islam is the religion of peace-eng

8/13/2019 Islam is the Religion of Peace-Eng

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ISLAM ISTHE RELIGION

OF PEACE

By:

Dr. Abd Ar-Rahman bin Abd Al-Karim Ash-Sheha


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Islams the Religion of Peace

Table ! " n#en#s

Introduction The meaning of Islam The misconception that Islam was spread by Force The misconception that Worldly Gains were the Aim of the Islamic Conquests ust War Theory and !ractice in Islam Islamic !rinciples "n#oin $ercy and Condemn Aggression Islamic General !rinciples Champion Comprehensi%e !eace Islamic $orals !romote Comprehensi%e !eace Islam "n#oins Belie%ers to &bser%e the Following $oral &bligations and

'ecommendations to !romote !eace "(amples of Acts !rohibited in Islam which help !romote !eace Conclusion

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In#r d$"#i n)Terrorism* is of two +inds: terrorism that is e%il based upon wic+ed tyrannical acts, andterrorism that is good and desired based on necessary and #ustified acts- The terrorism that is

e%il is in#ustice, double standards, tyranny, and aggression, in all the hateful connotations thatthese words imply- It targets women and children, ci%ilians and non.combatants, trying toforce defeat and difficult political decisions by spreading terror- This +ind is what most peopleimmediately thin+ about when hearing the word terrorism- &ften people associate it with whatthey ha%e been preconditioned to picture by %arious go%ernment agencies and segments of themass media- $uslims are routinely portrayed as terrorists e%en though many are either totallyinnocent of the charge or are more innocent than many of their antagonists who aggressagainst them- )$uslim terrorism* is a media and thin+ tan+ byword, e%en though one would

be hard pressed to find the equi%alent term of ewish, Christian, /indu or Buddhist terrorismin usage- Certain institutions and indi%iduals . with +nown agendas and bac+ings . ha%e beeninstrumental in fabricating and perpetuating misinformation, e(aggeration, and pre%iously

disqualified and refuted misunderstandings and slanders-

The terrorism that is desired and based on necessary and #ustified acts is enforcing the rule of #ust laws, pro%iding fair punishments commensurate to the crimes committed, and preparingand defending against attac+s, aggression, and corruption- It is used against the criminale%ildoers themsel%es, and ne%er targets women, children and non.combatants- We use theword )terrorism* here in a new and positi%e connotation, perhaps unimagined by the reader-In this positi%e sense terror is rightfully struc+ into the hearts of the e%ildoers, the enemies ofAllah, as a deterrent so that they will fear a quic+ and harsh retribution for any e%il acts they

perpetrate or conspire to enact- In this sense only it is termed terrorism, although #ust and beneficial terrorism condoned in principle as legitimate by all uni%ersally- Allah 0 1 says inthe $a#estic 2ur3an about the #ustified form of terrorism which we are spea+ing of and which

pre%ents and deters aggression:

(Ma%e read& a'ains# #hem & $r s#ren'#h # #he $#m s# ! & $r ( )er* in"l$din' s#eeds !)ar* # s#ri%e #err r in# #he hear#s ! #he enemies ! G d and & $r enemies* and #hersbesides #hem )h m & $ ma& n # %n ) b$# )h m G d %n )s )ell. +ha#e,er & $ s(endin #he "a$se ! G d )ill be re(aid $n# & $* and & $ )ill n # be #rea#ed $n $s#l&.) 04:561

&ne might claim that we are using terror here in its linguistic meaning and outside the scopeof the technical legal definition of terrorism, but since that definition is hotly under contention

because no uni%ersally accepted standard has been agreed upon, since many grie%ancesagainst the hypocrisy and double standards of the ma#or powers that are coming more andmore into light, and since might is still not considered legally right, the point we areemphasi7ing is a return to uni%ersal common sense: terror can ha%e a negati%e and a positi%esense according to circumstance and conte(t-

Terrorism in%ariably does not arise in a %acuum but in a historical conte(t of persecutions,in#ustices, and grie%ances that build up o%er time to the point of e(plosion and rebellion- Acommon form of undeniable terrorism is state terrorism, but this is often purposely neglectedor downgraded in legal and go%ernment sponsored e(aminations of the issues surroundingterrorism for the simple fact that those who hold power often do not wish that theirinstitutional and party crimes are e(posed as crimes against humanity and as incidents of state

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terrorism- That their agendas of labeling others but not their own operati%es as criminals andterrorists are not disco%ered- Is clandestine assassination and murder a form of terrorism8 Istorture and rape a form of terrorism8 Is deliberate military, political, economic anden%ironmental sabotage resulting in mass death a form of terrorism8 Are wholesale

persecutions of one racial or ethnic group or one class with lynching, +illing and beatings ofsome others terrorism8 Is target bombing a form of terrorism8 Is the use of nuclear weaponsand other weapons of mass destruction on ma#or population centers a form of terrorism8 Whatis #ustifiable collateral damage8 If these acts are not terrorism, then what are they e(actly8 Ifthey are not legal and #ustified, then what do we call numerous e(amples around the globeduring the 96 th century of unprecedented human wars and mass destruction8 What do they callthe implemented policies of what is coerced upon the world nowadays in this 9 st century, andwhich some neo.conser%ati%e minded pundits call the )!ro#ect For a ;ew AmericanCentury,* and related )!A< A$"'ICA;A*8 $any difficult issues remain underin%estigation and contention, and demand serious and reasonable answers from scholars and

politicians ali+e-

$any of the national and secular go%ernments and systems claim to champion human rights, peace, prosperity, and happiness for man, but in reality we see that they practice narrownational and party politics meant to empower and enrich selected groups, and that they areinherently fragmented and self contradictory by see+ing to ser%e %arious special interestgroups while professing to ser%e the general public good- The legislations of these regimesand agencies enact laws and policies that ser%e the interests of power and wealth in theirsocieties- The social, political, economic, and en%ironmental consequences of unchec+ed

power and greed for profit and lu(ury is detrimental to the ma#ority of man+ind and is leadinghumanity in general to irre%ersible de%astation and destruction-

Islam, on the other hand, is a comprehensi%e and uni%ersal religion for all races and classes of people not inclined to ser%e a specific category or group of people but specially aimed toaddress the needs of all humanity with its moral, spiritual, social, legal, political andeconomic systems- Its moral purity and clarity, simplicity in a strict monotheistic creed andfaith, and comprehensi%e prohibition of all types of criminality, oppression and in#usticeappeals to all classes and categories of people, regardless of race, culture, education, socialand economic status- The aim of Islam is to establish the ideal human society and brotherhoodspreading general bene%olence and the di%ine guidance among men for their betterment andsal%ation- !art of its mission is to establish #ustice at all times and at all le%els, to maintainamicable relations e%en with potential enemies as long as there are no open acts of hostilities,and to promote peace whene%er possible- Allah the Almighty states in the Glorious 2ur3an:

(I# ma& be #ha# G d )ill 'ran# l ,e and !riendshi( be#)een & $ and #h se )h m & $h ld as enemies. F r G d has ( )er ,er all #hin's And G d is M s# F r'i,in'* M s#Mer"i!$l. G d ! rbids & $ n #* )i#h re'ard # #h se )h d n # !i'h# & $ ! r & $r Fai#hn r dri,e & $ $# ! & $r h mes* !r m dealin' %indl& and $s#l& )i#h #hem/ ! r G dl ,es #h se )h are $s#. G d nl& ! rbids & $* )i#h re'ard # #h se )h !i'h# & $ ! r& $r Fai#h* and dri,e & $ $# ! & $r h mes* and s$(( r# #hers in dri,in' & $ $#*!r m #$rnin' # #hem ! r !riendshi( and (r #e"#i n. Th se )h #$rn # #hem 0in #hese"ir"$ms#an"es1 d )r n'.) 056:=.>1

These %erses call for peace with those that refrain from the hostile actions mentioned-

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And Allah $ost Glorified said in /is $a#estic 2ur3an:

(I! #he& in"line # )ards (ea"e* #hen in"line # )ards (ea"e* and #r$s# in G d* ! r He isAll-Hearin' and All-Kn )in'.) 04:5 1

This %erse states that whene%er the enemy inclines towards peace it is incumbent on the$uslims to incline towards peace-

It is hoped that researchers and scholars will in%estigate Islam and its laws and principles withimpartiality and thoughtful reflection- The true beauty and awesomeness of Islam is onlye%ident in fuller %itality to those who li%e by it and practice it, but all students can admire #ustlaws, uni%ersal brotherhood, noble and rational principles, and e(cellent moral e(amples of

purity, uprightness, truthfulness, generosity, courageousness, and #ustice- &ne of thee%idences of the greatness of this ?i%ine faith is that, regardless of the wea+ support e(tended

by the followers of Islam and the %ast war waged against it by its %icious critics and enemies@it has resisted corruption and distorting inno%ations, and continues to spread on its own meritsand %alues in %arious parts of the world- What is behind this e(pansion of Islam, despite thewea+nesses of the $uslims, e(cept the inherent strength of the truth and #ustice that by naturedissipates and conquers all falsehood and in#ustice8 In Islam people find full satisfaction thatincludes both their spiritual and moral, and their physical and practical e(pectations andneeds-

As for the people who refuse to open their eyes, see, hear and in%estigate the truth, they willundoubtedly remain mired in false desires, narrow biasness and ignorant pre#udices- A well.+nown principle is that man by nature re#ects that which he fears- /e fears that which he isignorant about, and therefore, ma+es enemies of what he does not +now- Allah has describedthem in the Glorious 2ur3an saying:

(Man& are #he inn and men +e ha,e made ! r Hell!ire/ #he& ha,e hear#s )here)i#h#he& $nders#and n #* e&es )here)i#h #he& see n #* ears )here)i#h #he& hear n #. The&are li%e "a##le. Na&2 The& are e,en m re mis'$ided. The& are #he heedless andne'le"#!$l.) (7:179)

Cattle follow blindly, but at least they follow the natural laws and instincts created by Allahfor their sur%i%al while many of men follow blindly custom and their leaders, re#ecting whatAllah has re%ealed for man3s own benefit and sal%ation- As Allah mentions:

(Na&2 The& sa&/ +e ! $nd $r !a#hers ! ll )in' a "er#ain reli'i n* and )e d '$ide$rsel,es b& #heir ! #s#e(s.)

0 :991

I do hope and pray that Allah, the "(alted, will bring benefit from what we read, hear and say-&urs is a humble effort, presented with a pure intent, to contribute to the wealth of humaninformation and to ad%ance understandings- The writer offers, in addition, an open in%itation

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to all those who are interested in learning more about Islam to communicate with him at theaddress gi%en, and would be delighted to answer all inquiries about Islam and pro%ideadditional literature on it-

The author e(presses his deep gratitude to Allah $ost "(alted for /is continuing aid- Anyand all shortcomings and omissions in this boo+let are his for which he ta+es responsibility,and requests from all the readers forgi%eness, and see+s the pardon and forgi%eness fromAllah the $ost $erciful-

$ay Allah s Blessings and $ercy be upon the !rophet $uhammad 0 1 the final !rophet and$essenger of Allah to man+ind, and may the blessings and peace of Allah also be upon hisfamily and companions and all those who follow their guidance and the footprints until the?ay of udgment-

Dr.Abd$r-Rahman Abd$l-Kareem Al-Sheha

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The Meanin' ! Islam

The word Islam means submission to Allah the Almighty, the Creator and Dord of allcreation, with the entire soul and body, by obedience to what /e commanded and prohibitedin /is 'e%ealed Daw, by compliance and willful yielding of one3s will to /is Will and

udgments, and by acceptance of all that Allah has predestined for man on earth- Allah is the$ost Beneficent and $erciful who +nows all man3s rightful needs, who en#oins all that isgood and warns against all that is e%il- Thus /is re%ealed Daw is perfectly suited to theuni%ersal needs, rights and responsibilities of man-

The Almighty Allah states in the Glorious 2ur3an in relation to the !rophet Ibraheem0Abraham1 0 1:

(3eh ld2 His L rd said # him/ S$bmi# 0aslim1. He said/ I s$bmi# 0aslam#$1 # #he L rdand Cherisher ! #he 4ni,erse.) (2:131)

The word )Ealam* means )!eace and is deri%ed from the same Arabic three.letter root SLMas the word Islam- )Ealam* is one of the Attributes of Allah, blessed be /is ;ames andAttributes and "(alted /is $a#esty, as the 2ur3an states:

(Allah is He* #here is n #her ' d e5"e(# Him #he S ,erei'n* #he H l& One* #he S $r"e! Pea"e 0and Per!e"#i n1* #he G$ardian ! Fai#h* #he Preser,er ! Sa!e#&* #he E5al#ed in

Mi'h#* #he Irresis#ible* #he S$(reme/ Gl r& is # Allah2 Hi'h is He ab ,e #he (ar#ners#he& a##rib$#e # Him.) (59:23)

Ealam is also one of the names of annah 0!aradise1- The Almighty Allah states in theGlorious /

(F r #hem )ill be a H me ! Pea"e )i#h #heir L rd. He )ill be #heir Friend* be"a$se #he&(ra"#i"ed ri'h#e $sness.) (6:127)

The inhabitants of !aradise will greet each other with Ealam* when they meet their Dord,Allah as he mentioned:

(Their sal$#a#i n n #he Da& #he& mee# Him )ill be 6Pea"e7 and He has (re(ared ! r#hem a 'ener $s Re)ard.) 0 : 1

$uslims e(change the purified and noble greetings )As.Ealamu Alai+um* 0!eace be upon

you1 when they meet, when they pass by one another, when they call one another- "%en whena $uslim enters his own home and finds no one there, he says as.Ealamu Alai+um since he

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offers this greeting upon the angels who are present in that place and upon himself- This formof greeting helps to relie%e the hearts from all forms of enmity and grudges and rancor peoplemay +eep within them, replacing it with good will, mutual respect, tranquility, security andhappiness- &ften $uslims greet one another by saying the fuller %ersion, which has beentaught by the !rophet of Allah: As.Ealamu Alai+um wa rahmatul laah i-e- ) Ma& Pea"e and3lessin's ! Allah be $( n & $* and His Mer"&-*

In the !rophetic traditions 0hadith1 we find the words of the $essenger of Allah 0 1 whichma+e the spreading of this greeting from among the traits of the perfection of faith:

) 8 $ ) $ld n # en#er Paradise $n#il & $ a"9$ire !$ll !ai#h* and & $ ) $ld n # a"9$ire!$ll !ai#h $n#il & $ l ,e ne an #her. Sh $ld n # I '$ide & $ # an a"#i n )hi"h i! & $es#ablish am n' ne an #her* & $ ) $ld l ,e ne an #her: S(read #he 'ree#in' !6Salaam7 0Pea"e1 as m$"h as & $ "an am n's# & $rsel,es 0in #he " mm$ni#&1.7 0$uslim1

And the $essenger of Allah 0 1 said:

6O!!er ! d 'ener $sl& # #hers* ini#ia#e #he 'ree#in' ! 6(ea"e7 am n's# & $rsel,es ##h se )h m & $ %n ) and #h se )h m & $ d n # %n ).7 0Bu+hari H $uslim1

The purpose of Islam is to continually see+ to please Allah, the Creator and Dord of theni%erse, by uni%ersal good and righteous deeds- Allah says in his Glorious Boo+, the

2ur3an:

(O Pe (le ! #he 3 %2 There has " me # & $ O$r Messen'er re,ealin' # & $ m$"h#ha# & $ $sed # hide in #he 3 %* and (assin' ,er m$"h 0#ha# is n ) $nne"essar&1.There has " me # & $ !r m Allah a li'h# and a "lear 3 % b& )hi"h Allah '$ides all)h see% His (leas$re # )a&s ! 6salam7 0(ea"e and sa!e#&1* leads #hem $# ! dar%ness*b& His +ill* # #he li'h#* and '$ides #hem # a Pa#h #ha# is S#rai'h#.) 0 : . 51

Islam comprises the complete comprehensi%e meaning of peace that includes the inner personal and spiritual peace and the outer social peace- As the $essenger of Allah 0 1 said:

6 A true Muslim is the person from whom other Muslims feel secured against abuse andattacks from his tongue and hands, and a true immigrant is a person who forsakes what

Allah the Almighty has declared unlawful. 0Bu+hari H $uslim1

$oreo%er, it includes the global %ision of general uni%ersal peace for all humanity, since its basic principles include stability, mutual respect, and non.aggression to those who abide peacefully to #ust terms, especially those who ha%e the basic understanding of a re%ealedreligion from Allah as the basis of their ci%ili7ation li+e the Christians and ews-

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(O & $ )h belie,e2 En#er in# 6as-Silm7 0#he (ea"e ! Islam b& s$bmissi n # Allah1" m(le#el& and )h le-hear#edl&* and d n # ! ll ) #he ! #s#e(s ! #he Sa#an* ! r he isindeed an a, )ed enem& # & $.) 09:9641

The in%itation of Islam, Allah3s uni%ersal religion, is e(tended to all- Allah Most Exalted saidin His Ma estic !ook:

(Sa& 0O M$hammad1 ;O man%ind2 1

And /e " # said:

(And +h e,er see%s a reli'i n #her #han Islam* i# )ill ne,er be a""e(#ed ! him* and in#he Herea!#er he )ill be ne ! #he l sers-) 0 :4 1

The Mis" n"e(#i n #ha# Islam )as s(read b& F r"e

&ne misconception, promoted by the enemies of #ustice who do not read of the historicalsources impartially but rehash old propaganda o%er and o%er again, is the false accusation thatIslam was spread by compulsion and coercion- Jarious scriptures from the $a#estic 2ur3ancan rebut this %ile slander-

Allah $ost "(alted says in His Ma estic !ook:

(Le# #here be n " m($lsi n in reli'i n/ Tr$#h s#ands $# "lear !r m Err r/ )h e,erre e"#s Ta'h # 0Sa#an* id ls* #&ran#s* e#"1 and belie,es in Allah* has 'ras(ed #he m s##r$s#) r#h& hand h ld #ha# ne,er brea%s. And Allah is All-Hearin'* All-Kn )in'.)09:9 51

And /e , the Most Exalted, says:

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(I! i# had been & $r L rd=s +ill* #he& all ) $ld ha,e belie,ed* all #he (e (le n ear#h2+ill & $ #hen " m(el man%ind* a'ains# #heir )ill* # belie,e2) 0 6:>>1


(Sa&* The Tr$#h is !r m & $r L rd/ Le# him )h )ill* belie,e* and le# him )h )ill*re e"# and disbelie,e. +e ha,e (re(ared ! r #he )r n'd ers a Fire )h se sm %e and!lames* li%e #he )all and r ! ! a #en#* )ill ,er)helm #hem. I! #he& im(l re ! r relie!#he& )ill be 'ran#ed )a#er li%e mel#ed brass #ha# )ill s"ald #heir !a"es. H ) dread!$l adrin%2 And h ) $n" m! r#able a " $"h # re"line n2) 0 4:9>1


(3$# i! #he& #$rn a)a&* & $r d$#& is nl& # (rea"h #he Clear Messa'e.) 0 5:491

And He , the Most Exalted, says :

(There! re 'i,e adm ni#i n* ! r & $ are indeed ne # adm nish. 3$# & $ are n # ne #mana'e #he a!!airs.)

044:9 .991


(Sa&/ Obe& Allah* and be& #he Messen'er/ b$# i! & $ #$rn a)a&* he is nl& res( nsible! r #he d$#& (la"ed n him* as & $ are li%e)ise res( nsible ! r #he d$#& (la"ed n & $. I!& $ be& him* & $ shall be n ri'h# '$idan"e. The Messen'er=s d$#& is nl& # (rea"h #he"lear Messa'e.) 09 : 1


(I! ne ! #he (a'an id la# rs as% & $ ! r as&l$m* 'ran# i# # him* s #ha# he ma& hear#he ) rd ! Allah* #hen es" r# him # )here he "an be se"$re. Tha# is be"a$se #he& aremen )i#h $# %n )led'e.) 0>:51

These and many other %erses of the 2ur3an and teachings of !rophetic traditions ma+e it clearthat no coercion or compulsion in religion is allowed: no one is e%er to be forced against hiswill to con%ert to Islam- Faith must be by +nowledge and free will and based upon firm

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con%iction in the heart, followed by the testimony of correct words and good deeds- A mere pronouncement on the lips of the creed of Islam, 6LA ILAHA ILLALLAH7 0There is nogod e(cept Allah 0that is worthy of being worshipped1 . is not enough to confirm one as a

belie%er, e%en thought, if said with the +ernel of initial faith, one immediately becomes a$uslim- As Allah said about the Bedouins who professed %erbally without firm con%iction:

(The deser# Arabs sa&/ ;+e belie,e.> Sa&/ ;8 $ d n # &e# ha,e real Fai#h* b$# ra#her sa&nl&/ ;+e ha,e s$bmi##ed # Allah 0aslamna/ )e are M$slims1*> sin"e Fai#h has n # &e#

en#ered & $r hear#s. 3$# i! & $ be& Allah and His Messen'er* He )ill n # sli'h# & $ 0#here)ard1 ! & $r deeds/ ! r Allah is M s# F r'i,in'* M s# Mer"i!$l.)

0 4: 1

It is +nown that someone cannot be forced to change what is in the depths of his heart, andthat one may profess with his tongue what he does not really belie%e with certainty: this is notIslam nor Islamic faith- For this reason Allah said the following about the one compelledunder torture to renounce his faith in Islam:

(An& ne )h $##ers ) rds ! disbelie! a!#er a""e(#in' Fai#h in Allah - e5"e(# $nder" m($lsi n )hile his hear# remains !irm in Fai#h - s$"h as ne )h (ens his breas# #disbelie!* n #hem is +ra#h !r m Allah* and #here )ill be a dread!$l Penal#& ! r #hem.)0 5: 651

?isbelief occurs by opening the heart to disbelie%e willingly, and upon this basis, one spea+se%il and commits his criminal acts rebelling against Allah and the re%ealed guidance of the$essengers and becomes an apostate after being a $uslim-

Another accusation related to the abo%e is that Islam was spread by force of arms and warfare-It is an established fact that any system or go%ernment, regardless of its source, requires a

protecti%e force to defend it adherents, preser%e its %alues, spread its principles, ensure a fairapplication of its law, and enforce the #ust e(ecution of legal penalties against criminals andthose who rebel against the system- As reported in the tradition of the !rophet 0 1:

6Tr$l&* Allah adm nishes )i#h #he a$#h ri#& ! #he r$ler* m re #han )ha# Headm nishes )i#h #he Di,ine Re,ela#i n ! #he ?$r>an7 (i.e. more by enforcing the punishments justly than the God.consciousness from reading scripture1 0al./indi, Kan7.ul.ALmaal1

Det us ta+e a glimpse of the early days of Islam and its ama7ing spread o%er the +nown worldto analy7e the truth of this accusation in the light of documented historical fact- The$essenger of Allah $uhammad 0 1 after his commission from Allah to arise and publici7e hisdi%ine message, remained in the sacred city of $a++ah for thirteen years in%iting his people

of the 2uraish tribe and the %isitors of $a++ah to Islam- /e engaged e%ery possible way toinform and con%ey the message of the re%elations of the 2ur3an and the Eunnah, encountering

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false accusations, slander, persecutions, harassment, boycotts, threats, attac+s, and brutal physical aggression from his people- Those who belie%ed shared in his sufferings, and sincehe was not yet commanded by Allah to meet %iolence and aggression with armed defense, hisfollowers perse%ered and suffered the harshest forms of persecutions withholding their handsand adhering to the precepts of peaceful missionary acti%ity- $any were tortured and somewere martyred for their faith in Islam, and the accounts of these bra%e souls bear testimony tothe long sufferings his followers endured in this period of se%ere testing- The !rophet soothedthe wounds of his companion Ammar ibn Masir and his parents who e%entually became thefirst martyrs of Islam with the words:

63e (a#ien#* O !amil& ! 8aser2 Paradise )ill be & $r (ermanen# ab de7 0Al./a+im1

The !rophet 0 1 allowed those of his followers that wished to immigrate to "thiopia to escapefrom this oppression and torture- They sought refuge under the tutelage of its #ust ruler of theera, the ;a#ashi, who e%entually accepted Islam- "%en in these dire circumstances Allah the

$ost Wise and $erciful commanded /is $essenger $uhammad 0 1 to be patient, forbearingand tolerant with his people while propagating the message- There are repeated e(amples ofhis e(ceeding mercy, graciousness, magnanimity, and compassion in the face of thiscontinued %iolence and aggression- The !rophet and his companions stood firm in their beliefand con%eyance of the message, obeying the following command of Allah:

(There! re (a#ien#l& (reser,e* as did all #he Messen'ers ! in!le5ible ($r( se and be inn has#e ab $# #he disbelie,ers. On #he Da& #ha# #he& see #he P$nishmen# (r mised ##hem* i# )ill be as i! #he& had n # #arried m re #han an h $r in a sin'le da&. 8 $r d$#& isb$# # (r "laim #he Messa'e. N ne shall be des#r &ed e5"e(# #h se )h #rans'ress.)0 5: 1

And still he would pray for their guidance saying: 6O Allah2 Please '$ide m& (e (le as #he&%n ) n #hin'.7

The !rophet 0 1 continued to propagate the message in $a++ah, and to see+ out any tribe thatwould be able to protect and aid him: he would present himself and his mission to the %isitingindi%iduals and tribes in $a++ah and at the times of the great Arab mar+ets and meeting

places- Then it so happened that a group of the people of the city of Mathrib, 0nowadays+nown as )$adinah,* City of the !rophet1 belie%ed in the $essage of Islam and ga%e himtheir pledge of allegiance to support and defend him in the same way as they would defendtheir own wealth, honor, integrity and household, if he were to see+ refuge and immigratewith his band of belie%ers to their hometown- This coincided with the persecution in $a++ahreaching a gra%e critical stage, and the leaders of the 2uraish tribe e%en conspired to murderthe !rophet, may Allah3s peace and blessing be upon him- The e%ent of immigration was to bethe watershed in Islamic history, for in $adinah the !rophet3s first mosque was built, the

brotherhood of $uslims e(panded and grew, and the nascent Islamic state was establishedand de%eloped under his direct guidance-

;ote that !rophet $uhammad 0 1 and his followers ne%er shed a drop of blood in retributionthroughout these long years of persecution and oppression in the city of $a++ah since he was

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not commanded to fight, but rather to be patient and perse%ere- Confrontation and armedhostilities from the $uslim side did not begin until two years after his immigration from$a++ah to $adinah, when the 2uraish tribe feared for its dominance and continued on the

path of persecution and obstruction of the message of Islam, and after all a%enues of peaceful propagation were e(hausted-

Eince the town of $adinah was enroute of the 2uraish tribe3s merchant cara%ans to GreaterEyria, the first act of confrontation occured when Allah s $essenger 0 1 engaged acommercial cara%an lead by the 2uraishi nobleman Abu Eufyan- The !rophet 0 1 intended toimpose a +ind of economic sanction on the tribe of 2uriash to allow him to peacefully

propagate his faith to others in the open, and to compensate the belie%ers for the properties, possessions and wealth which were un#ustly confiscated by the 2uraish in $a++ah before theimmigration . he c!r!"!n escaped the ambush but after learning about the incident theleaders of 2uraish prepared a relati%ely large and well.equipped army to attac+ the $uslims-Consequently the first decisi%e battle too+ place at Badr, and the smaller and ill equipped

$uslim force of fighters crushed the arrogant 2uraish army with a humiliating anddecisi%e defeat-

Allah $ost "(alted and Eupreme, describes the #ust rationale for this battle and those tofollow:

(0The& are1 #h se )h ha,e been e5(elled !r m #heir h mes $n $s#l&* nl& be"a$se #he&sa& ;O$r L rd is Allah.> I! Allah did n # "he"% ne se# ! (e (le b& means ! an #her*man& m nas#eries* "h$r"hes* s&na' '$es* and m s9$es* in )hi"h #he name ! Allah is" mmem ra#ed in ab$ndan# meas$re* ) $ld s$rel& ha,e been ($lled d )n. Allah )ill"er#ainl& aid #h se )h aid His "a$se. Indeed Allah is F$ll ! S#ren'#h* E5al#ed in Mi'h#.

0The& are1 #h se )h * i! +e es#ablish #hem in #he land* es#ablish re'$lar (ra&er* 'i,ere'$lar "hari#&* en in #he ri'h# and ! rbid #he )r n'. And )i#h Allah res#s #he end andde"isi n ! all a!!airs.) 099: 6. 1

And Allah the Wise and Eublime says:

(And )h& sh $ldn># & $ !i'h# in #he "a$se ! Allah* and ! r #h se )h * bein' )ea%* are(erse"$#ed and ((ressed: Men* ) men* and "hildren* )h se "r& is/ ;O$r L rd2 Res"$e$s !r m #his # )n* )h se (e (le are ((ress rs* and raise ! r $s* !r m 8 $rsel!* a

(r #e"# r* and raise ! r $s* !r m 8 $rsel!* a hel(er2) 0 := 1

And Allah the "(alted says:

(Fi'h# in #he "a$se ! Allah #h se )h !i'h# & $* b$# d n # #rans'ress limi#s ! r Allahl ,es n # #rans'ress rs.)

09: >61

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In all the battles fought and all the %ictories that Allah s $essenger and his companionsachie%ed within the period of twenty.three years of the !rophet3s mission in $a++ah and thenin $edinah, only three hundred and se%enty fi%e people were +illed in this fighting- In theninth year of the /i#ra 0Immigration1 +nown as the Mear of ?elegations, the !rophet 0 1 metwith about a hundred %arious delegations from tribes o%er the entire Arabian !eninsula toconfer and negotiate with the !rophet 0 1- /e met them with generosity and magnanimity andreplied to all their questions and concerns about the Islamic Creed 0Aqeedah1 and Daw0Ehari3ah1- The ma#ority of them were suitably impressed by the call of the !rophet 0 1 andthey accepted Islam- The $essenger of Allah 0 1 also sent letters to the leaders of thesurrounding regions calling them to accept the $essage of Allah as will be mentioned below-

In the !rophet3s lifetime and soon afterwards, the entire Arabian !eninsula was for the firsttime in its history unified in one #ust and egalitarian rule of law and di%ine religion- Thema#ority of Arabs accepted Islam willfully in dro%es after hearing the 2ur3an, seeing thee(ample of the !rophet in his Eunnah 0Way1 and his companions, and witnessing the Islamic

system, with only a few holdouts among some ewish and Christian poc+ets, allowed toremain within the Islamic Etate on their old faith by contract stipulating specific rights andobligations and the payment of the i7ya ta( in lieu of the state3s protection and not

participating in military ser%ice- Indeed this re%olutionary change was a miraculousachie%ement considering the meager material means by which it too+ place and its lastingworldwide effect, and Allah $ost Great gi%es success to whom /e will-

The rightly.guided Caliphs, companions and righteous predecessors followed the e(ample ofthe !rophet after his demise, defending the Islamic Etate from its enemies, conquering the

surrounding tyrannical empires which threatened their e(istence and spreading Islam by the7eal of their faith and missionary acti%ity and with their e(cellent upright morals and #ustrelations- These indi%iduals were, by no standards, equal in number or war equipment,

preparations, and professional military s+ills, to the people they %anquished, but the %itality oftheir di%ine faith and mission and moral superiority of their characters conquered the common

people3s hearts and minds before there was a need to %anquish the corrupt tyrannical armieswhose oppression of the masses was unbearable-

&ne of the new con%erts 0re%erts1 to Islam in our time, named Basheer Ahmad, said inreflection on this issue: 6One ! #he m s# ($@@lin' 9$es#i ns # me* and ne ! m& m s#seri $s " n"erns (ri r # a""e(#in' Islam and embra"in' i# as a )a& ! li!e* )as #ha# )eChris#ians "laim #ha# Islam s(read b& #he ed'e ! s) rd. There! re* I ( sed #he! ll )in' 9$es#i n # m&sel!/ I! #ha# "laim is #r$e* )h&* #hen* d )e n #i"e #ha# man&(e (le* in e,er& " rner ! #he ) rld* s#ill adhere # Islam and embra"e i#* in i#* anda""e(# i# as a )a& ! li!e: +h& d )e n #i"e (e (le " me # in Islam dail&* )i#h $# an&" m($lsi n r ! r"e b& an& ne:7 N!araphrased from ?r- Imad.du.?een Khalil: )What ?oThey Eay about Islam8* p-9> O

;orman A- ?aniel says on the origins of the fabrication of this myth 6 +es# ! rmed am re r less in,ariable "an n ! belie!s ab $# Islam i# de"ided ! r i#sel! )ha# Islam

)as... The im( r#an# #hin' )as i# s$i#ed #he +es#... i# 'a,e Chris#end m sel!-res(e"# in

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dealin' )i#h a "i,ili@a#i n in man& )a&s i#s s$(eri r.7NIslam and the West: The $a+ing ofan Image, p- 9=6O

?e Dacy & Deary comments on this fallacy: 6His# r& ma%es i# "lear* h )e,er* #ha# #hele'end ! !ana#i"al M$slims s)ee(in' #hr $'h #he ) rld and ! r"in' Islam a# #he ( in#! s) rd $( n " n9$ered ra"es is ne ! #he m s# !an#as#i"all& abs$rd mhs #ha#

his# rians ha,e e,er re(ea#ed.7 NIslam at the Crossroads, Dondon, >9 , p- 4O

?r- Gusta% DeBon states in his boo+ 6Ci,ili@a#i n ! #he Arabs B(. / 6...! r"e )asne,er a !a"# r in #he s(read ! #he K rani" teachings, and that the Arabs leftthose they had subdued free to exercise their religious beliefs. If ithappened that some Christian peoples embraced Islam and adopted Arabic as

their language, it was mainly due to the various kinds of justice on the part of the Arab victors, with the like of which the non- oslems were notac!uainted. It was also due to the tolerance and leniency of Islam, which

was unknown to the other religions .7 N!araphrased from ?r-Imad.du.?een Khalil:)What ?o They Eay about Islam8 p- O

/e also says: "#the early Caliphs# were remarkably kind in the way theytreated the peoples of $yria, %gypt, $pain and every other country theysubdued, leaving them to practice their laws and regulations and beliefsand imposing only a small &i'ya in return for their protection and keeping

peace among them. In truth, nations have never known merciful and tolerantcon!uerors like the Arabs.(

If Islam did spread as a consequence to the wars imposed on the $uslims from those enemiesthreatening their sur%i%al, and the conquests of these oppressi%e and corrupt regimes thatfollowed consequently, is this unique and un+nown in history, especially when compared toother ci%ili7ations8 What is truly unique of the Islamic conquests is that they are generallyliberation from oppression, as in the famous answers that the companions of the !rophet 0 1ga%e to the "mperor of !ersia when he as+ed them what had brought the $uslims to theirlands, as mentioned in the history boo+s: 6Allah has sen# $s # #a%e )h e,er )ishes !r m#he sla,er& ! man%ind # #her men* # #he ser,i#$de and ) rshi( ! Allah* !r m #he" n!ines ! #his ) rld # #he e5(anse 0)hi"h Islam brin's # #his ) rld and #heHerea!#er1* and !r m #he in $s#i"e ! #he )a&s ! li!e 0 ! #he ) rldl& r$lers1 # #he $s#i"

! Islam.7 Nsee Ibn Katheer, Bidayah wa ;ihayahO-

In direct contrast to the many e(amples of massacres, rapes and pillaging, and in#ustices inhistory mentioned in the preface, we do not find comparable accounts in the history of theseearly Islamic conquests-

Thomas Carlyle, in his famous series of lectures, commented on the spread of Islam with thefollowing words: 6M$"h has been said ! Mah me#>s (r (a'a#in' his Reli'i n b& #he

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s) rd. I# is n d $b# !ar n bler )ha# )e ha,e # b as# ! #he Chris#ian Reli'i n* #ha# i#(r (a'a#ed i#sel! (ea"eabl& in #he )a& ! (rea"hin' and " n,i"#i n. 8e# )i#h all* i! )e#a%e #his ! r an ar'$men# ! #he #r$#h r !alseh d ! a reli'i n* #here is a radi"almis#a%e in i#. The s) rd indeed/ b$# )here )ill & $ 'e# & $r s) rd2 E,er& ne) (ini n*a# i#s s#ar#in'* is (re"isel& in a min ri#& ! ne. In ne man>s head al ne* #here i# d)ellsas &e#. One man al ne ! #he )h le ) rld belie,es i# #here is ne man a'ains# all men.Tha# he #a%e a s) rd* and #r& # (r (a'a#e )i#h #ha#* )ill d li##le ! r him. 8 $ m$s#!irs# 'e# & $r s) rd2 On #he )h le* a #hin' )ill (r (a'a#e i#sel! as i# "an. +e d n # !ind*

! #he Chris#ian Reli'i n ei#her* #ha# i# al)a&s disdained #he s) rd* )hen n"e i# had ' #ne. Charlema'ne>s " n,ersi n ! #he Sa5 ns )as n # b& (rea"hin'. I "are li##le ab $#

#he s) rd/ I )ill all ) a #hin' # s#r$''le ! r i#sel! in #his ) rld* )i#h an& s) rd r# n'$e r im(lemen# i# has* r "an la& h ld !. +e )ill le# i# (rea"h* and (am(hle#eer*and !i'h#* and # #he $##erm s# bes#ir i#sel!* and d * bea% and "la)s* )ha#s e,er is in i#,er& s$re #ha# i# )ill* in #he l n'-r$n* " n9$er n #hin' )hi"h d es n # deser,e # be" n9$ered. +ha# is be##er #han i#sel!* i# "ann # ($# a)a&* b$# nl& )ha# is ) rse. In #his

'rea# D$el* Na#$re hersel! is $m(ire* and "an d n )r n'/ #he #hin' )hi"h is dee(es#-r #ed in Na#$re* )ha# )e "all #r$es# * #ha# #hin' and n # #he #her )ill be ! $nd'r )in' a# las#.7 NP/eroes, /ero Worship, and the /eroic in /istory,3 Decture 9, Friday, 4th$ay 4 6O

In comparison to the abo%e, let us ta+e some passages from the /oly Bible and read what theews and Christians hold as sacred and di%ine guidance about the conduct of war, and which

has lead them in times of their e(pansions and conquests-

We read in the Boo+ of ?euteronomy:

6 J +hen #h $ " mes# ni'h $n# a "i#& # !i'h# a'ains# i#* #hen (r "laim (ea"e $n#i#. And i# shall be* i! i# ma%e #hee ans)er ! (ea"e* and (en $n# #hee* #hen i# shall be*#ha# all #he (e (le #ha# is ! $nd #herein shall be #rib$#aries $n# #hee* and #he& shallser,e #hee. And i! i# )ill ma%e n (ea"e )i#h #hee* b$# )ill ma%e )ar a'ains# #hee*#hen #h $ shal# besie'e i#/ And )hen #he LORD #h& G d ha#h deli,ered i# in# #hinehands* #h $ shal# smi#e e,er& male #here ! )i#h #he ed'e ! #he s) rd/ 3$# #he ) men*and #he li##le nes* and #he "a##le* and all #ha# is in #he "i#&* e,en all #he s( il #hereshal# #h $ #a%e $n# #h&sel! and #h $ shal# ea# #he s( il ! #hine enemies* )hi"h #hLORD #h& G d ha#h 'i,en #hee. Th$s shal# #h $ d $n# all #he "i#ies )hi"h are ,er&

!ar !! !r m #hee* )hi"h are n # ! #he "i#ies ! #hese na#i ns. 3$# ! #he "i#ies ! #hes(e (le* )hi"h #he LORD #h& G d d #h 'i,e #hee ! r an inheri#an"e* #h $ shal# sa,e ali,en #hin' #ha# brea#he#h/ 3$# #h $ shal# $##erl& des#r & #hem namel&* #he Hi##i#es*#he Am ri#es* #he Canaani#es* and #he Peri@@i#es* #he Hi,i#es* and #he eb$si#es as LORD #h& G d ha#h " mmanded #hee 7N?euteronomy 96: 6. =O-

&n the conquest of the city of ericho and the fate of the indigenous inhabitants therein weread: The (e (le "alled and $sed #he #r$m(e#s s #he )all !ell in i#s (la"e* #he& en#ered#he "i#& and m$rdered all i#s (e (le* males* !emales* "hildren* and #he ld (e (le* e,en

#he " )s* ' a#s* and d n%e&s* $sin' s) rds.QNMusha 5Q96OIn the towns of $uqeideh and Dabneh, they did the same as in ericho- NMusha 6Q94O-

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A perple(ing passage of the Gospel of $athew on a statement of esus 0 1 reads: 6Thin% n ##ha# I am " me # send (ea"e n ear#h* I "ame n # # send (ea"e* b$# a s) rd.Q N$att-

6: . =@ and compare Du+e 99: 5O

What is this sword8 Who has the authority to raise it8 This is not clear and is hotly contested-!erhaps it will be raised upon his second coming- ntil Constantine the early Christians werea persecuted minority apparently committed to non.%iolence and waiting for his imminentreturn, but thereafter, when Trinitarian Christianity became the official state religion in the eraafter Constantine, the sword was welded by the Etate, and Christian rulers down throughhistory conducted numerous wars and conquests in the name of religion- The Christian

principle of obedience to any authority in power is based upon the purported statement ofesus 0 1 to 6render $n# Caesar.7This was increasingly e(tended by the Christian

theologians to rationali7e and legitimi7e the right of di%ine rule and then, e%en national andsecular rule, on the basis of !auline doctrine as enshrined in his decree: 6E,er& ne m$s#s$bmi# himsel! # #he ' ,ernin' a$#h ri#ies* ! r #here is n a$#h ri#& e5"e(# #ha# )hi"hG d has es#ablished. The a$#h ri#ies #ha# e5is# ha,e been es#ablished b& G d.7 N0;IJ1'omans : O

The statements and facts abo%e will be compared with some of the guidance from Allah3sBoo+, the 2ur3an, and the Way of the !rophet, the Eunnah, to pro%ide more proofs that indeedIslam is the religion of peace, despite the fact that some disobedient $uslims ha%e distorted,

by word and deed, the image of Islam, and despite the %enomous propaganda, slander andridiculous misinformation fabricated and distributed by the enemies of Islam in their crusadesagainst Islam and the $uslims-

We do not deny that aberrations and in#ustices too+ place occasionally by some of the$uslims, but the general sweep of historical trends is our e%idence, as noted abo%e- Andalong these lines it may be pertinent to mention a couple more e(amples, since they show ageneral pattern- The Christian conquerors of erusalem slaughtered all of its ewish and$uslim inhabitants, whereas the re.conquest of erusalem by Ealahudeen al.Ayubi stands as anoteworthy e(ample of magnanimity and generosity- We also ha%e the contrast of Andalus0$uslim Epain1 and Anatolia 0Asia minor1- The Christians e(pelled the $uslims and ewsfrom Epain or put them to the sword or forced them to con%ert to Christianity during theinfamous )Inquisition,* the paradigm of the treatment of $uslims under Christian rule- In thesame era when the $uslims mostly of Tur+ish stoc+ conquered what is now Tur+ey, theywere comparati%ely much more tolerant, and to this day the seat of the "astern &rthodo(Church remains in Istanbul 0the conquered Constantine1- The noted orientalist Eir ThomasArnold re#ects this malicious propaganda about Islam saying: )Rof any organi7ed attempt toforce the acceptance of Islam on the non.$uslim population, or of any systematic persecutionintended to stamp out the Christian religion, we hear nothing- /ad the caliphs chosen to adopteither course of action, they might ha%e swept away Christianity as easily as Ferdinand andIsabella dro%e Islam out of Epain, or Douis


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found to lift a finger on their behalf, as heretical communions- Eo the %ery sur%i%al of theseChurches to the present day is a strong proof of the generally tolerant attitude of$uhammadan NsicO go%ernments towards them NEir Thomas W- Arnold: The !reaching ofIslam, a history of the propagation of the $uslim faith, Westminster A- Constable H Co-,Dondon, 4>5, p- 46O

The unfortunate reality of history is that "uropean rather than Islamic historical trends ha%ecome to dominate the world, and that the reactions against the incessant religious wars amongthe Christian sects of "urope created the seedbed for the rise of modern "uropean secularism,humanism, nationalism, atheism, and godlessness, and we see that these trends are the roots ofthe ma#or political and socioeconomic plagues ra%ishing man+ind to this day-

The Mis" n"e(#i n #ha# + rldl& Gains )ere #he Aim ! #heIslami" C n9$es#s

A third and related accusation is that the swift Islamic conquests, which startled the +nownworld and by which the $uslim faith was able to spread "ast and West, were primarily onlyfor war booty, worldly pleasures, fame and glory-

Det us present some facts about the biography of the !rophet 0 1 and about Islamic principlesfrom the historical record- The !rophet $uhammad 0 1 at the beginning of his mission as the!rophet and $essenger of Allah was approached by his people in e%ery possible way and bye%ery possible means to bac+ off and abandon his Call to Islam besides their other attempts byopen persecution and oppression to thwart his mission mentioned earlier- The !rophet 0 1 wasas+ed by the 2uraish leaders: If you need possession and dominion o%er all the Arabian!eninsula, we ensure this for you- If you need marriage, we offer you, freely, to marry themost beautiful %irgin girl in the Arabian !eninsula*- The !rophet " # was offered excesses of

wealth that no one e$er dreamed of possessing in the Arabian %eninsula, but he denied thisoffer as well. &he Arab leaders 'uraish made all their offers with the condition that heceased calling to his religion of (slam and ceased castigating and exposing as foolish their

%agan beliefs in idols and superstitions. &he %rophet)s " # simple, direct and honest reply toall their tempting and lucrati$e deals was full and final re ection. *ne famous narration ofthe words of the %rophet " # is recorded as follows:

63& Allah2 I! #he& )ere able # (la"e #he s$n in m& ri'h# hand and #he m n in m& le!#hand in rder # (ress$re me # aband n #he "all ! r #his missi n* I ) $ld n #. I )illne,er s$rrender* n r a""e(# #heir re9$es#s* 0b$# )ill " n#in$e n m& missi n1 $n#il ei#her#his Call 0 ! #he reli'i n ! Islam1 be" mes (red minan# and )idel& a""e(#ed and(ra"#i"ed in #he Arabian Penins$la* r m& head is rem ,ed ! m& b d&.7 # Ibn /isham,The Biography of $uhammad 0 1 %ol- , p- =6O

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Another fact worthy of noting is that the letters that the !rophet 0 1 sent to the prominent+ings, go%ernors and rulers of neighboring countries were %ery clear in allowing them to +eeptheir positions of leadership, dominations, and possessions if they accepted Islam and

preser%ed peace and #ustice-

For instance, the following famous letter to /eraclius, "mperor of 'oman H By7antine"mpire reads as follows-

6In #he name ! Allah* #he C m(assi na#e and Mer"i!$l Fr m M$hammad* )h is #heser,an# ! Allah and His Pr (he# # Hera"li$s 0#he r$ler a# #ha# #ime1. Pea"e be n him*)h ! ll )s #he ri'h# (a#h. A!#er #his* I in,i#e & $ # #he ! ld ! Islam. There! re* i! & $desire se"$ri#&* a""e(# Islam. I! & $ a""e(# Islam* Allah shall re)ard & $ d $bl& and i!& $ re!$se # d s * #he res( nsibili#& ! r #he #rans'ressi n ! #he en#ire na#i n shall be& $rs.NAllah the Almighty saysO:

(Sa&/ O Pe (le ! #he 3 %2 C me # " mm n #erms as be#)een $s and & $/ #ha# )e) rshi( n ne b$# Allah #ha# )e ass "ia#e n (ar#ners )i#h Him #ha# )e ere"# n #* !r mam n' $rsel,es* L rds and (a#r ns #her #han Allah. I! #hen #he& #$rn ba"%* sa&/ 3ear)i#ness #ha# )e are M$slims 0)h s$bmi# # Allah=s +ill1.) 0 :5 1* 0Bu+hari H $uslim1

The companion Anas 0 1 reported that:

6Allah=s Messen'er " # was ne$er approached to gi$e a reward to a person who accepted (slam, but condoned it. *nce, a man came and asked for something if he accepted (slam.&he %rophet " # offered him "from the (slamic treasury# a herd of sheep that was gra+ing ina $alley between two mountains "at Madinah#. As such, the man who recei$ed the rewardwent back to his people and told them, * My people Accept (slam, as Muhammad " # gi$essuch rewards that the recipient will ne$er fear po$erty. -All the people related to this manaccepted (slam and oined the Muslims . Anas " # continued in his report saying: /A manwould accept (slam only for materialistic gains, but as soon as he would feel the sweetnessof (slam the faith would become dearer to the heart of such person, more than the entireworld and its possessions.0 0Bu+hari H $uslim1

Det s also e(amine the amount of wealth that the !rophet 0 1 left behind as inheritance afterhis death- Amr bin al./arith 0 1 reported:

)The !rophet ( ) upon his $e!th left no $irh!m or $in!r ($enomin!tions of money)% sl!"e%m!i$ or !nything else% other th!n his &hite mule% his &e!pon% !n$ ! piece of l!n$ &hich heh!$ $ecl!re$ !s ! ch!rity for 'uslims.

0$uslim1

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In fact the !rophet s personal armor was bonded to a ew as a pawn against a measurement of barley for his family s food at the time of his death- /ow could any sensible person, then,accuse a man li+e the !rophet $uhammad 0 1 of being infatuated with materialistic gains and

possessions, ephemeral status and glory8 "mperors, nationalistic leaders, their generals andwarriors see+ after glory, land and booty, but the facts abo%e pro%e that the aim of the$essenger of Allah 0 1 was to spread the religion of Islam to man+ind by peaceful means fortheir benefit, and lea%e them alone in earning their li%elihood and fulfilling their materialneeds as they pleased within the boundaries of Islam-

The companions of the !rophet 0 1 and the followers in truth, show by e(ample of theirrighteous, upright and ascetic way of life, that they were not after worldly possessions and thefleeting pleasures of this life-

?uring the Battle of hud, the !rophet 0 1 commented: 6Ge# $( # 'ain Paradise )hi"h is ass(a"i $s as all #he hea,ens and ear#h ($# # 'e#her27A man named &mair bin al./emam

0 1 heard the !rophet s 0 1 statement- As such, this man raised the question to Allah s$essenger 0 1: 6 *rophet of +ll!h, -i$ you s!y the re&!r$ is *!r!$ise% &hich is !s &i$e !sthe he!"ens !n$ e!rth put together, he *rophet ( # answered positi$ely. &he 1ompanionsaid: !lessed be it !lessed be it &he %rophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,asked the man: 23hat urged you to say what you said4 he m!n replie$: *rophet of

+ll!h, he only hope / entert!in is to be one of the $&ellers of this *!r!$ise,0 he *rophet% pe!ce !n$ blessings of +ll!h be upon him% s!i$: 25urely, you are one of the dwellers of this %aradise. pon he!ring such ! &or$ from the *rophet ( #, the man got few dates out of hisbag to eat before the fight began. !ut, the man threw the dates in the air and uttered, !y

Allah (f ( li$ed to finish eating these dates it would be a $ery long life He rushed to fightthe enemies of (slam with all his might until he was killed. 0$uslim1

A man called Ehaddad bin al./adi 0 1 reported that a Bedouin came to Allah s $essenger 0 1and e(pressed interest in Islam- The Bedouin soon embraced Islam- The Bedouin e(pressedhis interest to Allah s $essenger 0 1 to immigrate with him to $adinah- As such, Allah s$essenger 0 1 as+ed $uslims to ta+e care of the Bedouin, Nwhich they didO- The $uslimsfought a battle against the pagans and as a result, they won some war booty- Allah s$essenger 0 1 distributed the booty among his Companions- The Bedouin was gi%en a shareof the booty due to his participation in the fight- The Bedouin as+ed, What is this for8 Allah s$essenger 0 1 stated, =This is a share ! #he b #& ! r & $r (ar#i"i(a#i n in #he !i'h#.

The Bedouin uttered, I did not gi%e you my pledge of allegiance for worldly gains- In fact, Ifollowed you and embraced Islam hoping that an arrow of the enemy would hit my throat,then I would die, then I would be rewarded with !aradise- Allah s $essenger 0 1 commentedon the statement of the Bedouin, =I! & $ are #r$#h!$l )i#h Allah* s$rel& Allah ) $ld !$l!ill& $r desire.= Dater on, a battle was fought, the Bedouin was found dead with an arrow in histhroat- /e was carried forward and brought before the !rophet 0 1- Allah s $essenger 0 1inquired, Isn t he the same Bedouin8 The people answered affirmati%ely- The $essenger ofAllah 0 1 said,

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Allah s $essenger 0 1 ga%e his cloa+ to be used as a shroud for the martyred Bedouin- Thefuneral was brought forward and they offered a funeral prayer for his soul, using thefollowing supplication for the soul of the martyr:

6O Allah2 This is 8 $r sla,e-ser,an#* )h immi'ra#ed ! r 8 $r "a$se. He )as %illed asa mar#&r. I am a )i#ness ! r #ha#.7 0;isaa e1

The incident is a testimony for this man and his li+es who refused to accept his entitled shareof the war booty see+ing complete sincerity in his desire for the reward from Allah alone-

&mar bin Al.Khattab 0 1 the famous rightly.guided Caliph and Companion of the !rophet 0 1whose conquests reached into %ast areas in the +nown world including the 'oman and !ersianempires, heard his stomach growl due to lac+ of proper diet- pon hearing the growl of hisown stomach, &mar 0 1 e(claimed * O M& dear s# ma"h* 'r )l r be s#ill2 3& Allah2 8 $will not get properly filled until all Muslims ha$e enough to eat "and en oy a proper diet#0Baihaqi in al.Eunan, >Q 9O

The booty and spoils of warfare the early $uslims gained by their conquests were sufficientto let them lead a prosperous and gracious life, but the real moti%e behind the conquests wasto call other peoples to the Word of Allah and the religion of Islam, pro%en by the fact that theconquered peoples were gi%en the freedom of choice to accept Islam as a religion and way oflife, and if they did, they would be entitled to all the rights of the other $uslims- Thisequalitarian and uni%ersal approach was un+nown in the world at that time built upon racialand national empires where some were pri%ileged nobles and the rest were second.classciti7ens at best and more probably ser%ants, sla%es and feudal serfs- If the conquered peoplere#ected Islam, and remained upon the religion but they did not declare war against the$uslims, they were required to pay the i7yah 0)/ead Ta(*1 a symbolic amount of ta( ine(change for the protection of their li%es, properties and wealth guaranteed and secured by theIslamic state- Additionally, payers of the head ta( would en#oy all public facilities offered andmaintained by the Islamic state and were not required to pay any additional ta(es whereas$uslims, on the other hand, were required to pay the Sa+ah 0obligatory charity onaccumulated wealth, the sum of two and half percent of their annually accumulated funds or aspecified amount of agricultural and husbandry produce1- Sa+ah is often much more thanwhat the amount of the head ta( is annually- If the non.$uslims in a conquered land refuse toaccept either option, and choose to remain belligerent, war would be waged against them in

order to deli%er the $essage of Islam to the people in general- The essential reason for waginga war against other non.$uslims is the fact that, some inhabitants of such non.Islamiccountries may, embrace Islam, ha%e they +nown its principles and mission- For this essentialand noble ob#ecti%e, Allah Knows best, Islam imposes on $uslims to wage wars in order todeli%er the $essage of Allah to the non.$uslims-

&ne of the greatest generals of Islam, namely, Khalid bin al.Waleed 0 1@ the most famous andsuccessful general of the early $uslims, e(pired while he owned only a horse, a sword, and aser%ant- Where could any one find a trace of materialistic life in the inheritance of such agreat $uslim general and warrior8

The boo+s of the Islamic history are replete with numerous narrati%es of men of this highcaliber that confirm that worldly gains were not the ob#ecti%e of the early $uslims, rather,

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they hoped for the reward from Allah the $ost Generous and Bountiful for their sincerity incalling to Islam, the di%ine religion of guidance from Allah-- As was re%ealed and promised

by the !rophet 0 1 li+e when he said:

6I! a sin'le s $l* male r !emale* is '$ided #hr $'h & $ # Islam* i# is be##er ! r & $ #han#he "h i"e red "amels 0 ! #he ) rld* i.e. #he m s# (ri@ed ( ssessi ns ! #he Arabs1.7

0$uslim H others1

There are many reliable accounts of early $uslims willingly gi%ing up their entire wealth andlife sa%ings as charity upon their con%ersion to Islam- The early members of the 2uraish tribewere noteworthy in this regard- &thers were depri%ed of their wealth because their families

boycotted them in anger for their embracement of Islam- &thers had all their possessionsconfiscated upon immigration to $edina- &thers were e(tremely in%ol%ed in the wor+ ofIslamic propagation and ga%e their time and wealth to this acti%ity- To site one e(ample, inthe ma#or and decisi%e battle of ;ahawand, a companion of the !rophet 0 1 named an.;u man

bin $uqrin al $o7ani 0 1 offered the following supplication, )& Allah /onor and GlorifyMour ?i%ine religion, and ma+e those %ictorious who belie%e in Mou- & Allah Det me be thefirst to be martyred in the battle- & Allah Grant my eyes the true pleasure to see the bestconquest that grants honor and dignity to Islam- & people !ut faith in Allah, /e will certainlyshower you with /is $ercy*- ?o you see any materialistic greed and desire for personal gloryin this supplication8 The main ob#ecti%e is surely to see+ the !leasure of Allah and the sincerewish to call others to accept Islam for their own benefit-

The 'uler of "gypt, the $uqawqis, sent his messenger to the $uslim General, Amr bin al.Aas 0 1 who conquered "gypt- The $uslim General was holding the Babylon fortress in siege-The "gyptian 'uler as+ed his spy to report on what they obser%ed- They all had a consensuson their obser%ation- They said, )We ha%e noticed that they prefer death o%er life- They preferto be modest and humble, rather than proud and arrogant- We ha%e noticed that they ha%e nointerest among them in worldly gains and possessions- They sit on the floor, and their leadersits li+e one of them- ;o one could differentiate between the leader and the led, the masterand the sla%e- They are almost ali+e, irrespecti%e of their ran+s-*

These and many more e(amples show that accumulation of the spoils of war and self.aggrandi7ement were not the ob#ecti%es of early $uslims, rather the 7eal of the mission of

Islam to guide man+ind propelled them from their nati%e homeland to the surrounding areas,carrying with them the uni%ersal message of Islam-

$s# +ar The r& and Pra"#i"e in Islam

Islam, as we e(plained earlier, is a di%ine religion of submission to Allah and /is re%ealedguidance for man, which see+s peace and teaches mercy- Although Islam calls for peaceful

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interactions with all peoples of all countries, engagement in war may become necessary attimes as a final remedy- Allah has limited the application of the times to go to war to fi%esituations- It is not called war but ) ihad* according to Islamic terminology, meaning to stri%eand e(ert one3s utmost effort in the cause of Allah- The essential difference between war and

ihad is that the ob#ecti%e of ihad is to defend the $uslims and allow their right to deli%er theIslamic in%itation to Islam, and to spread the uni%ersal message of the ?i%ine Word of Allah,$ost "(alted and Almighty- As for war, it may be for defense against aggression, a legitimatereason within certain conditions, but in broad and general historical terms it most often iswaged as an aggression and for un#ust personal and national %endettas@ for imperial, colonialand corporate e(pansion and hegemony@ for the control, e(ploitation, plunder and theft ofmaterial and human resources@ or for mere fame, glory and arrogance- Islam does not condoneany of the war ob#ecti%es and abo%e purposes and considers them all illegitimate and worthyof #ust retribution- There are only fi%e legitimate reasons for ihad, as follows:

- ?efense against attac+ upon life, property, wealth and honor of the $uslim nation andnational borders- This is based on the %erse re%ealed in the Glorious 2urLn:

(Fi'h# in #he "a$se ! Allah #h se )h !i'h# & $* b$# d n # #rans'ress limi#s ! r Allahd es n # l ,e #he #rans'ress rs.) 09: >61

This is also based on the tradition of the $essenger of Allah 0 1 who said:

6+h e,er is %illed )hile a##em(#in' # (r #e"# his bel n'in's is a mar#&r )h e,er is%illed )hile a##em(#in' # (r #e"# himsel! is a mar#&r )h e,er is %illed )hile a##em(#in'# (r #e"# his reli'i n is a mar#&r and )h e,er is %illed )hile a##em(#in' # (r #e"# his!amil& is a mar#&r.7

0Tirmidhi, Abu ?aUood, ;isaa3I H Ibn $a#ah1

9- ?efense against oppression or those assisting in the oppression of the wea+ anddefenseless- ihad in this type has a clear obligatory humanitarian ob#ecti%e- Allah, $ost$a#estic, states in /is Glorious 2ur3an:

(And )h& sh $ldn># & $ !i'h# in #he "a$se ! Allah* and ! r #h se )h * bein' )ea%* are(erse"$#ed and ((ressed: Men* ) men* and "hildren* )h se "r& is/ ;O$r L rd2 Res"$e$s !r m #his # )n* )h se (e (le are ((ress rs* and raise ! r $s* !r m 8 $rsel!* a(r #e"# r* and raise ! r $s* !r m 8 $rsel!* a hel(er2) 0 := 1

This command to resist aggression and persecution is also based on the %erse re%ealed in theGlorious 2ur3an:

(Th se )h belie,ed* immi'ra#ed* and ! $'h# ! r #he Fai#h* )i#h #heir (r (er#& and#heir (ers ns* in #he "a$se ! Allah* as )ell as #h se )h 'a,e #hem as&l$m and aid* #heseare all !riends and (r #e"# rs* ne ! an #her. As # #h se )h belie,ed* b$# did n #immi'ra#e 0in #he "a$se ! Allah1 & $ d n # )e #hem #he d$#& ! (r #e"#i n $n#il #he&

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" me in# e5ile b$# i! #he& see% & $r aid in reli'i n* i# is & $r d$#& # hel( #hem* e5"a'ains# a (e (le )i#h )h m & $ ha,e a #rea#& ! m$#$al allian"e. And remember #ha#Allah sees all #ha# & $ d .) 04:=91

- In retaliation to the breach and %iolation of solemnly concluded co%enants, pacts andtreaties- This is based on the %erse re%ealed in the Glorious 2ur3an that states:

(3$# i! #he& ,i la#e #heir a#hs a!#er #heir " ,enan#* and #a$n# & $ ! r & $r Fai#h* !i'h##he "hie!s ! disbelie!/ ! r #heir a#hs are n #hin' # #hem/ #ha# #he& )ill hen"e! r#h beres#rained. +ill & $ n # !i'h# (e (le )h ,i la#ed #heir a#hs* (l ##ed # e5(el #heMessen'er* and # % #he a''ressi,e b& bein' #he !irs# # assa$l# & $: D & $ !ear #hem:Na&2 I# is Allah +h m & $ sh $ld m re $s#l& !ear* i! & $ #r$l& belie,e2) 0>: 9. 1

- ?isciplinary actions against those $uslims who aggress and start hostilities without any #ust cause, and continue obstinately on the path of aggression as Allah the Almighty states:

(I! #) (ar#ies am n' #he 3elie,ers !all in# a 9$arrel* ma%e (ea"e be#)een #hem/ b$# i!ne ! #he (ar#ies #rans'resses be& nd b $nds a'ains# #he #her* #hen !i'h# a'ains# #hene #ha# #rans'resses $n#il i# " m(lies )i#h #he C mmand ! Allah. I! i# " m(lies* ma%e

(ea"e be#)een #hem )i#h $s#i"e* and be $s# and !air/ ! r Allah l ,es #h se )h are $s#and !air.) 0 >:>1

This type of #ihad pro%es that the purpose of #ihad is always for law and #ustice since it iswaged e%en against $uslim criminals-

- For the spread of the religion of Islam when peaceful means are impossible- This typeis only in the last resort after a series of peaceful contacts pro%es to the $uslim ruler that

peaceful means ha%e become impossible- The first step is an in%itation to allow the peaceful preaching of Islam, following the practice 0sunnah1 of the !rophet 0 1 when, as mentionedabo%e, he had sent letters to the surrounding rulers in%iting them to Islam- If the ruler refusedthis in%itation, he and his people are offered the option of becoming $himmees , that is, peopleof the protected non.$uslim community go%erned by its own religious laws but obliged toabide by the general Islamic laws to maintain law, order and security, and to pay the i7ya ta(in lieu of performing military ser%ice- &nly when the non.$uslims refused these conditionswere their grounds for the commencement of open battle for the fact that they oppose the

peaceful propagation of Islam- The $uslims are required to wage ihad against those who notonly re#ect Islam3s uni%ersal message for man+ind that Allah alone is worthy of worship and!rophet $uhammad 0 1 is /is $essenger but also stop or curtail the spread of this uni%ersalmessage and its propagation by peaceful means- Islam is the uni%ersal faith and religion ofAllah, the Creator And Dord V Eustainer of man+ind, and therefore is not for any specific

people but for all men who should be able to learn about Islam and ha%e the chance to submitto Allah willfully: acceptance of Islam and con%ersion is not the mission or ob#ecti%e that

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$uslims see+ because guidance is only in the /ands of Allah, $ost Wise and Eublime- All people must ha%e a chance to hear about the goodness, #ustice, brotherhood, lo%e, equality and peace and all that Islam teaches- The Bene%olent and Almighty Dord of $an states in /isGlorious 2ur3an:

(And !i'h# #hem $n#il #here is n m re #em(#a#i n* s#ri!e r ((ressi n* and #here(re,ails $s#i"e and !ai#h in Allah al# 'e#her and e,er&)here. 3$# i! #he& "ease* ,eril&*Allah sees all #ha# #he& d .) 04: >1

If at any time the enemies of Islam and the $uslims cease their hostilities and aggressions andsue for or accept #ust terms of peace, $uslims are obliged to stop the state of war, startnegotiations, and it becomes unlawful for them to pursue any course of warfare against them-Allah, the Wise and &mniscient said:

(E5"e(# #h se )h in a 'r $( be#)een )h m and & $ #here is a #rea#& 0 ! (ea"e1* r#h se )h a((r a"h & $ )i#h hear#s res#rainin' #hem !r m !i'h#in' & $ as )ell as!i'h#in' #heir )n (e (le. I! Allah had )illed* He " $ld ha,e 'i,en #hem ( )er ,er & $*and #he& ) $ld ha,e ! $'h# & $/ #here! re i! #he& )i#hdra) !r m & $ and d n # !i'h#& $ b$# ins#ead send & $ '$aran#ees ! (ea"e* #hen Allah has (ened n )a& ! r & $ 0#" n#in$e #he )ar a'ains# #hem1.) 0 :>61

The causes of legitimate warfare are thus identified abo%e, and other %erses in this conte(t areas follows:

Allah, the Great, said:

(The& as% & $ " n"ernin' !i'h#in' in #he Sa"red M n#hs. Sa&/ ;Fi'h#in' #herein is a'rea# 0#rans'ressi n1 b$# a 'rea#er 0#rans'ressi n1 in #he si'h# ! Allah is # (re,en#man%ind !r m ! ll )in' #he +a& ! Allah* # disbelie,e in Him* # (re,en# a""ess # #heH l& M s9$e 0in Ma%%ah1* and # dri,e $# i#s inhabi#an#s and !i#nah 0#em(#a#i n) rshi( ! id ls* and "i,il s#ri!e1 is ) rse #han %illin'.) 09:9 =1

Allah, the Great, says:

(And !i'h# #hem $n#il #here is n m re !i#nah 0disbelie! and ) rshi((in' #hers besidesAllah1 and 0all and e,er& %ind !1 ) rshi( is ! r Allah. 3$# i! #he& "ease* le# #here be n#rans'ressi n e5"e(# a'ains# #he #&ran#s.)

09: > 1

Allah, the "(alted, says:

(Th se )h belie,e !i'h# in #he +a& ! Allah* and #h se )h disbelie,e !i'h# in #he +a&! Ta'h # 0Sa#an* id ls* #&ran#s1. S !i'h# & $ a'ains# #he ! ll )ers ! Sa#an/ Indeed #he

(l # ! Sa#an is !eeble.) 0 :=51

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All other types of wars, as mentioned abo%e, resulting in destruction and great loss of life and property, are banned and declared unlawful and aggression in Islam- Wars waged toarrogantly demonstrate force and supposed superiority, as with those rationali7ed as pre.empti%e stri+es, are also prohibited in Islam- As Allah, the "(alted, says:

(And be n # li%e #h se )h s#ar#ed !r m #heir h mes in arr 'an"e and ins len"e and #be seen ! men* and # hinder men !r m #he (a#h ! Allah/ ! r indeed Allah en" m(assesar $nd all #ha# #he& d .) 04: =1

Although Islam permits fighting for the necessary reasons mentioned abo%e, it lays downstrict rules and regulations for the conduct of warfare on both the leaders and the soldiers, the)mu#ahideen,* and directs all to obser%e the noble Islamic manners and ethics e%en in thismost difficult of times- The $uslim fighters are permitted to target and +ill only those whofight against them or assist and support other fighters in the battlefield- As for the elderly

people, minors, women, sic+, wounded, or those who isolate and seclude themsel%es inworship by belief in non.%iolence, all these categories of people who are non.combatants arenot to be targeted, +illed, molested or e%en bothered in any manner by $uslim fighters- It is

prohibited to +ill an enemy soldier fighting against $uslims wounded and fallen on a battlefield as well- Islam bans mutilation of the bodies and cada%ers of all +illed enemies-Furthermore, Islam bans the +illing of the enemies animals, and the destruction of theiragriculture and dwellings and infrastructure, e(cept in certain circumstances necessary for theimmediate battle- Additionally, Islam prohibits intentional pollution of the water sources ofthe enemies and their wells- Islam considers all the aforementioned items as acts leading tothe disruption of the society and unnecessary hardship on the common people-

ihad in Islam is a means to allow the peaceful spread of the Word of Allah and the messageof Islam- As Allah states in /is Glorious 2ur3an, the intention of this life for a $uslim is tosee+ the life of the /ereafter through good deeds:

(3$# see% )i#h #ha# )hi"h Allah has bes# )ed $( n & $* #he H me ! #he Herea!#er* andd n # ! r'e# & $r d$e ( r#i n in #his + rld. D ' d as Allah has been ' d # & $*and d n # see% ""asi ns ! r mis"hie! in #he land. Indeed Allah d es n # l ,e #h se )hd mis"hie!.)

094:==1

From among the many teachings and guidance from Allah s $essenger, peace and blessingsof Allah be upon him, to the mu#ahideen, are the following:

The $essenger of Allah 0 1 stated that there is only one legitimate intention for #ihad, when hesaid:

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6He )h s#ri,es and !i'h#s in rder # ma%e #he + rd ! Allah #he M s# S$(reme is #hene )h s#ri,es and !i'h#s ! r #he "a$se ! Allah.7 0Bu+hari H $uslim1

When a woman was found +illed in one of these battles, the $essenger of Allah mentionedthat this one was not fighting and forbade the +illing of women and children- 0$uslim1

/e also ga%e the following instructions:

2!egin your fight with the 6ame of Allah against those who declare the state of disbeliefin Allah. 7ight against them, but do not breach your contracts or co$enants. 8o notmutilate the bodies of the fighters killed. 8o not kill a newly born baby. ('uslim)

And he said: 6G ! r)ard in #he name ! G d. D n # %ill an elderl& (ers n* n r a "hild* n r a) man* and d n # e5"eed #he b $nds.7 0$ali+ H Abu ?awood1

The eminent companion, Abu Ba+r as.Eiddeeq 0 1 the first $uslim Caliph of the IslamicEtate, ga%e the following ad%ice to the $uslim army he deputed saying: 6+ai# be! re & $lea,e. I ) $ld li%e # 'i,e & $ #he ! ll )in' ad,i"es/ D n # be#ra& r a"# #rea"her $sl&D n # s#eal !r m #he )ar b #& be! re i#s (r (er and la)!$l dis#rib$#i n D n # brea"h

& $r (led'es and " ,enan#s )i#h & $r enemies D n # m$#ila#e #he b dies ! #he %illed!i'h#ers D n # %ill a li##le* min r "hild* a ) man* r an elderl& man D n # "$# rb$rn a (alm #ree B r an& #her #ree ! r an& reas n D n # "$# a !r$i#-bearin' #ree Dn # sla$'h#er a shee(* a " ) r a "amel* e5"e(# ! r & $r ! d 8 $ ma& " me a"r ss(e (le )h se"l$de #hemsel,es ! r #he ) rshi( ! G d* lea,e #hem al ne. D n # b #her#hem r "a$se an& disr$(#i n # #heir li,es. N'eported by at.Tabari, Jol- , p-995, andothersO

Eimilarly, $uslims must declare war prior to the beginning of the fight- This is because

$uslims are neither betrayers, nor dishonest fighters- Islam imposes some of the best of warethics and morals onto the $uslim fighters- Islam requires full adherence to #ustice and nooppression to the fighting enemies-

&mar bin Abdul.A7i7, may Allah ha%e mercy on him, one of the early mayyad $uslimCaliphs, was approached by a delegation of fighters of the city of Eamarqand who complainedabout the $uslim leader, 2utaibah, who had ta+en them by a surprise attac+- The Caliph senta letter to the go%ernor of the concerned area commanding him to assign a #udge to in%estigatethis matter, and if the #udge deemed that $uslims should get out of the city and lea%e it forany breach of trust, they must comply with the #udgment- The go%ernor of Eamarqandassigned a #udge named omai bin /ader al.Ba#i who passed his %erdict that $uslims should

lea%e the city which they had conquered- The $uslim army commander must first declare waropenly and with a proper proclamation, prior to in%ading the land and launching their attac+

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QIn #he Name ! Allah* #he M s# C m(assi na#e and M s# Gra"i $s. This is #he" ,enan# ! se"$ri#& 'ran#ed b& #he ser,an# ! Allah* =Omar #he C mmander ! #heFai#h!$l* # #he (e (le ! Aelia. He* hereb&* '$aran#ees #he se"$ri#& ! #heir (ers ns and(r (er#&* #heir "h$r"hes and "r sses* #he li##le and #he 'rea# and all adheren#s ! #heChris#ian reli'i n. I# is (r hibi#ed #ha# #heir "h$r"hes be inhibi#ed r dem lished rdiminished as re'ards )i#h #he "h$r"h i#sel! r i#s d main. N r ma& #heir "r sses beim(aired r an& ! #heir (r (er#ies in an& manner. The& sh $ld n # be " er"ed #aband n #heir !ai#h and n ne ! #hem ma& be harmed. N e)s are (ermi##ed # li,e)i#h #hem in Aelia. 4( n #he (e (le ! Aelia !alls #he bli'a#i n # (a& #he i@&a* as is #he"ase )i#h #he (e (le ! Mada=in* as )ell as e,i"# !r m #heir mids# #he 3&@an#ine.+h e,er ! #hese )h lea,es Aelia )ill be 'ran#ed se"$ri#& ! (ers n and (r (er#& $n#ilhe rea"hes his des#ina#i n. +h e,er de"ides # s#a& in Aelia )ill als be 'ran#ed #hesame* and share )i#h #he (e (le ! Aelia in #heir ri'h#s and (a& i@&a. The same a((lies# #he (e (le ! Aelia as )ell as # an& #her (ers n. Th se )h ) $ld li%e # mar"h)i#h #he 3&@an#ines ma& ' and #h se )h ) $ld li%e # re#$rn # #heir (e (le )ill n #

be b $nd # (a& anhin' $n#il #he& rea( #heir har,es#. Allah a##es#s # #he " n#en# !#his #rea#&* and s d His Pr (he#* his s$""ess rs and #he belie,ers. This is )i#nessed b&Khalid Ibn Al-+alid* =Amr Ibn Al-=Aas* Abd$r-Rahman Ibn Al-=A)! and M$=a)i&ahIbn Abi S$!&an. E5e"$#ed in #he &ear Hi ri.Q

Eurely, there is nothing comparable in recorded history of man+ind- We belie%e that this is the best form of nobility, #ustice and tolerance from the conqueror s side towards the %anquished-$ost conquerors strip the defeated people from all rights, freedoms and honor, including theright to a decent life, sub#ugating them to labor as sla%es or second.class citi7ens and ser%e the

conquerors3 interests- &mar bin al.Khattab 0 1 could ha%e easily dictated harsh terms andconditions against the defeated Christians and ews at the time, but followed the lead of the!rophet $uhammad 0 1 in his generosity and magnanimity when he conquered $a++ah afteryears of dealing with their treacherous warfare of the $edinan period and the bitter

persecution of the $a++an period of his mission- This #ustice aimed at the noble goal of propagating the word of Allah and not gaining personal or national ad%antage- Thesee(amples, among others, illustrate the #ustice, tolerance, and beauty of Islam, the di%inelyre%ealed religion of Allah for uni%ersal and #ust peace- The laws of Allah, the Almighty, mustapply to all people without any e(ception or fa%oritism-

;on.$uslims li%ing under the Islamic rule are obligated to pay the i7yah 0so called head ta(1

which is a minimal, symbolic amount imposed on the non.$uslim residents who willinglychoose to maintain their pre%ious faith and life under the go%ernment of the Islamic Etate- The

basis of this is found in the %erse of Allah:

(Fi'h# a'ains# #h se )h d n # belie,e in Allah* n r in #he Las# Da&* n r ! rbid #ha#)hi"h has been ! rbidden b& Allah and His Messen'er* n r a"%n )led'e #he reli'i n !#r$#h* !r m am n' #he (e (le ! #he S"ri(#$re* $n#il #he& (a& #he i@&a )i#h )illin's$bmissi n and !eel #hemsel,es s$bd$ed.) 0>:9>1

This ta( is of three types as calculated by the currency of the time:

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The head ta( of the rich and the affluent people- This is estimated as forty.eightdirhams of sil%er ta+en from each indi%idual annually-

The head ta( of the middle.class indi%iduals such as merchants, businessmen,

and farmers- This is estimated as twenty.four dirhams of sil%er ta+en from each indi%idualannually-

The head ta( ta+en from the laborers and craftsmen who are in business- This isestimated as twel%e dirhams of sil%er ta+en from each indi%idual annually-

The i7ya ta( is imposed on the non.$uslims li%ing in the Islamic Etate as a sign ofsubmission to the Islamic Etate, as a symbolic payment for the guarantee that their honor,integrity, wealth and life will be protected by the Islamic go%ernment against e(ternalenemies and internal %iolations, and because they are e(empted from ser%ing in the military-This protection includes all rights and obligations as specified and agreed upon contractually-In comparison $uslims ha%e additional duties, including the obligation to ser%e in themilitary when required, and to pay the Sa+ah 0obligatory alms1 and other forms of sadaqah0charity1-

Khalid bin al.Waleed 0 1 one of the most renowned $uslim war generals, in one of hiscontractual pledges to the non.$uslims li%ing in the Islamic Etate said: 6I ha,e 'i,en & $m& (led'e ! #r$s# # a""e(# & $r head #a5 and in re#$rn* # (r #e"# & $ a'ains# all( ssible dds 0#ha# )e (r #e"# $rsel,es a'ains#1. I! )e s$""eed in !!erin' & $ #he(r #e"#i n )e ) $ld #a%e #he head #a5. I! n #* #hen & $ ) $ld n # ha,e # (a& i# $n#il )e

"an (r ,ide & $ s$"h (r #e"#i n.7 0Balathuri s history1D- Jeccia Jaglieri, in her boo+ entitled )?efending Islam* says: 6C n9$ered (e (le b&Islami" ' ,ernmen#s )ere 'i,en !$ll !reed m # main#ain and (reser,e #heir !ai#h and#radi#i ns (r ,ided #ha# indi,id$als )h ele"#ed #his (#i n and did n # a""e(# Islam asa )a& ! li!e* ) $ld (a& a !air head #a5 # #he Islami" ' ,ernmen#. Head #a5 )as less#han )ha# M$slims (aid # #heir ' ,ernmen#. N n M$slims* residin' $nder Islami"r$led s#a#e* (aid s$"h #a5 in e5"han'e ! r #he 'eneral blan%e# (r #e"#i n !!ered b& #heIslami" ' ,ernmen# e5#ended ! r i#s )n (e (le.7

&ne must remember that the three types of the #i7ya ta( calculated abo%e were for the earning

members whereas other classes of the non.$uslims .. namely the poor, needy, minors,women, the mon+s, priests, or rabbis, the permanently disabled, and the blind .. weree(empted entirely from the payment of this head ta(, and their protection, needs and generalwelfare was underta+en free of cost by the Islamic Treasury-

For e(ample, &mar bin al.Khattab 0 1 was sitting once when an old ew passed by as+ing people to gi%e him charity- &mar as+ed about the welfare of the indi%idual and was informedthat the man was li%ing as a non.$uslim under the rule of the Islamic state and protection,

paying head ta(- &mar 0 1 declared: 6+e ha,e n # been !air # & $2 +e ha,e im( sed head#a5 n & $ and "har'ed & $ s$"h #a5 )hen & $ )ere & $n' and able* and n ) )e aren # (r ,idin' & $ )i#h #he (r (er s "ial "are and )el!are 0)hen & $ are ld anddisabled1.7

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As a result, &mar too+ the man to his own home, fed him and offered him proper clothing-And thereafter he commanded the $uslim Treasurer: Doo+ into the case of this man, andthose of similar situation, and gi%e them a sufficient income from the Islamic Treasury, alongwith their families- Allah, the Almighty, stated in /is 2ur3an

(Alms are ! r #he ( r and des#i#$#e #he need& #h se em(l &ed # adminis#er #he0!$nds1 #h se )h se hear#s ha,e been 0re"en#l&1 re" n"iled 0# #he #r$#h1 #h se inb nda'e and in deb# in #he "a$se ! Allah and ! r #he )a&!arer/ 0#h$s i# is1 rdainedb& Allah* and Allah is !$ll ! %n )led'e and )isd m.) 0>:561

The poor are the $uslims- The needy are the !eople of the Boo+-* NAbu Mousef, al.Khara#, p- 95O

In Khalid bin al.Waleed3s pledge, may Allah be pleased with him, to the non.$uslims of al./eerah, in Iraq, the following was written: 6An& n n-M$slim li,in' $nder #he (r #e"#i n

! #he Islami" s#a#e )h 'r )s ld and be" mes $nable # ) r%* r be" mes a #erminal(a#ien#* r be" mes br %e and ban%r$(# in s$"h a manner #ha# he ) $ld be en#i#led ! r"hari#& b& his )n (e (le=s !ai#h* )ill n l n'er be re9$ired # (a& #he head #a5. S$"hindi,id$als )ill be (r ,ided ! r #heir essen#ial needs !r m #he Islami" Treas$r&* al n')i#h #heir !amilies7 NAbu Mousef, Al.Khara#, p- O

Dis Dictenstadter, a German scholar, in her boo+ titled, )Islam and the $odern Age, states:)The option gi%en to the people of !ersia and 'ome or the West, during the time of the spreadof Islam, was not to be +illed by the sword or accept Islam- In fact, the option was either toaccept Islam as a way of life, or else to pay the head ta( 0in e(change for protection1- This is a

praiseworthy plan which was applied later on in "ngland during the rein of 2ueen "li7abeth-*NIslam and $odern Age, p- 5=- Eee also, Ahmad Ehalabi, Comparati%e 'eligious Etudies, %ol-

, p- = O

;on.$uslims li%ing under the rule of the Islamic state are fully entitled for full protection andrespect for their rights- Allah the Almighty states in the Glorious 2ur3an:

(I# ma& be #ha# G d )ill 'ran# l ,e and !riendshi( be#)een & $ and #h se )h m & $h ld as enemies. F r G d has ( )er ,er all #hin's And G d is M s# F r'i,in'* M s#Mer"i!$l. G d ! rbids & $ n #* )i#h re'ard # #h se )h d n # !i'h# & $ ! r & $r Fai#hn r dri,e & $ $# ! & $r h mes* !r m dealin' %indl& and $s#l& )i#h #hem/ ! r G dl ,es #h se )h are $s#. G d nl& ! rbids & $* )i#h re'ard # #h se )h !i'h# & $ ! r& $r Fai#h* and dri,e & $ $# ! & $r h mes* and s$(( r# #hers in dri,in' & $ $#*!r m #$rnin' # #hem ! r !riendshi( and (r #e"#i n. Th se )h #$rn # #hem 0in #hese"ir"$ms#an"es1 d )r n'.) 056:=.>1

The $essenger of Allah 0 1 said:

QThe ne )h )r n's a " ,enan#er r im(airs his ri'h# r ,er) r%s him r ! r"ibla%es s me#hin' !r m him* I )ill be his (r se"$# r n #he Da& ! $d'men#.Q

0Abu ?awood H ;asa3ee1

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The $essenger of Allah 0 1 said:

QThe ne )h %ills a " ,enan#er )ill ne,er smell #he s"en# ! hea,en and i#s s"en# is! $nd a# #he dis#an"e ! ! r#& &ears.7 0Bu+hari1

In summery we quote from Will ?urant about this much maligned #i7ya, who quotes from theorientalist Welldiorant: )The people of dhimma: Christians, Saradishts, ews and Eabi a@en#oyed a degree of tolerance during the mayyad rule which can ne%er be assimilated toChristian countries nowadays- They were free to practice their rituals- They maintained theirchurches and synagogues and the only obligation was that they should wear a special colorand pay ta( for e%ery person pro rata on his income- This sum ranged between two and fourdinars- This ta( was e(clusi%ely le%ied on non.$uslims who can go to war- /owe%er priests,women, children, sla%es, elderly men, the disabled, the blind and the destitute were e(emptedfrom the ta(- ?himmis were e(empted from military ser%ice in return- They were alsoe(empted from 7a+at which is 9- of the annual income and the go%ernment was bound to

protect them-* N/istory of Ci%ili7ation, %ol- 9, p O

Islami" Prin"i(les En in Mer"& and C ndemn A''ressi n

The ?i%ine religion of Islam is a religion of peace, mercy, tolerance, +indness and bene%olence- It stands upright against all brutality, wanton %iolence, and %iciousness in orderto promote and protect #ustice and peace- Allah, the $ost Bene%olent urged all $uslims tofollow the pattern of Allah s $essenger 0 1 as follows:

(I# is (ar# ! #he Mer"& ! Allah #ha# & $ deal 'en#l& )i#h #hem. +ere & $ se,ere rharsh-hear#ed* #he& ) $ld ha,e br %en a)a& !r m ab $# & $. S (ass ,er #heir !a$l#s*and as% ! r Allah=s ! r'i,eness ! r #hem and " ns$l# #hem in #he a!!airs. Then* )hen& $ ha,e #a%en a de"isi n* ($# & $r #r$s# in Allah. F r Allah l ,es #h se )h ($# #heir#r$s# in Him.) 0 : >1

Allah the Wise and Eublime characteri7es the mission of $uhammad 0 1 as a mercy to all,when /e said $ost "(alted:

(+e ha,e n # sen# & $ b$# as a Mer"& ! r all "rea#i n.)

09 : 641

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The teachings of Islam call all $uslims to show mercy and +indness to e%ery innocent and poor person- The !rophet of Allah 0 1 said:

6The mer"i!$l and %ind (e (le )ill re"ei,e #he Mer"& ! #he Mer"i!$l L rd* Allah* #heAlmi'h#&. !e merciful to people on earth, and Allah, the Almighty, 3ho is in Hea$en, will

grant you His Mercy. 0Tirmidthi1

and in another %ersion he said:

6Allah* #he Almi'h#&* ) $ld be Mer"i!$l # #he mer"i!$l (e (le. 3e mer"i!$l # #h se near#h* and #he One in Hea,en ) $ld be Mer"i!$l # & $.7

0Tirmidthi H Abu ?awood1

Allah s $essenger 0 1 said:

63ein' %ind # #hers is ' d in e,er& ma##er* and i! %indness is rem ,ed 0!r m #hehear#s ! (e (le1 #he si#$a#i n be" mes bad and ) rs#7 0$uslim1

The $essenger of Allah, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him said: QHe )h isde(ri,ed ! ! rbearan"e and 'en#leness is* in !a"#* de(ri,ed ! all ' d.Q N'eported by$uslimO-

The !rophet 0 1 said:

Q+hene,er ! rbearan"e is added # s me#hin'* i# ad rns i# and )hene,er i# is)i#hdra)n !r m s me#hin'* i# lea,es i# de!e"#i,e.Q 0$uslim1

The $essenger of Allah 0 1 said to Asha# Abdul.2ais, may Allah be pleased with him:

Q8 $ ( ssess #) 9$ali#ies #ha# Allah l ,es/ "lemen"& and # leran"e.Q 0$uslim1

Furthermore, Islam requires that mercy and +ind treatment should be meted out to all people,e%en to the enemies of the $uslims captured during the #ihad,

islam is the religion of peace-eng

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