What qualifies the declaration of Jihad?

Question

What are the conditions that will call for the declaration of Jihad?

Answer 1

well people tend to take jihad as thing that is wrong and give muslim a bad name.

But jihad is actually a permission for muslim (as we were taught to be patient and humble) to act appropriately againts people who has bullied, killed, disturb our country, religion,family and neighbours.

Respect is the most thing taught by prophet Muhammad to all muslim regarding religion, faith etc..so respect other people religion (both muslim and christian) as we can make world a better place to live.

accept people the way they are not what we want them to be.

world PEACE

Answer 2

There is a huge misconception of Jihad in non-Muslims AND Muslim that it means a holy war but the true fact is there is another word for "holy war" in Arabic.

Most common translation of the word Jihad is "to strugle" and a famous Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him) is (I am quoting from my memory, not the exact context) "The biggest Jihad a beliver can do is with his(or her) innerself (for the good and evil)"

By the Islamic law, only a Khalif can declare a jihad that involves war but as now we do not have Khalifs in the present time, the Islamic clerics can issue a fatwa (religious opinion under the light of Noble Qur'an and Hadiths, the sayings of the Prophet) but no Muslim is required to be a part of it if he/she decides not to.

The level of jihad from my understanding:
1: Within yourself to do right and stop yourself from wrong.
2: To protect your blongings, family and land from ocupation.
3: To help improve society by thinking, saying and enforcing (where applicable)

Hope this will help you understand the concept of the word Jihad.

ByeFreed, for God sake, link to the articles to make your argument, not copy and past 500 articles in ones and think everyone will read it. I am sure they can find same articles by spending few minutes online.

Answer 3

Should i give u simple answer with example... Jihad qualifies in certain cases, like, In Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan & Iraq,, sorry if i offend some ppl ...

Answer 4

To The Reader
The reason why a special chapter is assigned to the collapse of the theory of
evolution is that this theory constitutes the basis of all anti-spiritual philosophies.
Since Darwinism rejects the fact of creation, and therefore the existence of God,
during the last 140 years it has caused many people to abandon their faith or fall
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important service be rendered to everyone. Some of our readers may find the
chance to read only one of our books. Therefore, we think it appropriate to spare a
chapter for a summary of this subject.
In all the books by the author, faith-related issues are explained in the light of the
Qur'anic verses and people are invited to learn God's words and to live by them.
All the subjects that concern God's verses are explained in such a way as to leave
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This book and all the other works of the author can be read individually or
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be able to relate their own reflections and experiences to one another.
In addition, it will be a great service to the religion to contribute to the
presentation and reading of these books, which are written solely for the good
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reason, for those who want to communicate the religion to other people, one of
the most effective methods is to encourage them to read these books.
It is hoped that the reader will take time to look through the review of other
books on the final pages of the book, and appreciate the rich source of material on
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and a pleasure to read.
In these books, you will not find, as in some other books, the personal views of
the author, explanations based on dubious sources, styles that are unobservant of
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and pessimistic accounts that create deviations in the heart.
ISLAM
DENOUNCES
TERRORISM
God calls to the Abode of Peace and He
guides whom He wills to a straight path.
(Qur'an, 10:25)
HARUN YAHYA
January, 2002
Amal Press
PO BOX 688 Bristol BS99 3ZR
England
About The Author
The author, who writes under the pen-name HARUN YAHYA, was born in Ankara in 1956. Having
completed his primary and secondary education in Ankara, he then studied arts at Istanbul's Mimar Sinan
University and philosophy at Istanbul University. Since the 1980s, the author has published many books on
political, faith-related and scientific issues. Harun Yahya is well-known as an author who has written very
important works disclosing the imposture of evolutionists, the invalidity of their claims and the dark liaisons
between Darwinism and bloody ideologies.
His pen-name is made up of the names "Harun" (Aaron) and "Yahya" (John), in memory of the two
esteemed prophets who fought against lack of faith. The Prophet's seal on the cover of the author's books has
a symbolic meaning linked to the their contents. This seal represents the Qur'an as the last Book by God and
the last word of Him and our Prophet, the last of all the prophets. Under the guidance of the Qur'an and
Sunnah, the author makes it his main goal to disprove each one of the fundamental tenets of godless ideologies
and to have the "last word", so as to completely silence the objections raised against religion. The seal of the
Prophet, who attained ultimate wisdom and moral perfection, is used as a sign of his intention of saying this
last word.
All these works by the author centre around one goal: to convey the message of the Qur'an to people,
thus encouraging them to think about basic faith-related issues, such as the existence of God, His unity and the
hereafter, and to display the decrepit foundations and perverted works of godless systems.
Harun Yahya enjoys a wide readership in many countries, from India to America, England to Indonesia,
Poland to Bosnia, and Spain to Brazil. Some of his books are available in English, French, German, Italian,
Portuguese, Urdu, Arabic, Albanian, Russian, Serbo-Croat (Bosnian), Uygur Turkish, and Indonesian, and they
have been enjoyed by readers all over the world.
Greatly appreciated all around the world, these works have been instrumental in many people putting
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definite results and irrefutability. It is unlikely that those who read these books and give a serious thought to
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or philosophy. Even if they continue to advocate, this will be only a sentimental insistence since these books
have refuted these ideologies from their very basis. All contemporary movements of denial are ideologically
defeated today, thanks to the collection of books written by Harun Yahya.
There is no doubt that these features result from the wisdom and lucidity of the Qur'an. The author
certainly does not feel proud of himself; he merely intends to serve as a means in one's search for God's right
path. Furthermore, no material gain is sought in the publication of these works.
Considering these facts, those who encourage people to read these books, which open the "eyes" of the
heart and guide them in becoming more devoted servants of God, render an invaluable service.
Meanwhile, it would just be a waste of time and energy to propagate books which create confusion in
peoples' minds, lead man into ideological chaos, and which, clearly have no strong and precise effects in
removing the doubts in peoples' hearts, as also verified from previous experience. It is apparent that it is
impossible for books devised to emphasize the author's literary power rather than the noble goal of saving
people from loss of faith, to have such a great effect. Those who doubt this can readily see that the sole aim of
Harun Yahya's books is to overcome disbelief and to disseminate the moral values of the Qur'an. The success,
impact and sincerity this service has attained are manifest in the reader's conviction.
One point needs to be kept in mind: The main reason for the continuing cruelty and conflict, and all the
ordeals Muslims undergo is the ideological prevalence of disbelief. These things can only come to an end with
the ideological defeat of disbelief and by ensuring that everybody knows about the wonders of creation and
Qur'anic morality, so that people can live by it. Considering the state of the world today, which forces people into
the downward spiral of violence, corruption and conflict, it is clear that this service has to be provided more
speedily and effectively. Otherwise, it may be too late.
It is no exaggeration to say that the collection of books by Harun Yahya have assumed this leading role.
By the Will of God, these books will be the means through which people in the 21st century will attain the peace
and bliss, justice and happiness promised in the Qur'an.
The works of the author include The New Masonic Order, The Disasters Darwinism Brought to Humanity,
Communism in Ambush, The Bloody Ideology of Darwinism: Fascism, The 'Secret Hand' in Bosnia, Behind the
Scenes of Terrorism, Solution: The Morals of the Qur'an, Articles 1-2-3, AWeapon of Satan: Romantism, Truths
1-2, The Western World Turns to God, The Evolution Deceit, Precise Answers to Evolutionists, Evolutionary
Falsehoods, Perished Nations, For Men of Understanding, The Prophet Moses, The Prophet Joseph, The Golden
Age, Allah's Artistry in Colour, Glory is Everywhere, The Truth of the Life of This World, Knowing the Truth,
Eternity Has Already Begun, Timelessness and the Reality of Fate, The Dark Magic of Darwinism, The Religion
of Darwinism, The Collapse of the Theory of Evolution in 20 Questions, Allah is Known Through Reason, The
Qur'an Leads the Way to Science, The Real Origin of Life, Consciousness in the Cell, A String of Miracles, The
Creation of the Universe, Miracles of the Qur'an, The Design in Nature, Self-Sacrifice and Intelligent Behaviour
Models in Animals, The End of Darwinism, Deep Thinking, Never Plead Ignorance, The Green Miracle
Photosynthesis, The Miracle in the Cell, The Miracle in the Eye, The Miracle in the Spider, The Miracle in the
Gnat, The Miracle in the Ant, The Miracle of the Immune System, The Miracle of Creation in Plants, The Miracle
in the Atom, The Miracle in the Honeybee, The Miracle of Seed, The Miracle of Hormone, The Miracle of the
Termite, The Miracle of the Human Being, The Miracle of Man's Creation, The Miracle of Protein, The Secrets of
DNA.
The author's childrens books are: Children Darwin Was Lying!, The World of Animals, The Splendour in
the Skies, Wonderful Creatures, Let us Learn Our Religion, The World of Our Little Friends: The Ants,
Honeybees That Build Perfect Combs, Skillful Dam Builders: Beavers.
The author's other works on Quranic topics include: The Basic Concepts in the Qur'an, The Moral Values
of the Qur'an, Quick Grasp of Faith 1-2-3, Ever Thought About the Truth?, Crude Understanding of Disbelief,
Devoted to Allah, Abandoning the Society of Ignorance, The Real Home of Believers: Paradise, Knowledge
of the Qur'an, Qur'an Index, Emigrating for the Cause of Allah, The Character of the Hypocrite in the Qur'an,
The Secrets of the Hypocrite, The Names of Allah, Communicating the Message and Disputing in the Qur'an,
Answers from the Qur'an, Death Resurrection Hell, The Struggle of the Messengers, The Avowed Enemy of
Man: Satan, The Greatest Slander: Idolatry, The Religion of the Ignorant, The Arrogance of Satan, Prayer in
the Qur'an, The Importance of Conscience in the Qur'an, The Day of Resurrection, Never Forget, Disregarded
Judgements of the Qur'an, Human Characters in the Society of Ignorance, The Importance of Patience in the
Qur'an, General Information from the Qur'an, The Mature Faith, Before You Regret, Our Messengers Say,
The Mercy of Believers, The Fear of Allah, The Nightmare of Disbelief, Jesus Will Return, Beauties Presented
by the Qur'an for Life, A Bouquet of the Beauties of Allah 1-2-3-4, The Iniquity Called "Mockery", The
Mystery of the Test, The True Wisdom According to the Qur'an, The Struggle with the Religion of Irreligion,
The School of Yusuf, The Alliance of the Good, Slanders Spread Against Muslims Throughout History, The
Importance of Following the Good Word, Why Do You Deceive Yourself?, Islam: The Religion of Ease,
Enthusiasm and Excitement in the Qur'an, Seeing Good in Everything, How do the Unwise Interpret the
Qur'an?, Some Secrets of the Qur'an, The Courage of Believers, Being Hopeful in the Qur'an, Justice and
Tolerance in the Qur'an, Basic Tenets of Islam, Those Who do not Listen to the Qur'an.
Copyright © Harun Yahya XXX/ 2001 CE
First English Edition published in January 2002
Published by
Amal Press
PO BOX 688
Bristol
BS99 3ZR
England
Website: http://www.amalpress.com
E-mail: [e-mail]
By Harun Yahya
Translated by: Carl Rossini and Ron Evans
Edited by Aftab A. Malik
A Catalog Record of this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 0-9540544-1-5
Special thanks to F.A Khan, Zain ul-Abedin and Hammayun, 'Ali.
All translations from the Qur'an are from "The Noble Qur'an: a New
Rendering of its Meaning in English"
by Hajj Abdalhaqq and Aisha Bewley, published by Bookwork,
Norwich, UK. 1420 CE/1999 AH.
Website:
www.harunyahya.com
www.hyahya.org
www.islamdenouncesterrorism.com
Foreword 8
Introduction 15
Islamic Morality: The Source of Peace
and Security 21
War in the Qur'an 47
The Real Face of the
Terrorists Who Act in the Name of Religion 65
The Outlook of Islam on the People
of the Book 89
Islam Has Brought Peace and Harmony to
the Middle East 111
The Real Roots of Terrorism:
Darwinism and Materialism 125
Conclusion: Recommendations to the Western
World and Muslims 149
The Misconception of Evolution 153
FOREWORD
"We have made you a Middle Nation"
(Holy Qur'an, Surat al-Baqara:143)
SEPTEMBER 11
Since the horrific and tragic events of September 11th, nothing has been
more discussed and scrutinised in the public arena than Islam. The world at
large has been subjected to a wealth of analysis by 'experts' which has further
fuelled people's curiosity about this religion. Book-sellers in Europe and the
Middle East have reported an upsurge in interest in the Qur'an, which
confirms what one British newspaper editor had to say: 'Islam [..] has never
been of greater interest to the people of Britain than it is today.'1 In America,
where there are some six million Muslims, Islam is said to be the nation's
fastest growing religion, despite there being no systematic form of missionary
work.2
Contrary to official praise of Islam by the President of America and the
Prime Minister of England, some of the media have bluntly suggested that the
action taken after September's event is a war and Islam is at its heart. Despite
there being a conscious effort to truly understand Islam and Muslims, there
seem to be those who are determined to paint terrorism and Islam with the
same brush. Simplified and undifferentiated descriptions of Islam help create
an image by which Islam is seen as hostile to Western culture, and a religion of
backwardness and oppression. 'A selective presentation and analysis of Islam
and events by both scholars and political commentators too often inform
articles and editorials on the Muslim world', says John Esposito, Director of the
Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, at Georgetown University in
Washington. 'This selective analysis fails to tell the whole story […] While it
sheds some light, it is a partial light that obscures and distorts the full picture.'3
The world community shares this small planet with the Muslim
community which comprises some 1.2 billion adherents to the faith, so anyone
who understands Islam to be a religion of terror would naturally be concerned.
However, these fears are not well-grounded. Writing in Time magazine, Karen
Armstrong asserts that: 'If the evil carnage we witnessed on September 11 were
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 8
typical of the faith, and Islam truly inspired and justified such violence, its
growth and the increasing presence of Muslims in both Europe and the U.S.
would be a terrifying prospect. Fortunately, this is not the case.'4
There seems to be a noticeable discrepancy between knowledge of Islam
on the one hand and the certainty of judgements on the other. While the
terrorist crime of September 11th may have been the work of some misled
individuals, it was certainly not the product of Islam. Islam is a religion that
preaches peace, compassion, justice, and frowns upon suicide. The kamikaze
assault on innocent civilians stood in direct conflict with Islam's most
elementary principles, teachings and spirit – one does not need to be an expert
to realise this.
ISLAM and TRADITION
If Islam is a religion of peace, why the misunderstanding? How can a
religion of peace gain a reputation for being a religion of war and terror? The
answer lies in the way that Islamic scriptures are misinterpreted to suit
perverted agendas. Words and phrases that are often repeated in the media
have been misconstrued by individuals to give incorrect meanings. The
deliberate blur between 'jihad' and acts of terror has been a phenomenon that
has resulted from those unqualified in the science of Sacred Law.
Since the end of the Sunni Ottoman Caliphate in 1924, the Muslim world
has been fragmented. The loss of unification created many difficulties from
which Muslims are still trying to recover. For one thing, it has seen the loss of
the promulgation of traditional Islam, which has now given way to individuals
claiming the right to reinterpret Islamic texts to grant them legitimacy in their
own ideas. This has seen a tendency 'toward ambiguity and the careless use of
many important terms.'5 Traditional Islam in contrast is related to the notion of
orthodoxy, clarity and authority; to continuity and consistency in the
transmission of the truth. It places its reliance upon classical scholarship as
exemplified in the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence. Within this tradition
of Islam, a true Islamic landscape emerges, encompassing the richness of
scholarly tradition and its illuminating contribution to the advancement of
civilisation.6
FOREWORD● 9
Sunni Islam engenders a faith and practice that makes the taking of
innocent lives unimaginable and which is shared by the vast majority of
Muslims worldwide, however the radicals appear to have overlooked this
pivotal pillar with their new interpretations of Sacred Law. As noted by Tim
Winter, a lecturer on Islam at the faculty of Divinity at Cambridge University
'One of the unseen, unsung triumphs of true Islam in the modern world is its
complete freedom from any terroristic involvement […] Everyone, enemies
included, knows that the very idea is absurd.'7
The dismantling of the traditional places of learning by the colonialists
allowed individuals to make literal and extreme interpretations of Sacred Law
that are in contradiction to and radically different from the previous centuries
of traditional Islamic practice and learning. Muhammad, the Messenger of
God, may God bless him and grant him peace, forewarned of such a time when
'[..] people [will] take the ignorant as leaders who are asked for and who give
Islamic legal opinion without knowledge [they are] misguided and
misguiding.'8 The result has been examples of extreme religious practice
devoid of any real knowledge and characterised by bigotry, intolerance,
harshness and excessiveness – all of which are in opposition to Islam as
exemplified by the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him
peace, who always advocated the middle way.
TERRORISM
Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, warned his
companions to avoid extremes – which he explained was the cause of the
destruction of earlier communities. Terrorists it appears, feel that this
injunction does not apply to them. Terrorism is an act against God. Anyone
who tries to justify such atrocities ultimately fails, since both the Sacred Law
and theology abhor such acts as moral sins that run contrary to the essence of
Islam. The Qur'an instructs Muslims in times of adversity to act with justice,
perseverance and patience. Terrorists apparently never think of relating their
acts to the elementary principle that Islam places great value on: the sanctity of
human life. 'If someone kills another person – unless it is in retaliation for
someone else or for causing corruption in the earth – it is as if he had murdered
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 10
all mankind' is a verse of the Qur'an, which is disregarded by the fanaticism of
hate.
Traditional Muslim jurists considered terrorist attacks against
unsuspecting and defenseless victims as heinous and immoral crimes and
treated the perpetrators as the worst type of criminals. It is a well-established
Qur'anic precept that the injustice of others does not excuse one's own
injustice.9
JIHAD
In the West, the term 'jihad' has come to be known as something wholly
negative – it has been somewhat simplistically described as waging a holy war
against infidels. However, in Islam, jihad is something that is positive. It
consists of two dimensions: the inner jihad that seeks to curb negative and selfdestructive
forces within; and the external jihad which is a struggle against
violence and tyranny by means of words and actions. As for the latter, it has
strict rules of engagement which prohibit destroying civilian life, harming
animals and even chopping down trees.10
The former type of jihad, said to be the most important, is that of the inner
self. Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, was reported to
have said: "The best jihad one performs is that of helping oneself gain more
knowledge of Almighty God."11 On another occasion, the Messenger of God
addressed his companions, saying: "We are now returning from the minor
jihad to the major jihad (that of the struggle of the inner self.)"
COMPASSION and MERCY
In the context of the current atmosphere of violence, one might be excused
for assuming that jihad is one of Islam's main pillars. However, this is far from
the truth. Islam is 'not addicted to war,' nor does jihad form any one of the five
pillars of faith. On the contrary, the Qur'an stresses compassion, benevolence,
justice and wisdom. That compassion and mercy are central themes in Islam
should be self-evident when almost every chapter of the Qur'an begins with:
In the Name of God, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful.
In a famous saying of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him
FOREWORD● 11
peace, he says: 'The merciful are shown mercy by the Merciful one. Show
mercy to those on earth and you will be shown mercy by the One in Heaven.'
The Qur'an declares that Muhammad was sent as a Mercy to the worlds
(21:107), something to which he himself testified when he refused to curse a
warring tribe: 'I have not been sent to curse, but as a summoner and as a
mercy'. Indeed, such is the centrality of mercy and compassion in Islam, that
the aforementioned tradition is the first tradition of Muhammad, may God
bless him and grant him peace, that is taught to the student of Sacred Law.
Muslim scholars have said that in every matter, Muslims should be just,
merciful and wise – anything that is lacking in any one of these principles
cannot be said to be derived from Sacred Law.
Compassion in Islam is not restricted to Muslims only, but it also requires
sensitivity to the suffering of others. In a tradition, the Messenger of God, may
God bless him and grant him peace, declared that 'people are God's children and
those dearest to God are the ones who treat His children kindly.'12 A Muslim
cannot be considered to be compassionate while there is suffering and injustice
around them. It is for this reason, that Islam requires the community of believers
to be one in which caring for your neighbours is an integral component of belief.
The concern for your neighbour (irrespective of whether they are Muslim or not)
is so crucial, that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, used to
say that even if one person remains hungry in a particular area, no angel will
descend in that area until that hungry person is fed.13
TIME to REFLECT
We cannot blame religion for the errors of those who use its name or
symbols to justify their heinous actions. As Harun Yahya illustrates throughout
this book, all religions, have had their share of people who claimed to be strict
adherents of their tradition, but who actually grossly misinterpreted their
sacred texts to suit their own agendas.
All true religious traditions condemn categorically any sort of act of
aggression, and certainly any act of terror. Religion cannot be blamed, but the
insanity and hate that drives people to commit such atrocities can be. It would
not suffice to leave the condemnation there, it is up to us to seek out the root
from which this hate pours forth; what are the causes of their grievances,
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 12
turmoil, anger, bitterness, frustrations, hopelessness and how can we help to
eliminate them?14 We will soon realise that the causes are not the doing of God
or religion, but merely results of regimes that oppress and policies that kill and
subvert. Now more than ever there is a need to investigate the link between
terrorism and the support that continues for dictatorial regimes, particularly in
the Muslim World.
It is not the case that the Muslim world hates the 'West' or indeed America.
There are many Muslims living in the West and it would be hypocritical to
denounce in a rhetoric of hate the very host country that has welcomed them.
Most Muslims realise that there are many similarities extant in the West to
Islamic precepts, such as freedom, tolerance, the right to education, and civil
liberties. Graham E. Fuller, the former vice-chairman of the National
Intelligence Council at the CIA, recently wrote in the L.A Times that: 'If you
travel around the Muslim world, it quickly becomes evident that there is
immense respect for a great variety of American values.'Rather, the frustration
is vented on what is seen as double standards in government policies. People
can enjoy such values in the West, but it appears that there has been a
concerted effort to keep such values restricted 'fit for home consumption, but
not for export.’15
The Muslims in the West are facing a defining moment. Muslims must
recapture the true spirit of Islam, and reclaim it from those who have harmed
its integrity and honour. As Tim Winter asserts'[M]ainstream Islam will be able
to make the loud declaration in public that it already feels in its heart: that
terrorists are not Muslims. Targeting civilians is a negation of every possible
school of Sunni Islam.'16
Harun Yahya's elucidation is timely and much needed. It will, God
willing, provide Muslims and non-Muslims alike with an essential
understanding of the very heart of Islam, and what has been understood and
practised by the vast majority of Muslims throughout history. This is orthodox,
Sunni, mainstream Islam. He illustrates by using the core text of all Muslims –
the Holy Qur'an, that true Islam cannot in any way, shape or form be
associated with terrorism. It is in complete contradistinction to it, for without
a doubt, Islam itself denounces Terrorism.
Aftab Ahmad Malik
Amal Press
FOREWORD● 13
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 14
The Mercy-giving will grant affection
to those who believe and perform
honourable deeds. (Qur'an, 19:96)
s Muslims, we strongly condemn the terrorist
attacks on two major cities of the United States of America on September 11,
2001, which caused the death and injury of thousands of innocent people,
and we offer our condolences to the American nation. These attacks
propelled the important issue of the true source of terrorism to the top of the
world agenda. Thus, it has been announced to the entire world that Islam is
a religion of peace and tolerance that summons individuals to
compassion and justice. Many world leaders, leading media
organisations, television and radio stations said that
true Islam forbids violence, and encourages
A
INTRODUCTION
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 16
God commands justice and doing good and giving
to relatives. And He forbids indecency and doing
wrong and tyranny. He warns you so that
hopefully you will pay heed. (Qur'an, 16:90)
peace between people and between nations. The Western circles that have
come to a full grasp of the religion of Islam and are well-informed about Islam
as commanded by God in the Qur'an noted clearly that the words "Islam" and
"terror" cannot stand side by side, and that no divine religion permits violence.
This book maintains that the source of the terror that we condemn is
definitely not from a divine religion, and that there is no room for terrorism in
Islam. This is made clear in the Qur'an, the main source of Islam, and in the
practices of all true Muslim rulers, the Prophet Muhammad being the foremost
of them. This book reveals, in the light of the verses of the Qur'an and with
examples from history, that Islam forbids terrorism and aims to bring peace
and security to the world.
As is known, for centuries, various acts of terrorism have been carried out
in different parts of the world by different groups for a variety of purposes.
Sometimes a communist organisation, sometimes a fascist group, and
sometimes radical and separatist factions assume responsibility for these acts.
While countries like America often became the target of attacks by racist and
marginal terrorist groups, the European countries have been centre stage for
violent acts carried out by terrorist groups. 17 November in Greece, RAF (Red
Army Faction) and Neo-Nazis in Germany, ETAin Spain, Red Brigades in Italy
and many other organisations seek to make their voices heard through terror
and violence by killing innocent and defenceless people. The nature of
terrorism changes with changing world conditions and increases its impact
and power with the new means made possible by developing technology. In
particular, mass communication tools such as the Internet extend the scope and
influence of the terrorist activities considerably.
Besides the Western organisations, there are also other terror
organisations of Middle East origin. Terrorist attacks are carried out by these
groups in all corners of the world. Sadly, the fact that the perpetrators of
various terrorist acts carry Christian, Muslim or Jewish identities cause some
people to put forward claims which do not concur with divine religions. The
truth is that even if terrorists have Muslim identities, the terror they perpetrate
cannot be labelled "Islamic terror", just as it could not be called "Jewish terror"
if the perpetrators were Jews or "Christian terror" if they were Christians. That
INTRODUCTION● 17
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 18
If one is looking for the cause of an act of terrorism, one
must look for its source in anti-religious ideologies.
Religion enjoins love, compassion, forgiveness, peace
and living according to high moral standards. Terrorism,
on the other hand, is on the side of cruelty and violence,
causing pain, bloodshed and committing murder.
is because, as will be
examined in the following
pages, murdering innocent
people in the name of a
divine religion is
unacceptable. We need to
keep in mind that, among
those who were killed in New
York and Washington, there
were people who loved the
Prophet Jesus (Christians), the
Prophet Moses (Jews) and the Prophet Muhammad (Muslims). Unless forgiven
by God, murdering innocent people is a great sin that leads to torment in Hell.
No one who is religious and fears God would do such a thing.
The aggressors can commit such violence only with the intention of
attacking religion itself. It may well be that those who carried out this
violence did so to present religion as evil in the eyes of people, to divorce
people from religion and to generate hatred towards those who are religiously
inclined. Consequently, every attack on American citizens or other innocent
people having a religious facade is actually an attack made against religion.
Religion commands love, mercy and peace. Terror, on the other hand, is
the opposite of religion; it is cruel, merciless and demands bloodshed and
misery. This being the case, the origins of a terrorist act should be sought in
disbelief rather than in religion. People with a fascist, communist, racist or
materialist outlook on life should be suspected as potential perpetrators. The
name or the identity of the triggerman is not important. If he can kill innocent
people without blinking an eye, then he is a nonbeliever, not a believer. He is
a murderer with no fear of God, whose main ambition is to shed blood and to
cause harm. For this reason, "Islamic terror" is an erroneous concept which
contradicts the message of Islam. The religion of Islam can by no means
countenance terrorism. On the contrary, terror (i.e. murder of innocent
people) in Islam is a great sin, and Muslims are responsible for preventing
these acts and bringing peace and justice to the world.
INTRODUCTION● 19
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 20
Eat and drink of God's provision
and do not go about the earth
corrupting it. (Qur'an, 2:60)
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY● 21
ome of those who say that something is done in
the name of religion may, in fact, misunderstand that religion and as a result,
practice it wrongly. For that reason, it would be wrong to form ideas about that
religion by taking these people as an example. The best way of understanding
a religion is to study its divine source.
Islam's divine source is the Qur'an, which is based on concepts of morality,
love, compassion, humility, sacrifice, tolerance and peace. AMuslim who
lives by those precepts in its true sense will be most polite, careful
of thought, modest, just, trustworthy and easy to get on
with. He will spread love, respect, harmony and the
joy of living all around him.
ISLAMIC
MORALITY: THE
SOURCE OF PEACE
AND SECURITY
S
Islam is the Religion of Peace
Terror, in its broadest sense, is violence committed against non-military
targets for political purposes. To put it another way, targets of terror are
entirely innocent civilians whose only crime, in the eyes of terrorists, is to
represent "the other side".
For this reason, terror means subjecting innocent people to violence,
which is an act bereft of any moral justification. This, as in the case of murders
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 22
Terrorists aim to create a world of violence,
conflict, chaos, and fear.
committed by Hitler or Stalin, is a crime committed against mankind.
The Qur'an is a Book revealed to people as a guide to the true path and in
this Book, God commands man to adopt good morals. This morality is based
upon concepts such as love, compassion, tolerance and mercy. The word
"Islam" is derived from the word meaning "peace" in Arabic. Islam is a religion
revealed to mankind with the intention of presenting a peaceful life through
which the infinite compassion and mercy of God manifest on earth. God calls
all people to Islamic morals through which compassion, mercy, peace and
tolerance can be experienced all over the world. In Sura Baqara, verse 208, God
addresses believers as follows:
O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow
in the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you.
As the verse makes clear, security can only be ensured by "entering into
Islam", that is, living by the values of the Qur'an. The values of the Qur'an hold
a Muslim responsible for treating all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim,
kindly and justly, protecting the needy and the innocent and "preventing the
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 23
A society in which Islamic moral values are truly honoured is a society characterised
by peace, forgiveness, love, compassion and mutual support and joy.
dissemination of mischief". Mischief comprises all forms of anarchy and
terror that remove security, comfort and peace. As God says in a verse, "God
does not love corruption". (Qur'an, 2:205)
Murdering a person for no reason is one of the most obvious examples of
mischief. God repeats in the Qur'an a command He formerly revealed to Jews
in the Old Testament thus:
...if someone kills another person – unless it is in retaliation for
someone else or for causing corruption in the earth – it is as if he had
murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is
as if he had given life to all mankind... (Qur'an, 5:32)
As the verse suggests, a person who kills even a single man, "unless it is
in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth", commits
a crime as if he had murdered all mankind.
This being the case, it is obvious what great sins are the murders,
massacres and attacks, popularly known as "suicide attacks", committed by
terrorists. God informs us how this cruel face of terrorism will be punished in
the hereafter in the following verse:
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 24
In Sura Ma'ida, verse 32, God says that if anyone kills
someone unjustly, it is as if he had murdered all
mankind. To murder even one person is totally
opposed to the moral teaching of the Qur'an.
There are only grounds against those who wrong people and act as
tyrants in the earth without any right to do so. Such people will have a
painful punishment. (Qur'an, 42:42)
All these reveal that organising acts of terror against innocent people is
utterly against Islam and it is unlikely that any Muslim could ever commit
such crimes. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible for stopping these
people, removing "mischief on earth" and bringing peace and security to all
people all over the world. Islam cannot be reconciled with terror. Just the
contrary, it should be the solution to and the path to the prevention of terror.
God has Condemned Wickedness
God has commanded people to avoid committing evil: oppression,
cruelty, murder and bloodshed are all forbidden. He describes those who fail
to obey this command as "following in Satan's footsteps" and adopting a
posture that is openly revealed to be sinful in the Qur'an. A few of the many
verses on this matter in the Qur'an read:
But as for those who break God's contract after it has been agreed and
sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in
the earth, the curse will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode.
(Qur'an, 13:25)
Eat and drink of God's provision and do not go about the earth
corrupting it. (Qur'an, 2:60)
Do not corrupt the earth after it has been put right. Call on Him
fearfully and eagerly. God's mercy is close to the good-doers. (Qur'an,
7:56)
Those who think that they will be successful by causing wickedness,
upheaval and oppression, and by killing innocent people are committing a
great error. God has forbidden all acts of wickedness involving terrorism and
violence, condemned those who engage in such acts and said "God does not
uphold the works of those who cause mischief." in one of His verses. (Qur'an,
10:81)
In the present age, however, acts of terrorism, genocide and massacres
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 25
occur all over the world. Innocent people are being savagely killed, and
countries where communities are being brought to hate each other for artificial
reasons are drowning in blood. These horrors in countries with different
histories, cultures and social structures may have causes and sources peculiar to
each. However, it is evident that the fundamental cause is a moving away from
morality based on love, respect and tolerance that religion brings with it. As a
result of lack of religion, communities emerge that have no fear of God and
believe that they will not be called to account in the hereafter. Since they believe
that, "I will not have to account for my actions to anyone," they can easily act
with no compassion, morality or conscience.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 26
There are apparently many reasons for the acts of terror which
have now claimed perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives.
Those who perpetrate such acts have no fear of God. To them,
the morality enjoined by religion is completely alien.
The existence of hypocrites who emerge in the name of God and religion,
but actually organise themselves to commit wickedness condemned by God, is
indicated in the Qur'an. One verse talks about a gang of nine men who planned
to murder the Prophet by swearing in the name of God:
There was a gang of nine men in the city causing corruption in the land
and not putting things right. They said, "Let us make an oath to one
another by God that we will fall on him and his family in the night and
then say to his protector, We did not witness the destruction of his family
and we are telling the truth." They hatched a plot and We hatched a plot
while they were not aware. (Qur'an, 27:48-50)
As this incident described in the Qur'an reveals, the fact that people do
things "in the name of God" or even swear in His name, in other words that they
use the kind of language designed to show themselves as very religious, does
not mean that what they do is in conformity with religion. On the contrary, what
they do can be quite against the will of God and the morality of religion. The
truth of the matter lies in their actions. If their actions are "causing corruption
and not putting things right", as the verse reveals, then you can be sure that
these people cannot be truly religious, and that their aim is not to serve religion.
It is quite impossible for someone who fears God and has grasped the true
morality of Islam to support violence or wickedness, or to take part in such
actions. That is why Islam is the true solution to terrorism. When the sublime
morality of the Qur'an is explained, it will be impossible for people to connect
true Islam with those who support or join groups that aim at hatred, war and
chaos. That is because God has forbidden wickedness:
Whenever he holds the upperhand, he goes about the earth corrupting it,
destroying (people's) crops and breeding stock. God does not love
corruption. When he is told to have fear of God, he is seized by pride
which drives him to wrongdoing. Hell will be enough for him! What an
evil resting-place. (Qur'an, 2:205-206)
As can be seen from the above verses, it is out of the question for someone
who fears God to turn a blind eye to even the smallest action that might harm
mankind. Someone who does not believe in God and the hereafter, however, can
easily do all kinds of evil, since he thinks he will not have to account to anyone.
The first thing that needs to be done to rid the world of the present-day
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 27
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 28
hose who have no concern
for events unless they directly
affect them are bereft of the insight that espouses
unselfishness, brotherhood, friendship, honesty and the
service that religion bestows upon people. Throughout their
lives, such people try to satisfy their own egos by merely wasting
their means, totally unaware of the threats humanity faces. In the Qur'an
however, God praises the morals of those who strive to bring good to their
surroundings; those who are concerned about the events that take place around
them and who call people to the right way. In a verse from the Qur'an, a metaphor
is given for those who offer no good to others and those who always act on the path
of goodness:
God makes another metaphor: two men, one of them deaf and dumb, unable
to do anything, a burden on his master, no matter where he directs him he
brings no good, is he the same as someone who commands justice and is on a
straight path? (Qur'an, 16:76)
As the verse points out, it is obvious that those who are "on a straight path", are
those who are devoted to their religion; fear and heed God, hold spiritual values in
high regard, and are filled with eagerness to serve people. In general, such people
are there to serve humanity and bring with them great benefits to mankind. For
this reason, it is very important for people to learn about the true religion and
live by the morals explained by the Qur'an – the final Revelation from God.
In the Qur'an, God defines those people who live by such high morals:
Those who, if We establish them firmly on the earth, will keep
up prayer and pay the welfare due, and command what
is right and forbid what is wrong. The end result of
all affairs is with God. (Qur'an, 22:41)
The
Responsibility
of Believers
T
scourge of terrorism is to use education to do away with deviant irreligious
beliefs that are put forward in the name of religion, and to teach people true
Qur'anic morality and to fear God.
God Commands Us to Do Good Deeds
A Muslim is someone who abides by the commands of God, tries
scrupulously to live by Qur'anic morality, peace and harmony, which make the
world a more beautiful place and lead it to progress. His aim is to lead people
to beauty, goodness and well-being. The Qur'an says:
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 29
Those who threaten the lives of civilians, and especially those of children, must ask
themselves: What crime did these children commit? Is committing cruel acts against
innocent people something that will go unaccounted for in the presence of God?
... And do good as God has been good to you. And do not seek to cause
corruption in the earth. God does not love corrupters. (Qur'an, 28:77)
Someone who adopts the Islamic faith wishes to earn God's pleasure and
compassion and to enter heaven. He has to make strenuous efforts to do this,
and to adopt a morality acceptable to God while he is in this world. The
clearest manifestations of this morality are compassion, pity, justice, honesty,
forgiveness, humility, sacrifice and patience. The believer will behave well
towards people, try to perform good deeds and spread goodness. In His
verses, God commands:
We did not create the heavens and earth and everything between them,
except with truth. The Hour is certainly coming, so forgive [men's
failings] with fair forbearance. (Qur'an, 15:85)
... Be good to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very
poor, and to neighbours who are related to you and neighbours who are
not related to you, and to companions and travellers and your slaves.
God does not love anyone vain or boastful. (Qur'an, 4:36)
... Help one another in benevolence and piety. Do not help each other to
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 30
In the moral teachings of Islam, the most important qualities are love,
compassion, mutual support, self-sacrifice, tolerance and forgiveness. In a
society where this morality is lived as it should be, it is impossible to find
the foundations of violence and conflict.
wrongdoing and enmity. And fear God. God is severe in retribution.
(Qur'an, 5:2)
As the verses have made clear, God wishes those who believe in Him to
behave well towards people, to cooperate with each other when it comes to
goodness, and to avoid wickedness. In Sura Anam,verse 160, God promises
that "anyone who comes with a fine deed will have ten more like it. But
those who produce a bad action will only be repaid with its equivalent and
they will not be wronged."
In His book, God describes Himself as He who knows "the secrets of
men's hearts", and warns people to "avoid all kinds of evil." A Muslim
therefore, which means "one who surrenders himself to God" must evidently
be someone who does his best to fight terrorism.
A Muslim does not remain indifferent to what goes on around him, and
never adopts the mentality that nothing matters as long as it does not harm
him. That is because he has surrendered himself to God. He is His
representative, and an ambassador of good. He cannot, therefore, remain
indifferent in the face of cruelty and terrorism. In fact, the Muslim is the
greatest enemy of terrorism, which kills people who have done no wrong.
Islam is against all forms of terrorism, and tries to prevent it right from the
beginning, in other words on the level of ideas. It demands peace between
people and for justice to prevail, and commands people to avoid discord,
conflict and wickedness.
God Commands Us to Be Just
The true justice described in the Qur'an commands man to behave justly,
making no discrimination between people, to protect peoples' rights, not to
permit violence no matter what the circumstances, to side with the oppressed
against the oppressor and to help the needy. This justice calls for the rights of
both parties to be protected when reaching a decision in a dispute, assessing all
aspects of an incident, setting aside all prejudices, being objective, honest,
tolerant, merciful and compassionate. For instance, someone who cannot
assess events in a moderate way, and who is swayed by his emotions and
feelings, will fail to arrive at sound decisions and will remain under the
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 31
influence of those feelings. However, someone who rules with justice needs to
set all his personal feelings and views aside. He needs to treat all parties with
justice when they ask for help, to side with what is right under all
circumstances, and not to diverge from the path of honesty and truthfulness. A
person should incorporate the values of the Qur'an into his soul in such a way
that he may be able to consider other parties' interests before his own and
maintain justice, even if this harms his own interests.
God commands the following in Sura Ma'ida, verse 42: "... if you do
judge, judge between them justly." In Sura Nisa, God commands believers to
act justly even it is against themselves:
O You who believe! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for God
alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether
they are rich or poor, God is well able to look after them. Do not follow
your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away,
God is aware of what you do. (Qur'an, 4:135)
In the Qur'an, God gives a detailed description of justice and informs
believers of the attitude they have to adopt in the face of incidents they
encounter and of the ways to exercise justice. Such guidance is a great comfort
to believers and a mercy from God. For this reason, those who believe are
responsible for exercising justice in an undivided manner both to earn God's
approval and to lead their lives in peace and security.
The justice God commands in the Qur'an is the justice that is exercised
equally among all people, with no consideration of language, race, or ethnicity.
The justice in the Qur'anic sense does not vary according to place, time and
people. In our day, too, there are people being subjected to cruel and unjust
treatment because of the colour of their skin or their race in all corners of the
world.
However, God informs us in the Qur'an that the purpose in the creation of
different tribes and peoples is "that they should come to know each other".
Different nations or peoples, all of whom are the servants of God, should get to
know one another, that is, learn about their different cultures, languages,
traditions and abilities. In brief, the purpose of the creation of different races
and nations is not conflict and war but cultural richness. Such variation is a
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 32
bounty of God's creation. The fact that someone is taller than someone else or
that his skin is yellow or white neither makes him superior to others nor is it
something to feel ashamed of. Every trait a person has is a result of God's
purposeful creation, but in the sight of God, these variations have no ultimate
importance. A believer knows that someone attains superiority only by having
fear of God and in the strength of his faith in God. This fact is related in the
following verse:
O Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into
peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The
noblest among you in God's sight is that one of you who best performs
his duty. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Qur'an, 49:13)
As God informs us in the verse, the understanding of justice
recommended by Him calls for equal, tolerant and peaceable treatment of
everyone, with no discrimination between them.
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 33
Hatred Felt Towards a Community Does Not Prevent
Believers From Exercising Justice
Hatred and anger are the major sources of evil, and are likely to prevent
people from making just decisions, thinking soundly and conducting
themselves rationally. People can readily inflict all kinds of injustice on people
for whom they feel enmity. They may accuse these people of acts they have
never committed, or bear false witness against them although their innocence
is known to them. On account of such enmity, people may be subjected to
unbearable oppression. Some people avoid bearing witness in favour of people
they disagree with, although they know they are innocent, and they keep
evidence which would reveal their innocence hidden. Furthermore, they take
pleasure in the misery these people face, their encounters with injustice or
great suffering. Their greatest worry, on the other hand, is that justice should
be done and these peoples' innocence proved.
For these reasons, it is very hard for people in corrupt societies to trust one
another. People worry that they can fall victim to someone else at any time.
Having lost mutual trust, they also lose their human feelings such as tolerance,
compassion, brotherhood and co-operation, and start hating one another.
However, the feelings someone holds in his heart towards a person or
community should never influence a believer's decisions. No matter how
immoral or hostile the person he is considering may be, the believer sets all
these feelings aside and acts and makes his decisions justly and recommends
that which is just. His feelings towards that person cast no shadow over his
wisdom and conscience. His conscience always inspires him to comply with
God's commands and advice, and never to abandon good manners, because
this is a command God gives in the Qur'an. In Sura Ma'ida, it is related as
follows:
O You who believe! Show integrity for the sake of God, bearing witness
with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just.
Be just. That is closer to faith. Heed God (alone). God is aware of what
you do. (Qur'an, 5:8)
As is related in the verse, displaying a just attitude is what most complies
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 34
with having fear of God. A person of faith knows that he will attain the
pleasure of God only when he acts justly. Every person who witnesses his or
her good manners will trust this person, feel comfortable in their presence and
trust them with any responsibility or task. Such people are treated with respect
even by their enemies. Their attitude may even lead some people to have faith
in God.
Islam Defends Freedom of Thought
Islam is a religion which provides and guarantees freedom of ideas,
thought and life. It has issued commands to prevent and forbid tension,
disputes, slander and even negative thinking among people. In the same way
that it is determinedly opposed to terrorism and all acts of violence, it has also
forbidden even the slightest ideological pressure to be put on them:
There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance has become clearly
distinct from error. (Qur'an, 2:256)
So remind them! You are only a reminder. You are not in control of
them. (Qur'an, 88:21-22)
Forcing people to believe in a religion or to adopt its forms of belief is
completely contrary to the essence and spirit of Islam. According to Islam, true
faith is only possible with free will and freedom of conscience. Of course,
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 35
If your Lord had willed, all the
people on the earth would have
believed. Do you think you can
force people to be believers?
(Qur'an, 10:99)
Muslims can advise and encourage each other about the features of Qur'anic
morality. All believers are charged with explaining Qur'anic morality to people
in the nicest manner possible. They will explain the beauties of religion in the
light of the verse, "Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair
admonition..." (Qur'an, 16:125), however, they must also bear in mind the
verse, "You are not responsible for their guidance, but God guides whoever
He wills." (Qur'an, 2:272)
They will never resort to compulsion, nor any kind of physical or
psychological pressure. Neither will they use any worldly privilege to turn
someone towards religion. When they receive a negative response to what they
say, Muslims will reply along the lines of: "To you your religion, and to me,
mine" (Qur'an, 109:6)
The world we live in contains societies with all kinds of beliefs: Christian,
Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, deist and even pagan. Muslims living in such
a world must be tolerant of all beliefs they come up against, no matter what
they may be, and behave forgivingly, justly and humanely. This responsibility
placed on believers is to invite people to the beauty of the religion of God by
means of peace and tolerance. The decision whether or not to implement these
truths, whether or not to believe, lies with the other party. Forcing that person
to believe, or trying to impose anything on him, is a violation of Qur'anic
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 36
No matter what another person's religion or belief may be, be they Jew, Christian,
Buddhist or Hindu, Muslims are called on in the Qur'an to be tolerant, forgiving, and to
act justly and humanely towards them.
morality. In fact, God issues a reminder to believers in the Qur'an:
If your Lord had willed, all the people on the earth would have
believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers? (Qur'an,
10:99)
We know best what they say and you [O Muhammad] are not a
compeller over them. But warn by the Qur'an whoever fears My
warning. (Qur'an, 50:45)
A model of society in which people are forced to worship is completely
contradictory to Islam. Belief and worship are only of any value when they
are directed to God by the free will of the individual. If a system imposes
belief and worship on people, then they will become religious out of fear of
that system. From the religious point of view, what really counts is that religion
should be lived for God's good pleasure in an environment where peoples'
consciences are totally free.
The history of Islam is full of the tolerant practices of Muslim rulers who
have respected all religions and built religious freedom with their own hands.
For example, Thomas Arnold, a British missionary employed in the service of
the Indian government, describes that Islam favours freedom in these words:
But of any organised attempt to force the acceptance of Islam on the non-
Muslim population, or of any systematic persecution intended to stamp
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 37
In 1492, the Jews who refused to convert were exiled from Spain by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
(above). The Jews were accepted by the Ottoman Empire, a haven of Islamic justice and tolerance.
out the Christian religion, we hear nothing. Had the caliphs chosen to
adopt either course of action, they might have swept away Christianity as
easily as Ferdinand and Isabella drove Islam out of Spain, or Louis XIV
made Protestantism penal in France, or the Jews were kept out of England
for 350 years. The Eastern Churches in Asia were entirely cut off from
communion with the rest of Christendom, throughout which no one
would have been found to lift a finger on their behalf, as heretical
communions. So that the very survival of these Churches to the present
day is a strong proof of the generally tolerant attitude of the
Muhammadan governments towards them.1
God Forbids the Murder of Innocent People
Killing a person for no reason is one of the greatest sins related in the
Qur'an:
... if someone kills another person – unless it is in retaliation for
someone else or for causing corruption in the earth – it is as if he had
murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is
as if he had given life to all mankind. Our Messengers came to them
with Clear Signs, but even after that many of them committed outrages
in the earth. (Qur'an, 5:32)
..those who do not call on any other deity together with God and do not
kill anyone God has made inviolate, except with the right to do so, and
do not fornicate; anyone who does that will receive an evil punishment.
(Qur'an, 25:68)
As the verse suggests, a person who kills innocent people for no reason is
threatened with a great torment. God informs us that killing even a single
person is as evil as murdering all mankind on earth. A person who observes
God's limits can do no harm to a single human, let alone massacre thousands
of innocent people. Those who assume that they can avoid justice and thus
punishment in this world will never succeed, for they will have to give an
account of their deeds in the presence of God. That is why believers, who know
that they will give an account of their deeds after death, are very meticulous to
observe God's limits.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 38
God Commands the Faithful to be
Compassionate and Merciful
Islamic morality is described in one verse as:
Then to be one of those who have faith and urge each other to
steadfastness and urge each other to compassion. Those are the
Companions of the Right. (Qur'an, 90:17-18)
As we have seen in this verse, one of the most important features of the
morality that will lead believers to salvation on the Day of Judgement and to
enter into paradise is "being one of those who urges each other to
compassion".
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 39
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 40
Islamic Morality Envisions a Life Filled With Peace,
Well-being, Love and Joy For All People...
The true source of compassion is love of God. Aperson's love of God gives
rise to his feeling love for the things He has created. Someone who loves God
feels a direct link and closeness to the things He has created. This strong love
and closeness he feels for the Lord, who created him and all mankind, leads
him to display a pleasing morality, as commanded in the Qur'an. True
compassion emerges as he lives by this morality. This model of morality, full of
love, compassion and sacrifice, is described in these verses:
Those of you possessing affluence and ample wealth should not make
oaths that they will not give to their relatives and the very poor and
those who have made emigration in the way of God. They should rather
pardon and overlook. Would you not love God to forgive you? God is
Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an, 24:22)
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 41
…While terrorism longs for a society where violence, fear,
anxiety and chaos reign.
Those who were already settled in the abode and in faith before they
came, love those who have migrated to them and do not find in their
hearts any need for what they have been given and prefer them to
themselves even if they themselves are needy. It is the people who are
safe-guarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful.
(Qur'an, 59:9)
... those who have given refuge and help, they are the true believers.
They will have forgiveness and generous provision. (Qur'an, 8:74)
Be good to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor,
and to neighbours who are related to you and neighbours who are not
related to you, and to companions and travellers and your slaves. God
does not love anyone vain or boastful. (Qur'an, 4:36)
Charity (zakat) is for: the poor, the destitute, those who collect it,
reconciling people's hearts, freeing slaves, those in debt, spending in
the Way of God, and travellers. It is a legal obligation from God. God is
All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Qur'an, 9:60)
This high level of morality that is demanded from believers, described in
the Qur'an, stems from their deep love of God. Thanks to their devotion to
Him, they scrupulously abide by the morality revealed by Him in the Qur'an.
Believers never try to make people feel indebted because of the compassion
they demonstrate and the help they offer people, and do not even expect to be
thanked. Their true aim is to try to gain God's good pleasure by means of the
morality they exhibit, because they know that they will be called to account for
that morality on the Day of Judgement. In the Qur'an, God has expressly
revealed that hell will be the outcome for those who knowingly refuse to live
by the morality of the Qur'an:
"What has brought you into hell-fire?" They will say, "We were not
among those who prayed and we did not feed the poor." (Qur'an, 74:42-
44)
Seize him and bind him, and then expose him to hell-fire, then fasten
him with a chain seventy cubits long! For he did not believe in God
Almighty, nor did he urge the feeding of the poor. (Qur'an, 69:30-34)
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 42
Have you seen him who denies the religion? He is the one who harshly
rebuffs the orphan and does not urge the feeding of the poor. (Qur'an,
107:1-3)
...nor do you urge the feeding of the poor (Qur'an, 89:18)
As we have seen in these verses, the Muslim described in the Qur'an
possesses a most loving and compassionate nature. Nobody who possesses
this morality can of course consent to terrorism or acts of violence directed at
innocent people. Terrorists' characters are the exact opposite of Qur'anic
morality. A terrorist is a ruthless person who looks with hatred on the world,
and wants to kill, destroy and shed blood.
A Muslim raised in the morality as revealed by the Qur'an, however,
approaches everyone with the love expected by Islam, respects ideas of all
kinds, always tries to bring harmony where there is discord, lower tensions,
embrace all sides and behave with moderation. Societies consisting of people
like this will be ruled by a more developed civilisation, and enjoy greater social
morality, harmony, justice and plenty than can be seen in even the most
modern nations today.
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 43
Islamic morality commands Muslims to protect
the rights of orphans and those in poverty and
need, to mutually support one another, and to be
well-disposed towards one another.
God has Commanded Forgiveness and Tolerance
The concept of forgiveness and tolerance, described in the words, "Make
allowances for people" (Qur'an, 7:199) is one of the most fundamental tenets
of Islam.
When we look at the history of Islam, the way that Muslims have
translated this important feature of Qur'anic morality into the life of society
can be seen quite clearly. As we shall be considering in later parts of the book,
Muslims have always brought with them an atmosphere of freedom and
tolerance wherever they have gone. They have enabled people whose
religions, languages and cultures are completely different from one another to
live together in peace and harmony under one roof, and provided peace and
harmony for its own members. One of the most important reasons for the
centuries-long existence of the Ottoman Empire, which spread over an
enormous region, was the atmosphere of tolerance and understanding that
Islam brought with it. Muslims, who have been known for their tolerant and
loving natures for centuries, have always been the most compassionate and
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 44
In societies where Islamic morality is followed, churches, mosques
and synagogues co-exist peacefully. This view of three sanctuaries
in an institution for the homeless shows the tolerance, justice and
striving for peace inculcated by the teaching of Islamic morality.
just of people. Within this multi-national structure, all ethnic groups have been
free to live according to their own religions, and their own rules.
True tolerance can only bring peace and well-being to the world when
implemented along the lines set out in the Qur'an. Attention is drawn to this
fact in a verse which reads: "A good action and a bad action are not the same.
Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and
someone else, he will be like a bosom friend." (Qur'an, 41:34)
In the verses of the Qur'an, God has always described forgiveness as a
superior quality, and in one verse, He has given the good news that such
behaviour will be rewarded: "The repayment of a bad action is one
equivalent to it. But if someone pardons and puts things right, his reward is
with God. Certainly He does not love wrongdoers." (Qur'an, 42:40) In another
verse, He has described believers as: "those who give in times of both ease
and hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other people – God
loves the good-doers" (Qur'an, 3:134) God has revealed in the Qur'an that it is
virtuous behaviour to forgive someone even if he has done wrong. One verse
on the subject reads:
... You will never cease to come upon some act of treachery on their part,
except for a few of them. Yet pardon them, and overlook. God loves
good-doers. (Qur'an, 5:13)
All of this shows that the morality that Islam recommends to mankind
brings to the world the virtues of peace, harmony and justice. The barbarism
known as terrorism, that is so preoccupying the world at present, is the work
of ignorant and fanatical people, completely estranged from Qur'anic morality,
and who have absolutely nothing to do with religion. The solution to these
people and groups who try to carry out their savagery under the mask of
religion is the teaching of true Qur'anic morality. In other words, Islam and
Qur'anic morality are solutions to the scourge of terrorism, not supporters of it.
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY ● 45
…God is All-Gentle, Most Merciful
to mankind. (Qur'an, 2:143)
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY● 47
WAR IN
THE QUR'AN
ccording to the Qur'an, war represents an
"unwanted obligation" which has to be carried out with strict observance of
particular humane and moral guidelines and which must not be resorted to
except when it is absolutely inevitable.
In one Qur'anic verse, it is explained that those who start wars are the
disbelievers and that God does not approve of wars:
…Each time they kindle the fire of war, God extinguishes it. They
rush about the earth corrupting it. God does not love corrupters.
(Qur'an, 5:64)
A
In the case of a conflict, before engaging in a war, believers must wait until
fighting becomes compulsory. Believers are allowed to fight only when the
other party attacks and no other alternative except war remains:
But if they cease (fighting), God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(Qur'an, 2:192)
A closer examination of the Prophet Muhammad's life reveals that war
was a method resorted for defensive purposes only in unavoidable situations.
The revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad continued for a
period of 23 years. During the first 13 years of this period, Muslims lived as a
minority under a pagan order in Mecca and faced much oppression. Many
Muslims were harassed, abused, tortured, and even murdered, their houses
and possessions plundered. Despite this, however, Muslims led their lives
without resorting to violence and always called the pagans to peace.
When the oppression of the pagans escalated unbearably, the Muslims
emigrated to the town of Yathrib, which was later to be renamed Madinah,
where they could establish their own order in a freer and more friendly
environment. Even establishing their own system did not prompt them to take
up weapons against the aggressive pagans of Mecca. Only after the following
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 48
A view of presentday
Madinah, the
city to which the
Prophet Muhammad
and the Muslims
emigrated and
established their
own polity.
revelation, the Prophet commanded his people to prepare for war:
Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against because
they have been wronged – truly God has the power to come to their
support – those who were expelled from their homes without any right,
merely for saying, "Our Lord is God"… (Qur'an, 22:39-40)
In brief, Muslims were allowed to wage war only because they were
oppressed and subjected to violence. To put it in another way, God granted
permission for war only for defensive purposes. In other verses, Muslims are
warned against the use of unnecessary provocation or violence:
Fight in the Way of God against those who fight you, but do not go
beyond the limits. God does not love those who go beyond the limits.
(Qur'an, 2:190)
After the revelation of these verses, several wars occurred between the
Muslims and the pagan Arabs. In none of these wars, however, were the
Muslims the inciting party. Furthermore, the Prophet Muhammad established
a secure and peaceful social environment for Muslims and pagans alike by
signing the peace agreement of Hudaybiya which conceded to the pagans most
of their requests. The party who violated the terms of the agreement and
started hostilities once again were the pagans. With rapid conversions into
Islam, the Islamic armies mustered a great force against the pagan Arabs.
However, Muhammad conquered Mecca without bloodshed and in a spirit of
tolerance. If he wished, Muhammad could have taken revenge on pagan
leaders in the city. Yet, he did not do harm to any one of them, forgave them
and treated them with the utmost tolerance. In the words of John Esposito, a
Western expert on Islam, "eschewing vengeance and the plunder of conquest,
the Prophet instead accepted a settlement, granting amnesty rather than
wielding the sword toward his former enemies." 2
Pagans, who would later convert to Islam of their own free will, could not
help admiring such nobility of character in the Prophet.
Not only during Mecca's conquest, but also in the course of all the battles
and conquests made in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the rights of
innocent and defenceless people were meticulously protected. The Prophet
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 49
Muhammad reminded believers numerous times about this subject and by his
own practice became a role model for others to follow. Indeed, he addressed
believers who were about to go to war in the following terms: "Go to war in
adherence to the religion of God. Never touch the elderly, women or
children. Always improve their situation and be kind to them. God loves
those who are sincere."3 The Messenger of God also clarified the attitude
Muslims must adopt even when they are in the middle of a raging battle:
Do not kill children. Avoid touching people who devote themselves to
worship in churches! Never murder women and the elderly. Do not set
trees on fire or cut them down. Never destroy houses!4
The Islamic principles God proclaims in the Qur'an account for this
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 50
peaceful and temperate policy of the Prophet Muhammad. In the Qur'an, God
commands believers to treat the non-Muslims kindly and justly:
God does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought
you over religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just
towards them. God loves those who are just. God merely forbids you
from taking as friends those who have fought you over religion and
The Ka'aba, to which almost two million
Muslims come every year from the four
corners of the world, is a symbol of the
peace and tolerance that are an integral
part of Islamic teaching.
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 51
driven you from your homes and who supported your expulsion...
(Qur'an, 60:8-9)
The verses above clarify how Muslims should behave towards non-
Muslims: A Muslim should treat all non-Muslims kindly and only avoid
making friends with those who show enmity towards Islam. In a case where
this enmity causes violent attacks against Muslims, that is, where they wage a
war against them, then Muslims should respond to them justly by considering
the humane dimensions of the situation. All forms of barbarism, unnecessary
acts of violence and unjust aggression are forbidden by Islam. In another verse,
God warns Muslims against this and explains that rage felt towards enemies
should not cause them to fall into injustice:
You who believe! Show integrity for the sake of God, bearing witness
with justice. Do not let hatred for a people incite you into not being just.
Be just. That is closer to heedfulness. Heed God (alone). God is aware
of what you do. (Qur'an, 5:8)
The Meaning of the Concept of "Jihad"
Another concept that deserves clarification due in the context of our
discussion is that of "jihad".
The exact meaning of "Jihad" is "effort". Thus, in Islam, "to carry out jihad"
is "to show effort, to struggle". The Prophet Muhammad explained that "the
greatest jihad is the one a person carries out against his lower soul". What is
meant by "lower soul" here is selfish desires and ambitions.
Assessed from the Qur'anic point of view, the word "jihad" can also mean
a struggle carried out on intellectual grounds against those who oppress
people, treat them unjustly, subject them to torture and cruelty and violate
legitimate human rights. The purpose of this struggle is to bring about justice,
peace and equality.
Apart from these ideological and spiritual meanings, struggle in the
physical sense is also considered as "jihad". However, as explained above, this
has to be a struggle carried out solely for defensive purposes. The use of the
concept of "jihad" for acts of aggression against innocent people, that is for
terror, would be unjust and a great distortion of the true meaning of the term.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 52
Killing Oneself (Committing Suicide)
is Forbidden in the Qur'an
Another important matter that arose in the wake of the latest terrorist
assaults against the United States is that of suicide attacks. Some people who
are ill-informed on Islam have made utterly erroneous statements to the effect
that this religion of peace allows suicide attacks, whereas in Islam killing
oneself and killing other people are both prohibited. In the words, "Do not kill
yourselves." (Qur'an, 4:29) God has declared suicide to be a sin. In Islam it is
forbidden for anyone to kill himself or herself, for no matter what reason.
The Prophet reveals suicide to be a sin in a parable, when he says that
those who commit suicide will be punished:
Indeed, whoever (intentionally) kills himself, then certainly he will be
punished in the Fire of Hell, wherein he shall dwell forever.5
As this makes clear, committing suicide, and thus carrying out suicide
attacks, and causing the deaths of thousands of innocent people while doing
so, is a total violation of Islamic morality. God says in the Qur'an that it is a sin
One of the main
purposes of
terrorist
bombings, arson
attacks and other
such vicious acts
is to create fear,
anxiety, insecurity
and a sense of
panic in people.
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 53
to put an end to one's own life. For that reason, it is quite impossible for
someone who believes in God and says he abides by the Qur'an to do such a
thing. The only people who can do such things are those who have a very
mistaken perception of religion, have no idea of true Qur'anic morality, fail to
use their reason and conscience, are under the influence of atheist ideologies,
and who have been brainwashed with feelings of hatred and revenge.
Everybody must oppose such actions.
Compassion, Tolerance and Humanity in the
History of Islam
To sum up the facts we have seen so far, we can say that the political
doctrine of Islam (in other words, Islamic rules and principles regarding
political matters) is exceedingly moderate and peace-loving. This truth is
accepted by many non-Muslim historians and theologians. One of these is the
British historian Karen Armstrong, a former nun and an expert on Middle East
history. In her book Holy War, which examines the history of the three divine
religions, she makes the following comments:
... The word 'Islam' comes from the same Arabic root as the word 'peace'
and the Qur'an condemns war as an abnormal state of affairs opposed to
God's will… Islam does not justify a total aggressive war of
extermination… Islam recognises that war is inevitable and sometimes a
positive duty in order to end oppression and suffering. The Qur'an
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 54
And
do not kill yourselves.
God is Most Merciful to you.
(Qur'an, 4:29)
teaches that war must be limited and be conducted in as humane a way
as possible. Mohammad had to fight not only the Meccans but also the
Jewish tribes in the area and Christian tribes in Syria who planned on
offensive against him in alliance with the Jews. Yet this did not make
Mohammed denounce the People of the Book. His Muslims were forced
to defend themselves but they were not fighting a 'holy war' against the
religion of their enemies. When Mohammad sent his freedman Zaid
against the Christians at the head of a Muslim army, he told them to fight
in the cause of God bravely but humanely. They must not molest priests,
monks and nuns nor the weak and helpless people who were unable to
fight. There must be no massacre of civilians nor should they cut down a
single tree nor pull down any building.6
After the death of the Prophet, the Caliphs who succeeded him were also
very sensitive in exercising justice. In conquered countries, both the
indigenous people and the newcomers led their lives in peace and security.
Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, demanded his people adopt just and tolerant
attitudes in these lands. All these attitudes were in compliance with the values
of the Qur'an. Abu Bakr gave the following command to his army before the
first Syrian expedition:
Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules to keep by heart: Do not
commit treachery, nor depart from the right path. You must not mutilate,
neither kill a child or aged man or woman. Do not destroy a palm tree, nor
burn it with fire and do not cut any fruitful tree. You msut not slay any of
the flock or herds or the camels, save for your subsistence. You are likely
to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave
them to that to which they have devoted their lives. You are likely,
likewise, to find people who will present to you meals of many kinds. You
may eat; but do no forget to mention the name of Allah.7
Umar ibn al-Khattab, who succeeded Abu Bakr, was famous for the way
he exercised justice and made contracts with the indigenous people of the
conquered countries. Each one of these contracts proved to be an example of
tolerance and justice. For instance, in his declaration granting protection to
Christians in Jerusalem and Lod, he ensured that churches would not be
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 55
demolished and guaranteed that Muslims would not worship in churches in
groups. Umar granted the same conditions to the Christians of Bethlehem.
During the conquest of Medain, the declaration of protection given to the
Nestorian Patriarch Isho'yab III (650 - 660 AD) again guaranteed that churches
would not be demolished and that no building would be converted into a
house or a mosque. The letter written by the patriarch to the bishop of Fars
(Persia) after the conquest is most striking, in the sense that it depicts the
tolerance and compassion shown by Muslim rulers to the Book of People in the
words of a Christian:
The Arabs to whom God has given at this time the government of the
world... do not persecute the Christian religion. Indeed, they favour it,
honour our priests and the saints of the Lord and confer benefits on
churches and monasteries.8
All these are very important examples revealing the understanding of
justice and tolerance of true believers. In a verse God commands the following:
God commands you to return to their owners the things you hold on
trust and, when you judge between people, to judge with justice. How
excellent is what God exhorts you to do! God is All-Hearing, All-
Seeing. (Qur'an, 4:58)
Canon Taylor, one of the mission leaders of the Anglican Church, expresses
the beauty revealed by the Islamic morality in one of his speeches as follows:
It [Islam] brought out the fundamental dogmas of religion – the unity and
greatness of God, that He is merciful and righteous, that He claims
obedience to His will, resignation and faith. It proclaimed the
responsibility of man, a future life, a day of judgment, and stern
retribution to fall upon the wicked; and enforced the duties of prayer,
almsgiving, fasting and benevolence. It thrust aside the artificial virtues,
the religious frauds and follies, the perverted moral sentiments, and the
verbal subtleties of theological disputants… It gave hope to the slave,
brotherhood to mankind, and recognition to the fundamental facts of
human nature.9
The false assertion that people in conquered countries converted to Islam
under threat has also been disproved by Western researchers, and the justice
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 56
and tolerant attitude of Muslims has been confirmed. L.Browne, a Western
researcher, expresses this situation in the following words:
Incidentally these well-established facts dispose of the idea so widely
fostered in Christian writings that the Muslims, wherever they went,
forced people to accept Islam at the point of the sword.10
In his book The Prospects of Islam, Browne goes on to say that the real
motive behind the Muslims' conquests was the brotherhood of Islam. The vast
majority of Muslim administrators who have reigned over the Muslim lands
throughout history continued to treat the members of other religions with the
utmost tolerance and respect. Within the borders of all Islamic states, both Jews
and Christians lived in safety and enjoyed freedom.
Georgetown University's Professor of Religion and International Relations
John L. Esposito describes how Jews and Christians who came under the
administration of Muslim states met with enormous tolerance:
In the lands around Jerusalem,
which have been under Muslim rule
for long periods of time, peace and
tolerance is now replaced by war
and conflict.
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 57
Muslim armies proved to be formidable conquerors and effective rulers,
builders rather than destroyers. They replaced the indigenous rulers and
armies of the conquered countries, but preserved much of their
goverment, bureaucracy, and culture. For many in the conquered
territories, it was no more than an exchange of masters, one that brought
peace to peoples demoralized and disaffected by the casualties and heavy
taxation that resulted from the years of Byzantine-Persian warfare. Local
communities were free to continue to follow their own way of life in
internal, domestic affairs. In many ways, local populations found Muslim
rule more flexible and tolerant than that of Byzantium and Persia.
Religious communities were free to practice their faith – to worship and
be governed by their religious leaders and laws in such areas as marriage,
divorce, and inheritance. In exchange, they were required to pay tribute,
a poll tax (jizya) that entitled them to Muslim protection from outside
aggression and exempted them from military service. They were therefore
called the ''protected ones'' (dhimmmi). In effect, this often meant lower
taxes, grater local autonomy, rule by fellow Semites with closer linguistic
and cultural ties than the hellenized, Greco-Roman elites of Byzantium,
and greater religious freedom for Jews and indigenous Christians. Most of
the Christian churches, such as the Nestorians, Monophysites, Jacobites,
and Copts, had been persecuted as heretics and schismatics by Christian
orthodoxy. For these reasons, some Jewish and Christian communities
aided the invading armies, regarding them as less oppressive than their
imperial masters. In many ways, the conquests brought a Pax Islamica to
an embattled area.11
Another "Pax Islamica" brought by Islam was to women, a segment of
society that was tremendously abused in the pre-Islamic times. Professor
Bernard Lewis, known to be one of the greatest Western experts on the Middle
East, makes the following comment:
In general, the advent of Islam brought an enormous improvement in the
position of women in ancient Arabia, endowing them with property and
some other rights, and giving them a measure of protection against ill
treatment by their husbands or owners. The killing of female infants,
sanctioned by custom in Pagan Arabia, was outlawed by Islam. But the
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 58
position of women remained poor, and worsened when, in this as in so
many other respects, the original message of Islam lost its impetus and
was modified under the influence of pre-existing attitudes and customs.12
The reign of the Seljuk Turks and that of the Ottoman Empire were also
marked by the just and tolerant outlook of Islam. In his book, The Spread of
Islam in the World, Sir Thomas Arnold, the British researcher, explains the
Christians' willingness to come under Seljuk rule because of this attitude:
This same sense of security of religious life under Muslim rule led many
of the Christians of Asia Minor, also, about the same time, to welcome the
advent of the Saljuq Turks as their deliverers… In the reign of Michael VIII
(1261-1282), the Turks were often invited to take possession of the smaller
towns in the interior of Asia Minor by the inhabitants, that they might
escape from the tyranny of the empire; and both rich and poor often
emigrated into Turkish dominions.13
Malik Shah, the ruler of the Islamic Seljuk Empire during its brightest age,
approached the people in the conquered lands with great tolerance and
compassion and thus was remembered with respect and love by them. All
objective historians refer to the justice and tolerance of Malik Shah in their
works. His tolerance also kindled feelings of love towards him in the hearts of
the People of the Book. For this reason, unprecedented in history, many cities
came under Malik Shah's rule of their own free will. Sir Thomas Arnold also
mentions Odo de Diogilo, a monk of St. Denis, who participated in the Second
Many crusaders were surprised at the just, tolerant
and compassionate attitude displayed by Muslims
even on the battlefield. Later, they openly expressed
their admiration in their memoirs. In the picture above
we see the Second Crusade inaugurated by Louis VII.
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 59
Crusade as the private chaplain of Louis VII, refers in his memoirs to the justice
administered by Muslims regardless of the subjects' religious affiliation. Based
on the graphic account of Odo de Diogilo, Sir Thomas Arnold writes:
The situation of the survivors would have been utterly hopeless, had not
the sight of their misery melted the hearts of the Muhammadans to pity.
They tended the sick and relieved the poor and starving with openhanded
liberality. Some even bought up the French money which the
Greeks had got out of the pilgrims by force or cunning, and lavishly
distributed it among the needy. So great was the contrast between the
kind treatment the pilgrims received from the unbelievers and the cruelty
of their fellow-Christians, the Greeks, who imposed forced labour upon
them, beat them, and robbed them of what little they had left, that many
of them voluntarily embraced the faith of their deliverers. As the old
chronicler [Odo de Diogilo] says: "Avoiding their co-religionists who had
been so cruel to them, they went in safety among the infidels who had
compassion upon them, and, as we heard, more than three thousand
joined themselves to the Turks when they retired."14
These statements by historians reveal that Muslim administrators who
truly adopted the morality of the Islam always ruled with tolerance,
compassion and justice. Likewise, the history of the Ottoman Empire which
ruled lands on three continents for centuries abounds with examples of
tolerance.
The way the Jews settled in Ottoman lands during the time of Sultan
Beyazid II, after being subjected to massacre and exile in the Catholic
kingdoms of Spain and Portugal, is a fine example of the tolerance that Islamic
morality brings with it. The Catholic monarchs who ruled much of Spain at the
time brought grave pressure to bear on the Jews who had formerly lived in
peace under Muslim rule in Andalusia. While Muslims, Christians and Jews
were able to live side by side in peace in Andalusia, the Catholic monarchs
tried to force the whole country to become Christian, and declared war on the
Muslims while oppressing the Jews. As a result, the last Muslim ruler in the
Granada region of southern Spain was overthrown in 1492. Muslims were
subjected to terrible slaughter, and those Jews who refused to change their
religion were sent into exile.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 60
One group of these Jews without a homeland sought shelter in the
Ottoman Empire, and the state allowed them to do so.The Ottoman fleet,
under the command of Kemal Reis, brought the exiled Jews, and those
Muslims who had survived the slaughter, to the land of the Ottomans.
Sultan Beyazid II has gone down in history as a most pious believer, and
in the spring of 1492 he settled these wronged Jews who had been expelled
from Spain in certain parts of his empire, around Edirne, and Thessalonica in
present-day Greece. Most of the 25,000 Turkish Jews living in Turkey today are
the ancestors of those Spanish Jews. They have adapted their religion and
customs, which they brought from Spain some 500 years ago, to the conditions
in Turkey, and continue to live most comfortably with their own schools,
hospitals, old people's homes, cultural associations and newspapers. In the
same way that they have traders and businessmen, they also have
representatives in numerous professions, from technical subjects to
advertising, with increasingly developing intellectual circles. While Jewish
Muslim rule in Spain came to an end in 1492 when Granada was conquered by the
armies of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. In the picture above, the surrender of
the city is depicted.
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 61
communities in many countries in Europe have for centuries been exposed to
the fear of anti-Semitic racist attacks, those in Turkey have lived in peace and
security. This example alone is enough to demonstrate the tolerance that Islam
brings with it and its understanding of justice.
The compassion and tolerance exhibited by Sultan Beyazid II applied to
all the Ottoman sultans. When Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror captured
Constantinople, he allowed the Christians and the Jews to live freely there.
André Miquel, who is known for the valuable works he has written about the
just and tolerant practices of Muslims and the world of Islam, says:
The Christian communities lived under a well administered state that
they did not have during the Byzantine and Latin periods. They were
never subjected to systematic persecution. On the contrary, the empire
and especially Istanbul had become a refuge for Spanish Jews who were
tortured. People were never Islamized by force; the movements of
Islamization took place as a result of social processes.15
As is clear from these facts, Muslims have at no time in history been
oppressive. On the contrary, they have brought peace and security to all
nations and beliefs wherever they have gone. They have abided by God's verse
which says: "Worship God and do not associate anything with Him. Be good
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 62
Sultan Beyazid II was a devout Muslim. He
welcomed the Jews who were fleeing from
Spanish persecution, and afforded them the
freedom to practise their religion in Muslim lands.
to your parents and relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to
neighbours who are related to you and neighbours who are not related to
you, and to companions and travellers and your slaves. God does not love
anyone vain or boastful." (Qur'an, 4:36) and have behaved well to all people.
In short, friendship, brotherhood, peace and love are the bases of Qur'anic
morality, and it is to these superior virtues that Muslims try to adhere. (For
further details, see Harun Yahya's Justice and Tolerance in the Qur'an)
The conquest of Istanbul by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror meant freedom for Jews
and heterodox Christians who had been subjected to oppression for centuries by
Roman and Byzantine rulers.
Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror granted many concessions to the Patriarchate. The
Patriarch enjoyed autonomy for the first time in history, under Turkish rule. In the
picture we see Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror receiving the Patriarch.
WAR IN THE QUR'AN ● 63
Those who believe and do not mix
up their belief with any wrongdoing,
they are the ones who are safe…
(Qur'an, 6:82)
ISLAMIC MORALITY: THE SOURCE OF PEACE AND SECURITY● 65
THE REAL
FACE OF THE
TERRORISTS WHO
OF RELIGION
ACT IN THE NAME
ll these examples reveal that organising acts of
terror against innocent people is utterly against Islam and it is unlikely that any
Muslim could ever commit such crime. On the contrary, Muslims are responsible
for stopping these people, removing "mischief on earth" and bringing peace and
security to all people all over the world.
It is not possible to talk about "Christian terror", "Jewish terror" or "Islamic
terror". Indeed, an examination into the background of the
perpetrators of these acts reveal that the terrorism in question
is not a religious but a social phenomenon.
A
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 66
Crusaders: Barbarians Who Trampled
Their Own Religion
The true message of a religion or a system of belief can be at times
distorted by its own pseudo-adherents. The Crusaders, whose period
constitutes a dark episode in Christian history, are an example of this type of
distortion.
The Crusaders were European Christians who undertook expeditions
from the end of the 11th century onwards to recover the Holy Land (Palestine
and the surrounding area) from the Muslims. They set out with a so-called
religious goal, yet they laid waste each acre of land they entered spreading fear
wherever they went. They subjected civilians along their way to mass
executions and plundered many villages and towns. Their conquest of
Jerusalem, where Muslims, Jews and Christians lived under Islamic rule in
peace, became the scene of immense bloodshed. They massacred all the
Muslims and Jews in the city without mercy.
In the words of one historian, "They killed all the Saracens and the Turks
they found... whether male of female."16 One of the Crusaders, Raymond of
Aguiles, boasted of this violence:
Wonderful sights were to be seen. Some of our men (and this was more
merciful) cut off the heads of their enemies; others shot them with arrows,
so that they fell from the towers; others tortured them longer by casting
them into the flames. Piles of heads, hands and feet were to be seen in
the streets of the city. It was necessary to pick one's way over the bodies
of men and horses. But these were small matters compared to what
happened at the Temple of Solomon, a place where religious services are
normally chanted ... in the Temple and porch of Solomon, men rode in
blood up to their knees and bridle reins.17
In two days, the Crusader army killed some 40,000 Muslims in the
barbaric ways just described.18
The Crusaders' barbarism was so excessive that, during the Fourth
Crusade, they plundered Constantinople (present-day Istanbul), a Christian
city, and stole the golden objects from the churches.
Of course, all this barbarism was utterly against Christian doctrine.
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 67
Under Muslim rule, Muslims, Jews and Orthodox Christians had lived together in peace in Jerusalem.
When the Crusaders invaded Jerusalem (as seen above) they carried out terrible acts of slaughter. The
Crusaders continued on to sack many more towns and murdering civilians as they went.
Christianity, in the words of the
Bible, is a "message of love". In the
Gospel according to Matthew, it is
said that Jesus said to his followers,
"Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you" (Matthew,
5:44). In the Gospel according to
Luke, it is said that Jesus said, "To
him who strikes you on the cheek,
offer the other also." (Luke, 6:29) In
no part of the Gospels is there any
reference to the legitimacy of
violence; thus murdering innocent
people is unimaginable. You can find
the concept of "murdering the innocent" in the Bible; but only in the cruel
Jewish King Herod's attempt to kill Jesus while he was a baby.
If Christianity is a religion based on love that accommodates no violence,
how did Christian Crusaders carry out some of the most violent acts in
history? The major reason for this was that the Crusaders were mainly made
up of ignorant people who could better be defined as "rabble". These masses,
who knew almost nothing about their religion, who had probably never read
or even seen the Bible once in their lifetime, and who were for the most part
completely unaware of the moral values of the Bible, were led into barbarism
under the conditioning of Crusaders' slogans which presented this violence as
"God's Will". Employing this fraudulent method, many were encouraged to
commit dreadful acts strictly forbidden by the religion.
It is worth mentioning that in that period, Eastern Christians – the people
of Byzantium, for instance – who were culturally far ahead of Western
Christians, espoused more humane values. Both before and after the
Crusaders' conquests, Orthodox Christians managed to live together with
Muslims. According to Terry Jones, the BBC commentator, with the
withdrawal of the Crusaders from Middle East, "civilized life started again and
members of the three monotheistic faiths returned to peaceful coexistence."19
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 68
On September 12, 1204, the Crusaders entered
Constantinople, which was held by their fellow
Christians. They sacked and looted the city even to
the extent of ripping the gold out of the churches.
The example of the Crusaders is indicative of a general phenomenon. The
more the adherents of an ideology are uncivilised, intellectually
underdeveloped and ignorant, the more likely they are to resort to violence.
This also holds true for ideologies that have nothing to do with religion. All
communist movements around the world are prone to violence. Yet the most
savage and bloodthirsty of them were the Red Khmers in Cambodia. This was
because they were the most ignorant.
The Bedouin Character in the Qur'an
In the period of the Prophet Muhammad, there existed two basic social
structures in Arabia. City-dwellers and Bedouins (desert Arabs). A
sophisticated culture prevailed in Arab towns. Commercial relations linked the
towns to the outer world, which contributed to the formation of "good
manners" among Arabs dwelling in cities. They had refined aesthetic values,
enjoyed literature and especially poetry. Desert Arabs, on the other hand, were
the nomad tribes living in the desert who had a very crude culture. Utterly
unaware of arts and literature, they developed an unrefined character.
Islam was born and developed among the inhabitants of Mecca, the most
important city of the peninsula. However, as Islam spread to the rest of the the
peninsula, all the tribes in Arabia embraced it. Among these tribes were also
desert Arabs, who were somehow problematic: their poor intellectual and
cultural background prevented some of them from grasping the profundity
and noble spirit of Islam. Of this God states the following in a verse:
The desert Arabs are the worst in disbelief and hypocrisy, and more
fitted to be ignorant of the limits which God has sent down to His
Messenger. But God is Knowing, Wise. (Qur'an, 9:97)
The desert Arabs, that is, social groups who were "worst in disbelief and
hypocrisy" and prone to disobey God's commands, became a part of the
Islamic world in the Prophet's time. However, in later periods, they became a
source of trouble for the house of Islam. The sect called "Kharijis" that emerged
among the Bedouins was an example. The most distinctive trait of this
perverse sect (which was called "Kharijis", the "rebels", because they greatly
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 69
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 70
deviated from Sunni practices), was their wild and fanatical nature. The
"Kharijis", who had little understanding of the essence of Islam or of the virtues
and the values of the Qur'an, waged war against all other Muslims basing this
war on a few Qur'anic verses about which they made distorted interpretations.
Furthermore, they carried out "acts of terrorism". Ali, who was one of the
closest companions of the Prophet and was described as the "gate of the city of
knowledge", was assassinated by a Kharijite.
In later periods, "Hashashis", another brutal organisation, emerged; this
was a "terrorist organisation" made up of ignorant and fanatical militants
bereft of a profound understanding of the essence of Islam and thus who could
be readily influenced by simple slogans and promises.
In other words, just as the Crusaders distorted and misinterpreted
Christianity as a teaching of brutality, some perverted groups emerging in the
Islamic world misinterpreted Islam and resorted to brutality. What is common
to these sects and the Crusaders was their "Bedouin" nature. That is, they were
ignorant, unrefined and uncultivated, lacking a true understanding of their
religion. The violence they resorted to resulted from this lack of understanding,
rather than from the religion they claimed to espouse.
Bedouins were nomadic tribes of the
desert at the time of the Prophet
Muhammad. Because of the harsh
conditions in which they lived, they
came to possess a hard and rough
culture.
he founder of Russian Anarchy, Michael
Bakunin and his disciple Nechayev define an
ideal terrorist in this way:
The whole work of his [a revolutionist's] existence, not
only in words, but also in deeds, is at war with the existing order of
society, and with the whole so-called civilized world, with its laws,
morals and customs, he is an uncompromising opponent… He knows only
one science; the science of destruction. (The Alarm Newspaper Article,
"Bakunin's Ground-Work for the Social Revolution," 1885 Dec. 26, p. 8)
As understood from these words of Bakunin and Nechayev, terrorists are
people who sever their relationship with every material and spiritual institution
thereby rejecting every moral value, and who view these institutions as
impediments to their designs. Bakunin also said, "Day and night dare he [a
revolutionist] have only one thought, one aim: the unmerciful destruction; while
he, cold-blooded and without rest, follows that aim, he himself must be ready to
die at any time and ready to kill with his own hands any one who seeks to thwart
his aims." In his Ground-Work for the Social Revolution, there is this description of
what kind of person a terrorist must be:
Stringent with himself he must also be to others. All weak sentiment
towards relation, friendship, love and thankfulness must be suppressed
through the only cold passion of the revolutionary work.
These words lay bare the dark face of terrorism and show that it is
completely opposed to the religion of Islam which is founded on
peace, tolerance and love. In this verse, God reveals that peace
is the real salvation of humanity and that pursuing the
opposite, that is war and conflict, is to walk in the steps
of Satan:
O You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace
(Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of
Satan. He is an outright enemy to you.
(Qur'an, 2:208)
A Terrorist
is Without Pity Whose
Only Purpose is to Destroy
T
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 71
Miichaell
Bakuniin
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 72
The Mass Psychology
of Terrorism
nother important characteristic of terrorists is that they act
with a collective spirit. Within this spirit, individual ideas
and personal choice are disregarded as everyone is directed toward one
single goal. Those who act within this collective spirit may do things they
would never do in their right mind and commit acts without using their own
will and consciousness. In many countries of the world, terror groups composed
of a few unintelligent and uneducated people get caught up in the emotional
hysteria of mass meetings, slogans, and without even knowing what they are
doing or why, they get involved in committing mass atrocities. In one moment, such
people can turn into killers with blood on their hands, and even terrorists who are
able to commit inhumane acts. A person may seem quiet and calm when he is alone,
but when he becomes a part of a terrorist group, he may become capable of
committing acts of arson and assault for no apparent reason. Such spells are cast
over individuals that they are even willing to be killed for their cause. The majority
of those who take part in acts of terror often have weak wills and consciences,
and they become like a flock of sheep under the influence of mass psychology.
Good sense and judgment are substituted by excessive and extravagant
emotionalism and a tendency toward violence and aggression. Such people
are easily provoked, intolerant and know no limitation set by any law.
The error of this mass psychology is revealed in the Qur'an where
it says that human beings must act according to their own will and
intelligence:
Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of.
Hearing, sight and hearts will all be questioned.
(Qur'an, 17:36)
A
One of the Sources of Terrorism: Third World Fanaticism
These examples from history may help us gain better understanding of
the present phenomenon, the so-called "Islamic terror", which is nowadays at
the top of the international agenda. That is because those who emerge and
carry out acts of terrorism in the name of Islam and those who back such acts,
representing a tiny minority in the world of Islam, stem from this "character
peculiar to Bedouins", not from Islam itself. Failing to understand the essence
of Islam, which is essentially a religion of peace and justice, they make it a tool
of barbarism, which is simply an outcome of their social and cultural structure.
The origin of this barbarism, which may well be called "Third World
Fanaticism", is the benighted initiatives of people who are devoid of love for
their fellow human-beings.
It is a fact that, for the last few centuries, Muslims in all corners of the
Islamic world, have been subjected to violence by Western forces and their
allies. The colonialist European states, local oppressive regimes or colonialists
backed by the West (Israel, for example) have caused great suffering to
Muslims at large. However, for Muslims, this is a situation that has to be
approached and responded to from a purely Qur'anic stance.
In no part of the Qur'an does God command believers to respond to
violence with violence. On the contrary, God commands Muslims to "respond
to evil with goodness":
A good deed and a bad deed are not the same. Repel the bad with
something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else,
he will be like a bosom friend. (Qur'an, 41:34)
It is no doubt a legitimate right of Muslims to react against this cruelty.
However, these reactions should never turn into a blind hatred, an unjust
enmity. God warns about this in the following verse:
... Let not the hatred of a people [who once] obstructed you from the
Sacred Mosque lead you to transgress. Help one another in benevolence
and piety, and help not one another in sin and transgression… (Qur'an,
5:2)
Consequently, carrying out terrorist acts against the innocent people of
other nations under the pretence of "representing the innocent nations in the
world", is by no means compatible with Islam.
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 73
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 74
Another point that deserves a special mention here is that all Western
nations and communities cannot be held responsible for the aforementioned
violence and oppression against Muslims. Actually, the materialist, irreligious
philosophies and ideologies that prevailed in the 19th century are in the main
responsible for these dismal acts. European colonialism did not originate from
Christianity. On the contrary, anti-religious movements opposing the values of
Christianity led the way to colonialism. At the roots of the greatest brutalities
of the 19th century lies the Social Darwinist ideology. In the Western world
today, there are still cruel, mischievous and opposing factors, as well as a
culture dominated by peaceful and just elements that have its roots in
Christianity. As a matter of fact, the main disagreement is not between the West
and Islam. Contrary to the general opinion, it is between the devout people of
the West and of the Muslim world on the one hand, and the people opposing
religion (materialists, atheists, Darwinists etc.) on the other.
Another indication that Third World Fanaticism has nothing to do with
Islam is that, until recently, this fanaticism had been identified with the
communist ideology. As is well-known, similar anti-Western acts of terror were
carried out in 1960s and 1970s by Soviet-backed communist organisations. As
the impact of the communist ideology faded, some of the social structures
which gave birth to communist organisations have turned their attention to
Islam. This "brutality presented under the guise of religion", which is
formulated by the incorporation of some Islamic concepts and symbols into the
former communist literature is entirely against the moral values which
constitute the essence of Islam.
A last remark about this issue is that Islam is not peculiar to a particular
nation or geographical region. Contrary to the dominant Western perception,
Islam is not an "eastern culture". Islam is the last religion revealed to mankind
as a guide to the true path that recommends itself to all humanity. Muslims are
responsible for communicating the true religion they believe in to all people of
all nations and cultures and making them feel closer to Islam.
Consequently, there is a unique solution for people and groups who, in the
name of Islam, resort to terror, form oppressive regimes and turn this world
into a dreadful place instead of beautifying it: revealing the true nature of
Islam and communicating it so that the masses can understand and live by it.
ne of the most important
characteristics of terrorism is
that it selects its targets indiscriminately.
The fact that it determines these targets without
discrimination is one of the most important reasons
for the spread of fear, because no one can feel secure. If
people know that they are possible targets for no reasons, no
one will feel safe from the terrorists. There is nothing a potential
target can do to protect themselves, since terrorists act according to
their own rules, in a time and place of their own choosing. Thus acts of
terror in society are arbitrary and unpredictable.
O
Terrorist organisations attack their targets
indiscriminately which means that innocent and
defenceless individuals are killed or wounded. A
typical example of this was the nerve gas attack in
the Tokyo Metro on March 20, 1995.
One of The
Methods of Terrorism
is to Cause Fear and Panic
in Society
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 75
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 76
The Error of Radicalism
There is another idea that we must examine together with that of terror;
that is, the phenomenon of radicalism.
Radicalism means supporting sudden revolutionary destructive changes
in any sphere and applying a strict uncompromising policy in order to achieve
them. Radicals are characterised by their desire for revolutionary change and
the stern, sometimes aggressive attitude they adopt.
In this, as in every sphere of life, the guide for the Muslim is the Qur'an.
When we look at radicalism in the light of the Qur'an, we see that it has
nothing to do with the way in which God commands the believers to behave.
When God describes a believer in the Qur'an, He depicts him as a loving, softspoken
person, shunning conflicts and arguments, approaching even the most
hostile people with warmth and friendship.
An example to guide us in this matter is the command given by God to
Moses and Aaron to go to Pharaoh and speak gently to him:
Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds. But speak to him with
gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear.
(Qur'an, 20:43-44)
Pharaoh was one of the most cruel and rebellious unbelievers of his time.
He was a despot who denied God and worshipped idols; moreover, he
subjected believers (the Israelites of the time) to terrible cruelties and murder.
But God commanded His prophets to go to such a hostile man and speak to
him gently.
You will notice that the way shown by God was the way of friendly
dialogue, not the way of conflict with sharp words, angry slogans and agitated
protests.
There are a few other examples to show Muslims how to behave in the
dialogue between Shu'ayb and the deniers. This dialogue is related in the
Qur'an in this way:
And to Madyan their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "My people, worship
God! You have no deity apart from Him. Do not give short measure and
short weight. I see you prospering and I fear for you the punishment of
an all-encompassing Day.
God
commands you to return to
their owners the things you hold in
trust and, when you judge between people,
to judge with justice. How excellent is what
God exhorts you to do! God is All-
Hearing, All-Seeing.
(Qur'an, 4:58)
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 77
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 78
My people! Give full measure and full weight with justice; do not
diminish people's goods; and do not go about the earth, corrupting it.
What endures with God is better for you if you are believers. I am not
set over you as your keeper."
They said, "Shu'ayb, do your prayers instruct you that we should
abandon what our fathers worshipped or stop doing whatever we want
to with our wealth? Yet you are such a lenient, normal person!"
He said, "My people! What do you think? If I do possess a Clear Sign
from my Lord and He has given me His good provision, I do not want
to oppose you in what way I am forbidding you. I only want to put
things right as far as I can. My success is with God alone. I have put my
trust in Him and I turn to Him." (Qur'an, 11:84-88)
When we examine what he says, we see that Shu'ayb invited the people to
believe in God and to adopt high moral principals and he did this with
friendliness and humility. We can explain some of the reasons behind of the
things said in these verses:
* When Shu'ayb says "I am not set over you as your keeper." to the
people, he does not want to dominate them; his only intention is to inform
them of the truth that God has revealed.
* "You are clearly the forbearing, the rightly-guided": These words of the
deniers to Shu'ayb show his warm, gentle and courteous character and that
this was particularly appreciated by the deniers.
* "My people! What do you think?" This expression used by Shu'ayb
shows that he calls on the deniers to use their intelligence and conscience. In
other words, he does not use insistent pressure, but questions their ideas from
an opposing stance and invites them to consider and come to a conclusion
based on their own free conscience.
* "I do not want to oppose you in what way I am forbidding you".
Shu'ayb's prohibition here is not actually a prohibition. He explains that some
acts are sinful and invites the people to abandon them. Moreover, when
Shu'ayb says "I do not want to oppose you", it is not his purpose to dispute
with the people; he does not want to make them uncomfortable and incite a
quarrel; he wants only to invite them to faith and the practice of high moral
principles.
If you examine the Qur'an you will see that a warm, gentle and tolerant
disposition characterized all the prophets. God describes Abraham as "tenderhearted
and forbearing." (Qur'an, 9:114) and in another verse, the prophet
Muhammad's moral principles are described in this way:
It is a mercy from God that you were gentle with them. If you had been
rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you. So
pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult with them
about the matter. Then when you have reached a firm decision, put your
trust in God. God loves those who put their trust in Him. (Qur'an, 3:159)
An obvious characteristic of radicalism is its anger. This disposition can be
clearly seen in the speeches, writings and demonstrations of radicals.
However, anger is not an attribute of Muslims. When God describes believers
in the Qur'an, he describes, "those who give in times of both ease and
hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other people – God loves
the good-doers" (Qur'an, 3:134)
There is no situation in which a Muslim displays anger. The only thing a
Muslim wants from other people is that they believe in God and live according
to moral principles, but this is possible only by the grace of God. No matter
what we do, no matter how much we try to explain the truth to people, human
hearts are in God's hands. God reminds Muslims of this very important fact in
this verse, "... Do those who believe not know that if God had wanted to He
could have guided all mankind? ..." (Qur'an, 13:31)
There is another verse that emphasises this same fact;
If your Lord had willed, all the people on the earth would have
believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers? (Qur'an,
10:99)
Therefore, it is the duty of a Muslim only to explain the facts and to invite
people to accept them. Whether or not people accept the invitation is
completely up to their own conscience. God reveals this truth in the Qur'an
when He says that there is no compulsion in religion.
There is no compulsion in religion. True guidance has become clearly
distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false deities and has belief in
God has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way.
God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Qur'an, 2:256)
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 79
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 80
Therefore, there is no coercion to make people believe and become
Muslims, or to make Muslims perform prayers and beware of sin. There is only
advice. God reveals in a few verses addressed to the Messenger of God that
Muslims are not oppressors:
We know best what they say. You are not a dictator over them. So
remind, with the Qur'an, whoever fears My Threat. (Qur'an, 50:45)
Say: "Mankind! The truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever is
guided is only guided for his own good. Whoever is misguided is only
misguided to his detriment. I have not been set over you as a guardian."
(Qur'an, 10:108)
Muslims are responsible only for explaining their religion, they apply no
pressure or coercion on anyone and are enjoined to speak gently to even the
most tyrannical deniers. Such persons cannot be radicals, because radicalism
stands for the opposite of those qualities we have enumerated. Indeed,
radicalism is an unIslamic current of thought and a political stance that came
into the Islamic world from outside. When we examine social phenomena
described in terms of radicalism, it will be seen that these are basically a
collection of methods and pronouncements used by communists in the past,
or an expression of the "fanatical rage" that has no place in true Islam. (The
Qur'an, 48:26)
For terrorists, killing people, wreaking destruction and havoc is a way of life. For them,
bloodshed is a deliberate act. They can shoot innocents, throw a bomb at children or
blow up a house without any feeling of compassion.
All Muslims must totally reject an angry, unbending argumentative
attitude which goes against the very nature of the Qur'an and in its place adopt
a friendly, gentle, tolerant, calm and compassionate one. Muslims must set an
example to the world and be admired for their maturity, tolerance, moderation,
modesty and peacefulness. Muslims must live Islam in the best possible way
and be its representatives to the world, not only in these things, but also by
their achievements in the fields of science, culture, art, aesthetics and social
order and others.
Explaining Islam to others and defending Islam against ideas alien to it are
included in what we have listed above. In the verse below, God clearly reveals
what attitude a Muslim must assume with regard to others:
Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and
argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is
misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided. (Qur'an,
16:125)
Terrorist Methods and Psychology
The concept of terror has a wider meaning in today's language. Generally
it refers to the armed conflict carried on by radical ideological groups. In
general, terror means intimidation. But this intimidation encompasses a broad
field including the whole lives of people who feel the intense threat of fear and
violence. Terror includes intense and systematic intimidation designed to
make people adopt a certain way of thinking and behaviour, as well as every
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 81
kind of violent act carried out to produce this intimidation. But in every
situation, the target of terrorism is directly or indirectly the citizens themselves.
Terror organisations use terror to rally support. The intimidation they use
is calculated to increase their strength and so to gain the support of some or all
the citizens.
The first thing that people think of when we mention the word "terror" is
generally the kind known as "leftist terror", but there is also a kind of terror
found in Third World countries and practiced by dictatorial regimes. Actually
the reality here is nothing other than a massive implementation of leftist terror
tactics. Adictator or a group in power is oppressive, using their power only for
personal gain and for this reason they experience various kinds of social
opposition. In this situation, the dictatorial regime always resorts to the same
formula to show that it is stronger than the opposition; they inaugurate the use
of terror so that citizens will be afraid and their own power are consolidated.
Terror organisations, on the other hand, in accordance with the ideologies
they espouse, claim that their aim is to remove a government and its
administrators which they regard as illegitimate and cruel and, in so doing,
that they will reach their goal of establishing a happier and more just way of
life. However, this is not a realistic claim. In the Qur'an, in the first verses of
Sura Baqara, God issues this command to those who think in this way:
When they are told, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say,
"We are only putting things right." No indeed! They are the corrupters,
but they are not aware of it. (Qur'an, 2:11-12)
For terrorists, killing people is a way of life. They may shoot innocent
people without pity and throw bombs at children. For them shedding blood is
a pleasure. They have ceased to be human beings and turned into raving
savage beasts. If there is anyone among them who shows the least feeling of
compassion, they brand him as a coward or a traitor and demote him. Often
they use their guns against one another and carry out bloody purges against
internal factions in their own organisation.
It can be seen that terrorism is nothing other than a totally diabolical
source of bloodshed. Whoever supports this cycle of savagery is defending a
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 82
Terrorists aim to damage people both physically and psychologically to attain a certain goal.
Morals of religion, however, is opposed to terrorism in that it aims to foster love, well-being,
compassion, joy and hope in society.
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 83
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 84
In the moral teaching of the Qur'an, to kill
an innocent person is an act of immense
cruelty. God forbids terrorist acts and
condemns those who commit them.
satanic system. If a terrorist uses religious language and symbols, this must not
deceive anyone. Terrorists who hide under the cloak of false religion are
doubly guilty, both of the blood they have shed and for the anti-religious
propaganda they have spread while committing these crimes in the name of
religion.
Terror and religion are completely opposed to each other. Terrorism
adopts the way of aggression, murder, conflict, cruelty and misery. But
according to the Qur'an, all these things are kinds of oppression. God enjoins
peace, harmony, goodwill and compromise. He forbids terror and every kind
of act that does not promote peace, and, condemns those who commit such
acts:
But as for those who break God's contract after it has been agreed and
sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in
the earth, the curse will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode.
(Qur'an, 13:25)
The basic quality that terror and those who are infected by its cruelty have
in common is that the fear and love of God is something completely alien to
them. Their hearts have become hardened and they are spiritually ill. In the
Qur'an, God speaks about the character of such people:
But do not obey any vile swearer of oaths, any backbiter,
slandermonger, impeder of good, evil aggressor, gross, coarse and
furthermore, despicable.(Qur'an, 68:10-13)
To rebel for no cause and to commit acts of assault are forbidden by God.
In Islam, acts of what we call terror and anarchy today are forbidden. In the
Qur'an it is said:
Say: "My Lord has forbidden indecency, both open and hidden, and
wrong action, and unrightful tyranny, and associating anything with
God for which He has sent down no authority, and saying things about
God that you do not know." (Qur'an, 7:33)
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 85
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 86
…Heed God (alone). God is
aware of what you do.
(Qur'an, 5:8)
errorists regard acts of violence
as propaganda for their organisations.
For them, killing innocent people, robbing banks, assassinating
people, kidnapping and planting bombs all act as propaganda for their
struggle. To the terrorist who is bent on wreaking chaos, what publicity a
single act of violence can generate in one day is much more publicity than what
millions of brochures could do.
This idea is totally foreign to every kind of human feeling of compassion, mercy,
concord and tolerance; it is alien to the moral teaching of the Qur'an and can gain a
following only in those societies in which anti-religious ideologies hold sway. For
this reason, the only possible solution that can save humanity from this benighted
way of thinking is the widespread acceptance of the moral teachings found in
the Qur'an and taken as a way of life.
T
Terrorists see
their destructive
acts as a means
of propaganda;
they hope to
spread fear by
destroying
people and
property.
Acts of Violence-
One of the Most
Important Methods of
Terrorist Propoganda
THE REAL FACE OF THE TERRORISTS WHO ACT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION ● 87
God calls to the Abode of Peace and
He guides whom He wills to a straight
path. (Qur'an, 10:25)
nother important topic that has been on the agenda
with the acts of terrorism against the United States is the relation between the Western
and Islamic worlds. As is known, by the 90s, some intellectuals were suggesting that the
world was due for a struggle that would take place between the West and Islam. This is
the basic theme of Samuel Huntington's well-known thesis "The Clash of Civilisations".
However, this thesis – better called as "Clash of Ignorance" by Edward W. Said – rests
on an imaginary scenario generated by the exaggeration of the influence of some
radical and ignorant factions to be found in these two civilisations. Actually,
there can be no clash between the Western civilisation and the Islamic
civilisation, because the beliefs of Judaism and Christianity, the
tenets upon which Western civilisation is based, are
in perfect harmony with Islam.
A
THE OUTLOOK
OF ISLAM ON THE
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
In the Qur'an, Jews and Christians are called the "People of the Book".
This is because the members of these two religions abide by the Divine Books
revealed by God. The outlook of Islam on the People of the Book is extremely
just and compassionate.
This attitude towards the People of the Book developed during the years
of the birth of Islam. At that time, Muslims were a minority, struggling to
protect their faith and suffering oppression and torture from the pagans of the
city of Mecca. Due to this persecution, some Muslims decided to flee Mecca
and shelter in a safe country with a just ruler. The Prophet Muhammad told
them to take refuge the Christian king of Ethiopia. The Muslims who went to
Ethiopia found a very fair administration that embraced them with love and
respect. The King refused the demands of the pagan messengers who had
travelled to Ethiopia and asked him to surrender the Muslims to them, and
announced that Muslims could live freely in his country.
These Christian attitudes of compassion, mercy, and justice, are referred to
in a verse of the Qur'an which states:
… You will find the people most affectionate to those who believe are
those who say, "We are Christians." That is because some of them are
priests and monks and because they are not arrogant. (Qur'an, 5:82)
Common Beliefs and Values Shared by Muslims and the
People of the Book
Christian and Muslim beliefs have many aspects in common. Judaism too
shares many beliefs with Islam. In the Qur'an, God relates that Muslims share
the same faith with the People of the Book and that they say to them "We have
faith in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our
God and your God are one and we submit to Him." (Qur'an, 29:46)
All true adherents of these three great religions:
✱ believe that God has created the entire universe out of nothing and that
He dominates all that exists with His omnipotence.
✱ believe that God has created man and living things in a miraculous way
and that man possesses a soul granted him by God.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 90
✱ believe in resurrection, Heaven and Hell and angels, and that God has
created our lives with a certain destiny.
✱ believe that besides Jesus, Moses or Muhammad, God sent many
prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Joseph throughout history, and
they love all these prophets.
In one verse, that Muslims make no distinction among prophets is related
as follows:
The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him by his Lord,
and so do the believers. Each one believes in God and His angels and
His Books and His Messengers. We do not differentiate between any of
His Messengers. They say, "We hear and we obey. Forgive us, our Lord!
You are our journey's end." (Qur'an, 2:285)
The beliefs of the People of the Book are in harmony with Muslims, not
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 91
In the Qur'an, Christians and Jews are defined as the People of the Book, and there is a
command to show respect, mercy and kindness to them. Both Christians and Jews believe in
God and share the same moral values as Muslims.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 92
only in terms of faith-related issues, but also of moral values. Today, in a world
where such immoralities as adultery, homosexuality, drug addiction and a
model of egoism and self-seeking cruelty have grown widespread, the People
of the Book and Muslims share the same virtues: Honour, chastity, humility,
self-sacrifice, honesty, compassion, mercy and unconditional love.
The Common Forces against Faith
Another important fact that draws Christianity, Judaism and Islam
together is the atheist philosophies that are so influential in our time.
Among the best-known and most harmful philosophies of our age can be
Today both the
Muslims and the
People of the
Book are engaged
in a broadening
struggle against
immoralities such
as sexual
perversions or
drug addiction.
Each of these
three religions
accepts chastity,
honesty and selfsacrifice
as the
greatest virtues.
cited materialism, communism, fascism, anarchism, racism, nihilism and
existentialism. Many people who believed in the false diagnoses, deceptive
descriptions and explanations of these ideas on the universe, society and man,
have lost their faith or doubted it. What is more, these ideologies have dragged
people, societies and nations into great crises, conflicts and wars. Their share
of the blame for the pain and troubles that humanity suffers from today is
immense.
While they deny God and creation, all the above-mentioned ideologies are
based on a common framework, a so-called scientific basis; Charles Darwin's
theory of evolution. Darwinism constitutes the basis of atheist philosophies.
This theory claims that living beings have evolved as a result of coincidences
and by means of a struggle for life. Therefore, Darwinism sends this deceptive
message to people:
"You are not responsible to anyone, you owe your life to coincidences, you
need to struggle, and if necessary to oppress others to succeed. This world is
one of conflict and self-interest".
The social messages put across by Darwinist concepts such as "Natural
selection", "struggle for life", "survival of the fittest" are a means of
indoctrination. This evil morality advises people to be egoistical, self-seeking,
cruel and oppressive. It destroys such virtues as mercy, compassion, selfsacrifice
and humility, the moral values of the three great monotheistic
religions and presents this as a necessity of "the rules of life."
This Darwinist indoctrination is just the opposite of the beliefs of the
People of the Book and the message of the Qur'an. Consequently, the Darwinist
indoctrination constitutes the foundation of a world which inherently opposes
all the three divine religions.
This being the case, it is necessary for the People of the Book and Muslims
to co-operate, since they believe in God and accept the morality that He
teaches. The followers of these three religions should expose to the world the
fallacy of Darwinism, which has no scientific basis, but which people are trying
to preserve for the sake of materialist philosophy. They should co-operatively
carry out an intellectual struggle against all other deceptive ideas
(communism, fascism, racism) that serve atheism. Once this is realized, the
world will, in a very short time, embrace peace, tranquillity and justice.
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 93
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 94
Godless ideologies such as fascism, communism, racism and anarchism have brought destruction
upon humanity and have encouraged hatred within societies.
Darwinism proposes a society in which conflict and violence are seen as means of
development. But a study of its effects on society reveals that the Social Darwinist
project has only brought pain and destruction.
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 95
Antisemitism is a Racism Totally Contrary to Islam
In our times, antisemitism is an ideology which threatens world peace and
targets the well-being and security of innocent people. This is racist hatred felt
by some for the Jews.
In the 20th century, antisemitism signed its name to great disasters, one of
the most horrible being the cruelty and murder inflicted on the Jews by the
Nazis. In addition to this, in many countries authoritarian regimes have
targeted Jews and subjected them to cruel treatment. Fascist organisations have
harassed Jews and carried out bloody attacks against them.
So how should a Muslim regard antisemitism?
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 96
The persecution of Jews throughout history was basically a
consequence of racist prejudices, which are definitely contrary to
Islam. It is right to oppose and criticize the brutality of Israel, but
no Muslim should condone unjust or cruel treatment of innocent
Jewish people.
The answer is obvious. Every Muslim must oppose antisemitism as he
would oppose every other racist ideology. Although Muslims justly condemn
the cruel and aggressive policies of the State of Israel together with their
occupation of adjacent territory, to blanket condemn innocent Jews is not
acceptable to Muslims: this would be a symptom of antisemitism. However,
criticising official Zionist ideology has nothing to do with antisemitism, since
to object to Zionism is to object to an intense form of racism. There are many
Jews who also criticise the racist policies of Zionism, and to label them as being
antisemetic would be absurd.
Never subjecting a community to a blanket criticism is a command
stressed in the Qur'an, there is a need to distinguish between the righteous and
the wicked, the cruel ones and the innocent. After referring to some Jews and
Christians, who violated God's commands, God also mentions some other
Jews and Christians who displayed moral perfection:
[However] They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book there
is an upright community who recite the revelation of God during the
night and fall prostrate before Him. They believe in God and the Last
Day, enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, and vie with one
another in good works. They are of the righteous. And whatever good
they do, its reward will not be denied them. God knows those who fear
[Him]. (Qur'an, 3:113-115)
Antisemitism is an anti-religion ideology that has its roots in neopaganism.
Therefore, it is unthinkable that a Muslim would espouse
antisemitism or feel sympathy for this ideology. Anti-Semites have no respect
for Abraham, Moses or David who were blessed prophets chosen by God to be
examples for humanity.
Antisemitism and other kinds of racism (eg. prejudice against blacks) have
no place in true religion; they are perversions arising from various ideologies
and superstitions.
Furthermore, when we examine antisemitism and other forms of racism,
we see clearly that they promote ideas and a model of society that is totally
contrary to the moral teachings of the Qur'an, for example, at the root of
antisemitism lie hatred, violence, and lack of compassion. An anti-Semite may
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 97
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 98
be so cruel as to support the murder of Jewish people, men, women, children
and the aged, and condone their being subjected to torture. However, the
moral teaching of the Qur'an enjoins love, compassion and mercy for all
people. It also commands Muslims to show justice and be forgiving even to
their enemies.
On the other hand, anti-Semites and other kinds of
racists bulk at living together in peace with people
of a different race or creed. (eg. German racists
(Nazis) and Jewish racists (Zionists) were
opposed to Germans and Jews living
together; each side rejected this in the name
of their respective race as a degeneration.)
However, in the Qur'an, there is not the
slightest distinction between races; the
Qur'an advises that people of
different faiths live
together in the same
society in peace and
happiness.
According to the Qur'an, Muslims, Jews and Christians
Must Live in Friendship
In the Qur'an, there is a significant difference between the People of the
Book and those who have no belief in God. This is especially emphasised in the
area of social life. For example, it is said concerning those who associate others
with God: "(they) are unclean, so after this year they should not come near
the Sacred Mosque." (Qur'an, 9:28) Those who associate others with God are
people who know no divine law, have no moral precepts and who can commit
every kind of degrading and perverse deed without hesitation.
But the People of the Book, while they rely basically on God's
revelation, have moral precepts and know what is lawful and what is not. In
the same way, permission has been given to a Muslim man to marry a woman
from among the People of the Book. On this subject God commands:
Today all good things have been made lawful for you. And the food of
those given the Book is also lawful for you and your food is lawful for
them. So are chaste women from among the believers and chaste
women of those given the Book before you, once you have given them
their dowries in marriage, not in fornication or taking them as lovers.
But as for anyone who disbelieves, his actions will come to nothing and
in the hereafter he will be among the losers. (Qur'an, 5:5)
Muslims want Jews, Christians and themselves to live in peace and contentment, treating each other
with tolerance, friendship, respect and compassion.
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 99
These commands show that bonds of kinship may be established as a
result of the marriage of a Muslim with a woman from the People of the Book
and that those on each side of the union can accept an invitation to a meal.
These are the fundamentals that will ensure the establishment of equitable
human relationships and a happy communal life. Since the Qur'an enjoins
this equitable and tolerant attitude, it is unthinkable that a Muslim could take
an opposing view.
The just and tolerant practices of the Prophet Muhammad towards the
people of the Book set very good examples to Muslims. In the contract made
with the Christians of Najran, who lived in the south of Arabia, the Prophet
Muhammad demonstrates one of the best examples of tolerance and justice.
The contract included the following article:
The lives of the people of Najran and its surrounding area, their religion,
their land, property, cattle and those of them who are present or absent,
their messengers and their places of worship are under the protection of
Allah and guardianship of His Prophet.20
By means of such contracts, the Messenger of God secured a social order
for Muslims and the People of the Book alike, which was marked by peace and
security. This order was a total manifestation of the following verse:
Those who believe, those who are Jews, and the Christians and
Sabaeans, all who believe in God and the Last Day and act rightly, will
have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know
no sorrow. (Qur'an, 2:62)
The Constitution of Madinah is the most important contract that secured
justice and tolerance among Christians, Jews and pagan communities.
The Constitution of Madinah was prepared under the leadership of the
Prophet Muhammad 1,400 years ago, that is in 622 AD, to meet the needs of
people of different beliefs, and was put into practice as a written legal contract.
Different communities of different religions and races that had harboured
deep-seated enmity towards one another for 120 years became parties to this
legal contract. By means of this contract, the Prophet Muhammad showed that
conflicts between those societies, who had been enemies and quite unable to
reach any form of compromise, could come to an end, and they could actually
live side by side.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 100
According to the Constitution of Madinah, everyone was free to adhere to
any belief or religion or to make any political or philosophical choice. People
sharing the same views could come together and form a community. Everyone
was free to exercise his own justice system. However, anyone who committed
a crime would be protected by no one. The parties to the contract would
engage in co-operation with one another, provide support for each other, and
would remain under the protection of the Prophet Muhammad. Conflicts
between the parties would be brought to the Messenger of God.
This contract was in force from 622 to 632 AD. Through this document, the
tribal structures which had formerly been based on blood and kinship were
abolished, and people of different cultural, ethnical and geographical
backgrounds came together and formed a social unity. The Constitution of
Madinah secured absolute religious freedom.
At the time of the Prophet Muhammad, a just and tolerant policy was practised in relation to the
People of the Book.
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 101
Monasteries, Churches and Synagogues
Must Be Respected
Another important fact we learn from the Qur'an is that Muslims must
respect Jewish and Christian places of worship. In the Qur'an, the places of
worship of the People of the Book, ie. monasteries, churches and synagogues,
are mentioned as places of worship protected by God.
…if God had not driven some people back by means of others,
monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where God's name is
mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed. God
will certainly help those who help Him – God is All-Strong, Almighty.
(Qur'an, 22:40 )
This verse shows every Muslim the importance of respecting and
protecting the holy places of the People of the Book.
Indeed, the Prophet Muhammad also made contracts with pagans as well
as the people of the Book. Pagans were always treated with justice, and when
they asked to be taken under protection, their requests were readily accepted by
Muhammad. This meant that these communities sought the protection of the
Messenger of God in the face of an attack or a wrongful accusation. Throughout
his life, many non-Muslims and pagans requested protection from the Prophet
Muhammad, and he took them under his protection and ensured their security.
In Sura Tawba, God advises that requests of pagans seeking protection be
accepted by believers. Of this, God says the following:
If any of the idolaters ask you for protection, give them protection until
they have heard the words of God. Then convey them to a place where
they are safe... (Qur'an, 9:6)
Jews and Christians, due to their shared commonalities with Muslims are
much closer to Muslims than those who have no faith in God. Each of these
religions has its book, that is, they are subject to a book sent down by God.
They know what is right and what is wrong, what is lawful and what is
unlawful according to their scriptures, and all revere the Prophets and
Messengers that accompanied them. They all believe in a hereafter, and afterlife
where they will have to give an account to God for all their actions. So, there is
a shared foundation from where we all can unite upon.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 102
Mosques, churches and
synagogues are special places of
prayer where the name of God is
revered. In the Qur'an, God says
that all these sanctuaries must be
respected and preserved.
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 103
Rallying to a Common Formula
Concerning the People of the Book, God gives Muslims a command in the
Qur'an; to rally to a common formula:
Say, "O People of the Book! Let us rally to a common formula to be
binding on both us and you: That we worship none but God; that we
associate no partners with Him; that we erect not, from among
ourselves, Lords and patrons other than God." (Qur'an, 3:64)
This is indeed our call to Christians and Jews: As people who believe in
God and follow His revelations, let us rally to a common formula – "faith". Let
us love God, Who is our Creator and Lord, and follow His commands. And let
us pray to God to lead us to an even straighter path.
When Muslims, Christians and Jews rally to a common formula this way;
when they understand that they are friends not enemies, when they see that
the real enemy is the rejection of God, then the world will become a very
different place. The wars in many parts of the world, enmities, fears and
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 104
The evils in the world
will come to an end
when Muslims,
Christians and Jews all
worship God in unity,
tolerating their
differences of faith.
All Believers Must Pray For One Another and Be At Unity
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 105
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 106
After the attacks of September 11, people of
every language and religion prayed to God in
empathy and solidarity with the victims.
Side: President
Bush prayed
next to a Muslim
imam during a
prayer service at
the Washington
National
Cathedral.
Above: Muslims
and non-
Muslims prayed
together in a
service in Dallas.
Bush's visit to the Islamic Center in
Washingon.
Muzammil Siddiqui, the President of the Islamic
Society of North America, recited verses from
the Qur'an at the Washington National Cathedral
memorial service held in the aftermath of
September 11.
terrorist attacks will come to an end, and a new civilisation based on love,
respect and peace will be established upon this "common formula".
There are important facts to consider for Muslims. What God teaches us
in the Qur'an about different peoples and creeds is clear:
* The morality of the Qur'an excludes every kind of racism.
* It is commanded in the Qur'an that, so long as they show no hostility to
Islam or Muslims, a tolerant and friendly attitude must be maintained toward
other religions.
TIME, OCT, 1, 2001
TIME, OCT, 1, 2001
TIME, OCT, 1, 2001
PLANET EASTON,
NOV, 2001
Q-NEWS, OCT, 2001
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 107
It is evident that the Jews
have committed many errors
which the Qur'an points out,
criticizes and about which it
gives a warning. The crimes
committed by Israel in the
present day against humanity
are painfully well-known, but all
this must not be taken by
Muslims as a cause to feel
hostility against all Jews. Again a
basic vantage point prescribed by the Qur'an is not to make judgements about
people just because they belong to a particular race, nation or religion. In every
community, there are good people as well as wicked people. The Qur'an draws
attention to this differentiation. For instance, right after mentioning the
rebellious nature – against God and His religion – of some People of the Book,
there is reference to an exception and, said thus:
[However] They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book there
is an upright community who recite the revelation of God during the
night and fall prostrate before Him. They believe in God and the Last
Day, enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, and vie with one
another in good works. They are of the righteous and whatever good
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 108
Scenes of Respect: The Pope in a visit to the
Wailing Wall in Jerusalem; European Union
Commissioner Romano Prodi making a speech at
the Islamic Centre in Brussels.
they do, its reward will not be denied them. God knows those who fear
[Him]. (Qur'an 3:113-115)
In another verse, God commands:
We sent a Messenger among every people saying: "Worship God and
keep clear of all false gods." Among them were some whom God guided
but others received the misguidance they deserved. Travel about the
earth and see the final fate of the deniers. (Qur'an, 16:36)
God revealed to all messengers that He is the Unique and that there is no
one but Him whom people must worship, serve and obey. The divine message,
conveyed to the people by God through His messengers, has been
communicated to people since the creation of man. Some societies have
accepted the message and followed the right path while others have denied
and swerved from it. This also holds true for the present day. Some people will
side with the righteous, whereas some others will plunge into mischief. This is
the law of God. Those who believe should also adopt such an outlook and
never forget that there may be sincere, pious people who have fear of God
among the members of all religions as well as those who are far removed from
the religious tenets.
Our hope is that a world will be established in which people will be able
to live together in peace, no matter what race or religion they belong to, in
which every racist perversion will be rejected, everyone's rights will be
safeguarded and everyone will be respected. The struggle that will have to take
place on intellectual grounds against all anti-religious ideologies will hopefully
establish the peace that has been longed for. Of this God relates the following
in the Qur'an:
Those who disbelieve are the friends and protectors of one another. If
you do not act in this way (be friends and protectors of one another)
there will be turmoil in the land and great corruption. (Qur'an, 8:73)
Would that there had been more people with a vestige of good among
the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption
in the earth, other than the few among them whom We saved. Those
who did wrong gladly pursued the life of luxury that they were given
and were evildoers. (Qur'an, 11:116)
THE OUTLOOK OF ISLAM ON THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK ● 109
Those who perform good actions will
receive better than them…
(Qur'an, 27:89)
Islam HAS
BROUGHT PEACE
AND HARMONY TO
istory always witnessed peace, justice and tolerance in the
lands ruled by Muslim administrators when they followed Qur'anic guidance. The
practices in the lands conquered during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad are
very important examples, and just administrators succeeding him, who
followed in the footsteps of God's messengers and never swerved from
the morality of the Qur'an established peaceable societies. The
true justice, righteousness and honesty described in the
Qur'an persisted in the time of these
administrators, thereby providing
H
THE MIDDLE EAST
a role model for the succeeding generations to follow.
The land of Palestine and its capital Jerusalem, where members of the
three divine religions reside together, are important in the sense that they show
how Muslims bring peace and stability to the lands they rule. Indeed, for most
of the last 1400 years, Muslim rule has brought peace to Jerusalem and
Palestine.
The Peace and Justice Brought to Palestine
by the Caliph Umar
Jerusalem was the capital of the Jews until A.D. 71. In that year, the Roman
Army made a major assault on the Jews, and exiled them from the area with
great savagery. As the time of the Jewish diaspora began, Jerusalem and the
surrounding area was becoming an abandoned land.
However, Jerusalem once again became a centre of interest with the
acceptance of Christianity during the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine.
Roman Christians built churches in Jerusalem. The prohibitions on Jews
settling in the region were lifted. Palestine remained Roman (Byzantine)
territory up until the 7th century. The Persians conquered the region for a short
time, but the Byzantines later reconquered it.
An important turning point in the history of Palestine came in the year
637, when it was conquered by the armies of Islam. This meant new peace and
harmony in Palestine, which had for centuries been the scene of wars, exile,
looting and massacre, and which saw new brutality every time it changed
hands, a frequent occurrence. The coming of Islam was the beginning of an age
when people of different beliefs could live in peace and harmony.
Palestine was captured by Umar, the second Caliph after the Prophet
himself. The entry of the Caliph into Jerusalem, the tolerance, maturity and
kindness he showed towards people of different beliefs, introduced the
beautiful age that was beginning. The British historian and Middle East expert
Karen Armstrong describes the capture of Jerusalem by Umar in these terms in
her book Holy War:
The Caliph Omar entered Jerusalem mounted on a white camel, escorted
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 112
by the magistrate of the city, the Greek Patriarch Sophronius. The Caliph
asked to be taken immediately to the Temple Mount and there he knelt in
prayer on the spot where his friend Mohammed had made his Night
Journey. The Patriarch watched in horror: this, he thought, must be the
Abomination of Desolation that the Prophet Daniel had foretold would
enter the Temple; this must be Antichrist who would herald the Last Days.
Next Omar asked to see the Christian shrines and, while he was in the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the time for Muslim prayer came round.
Courteously the Patriarch invited him to pray where he was, but Omar as
courteously refused. If he knelt to pray in the church, he explained, the
Muslims would want to commemorate the event by erecting a mosque
there, and that would mean that they would have to demolish the Holy
Sepulchre. Instead Omar went to pray at a little distance from the church,
and, sure enough, directly opposite the Holy Sepulchre there is still a
small mosque dedicated to the Caliph Omar.
The other great mosque of Omar was erected on the Temple Mount to
ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ● 113
Mosque of Omar (also called Dome of the Rock)
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 114
mark the Muslim conquest, together with the mosque al-Aqsa which
commemorates Mohammed's Night Journey. For years, the Christians
had used to the site of the ruined Jewish Temple as the city rubbish
dump. The Caliph helped his Muslims to clear the garbage with his
own hands and there Muslims raised their two shrines to establish Islam
in the third most holy city in the Islamic world.21
With the Muslim conquest of Jerusalem, the city became a safe haven in
which all three religions could
co-exist in peace. John L.
Esposito writes:
When the Arab armies took
Jerusalem in 638, they
occupied a center whose
shrines had made it a major pilgrimage site in Christendom. Churches
and the Christian population were left unmolested. Jews, long banned
from living there by Christian rulers, were permitted to return, live, and
worship in the city of Solomon and David.22
When Caliph Umar entered Jerusalem, he signed the below agreement
with the Patriarch of Jerusalem:
This is the security which ‘Umar, the servant of God, the commander of
the faithful, grants to the people of Ælia. He grants to all, whether sick or
sound, security for their lives, their possessions, their churches and their
crosses, and for all that concerns their religion. Their churches shall not be
changed into dwelling places, nor destroyed, neither shall they nor their
appurtenances be in any way diminished, nor the crosses of the
inhabitants nor aught of their possessions, nor shall any constraint be put
upon them in the matter of their faith, nor shall any one of them be
harmed.23
In short, Muslims brought civilisation to Jerusalem and all of Palestine.
Instead of beliefs that showed no respect for other peoples' sacred values, and
which killed them simply out of differences of faith, there reigned the just,
tolerant and moderate culture of Islam. After its capture by Umar,
Muslims, Christians and Jews lived together in peace and harmony in
Palestine. Muslims never tried to use force to make people convert,
although some non-Muslims who saw that Islam was the
true religion did so of their own free will.
The peace and harmony in
Palestine lasted as long as Muslim
rule in the region. However, at the
end of the 11th century, a conquering
force entered the region from
Under Muslim rule, Muslims, Christians and
Jews lived together in Jerusalem in
contentment, tolerance and peace.
ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ● 115
abroad, and the civilised land of Jerusalem was barbarically and savagely
plundered, in a way never before seen. These barbarians were the Crusaders.
The Savagery of the Crusaders
While members of all three religions were living peaceably together in
Palestine, the Christians in Europe decided to organise a crusade. Following a
call by Pope Urban II on 27 November 1095 at the Council of Clermont, more
than 100,000 people from all over Europe set out for Palestine to free the Holy
land from the Muslims and find the fabled wealth of the East. After a long and
wearying journey, and much plundering and slaughter along the way, they
reached Jerusalem in 1099. The city fell after a siege of nearly five weeks, and
the Crusaders moved in. And they carried out a savagery the like of which the
world has seldom seen. All Muslims and Jews in the city were put to the
sword.
The peace and harmony in Palestine, which had lasted since Umar, ended
in terrible slaughter. The Crusaders violated all the ethical laws of Christianity,
a religion of love and compassion, and spread terror in the name of
Christianity.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 116
The Muslims and Jews of Jerusalem
were brutally massacred by the
Crusaders.
The Justice of Saladin
The barbaric Crusader army made Jerusalem their capital, and established
a Latin Kingdom whose borders stretched from Palestine to Antioch. However,
the Crusaders who brought savagery to Palestine did not last long. Saladin
gathered all the Muslim kingdoms under his banner in a holy war, and
defeated the Crusaders at the battle of Hattin in 1187. After the battle, the two
leaders of the crusader army, Reynald of Chatillon and King Guy, were brought
into Saladin's presence. Saladin executed Reynald of Chatillon, who had
become infamous for the terrible savagery he had committed against Muslims,
but he let King Guy go, as he had not committed the same crimes. Palestine
once again saw the true meaning of justice.
Immediately after Hattin, and on the very same day that the Prophet
Muhammad had been taken from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night, the day of
the Ascent, Saladin entered Jerusalem and freed it from 88 years of Crusader
occupation. When the Crusaders took the city 88 years earlier, they killed all
the Muslims inside it, and for that reason they were afraid that Saladin would
do the same thing to them. However, he did not touch even one Christian in
the city. Furthermore, he merely ordered the Latin (Catholic) Christians to
leave it. The Orthodox Christians, who were not Crusaders, were allowed to
live in the city and worship as they chose. In the words of John L. Esposito,
"The Muslim army was as magnanimous in victory as it had been tenacious in
battle. Civilians were spared; churches and shrines were generally left
untouched... Saladin was faithful to his word and compassionate toward
noncombatants." 24
Karen Armstrong describes the second capture of Jerusalem in these
words:
On 2 October 1187 Saladin and his army entered Jerusalem as conquerors
and for the next 800 years Jerusalem would remain a Muslim city. Saladin
kept his word, and conquered the city according to the highest Islamic
ideals. He did not take revenge for the 1099 massacre, as the Qur'an
advised (16:127), and now that hostilities had ceased he ended the
killing (2:193-194). Not a single Christian was killed and there was no
plunder. The ransoms were deliberately very low... Saladin was moved to
ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ● 117
tears by the plight of families who were rent asunder and he released
many of them freely, as the Qur'an urged, though to the despair of his
long-suffering treasurers. His brother al-Adil was so distressed by the
plight of the prisoners that he asked Saladin for a thousand of them for his
own use and then released them on the spot... All the Muslim leaders were
scandalised to see the rich Christians escaping with their wealth, which
could have been used to ransom all the prisoners… [The Patriarch]
Heraclius paid his ten-dinar ransom like everybody else and was even
provided with a special escort to keep his treasure safe during the journey
to Tyre.25
In short, Saladin and the Muslims in his command treated the Christians
with great mercy and justice, and even showed them more compassion than
their own leaders had. Not only the Christians but also Jews attained peace and
security with the conquest of Jerusalem by Muslims. The well-known Spanish-
Jewish poet Yehuda al-Harizi expressed his feelings thus in one of his works:
God …decided that the sanctuary would no longer rest in the hands of the
sons of Esau... Thus in the year 4950 of Creation [AD 1190] God aroused
the spirit of the prince of the Ishmaelites [Salah al-Din], a prudent and
courageous man, who came with his entire army, besieged Jerusalem,
took it and had it proclaimed throughout the country that he would
receive and accept the race of Ephraim, wherever they came from. And so
we came from all corners of the world to take up residence here. We now
live in the shadow of peace.26
After Jerusalem, the Crusaders continued their barbarity and the Muslims
their justice in other cities in Palestine. In 1194, Richard the Lionheart, who is
portrayed as a great hero in British history, had 3,000 Muslims, among whom
were many women and children, basely executed in Castle Acre. Although the
Muslims witnessed this savagery, they never resorted to the same methods.
They abided by God's command "Let not the hatred of a people [who once]
obstructed you from the Sacred Mosque lead you to transgress..." (Qur'an,
5:2) and never used violence against innocent civilians. They never employed
unnecessary violence, not even against the Crusader armies they defeated.
The savagery of the Crusaders and the justice of the Muslims once more
revealed a historic truth: An administration built on the principles of Islam
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 118
allowed people of different faiths to live together. This fact continued to be
demonstrated for 700 years after Saladin, particularly during the Ottoman
period.
The Ottoman Empire's Just and Tolerant Rule
In 1514, Sultan Selim captured Jerusalem and the surrounding area, and
some 400 years of Ottoman rule in Palestine began. As in other Ottoman states,
this period would enable Palestine to enjoy peace, stability, and the living
together of different faiths.
The Ottoman Empire was administered under what is known as the
"nation (millet) system", the fundamental feature of which was that people of
different faiths were allowed to live according to their own beliefs and even
legal systems. Christians and Jews, described as the People of the Book in the
Qur'an, found tolerance, security and freedom in Ottoman lands.
The most important reason for this was that although the Ottoman Empire
was an Islamic state administered by Muslims, it had no desire to force its
citizens to adopt Islam. On the contrary, the Ottoman state aimed at providing
King
Richard
ruthlessly
executed
3000 Muslim
civilians in
the Castle of
Acre, among
whom were
many
women and
children.
ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ● 119
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 120
Although the Ottoman
Empire was a Muslim
state, it granted its
subjects religious
freedom. Thus a
peaceful multi-cultural
mosaic was to be found
in Ottoman lands. As
seen in this picture, the
state protected its
citizens in accordance
with Muslim moral
teaching, providing for
its poor no matter what
religion they practised.
peace and security for non-Muslims, and governing them in such a way that
they would be pleased with Islamic rule and justice.
Other major states at the same time had much cruder, oppressive and
intolerant views of government. The Kingdom of Spain could not tolerate the
existence of Muslims and Jews on the Spanish peninsula and inflicted great
violence on both communities. In many other European countries, Jews were
oppressed just for being Jews (for instance they were imprisoned in ghettoes),
and were sometimes the victims of mass slaughter (pogroms). Christians could
not even get on with one another: the fighting between Protestants and
Catholics in the 16th and 17th centuries turned Europe into a bloodbath. The
30-Years War between 1618 and 1648 was one result of this Catholic-Protestant
conflict. As a result of that war, central Europe became a battleground, and in
Germany alone, one-third of the population of 15 million people was killed.
The mutual intolerance of
Catholics and
Protestants in the 16th
and 17th centuries still
continues in some
countries. The most
innocent victims of these
conflicts have always
been the children.
ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ● 121
In such an environment, it is an indisputably important truth that
Ottoman rule was exceedingly humane.
Many historians and political scientists have drawn attention to this fact.
One of these is Columbia University's world-famous Middle East expert
Professor Edward Said. Originally from a Jerusalem Christian family, he
continues his research far from his homeland in American universities. In an
interview in the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz he recommended the "Ottoman
nation system" if a permanent peace is to be built in the Middle East. What he
said was:
AJewish minority can survive the way other minorities in the Arab world
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 122
The model for peace in the Middle East is the Ottoman one of multi-culturalism, with its conciliatory, just and
tolerant attitude based on the moral teaching of the Qur'an. Above are some news clippings from Turkish
newspapers and journals about the peaceful nature of Ottoman rule.
ZAMAN, 30.8.00
TÜRK‹YE, 15.4.95
The Ottoman Solution to Jerusalem
Nostalgia for the Ottomans in We Miss the Ottomans
the Balkans
Ottomans Departed and Terror
Started
A widelyrecognized
expert on
the Middle
East,
Edward W.
Said
survived. …it worked rather well under the Ottoman Empire, with its
millet system. What they had then seems a lot more humane than what
we have now.27
History reveals that Islam is the only system of belief to offer a just,
tolerant and compassionate way of government in the Middle East. The Pax
Ottomana, which came to an end with the withdrawal of the Ottoman Empire
from the region, has still not been replaced.
For this reason, the way to attain peace in the Middle East is to introduce
the Ottoman model characterised by tolerance and compromise, the two
fundamental teachings of the Qur'an. Islam, truly followed, is the solution to
all sorts of violence of all kinds, conflicts, wars and terror and a guarantor of
peace, justice and tolerance.
ISLAM HAS BROUGHT PEACE AND HARMONY TO THE MIDDLE EAST ● 123
God is Ever-Gentle with His servants.
(Qur'an, 3:30)
ost people think the theory of evolution was first
proposed by Charles Darwin, and rests on scientific evidence, observations and
experiments. However, the truth is that Darwin was not its originator, neither
does the theory rest on scientific proof. The theory consists of an adaptation to
nature of the ancient dogma of materialist philosophy. Although it is not
backed up by scientific discoveries, the theory is blindly
supported in the name of materialist philosophy. (see
Harun Yahya, The Evolution Deceit, Taha
Publishers, 1999)
M
DARWINISM AND
MATERIALISM
ROOTS OF TERRORISM:
THE REAL
This fanaticism has resulted in all kinds of disasters. Together with the
spread of Darwinism and the materialist philosophy it supports, the answer to
the question "What is a human being?" has changed. People who used to
answer: "Human beings were created by God and have to live according to the
beautiful morality He teaches", have now begun to think that "Man came into
being by chance, and is an animal who developed by means of the fight for
survival." There is a heavy price to pay for this great deception. Violent
ideologies such as racism, fascism and communism, and many other barbaric
world views based on conflict have all drawn strength from this deception.
This part of the book will examine the disaster Darwinism has visited on
the world and reveal its connection with terrorism, one of the most important
global problems of our time.
The Darwinist Lie: "Life is Conflict"
Darwin set out with one basic premise when developing his theory: The
development of living things depends on the fight for survival. The strong
win the struggle. The weak are condemned to defeat and oblivion.
According to Darwin, there is a ruthless struggle for survival and an
eternal conflict in nature. The strong always overcome the weak, and this
enables development to take place. The subtitle he gave to his book The Origin
of Species, "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation
of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life", encapsulates that view.
Furthermore, Darwin proposed that the "fight for survival" also applied
between human racial groups. According to that mythical claim, favoured
races were victorious in the struggle. Favoured races, in Darwin's view, were
white Europeans. African or Asian races had lagged behind in the struggle for
survival. Darwin went further, and suggested that these races would soon lose
the struggle for survival entirely, and thus disappear:
At some future period, not very distant as measured by centuries, the
civilised races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the
savage races throughout the world. At the same time the
anthropomorphous apes … will no doubt be exterminated. The break
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 126
between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene
between man in a more civilised state, as we may hope, even than the
Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between
the ***** or Australian and the gorilla.28
The Indian anthropologist Lalita Vidyarthi explains how Darwin's theory
of evolution imposed racism on the social sciences:
His (Darwin's) theory of the survival of the fittest was warmly
welcomed by the social scientists of the day, and they believed mankind
had achieved various levels of evolution culminating in the white man's
civilization. By the second half of the nineteenth century racism was
accepted as fact by the vast majority of Western scientists.29
Darwin's Source of Inspiration: Malthus's Theory
of Ruthlessness
Darwin's source of inspiration on this subject was the British economist
Thomas Malthus's book An Essay on the Principle of Population. Left to their own
devices, Malthus calculated that the human population increased rapidly. In
his view, the main influences that kept populations under control were
disasters such as war, famine and
disease. In short, according to this
brutal claim, some people had to die
for others to live. Existence came to
mean permanent war.
In the 19th century, Malthus's
ideas were widely accepted.
European upper class intellectuals in
particular supported his cruel ideas.
In the article "The Scientific
Background of the Nazi "Race
Purification" Programme," by Jerry
Bergman, the importance 19th
century Europe attached to Malthus's
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 127
Thomas Malthus
views on population is described in this way:
In the opening half of the nineteenth century, throughout Europe,
members of the ruling classes gathered to discuss the newly discovered
"Population problem" and to devise ways of implementing the
Malthusian mandate, to increase the mortality rate of the poor: "Instead
of recommending cleanliness to the poor, we should encourage contrary
habits. In our towns we should make the streets narrower, crowd more
people into the houses, and court the return of the plague. In the
country we should build our villages near stagnant pools, and
particularly encourage settlements in all marshy and unwholesome
situations," and so forth and so on.30
As a result of this cruel policy, the weak, and those who lost the struggle
for survival would be eliminated, and as a result the rapid rise in population
would be balanced out. This so-called "oppression of the poor" policy was
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 128
The implementation in the 19th century of Malthus's thesis of the necessity of the struggle for life
brought misery to the helpless and poor children in England. Religion, however, ensures the protection
of children. A life of goodness and virtue, without any misery and suffering, is only possible if the moral
teachings of religion are practiced.
actually carried out in 19th century Britain. An industrial order was set up in
which children of eight and nine were made to work sixteen hours a day in the
coal mines and thousands died from the terrible conditions. The struggle for
survival demanded by Malthus's theory led to millions of Britons leading lives
full of suffering.
Influenced by these ideas, Darwin applied this concept of conflict to all of
nature, and proposed that the strong and the fittest emerged victorious from
this war of existence. Moreover, he claimed that the so-called struggle for
survival was a justified and unchangeable law of nature. On the other hand, he
invited people to abandon their religious beliefs by denying the Creation, and
thus undermined all ethical values that might prove to be obstacles to the
ruthlessness of the struggle for survival.
Humanity has paid a heavy price in the 20th century for the dissemination
of these callous views which led people to ruthlessness and cruelty.
The Role of Darwinism in Preparing
the Ground for World War I
As Darwinism dominated
European culture, the effects of the
struggle for survival began to
emerge. Colonialist European
nations in particular began to
portray the nations they colonized
as "evolutionary backward nations"
and looked to Darwinism for
justification.
The bloodiest political effect of
Darwinism was the outbreak of
World War I in 1914.
In his book Europe Since 1870,
Europe Since 1870 by the English professor the well-known British professor of
of history, James Joll.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 129
history James Joll explains that one of the factors that prepared the ground for
World War I was the belief in Darwinism of European rulers at the time.
…it is important to realise how literally the doctrine of the struggle for
existence and of the survival of the fittest was taken by the majority of the
leaders of Europe in the years preceding the First World War. The Austro-
Hungarian chief of staff for example, Franz Baron Conrad von
Hoetzendorff, wrote in his memoirs after the war:
Philanthropic religions, moral teachings and philosophical doctrines may
certainly sometimes serve to weaken mankind's struggle for existence in
its crudest form, but they will never succeed in removing it as a driving
motive of the world… It is in accordance with this great principle that
the catastrophe of the world war came about as the result of the motive
forces in the lives of states and peoples, like a thunderstorm which
must by its nature discharge itself.
Seen against this sort of ideological background, Conrad's insistence on
the need for a preventive war in order to preserve the Austro-Hungarian
monarchy becomes comprehensible.
We have seen too how these views were not limited to military figures,
and that Max Weber for example was deeply concerned with the
international struggle for survival. Again Kurt Riezler, the personal
assistant and confidant of the German chancellor Theobald von
Bethmann-Hollweg, wrote in 1914:
Eternal and absolute enmity is fundamentally inherent in relations
between peoples; and the hostility which we observe everywhere… is
not the result of a perversion of human nature but is the essence of the
world and the source of life itself.31
Friedrich von Bernardi, a World War I general, made a similar connection
between war and the laws of war in nature. "War" declared Bernhardi "is a
biological necessity"; it "is as necessary as the struggle of the elements of
nature"; it "gives a biologically just decision, since its decisions rest on the very
nature of things."32
As we have seen, World War I broke out because of European thinkers,
generals and administrators who saw warfare, bloodshed and suffering as a
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 130
European philosophers and political leaders of the first decade of the 20th century were obsessed
with the Darwinist notion of "the struggle for existence". Hence their enthusiasm for starting the
Great War, a terrible cataclysm that destroyed more than 10 million lives.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 131
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 132
kind of development, and thought they were an unchanging law of nature. The
ideological root that dragged all of that generation to destruction was nothing
else than Darwin's concepts of the "struggle for survival" and "favoured races."
World War I left behind it 8 million dead, hundreds of ruined cities, and
millions of wounded, crippled, homeless and unemployed.
The basic cause of World War II, which broke out 21
years later and left 55 million dead behind it, was also
based on Darwinism.
What "The Law of the Jungle"
Led to: Fascism
As Darwinism fed racism in
the 19th century, it formed the
basis of an ideology that
would develop and drown
the world in blood in the 20th
century: Nazism.
A strong Darwinist
influence can be seen in Nazi
ideologues. When one
examines this theory,
which was
Fascism, which has Darwinist concepts at its
heart, caused the death of millions of
innocent people. This dreadful ideology drew
many countries of the world into a maelstrom
of destruction and misery.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 133
given shape by Adolf Hitler and Alfred Rosenberg, one comes across such
concepts as "natural selection," "selective mating," and "the struggle for
survival between the races," which are repeated dozens of time in the works of
Darwin. When calling his book Mein Kampf (My Struggle), Hitler was inspired
by the Darwinist struggle for survival and the principle that victory went to the
fittest. He particularly talks about the struggle between the races:
History would culminate in a new millennial empire of unparalleled
splendour, based on a new racial hierarchy ordained by nature herself.33
In the 1933 Nuremberg party rally, Hitler proclaimed that "a higher race
subjects to itself a lower race… a right which we see in nature and which can
be regarded as the sole conceivable right". 34
That the Nazis were influenced by Darwinism is a fact that almost all
historians who are expert in the matter accept. Peter Chrisp, the author of the
book, The Rise of Fascism, expressed this fact as follows:
Charles Darwin's theory that humans had evolved from apes was
ridiculed when it was first published, but was later widely accepted. The
Nazis distorted Darwin's theories, using them to justify warfare and
racism.35
The historian Hickman describes
Darwinism's influence on Hitler as follows:
(Hitler) was a firm believer and preacher
of evolution. Whatever the deeper,
profound, complexities of his psychosis, it
is certain that [the concept of struggle was
important because] … his book, Mein
Kampf, clearly set forth a number of
evolutionary ideas, particularly those
emphasizing struggle, survival of the
fittest and the extermination of the weak
to produce a better society.36
Hitler, who emerged with these views,
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 134
Nazism, a blend of Social Darwinism and
neo-paganism, has killed millions and spread
horror into the hearts of many others.
World War II caused the deaths of 55
million people, leaving many others
wounded and homeless, their lives in
ruins. The war devastated cities and
caused economies to collapse.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 135
dragged the world to violence that had never before been seen. Many ethnic
and political groups, and especially the Jews, were exposed to terrible cruelty
and slaughter in the Nazi concentration camps. World War II, which began
with the Nazi invasion, cost 55 million lives. What lay behind the greatest
tragedy in world history was Darwinism's concept of the "struggle for
survival."
The Bloody Alliance: Darwinism and Communism
While fascists are found on the right wing of Social Darwinism, the left
wing is occupied by communists. Communists have always been among the
fiercest defenders of Darwin's theory.
This relationship between Darwinism and communism goes right back to
the founders of both these "isms." Marx and Engels, the founders of
communism, read Darwin's The Origin of Species as soon as it came out, and
were amazed at its dialectical materialist attitude. The correspondence
between Marx and Engels showed that they saw Darwin's theory as
"containing the basis in natural history for communism." In his book The
Dialectics of Nature, which he wrote under the influence of Darwin, Engels was
full of praise for Darwin, and tried to make his own contribution to the theory
in the chapter "The Part Played by Labour in the Transition from Ape to Man."
Russian communists who followed in the footsteps of Marx and Engels,
such as Plekhanov, Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin, all agreed with Darwin's theory
of evolution. Plekhanov, who is seen as the founder of Russian communism,
regarded Marxism as "Darwinism in its application to social science."37
Trotsky said, "Darwin's discovery is the highest triumph of the dialectic
in the whole field of organic matter."38
Darwinist education had a major role in the formation of communist
cadres. For instance, historians note the fact that Stalin was religious in his
youth, but became an atheist primarily because of Darwin's books.
Mao, who established communist rule in China and killed millions of
people, openly stated that "Chinese socialism is founded upon Darwin and
the theory of evolution."39
The Harvard University historian James Reeve Pusey goes into great
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 136
detail regarding Darwinism's effect on Mao and Chinese communism in his
research book China and Charles Darwin.
In short, there is an unbreakable link between the theory of evolution and
communism. The theory claims that living things are the product of chance,
and provides a so-called scientific support for atheism. Communism, an atheist
ideology, is for that reason firmly tied to Darwinism. Moreover, the theory of
evolution proposes that development in nature is possible thanks to conflict (in
other words "the struggle for survival") and supports the concept of "dialectics"
which is fundamental to communism.
If we think of the communist concept of "dialectical conflict," which killed
some 120 million people during the 20th century, as a "killing machine", then
we can better understand the dimensions of the disaster that Darwinism
visited on the planet.
Communist leaders, whose ideas of human society were also based on Darwinism, will go
down in history as having caused terrible suffering with their cruel policies.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 137
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 138
Communism applied the Darwinian idea of conflict to the class conflict, and thus accepted
murder and bloodshed as legitimate methods of control.
Dialectical Conflict Does Not Foster the Development
of Societies, It Destroys Them
As we learned earlier, Darwinism proposed that the struggle between
living things is the cause of their development and gained so-called scientific
currency for the philosophy of dialectical materialism.
As can be understood from its name, dialectical materialism rests on the
idea of "conflict". Karl Marx, the founder of this philosophy, propagated the
idea that "if there were no struggle and opposition, everything would stay as
it is." In another place he said, "Force is the midwife of every old society
pregnant with a new one."40 By saying this, he called people to violence, war
and bloodshed in order that they could develop.
The first to apply Marx's theory in the realm of politics was Lenin.
Fostering the idea that "progress comes about as a result of the conflict of
opposites", Lenin advocated that people with opposing ideas should be in
constant conflict. Lenin also repeatedly stated that this conflict would require
bloodshed, that is, terrorism. Apiece by Lenin titled "Guerrilla Warfare" which
was first published in Proletary in 1906, eleven years before the Bolshevik
Revolution, shows the terrorist methods he had adopted:
The phenomenon in which we are interested is the armed struggle. It is
conducted by individuals and by small groups. Some belong to
revolutionary organisations, while others (the majority in certain parts of
Russia) do not belong to any revolutionary organisation. Armed struggle
pursues two different aims, which must be strictly distinguished: in the
first place, this struggle aims at assassinating individuals, chiefs and
subordinates in the Army and police; in the second place, it aims at the
confiscation of monetary funds both from the government and from
private persons. The confiscated funds go partly into the treasury of the
party, partly for the special purpose of arming and preparing for an
uprising, and partly for the maintenance of persons engaged in the struggle
we are describing. 41
In the twentieth century, one of the most well known ideologies to oppose
communism was fascism. The interesting thing is that, although fascism
declared itself opposed to communism, it believed just as much as communism
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 139
in the concept of struggle. Communists believed in the necessity of the class
struggle; the fascists simply changed the arena of the struggle concentrating on
the idea of the struggle between races and nations. For example, the German
historian Heinrich Treitschke, one of the most important sources for Nazi ideas
and a prominent racist, wrote, "nations could not prosper without intense
competition, like the struggle for survival of Darwin."42 Hitler also said that
he had taken inspiration from Darwin's understanding of struggle:
The whole world of Nature is a mighty struggle between strength and
weakness–an eternal victory of the strong over the weak. There would
be nothing but decay in the whole of nature if this were not so. He who
would live must fight. He who does not wish to fight in this world where
permanent struggle is the law of life, has not the right to exist.43
These two social Darwinist ideologies believed that, for a society to grow
strong, struggle and bloodshed are necessary; what they created in the 20th
century is well known. Countless numbers of innocent people died; countless
others were wounded or maimed; national economies crumbled; money that
used to be spent on health, research, technology, education and art was spent
on arms, on bandages to bind the wounds caused by those arms and to restore
ruined cities. It became evident as time went on that struggle and terror did not
to promote human development but rather destruction.
Certainly there are contradictions in the world. Just as in nature there are
light and darkness, day and night, hot and cold, so there are also contradictions
in putting ideas into practice. But a contradiction in ideas does not necessitate
conflict. On the contrary, if contradictions are approached with tolerance,
peace, understanding, love, compassion and mercy, good results may be
achieved. Everyone who compares his own idea with another's may develop
his own or see its deficiencies and remedy them. Those who defend opposing
opinions could have an exchange of ideas in conversation or engage in a
constructive critique. Only the kind of sincere, forgiving, peaceful and humble
person who conforms to the moral teaching of the Qur'an can develop this
approach.
To kill a person or do him harm because he has different ideas, believes in
a different religion or belongs to a different race is an immense act of cruelty.
For this reason only, throughout history and all over the world, sons and
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 140
It is natural that disagreements
occur, but they should not be the
cause of conflict and wars
between people. Mutual respect
and tolerance can ensure
agreement and co-existence
between parties in disagreement.
The moral teaching of the Qur'an
offers to people a life of
contentment and joy, whereas the
dialectical struggle always brings
unhappiness, destruction and
death.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 141
daughters of the same fatherland have struggled with one another to the death,
murdering one another without pity. Or people of different race or nationality,
women and children included, have been indiscriminately slaughtered. The
only person who could do such a thing is someone who has no respect for a
human being, and who regards the person in front of him just as an intelligent
animal; it is someone who does not believe that he will have to give an account
to God for what he has done.
The best and truest attitude to have towards opposing ideas is revealed in
the Qur'an. Clashes of ideas have arisen throughout history and one of the
most well-known examples of this is the opposition between Moses and his
contemporary Pharaoh. Despite all Pharaoh's cruelty and aggressiveness, God
sent Moses to invite him to God's religion, and He explained the method
Moses was to use:
Go to Pharaoh; he has overstepped the bounds. But speak to him with
gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear.
(Qur'an, 20:43-44)
Moses obeyed God's command and explained true religion to him at great
length. In order to stop Pharaoh's denial of God and his cruelty to people,
Moses patiently explained every matter. However, Pharaoh showed a hostile
attitude toward Moses' noble character and patience, threatening to kill him
and those who shared his ideas. But it was not Pharaoh's attitude that
prevailed; on the contrary, he and his people were drowned. Moses and his
people were victorious.
As this example shows, the victory of an idea or the struggle for
development does not come about by hostility or aggression. The meeting
between Moses and Pharaoh offers a lesson from history: it is not those on the
side of contention and cruelty who are victorious, but those who are on the
side of peace and justice. The exercise of fine moral principles receives its
reward both in this world and in the hereafter
Darwinism and Terrorism
As we have so far seen, Darwinism is at the root of various ideologies of
violence that have spelled disaster to mankind in the 20th century. The
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 142
fundamental concept behind this understanding and method is "fighting
whoever is not one of us." There are different beliefs, worldviews and
philosophies in the world. It is very natural that all these diverse ideas have
traits opposing one another. However, these different stances can look at each
other in one of two ways:
1) They can respect the existence of those who are not like them and try to
establish dialogue with them, employing a humane method. Indeed, this
method conforms with the morality of the Qur'an.
2) They can choose to fight others, and to try to secure an advantage by
damaging them, in other words, to behave like a wild animal. This is a method
employed by materialism, that is, irreligion.
The horror we call "terrorism" is nothing other than a statement of the
second view.
When we consider the difference between these two approaches, we can
see that the idea of "man as a fighting animal" which Darwinism has
subconsciously imposed on people is particularly influential. Individuals and
There may be disagreement
between states or societies,
but conflict and war can
never solve the problems.
As the Qur'an teaches, all
disagreements must be
solved by mutual patience,
tolerance, compassion and
understanding.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 143
groups who choose the way of conflict may never have heard of Darwinism
and the principles of that ideology. But at the end of the day they agree with a
view whose philosophical basis rests on Darwinism. What leads them to
believe in the rightness of this view is such Darwinism-based slogans as "In
this world, the strong survive," "Big fish swallow little ones," "War is a virtue,"
and "Man advances by waging war." Take Darwinism away, and these are
nothing but empty slogans.
Actually, when Darwinism is taken away, no philosophy of conflict
remains. The three divine religions that most people in the world believe in,
Islam, Christianity and Judaism, all oppose violence. All three religions wish to
bring peace and harmony to the world, and oppose innocent people being
killed and suffering cruelty and torture. Conflict and violence violate the
morality that God has set out for man, and are abnormal and unwanted
concepts. However, Darwinism sees and portrays conflict and violence as
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 144
The only way for future generations to ensure for themselves a virtuous and contented life is the moral
teachings of the Qur'an.
natural, justified and correct concepts that have to exist.
For this reason, if some people commit terrorism using the concepts and
symbols of Islam, Christianity or Judaism in the name of those religions, you
can be sure that those people are not Muslims, Christians or Jews. They are real
Social Darwinists. They hide under a cloak of religion, but they are not genuine
believers. Even if they claim to be serving religion, they are actually enemies of
religion and of believers. That is because they are ruthlessly committing a
crime that religion forbids, and in such a way as to blacken religion in peoples'
eyes.
For this reason, the root of the terrorism that plagues our planet is not in
any of the divine religions, but in atheism, and the expression of atheism in our
times: Darwinism and materialism.
Every Person Who Desires Peace Must Recognise the
Danger of Darwinism
The solution in the fight against a particular problem lies in doing away
with the ideas this problem fundamentally depends on. For instance, no matter
how hard one endeavours to keep the surroundings of a stinking garbage bin
clean, the garbage will keep on stinking. All solutions will prove to be shortlived.
The real solution lies in a thorough cleaning of the garbage's source,
removing the trash altogether. Alternatively, this is like spending years raising
poisonous snakes on a farm, then letting them go, wondering why they start to
bite people and trying to round them all up again. The important thing is not
to breed them in the first place.
Consequently, in the fight against terrorism, searching for terrorists one by
one and trying to render them ineffectual does not provide a viable and
permanent solution. The only way of totally eradicating the scourge of
terrorism from the face of the earth is to identify the basic sources that breed
terrorists and remove them. The main source of terrorism, on the other hand,
is erroneous ideologies and the education received in the light of these
ideologies.
In our day, in almost all countries of the world, Darwinism is incorporated
into school curricula and is considered to be scientific fact. Young people are
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 145
God commands justice and doing good and
giving to relatives. And He forbids indecency
and doing wrong and tyranny…
(Qur'an, 16:90)
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 146
not taught that they are created by God, that they are endowed with a spirit,
wisdom and conscience. They are not told that they will have to give account
of their deeds on the Day of Judgement and accordingly be punished in hell or
rewarded with paradise for all eternity. On the contrary, they are taught that
they are creatures whose forefathers were animals that somehow came into
existence by some random coincidences. Under such indoctrination, they
assume themselves to be stray beings who are not answerable to God and see
their future – that is their survival – in being victorious through struggle. After
this stage, it becomes rather easy to brainwash these people, who have been
already indoctrinated all through their school lives, and to turn them into
enemies of humanity cruel enough to murder innocent children. Such young
people can be readily attracted by any strayed ideology; they can act under the
influence of the terrorists' conditioning and engage in inconceivably cruel and
violent acts. The communist, fascist and racist terrorist groups that have been
in existence since the 19th century are the products of this kind of education
system.
The second great harm this education system does is to entirely distance
education from religion, thereby limiting the sphere of religion to the world of
uneducated people. Thus, while those who have access to education are totally
removed from religion thanks to Darwinist-materialist instillation, religion
becomes something peculiar to the uneducated. This causes the development
of superstitious and erroneous ideas and allows those who put forward ideas
totally contrary to religion in the name of religion to take control easily.
The recent events of September 11 are the most obvious examples of this.
No one who fears God, loves Him and expects to give an account of his deeds
in the hereafter can commit any act that will leave thousands of innocent
people dead or wounded and orphan thousands of children. Such a person
knows that he will give an account to God for every person he subjected to
cruelty and each one of them will become a source of anguish for him in hell.
To conclude, the way to stop acts of terrorism is to put an end to Darwinistmaterialist
education, to educate young people in accord with a curricula based
on true scientific findings and to instil in them the fear of God and the desire to
act wisely and scrupulously. The fruits of such an education will be a
community made up of peaceable, trustworthy, forgiving and tolerant people.
THE REAL ROOTS OF TERRORISM: DARWINISM AND MATERIALISM ● 147
It is He who sends down Clear
Signs to His servant to bring you out of the
darkness to the light. (Qur'an, 57:9)
oday, the Western world is concerned about the
organisations that use terror under the guise of Islam and this concern is not
misplaced. It is obvious that those carrying out terror and their supporters should
be tried according to international judicial criteria. However, a more important
point to consider is the long-term strategies that have to be pursued to discover
viable solutions to these problems.
The assessments above reveal that terror has no place in Islam
and that it is a crime committed against humanity. They
further show the inherently contradictory nature of
the concept of "Islamic terror". This
T
conclus›on:
recommendat›ons
to the western
world and musl›ms
provides us with an important vantage point:
1) The time ahead requires all countries to act with caution, sensitivity and
wisdom. The bleak scenario that unfolds with the "Clash of civilisations", is one
to the detriment of the whole world, and from which no one benefits. The
world community at large must take the opportunity to learn to live side by
side in peaceful interchange, learning from each other, studying each other's
history, accomplishments in religion, art, literature, philosophy, science,
technology, and culture, all of which mutually enrich one another's lives.
2) The activities serving the presentation of true Islam must be
widespread. The solution to combat radical factions in Islamic countries
should not be "compulsory secularisation". On the contrary, such a policy will
incite more reaction from the masses. The solution is the dissemination of true
Islam and the appearance of a Muslim model which embraces the Qur'anic
values such as human rights, democracy, freedom, high morality, science,
spirituality, aesthetics, and which offers happiness and bliss to humanity.
Muslims must explain and live by the moral values commanded by the Qur'an
and as exemplified by Muhammad, the Messenger of God. Muslims have the
responsibility to take Islam out from the hands of those who misapply it,
(which leads to further misunderstanding of Islam) and place it back into the
hands of those who live by the teachings of Islamic virtue and by the example
of Muhammad, the Messenger of God.
3) The source of terrorism is in ignorance and bigotry and the solution to
terrorism is education. To the circles who feel sympathy with terror, it should
be made clear that terror is utterly against Islam and that it only serves to harm
Islam, Muslims and humanity at large.
4) Long-term cultural solutions must be devised to combat terrorism
which has its roots in communist, fascist and racist ideologies. Today in
countries all over the world, Darwinist precepts form the basis of the education
system. However, as we have stressed earlier, Darwinism is an erroneous
ideology that sees man as an animal who developed only by fighting for
survival – something which constitutes the likely basis of all forms of
terrorism. An ideology that predicts only those holding power will survive and
considers war as a virtue is like a huge morass that will never cease to visit
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM ● 150
disaster on the world. This being the case, beside the judicial and other
measures that will be introduced to combat terrorism, there is also a need for a
vigorous education campaign to be launched all over the world. Disclosure of
the real face of the deception of Darwinism and materialism and instruction in
the good values God has revealed for people must be the fundamentals of this
education. Peace and stability are attainable only through living by the good
values of true religion. Without draining the morass, it is not possible to rid the
world of disaster.
Our hope is that these measures will help to the world get rid of terrorism
and all other bigoted, brutal, barbarous structures. With the Christian culture it
represents, since the United States defines itself as "a nation under God", it
should be a friend of the Muslims. In the Qur'an, God draws attention to this
fact and informs us that Christians are those who are "most affectionate to
those who believe". (Qur'an, 5:82)
In history, some ignorant people (for instance, the Crusaders) failed to
understand this fact and caused conflicts between these two religions. To
prevent the repetition of this scenario, which is propagated with mottos like
"Clash of Civilizations" or "Holy War against the West", true Christians and
Muslims need to come together and co-operate.
Indeed, the developments which took place in the aftermath of these
grievous events indicate that the seeds of this co-operation has already been
sowed. This grave act of terrorism, which has drawn the Christian and Muslim
communities closer, led many Christians come to know more about the religion
of Islam and encouraged Muslims to make greater efforts to communicate true
Islamic morality described in the Qur'an.
All these developments are the glad tidings that people will understand
Islamic values better and be able to rid themselves of any prejudices they had
held. By the Will of God, the 21st century will be the time when people will
truly acknowledge that the dissemination of the values of Islam is the unique
way of achieving much longed-for peace on the planet.
CONCLUSION ● 151
He is God - the Creator, the
Maker, the Giver of Form...
(Qu'ran, 59:24)
arwinism, which seeks to deny the fact of creation in
the universe, is nothing but an unscientific fallacy. This theory, which argues that life
originated from inanimate matter through coincidences, has been demolished with the
recognition that the universe was created by God. It is God Who created the universe
and Who designed it down to its smallest detail. Therefore, it is impossible for the theory
of evolution, which holds that living beings are not created by God, but are products
of coincidences, to be true.
Unsurprisingly, when we look at the theory of evolution, we see that
this theory is denounced by scientific findings. The design in life is
extremely complex and striking. In the inanimate world, for
instance, we can explore how sensitive are the balances
which atoms rest upon, and further, in the
D
THE
MISCONCEPTION
OF EVOLUTION
animate world, we can observe in what complex
designs these atoms were brought together, and
how extraordinary are the mechanisms and
structures such as proteins, enzymes, and cells,
which are manufactured with them.
This extraordinary design in life invalidated
Darwinism at the end of the 20th century.
We have dealt with this subject in great detail
in some of our other studies, and shall continue to
do so. However, we think that, considering its
importance, it will be helpful to make a short
summary here as well.
The Scientific Collapse of Darwinism
Although a doctrine going back as far as ancient Greece, the theory of
evolution was advanced extensively in the 19th century. The most important
development that made the theory the top topic of the world of science was the
book by Charles Darwin titled "The Origin of Species" published in 1859. In this
book, Darwin denied that different living species on the earth were created
separately by God. According to Darwin, all living beings had a common
ancestor and they diversified over time through small changes.
Darwin's theory was not based on any concrete scientific finding; as he
also accepted, it was just an "assumption." Moreover, as Darwin confessed in
the long chapter of his book titled "Difficulties of the Theory," the theory was
failing in the face of many critical questions.
Darwin invested all his hopes in new scientific discoveries, which he
expected to solve the "Difficulties of the Theory." However, contrary to his
expectations, scientific findings expanded the dimensions of these difficulties.
The defeat of Darwinism against science can be reviewed under three
basic topics:
1) The theory can by no means explain how life originated on the earth.
2) There is no scientific finding showing that the "evolutionary
mechanisms" proposed by the theory have any power to evolve at all.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 154
Charles Darwin
3) The fossil record proves completely the contrary of the suggestions of
the theory of evolution.
In this section, we will examine these three basic points in general
outlines:
The First Insurmountable Step: The Origin of Life
The theory of evolution posits that all living species evolved from a single
living cell that emerged on the primitive earth 3.8 billion years ago. How a
single cell could generate millions of complex living species and, if such an
evolution really occurred, why traces of it cannot be observed in the fossil
record are some of the questions the theory cannot answer. However, first and
foremost, of the first step of the alleged evolutionary process it has to be
inquired: How did this "first cell" originate?
Since the theory of evolution denies creation and does not accept any kind
of supernatural intervention, it maintains that the "first cell" originated
coincidentally within the laws of nature, without any design, plan, or
arrangement. According to the theory, inanimate matter must have produced
a living cell as a result of
coincidences. This, however, is a
claim inconsistent with even the
most unassailable rules of biology.
"Life Comes from Life"
In his book, Darwin never
referred to the origin of life. The
primitive understanding of science
in his time rested on the assumption
that living beings had a very simple
structure. Since medieval times,
spontaneous generation, the theory
asserting that non-living materials
came together to form living
With the experiments he carried out, Louis
Pasteur invalidated the claim that "inanimate
matter can create life", which constituted the
groundwork of the theory of evolution.
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 155
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 156
organisms, had been widely accepted. It was commonly believed that insects
came into being from food leftovers, and mice from wheat. Interesting
experiments were conducted to prove this theory. Some wheat was placed on
a dirty piece of cloth, and it was believed that mice would originate from it
after a while.
Similarly, worms developing in meat was assumed to be evidence of
spontaneous generation. However, only some time later was it understood that
worms did not appear on meat spontaneously, but were carried there by flies
in the form of larvae, invisible to the naked eye.
Even in the period when Darwin wrote The Origin of Species, the belief that
bacteria could come into existence from non-living matter was widely accepted
in the world of science.
However, five years after Darwin's book was published, the discovery of
Louis Pasteur disproved this belief, which constituted the groundwork of
evolution. Pasteur summarized the conclusion he reached after timeconsuming
studies and experiments: "The claim that inanimate matter can
originate life is buried in history for good."44
Advocates of the theory of evolution resisted the findings of Pasteur for a
long time. However, as the development of science unraveled the complex
structure of the cell of a living being, the idea that life
could come into being coincidentally faced an even
greater impasse.
Inconclusive Efforts in the 20th
Century
The first evolutionist who took up the subject of
the origin of life in the 20th century was the renowned
Russian biologist Alexander Oparin. With various
theses he advanced in the 1930's, he tried to prove that
the cell of a living being could originate by coincidence.
These studies, however, were doomed to failure, and
Oparin had to make the following confession: "Unfortunately, the origin of the
cell remains a question which is actually the darkest point of the entire
evolution theory."45
Alexander Oparin's
attempts to offer an
evolutionist explanation
for the origin of life
ended in a great fiasco.
Evolutionist followers of Oparin tried to
carry out experiments to solve the problem of the
origin of life. The best known of these
experiments was carried out by American chemist
Stanley Miller in 1953. Combining the gases he
alleged to have existed in the primordial earth's
atmosphere in an experiment set-up, and adding
energy to the mixture, Miller synthesized several
organic molecules (amino acids) present in the
structure of proteins.
Barely a few years had passed before it was
revealed that this experiment, which was then
presented as an important step in the name of
evolution, was invalid, the atmosphere used in the
experiment having been very different from real earth conditions.46
After a long silence, Miller confessed that the atmosphere medium he
used was unrealistic.47
All the evolutionist efforts put forth throughout the 20th century to
explain the origin of life ended with failure. The geochemist Jeffrey Bada from
San Diego Scripps Institute accepts this fact in an article published in Earth
Magazine in 1998:
Today as we leave the twentieth century, we still face the biggest
unsolved problem that we had when we entered the twentieth century:
How did life originate on Earth?48
The Complex Structure of Life
The primary reason why the theory of evolution ended up in such a big
impasse about the origin of life is that even the living organisms deemed the
simplest have incredibly complex structures. The cell of a living being is more
complex than all of the technological products produced by man. Today, even
in the most developed laboratories of the world, a living cell cannot be
produced by bringing inorganic materials together.
The conditions required for the formation of a cell are too great in quantity
As accepted also by the latest
evolutionist theorists, the
origin of life is still a great
stumbling block for the theory
of evolution.
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 157
to be explained away by coincidences. The probability of proteins, the building
blocks of cell, being synthesized coincidentally, is 1 in 10950 for an average
protein made up of 500 amino acids. In mathematics, a probability smaller
than 1 over 1050 is practically considered to be impossible.
The DNA molecule, which is located in the nucleus of the cell and which
stores genetic information, is an incredible databank. It is calculated that if the
information coded in DNA were written down, this would make a giant
library consisting of 900 volumes of encyclopaedias of 500 pages each.
A very interesting dilemma emerges at this point: the DNA can only
replicate with the help of some specialized proteins (enzymes). However, the
synthesis of these enzymes can only be realized by the information coded in
DNA. As they both depend on each other, they have to exist at the same time
for replication. This brings the scenario that life originated by itself to a
deadlock. Prof. Leslie Orgel, an evolutionist of repute from the University of
San Diego, California, confesses this fact in the September 1994 issue of the
Scientific American magazine:
It is extremely improbable that proteins and nucleic acids, both of which
are structurally complex, arose spontaneously in the same place at the
same time. Yet it also seems impossible to have one without the other.
And so, at first glance, one might have to conclude that life could never,
in fact, have originated by chemical means.49
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 158
One of the facts nullifying the theory of evolution is the incredibly complex structure of life. The
DNA molecule located in the nucleus of cells of living beings is an example of this. The DNA is a
sort of databank formed of the arrangement of four different molecules in different sequences. This
databank contains the codes of all the physical traits of that living being. When the human DNA is
put into writing, it is calculated that this would result in an encyclopaedia made up of 900 volumes.
Unquestionably, such extraordinary information definitively refutes the concept of coincidence.
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 159
No doubt, if it is impossible for life to have originated from natural causes,
then it has to be accepted that life was "created" in a supernatural way. This fact
explicitly invalidates the theory of evolution, whose main purpose is to deny
creation.
Imaginary Mechanisms of Evolution
The second important point that negates Darwin's theory is that both
concepts put forward by the theory as "evolutionary mechanisms" were
understood to have, in reality, no evolutionary power.
Darwin based his evolution allegation entirely on the mechanism of
"natural selection". The importance he placed on this mechanism was evident
in the name of his book: The Origin of Species, By Means Of Natural SelectionÉ
Natural selection holds that those living things that are stronger and more
suited to the natural conditions of their habitats will survive in the struggle for
life. For example, in a deer herd under the threat of attack by wild animals,
those that can run faster will survive. Therefore, the deer herd will be
comprised of faster and stronger individuals. However, unquestionably, this
mechanism will not cause deer to evolve and transform themselves into
another living species, for instance, horses.
Therefore, the mechanism of natural selection has no evolutionary power.
Darwin was also aware of this fact and had to state this in his book The Origin
of Species:
Natural selection can do nothing until favourable variations chance to
occur.50
Lamarck's Impact
So, how could these "favourable variations" occur? Darwin tried to
answer this question from the standpoint of the primitive understanding of
science in his age. According to the French biologist Lamarck, who lived before
Darwin, living creatures passed on the traits they acquired during their
lifetime to the next generation and these traits, accumulating from one
generation to another, caused new species to be formed. For instance,
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 160
according to Lamarck,
giraffes evolved from
antelopes; as they
struggled to eat the leaves
of high trees, their necks
were extended from
generation to generation.
Darwin also gave
similar examples, and in
his book The Origin of
Species, for instance, said
that some bears going into
water to find food
transformed themselves
into whales over time.51
However, the laws of inheritance discovered by Mendel and verified by
the science of genetics that flourished in the 20th century, utterly demolished
the legend that acquired traits were passed on to subsequent generations.
Thus, natural selection fell out of favour as an evolutionary mechanism.
Neo-Darwinism and Mutations
In order to find a solution, Darwinists advanced the "Modern Synthetic
Theory", or as it is more commonly known, Neo-Darwinism, at the end of the
1930's. Neo-Darwinism added mutations, which are distortions formed in the
genes of living beings because of external factors such as radiation or
replication errors, as the "cause of favourable variations" in addition to natural
mutation.
Today, the model that stands for evolution in the world is Neo-
Darwinism. The theory maintains that millions of living beings present on the
earth formed as a result of a process whereby numerous complex organs of
these organisms such as the ears, eyes, lungs, and wings, underwent
"mutations," that is, genetic disorders. Yet, there is an outright scientific fact
that totally undermines this theory: Mutations do not cause living beings to
Since the beginning of the century, evolutionists have been trying
to produce mutations in fruit flies, and give this as an example for
useful mutation. However, the only result obtained at the end of
these efforts that lasted for decades were disfigured, diseased and
defective flies. Above is the head of a normal fruit fly and on the
right is the head of a mutated fruit fly.
antenna
eyes
mouth
leg
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 161
The theory of evolution claims that living species gradually evolved from one another. The fossil
record, however, explicitly falsifies this claim. For example, in the Cambrian Period, some 550
million years ago, tens of totally distinct living species emerged
suddenly. These living beings depicted in the above picture have very complex structures. This
fact, referred to as the "Cambrian Explosion" in scientific literature
is plain evidence of creation.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 162
develop; on the contrary, they always cause harm to them.
The reason for this is very simple: the DNA has a very complex structure
and random effects can only cause harm to it. American geneticist B.G.
Ranganathan explains this as follows:
Mutations are small, random, and harmful. They rarely occur and the
best possibility is that they will be ineffectual. These four characteristics of
mutations imply that mutations cannot lead to an evolutionary
development. A random change in a highly specialised organism is either
ineffectual or harmful. A random change in a watch cannot improve the
watch. It will most probably harm it or at best be ineffectual. An
earthquake does not improve the city, it brings destruction.52
Not surprisingly, no mutation example, which is useful, that is, which is
observed to develop the genetic code, has been observed so far. All mutations
have proved to be harmful. It was understood that mutation, which is
presented as an "evolutionary mechanism," is actually a genetic occurrence
that harms living beings, and leaves them disabled. (The most common effect
of mutation on human beings is cancer). No doubt, a destructive mechanism
cannot be an "evolutionary mechanism." Natural selection, on the other hand,
"can do nothing by itself" as Darwin also accepted. This fact shows us that
there is no "evolutionary mechanism" in nature. Since no evolutionary
mechanism exists, neither could any imaginary process called evolution have
taken place.
The Fossil Record: No Sign of Intermediate Forms
The clearest evidence that the scenario suggested by the theory of
evolution did not take place is the fossil record.
According to the theory of evolution, every living species has sprung from
a predecessor. Apreviously existing species turned into something else in time
and all species have come into being in this way. According to the theory, this
transformation proceeds gradually over millions of years.
Had this been the case, then numerous intermediary species should have
existed and lived within this long transformation period.
For instance, some half-fish/half-reptiles should have lived in the past
which had acquired some reptilian traits in addition to the fish traits they
already had. Or there should have existed some reptile-birds, which acquired
some bird traits in addition to the reptilian traits they already had. Since these
would be in a transitional phase, they should be disabled, defective, crippled
living beings. Evolutionists refer to these imaginary creatures, which they
believe to have lived in the past, as "intermediate forms."
If such animals had really existed, there should be millions and even
billions of them in number and variety. More importantly, the remains of these
strange creatures should be present in the fossil record. In The Origin of Species,
Darwin explained:
If my theory be true, numberless intermediate varieties, linking most
closely all of the species of the same group together must assuredly
have existed... Consequently, evidence of their former existence could be
found only amongst fossil remains.53
Darwin's Hopes Shattered
However, although evolutionists have been making strenuous efforts to
find fossils since the middle of the 19th century all over the world, no
transitional forms have yet been uncovered. All the fossils unearthed in
excavations showed that, contrary to the expectations of evolutionists, life
appeared on earth all of a sudden and fully-formed.
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 163
The fossil record is a
great barricade in front
of the theory of
evolution. The fossil
record shows that
living species emerged
suddenly and fullyformed
without any
evolutionary
transitional form
between them. This fact
is evidence that species
are created separately.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 164
A famous British paleontologist, Derek V. Ager, admits this fact, even
though he is an evolutionist:
The point emerges that if we examine the fossil rec,ord in detail, whether
at the level of orders or of species, we find Ð over and over again Ð not
gradual evolution, but the sudden explosion of one group at the
expense of another.54
This means that in the fossil record, all living species suddenly emerge as
fully formed, without any intermediate forms in between. This is just the
opposite of Darwin's assumptions. Also, it is very strong evidence that living
beings are created. The only explanation of a living species emerging suddenly
and complete in every detail without any evolutionary ancestor can be that this
species was created. This fact is admitted also by the widely known
evolutionist biologist Douglas Futuyma:
Creation and evolution, between them, exhaust the possible
explanations for the origin of living things. Organisms either appeared
on the earth fully developed or they did not. If they did not, they must
have developed from pre-existing species by some process of
There are no fossil remains
that support the tale of
human evolution. On the
contrary, the fossil record
shows that there is an
insurmountable barrier
between apes and men. In
the face of this truth,
evolutionists fixed their
hopes on certain drawings
and models. They
randomly place masks on
the fossil remains and
fabricate imaginary halfape,
half-human faces.
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 165
modification. If they did appear in a fully developed state, they must
indeed have been created by some omnipotent intelligence.55
Fossils show that living beings emerged fully developed and in a perfect
state on the earth. That means that "the origin of species" is, contrary to
Darwin's supposition, not evolution but creation.
The Tale of Human Evolution
The subject most often brought up by the advocates of the theory of
evolution is the subject of the origin of man. The Darwinist claim holds that
the modern men of today evolved from some kind of ape-like creatures.
During this alleged evolutionary process, which is supposed to have started 4-
5 million years ago, it is claimed that there existed some "transitional forms"
between modern man and his ancestors. According to this completely
imaginary scenario, four basic "categories" are listed:
1. Australopithecus
2. Homo habilis
3. Homo erectus
4. Homo sapiens
Evolutionists call the so-called first ape-like ancestors of men
"Australopithecus" which means "South African ape." These living beings are
actually nothing but an old ape species that has become extinct. Extensive
research done on various Australopithecus specimens by two world famous
anatomists from England and the USA, namely, Lord Solly Zuckerman and
Prof. Charles Oxnard, has shown that these belonged to an ordinary ape
species that became extinct and bore no resemblance to humans.56
Evolutionists classify the next stage of human evolution as "homo," that
is "man." According to the evolutionist claim, the living beings in the Homo
series are more developed than Australopithecus. Evolutionists devise a
fanciful evolution scheme by arranging different fossils of these creatures in a
particular order. This scheme is imaginary because it has never been proved
that there is an evolutionary relation between these different classes. Ernst
Mayr, one of the foremost defenders of the theory of evolution in the 20th
century, admits this fact by saying that "the chain reaching as far as Homo
sapiens is actually lost."57
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 166
By outlining the link chain as "Australopithecus > Homo habilis > Homo
erectus > Homo sapiens," evolutionists imply that each of these species is one
another's ancestor. However, recent findings of paleoanthropologists have
revealed that Australopithecus, Homo habilis and Homo erectus lived at
different parts of the world at the same time.58
Moreover, a certain segment of humans classified as Homo erectus have
lived up until very modern times. Homo sapiens neandarthalensis and Homo
sapiens sapiens (modern man) co-existed in the same region.59
This situation apparently indicates the invalidity of the claim that they are
ancestors of one another. A paleontologist from Harvard University, Stephen
Jay Gould, explains this deadlock of the theory of evolution although he is an
evolutionist himself:
What has become of our ladder if there are three coexisting lineages of
hominids (A. africanus, the robust australopithecines, and H. habilis),
none clearly derived from another? Moreover, none of the three display
any evolutionary trends during their tenure on earth.60
Put briefly, the scenario of human evolution, which is sought to be upheld
with the help of various drawings of some "half ape, half human" creatures
appearing in the media and course books, that is, frankly, by means of
propaganda, is nothing but a tale with no scientific ground.
Lord Solly Zuckerman, one of the most famous and respected scientists in
the U.K., who carried out research on this subject for years, and particularly
studied Australopithecus fossils for 15 years, finally concluded, despite being
an evolutionist himself, that there is, in fact, no such family tree branching out
from ape-like creatures to man.
Zuckerman also made an interesting "spectrum of science." He formed a
spectrum of sciences ranging from those he considered scientific to those he
considered unscientific. According to Zuckerman's spectrum, the most
"scientific"Ðthat is, depending on concrete dataÐfields of science are chemistry
and physics. After them come the biological sciences and then the social
sciences. At the far end of the spectrum, which is the part considered to be
most "unscientific," are "extra-sensory perception"Ðconcepts such as telepathy
and sixth senseÐand finally "human evolution." Zuckerman explains his
reasoning:
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 167
We then move right off the register of objective truth into those fields of
presumed biological science, like extrasensory perception or the
interpretation of man's fossil history, where to the faithful (evolutionist)
anything is possible - and where the ardent believer (in evolution) is
sometimes able to believe several contradictory things at the same time.61
The tale of human evolution boils down to nothing but the prejudiced
interpretations of some fossils unearthed by certain people, who blindly
adhere to their theory.
Technology In The Eye and The Ear
Another subject that remains unanswered by evolutionary theory is the
excellent quality of perception in the eye and the ear.
Before passing on to the subject of the eye, let us briefly answer the
question of "how we see". Light rays coming from an object fall oppositely on
the retina of the eye. Here, these light rays are transmitted into electric signals
by cells and they reach a tiny spot at the back of the brain called the centre of
vision. These electric signals are perceived in this centre of the brain as an
image after a series of processes. With this technical background, let us do
some thinking.
The brain is insulated from light. That means that the inside of the brain
is solid dark, and light does not reach the location where the brain is situated.
The place called the centre of vision is a solid dark place where no light ever
reaches; it may even be the darkest place you have ever known. However, you
observe a luminous, bright world in this pitch darkness.
The image formed in the eye is so sharp and distinct that even the
technology of the 20th century has not been able to attain it. For instance, look
at the book you read, your hands with which you hold it, then lift your head
and look around you. Have you ever seen such a sharp and distinct image as
this one at any other place? Even the most developed television screen
produced by the greatest television producer in the world cannot provide such
a sharp image for you. This is a three-dimensional, coloured, and extremely
sharp image. For more than 100 years, thousands of engineers have been trying
to achieve this sharpness. Factories, huge premises were established, much
research has been done, plans and designs have been made for this purpose.
Again, look at a TV screen and the book you hold in your hands. You will see
that there is a big difference in sharpness and distinction. Moreover, the TV
screen shows you a two-dimensional image, whereas with your eyes, you
watch a three-dimensional perspective having depth.
For many years, ten of thousands of engineers have tried to make a threedimensional
TV, and reach the vision quality of the eye. Yes, they have made a
three-dimensional television system but it is not possible to watch it without
putting on glasses; moreover, it is only an artificial three-dimension. The
background is more blurred, the foreground appears like a paper setting.
Never has it been possible to produce a sharp and distinct vision like that of
the eye. In both the camera and the television, there is a loss of image quality.
Evolutionists claim that the mechanism producing this sharp and distinct
image has been formed by chance. Now, if somebody told you that the
television in your room was formed as a result of chance, that all its atoms just
happened to come together and make up this device that produces an image,
what would you think? How can atoms do what thousands of people cannot?
If a device producing a more primitive image than the eye could not have
been formed by chance, then it is very evident that the eye and the image seen
by the eye could not have been formed by chance. The same situation applies
to the ear. The outer ear picks up the available sounds by the auricle and directs
them to the middle ear; the middle ear transmits the sound vibrations by
intensifying them; the inner ear sends these vibrations to the brain by
translating them into electric signals. Just as with the eye, the act of hearing
finalises in the centre of hearing in the brain.
The situation in the eye is also true for the ear. That is, the brain is
insulated from sound just like it is from light: it does not let any sound in.
Therefore, no matter how noisy is the outside, the inside of the brain is
completely silent. Nevertheless, the sharpest sounds are perceived in the brain.
In your brain, which is insulated from sound, you listen to the symphonies of
an orchestra, and hear all the noises in a crowded place. However, if the sound
level in your brain was measured by a precise device at that moment, it would
be seen that a complete silence is prevailing there.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 168
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 169
As is the case with imagery, decades of effort have been spent in trying to
generate and reproduce sound that is faithful to the original. The results of
these efforts are sound recorders, high-fidelity systems, and systems for
sensing sound. Despite all this technology and the thousands of engineers and
experts who have been working on this endeavour, no sound has yet been
obtained that has the same sharpness and clarity as the sound perceived by
the ear. Think of the highest-quality HI-FI systems produced by the biggest
company in the music industry. Even in these devices, when sound is
recorded some of it is lost; or when you turn on a HI-FI you always hear a
hissing sound before the music starts. However, the sounds that are the
products of the technology of the human body are extremely sharp and clear.
A human ear never perceives a sound accompanied by a hissing sound or
with atmospherics as does HI-FI; it perceives sound exactly as it is, sharp and
clear. This is the way it has been since the creation of man.
So far, no visual or recording apparatus produced by man has been as
sensitive and successful in perceiving sensory data as are the eye and the ear.
However, as far as seeing and hearing are concerned, a far greater fact lies
beyond all this.
To Whom Does the Consciousness that Sees and
Hears Within the Brain Belong?
Who is it that watches an alluring world in its brain, listens to
symphonies and the twittering of birds, and smells the rose?
The stimulations coming from the eyes, ears, and nose of a human being
travel to the brain as electro-chemical nervous impulses. In biology,
physiology, and biochemistry books, you can find many details about how
this image forms in the brain. However, you will never come across the most
important fact about this subject: Who is it that perceives these electrochemical
nervous impulses as images, sounds, odours and sensory events in
the brain? There is a consciousness in the brain that perceives all this without
feeling any need for eye, ear, and nose. To whom does this consciousness
belong? There is no doubt that this consciousness does not belong to the
nerves, the fat layer and neurons comprising the brain. This is why DarwinistISLAM
DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 170
materialists, who believe that everything is comprised of matter, cannot give
any answer to these questions.
For this consciousness is the spirit created by God. The spirit needs neither
the eye to watch the images, nor the ear to hear the sounds. Furthermore, nor
does it need the brain to think.
Everyone who reads this explicit and scientific fact should ponder on
Almighty God, should fear Him and seek refuge in Him, He Who squeezes the
entire universe in a pitch-dark place of a few cubic centimeters in a threedimensional,
coloured, shadowy, and luminous form.
A Materialist Faith
The information we have presented so far shows us that the theory of
evolution is a claim evidently at variance with scientific findings. The theory's
claim on the origin of life is inconsistent with science, the evolutionary
mechanisms it proposes have no evolutionary power, and fossils demonstrate
that the intermediate forms required by the theory never existed. So, it
certainly follows that the theory of evolution should be pushed aside as an
unscientific idea. This is how many ideas such as the earth-centered universe
model have been taken out of the agenda of science throughout history.
However, the theory of evolution is pressingly kept on the agenda of
science. Some people even try to represent criticisms directed against the
theory as an "attack on science." Why?
The reason is that the theory of evolution is an indispensable dogmatic
belief for some circles. These circles are blindly devoted to materialist
philosophy and adopt Darwinism because it is the only materialist explanation
that can be put forward for the workings of nature.
Interestingly enough, they also confess this fact from time to time. A well
known geneticist and an outspoken evolutionist, Richard C. Lewontin from
Harvard University, confesses that he is "first and foremost a materialist and
then a scientist":
It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us
accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the
contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes
THE MISCONCEPTION OF EVOLUTION l 171
to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce
material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how
mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, so
we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.62
These are explicit statements that Darwinism is a dogma kept alive just for
the sake of adherence to the materialist philosophy. This dogma maintains that
there is no being save matter. Therefore, it argues that inanimate, unconscious
matter created life. It insists that millions of different living species; for
instance, birds, fish, giraffes, tigers, insects, trees, flowers, whales and human
beings originated as a result of the interactions between matter such as the
pouring rain, the lightning flash, etc., out of inanimate matter. This is a precept
contrary both to reason and science. Yet Darwinists continue to defend it just
so as "not to allow a Divine Foot in the door."
Anyone who does not look at the origin of living beings with a materialist
prejudice will see this evident truth: All living beings are works of a Creator,
Who is All-Powerful, All-Wise and All-Knowing. This Creator is God, Who
created the whole universe from non-existence, designed it in the most perfect
form, and fashioned all living beings.
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 172
They said 'Glory be to You!
We have no knowledge except what You have taught us.
You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.'
(Qur'an, 2:32)
NOTES l 173
1. Lawrence H Sear, Managing editor of The
Daily Mail writing in a column in The News
International, November 21, 2001, page 10
2. ÒIslam Attracts Converts by the Thousands,
Drawn Before and After AttacksÓ October 22,
2001, New York Times; Jodi Wilgoren
3. J. L. Esposito, The Islamic Threat Ð Myth or
Reality? New York and Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1992, p.173
4. ÒThe True Peaceful Face of IslamÓ TIME
Magazine, October 1, 2001 Vol. 158 No. 15; Karen
Armstrong
5. Nasr, Seyyed Hossein, Islam and the plight of
Modern Man, Suhail Academy, Lahore, 1999, p
122
6. Although the world of Islam is viewed as being
distinct and separate from the European world Ð
the former world was inextricably linked with
the development of the West. Muslim scholars
have made vital contributions in the sphere of the
sciences, arts and scholasticism which have
formed the foundation of modern civilisation.
Despite such contributions, most of the Western
world are unaware of such luminaries as: Ibn
Sina (Avicenna) b 980AD, who wrote al-Qanun
(The Canon) which was one of the most
influential medical textbooks in medieval Europe
until the 17th century. Ibn al-Nafis (d. 1289) who
explained blood flow, over three hundred years
before William Harvey, who wrote about it in
1628. Jabir Ibn Haiyan (Geber), known as the
father of chemistry. The very name Chemistry is
derived from the Arabic al-Kimya. Several
technical terms introduced by Jabir, such as
Alkali, Cinnabar and alembic are still used in
modern scientific vocabulary. Muhammad Bin
Musa al- Khawarizimi (Algorizam) introduced
the mathematical concept of algorithm, which is
named after his last name. He is the recognised
founder of algebra, which is the name derived
from his famous book Ð al-Jabbr Wa-al Muqabilah.
This book was the principal mathematical
textbook in European universities until the 16th
century. See: Beckingham, C.F., Misconceptions
of Islam: Medieval and Modern, Journal of Royal
Society of Arts, September 1976; Draper, John
William, The Intellectual Development of Europe
(London) Vol. I, 1875; Makdisi, George, The Rise
Of Humanism In Classical Islam & The Christian
West (Edinburgh) 1991; W. Montgomery Watt,
Islamic Surveys; The Influence of Islam on Medieval
Europe (Edinburgh) 1972
7.http://66.34.131.5/ISLAM/ahm/
recapturing.htm
8. Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, 1.194 hadith
100
9. "Terrorism Is at Odds With Islamic Tradition"
The Los Angeles Times; August 22, 2001; Khaled
Abou El-Fadl
10. Al-Buti, Muhammad Sa'id, Jihad in Islam:
How to understand and practise it, (Ed.Absi,
Munzer Adel) Dar al Fikr (Damascus) 1995
11. ÒJihad: It's no free ticket to ViolenceÓ The
London Free Press, Nov. 5/01; Munir Abu
Muhammad El-Kassem,
12. As related by Tabrizi, Mishkat, Vol. II, hadith
4998
13. ÒOn The Concept of Compassion In IslamÓ
Institute of Islamic Studies, Mumbai (Bombay)
Islam and Modern Age, November, 2001, Asghar
Ali Engineer
14. What drives people to hate the U.S. enough to
wreak death, destruction and carnage upon its
innocent population? Although writing three
years ago, Graham E. Fuller made a point that
still holds true today. He wrote: ' [I]t is dangerous
to divorce terrorism from politics, yet the U.S.
media continue to talk about an abstract war
against terrorism without mention of the issues
or context that lie behind them'. Graham E.
Fuller, 'Air-strikes Aren't the Endgame', Los
Angeles Times, August 24, 1998
15. ÒMuslims Abhor The Double StandardÓ Los
Angeles Times, 5 October 2001; Graham E. Fuller
16.http://66.34.131.5/ISLAM/ahm/recapturing
.htm
NOTES
Foreword by Aftab Ahmad Malik
ISLAM DENOUNCES TERRORISM l 174
1. Prof. Thomas Arnold, The Spread of Islam in
the World, A History of Peaceful Preaching,
Goodword Books, 2001, p. 79-80
2. John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path,
Oxford University Press, 1998, p. 10
3. Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi,
Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol 1, 84/8
4. Ahmad Diya'al-Din al-Kamushkhanawi,
Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol 1, 76/12
5. Bukhari (5778) and Muslim (109 and 110),
Reported by Muslim - Eng. Trans, Vol. 1,
p.62, No. 203
6. Karen Armstrong, Holy War, MacMillan
London Limited, 1988, p. 25
7. Tabari, Ta' rikh, 1, 1850, cited in Majid
Khadduri, War and Peace in the Law of Islam,
Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, 1955, p. 102
8. W.H.C. Frend, ÒChristianity in the Middle
East: Survey Down to A.D. 1800Ó, Religion in
the Middle East, Ed. A.J. Arberry, I-II
Cambridge, 1969, Volume I, p. 289
9. Prof. Thomas Arnold, The Spread of Islam in
the World, A History of Peaceful Preaching, p.
71-72
10. L. Browne, The Prospects of Islam, p. 11-15
11. John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, p.
33-34
12. Bernard Lewis, The Middle East, Weidenfeld
& Nicolson, London, 1995, p. 210
13. Prof. Thomas Arnold, The Spread of Islam in
the World, A History of Peaceful Preaching, p.
96
14. Prof. Thomas Arnold, The Spread of Islam in
the World, A History of Peaceful Preaching, p.
88-89
15. AndrŽ Miquel, L'Islam et sa Civilisation
VIIme - XXme Sicle, Librarie Armand
Colin, Paris 1968, p. 244.
16. Gesta Francorum, or the Deeds of the Franks and
the Other Pilgrims to Jerusalem, translated by
Rosalind Hill, London, 1962, p. 91
17. August C. Krey, The First Crusade: The
Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants,
Princeton & London, 1921, p. 261
18. August C. Krey, The First Crusade: The
Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants, p.
262
19. Alan Ereira, David Wallace, Crusades: Terry
Jones Tells the Dramatic Story of Battle for Holy
Land, BBC World Wide Ltd., 1995.
20. The Pact of Najran, Article 6, http://
www.islamicresources.com/Pact_of_Najran
.htm
21. Karen Armstrong, Holy War, p. 30-31
22. John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, p.
58
23. Prof. Thomas Arnold, The Spread of Islam in
the World, A History of Peaceful Preaching, p.
56
24. John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, p.
59
25. Karen Armstrong, Holy War, p. 185
26. Francis E. Peters, Jerusalem: Holy City in the
Eyes of Chroniclers, Visitors, Pilgrims, and
Prophets from the Days of Abraham to the
Beginnings of Modern Times, Princeton,
Princeton University Press, 1985, p. 363
27. An Interview with Edward Said by the
Israeli Newspaper Haaretz, Friday, August
18, 2000
28. Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 2nd
edition, New York, AL. Burt Co., 1874, p. 178
29. Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi, Racism, Science and
Pseudo-Science, Unesco, France, Vend™me,
1983. p. 54
30. Theodore D. Hall, ÒThe Scientific Background
of the Nazi "Race PurificationÓ Program
Ó,
http://www.trufax.org/avoid/nazi.html
31. James Joll, Europe Since 1870: An International
History, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1990, p.
164
32. M.F. Ashley-Montagu, Man in Process, New
York: World. Pub. Co. 1961, pp. 76, 77 cited
in Bolton Davidheiser, W E Lammers (ed)
Scientific Studies in Special Creationism,
1971, p. 338-339
33. L.H. Gann, "Adolf Hitler, The Complete
Islam Denounces Terrorism
TotalitarianÓ, The Intercollegiate Review, Fall
1985, p. 24; cited in Henry M. Morris, The
Long war Against God, Baker Book House,
1989, p. 78
34. J. Tenenbaum., Race and Reich, Twayne Pub.,
New York, p. 211, 1956; cited by Jerry
Bergman, ÒDarwinism and the Nazi Race
HolocaustÓ, http://www.trueorigin. org/
holocaust.htm
35. Peter Chrisp, The Rise Of Fascism, Witness
History Series, p. 6
36. Hickman, R., Biocreation, Science Press,
Worthington, OH, pp. 51Ð52, 1983; Jerry
Bergman, ÒDarwinism and the Nazi Race
HolocaustÓ, Creation Ex Nihilo Technical
Journal 13 (2): 101Ð111, 1999
37. Robert M. Young, Darwinian Evolution and
Human History, Historical Studies on
Science and Belief, 1980
38. Alan Woods and Ted Grant, Reason in Revolt:
Marxism and Modern Science, London: 1993
39. K. Mehnert, Kampf um Mao's Erbe, Deutsche
Verlags-Anstalt, 1977
40. Karl Marx, Das Capital, Vol. I, 1955, p. 603
41. Vladimir Ilich Lenin, Collected Works, 4th
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NOTES l 175