necks, fingers and toes, because those parts had a mark as if they were branded by fire.
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Therefore, the verse refers to divine intervention by angels in support of the Muslims who were defending their city from aggression. The terror thrown into the unbelievers’ hearts was upon their realization that Allah was supporting the Muslims with angels and miracles. It does not mean Muslims have been commanded to spread terror and violence in society as a means of political change. Muslims are only permitted to take up arms against those who have declared war against them, never as a means to force people into Islam.
Ibn Taymiyyah writes:
الكفار إنما يقاتلون بشرط الحراب كما ذهب اليه جمهور العلماء وكما دل عليه الكتاب والسنة
The unbelievers are only fought on the condition that they declare war according to the majority of scholars, as evident in the book and prophetic tradition.
The Prophet never forced the religion upon anyone, but rather he only fought those who waged war against him and fought him first. As for those who made peace with him or conducted a truce, then he never fought them and he never compelled them to enter his religion.
Source: Hidayat Al-Hayara 237
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In conclusion, terrorism, political violence, and spreading religion by force is forbidden in Islam. Killing women, children, and non-combatants as well as initiating wars of aggression are major sins in Islam according to classical and modern authorities. Historically, the Prophet only fought battles in self-defense and to repel aggression against the Muslim community.
Beautiful, ma'sha'Allah, one reason I was drawn back to Islam was because of its underlying message of peace and compassion - a basic knowledge of Islamic teachings would reveal terrorism has no basis in Islam and is not only unjustifiable, but specifically condemned by the Qur'an.
Terrorism isn't caused by religion, but rather lack of it.
Terrorism has been defined by modern Muslim authorities as follows: Any act of violence or threat perpetrated to carry out a criminal plan with the aim of terrorizing people or threatening to harm them or imperiling their lives, honor, freedom, security, or rights.
First problem: There are no modern Muslim authorities besides the Quran itself and its interpretation in the Sunnah.
The very idea of entertaining modern Muslim authorities sounds very much like something strictly prohibited in the Quran:
9:31 "They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah , and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him."
format_quote Originally Posted by sister herb
Any act of violence or threat perpetrated to carry out a criminal plan with the aim of terrorizing people or threatening to harm...
The unilateral/wholesale repudiation of violence is in violation with Divine Law. The Qisas clarifies that the moral status of hostile behaviour is neutral and entirely predicated on the history of hostility leading up to the hostily behaviour. Hence, there cannot be any moral status for hostile behaviour out of its historical context.
Quran 2:178: O ye who believe! the law of equality is prescribed to you in cases of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, the woman for the woman. But if any remission is made by the brother of the slain, then grant any reasonable demand, and compensate him with handsome gratitude, this is a concession and a Mercy from your Lord. After this whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave penalty.
Hence, the Quran literally reiterates the Doctrine concerning Hostility as originally promulgated in the Codex Hammurabi:
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
197. If he break another man's bone, his bone shall be broken.
200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.
The Codex Hammurabi is in fact just a special case of Noether's Law: Every differentiable symmetry of the history ("action") of a physical system has a corresponding conservation law. The invariant (=symmetry) being preserved, is justice. The abrogation of the Codex would not bring justice, but only justify more injustices.
Hence, I reject any out-of-context condemnation of hostility.
Hence, I totally repudiate the conclusions promulgated by the OIC Convention to Combat Terrorism.
Their point of view will not bring justice. It will only create more trouble. My personal view is that if we desire to successfully bring the conflict under control, and drastically reduce the number of incidents of hostility, we will just have to find a way to convince all belligerents of the benefits of accepting Divine Law.
Last edited by kritikvernunft; 09-02-2016 at 04:39 AM.
Perhaps the most challenging issue for Muslim communities today is the spectre of terrorist violence afflicting many places in the world and the false perception of Islam this creates in the minds of people. Terrorism has been defined by modern Muslim authorities as follows:
Any act of violence or threat perpetrated to carry out a criminal plan with the aim of terrorizing people or threatening to harm them or imperiling their lives, honor, freedom, security, or rights.
Source: OIC Convention to Combat Terrorism
.
According to this definition, terrorism includes the unlawful and random killing of women, children, and non-combatants as a means of political change. Such acts are completely forbidden and condemned by Islam. Muslims are only allowed to fight hostile forces who initiate aggression against themselves and innocent people.
Based on what wisdom did these so-called Muslim authorities get these derivations and are you aware that Allah promises to cast terror into the hearts of the rejecters of Allah (by extension rejecters of truth and justice)?
Are you also aware that the messengers of God may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them practised terror including and not limited to Sulaimaan in his dealing with the queen of sab'a and Musa with Fir'aun and the rejectors of Allah in egypt? And that Fir'aun may Allah's curse be upon him also practised terror on Banee Israeel who were Muslim at the time? That the unjust kuffar colonialists have been practising terror upon Muslim populations with killing, sanctions and horrific massacres and that some Muslims have lawfully retaliated with terror? That george washington was a terrorist and that all secular governments practice terror even in issues such as tax collection?
These are but names which you and your fathers have named for which Allah has sent down no authority despite being fully aware of how loaded the term is and how it has been abused by the unjust leaders of today.
Any mention of the word "terror" is usually accompanied with images of Muslims in a balaclava commiting an act of violence with usually no reason given and made to look like a spontaneous act and that is wrong.
To pretend that one is giving it a different definition despite the term itself being unrepresentative of it's meaning indicates criminal malice since those who use the term will use it knowing full well that the image they are actually projectung in people's minds is "a Muslim who fights in God's way".
Better to use honest terms like "unjust aggression", that way people can think for themselves instead of have loaded unrepresentative terms invoking false illusions upon their minds.
The british and american governments fall under the definition provided above for terrorism, do you expect the so-called modern muslim authorities to use the term to describe them? Not at all, and that's plain fraud since it's actually an illusion meant to make people forget to check between right and wrong, justice and injustice.
Anyways, it's become clear that Allah's way is truthful and just, and that we can only achieve peace by unanimously accepting it or separating, since those who claim to practice secularism have been proven to follow falsehood and commit injustice at whim, even going to the lengths of legislating injustice and then relegislating as soon as they find themselves falling foul of their own laws and definitions.
Btw, now that they've accepted that the war against Iraq is unlawful, have they apologised to, released from prison and reimbursed all of those whom they harassed, fined and imprisoned for so called terror offences and submitted themselves to just judgement?
Wake up and stop playing games of injustice and falsehood.
And hopefully you won't make up some more unrepresentative definitions for smiling and then claim that somebody is "guilty" of smiling.
Even my cat uses terror when it snarls if anyone goes near it when it's got nice food, and most of us feel terrified when we hear a very loud thunderclap.
there is absolutely no need to load the term with negative connotations when the word itself is neutral.
The only valid universal measuring rule remains the rule of God, all in opposition to that is injustice and unjust anarchy.
bas·tard·ize
ˈbastərˌdīz/
verb
gerund or present participle: bast*rdizing
corrupt or debase (something such as a language or art form), typically by adding new elements.
"a strange, bast*rdized form of French"
synonyms: adulterate, corrupt, contaminate, weaken, dilute, taint, pollute, debase, distort
"it is unthinkable that I would bast*rdize my values"
bast*rddization
1) The process of making something illegitimate
2) The process of bringing something to a form which is not as good as the one it was in before,
12.*It is He Who doth show you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope: It is He Who doth raise up the clouds, heavy with (fertilising) rain!
13.*Nay, thunder repeateth His praises, and so do the angels, with awe: He flingeth the loud-voiced thunder-bolts, and therewith He striketh whomsoever He will..yet these (are the men) who (dare to) dispute about Allah, with the strength of His power (supreme)!
14.*For Him (alone) is call in Truth: any others that they call upon besides Him hear them no more than if they were to stretch forth their hands for water to reach their mouths but it reaches them not: for the prayer of those without Faith is nothing but (futile) wandering (in the mind).
15.*Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves to Allah (Acknowledging subjection),- with good-will or in spite of themselves: so do their shadows in the morning and evenings.
16.*Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allah." Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" Say: "Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light?" Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: "(Allah) is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible."
QURAN AR-RA'D, THUNDER, CHAPTER 13 VERSE 14
مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاء سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَآؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلّهِ أَمَرَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ {40
012:040 Khan
:
"You do not worship besides Him but only names which you have named (forged), you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. His Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion, but most men know not.
QURAN, YUSUF, JOSEPH, CHAPTER 12, VERSE 40
قَالَ قَدْ وَقَعَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ رِجْسٌ وَغَضَبٌ أَتُجَادِلُونَنِي فِي أَسْمَاء سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَآؤكُم مَّا نَزَّلَ اللّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ فَانتَظِرُواْ إِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُنتَظِرِينَ {71
007:071 Khan
:
(Hud) said: "Torment and wrath have already fallen on you from your Lord. Dispute you with me over names which you have named - you and your fathers, with no authority from Allah? Then wait, I am with you among those who wait."
"Terrorism" is not accredited terminology in the Quran. Therefore, it can impossibly have moral status in and of itself. What we mostly have in the Quran, is the Qisas, which says that the moral status of hostile behaviour can only be determined within its history/context of hostility leading up to that particular instance of hostile behaviour. There is no such thing as context-free morality. Without context, the morality of hostile behaviour simply becomes meaningless. Hence, Divine Law does not allow for a blanket condemnation of hostile behaviour. The OIC Convention to Combat Terrorism completely misses the ball there. There is no point in "combating terrorism" if you do not desire to combat the reasons that lead to it. The OIC point of view is biased, dishonest, misleading, and highly deceptive.
Better to use honest terms like "unjust aggression", that way people can think for themselves instead of have loaded unrepresentative terms invoking false illusions upon their minds.
The british and american governments fall under the definition provided above for terrorism, do you expect the so-called modern muslim authorities to use the term to describe them? Not at all, and that's plain fraud since it's actually an illusion meant to make people forget to check between right and wrong, justice and injustice.
Anyways, it's become clear that Allah's way is truthful and just, and that we can only achieve peace by unanimously accepting it or separating, since those who claim to practice secularism have been proven to follow falsehood and commit injustice at whim, even going to the lengths of legislating injustice and then relegislating as soon as they find themselves falling foul of their own laws and definitions.
Btw, now that they've accepted that the war against Iraq is unlawful, have they apologised to, released from prison and reimbursed all of those whom they harassed, fined and imprisoned for so called terror offences and submitted themselves to just judgement?
Well what can you expect, when the Jews are running the show.
Better to use honest terms like "unjust aggression", that way people can think for themselves instead of have loaded unrepresentative terms invoking false illusions upon their minds.
The british and american governments fall under the definition provided above for terrorism, do you expect the so-called modern muslim authorities to use the term to describe them? Not at all, and that's plain fraud since it's actually an illusion meant to make people forget to check between right and wrong, justice and injustice.
Anyways, it's become clear that Allah's way is truthful and just, and that we can only achieve peace by unanimously accepting it or separating, since those who claim to practice secularism have been proven to follow falsehood and commit injustice at whim, even going to the lengths of legislating injustice and then relegislating as soon as they find themselves falling foul of their own laws and definitions.
Btw, now that they've accepted that the war against Iraq is unlawful, have they apologised to, released from prison and reimbursed all of those whom they harassed, fined and imprisoned for so called terror offences and submitted themselves to just judgement?
Well what can you expect, when the Jews are running the show.
"Seek Allah’s help with patience and prayer. It is indeed hard, except for those who are humble. Who bear in mind that they will meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him."
I've never met a person turn up to football and not improve over time..
..never been winners in the outside world.
got a fair play medal once..for the worst game of my life.. dropped and got dropped..
I'm sure the ref found that funny.
again, there was a recent thread about letters of the Prophet pbuh..
the endings to most of those letters are awe inspiring..
put the fear of God into me.
Last edited by M.I.A.; 09-02-2016 at 03:28 PM.
Reason: midfield although I've had my days as a striker.
no disrespect to the real Jews... bout as relevant to the thread title as your getting.
I get your point, this is what they say when there is a lot of water gone under the bridge now, people are dead, families are in pain, and the society is trying their best to twist things around.
Well what can you expect, when the Jews are running the show.
Israel is mostly secular today, but if they followed their faith there are passages that talk about how Israelis should treat aliens, or in today’s language, refugees, foreigners living in Israel. They should also understand that the Palestinians have been living there for centuries.
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Ezekiel 47
21 “You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign LORD.
Leviticus 24
You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19
33 " 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
Exodus 12:49
The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you."
Exodus 22:21
"Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
Leviticus 19:10
Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.
In the spirit of praying for justice for all people.
Eric
You will never look into the eyes of anyone who does not matter to God.
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for sharing, very relevant to share in these times.
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