Salaam
This old debate. The difference between what you can hope for rather than what can be actually achieved. Getting past all the complexity of the conflict (rebels being hijacked, geopolitical power games etc) Assad brought a lot of this on himself by his unreasonable behaviour.
Finally have to say that's a rather callous and cruel attitude you display to those who fight for their freedom (describing the rebels as 'muppets' really?). Disappointing :hmm:
[MENTION=25172]Junon[/MENTION] - if you put yourself in the correct matrix and accept that Allah :swt: is the True King - then you will accept the fact that those who rebel against Allah are the party of Satan the persistent rebel.
If you position yourself in false matrices - you will inevitably take other false ones as gods besides Allah and will be worthy of condemnation.
Taaghoot are not worthy of my worship whereas Allah is worthy - therefore rebelling against taaghoot is a waste of mental and physical energy other than using the terms for the sake of debate in order to put things in correct perspective - and it is hateful and foolish to put them on the pedestal of Allah :swt: - rather it is more fitting that a person obeys Allah and that he/she strives in Allah's cause in order to make the true guidance of Allah :swt: uppermost from a position of truthful and just authority and not from a position of falsehood and rebellion.
Consider - would your leader ever claim to be rebelling against you if you commited a crime against Allah and he/she was taking the appropriate and just measures to rectify the situation in submission and obedience to Allah :swt: ?
It would be much more inappropriate to put the faithful servants of the Most High Allah :swt: in a position of rebellion when they are dealing with rebels in Allah's Kingdom.
Rebellion is more aligned with kufr and cheekiness - and there are only two verses in the Quran that i know of which describes those who commit kufr of taaghoot.
And these verses are a fitnah as can be seen in context.
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ
فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
M. M. Pickthall
There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.
اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
M. M. Pickthall
Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
M. M. Pickthall
Bethink thee of him who had an argument with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had given him the kingdom; how, when Abraham said: My Lord is He Who giveth life and causeth death, he answered: I give life and cause death. Abraham said: Lo! Allah causeth the sun to rise in the East, so do thou cause it to come up from the West. Thus was the disbeliever abashed. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
From Quran, Chapter 2 - Al Baqarah
قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ
كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
M. M. Pickthall
There is a goodly pattern for you in Abraham and those with him, when they told their folk: Lo! we are guiltless of you and all that ye worship beside Allah. We have done with you. And there hath arisen between us and you hostility and hate for ever until ye believe in Allah only - save that which Abraham promised his father (when he said): I will ask forgiveness for thee, though I own nothing for thee from Allah - Our Lord! In Thee we put our trust, and unto Thee we turn repentant, and unto Thee is the journeying.
Quran, Chapter 60, Verse 4
Other than that piece of emergency code to be used in Allah's work in submission and obedience to Him - the term Kaafir is used to refer to the ungrateful rejecter of Allah, of true justice - and is generally used to refer to criminals.
Now i expect that you won't call Ibraheem :as: a kaafir despite his rhetorical argument, or ask me to generally support kuffaar after knowing the general differences between common usage of the terms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUAie-X3u8I
Secularist leaders are more fitted to be referred to as rebels worthy of punishment than are Muslim believers in Allah :swt:
قَالَ أَلْقُوا فَلَمَّا أَلْقَوْا سَحَرُوا أَعْيُنَ النَّاسِ وَاسْتَرْهَبُوهُمْ وَجَاءُوا بِسِحْرٍ عَظِيمٍ
M. M. Pickthall
He said: Throw! And when they threw they cast a spell upon the people's eyes, and overawed them, and produced a mighty spell.
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَ
M. M. Pickthall
And We inspired Moses (saying): Throw thy staff! And lo! it swallowed up their lying show.
Quran Chapter 7, Verses 116-117
وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّوا فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ
M. M. Pickthall
And even if We opened unto them a gate of heaven and they kept mounting through it,
لَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَارُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسْحُورُونَ
M. M. Pickthall
They would say: Our sight is wrong - nay, but we are folk bewitched.
Quran, Chapter 15, Verses 14-15
6. And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Torah (which came) before me, and giving Glad Tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.(The Praised One)” But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, “this is evident sorcery!”
7.
And who does more wrong than one who invents falsehood against Allah, even as he is being invited to Islam? And Allah guides not those who do wrong.
8. Their intention is to extinguish Allah's Light (by blowing) with their mouths: But Allah will complete His Light, even though the Unbelievers may hate it..
9. It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, that he may proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).
