ISIS, Other Terrorist Groups, and Misuse of Islamic Terminologies – Part 1

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 11 May 2024 ISIS and Their Hypocrisy Main Points 1. During the Prophet’s lifetime, it was impossible to misapply Islamic teachings due to the revelation of the Qur'an. 2. The Quran exposed the immoral schemes of hypocrites who claimed to be believers but were not sincere. 3. Hypocrites suffer from internal and outward contradictions, leading to conflict and anxiety in their personal lives. 4. Hypocrites see believers as fools while thinking themselves to be wise and intelligent. 5. Actions of ISIS and its likes have led to negative stereotypes between Muslims and non-Muslims. 6. Their destructive impact on the world necessitates a comprehensive and repeated response to combat and dismantle them. -------- Iman, Islam, Sharia, Jihad, Sunnah, Quran, and Hadith are the holy words of Islam. During the blessed time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), it was impossible to abuse these terminologies. However, in the modern day, radical groups such as ISIS have been utilising Islamic terminologies to continuously cause trouble and riots on Earth, all while participating in the schemes of some hidden powers. Particularly from the news from Syria and Iraq, we learnt about the massacres of citizens by terrorist groups and the human and financial losses these countries had to pay for their retaliation. These days, pictures of Zionist Israeli violence against Gazan civilians flash before our eyes, and the cries of women, children, parents, the old, and the weak are constantly ringing in our ears. These devastating scenes are not unnoticed by us. Even human tears have dried up as well. Nevertheless, the tenacity, bravery, and faith of the downtrodden Palestinian civilians continue to make us think very hard. However, groups such as ISIS are working to further harm Muslims, to execute them as heretics and apostates, and ultimately to obliterate the goodwill that Muslims and Islam have with non-Muslims. They identify as Islamic organisations. Even if their activities have nothing at all to do with Islam, they utilise Islamic terminologies to defend their behaviour. Before delving into the subject, it is imperative to acknowledge that during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), nobody could misapply the teachings and terminologies of Islam. This was mostly due to two factors: First, it was the period—roughly twenty-three years—during which the Qur'an was revealed. Had someone dared to spread disinformation against Islam, Allah would have exposed his immoral schemes by revealing His verses. For instance, Islam had to contend with a group of hypocrites during this time who claimed to be believers on the tongue but were not sincere believers. These liars joined the ranks of sincere Muslims. They were hard to identify since they appeared to be Islamic, and as a result, they posed a serious threat to Muslims. Thus, the Qur'an explained their signs and warned Muslims of all ages to exercise caution. Allah says in the Quran: “And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers.” (2:8) The hypocrites believed that their deception was a brilliant strategy and a clever move, and they believed that by doing this, they would be able to deceive both Allah and the Muslims. However, the Holy Quran exposed their schemes. Allah says in the Quran: “They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not.” (2:9) Throughout their lives, hypocrites consistently stray from the Right Path, squandering all of their power and abilities for the sake of immoral schemes, and all they receive in return is shame and divine retribution. In the next verse, the Almighty Allah states, "And there is a disease in their hearts" (2:10). Anyone who gives in to their deceit will have their doubts tear apart their faith; anyone who lets their horrible trials enter his heart will end up in a fiery furnace; and anyone who listens to their lies will let them stand in the way of his unwavering faith. Although most people are unaware, the hypocrites do greatly contribute to earthly corruption. Hypocrisy is certainly a unique type of disease which does not bring harmony between the outer and the inner ideas. Hypocrites suffer from internal and outward contradictions to such an extent that it causes them to feel conflicted and anxious in their personal lives. As a result, the Holy Qur'an states, "...and for them is a painful punishment" (2:10). The hypocrites are known for their tendency to lie, misbehave, and create chaos on Earth. One of their falsehoods is that, although being rioters in actuality, they pose as reformers. In the Quran, Allah declares: “And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers.” (2:11) Then Allah says, “Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.” (2:12) One of the traits of the hypocrites in the Holy Qur'an is that they see believers as fools while thinking themselves to be wise and intelligent. Allah says in the Quran: “And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" (2:13) Then in the next part of the same verse, Allah said: “…Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.” (2:13) In private, the hypocrites used to call Muslims stupid. They considered their deceitful behaviour to be their speciality. However, when they stood in front of Muslims, they would pretend to be true believers, hoping that the Muslims would fall for their deceit. Put differently, each one of them had two personas: the one he presented to Muslims and the other he used to interact with his deviated friends. They had two tongues: a false tongue that they used to interact with Muslims, and a true tongue which conveyed their actual beliefs. The Holy Qur'an gave Muslims explicit instructions to avoid falling for the smooth rhetoric of these hypocrites and to be wary of their tricks. There are two types of hypocrisy: (1) creedal hypocrisy [NIfaaq-e-I’teqaadi also known as An-Nifaq Al-Akbar] and (2) practical hypocrisy [Nifaaq-e-Amali/ An-Nifaq Al-Asghar]. Creedal or doctrinal hypocrisy is the term for when someone verbally affirms their faith while his heart is obsessed with unbelief and categorical denial of the truth. It occurs when someone pretends to believe in Allah, His book, His prophets, His angels, and the day of judgement, yet their actual beliefs run counter to all or part of these assertions. Creedal hypocrisy is a concealed occurrence, making it difficult to identify. Only Allah is aware of a person's true heart. Because the succession of revelations continued during the blessed time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), it was not only feasible but also a reality for hypocrisy to be exposed through revelations. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is said to have once addressed 36 persons by name from the pulpit on a Friday, saying, "O So-and-so, get out because you are a hypocrite." (Narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas, Al-Rauz p. 97). But it is hard to spot hypocrisy because we do not live in the age of the coming of revelation. A milder variation of hypocrisy is called practical hypocrisy. This kind of outward manifestation—that is, the goodwill and good deeds that are outwardly shown—ignores the person's inner self. In contrast to the hypocrisy based on beliefs, practical hypocrisy can be distinguished by its indications as stated in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Practical hypocrisy can take many forms, but some traits and indicators include lying, undermining trust, breaching agreements and treaties, and more. From this perspective, it can be observed that modern radical groups such as ISIS, which distort Islamic terminologies, are essentially lying. They are well aware that the Muslim Ummah places its reliance on Islamic sources. The radical groups are thereby betraying Islam and Muslims by misinterpreting Islamic concepts and rules mentioned in Islamic sources. These radical organizations violate the promises made in favour of the country's constitution. These organizations use the instructions related to the wars fought against oppression mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah to attack the common citizens, women, children and the innocent in most Muslim countries. Since the Muslim Ummah has been made fully aware of their deceit and lies, the vast majority of Muslims have consistently denounced their acts of terrorism. These radical organizations use Islamic terms, and following a terrorist attack, they release comments attempting to disseminate the idea that their actions are a means of advancing Islam or its principles. Because of what they are perpetrating, there is a chance that the friendly environment will be ruined and a climate of hostility towards Islam will be fostered in the media. Thankfully, though, most countries have been able to defeat their evil schemes significantly. Though several nations have banned periodicals, magazines and journals published by groups such as ISIS, some of their sayings continue to surface in the media. We have collected some of their statements which will be featured in an upcoming piece. The key argument here is that because of the actions of these radical organizations, both Muslims and non-Muslims have suffered and formed negative stereotypes of one another. It is simple to believe that such extreme groups are supported and funded by sinister, unseen forces. But since they are destroying the world and hurting both Muslims and non-Muslims, we have to be prepared to combat, disprove and put an end to them at all costs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Stay away from them and keep them away from you, so that they do not lead you astray; lest they lead you into temptation.” (Sahih Muslim, Chapter: The Weak Narrators, Liars, and Those Whose Hadith are Avoided Hadith: 7) (Continued) ----- A regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is a Classical Islamic scholar with a Sufi background and an English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. Urdu Article: ISIS, Other Terrorist Groups, and Misuse of Islamic Terminologies – Part 1 داعش جیسی تنظیمیں اور اسلامی اصطلاحات کا غلط استعمال URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-terrorism-jihad/isis-terrorist-islamic-terminologies-part-1/d/132298 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism