Cole writes: "Terrorism is above all murder. Murder is strictly forbidden in
the Qur'an."
Muslims display anti-ISIS posters during a candlelight vigil for victims of the
Paris attacks on November 15, 2015 in Bhopal, India. (photo: Mujeeb
Faruqui/2015 Hindustan Times)
Top Ten Ways Islamic Law Forbids Terrorism
By Juan Cole, Informed Comment
16 November 15
Reprint edn. (Slightly rearranged & revised):
1. Terrorism or hirabah is forbidden in Islamic law, which groups it with
brigandage, highway robbery and extortion rackets– any illicit use of fear and
coercion in public spaces for money or power. The principle of forbidding the
spreading of terror in the land is based on the Qur’an (Surah al-Ma’ida
5:33–34). Prominent [pdf] Muslim legal scholar Sherman Jackson writes, “The
Spanish Maliki jurist Ibn `Abd al-Barr (d. 464/ 1070)) defines the agent of
hiraba as ‘Anyone who disturbs free passage in the streets and renders them
unsafe to travel, striving to spread corruption in the land by taking money,
killing people or violating what God has made it unlawful to violate is guilty
of hirabah . . .”
2. Terrorism is above all murder. Murder is strictly forbidden in the Qur’an.
5:53 says, “… whoso kills a soul, unless it be for murder or for wreaking
corruption in the land, it shall be as if he had killed all mankind; and he who
saves a life, it shall be as if he had given life to all mankind,” Qur’an 6:151
says, “and do not kill a soul that God has made sacrosanct, save lawfully.”
(i.e. murder is forbidden but the death penalty imposed by the state for a
crime is permitted).
3. If the motive for terrorism is religious, it is impermissible in Islamic
law. It is forbidden to attempt to impose Islam on other people. The Qur’an
says, “There is no compulsion in religion. The right way has become distinct
from error.” (-The Cow, 2:256). Note that this verse was revealed in Medina in
622 AD or after and was never abrogated by any other verse of the Quran.
Islam’s holy book forbids coercing people into adopting any religion. They have
to willingly choose it.
4. Islamic law forbids aggressive warfare. The Quran says, “But if the enemies
incline towards peace, do you also incline towards peace. And trust in God! For
He is the one who hears and knows all things.” (8:61) The Quran chapter “The
Cow,” 2:190, says, “Fight in the way of God against those who fight against
you, but begin not hostilities. Lo! God loveth not aggressors.”
5. In the Islamic law of war, not just any civil engineer can declare or launch
a war. It is the prerogative of the duly constituted leader of the Muslim
community that engages in the war. Qur’an 4:59 says “Obey God and the Messenger
and those in authority among you.” Nowadays that would be the president or
prime minister of the state, as advised by the mufti or national jurisconsult.
6. The killing of innocent non-combatants is forbidden. According to Sunni
tradition, ‘Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the first Caliph, gave these instructions to
his armies: “I instruct you in ten matters: Do not kill women, children, the
old, or the infirm; do not cut down fruit-bearing trees; do not destroy any
town . . . ” (Malik’s Muwatta’, “Kitab al-Jihad.”)
7. Sneak attacks are forbidden. Muslim commanders must give the enemy fair
warning that war is imminent. The Prophet Muhammad at one point gave 4 months
notice (Q. 9:5).
8. The Prophet Muhammad counseled doing good to those who harm you and is said
to have commanded, “Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if
others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you
will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do
good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” (Al-Tirmidhi). It was
narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It was said: O
Messenger of God, pray against the idolaters! He said: “I was not sent to
pronounce curses, rather I was sent as a mercy.” (Narrated by Muslim [2599])
9. The Qur’an demands of believers that they exercise justice toward people
even where they have reason to be angry with them: “And do not let the hatred
of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to
righteousness.”[5:8]
10. The Qur’an assures Christians and Jews of paradise if they believe and do
good works, and commends Christians as the best friends of Muslims. I wrote
elsewhere, “Dangerous falsehoods are being promulgated to the American public.
The Quran does not preach violence against Christians.
Quran 5:69 says (Arberry): “Surely they that believe, and those of Jewry, and
the Christians, and those Sabeaans, whoso believes in God and the Last Day, and
works righteousness–-their wage waits them with their Lord, and no fear shall
be on them, neither shall they sorrow.”
In other words, the Quran promises Christians and Jews along with Muslims that
if they have faith and works, they need have no fear in the afterlife. It is
not saying that non-Muslims go to hell– quite the opposite.
When speaking of the 7th-century situation in the Muslim city-state of Medina,
which was at war with pagan Mecca, the Quran notes that the polytheists and
some Arabian Jewish tribes were opposed to Islam, but then goes on to say:
5:82. ” . . . and you will find the nearest in love to the believers [Muslims]
those who say: ‘We are Christians.’ That is because amongst them are priests
and monks, and they are not proud.”
So the Quran not only does not urge Muslims to commit violence against
Christians, it calls them “nearest in love” to the Muslims! The reason given is
their piety, their ability to produce holy persons dedicated to God, and their
lack of overweening pride.
(For a modernist, liberal interpretation, see this pdf file, “Jihad and the
Islamic Law of War.”
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target="_blank"></A></P><p class="txtimg"><BR><H1 class="txttitle">Top Ten Ways
Islamic Law Forbids Terrorism</H1><P class="txtauthor">By Juan Cole, Informed
Comment</P><P class="date">16 November 15</P><P> </P><P><I>Reprint edn.
(Slightly rearranged & revised):</I></P><P class="indent">1. Terrorism or
<I>hirabah</I> is forbidden in Islamic law, which groups it with brigandage,
highway robbery and extortion rackets– any illicit use of fear and coercion
in public spaces for money or power. The principle of forbidding the spreading
of terror in the land is based on the Qur’an (Surah al-Ma’ida 5:33–34).
Prominent <A
href="http://www.hartsem.edu/sites/default/files/macdonald/articles/jacksonart1.pdf
" target="_blank"> [pdf] Muslim legal scholar Sherman Jackson writes</A>,
“The Spanish Maliki jurist Ibn `Abd al-Barr (d. 464/ 1070)) defines the agent
of hiraba as ‘Anyone who disturbs free passage in the streets and renders
them unsafe to travel, striving to spread corruption in the land by taking
money, killing people or violating what God has made it unlawful to violate is
guilty of hirabah . . .â€</P><P class="indent">2. Terrorism is above all
murder. Murder is strictly forbidden in the Qur’an. 5:53 says, “…
<STRONG>whoso kills a soul</STRONG>, unless it be for murder or for wreaking
corruption in the land, <STRONG>it shall be as if he had killed all
mankind;</STRONG> and he who saves a life, it shall be as if he had given life
to all mankind,†Qur’an 6:151 says, “and do not kill a soul that God
has made sacrosanct, save lawfully.†(i.e. murder is forbidden but the death
penalty imposed by the state for a crime is permitted).</P><P class="indent">3.
If the motive for terrorism is religious, it is impermissible in Islamic law.
It is forbidden to attempt to impose Islam on other people. The Qur’an says,
“There is no compulsion in religion. The right way has become distinct from
error.†(-The Cow, 2:256). Note that this verse was revealed in Medina in
622 AD or after and was never abrogated by any other verse of the Quran.
Islam’s holy book forbids coercing people into adopting any religion. They
have to willingly choose it.</P><P class="indent">4. Islamic law forbids
aggressive warfare. The Quran says, “But if the enemies incline towards
peace, do you also incline towards peace. And trust in God! For He is the one
who hears and knows all things.†(8:61) The Quran chapter “The Cow,â€
2:190, says, “Fight in the way of God against those who fight against you,
but begin not hostilities. Lo! God loveth not aggressors.â€</P><P
class="indent">5. In the Islamic law of war, not just any civil engineer can
declare or launch a war. It is the prerogative of the duly constituted leader
of the Muslim community that engages in the war. <A href="http://quran.com/4/59
" target="_blank"> Qur’an 4:59</A> says “Obey God and the Messenger and
those in authority among you.†Nowadays that would be the president or prime
minister of the state, as advised by the mufti or national jurisconsult.</P><P
class="indent">6. The killing of innocent non-combatants is forbidden.
According to Sunni tradition, ‘Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, the first Caliph, gave
these instructions to his armies: “I instruct you in ten matters: Do not kill
women, children, the old, or the infirm; do not cut down fruit-bearing trees;
do not destroy any town . . . †(Malik’s Muwatta’, “Kitab
al-Jihad.â€)</P><P class="indent">7. Sneak attacks are forbidden. Muslim
commanders must give the enemy fair warning that war is imminent. The Prophet
Muhammad at one point gave 4 months notice (Q. 9:5).</P><P class="indent">8.
The Prophet Muhammad counseled doing good to those who harm you and <A
href="http://islam.about.com/od/terrorism/a/terrorism_fatwa.htm "
target="_blank"> is said to have commanded</A>, “Do not be people without
minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them
well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom
yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do
evil.†(Al-Tirmidhi). It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be
pleased with him) said: It was said: O Messenger of God, pray against the
idolaters! He said: “I was not sent to pronounce curses, rather I was sent as
a mercy.†(Narrated by Muslim [2599])</P><P class="indent">9. The Qur’an
demands of believers that they exercise justice toward people even where they
have reason to be angry with them: “And do not let the hatred of a people
prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to
righteousness.â€[5:8]</P><P class="indent">10. The Qur’an assures
Christians and Jews of paradise if they believe and do good works, and commends
Christians as the best friends of Muslims. I wrote elsewhere, “Dangerous
falsehoods are being promulgated to the American public. The Quran does not
preach violence against Christians.</P><BLOCKQUOTE>Quran 5:69 says (Arberry):
“Surely they that believe, and those of Jewry, and the Christians, and those
Sabeaans, whoso believes in God and the Last Day, and works
righteousness–-their wage waits them with their Lord, and no fear shall be on
them, neither shall they sorrow.â€</BLOCKQUOTE><P class="indent">In other
words, the Quran promises Christians and Jews along with Muslims that if they
have faith and works, they need have no fear in the afterlife. It is not saying
that non-Muslims go to hell– quite the opposite.</P><P class="indent">When
speaking of the 7th-century situation in the Muslim city-state of Medina, which
was at war with pagan Mecca, the Quran notes that the polytheists and some
Arabian Jewish tribes were opposed to Islam, but then goes on to
say:</P><BLOCKQUOTE> 5:82. †. . . and you will find the nearest in love to
the believers [Muslims] those who say: ‘We are Christians.’ That is because
amongst them are priests and monks, and they are not proud.â€</BLOCKQUOTE><P
class="indent">So the Quran not only does not urge Muslims to commit violence
against Christians, it calls them “nearest in love†to the Muslims! The
reason given is their piety, their ability to produce holy persons dedicated to
God, and their lack of overweening pride.</P><P class="indent"> (For a
modernist, liberal interpretation, see this pdf file, “Jihad and the Islamic
Law of War.†</P><BR></DIV><p style="text-align: right; display: none;"><A
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