Islam Plain and Simple: Women, Terrorism and Other Controversial Topics by Tariq Jalil

Author:Tariq Jalil [Jalil, Tariq]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quinn Press
Published: 2014-05-05T05:00:00+00:00

Chapt

er Eight

WAR AND TERROR

It is undeniable that there is a tiny segment of modern-day Muslims who commit terrorist acts. This is actually a new phenomenon that Islam had not seen until the 20th century. The consensus of everyone from Islamic scholars to the U.S. government is that these terrorists are small in number and that their religious interpretations are unsupported. These extremists do, however, have a huge impact on the perception of Islam and its followers. In an age where it only takes one person to create havoc, it is easy to create news. This problem is not exclusive to Islam: people like Anders Breivik, a Christian Terrorist, also engaged in a campaign of terror that was fed by a twisted religious conviction, but terror groups claiming Islamic sanction have come to dominate the public discourse on the subject.

The following section will take chapters in the Quran that are used by these “Muslim” terrorists and attempt to place them in more complete context. Ironically, these are the same chapters that anti-Islamic groups use as proof of Islam’s “violent tendencies.” All of this despite the fact both groups have twisted the real meaning of these chapters. In His proclamations, Muhammad made no allowances for the types of violence that some associate with Islam today.

While Islam does not encourage senseless violence, it does allow for national and personal self-defense. The Quran, in particular, is very straightforward about the use of force for defending oneself or one’s community. The verses that follow were revealed to Muhammad at a time when pagan armies had attacked the newly-formed Muslim communities in Medina and declared war on them. It is critical to establish that Islam never tolerates physical aggression or aggressive wars, only defensive action. Muhammad himself never fought an aggressive war. His earliest efforts aimed towards peaceful coexistence with the inhabitants of surrounding communities, and His followers undertook military operations following the declarations of war by their neighbors. In other words, He only fought in self-defense.

JIHAD

Jihad is not only one of the words most misunderstood by non-Muslims, but also one of the words most abused by radical extremists. The term translated literally means “struggle”, or “striving.” Its primary meaning is that of an inner struggle, the struggle within oneself: first, to fight the inclination to do wrongful deeds; and second, to establish constancy in achieving righteous actions. These actions can include good treatment of a neighbor, volunteer work, or even political activism. The Quran uses the word “jihad” 33 times in very different ways. Sometimes jihad refers to the struggle for repentance, righteous deeds, and physical migration to a safe homeland.

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