
By Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
19 February 2019
All Indians including Muslims are extremely angry in the
wake of recent Pulwama attack. Demonstrations are being held at several parts
of India and all these Indians are condemning the wanton attack that took the
lives of 40 soldiers. Naturally people are demanding elimination of terrorism
and terrorists.
But merely
condemnations and demands will not be enough. Muslim Ulama and scholars must
perform a double role; one for the safety of the country and second for saving
Islam from being misused by terror ideologues. This country gives full
religious rights to its minorities, unlike the Muslim-majority countries in our
neighbourhood. However, terror ideologues are using Islamic titles and
appearances to misguide the youth in the name of the religion. As religious
guides it becomes their regular primary duty to ideologically defeat the terror
narratives. They should consistently engage in ideological struggle against
terrorism through their sermons, lectures in Madrasas, mosques and all other
religious gatherings.
There are a number of websites like Jaish-e-Mohammad's
weekly online Urdu magazine Haftroza Al-Qalam (al qalamonline.com) which are
consistently trying to brainwash the Muslim youth and function as breeding
grounds for suicide bombers. Websites like this repeatedly make terror
narratives to brainwash the Muslim youth. Indian Ulama should issue fatwas
against terror narratives, refuting them point by point.
This article is just a wake-up call to Indian Muslims and an
expression of concern over the Pulwama Attack. However, I would like to refute
two terror narratives significantly used by Jamaat-e-Islami inspired terror
outfit JeM’s Urdu magazine Haftroza Al-Qalam.
Refutation Of JeM’s
Terror Clerics- Point 1
1. The terrorist
Urdu mouthpiece Haftroza Al-Qalam says,
جہاد کو
ریاست
کی
ذمہ
داری
قرار
دے
کے
خود
مطمئن بیٹھ جانے والو
قرآن
کی
آیات
جہاد
کو
ایک
بار
پھر
پڑھ
لو
شاید
تمہارا
اِیمان
بچ
جائے
Translation; O the people who declare Jihad the state’s
responsibility and take rest! Read again the Quranic verses related to Jihad,
so that you may save your faith”
(alqalamonline.com/index.php/news/11420-680-kashmir-azadi-ka-zariya)
This aforementioned terror narrative is directed to Indian
Ulama who declare that Jihad is the responsibility of the state. This came in
response to the Indian Ulama who had issued anti-terror fatwas including the
fatwa issued by a Barelwi cleric Mufti Salim Noori who even went to the extent
of declaring the terrorists like Hafiz Saeed beyond the pale of Islam. The
point commonly enshrined in the anti-terror fatwas was that Jihad is the
responsibility of state and not that of any individuals or groups and that
anyone who takes the law in hand should be prosecuted.
The terror narrative asks Indian Ulama to save their faith
by studying again the Quranic verses related to Jihad. This narrative implies
that if Indian Ulama do not stop issuing anti-terror fatwas, they will be
losing their faith. Now it is time for Indian Ulama to defend their anti-terror
fatwas or accept that they have lost their faith.
As for me, Indian Ulama have not lost their faith by issuing
anti-terror fatwas. Instead the JeM’s clerics should take into account their
faith as they are imposing lies after lies on the objectives of Islamic Sharia.
These clerics must learn Islam again under the people of patronage as the
Quranic verses say,
“So O people, ask
the people of knowledge if you do not know” (16:43)
“O People who
Believe! Obey Allah and the Noble Messenger and those amongst you who are in
authority” (4:59)
O JeM’s clerics, when you do not know, why don’t you ask the
people of knowledge? The beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Could they
not ask when they did not know? The cure for ignorance is inquiry” (Sunan Abu
Dawud).
O JeM’s clerics! You people impose lies on Islam; so do you
not fear Allah Almighty who says in the Quran, “Or do you say about Allah that
which you do not know?” (2:80) and “Has Allah permitted you [to do so], or do
you invent [something] about Allah?” (10:59). So fear Allah and stop misguiding
Muslim youth.
You should renew Islamic studies especially the
Jihad-related verses and Ahadith which were meant for curbing oppression,
ensuring religious freedom and security. Don’t you know the objectives for
which Jihad was for the first time made mandatory?
You should keep in mind that there are two major types of
Jihad; Jihad by fighting and Jihad by Nafs. The first revelation which
permitted Jihad by fighting is either 2:190 or 22:39 which came much later in
Madani period. Before revelation of
2:190 or 22:39, fighting even in self-defence was forbidden in Makkah and
initially in Madina too. The Quranic verses which directly or indirectly debarred
Muslims, in the initial period, from waging Jihad by fighting even in
self-defence are 23:96, 5:13, 73:10, 16:82, 88:21-22, 50:45.
Read these verses in full as follows;
“Repel evil with
the best deeds; We well know the matters that they fabricate”. (23:96)
“So, forgive them
and excuse them; indeed, Allah loves the virtuous”. (5:13)
“And be patient
over what they say and avoid them with gracious avoidance”. (73:10)
“Then if they turn
away, O dear Prophet, (Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him) upon you is
nothing but to clearly convey (the message)”. (16:82)
“Therefore advise;
indeed, you are a proclaimer of advice. (The Holy Prophet is a Remembrance from
Allah.) You are not at all a guardian over them”. (88:21-22)
“And you are not
one to use force over them” (50:45)
However, when the verse 2:190 or 22:39 was revealed, Jihad
by fighting in self-defence against religious persecutions was allowed against
those who initiated fighting; Allah Almighty says,
“And
fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not
transgress. Truly Allah loves not the transgressors.” (2:190)
O clerics of JeM, have you forgotten the objectives for
which Jihad by fighting was permitted?
Muslims in Makkah were subjected to all sorts of indignities
and persecutions. In the words of Zia al-Quran (tafsir of the Quran), “Hadrat
Bilal was rolled on the glowing embers. Yasir and his wife Samiya were wounded
with spears. Not to speak of the poor and the helpless, even the blue-blooded
could not go unmolested. For instance, Osman’s uncle would tightly wrap him in
a fresh animal skin, and throw him in the scorching sun. The searing sun,
profuse sweat and foul smell of the skin would choke his breath and be
unbearably excruciating and painful. Similarly, Abu Bakr was once subjected to
such a cruel and painful torture that he lay unconscious for a long time.
“Besides
inflicting physical torture, the Makkan pagans stooped to make the early
Muslims the butts of their playful jokes. They raised baseless objections to
the verses revealed by Allah, derided the injunctions of Shariat. In brief,
they left no stone unturned. Although the Muslims suffered heartless
oppression, torture and abuse for thirteen years, yet they were not allowed to
exact a measure of retaliation. They were commanded to persevere patiently.
During the thirteenth year after the declaration of his Prophet-hood, Allah
commanded the prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions to migrate. They
carried out Allah’s command worshipfully and migrated to Yathrib –nearly 300
miles away from Makkah. Still the animosity of the inveterate enemies of Islam
had not subsided. They inflicted fresh injuries on the Muslims; robbed them of
the peace of mind and heart. A band of pagan Arabs would raid the pastures of
the Muslims and take away their cattle. If they encounter a lonely Muslim, they
would not hesitate in killing him mercilessly.
“For
as long as 14 or 15 years, the Muslims suffered insults, outrages and injuries
at the hands of their persecutors. They bore all these indignities with the
utmost humility and patience. When the aggression and ruthlessness of the pagan
Arabs grew more hotly than ever, Allah granted permission to the believers to take
up arms in their own defence and make the mischief-loving pagan Arabs believe
that the torch of Islam – that lights up darkness – would never be allowed to
be blown out. Likewise the flag held aloft for the dissemination of the truth
will never be let down, however hot they might grow. This torch will remain lit
until the doomsday. And the flag of the truth will continue to flutter so long
as the world exits”. (Zia-ul-Quran, Vol: 3; p.218)
This first command for Jihad by fighting, as in the Quranic
verse 2:190, was revealed in connection with the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. It is
reported that in 6 A.H/628, the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) went out
with his companions from Madinah to Makkah for performing ‘Umrah. When they
camped at Hudaybiyyah near Makkah, the Makkans came and prevented them from
continuing on into Makkah. So the Muslims remained there for a month. Then they
made a treaty stipulating that they would turn back the following year for
three days and perform the ‘Umrah and that there would be no fighting among
them. Having concluded the Treaty, they came back to Madinah. Then, as the time
for that approached, Muslims feared treachery of the Makkan pagans and being
called upon to fight in the sacred precinct [Haram] during the sacred months. This
verse 2:190 was then revealed to set the rules of war, meaning that Muslims are
allowed to fight if the Arab pagans initiate fighting with them. We already
know that in the initial days, Muslims were brutally tortured, murdered and
driven out of their homes, but despite that, as the above Quranic verses
testify to this fact, they were commanded to have patience and pardon their
enemies, but now since they have made a treaty and are feeling treachery of the
Makkans, Muslims were therefore allowed to fight them in their defence.
O clerics ofJeM! You should take into account the cause of
revelation [shan e nuzul] and context of the afore-mentioned Quranic verse
2:190. Have you forgotten the basic teaching that Shan E Nuzul (cause of revelation) impacts the ruling. Why don’t
you gather all the Quranic verses and Ahadith together and apply the right
methodological approach in order to understand the purpose of Islam which aimed
merely at eliminating oppression, establishing peace, justice and
tranquillity?!
O clerics of JeM! Don’t you know that the early Muslims
after the beloved Prophet went to glory, had much better understanding of Jihad
and that they stipulated that Jihad was the state’s responsibility, otherwise
any individual could have misused Jihad. Don’t you know that with the changing
phase of time, many issues of Islam were changed? Today the situation has
changed and Islamic Sharia has all flexibility to coexist with the changing
stipulations of Islamic rulings?
O clerics of JeM! Come out of the intoxication of Mr. Maududi’s
narratives of ‘Jihad’ and try to understand Islam in its spirit. Your Maulana
Maududi’s writings are full of blasphemous writings and you should do more home
work to understand Islam. So come out of such blasphemous writings and seek
tauba for what you have been so far, and stop brainwashing the Kashmiri or any
other Indian Muslims.
O clerics of JeM! Have you forgotten the terms of covenant?
Muslims in India are living in agreement with the Constitution which fully
grants religious freedom and security. According the Indian Constitution, India
is not only an abode of peace for Muslims but also a covenant which makes it
mandatory for Muslims to live peacefully and with all loyalty. Have you
forgotten the Divine Message of Allah Almighty which says, “And fulfil the
promise; indeed the promise will be asked about” (17:34) Muslims in India have
promised to live peacefully, but you clerics want them to break the promise and
be accountable to Allah Almighty.
O clerics of JeM! We know what do you mean by ‘Jihad’? Your
definition of ‘Jihad’ is to fulfil your agenda of nefarious desires. You
provoke Muslims in Kashmir for stone-pelting. You incite them for militancy.
You are causing destruction for Kashmiri Muslims. It is you people who have brought
Kashmiri Muslims into trouble by teaching them your own narratives. Who will be
responsible for the death of Kashmiri Muslims? Of course you are responsible, O
clerics of JeM. If you stop provoking Kashmiri Muslims, everything will be good
for Kashmiri Muslims.
O clerics of JeM! Take care of your own country, Pakistan in
which as per reports not only non-Muslim minorities are oppressed but Muslim
civilians are also killed. The clerics like you have justified killing of
Sufi-Muslims and destructing shrines by suicide attacks. You should learn that
suicide attacks are forbidden under all circumstances. My article on
forbiddance of suicide attacks are referenced below.
O clerics of JeM! First uphold Islamic teachings in your own
country, which asks you to ensure religious freedom and security of
non-minorities. Perhaps you have forgotten these Islamic teachings. I am giving
you some of its lessons through a number of authentic references.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said,
أَلاَ مَنْ
ظَلَمَ
مُعَاهِدًا
أَوِ
انْتَقَصَهُ
أَوْ
كَلَّفَهُ
فَوْقَ
طَاقَتِهِ
أَوْ
أَخَذَ
مِنْهُ
شَيْئًا
بِغَيْرِ
طِيبِ
نَفْسٍ
فَأَنَا
حَجِيجُهُ
يَوْمَ
الْقِيَامَةِ
"
Translation: “Beware, if anyone persecutes any peaceful
non-Muslim citizen [Mu’ahid], or diminishes his right, or forces him to work
beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall
plead for him on the Day of Judgment.” (Please see Sunan Abi Dawud – Book 20,
Hadith 125- Arabic reference).
The purport of this Hadith is that if any Muslim persecutes
any peaceful non-Muslim citizen, or diminishes his right and so on, as
mentioned above in the Hadith, the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) will
plead for that peaceful non-Muslim on the Day of Judgment.
This Hadith is not simply a warning but a law promulgated in
the blessed era of the beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) even after the conquest of Makka [Fath-e-Makka]. This law is still a part
of Islam. There is not a single hint of its being abrogated. Thus, according to
the great Ulema and Fuqaha of Islam, this law is universal and all-time valid
in its essence and application. Therefore, none of the followers of Ahadith or
the followers of the interpretation of great Ulema and Fuqaha should hesitate
to accept the message inherent in this Hadith.
Similar Hadith has been reported by several well-known
Muhaddethin like Bukhari, Nasai, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, as follows;
“Whoever
kills a peaceful non-Muslim living in minority [Mu'ahid] shall not smell the
fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance can be smelt at a distance of forty
years (of travelling). (Sahih Bukhari, Book 87, Hadith 52)
“Whoever kills a
peaceful non-Muslim living in minority or under Muslim-governed country
[Mu'ahad] with no justification, Allah will forbid Paradise to him.”
(SunanNasai, Book 45, Chapter “Seriousness of killing the Mua’hid”, Hadith 42)
“If anyone unjustly
kills a peaceful non-Muslim living in minority or Muslim protection [Mu’ahid],
Allah will forbid him [the killer] to enter Paradise” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Book
15, Hadith 284)
“Indeed, whoever
kills a peaceful non-Muslim living in minority or under the Muslim protection
[Mu'ahid] that has a covenant from Allah and a covenant from His Messenger
(peace be upon him), then he has violated the covenant with Allah and the
covenant of His Messenger, so he shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise;
even though its fragrance can be sensed from the distance of seventy autumns.”
(Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, Book 16, Hadith 19)
“Whoever
kills a peaceful non-Muslim living under the protection of Muslim-run country
[Mu’ahid], will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, even though its fragrance
may be detected from a distance of forty years” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 21,
Hadith 2789-Arabic reference)
“Whoever
kills a peaceful non-Muslim (living in Muslim-run country) who has the covenant
with Allah and the covenant with his Messenger, will not smell the fragrance of
Paradise, even though its fragrance may be detected from a distance of seventy
years” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 21, Hadith 2788-Arabic reference)
O clerics of JeM! Why do you forget that your ‘Jihad’ merely
appears as ‘Fasad’. In your fasad you people incite Muslim youth to commit the
sins which are forbidden in so many Ahadith.
Even during Jihad by fighting waged in defence, the
following rulings are binding upon the warriors. The beloved Prophet (peace be
upon him) said,
(1)
“Do not kill any child, any woman, or any elder or sick person.” (Sunan
Abu Dawud)
(2) “Do not practice treachery or mutilation.
(Muwatta Malik)
(3) “Do not destroy the villages and towns, do
not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle.”
(Sahih Bukhari; Sunan Abu Dawud)
(4) “Do not kill the monks in monasteries,
and do not kill those sitting in places of worship. (Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal)
(5) “Do not uproot or burn palms or cut down
fruitful trees. (Al-Muwatta)
(6) “Do not wish for an encounter with the
enemy; pray to Allah to grant you security; but when you [are forced to]
encounter them, exercise patience.” (Sahih Muslim)
(7) “No one may punish with fire except the
Lord of Fire.” (Sunan Abu Dawud).
O clerics of JeM! In numerous attacks inspired by people
like you, you have killed women, children and elderly people. People like you
have done suicide attacks in mosques while the worshippers were sitting in
places of worship. When you brainwash the Muslim youth to commit suicide
attacks in the name of Istishhad, don’t you think that you punish them with the
fire, which is forbidden for you? By your acts of terrorism, you are causing
defamation of Islam. Do not you fear the Day of Judgment when you all will be
accountable to God Almighty for every deed?
O clerics of JeM! Don’t you fear God Almighty when you
misinterpret Islamic teachings and make Muslim youth fool? It is because of you
people and your likes that even peaceful mainstream Muslims in India and across
the world are being seen with suspects and objects of terrorism. You people
have created such a situation around the world. But when any non-Muslims
understand true Islam, they stop suspecting peaceful Muslims.
O clerics of JeM! Stop brainwashing Kashmiri Muslims for
committing acts of terrorism in the name of ‘Jihad’ and fear Allah Almighty!
Refutation of JeM’s terror ideologues- Point 2
2. O clerics of JeM, you people have made in your Urdu
mouthpiece Haftroza Al-Qalam another argument for brainwashing Indian Muslims,
،مقبوضہ کشمیر
آزاد
ہوگا
اور
اپنے
ساتھ
پورے
ہندوستان
کے
مسلمانوں
کی
آزادی
کا
ذریعہ
بنے
گا
Translation; “the occupied Kashmir will be liberated and it
will be the reason for liberation of all Indian Muslims”
(alqalamonline.com/index.php/news/11420-680-kashmir-azadi-ka-zariya)
O clerics of JeM, your narrative is completely false. We
Indian Muslims do not think we are slaves. It is you people who are instilling
into our mind thought of slavery. So you want to enslave us to follow your nefarious
desires. We Indian Muslims are safe and secure under Indian Constitution. Above
all, our God Almighty is the only Protector. Do not try to make us fool by your
agenda. We also do not forget that whenever we Indians fight over some issues,
we again resolve our issues with mutual cooperation and that majority of
non-Muslims stand by us in some difficult times.
O clerics of JeM, Our Indian Constitution give us all
necessary rights; right to freedom of religion, right to education, right to
justice, right to development, right to building mosques and madrasas and right
to leading peaceful life. It is you who should try to seek freedom from the
clutches of evil desires and terror narratives inspired by your masters. Even
Kashmiri Muslims of India have been granted such rights, but you are
brainwashing them, taking their life by making them suicide bombers and slaves
of your evil desires.
O clerics of JeM, there are many other grounds substantiated
by the Quran and Sunnah which guide you to change your terror narratives and
stop brainwashing Indian Muslims including Kashmiris otherwise you have already
imposed lies upon the Islamic teachings for which you will be accountable to
Allah Almighty.
A regular
Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim and
Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar), with a Sufi-Sunni background and
English-Arabic-Urdu Translator. He has also done B.A (Hons.) in Arabic, M.A. in
Arabic and M.A in English from JMI, New Delhi. He is Interested in Islamic
Sciences; Theology, Jurisprudence, Tafsir, Hadith and Islamic mysticism
(Tasawwuf).
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URL: http://www.newageislam.com/radical-islamism-and-jihad/ghulam-ghaus-siddiqi,-new-age-islam/refutation-of-jaish-e-mohammad’s-theology--pulwama-terror-attack-should-open-the-eyes-of-indian-ulama/d/117794
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