by Dr. Ali Shehata
The Islamic Stance on Terrorism and War - Direct from the Sources
Having understood from the previous chapters that Islam is a total way of life, it then doesn’t seem the least bit unusual that Islam possesses a code of regulations concerning war. How many societies, from the beginning of civilization until now, have constitutions that have no provision for war? Few, if any, have left out this important matter, for people of wisdom understand that war is unfortunately an inevitable reality in this life.
There will always be corrupt and ruthless individuals in this world, and rogue, tyrannical governments that will take advantage of their strength in order to rob, raid and oppress weaker peoples and nations. Orderly civilizations must have an answer to deal with such groups, or else such corruption would take over the world. After mentioning how, He aided David over the oppressive forces of Goliath, God says in the Quran:
By God's will, they routed them, and David slew Goliath, and God gave [David] power and wisdom and taught him whatever else he willed. And had not God checked one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of corruption, but God is full of Bounty to the Universe. {2:251}
Yet, ever since the spread of Islam into Christian territories in the seventh century, the religion of Islam has been falsely branded as a religion of violence and war.* With the more recent violence in the Middle East and the events of 9/11, Islam has further been accused of being a religion of terrorism and intolerance. Is this true, or are there some important pieces missing from the puzzle?
* Kaegi, W.E. (1969, June). Initial Byzantine Reactions to the Arab Conquest. Church History, Vol. 38, No. 2 p. 139–149, p. 139–142, quoting from Doctrina Jacobi nuper baptizati 86–87
What are the Verses from the Quran that Mention Violence and War?
As is often unfortunately the case, there are those who intend to deceive the general public about what the Quran says concerning violence. They even use the statements of religious extremists to strengthen their arguments, but never really mention the importance of context.
For example, when a person sees the following verse from the Quran, they may be shocked and begin to believe much of the rhetoric:
And kill them wherever you catch them. {2:191}
This fragment of a verse is often cited by those who seek to stir up hatred and misunderstandings between Muslims and non-Muslims. And to make matters worse, some of the uneducated poor in some Muslim countries have declared this to be their evidence for killing non-Muslims. So what to believe then?
As always, looking at the context of any statement will allow us to best understand what is intended. Let’s review the context of these words then to see if the picture gets clearer.
Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not be the aggressors, for God does not love those who transgress. And kill them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out, for persecution and oppression are worse than killing. But, don’t fight them at the Sacred Mosque, unless they first fight you there. So, if they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of those who deny faith. But if they cease their aggressions, then indeed is God Forgiving, Most Merciful. And fight them until there is no more persecution or oppression, and justice and Faith in God prevail. But, if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression. {2:190-193}
So it becomes clear, that in this verse, God is guiding the believers on how to deal with oppression and persecution; how to deal with those that attack you!
So the valid question then becomes, should God have instead said, “Hug them wherever you find them, and kiss them in return for them evicting you from your homes and trying to murder you”? There is no law on Earth, nor logic, which would support this! This is quite clear in today’s world where some nations attack others based on the possibility that they will be attacked, termed pre-emptive war, not even waiting for hostilities to start.
Islam and Tolerance of Other Faiths
To get a clearer picture of how Muslims should deal with people who don’t share their faith, let us review the following passage from the Quran. They clearly illustrate how God teaches His followers that they must maintain peace with ordinary and peaceful non-Muslims, and that they should only fight a hostile enemy:
But if the enemy inclines towards peace, you also must incline towards peace, and trust in God, for He is One that Hears and Knows all things. {8:61}
Permission to fight is given to those who are being attacked, because they have been wronged. And surely God measures out help for them. {22:39}
God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who have not fought you concerning your religion and have not driven you out of your homes. Indeed, God loves those who are just. God only forbids your friendship with those who fight you in the religion and drive you out from your homes and support those who drive you out. And whoever befriends them, such are the wrongdoers. {60:8}
And why should you not fight in the cause of God, and of those who, because they are weak, are persecuted and oppressed? Those whose cry is, “O’ Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from Yourself one who will protect us, and raise for us from Yourself one who will help us.” {4:75}
Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from error. Whoever rejects evil and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God Hears and Knows all things. {2:256}
After seeing these verses, it should be clear that the religion of Islam does not support the killing of those who don’t agree with them. It commands a careful, thoughtful approach to prevent persecution and oppression of both Muslims and non-Muslims, and to try to find peaceful solutions to such issues, if at all possible, before resorting to combat. Also, a review of history will demonstrate how Muslim armies were sometimes dispatched to protect non-Muslims, as this is the command of God; justice and freedom for all people.
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