Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 887 [Read full issue]
Solid Conviction
The Muslim terrorist mind is seriously erroneous about the true meaning of jihad in Islam. There is no distinction in such a mind between what was history and related to a certain time and place with all their distinctive circumstances, that can never be kept frozen and unchangeable, and the rules of which must be applied transiently in such given circumstances. Besides, there is serious erroneousness about what consists the permanent law "Sharia" which embodies the legal rules for Muslims in any time and place.
Terrorism cannot be the legitimate "jihad," which strictly observes the legitimacy and morality of the means while also strictly observing that legitimacy of the goals and ends. Targeting the non-combatants and civilians and committing such enormous killings and destructiveness through clandestine operations, which are fulfilled with blazing bitterness, rancor and malevolence, cannot be attributed to Islam, whose Prophet declares: "I am not sent as a curse, I am but sent as a mercy." [Muslim].
Extremism, as the psychological and conceptual roots of terrorism, is strictly warned against in the teachings of Islam, since Islam teaches to maintain "the middle way" and moderation, and to avoid exceeding the indicated bounds or neglecting them. The Prophet teaches to "penetrate gently and mildly the depths of the religion" [Musnad]. He warned against religious excessiveness which had ruined communities before. Directing oneself properly towards the clear goal and approaching what is right as it is possible "saddidu wa qaribu" is what the Muslim has to be keen about [Bukhari, Muslim, Musnad].
God's laws for this worldly life are established without favouritism, and unless Muslims are more useful and capable of serving the people and can convince their society, or a considerable part of it, with their merits they should not expect that their message would prevail. Further, their message is to commit themselves to God's guidance and represent its values in their behaviour, and it is only though their representation of the values and through the appreciation of the people, that results may be expected. Islam is a faith and religion which calls the human mind and heart to attain solid conviction, not a political ideology that should reach power in any way to impose itself on people by force.
Compiled From:
"Jihad: A Struggle for Moral Development and Human Rights" - Fathi Osman