Islam does not teach aggression as
did Judaism through the law of retaliation. Nor does it, like present-day degraded
Christianity, preach a contradiction. It does not ask us to turn the other
cheek and at the same time to sell our clothes to buy a sword.
The teaching of
Islam fits into the natural instincts of man, and promotes peace in the only
possible way. Indeed, Islam preaches the middle way, neither too extreme, nor
too lenient, but justice should be justly done according to the situation
prevailing, but like Allah advises in the Holy Quran, forgiveness and patience are
best especially in respect to killings and aggression.
All in all, Islam forbids aggression, but it urges us to fight if failure to fight jeopardises peace and promotes war. If failure to fight means the extirpation of free belief and of the search of truth, it is our duty to fight. This is the teaching on which peace can ultimately be built, and this is the teaching on which the Holy Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) based his own policies and his practice.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“Permission (to fight) is given to those
upon whom war is made
because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well
able to assist them;
Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only
because they said: Our Lord is Allah -
For had it not been for Allah's
repelling some men by means of others,
cloisters and churches and oratories and
mosques,
wherein the name of Allah is oft mentioned, would assuredly have been
pulled down.
And Allah will surely support those who support Him.
Indeed, Allah
is Powerful and Exalted in Might.
Those who, if We give them power in the land,
establish worship (Salat)
and pay the poor-due (Zakat) and enjoin kindness and
forbid iniquity.
And to Allah belong the outcome of all matters.” (22: 40-42).
The duty of the victim, if and when
he attains to power, is to establish religious freedom and to protect all
religions and all religious places. His power is to be used not for his own
glorification, but for the care of the poor, the progress of the country and
the general promotion of peace. This teaching is clear and precise. It exonerates
the blames which hover over Islam, its Holy Prophet and the Muslims to proclaim
loud and clear that the wars which the Muslims did, as it is apparent from the
lives of the early Muslims, were only because they were constrained to do so.
Aggressive wars were and will always be forbidden by Islam. Muslims are
promised political power, but are warned that this power must be used not to
fuel their own grandeur and importance, but for the betterment of the poor and
the promotion of peace and progress.
The Holy Quran commands the victims
of aggression as such:
“And fight in the way of Allah the ones
who fight you, but do not transgress;
surely Allah does not love the
transgressors.
And kill them wherever you catch them, and drive them out from
where they drove you out;
for persecution is worse than killing.
And do
not fight them at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there;
but
if they fight you, kill them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.
But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
And fight them
until there is no more persecution, and religion is for Allah.
But if they
desist, then let there be no hostility except against the aggressors.” (2: 191-194).
Fighting is to be for the sake of Allah,
not for our own sake or out of anger or aggrandisement, and even fighting is to
be free from excesses, for excesses are displeasing to Allah. Fighting is
between parties of combatants. Assaults on individuals are forbidden.
Aggression against a religion is to be met by active resistance, for such
aggression is worse than bloodshed. Muslims are not to fight near the Sacred
Mosque, unless an attack is first made by the enemy. Fighting near the Sacred
Mosque interferes with the public right of pilgrimage. But if the enemy
attacks, Muslims are free to reply, this being the just reward of aggression.
But if the enemy desists, Muslims must desist also, and forgive and forget the
past. Fighting is to continue so long as religious persecution lasts and
religious freedom is not established. Religion is for Allah. The use of force
or pressure in religion is wrong. If the infidels desist from it and make
religion free, Muslims are to desist from fighting the infidels. Arms are to be
taken up against those who commit excesses. When excesses cease, fighting must
cease also.
I have but quoted just few verses from the Holy Quran to give you an idea on the teaching of Islam on the subject of war and peace. They altogether tell us in what circumstances, according to Islam, is it right to go to war and what limits which the Muslims have to observe when they are in war time.
1. Muslims are forbidden altogether to
mutilate the dead. (Muslim).
2. Muslims are forbidden to resort to
cheating. (Muslim).
3. Children are not to be killed, nor
women. (Muslim).
4. The old and decrepit and women and
children are not to be killed. The possibility of peace should always be kept
in view. (Abu Dawud).
5. When Muslims enter enemy territory,
they should not strike terror into the general population. They should permit
no ill-treatment of common people. (Muslim).
6. When a Muslim takes charge of a
prisoner of war, the latter is to be fed and clothed in the same way as the
Muslim himself. (Bukhari).
7. Public buildings and fruit-bearing
trees (and food crops) are not to be damaged (Mu’atta of Imam Malik).
If we analyse each and every forbiddance and condition which Islam has put
forward before going to war, we shall realise that the Muslims are advised
never to make war in the first place, but if they are forced into combat, they
should do so with equity and justice and only fight the aggressors and
oppressors and not the rest of the people, be them women, children and old
people and Muslims also should always respect the environment. But nowadays
what do we see? Muslims are being targeted everywhere in both armed and unarmed
circumstances. The Islamic symbols are being questioned and Muslims are being
oppressed in their own homelands. They are being bombarded while they are
unarmed and do not have the means to retaliate.
This picture reminds us of our
brothers, sisters and children of Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Iran as well as Muslims
in the other countries. While there are a small group of fanatic Muslims who
use the teachings of Islam in the wrong way, but it is the majority of the
Muslims in these countries who happen to bear the consequences of the unjust. And
nobody is really helping them as commanded by Allah, but indeed, through our
prayers my dear brothers, sisters and children, Allah shall come to their aid.
We do not have physical armaments to help our Muslim brothers and sisters, but
we have our hearts and hands in prayer, we have our sacrifices, be it financial
or otherwise to help them.
If we are helpless, then bear in mind that Allah is
never helpless. He is the All Powerful and can at any time change a certain
situation, but Muslims must call upon Allah and never despair in His help, they
must never lose hope in the mercy of Allah. Only then shall the divine
mechanism be started to enable a new breath of change in the world, especially
wherever Muslims are being oppressed either by the people of the other
religious faiths or even by so-called Muslims who say that they follow the
Quran and Sunnah.
May Allah enable us to help our
Muslim brethrens in whatever way we can. Our greatest arm is our faith in Allah
and the prayers we direct towards Him. Allah hears and responds to a true and
sincere call. So we need to obey Allah in all His commandments He had laid down
before us so that in return the door to His mercy be forever opened for us.
Bear in mind, if we are made to suffer on this earth, it is but a temporary
suffering, for all Muslims are righteous and pious shall get an eternal abode
of peace, but as for those who declare them Muslims but their acts and
intention speak otherwise, then they are the most unfortunate, for they let go
of their Islam and embrace evils in the name of Islam. The wrath of Allah shall
seize them and their abode shall be the fire. May Allah have mercy on all true
Muslims and preserve us and our identity and spirituality as such (as TRUE
Muslims) in both the worlds. Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 26 August 2016 ~ (22 Dhul Qaddah 1437 AH) delivered by Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius.