Peace be upon you, Recent times have brought what appears to be a new generation of terrorists. Individuals who choose to kill, or at the very least, cause harm, indiscriminately, to anyone, almost anywhere; all in the name of achieving the objectives of an ideology, Islam; which to me, they have very little understanding of.
The phrase `Islamic terrorists' is an oxymoron, for Islam and terrorism are not compatible. The period before Islam is commonly referred to as jahiliyya, a period of ignorance. As Muslims we should take pride in our faith and protect it from the harm of these confused jahils (people ignorant of the teachings of Islam). Thus I propose that we as Muslims, when referring to these terrorists refer to them as Jahil 'Terrorists' When the jahil terrorists drove into Glasgow airport on June 30th 2007 they did so with the ill intention of causing great harm to the people, people of all faiths, including Muslims. The suicide note of the two terrorists indicated that they planned to explode the vehicle while still inside. It is only by the Mercy of God, that their main bomb failed to explode and that just a handful of people were treated for minor injuries; in fact it was one of the terrorists who sustained the greatest injury, catching on fire. The day before, June 29th, two car bombs were discovered in London, both also failing to explode. One of the vehicles had 60 liters of petrol, gas cylinders and nails and would have caused significant injury. The last nail bomb in London by David Copeland a member of a British neo-Nazi socialist movement killed three people injuring 129. Had either of these car bombs exploded the injury caused would have been significantly worse. With the memory of the July 7th bombing fresh on our minds, seven 'jahil wannabe terrorist' men were jailed on June 15th 2007 for plotting terrorist attacks on the London underground. What is wrong with these people?!? The most disheartening factor in all of these recent bombings or attempted bombings is the claim that these people are Muslims, and that somehow their ideology can be associated with Islam. On the contrary, I propose that these people are not proper Muslims, and these people can have no association with Islam. Allow me to explain. Allah Almighty says that the person who kills another unjustly, it is as if he has killed all of humanity [s5: v32] and Allah Almighty warns us not to take the life of a person, life which Allah has made sacred, unless it is for justice or a legal case in law [s6: v151]. Throughout the Quran, throughout the life of Prophet Muhammad, so much stress is placed on the value and sanctity of life, to protect people from harm, to act justly, that the only way a person can not know or understand this is if the individual is unfamiliar with the Quran and the life of Prophet Muhammad. Such people have no right to suggest that they `represent' Islam. Prophet Muhammad said that people should not cause harm and there is no reciprocation to harm. [Ibn Majah] Which part of this statement is difficult to understand? Prophet Muhammad also said that every Prophet before him had companions who obeyed and followed their commands, but later, came people who did not practice what they were commanded to. The person who strives against these people (who have corrupted the meaning of faith), with their tongue (by speaking out against them) is a believer, and with his heart (by feeling in their heart that what they are doing is wrong) is a believer; but the person who does not correct their abuse of faith, it is as if they do not even have a mustard seed of faith in their heart. [Sahih Muslim #81] And the Prophet Muhammad said that Allah is good and therefore, Allah will only accept that which is good. [Sahih Muslim #2214] I simply cannot understand how or why these jahil terrorists do what they do when they claim to follow Islam, but I have found a saying of the Prophet which may explain their condition. Prophet Muhammad said `The one who commits an illegal sexual intercourse is not a believer at the time of committing illegal sexual intercourse, and a thief is not a believer at the time of committing theft, and a drinker of alcoholic drinks is not a believer at the time of drinking; but the option to repent is open to him after he commits the sin'. [Sahih of Bukhari 8/108] So as well as being jahils, the person who commits a terrorist attack, despite having the belief that there is only 1 God, the core of Islam,; when that person commits an atrocity, they are not in fact Muslims; they have become disbelievers. Their disbelief is not just at the time of the actual terrorist attack, but throughout the entire time they sit, plot and plan these terrorist attacks. Ignorant and disbelievers, what a fitting description. In the Quran, Allah Almighty refers many times to the punishment of hell, one verse reads, "Those who reject Our Signs We shall soon cast into the fire: as often as their skins are roasted through We shall change them for fresh skins that they may taste the penalty" [s4: v56] When one of the Glasgow airport jahil terrorists caught fire ending up in hospital with 80% burns, to me this is both a Mercy from Allah as no one else was hurt, and also a punishment from Allah, to remind and guide this confused person, who claims to be a Muslim, that his intention and his actions are not Islamic and that he is being punished with the punishment reserved for those who commit injustice, the punishment of fire. That a person uses Islamic words, phrases or even verses of the Quran does not guarantee they have an understanding of Islam. That a person can create a propaganda video showing suffering does not justify their cause, especially when their cause calls upon inflicting equal or worse injustice to someone else, somewhere else. Jahils. Islam appeals to the masses on account of its beauty and simple truth. It is true that no other faith in modern times receives so much criticism with so many people doing so many things in an attempt to provoke Muslims as well as demonize Islam; when an American `artist' recently decided to burn a rare copy of the Quran, it was a clear provocation. Though it looks more like a vain attempt to find fame and increase the value of his `artwork'. When the self appointed, misguided and ignorant Muslims act unjustly they not only support these people who demonize Islam, but worse, go against the teachings of Islam, the words of Allah, and the example of Prophet Muhammad; who once said that the worst blindness is to stray from the path of truth after receiving guidance. Allah Almighty says, "If a man kills a believer intentionally his recompense is Hell to abide therein: and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him and a dreadful penalty is prepared for him". [s4: v93] When will these people fear God and stop acting so unjustly? Islam teaches us truth, and justice, not revenge and misguidance. May Allah Almighty have mercy and guide us all, amen. fi amanillah, wa salam, f
