ISIS, Other Terrorist Groups, and Misuse of Islamic Terminologies – Part 2

By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam 23 May 2024 The Distinction between Islam and Extremism Main Points: 1. When the holy Prophet was physically present, it was impossible for anybody to misuse the teachings of Islam. 2. The Farewell Sermon of the Prophet: the First Human Rights Manifesto strongly emphasises respecting human rights and dignity as well as the worth of all lives and belongings. 3. Global Violence and Corruption: Historical Perspectives 4. No Religion condones acts of terrorism, bloodshed, cruelty. 5. Despite the League of Nations and United Nations, promoting peace and maintaining law and order remain challenging. 6. The "Might is Right" principle still applies, leading to global injustice. 7. The Quran and the Prophet's teachings affirm religious freedom and the value of all lives. 8. ISIS and related groups misrepresent these teachings, misleading people. ------ (From Files) ------ During the glorious time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), nobody could misuse the teachings of Islam. This was for two reasons, the first of which was covered in the first part. The second reason for this was the obvious presence of the Prophet (peace be upon him). In every way, his presence was sufficient to address the problems of the Muslim Ummah. The Companions would consult the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) whenever they had a question about how to interpret a verse from the Holy Qur'an and address emerging issues. By the guidelines of Allah Almighty, the Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) used to personally address every issue. Applying the principles of honesty and sound judgement makes it simple to understand the objectives of Islam. Islam preaches salvation and well-being for all, both on Earth and in the hereafter. The core principles of Islam are peace, harmony, fairness, and equity, ensuring success in both life and the afterlife. The life of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) ensures justice and peace. He endured suffering, torture, and atrocities for roughly fourteen years in Makkah before leaving the best system of justice and establishing a system of equality and peace, which is evident from the sermon of Hajjat al-Wada' (meaning: "Farewell Hajj"). This is the occasion on which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "فإن دماءکم وأموالکم وأعراضکم علیکم حرام، کحرمة یومکم هذا في بلدکم هذا، في شهر کم هذا، وستلقون ربکم فسیألکم عن أعمالکم، ألا فلا ترجعو بعدي ضلالا، یضرب بعضکم رقاب بعض، ألا لیبلغ الشاهد الغائب فلعل بعض من یبلغه أن یکون أوعى له من بعض من سمعه"۔ Translation: "So your blood, your properties, and your honour are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this city of yours, in this month of yours; and surely, you will meet your Lord, and He will ask you about your deeds. Beware! Do not become infidels after me, cutting the throats of one another. It is incumbent on those who are present to convey this message (of mine) to those who are absent. May be that some of those to whom it will be conveyed will understand it better than those who have actually heard it." [Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 64, Hadith 428] This was the last sermon of the Holy Prophet. The sermon of Hajjat al-Wada’ is undoubtedly the first and exemplary manifesto of human rights. According to historical data, it holds the distinction of being the first publication on human rights [Naeem Siddiqui, 1981]. Islam places a lot of significance on this sermon. It is not addressed to any specific group but to all of humanity. The lives of people, that is, all human lives, their possessions, and their honour are valued and deserving of respect, and this is made quite plain here. The books of Hadith and Siyar relate that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) defined a Muslim and a believer as someone who promotes peace instead of causing damage to others. The vast majority of Muslims unquestionably place a high importance on providing peace and security, and they contend that in order to preserve peace, tolerance is necessary given the suffering caused by disasters. This must be acknowledged in order to bolster their stance in this regard. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said the following, which Imam Tirmidhi cited: عن ابی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ قال: قال رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم : المسلم من سلم المسلمون من لسانه ويده والمؤمن من أمنه الناس على دمائهم وأموالهم "The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one from whom the people's lives and wealth are safe." [Sunan an-Nasa'i 4995] The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said the following: “The believer is the one from whom their (people’s) wealth and lives are safe, and the Muhajir is the one who forsakes mistakes and sins.” [Sunan Ibn Majah 3934] Peace and security have been identified as characteristics of a Muslim and a believer in the aforementioned hadiths. These hadiths make it abundantly evident that the Holy Prophet's (peace be upon him) teachings and actions were primarily intended to treat everyone equally and with peace and security, regardless of their background or circumstances. But if you compare the beliefs and practices of ISIS and other like organisations to the teachings of the beloved Prophet, you will notice a stark discrepancy. These extremist groups misused Islamic terminology, which led to the killings of civilians including Muslims and disorder in their respective countries. They also increased the opportunity for Islamophobia to defame Islam, by fostering an atmosphere of insecurity and violence throughout the world. Consequently, common Muslims face severe challenges in their lives, often being labelled as extremists despite being oppressed. Extremist organizations like ISIS have significantly impacted Islamic dress, slogans, and identity, leading even faithful Muslims to be considered extremists. This is true even if the majority of Muslims think that the extremist ideologies are at odds with Islam. However, consider the irony of the situation: ever after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre, there has been a stronger tendency to link Islam to terrorism. Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, was revealed to have previously worked for the United States. Following that, many extremist organisations arose, with ISIS being the most dangerous. While these extremist movements did harm to Muslims specifically, those harbouring hatred, and enmity in their hearts condemned all Muslims instead of justly focusing on denouncing extremist and terrorist groups. Islamophobes exploited this opportunity to include all Muslims in the extremist category, turning Islamophobia into a business and actively promoting anti-Islamic sentiment. This makes it clear that their goal is to eradicate Islamic identity, rather than stop terrorism in the name of Islam. A number of individuals who regarded themselves as reasonable and impartial also started to view Muslims with distrust. It began to be said that the verses about battle and jihad, which had to do with the end of persecution, were the root of extremism and terrorism. The resulting anti-Islamic sentiment upset and confused several non-Muslims. Given this, the great majority of Muslims across the globe were compelled to refute any link between Islam and terrorism. I am not arguing that the only groups causing trouble, violence, corruption, and brutality in today's globe are ISIS and other radical groups. The brutality of Hitler, the illegal invasion and occupation of India by the British, the ongoing oppression of Palestine by Israeli Zionism, in which women, children, and the elderly—including the oppressed—scream and cry, the United States' collaboration with Israel, the American dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which claimed millions of lives, and so on—all fill the pages of history. History is filled with accounts of several horrific incidents that have left people inconsolable. These are all illustrations of persecution. None of the perpetrators of these acts of savagery are intrinsically religious, despite their claims to have adhered to any religion. In actuality, they cannot be referred to as religious since no religion condones acts of terrorism, bloodshed, or cruelty. It is significant to remember that the globe still struggles with issues of peace and tranquilly despite living in a technologically advanced age. Human blood is still being shed carelessly today. People are not being treated with honour. Their estates are not secure. There is no protection for minorities' rights to religious freedom. Civilians are still being treated primarily on the basis of differences in race, colour, caste, class, and wealth or poverty. Thoughts such as nationalism, fascism, and socialism have been around for a while, they haven't been able to offer workable answers to issues facing humanity. Although the League of Nations and United Nations were founded with the intention of promoting peace, the issue of maintaining law and order is still very much present today. Given the circumstances, it is known that the "Might is Right" principle still applies. As a result, there is an injustice around the world. Islamophobes ought to open their eyes, exercise common sense, and present these sights to themselves, while observing the aforementioned violence. Even if they choose to ignore these occurrences, would they still use the excuse of terrorism and unjustifiable bloodshed to justify their hatred of Muslims? Do they not see that by promoting their anti-Islamic sentiment, they are advancing the ideologies of groups such as ISIS? By misrepresenting Islamic terminology and teachings—which hold that Islam is a religion of terrorism—radical organisations attempted to propagate their evil objective, which Islamophobes are also working to further. Is it their responsibility to encourage radicalism? Do they not realise that the majority determines what constitutes correctness in the Islamic faith? Hazrat Ibn ‘Umar reported the Messenger of Allah as saying, “Allah will not cause all my people (or he said, Muhammad’s people) to err. The Divine Blessing of Allah is over the community, and he who is separate from it will be separate in hell.” Imam Tirmidhi transmitted it. [Mishkat al-Masabih 173] He also reported the Messenger of Allah as saying, “Follow the main body, for he who is separate from it will be separate in hell.” [Mishkat al-Masabih 174] The hadith above declare that the overwhelming majority of the Ummah is the standard of truth, which implies that the majority of the Muslim Ummah can never agree on sin and misguidance. Not only have the majority of Muslims consistently condemned terrorism, brutality, and mischief, but they have also played a crucial role in ending injustice and establishing justice throughout history. Fighting for Jihad became a duty during the time of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) when the oppressors of Makkah went beyond the pale of cruelty and wickedness. It was decided that non-combatants, including trees, women, children, and elderly men, should not suffer harm even during battle. After the conquest of Makkah, all enemies living in Makkah were provided with amnesty and forgiveness. In Madina, to protect the non-Muslims living in the minority, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) issued a decree saying: "Whoever killed a Mu’ahid [non-Muslim peaceful citizen] unjustly, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith Number: 2760) ISIS, Islamophobes, and sceptics must all learn from the life and teachings of the Prophet. His pure life, teachings, and mannerisms are outstanding models of harmony, peace and tranquillity. Briefly speaking, one verse—which Allah Almighty stated—is sufficient to gauge the value of every human life, whether it be that of a Muslim or non-Muslim. ’’ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَیْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِیْ الْأَرْضِ فَکَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِیْعًا وَمَنْ أَحْیَاھَا فَکَأَنَّمَا أَحْیَا النَّاسَ جَمِیْعًا۔‘ “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul1 or for corruption [done] in the land2 - it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one - it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” (5:32) The following verse is particularly useful for assessing the sanctity of a believer's life: وَ مَنْ یَّقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُّتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَآؤُهٗ جَهَنَّمُ خٰلِدًا فِیْهَا وَ غَضِبَ اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَ لَعَنَهٗ وَ اَعَدَّ لَهٗ عَذَابًا عَظِیْمًا ‘‘ (سورہ نساء ۹۳) “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, their reward will be Hell—where they will stay indefinitely. Allah will be displeased with them, condemn them, and will prepare for them a tremendous punishment.” (4:93) The following hadith is especially helpful in determining if the life of a peaceful non-Muslim person is sacred. "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever kills a Mu'ahad [a peaceful non-Muslim citizen] with no justification, Allah will forbid Paradise to him." [Sunan an-Nasa'i 4747] When someone's right to practise their religion is violated, there is an issue with the nation's peace and order. Even in a time of prejudice and narrow-mindedness, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advanced the understanding of religious and intellectual freedom and gave the impression that coercion is a source of corruption and temptation. Allah Almighty states in the Qur'an that was revealed to him: “There is no compulsion in the Din [Religion]” [2:256] Another verse reads: “You have your Religion, and I have my Religion.” [109:6] This address was meant for those who did not believe in Islam. Allah says, “And say, [O Prophet] “˹This is the truth from your Lord. Whoever wills let them believe, and whoever wills let them disbelieve.” Surely We have prepared for the wrongdoers a Fire whose walls will completely surround them. When they cry for aid, they will be aided with water like molten metal, which will burn their faces. What a horrible drink! And what a terrible place to rest!” (18:29) These texts that guarantee religious freedom also refute and demolish the idea of forced conversion. The teachings of the Prophet and the Holy Quran, the sacred book of Islam, make it abundantly evident that all people are entitled to religious freedom and that every human life must be valued, irrespective of caste, colour, race, religion, creed, or whether they are Muslims or not. These are the Islamic teachings, the precepts of the Prophet, which ISIS and related groups consistently flout, misrepresenting Islamic terminology to mislead people. (Continued) ------ Urdu Article Part 1: ISIS, Other Terrorist Groups, and Misuse of Islamic Terminologies – Part 2 داعش جیسی تنظیمیں اور اسلامی اصطلاحات کا غلط استعمال Part One of the Article: ISIS, Other Terrorist Groups, and Misuse of Islamic Terminologies – Part 1 URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-terrorism-jihad/isis-terrorist-islamic-terminologies-part-2/d/132367 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