Why more extreme, more violent?

A man reading the Quran at the Red Mosque. One of the most basic teachings of Islam is that a Muslim is not a complete Muslim if he only refers to the Book and not the teachings of the Prophet – Pic by Shehan Gunasekara

By Amani Naeemullah

While the Muslims claim that the terrorists are nothing but an abomination to Islam, and the priests and the monks guide with speech of honour to not cause harm to any community out of shrewdness, one part of the country is trying to figure its doubts on whether the Muslims are just defending their religion, and whether war is what the religion actually preaches. 

If not, if Islam is a religion of peace, as its translation say, why are Muslims more extreme, more violent? Or are the moderate Muslims just not Muslim enough? 

Before ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, the news of the explosions was already published in popular social media pages, and I came across a lot of comments, where people from different countries were already blaming Muslims and the religion. 

Some of them quoted verses from the Quran that had to do with killing, and concluded that, “Hence, Islam preaches nothing but hate, and to kill infidels, et cetera,” and it definitely looked strong enough to convince anybody that maybe Islam was actually the worst religion that existed. 24.1% of the world’s population just motivated to cause destruction? 

But you don’t know the story if you’ve just read a sentence. We all have different perspectives, different levels of dogmatism and literacy, so I’m not here today to argue with your conclusions, but to tell you the story itself. 

Islam does speak about war, most of the verses that were publicised to stimulate racism might not even be false, and the surrounding verses, which was probably not shared, should clear up the fact that war should be performed only as a defensive measure, but here’s what you need to know additionally; 

These verses regarding war were revealed during the time that the Muslims were oppressed. The interpretation should cover up most of it for you. The Prophet had advised the people to always face a challenge with patience, and then more patience, return the curse with kind words, to spread humanity; and that was what the followers were doing. 

“Don’t fight them as long as they do not prevent you from your prayers. And if you see them do something you dislike, dislike their acts, but do not dislike them. And do not take your hand out from obedience to them.” (Bukhary and Muslim). 

But the challenges that the Muslims faced worsened, such that their properties were confiscated due to their faith, they were killed when they prostrated to God, their people were tortured heartlessly, their food supply was blocked, and the military was ordered to destroy the believers. 

At a situation like this, God gave permission to declare war for rights and freedom to follow Islam, hence the brief description about killing and harming people who harmed you that’s going viral around the internet, allowing ignorant people to judge and share their perspectives. 

But here’s the part the terrorists focused on. The rewards. The men who were involved in war, if lost their lives in it, were to be rewarded immensely in the after-life. What they didn’t focus on were the conditions and the prohibitions. 

There are three main conditions to declare war. You couldn’t just randomly go and kill anyone who disbelieved in the oneness of Allah; in fact, killing an innocent soul is one of the worst and unforgivable sins that a Muslim could commit, just as worse as the sin for committing murder as explained in Buddhism and Christianity. 

The conditions to declare war are if; 

1) There are aggressive designs against Islam, and 

2) There are concerted efforts to eject Muslims from their legally acquired property, and 

3) Military campaigns are being launched to eradicate them.

The war should be a defensive measure and not an offensive one, should be started by the opponent, and should be carried out by a ruler and not by an individual or a small group of Muslims. 

But from the conditions mentioned above, any educated person should be able to understand that the Christchurch attack isn’t a sufficient reason to declare war, just as ISIS had informed. 

Further, to mention a few out of the prohibitions, even on the battlefield, the warrior is prohibited from killing women, children, old people and people who devote themselves to religion. 

So how exactly could anyone expect it to be a teaching of Islam, to carry out a war, at a place where people who devote themselves to religion, attend; where women, children and old people also gather? 

And if I had to mention about the strong prohibition of committing suicide—the fact that a person, who, even if was 100% devoted to Allah, took his own life by his own will, could never, ever enter paradise, what mentality could the suicide bombers possibly have? 

This isn’t getting killed in a war for the cause of Allah—this is about killing yourself to create a war, to cause hate against Allah. 

Such sadistic movements are uncorroborated in Islam, founded in mental ideology, and use “militant Islamic” dogma to justify their felonious actions. 

“Whosoever kills an innocent human being, it shall be as if he killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he saved the life of all mankind.” (Quran 5:32) 

So how did these terrorists go wrong? 

More than what they just learn from books, I believe their external environment and people itself have a huge role to play in it. If you consider the leader of the recent attacks, Zahran Hashim, he was known to be a manipulative talker and could, by his words, captivate anyone by his side. A rotten apple can rot the whole basket of apples! These people misuse their skills to lead other people astray, and portray as if it would be the greatest deed a person could do, or even by challenging others to increase their enthusiasm. 

One of the most basic teachings of Islam is that a Muslim is not a complete Muslim if he only refers to the Book and not the teachings of the Prophet. While the Quran states the obligations and preference, as a statement, the Prophet stated the importance, instructions (method of practice), conditions, etc. (Refer verse 4:59) 

And by what I’ve learnt from the teachings, about respecting non-Muslims, prohibition of forcing religion upon anyone, as sincerity counts more than the claim of belief, guarding religious places of all religions, the context which says those of bloodshed would be the first sinful cases to be decided on the Day of Judgement; I can tell you, the terrorists haven’t referred to it. 

This automatically confirms that they aren’t complete in their faith, by the standards of the Book itself. Also wrong translations, unauthentic sayings, and inhuman contents of wrong resources could have also affected them. 

In the year 628, the Prophet entered into a peace treaty with the Christians, which so distinctly opposed against terrorism, and is deserved to be stated completely below; 

“This is a message from Mohammed ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. 

Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by God! I hold out against anything that displeases them. 

No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses. 

Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. 

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. 

She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. 

No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).” 

This agreement was signed by the Prophet and given to a delegation of Christian Monks from St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai. 

Further, this message is to all those who are curious; when you do your own reference, focus on a) the verse but most importantly, the surrounding verses, b) the interpretation, and c) the teachings of the Prophet regarding the subjects – check the authenticity when you obtain information through Google. 

While all of the people call them extremists, I wouldn’t even classify them as complete Muslims. 

They missed the most basic teachings and the most basic emotions. You don’t need education or religion to feel the pain of someone, you just need a heart.