Terrorism & Islamic Doctrine

 

An examination of Islamic doctrine from both the Quran, and Hadith in order to see if it agrees with terrorism.

 

 Various governments like the United States describe terrorism in this particular way, "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political, religious, or social objectives."  There are valid points in there which are true, but to add something further to get the whole picture; "Terrorism is use to further one's political, religious, or social means, as a result of not having a military strong enough to carry out it's objectives."

 

Bin Laden known as a "jihad terrorist", who continues to make his presence known described the motivation for his cause on a audio tape.  In November 2002.  "Speaking in a literary style of Arabic favored by Bin Laden, the voice said the attacks were ''carried out by the zealous sons of Islam in defense of their religion,'' and that they were a reaction to what ''(President) Bush, the pharaoh of this age, was doing in terms of killing our sons in Iraq, and what Israel, the United States' ally, was doing in terms of bombing houses that shelter old people, women and children.''

 

CAIR: Bin Laden's  Public Relations Agency

 

 Those who disbelieve in GOD, after having acquired faith, and become fully content with disbelief, have incurred wrath from GOD. The only ones to be excused are those who are forced to profess disbelief, while their hearts are full of faith.  The Quran: Revelation 16:106

 

CAIR is an agency that supposedly defends the rights and interests of the Muslim community in the United States but in reality the facts say otherwise. In 1998, CAIR fought to remove billboards in some LA counties that were depicting Bin Laden as an enemy of the United States. CAIR claimed it was offending to Muslims and was encouraging racism. CAIR also claimed Bin Laden had nothing to do with the twin East African embassy bombings and in September 2001, CAIR declared Bin Laden had nothing to do with the World Trade Center attacks, but in December 2001 CAIR admitted Bin Laden's involvement. CAIR routinely sides with Bin Laden and other terrorists around the world unless those those radicals say something contrary. Take the 1993 conviction of Omar Abdel Rahman for example, who planned to blow up New York City's landmarks. CAIR of course called that an act of "injustice" of the law against Muslims.

 

 

President Bush and Islam

 

Since the terrorists attacks conducted upon the United States during  9/11, we have witnessed President Bush, declaring at such places as the Islamic Center in Washington DC on Sept 17, 2001, "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don't represent peace. They represent evil and war." 

 

In a Joint Session to Congress on Sept 20, 2001, President Bush continued his theme of Islam being a religion of peace by declaring to congress and the nation, "We respect your faith. It is practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah." 

 

President Bush describes Islam as a "peaceful religion", and not only that but he goes on to say it's teachings are agreement with God... Islamic doctrine is not good as President Bush points out, because it's teachings are contrary to what the Bible teaches...One of the main reasons for painting a positive image of Islam, was the fear of a possible backlash by the American public or the United States government when it became known, the terrorists were Arabs who practice Islam...

 

This fear was propelled in the public spotlight  in June 2002, when Commissioner Peter Kirsanow in Detroit said, "If there's another terrorist attack, and if it's from a certain ethnic community or certain ethnicities that the terrorists are from, you can forget civil rights in this country,"  A week later, Kirsanow apologized  for his outburst and said his comments were taken out of context. He doesn't believe in detention camps, he insisted, nor should the Bush administration consider them."
 

  Most of the mainstream media in America agreed with President Bush's  theme on Islam...Contrary to the popular belief with some Muslims which claims all media outlets in the United States are bias against Muslims, there was however, many articles displaying how peaceful Muslims are especially in their own community...Even my local newspaper publishes a Muslim writer in it's editorial section on a regular basis, alternating with other professional editorial writers.  This was unheard of before Sept 11, 2001...Like President Bush, they were concerned about a possible backlash by the American public so they went out of their way to paint Islam in a positive light.  

 

Months following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many  Muslims around the world in general, have been placing  themselves as the doctrine of Islam, quoting the Quran in such places as Sura 2:256...and use themselves as an example on behalf of other Muslims...Yet, justify such attacks because the US supports Israel, and claim desperate people do desperate things when oppressed...They cry out, "if only the Jews would leave the Palestinian land, there would be peace."  They claim similar things about  Kashmir as well...

 

Is Islam a peaceful religion?  Is President Bush, and the rest of the mainstream media and Muslims who firmly want us to believe in this particular theme right, or wrong?  Let's examine both the Quran and the Hadith very carefully in order to see if Islam agrees with terrorism...The Quran states, and I quote, "Let there be no compulsion in religion” 2:256...Many Muslims will use Sura 2:256, and quote history... 

 

The doctrine of Abrogation is one of the most  important doctrines when it comes to understanding Islam

 

 "And for whatever verse we abrogate and cast into oblivion; We bring a better or the like of it;
knowest thou not that God is powerful over everything?
 Sura 2:106

 

Abrogation basically means in Islam, is that the newer Suras which are better than the older Suras, are to be be obeyed. While the older Suras are not to be obeyed, if there is a conflict of commands between them...

The importance of this particular doctrine of abrogation cannot be understated. In a mosque in the city of Kufa, Ali b. Abi Talib, one saw people gathering around the judge, Abdur-Rahman. The judge was confusing that which is permissible with that which is not.  Ali asked him whether he could tell the abrogative verses from the abrogated; he said that he could not. Ali then grabbed the man's ear, twisted it, and said: "you perish, and you make others perish. Do not judge in our mosque anymore."

Since we now know understand the doctrine of  Abrogation in Islam and it's importance, a question should arise..."Are there any  verses that are newer than  Sura 2:256 in the Quran?  As we examine the various texts from the Quran,  the answer is "yes"...Let's look at the newer verses....

 

"Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme" Sura 8:39

"Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits, for Allah does not love transgressors". Sura 2:190

"And slay them (the infidels) wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out, for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter" Sura 2:191

"And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and Faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression". Sura 2:193

This may surprise some people but in the beginning of Islam, the Jihad, was not allowed....No Muslim at this time was commanded to take up arms against his enemy...But these newer verses changed this whole concept completely, and gives Muslims the right of self defense, or to wage war against nations which it has no treaty with...

More quotes from the Quran  include,  "Seize them and slay them wherever you find them: and in any case take no friends or helpers from their ranks."  Sura 4:89

"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued."  Sura 9:29

"And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans.

If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith." Sura 9:3

Here we see in Sura 9:29,  the Quran ordering Muslims to fight in order to establish Allah’s kingdom on earth (all of the earth) by any means. Most Islamic scholars are in agreement  that one verse of the Quran (9:5) abrogates 124 verses, which are basically all the verses that talk about peace and forgiveness. Speaking of Sura 9:5, here it is, and I quote...

"But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular Prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful" Sura 9:5

As we see clearly in this verse (which is commonly called the verse of the sword) there is only one way out for pagans (or infidels) to be spared from being slain and that is they should repent, and that is; to begin establishing prayers, and practice charity, or in other words, become a Muslim...As for people of the book we read the verse in the same sura which tells us the way out of being killed "until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission and feel themselves subdued." Jihad terrorists believe in these verses of the Quran to the letter...

 

A collection of books known as the Hadith, which were written by Muslim scholars in attempt to record Islamic history and the prophet Muhammad.  The Hadith is in agreement with the Quran on violence, and establishing an early kingdom...

 

For example,  it states and I quote, "Ibn Haban in his Sahih, vol. 14, p. 529, narrates: Muhammad said: "I swear by Him who has my soul in his hands, I was sent to you with nothing but slaughter."  In his Musnad (vol. 2, p. 50) Imam Ahmed narrates by Ibn Omar: "the Prophet said: "I was sent by the sword proceeding the judgment day and my livelihood is in the shadow of my spear and humiliation and submission are on those who disobey me."

 

Omar Ibn al-Khatab said: "I heard the prophet of Allah saying: ‘I will cast Jews and Christians out of the peninsula and I won’t leave any one in it but Muslims.’" (Sunan Abu Dawud, vol. 2, No. 28, from the Muhaddith program[2]).  Ibn Ishaq and al-Waqidi report that the prophet said the morning after the murder (of Kab Ibn al’Ashraf), "Kill any Jew you can lay your hands on." (El beddayah wa alnihaya – Ibn Katheer – vol. 4 – in the chapter on killing Ka’ab bin al’Ashraf).

 

The third and final question we are going to look at is, "Did major Muslim figures impose what  we previously viewed in the Quran and Hadith?  The answer is clearly "yes" for example, Tarik, a Muslim leader who lead the conquest of Spain addressed his troops in 711. This motivational speech to his troops shows how establishing an early kingdom as taught in the Quran and Hadith was to be accomplished in Islam...

 

Tarik states, "The Commander of True Believers, Alwalid, son of Abdalmelik, has chosen you for this attack from among all his Arab warriors; and he promises that you shall become his comrades and shall hold the rank of kings in this country. Such is his confidence in your intrepidity. The one fruit which he desires to obtain from your bravery is that the word of God shall be exalted in this country, and that the true religion shall be established here. The spoils will belong to yourselves."

 

Some if not most Islamic terrorists, will use this very style used in Tarik's speech to motivate their followers to kill themselves and others around them.  Many Muslims would argue since the conquest of Spain by Tarik, there was more freedom of religion for a time, than when Christianity was in control...They are incorrect, it wasn't Christianity rather it was a church/state, religion, in Spain who were doing the persecuting and then murdering those outside the state religion. This church/state religion is known as the Roman Catholic Institution.

 

There is no commandment in the New Testament doctrine for Christians to conduct force conversions on those outside of Christianity, nor a commandment using the government to spread Christianity by force. The Christian church is suppose to conduct itself in a civil manner according to Scriptures, by only preaching the Gospel to those who are unsaved, nothing more.  Now back to the issue at hand.

 

Another example is Muhammad himself. The most important prophet in Islam...Before the Hadith was written, there was another book written by Ibn Ishaq about Muhammad's life...The book is called, "Sirat Rasulallah" which is considered to be the most authentic biography of Muhammad.  There is an event in there that we should take note of on page 515.  It occurred about 3 years before Muhammad's death.  This event has to do with Muhammad's conquest of Khaibar, a large Jewish settlement. 

 

It had one of the best palms in the area as well as prosperous merchants, craftsmen, and farmers.  There was a certain treasure brought to Muhammad's attention.  Muhammad then asked about it.  But Kinana denied that the treasure actually existed.  Muhammad then says, "Do you know that if we find you have it I shall kill you?" he said "Yes." Muhammad gave orders that the ruin be excavated and some of the treasure was found.

 

Kinana continued to be unwilling to reveal where any of the treasure was.  So Muhammad gives orders to al-Zubayr Al-Awwam, "Torture him until you extract what he has." So he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then Muhammad delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head. 

 

Is this an indication that Islam is a "peaceful religion" as President Bush, and Muslims all over the world like to put it as or not?  It's very clear, the answer is a resounding "no."  All of the answers to the above question comes from doctrine, and practice of Islam and Muslim scholars themselves.  Their fruits indicate without question to it's intention, point out that Islam is not a peaceful religion. But does that mean, all Muslims are not peaceful people? The answer is; yes and no. Yes, Muslims do have a goal to establish an earthly kingdom through various means even through violence...However, having said that there are Muslims who would live peacefully with others, even though they differ in religion but believe Allah's kingdom will be established mainly through peaceful conversions to Islam...Sadly though, a Muslim has no peace with God.

 

Let me explain this to you even further, firstly, Muslims in general, are in dire need of God's gift, which is, salvation through Christ and Christ alone (John 6:37,65).  Not a form of works and self redemption through a formula of  certain religious laws with the prospect of never knowing if your saved or not...Secondly, some Muslims will in fact give excuses for the terrorist activities conducted in such places as the Middle East, even the attacks of  Sept 11, however, they  wouldn't perform those acts of evil themselves...And finally, there are some Muslims who condemn completely the notion of any type of terrorism...

 

 Let's conclude now on a positive note which is the only hope a person has, no matter what race, religion, a person has, and that is....

 

May God open their hearts up to the Gospel according to His Will!

 

Terrorism and Islamic Doctrine: Part 2: Six Years Later