This is the first installment of a debate between myself and Yamin Zakariyah, a Muslim in the UK, regarding the killing of innocents during war in Islam. He is arguing that it is permissible if the enemy attacks our innocents as a deterrent to prevent them from doing so. I am arguing that it is not and never the case. We will be presenting information from Qur'an and Hadiths to make our case. We hope that you, the reader will be the judge.
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As Salaam Alaikum,
Yamin While I agree with you in pointing out the wrongs and injustices done against Muslim nations by the West for the average person to know that the anger of many Muslims towards the West is not produced in a vacuum, I think you greatly misrepresent the religion of Islam in your position regarding the killing of innocents. You may mean well but you do all Muslims and our great religion tremendous disfavor by your pushing the idea that this is modern times and if the enemy attacks our innocents then Muslims are entitled to attack their innocents as a deterrent to them.
Your position is wrong! Dead wrong and it is totally un-Islamic! Besides saying that, I will prove it using Quran and Hadiths that I will list below. I mentioned before that I use to believe like you in collective guilt and even wrote you what my position used to be. Since then Allah has touched my heart and mind with greater understanding that has cause me to move away from that inhumane and un-Islamic position. I hope He will do the same for you.
At the same time I will state unequivocally that if Iran is attacked with nuclear weapons from Israel or the US they, if somehow they survive, have a right to retaliate in kind with the same weapons. But the difference is that their targets as Muslims following Allah, not the misguidance of our enemies, would be military targets and not innocent civilians. They are to never intentionally target civilians. Whether you like it or not, this is Islam.
I will list the proof to show where you are wrong as below. Please study each case carefully and if you disagree respond to each one with proofs to show where I am wrong:
1. You use the following verse to justify your concept of respond in kind to mean killing innocents of our enemies if they kill our innocents:
"whoever then transgresses against you, transgress against him in a similar (bi-mithli) manner as he attacked you."
The verse is very direct giving Muslims the right to respond to the guilty party in kind for the transgressions they have made. I dont think anyone would argue with that. But from the point of view of innocent women and children that had nothing to do with the transgression, what actions have they taken to deserve this in kind (bi-mithli) treatment? These are people not objects, and an innocent
baby, child, mother, etc that may have no idea of what a family member did should not be made to receive a bi-mithli treatment for an aggression that they had no part in. The innocents should get their own bi-mithli response for their own actions and not for someone elses. This is Allahs Justice for them as individuals. Your concept strays very far from the idea of universal justice in Islam, other religions and for humanity and the laws of nature as a whole.
2. The Quran says:
On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns
Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another
Let them bear, on the Day of Judgment, their own burdens in full...
Why should you, as a young child or brother of someone, be made to suffer for something that a family member or someone else did? Even if you agree with their actions, Islam does not punish people for thought crimes. It punishes for thoughts followed by actions. Bottom line is that neither you nor anyone else should be made to bear a guilty persons
burdens according to the Quran.
3. The Quran is very clear regarding the sacredness of human life. It also spells out clearly what conditions must exist that will give us the permission to take someones life. It clearly states:
if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people... Quran (5:32)
What murder or spreading mischief in the land would that innocent child, that you are so ready to kill, belonging to the enemy be guilty of that warrants their death? Where in the Quran does it give you the permission to take any innocent persons
life? Will you break with the Quran to follow the wrong actions of your enemies?
4. As mentioned to you by others, people belonging to the enemy may be totally against the actions of their government. They may have fought with every breadth of their being to stop the aggression against Muslims. They could actually be on your side supporting your causes.
Also there is also the ignorant that have totally no idea of what the guilty have done. Why should you blindly kill or punish those who may be your supporters and those who may not know? I have no doubt that even today that if the majority of Americans really knew the truth about what is going on and has been going on in the Middle East, they will be strongly against their government and Israel. I know this for a fact. As proof of this I can tell you honestly that I have met thousands of people who were at one time pro-Israeli and are now pro-Palestinian. But I have never met one person who was
pro-Palestinian and became pro-Israeli. Shouldnt everyone be given an opportunity to know the truth, including our enemies?
5. Furthermore the Quran is eternal truths for ALL times. Simply because this is modern times fought with modern weapons that Muslims had no input in creating, should we toss Quranic teachings behind our backs and make our enemies actions our new gods to follow? The Quran is very clear on this. It states:
"Do not let the hatred of a people to you cause you to do wrong and swerve from justice. Be just (at any costs), for it is closest to piety."
6. There are numerous Hadiths where during war, the Prophet admonished his followers against killing non-combatants. Here are two:
It is reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmed from Daoud Ibn Hussain (ra) and Abdullah Ibn Abbas (ra): That wherever Rasoul Allah (saw) sent an army he would say Do not kill women and do not kill children go in the way of Allah (SWT).
In another Hadith collected in the Musnad of Imam Ahmed & by Imam Shaafi, upon the authority of Abdullah Ibn Kaab (ra) it is reported that his uncle said that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) forbade killing women and children when he sent
someone to kill Ibn Abil Huqaiq for his murderous crimes, as the Messenger Muhammad (saw) conquered Mecca. He said Kill Ibn Abil Huqaiq even if he hangs onto the cloth of the Kaaba and You, the one I am sending to kill him, be careful not to kill his wives and children [This is not just Sahih (a correct narration) but classified by Imam Shaafi as being of ultimate authenticity]
7. Lastly if the Prophet believed in holding every citizen of a city, country, etc responsible for war, he would have demonstrated it in his triumphant return into Mecca. Instead of punishing the pagans of Mecca for supporting their evil leaders, he forgave them. He held the power but he did not even punish the pagans who fought him. He forgave them all. That alone should tell us that the idea of collective punishment is wrong. The Prophet never practiced that Amalek concept from the Old Testament.
As Muslims we have to be very careful about straying away from the sober clear guidance of our religion and picking up methods and ways that are un-Islamic. We have been warned in the Quran about this in many places. One verse that fits this time especially for misguided Muslims is the following:
Quote:
15:39 (Iblis) said: "O my Lord! because Thou hast put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) fair-seeming to them on the earth, and I will put them all in the wrong,-
This warning alone should make us very careful.
May Allah forgive us our sins, strengthen our weaknesses, guide us aright and make us Muslims truly submitting our wills to do His Will!
Salaam,
Nashid
"Strive as in a race to achieve the
goal of excellence in all that you do."
For real insights visit:
http://www.geocities.com/mewatch99/
Regards,
Nashid
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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