“I am convinced about the veracity of my opinions, but I do consider it likely that they may turn out to be incorrect. Likewise, I am convinced about the incorrectness of the views different from mine, but I do concede the possibility that they may turn out to be correct.” — Imam Shafa’i

 Our Holy Text has many occasions when it mentions, explains, instructs, inspires and discourages fighting and war. This has led to two unintended consequences. First, it provides a good platform to the biased, polemical and hostile sections of non-Muslims to disparage, deride and malign Islam and Muslims. Second, these ayahs are abused and exploited by a big and strong group of Muslims with (unfortunately) a large clientele generally referred to as extremist, terrorists or radicals to legitimize and vindicate their campaigns of death and destruction. I therefore feel that these type of ayahs can never be over dissected and scrutinized. The present discussion is one such attempt.

The history of Islam and Muslims under the leadership of their outstanding leader the Holy Prophet has two strikingly contrasting periods. First, the terrible and testing twelve year in Makkah when the the Holy Prophet began his mission quietly to individuals around him, then to his family members, then to group of peoples and lastly openly and publicly. This was a very trying period for the noble sahaabaa; they were subjected to severe persecution and tyranny. Some of them were publicly tortured and tormented. They suffered three long years of total and crippling boycott by the Quraish. Yet they were not allowed to retaliate and they did not, despite these unbearable provocations. Non-violent resistance was the order of the day from “the High Command”. The noble sahaabaa lived up to it  boldly and patiently.

The migration/hijra of Muslims from Makkah to Medina turned out to be a watershed moment for the Ummah. Very soon, they were masters of their own destiny. Hence the Muslim calendar starts from this event. Henceforth, they were in a position to plan their own program and strategy on their way to become the superpower of their times. Hence, it is in the first year AH (after hijrah) in the month of Zil-Hajj  t hat the Quran announces in the index ayah its permission for the Muslims to fight and retaliate the offenses of the disbelievers. The eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. Mohammad Asad opines about this ayah in his popular tafseer “The Message of Quran” “which (the index ayah), according to all available Traditions, constitutes the earliest (and therefore fundamental) Qur’anic reference to the question of jihad, or holy war (see Tabari and Ibn Kathir).” Additionally, Mufti Mohammad Shafi informs us that Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Hakim and others have reported on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn Abbas  that this is the first verse which permitted the Muslims to offer armed resistance to the infidels, whereas in more than seventy earlier verses armed resistance was forbidden. It may be recalled that up to now the Muslims treated, as required by God Almighty  this cruel oppression and tyranny with composure and restraint and on two occasions with migration from Makkah: first in 615 CE to Abyssinia and second and final to Makkah in 622 CE.

The believers are informed in this ayah: أُذِنَ Sanction is given لِلَّذينَ unto those who يُقاتَلونَ  fight بِأَنَّهُم ظُلِموا because they have been wronged. Then the ayah proceeds to bolster and reassure the Muslims وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ نَصرِهِم لَقَديرٌ surely God is able to help them. “This assurance was urgently needed by the persecuted Muslims” explains the great scholar Maulana Maudoodi in his Tafheemul Quran  “whose fighting strength at that time was very meager, not even a thousand including all the migrants and the Muslims of Al-Madinah. On the other hand, the fighting strength of the Quraish by themselves was much greater. Besides, they had all the other mushrik clans of Arabia at their back and were joined later by the Jews as well. Therefore, this assurance was most opportune and the challenge to the disbelievers was very significant, for it meant to say that they were not fighting against a small number of the Muslims but against Allah. Therefore, “You are welcome to fight if you dare”.

In the ayah preceding this one, God Almighty declares his decision to help the Believers:^[3]

“Verily God will defend (from ill) those who believe: verily, God loveth not any that is a traitor to faith, or show ingratitude.”

It is very surprising that there is not so uncommon notion among Muslims that we are supposed to keep our distance even now from non-Muslims specially Jews and Christians in our daily life. Contrast it with the message in the very first ayah on this subject. Does it give Muslims a blank check to fight? No, it does not. The ayah qualifies its permission to fight by adding “بِأَنَّهُم ظُلِموا because they have been wronged”. 

Elsewhere in the Quran, God Almighty declares this point—fight only to stop others from fighting you—clearly and directly in two consecutive ayahs:^[4]
“God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly1 with them: for God loveth those who are just” 

and

“God only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong.”
 The message cannot be explained in clearer terms than this Divine declaration. Yet, as I have stated earlier, the Muslim scholars followed by a large segment of fellow believers have amazingly found ways, means and data to deflect from this clear ruling of God Almighty.

A year later, in Rajab or Shaban of A.H. 2. this topic of fighting and war was further elaborated in these four consecutive ayahs in addition to two more:^[5]

“Fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for God loveth not transgressors—And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter—And fight not with them at the Inviolable Place of Worship until they first attack you there, but if they attack you (there) then slay them. Such is the reward of disbelievers.—But if they cease (give over), God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful—And fight them until persecution (oppression) is no more, and religion is for Allah. But if they desist, then let there be no hostility except against wrong-doers (oppressors, evil-doers).” 

And^[6]

“FIGHTING is ordained for you, even though it be hateful to you; but it may well be that you hate a thing the while it is good for you, and it may well be that you love a thing the while it is bad for you: and God knows, whereas you do not know”
  and lastly^[7]

“Fight, then, in God’s cause,1 and know that God is all-hearing, all-knowing.”

 Despite all the rhetoric of the bigoted non-Muslims and the  so-called Jihaadists, the shari’ah of Islam only allows a defensive war. Let me quote an additional ayah, which was revealed later on in support of this conviction. Referring to folks who profess to be neutrals but turn hostile at the least temptation the ayah says:^[8]

“You will find [that there are] others who would like to be safe from you as well as safe from their own folk, [but who,] whenever they are faced anew with temptation to evil, plunge into it headlong. Hence, if they do not let you be, and do not offer you peace, and do not stay their hands, seize them and slay them whenever you come upon them: for it is against these that We have clearly empowered you [to make war].

Allaamaa Yousuf Ali, in his magnificent tafseer has very beautifully presented the limits of war in Islam: “War is permissible in self-defence, and under well-defined limits. When undertaken, it must be pushed with vigour (but not relentlessly), but only to restore peace and freedom for the worship of God. In any case strict limits must not be transgressed: women, children, old and infirm men should not be molested, nor trees and crops cut down, nor peace withheld when the enemy comes to terms.”  

As I have mentioned earlier, this topic of  jihaad and fighting cannot be over stressed because of its misuse, corruption and even perversion with dire consequences to the ummah  by certain segments of society over the centuries. I therefore intend to analyze the ayah following the index ayah in the Quran in our next session; it deals with the same subject of war and warfare.

……..and Allah knows best. 

May Allah Ta’aala bless us with true understanding–“fahm”–of our Deen, Aameen.

Dr. Khalid Mitha