by Dr. Ali Shehata
Does Islam Condemn Terrorism Scripturally?
In the Quran and Sunnah, Muslims are repeatedly reminded to be people of justice and to act upon the truth, not their emotions. A Muslim should never act out of revenge or hatred, for in such a case, he will be accountable to God for his crime. God has commanded in the Quran:
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to justice, and let not the hatred of others make you turn to wrong and to a departure from justice. Be just—that is next to righteousness, and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that you do. {5:8}
The great Muslim scholar of Spain, al-Qurtubi, says in commentary on this verse:
The fact that someone disbelieves [in Islam] does not prevent us from being just to him, and that our dealing with them (in a state of war) should only be restricted to fighting or capturing them if they deserve so. It is not permissible to mutilate their bodies, even if they kill our women and children to cause us grief, it is not for us to intentionally mutilate them to cause them grief and sorrow.
Furthermore, Muslims are not only to be people of justice and honor, yet they are also commanded to strictly guard their oaths and treaties with others, a fact attested to throughout the history of Islam. When the Prophet entered into a treaty with the pagans of Makkah, one of the clauses stated that anyone who embraces Islam from the Makkans and then migrates to Madinah seeking refuge amongst the Muslims must be turned back. The following passage taken from The Sealed Nectar illustrates how difficult that decision was, and yet, how firm the resolve of the Prophet was to abide by it since he had given his word in the name of God.
It was during this time while the treaty was being written that Abu Jandal, Suhail’s son who had accepted Islam not long before, appeared on the scene. He was brutally chained and was staggering with [misery] and fatigue. The Prophet and his Companions were moved to pity and tried to secure his release, but Suhail was adamant and said, “To signify that you are faithful to your contract, an opportunity has just arrived.” … It was indeed an anxious moment. On the one hand, Abu Jandal was lamenting at the top of his voice, “Am I to be returned to the pagans that they might [tempt] me from my religion, O Muslims?” But, on the other hand, the faithful engagement was also considered to be necessary, above all other considerations. The Prophet’s heart welled up with sympathy, as he wanted to honor his word at all costs. He consoled Abu Jandal and said, “Be patient, resign yourself to the Will of God. God is going to provide for you and your helpless companions relief and a means of escape. We have concluded a treaty of peace with them and we have taken the pledge in the Name of God … and in silent resignation was Abu Jandal then borne away with his chains. Mubarakfuri, S.R. (2008). The Sealed Nectar: (Ar-Raheequl-Makhtum); Biography of the Noble Prophet. Riyadh: Darussalam
Abu Jandal ibn Sufyan later freed himself and escaped, but could not go to Madinah to be with the Prophet due to the treaty that had been concluded and he remained for a number of years by the seaside until the some of the terms of the treaty were later repealed by the pagans.
Moreover, it must be remembered that the Prophet also gave instructions to the Muslims on how to deal with people with whom they have an agreement, or with whom they have entered into a treaty. Attesting to this fact, it is authentically recorded that the Prophet Muhammad pbuh gave the following warning,
“Whoever kills a Mu’ahid, will never smell the fragrance of Paradise, although its fragrance can be appreciated from the distance of forty years.” [Bukhari] Mu’ahid: A non-Muslim with a guarantee of security from Muslims, or those people with whom the Muslims have entered into a treaty.
The Prophet Muhammad pbuh is also recorded to have frequently said in his sermons,
“The one who gives no security has no faith, and the one who does not respect his treaties has no religion.” [Ahmad and several others from the narration of Anas ibn Maalik]
Muslims living in the West, irrespective of which country they live in or which country they come from, be they citizens or residents, legally or illegal; all have been allowed into their respective new country with a mutual pact of security. Just as the police officers in those countries have a legal and a moral responsibility towards all Muslims residing in their countries, the Muslims too have a legal, religious and moral responsibility towards the lives and properties of the residents of those countries, even if those countries are at war with Muslims elsewhere in the world. It becomes a religious requirement upon the Muslims in such places to be law abiding citizens in all matters that do not contradict their religion. Hence, Muslims are religiously prohibited from stealing, cheating and disturbing the peace—not to mention being forbidden from performing the wanton destruction of innocent lives and property that occurs with most terrorist acts.
The last important point that must be clarified is that Muslims are not allowed to individually declare war on others, as some people have wrongly done today. In Islam, order and structure are of paramount importance so as to prevent much of the anarchy that we see these days. As was mentioned previously, the Muslim world today has no leadership (Caliphate) and thus cannot declare war upon another nation. Muslims have certainly been given the right to defend their homes if and when they are attacked, but the act of crossing into another sovereign country by a small gang of people in order to attack it is entirely illegal in Islamic law.
Thus, the emotionally driven actions of various extremists around the world today are found again and again to be without basis Islamically. God indeed is forgiving, but we do say very loudly and clearly that violating the treaties and guarantees of security that are assumed by entering into other countries and then cowardly killing innocents and non-combatants is something completely forbidden in Islam and leads to the punishment of God in the Hereafter.
In fact, in such turbulent times, the Prophet strongly recommended to the believers that they step back and to wait patiently until issues became clear, as opposed to taking action during times of confusion and trial. And there is no doubt that the issues of today are confusing and extremely frustrating, making it all the more necessary to pull back and not get dragged into something that can easily land someone in Hell.
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