Do Muslims Think Killing Christians Is A Service To God

Islam is portrayed as a religion of "terror" and "killing", yet this is but one of the most widely held misconceptions nearly Islam. Allah Almighty states unambiguously in the Quran (what means): "Nor take life -- which Allah has made sacred -- except for just crusade. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, nosotros accept given his heir authority (to demand retaliation or to forgive): simply allow him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life, for he is helped (by the Police force)." [Quran 17:33]

Based on this verse, it is Islamically unlawful to murder anyone who is innocent of any crime. At this signal, we would practise well to remember the distinction between the Quran and Sunnah, and the Muslims. Merely the Quran and Sunnah are guaranteed to be in accordance with what the Creator desires, whereas the Muslims may peradventure deviate. Hence, if whatever Muslim kills an innocent person, that Muslim has committed a grave sin, and the activeness cannot be claimed to have been committed "in the proper name of Islam."

It should exist articulate, and then, that the often-used term "Muslim terrorist" is almost an oxymoron: by killing innocent people, a Muslim is committing a grave sin, and Allah is Simply. This phrase is offensive and demeaning of Islam, and it should be avoided. Information technology is hoped that every bit the general level of public awareness and understanding of Islam increases, people will go along "terrorism" and "Islam" separate from each other, and not utilize them in the same phrase.

Jihaad or Holy War?

Some other misunderstood Islamic concept is that the Creator has imposed `Jihaad' on us. The term "holy war" has come from the fourth dimension of the Crusades, and originated in Europe as a rallying cry against the Muslims in

Jerusalem . Jihaad is an Arabic word, significant struggle, but in the context of many verses in the Quran, it carries the meaning of military machine struggle or war. Allah gradually introduced the obligation of war machine struggle to the Muslim customs at the fourth dimension of the Messenger

. The first poesy ever revealed in that connection is as follows, (which ways): "Permission (to fight) is given to those upon whom war is made because they are oppressed, and most surely Allah is well able to assist them." [Quran 22: 39]

This poetry lays downwards the precondition for all wars in Islam: in that location must exist certain oppressive weather condition on the people. The Creator unequivocally orders the states to fight oppression and persecution, even at the expense of bloodshed equally the following verse shows in which Allah Says (what ways):

"And fight in the cause of Allah with those who fight with y'all, and do non exceed the limits, surely Allah does non love those who exceed the limits. And kill them wherever y'all find them, and bulldoze them out from where they collection you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque (in Makkah) until they fight with you in it, but if they exercise fight you lot, then slay them; such is the reward of the unbelievers. But if they desist, so surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with them until at that place is no persecution, and religion should be but for Allah, but if they desist, and then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors." [Quran two:190-192]

As one might imagine, the method of military struggle has been conspicuously and extensively divers in the Quran and Sunnah. Since this is a vast subject, we can simply summarize office of it by noting that it is unlawful to kill women, children, the ill, the old and the innocent. From the Sunnah, we find: Narrated 'Abdullaah, may Allah be pleased with him:

"During some of the battles of the Prophet

a woman was found killed. Allah's Apostle disapproved the killing of women and children."[Al-Bukhari]

A related misconception nigh Jihaad is often propagated by Muslims who say that: "Jihaad is only for self-defense of physical borders." The Quran and Sunnah refute this notion categorically. As the verses cited above evidence, Jihaad is obligatory wherever at that place is injustice, and Muslims need not acknowledge imaginary lines around the world when it comes to upholding this obligation. The Messenger of Allah has as well commented on this extensively in the Sunnah. From the written report of the Sunnah, we find: Narrated Abu Moosaa, may Allah exist pleased with him:

"A man came to the Prophet

and asked: 'A man fights for state of war booty; some other fights for fame and a third fights for showing off; which of them fights in Allah's Cause?' The Prophet

said: "He who fights that Allah'due south Discussion (i.e. Islam) should be superior, fights in Allah'due south Crusade." [Al-Bukhari]

Hence, the Creator obligates us to fight wherever people are existence deprived of freely hearing or practicing the Bulletin of Allah, as contained in the Quran and Sunnah. Sayyid Qutb, a famous Muslim scholar eloquently discusses the notion of Jihaad and self-defense in his book Milestones: "If we insist on calling Islamic Jihaad a defensive movement, then we must change the pregnant of the give-and-take `defense' and mean by it `defence force of man' against all those elements which limit his freedom. These elements take the form of beliefs and concepts, besides every bit of political systems, based on economic, racial or class distinction."

Judicial System of Islam:

A tertiary major area of misconceptions about Islam is that of the Islamic judicial organization, which is considered unnecessarily harsh. This assumption is weak in two respects. Commencement, it presupposes that human beings are more merely and more merciful than the Creator, and therefore we tin change the constabulary. 2nd, information technology is oft based on gross oversimplifications of Islamic law, such every bit maxim: "all thieves go their hands cut off!"

The Quran and Sunnah make it articulate that the law of retaliation (or equality) governs us for murder and physical injury, but forgiveness is better as the post-obit verses from the Quran show; Allah Says (what means):

"The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree): merely if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: for (Allah) loves not those who do incorrect. Just indeed if whatsoever do help and defend themselves later a wrong (washed) to them, against such at that place is no cause of blame. The arraign is only against those who oppress men and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the state, defying correct and justice: for such there will exist a grievous penalty. And whoever is patient and forgiving, these most surely are actions due to courage." [Quran 42:twoscore-43]

The Creator ordained the law of retaliation for us, knowing full well that nosotros might question it. In many not-Muslim societies today, there are ongoing debates about the death sentence. In Islam, this give-and-take is moot: The Creator has decided the matter for us. He has yet given united states an interesting verse in the Quran, which advises to consider the thing carefully if nosotros want to empathise it; the poesy says (which ways):

"And there is life for you in (the law of) retaliation, O people of understanding, that you may guard yourselves." [Quran 2:179]

Most people are also unaware of the stringent conditions, which must be met for the law of retaliation to be applicable. The Sunnah is full of examples of the Messenger of Allah showing united states when the police force'due south preconditions were fulfilled. For example, a thief is only liable to lose his or her hand if the stolen item exceeds a certain value, and if it is proven that the detail was taken from its normal resting place. Stealing food is not punishable by the loss of i's manus, and other items are exempt besides. This is simply an example of how carefully the police is practical in Islam. Moreover, it must be antiseptic that penalties in Islam are meant to institute peace and security for the guild.

The Sword of Islam:

Finally, some other reason advanced for this prevalent misconception is that Islam `spread by the sword'. It should exist articulate by now that we must always distinguish between the Quran and Sunnah and the Muslims, when it comes to determining what the Creator has asked of us. Allah has stated conspicuously in the Quran (which means):

"In that location is no coercion in religion; truly the right mode has become clearly distinct from mistake; therefore, whoever rejects Satan (and what he calls to) and believes in Allah, he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handhold, which shall non break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing." [Quran 2:256]

Hence, it is impossible to accept Islam nether duress. Even if misguided Muslims were to effort to `force' Islam somehow on others, based on the previous verse, information technology would not be accepted by the Creator. Historical arguments that try to demonstrate that Muslims did not `catechumen others by strength' are actually secondary to the argument given in a higher place. However, it is worth noting that historically, Islam did spread by peaceful means.

The Message of the Creator was introduced in

Africa and southeast Asia by trading Muslims. People started converting to Islam in large numbers when the Muslims liberated them from the clutches of the savage rulers, who used to tax and then heavily and loot precious belongings from them whenever they wished. Today the largest Muslim country in the world is Republic of indonesia . The armed forces expeditions that led to the conquest of large swathes of territory in Europe and fundamental Asia were all marked by tolerance of other creeds and faith.

By Qais bin Zayed