It is obvious that Islam is involved in much violence worldwide. No effort will be made to prove this fact as everybody who follows the news in the media knows it. This, however, does not mean that all Muslims are violent by nature. The problem is not in the character or nature of the people but in the nature of the religion. Muslims are adherents to the Islamic faith, which is based on their holy books, the Quran and the compilations of the Hadith (traditions of Mohammed). Muslims live in servile obedience to the teachings of these books because of their high regard for them. The more faithful Muslims become to Allah, the more faithfully they obey his teachings of the Quran and Hadith. The teachings of these books concerning violence, including Jihad (Islamic holy war) will now be discussed in some detail, because that is what determines the peacefulness of a faithful Muslim, and not his character.
Violence in the Quran
Contrary to the God of the Bible who hates violence, the Muslim sees violence often as a virtue by which he can earn wonderful benefits in paradise. There are countless places in the Quran where Allah encourages his followers to violence against ‘unbelievers’ (non-Muslims). Only some of these will be quoted here.
Surah 8:38, 39: “Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; But if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already a matter of warning for them. And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and religion becomes Allah’s in its entirety.” (Ali, 2000:144) (Emphasis added).
This is a clear warning to non-Muslims that they will be punished in the same way as other non-Muslims before them.
Furthermore, it is clear in view of the example given, that this section of the Quran was only written after there was already violent actions undertaken in the name of Allah against non-Muslims.
There is a reward of ‘great value’ (Pickthall, 1997:62) for those who obey Allah’s command to fight and spread Islam as a religion:
Surah 4:74: “Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious. On him We (Allah) shall bestow a vast reward.”
Surah 4:76: “Those who believe do battle for the cause of Allah; and those who disbelieve do battle for the cause of idols. So fight the minions of the devil.”
Ali (2000:70) renders this verse:
"Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith (Islam) fight in the cause of Evil: So fight you against the friends of Satan:"
Non-Muslims are here described as 'friends of Satan' and Muslims as 'those who believe' who have no choice but to obey Allah's instructions to fight.
Surah 4:84: “So fight in the way of Allah - ... - and urge on the believers (Muslims). Peradventure, Allah will restrain the might of those who disbelieve.” (Pickthall, 1997:63)
Surah 4:89: “They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake (flee from) their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity), then take them and kill them wherever ye find them,” (Pickthall, 1997:63)
Muslims claim that they only fight and kill in self-defence. It is, however, clear from this section in the Quran that these people have already fled their homes because of Allah’s persecution. They were then sought out and killed. Can this be self-defence?
Surah 4:104 confirms the attitude expected of a Muslim towards his enemies:
“Relent not in pursuit of the (hostile) people.” (Pickthall, 1997:65), and: "And slacken not in following up the enemy." (Ali, 2000:74)
To pursue (the enemy) means to harass, persecute, and persist in opposing or seeking to injure (Chambers English Dictionary, 1988). Clearly, Allah does not want his enemies (non-Muslims) to escape. They must be punished in this world as well as in the next, and this is confirmed by the next quotation:
Surah 5:33: “The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land.” (Pickthall, 1997:76)
This text does not only apply to war situations, as was demonstrated earlier, but is also used to justify the killing of apostates. In the Afrikaans translation, under the heading ’Vrede moet deur krag beveilig word', which means, “Peace must be protected by power” Pickthall (1997:124) translates Surah 8:59-60 as follows:
“And let not those who disbelieve suppose that they can outstrip (Allah’s purpose). Lo! They cannot escape. Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside them whom ye know not. Allah knoweth them. Whatsoever ye spend in the way of Allah will be repaid to you in full, and ye will not be wronged.”
These 'unbelievers' are in serious trouble. Even if they should try to escape Allah's wrath, he gives them the assurance that they will not be successful, together with instructions and encouragements for Muslims, not to ‘relent’ or ‘slacken’ in their pursuit of unbelievers as mentioned in Surah 4:104, cited above. In Surah 8:65, Allah instructs Mohammed:
“O Prophet! Exhort the believers to fight. If there be of you twenty steadfast they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a hundred steadfast they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they (the disbelievers) are a folk without intelligence.” (Pickthall, 1997:125).
Ali (2000:147) renders this verse as:
“O Prophet, rouse the Believers to the fight. If there are twenty among you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred; if a hundred, they will vanquish a thousand of the Unbelievers, for these are people without understanding."
Note that the ‘believers’ (Muslims) are instructed to fight, not to avert an attack by the ‘unbelievers’, but because the ‘unbelievers’ (non-Muslims) are without ‘understanding’ or ‘intelligence’. This is clearly an instruction from Allah to his prophet Mohammed, to incite Muslims to war. It is also true as far as the next six citations are concerned.
Surah 9:41: “Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew.” (Pickthall, 1997:131)
Surah 9:111: “They (Muslims) fight in His cause, and slay and are slain." (See also at the end of this chapter, under the heading: iii Jihad, in what sense this verse is used by Ayatollah Khomeini)
Surah 9:123: “O ye who believe! Fight those of the disbelievers who are near you, and let them find harshness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty (unto Him)” (Pickthall, 1997:138)
Surah 61:4: “Lo! Allah loveth those who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure” (Pickthall, 1997:405)
Surah 61:11: “Ye should believe in Allah and His Messenger (Mohammed), and should strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives” (Pickthall, 1997:406)
Surah 66:9: “O Prophet! Strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be stern with them” (Pickthall, 1997:415)
Violence in Islam is, however, not limited to action against unbelievers and sinners. Allah also gives clear instructions as to how a Muslim man should treat his wives. It is clear from this verse that he regards them as inferior:
Surah 4:34: “Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of woman). So good women are the obedient, ... As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them.” (Pickthall, 1997:58)
Another translation renders it:
“Men have authority over woman because God (Allah) made the one superior to the other, and because they spend their wealth to maintain them. ... As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in beds apart, and beat them.” (Dawood, 1999).
Does a true Muslim have a choice but to be violent in obedience to these commands of Allah?
Violence in the Hadith
The Hadith supports the Quran and leaves no doubt as to what Allah and his prophet, Mohammed, expect of a Muslim. A follower of Islam is obliged to fight for peace with his life and his wealth. The following quotations are not mere encouragements to violence, but are also clear warnings to Muslims who do not want to be involved in violence 'in the way', or in other words, for the furtherance of Islam.
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:1:73(Vol.1):144): “A party of my people shall not cease to fight for truth (Islam) overcoming those who will oppose them”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:15(Vol.2):347): “the Messenger of Allah said: This religion will never cease to prosper. A party of Muslims will always fight for it”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:20(Vol.2):350): “the Holy Prophet said: Fighting in the way of Allah atones for everything except debt.”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:27(Vol.2):352): “the Messenger of Allah said: Whoso dies without fighting (Holy War) and without feeling it his duty, dies on a kind of hypocrisy.”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:31(Vol.2):353): “the Messenger of Allah said: A party of my companions will not cease to fight for the right gaining victory over those who oppose them,”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:32(Vol.2):354): “the Holy Prophet said: He who does not fight, nor equip a warrior, nor looks after a warrior’s family with fairness, Allah will afflict him with a calamity before the Resurrection day.”
In view of these threats, does a Muslim have any choice but to fight for Allah, or at least take part in Jihad in some or other way?
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:33(Vol.2):354): “the Holy Prophet said: Fight against the polytheists with your properties, your lives and your tongues.”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:43(Vol.2):357): Mohammed “was questioned: Which Jihad is best? He said: That of one who fights with the polytheists with his property and his life.”
Violence against women is also a part of it. The rape of the women of the enemy, for the sake of the ‘relaxation’ of the Muslim fighters at the front line, was considered acceptable. The compiler of Al-Hadis, Karim, (1998, (Vol.2):440): writes the following under the heading, “Captives of War” and the sub-heading, “Captive women and girls” in connection with the treatment of such women and girls, with the approval of Mohammed:
“In the actual war-field in the midst of hostilities, according to some jurists, some concessions were sometimes given to soldiers for recreation. Captive virgin girls in war were once made lawful for the soldiers for copulation.”
Mohammed’s orders are Sunnah for the Muslim, which means they must be followed and obeyed. The Muslim has no choice but to act violently, irrespective of his natural characteristics. What Mohammed says is what a Muslim must do.
Jihad
From the discussion thus far, it is clear that Allah’s followers are called to war against their enemy or ‘unbelievers’ (non-Muslims). All the quotations and examples in the previous sections are calls to participate in Jihad, for the furtherance of Islam.
There are different explanations by Muslims of what Jihad really is, but it is nothing less than to fight or to strive on behalf of Allah, for the superiority of Islam over other religions. It is that simple, and that is why it is called “holy war.”
Al Bukhari, in his glossary, (Khan, 1987(Vol.4): viii) describes Jihad as follows:
“Holy fighting in the cause of Allah or any other kind of effort to make Allah’s Word (Islam) superior, which is regarded as one of the principles of Islam.”
Islam often claims that Jihad is essentially self-defence. It does however, appear that the fact that somebody rejects Islam is sufficient aggression against Islam to necessitate self-defence. Al-Bukhari, in his Hadith, (Khan, 1987(Vol.6):106) says:
“to wage war against Allah means to reject faith in Him.”
The Quran’s instruction is clear:
Surah 2:216: “Fighting (Jihad) is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you” (Ali, 2000:270). (Pickthall, 1997:25) renders it as: “Warfare is ordained for you, though it is hateful unto you: but it may happen that ye hate a thing which is good for you”
Regardless of the Muslim's natural inclination, which may be (and in most instances are) very mild and peace-loving, they must take part in Jihad, because according to Allah it is 'good' for them. The importance of participation in Jihad is also stressed in the Hadith, Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:42(Vol.2):356):
“Abu Huraira reported: Whoso meets Allah without any wound of Jihad, meets Allah with defect in him.”
Muslims belong to Allah. According to the Quran, he bought them for the purpose: To kill and to be killed on his behalf. In return, they will receive paradise as their reward. This is confirmed in the Quran:
Surah 9:111: “Lo! Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth because the Garden will be theirs: they shall fight in the way of Allah and shall slay and be slain.” (Pickthall, 1997:137). See also Dawood’s (1999) rendering: “God (Allah) has purchased from the faithful their lives and worldly goods, and in return has promised them the garden. They will fight for the cause of God (Allah); they will slay and be slain.”
From these quotations, it is clear that Allah expects his followers to strive, for the furtherance of Islam, with their lives as well as their material possessions.
Not all Muslims can be physically involved in battle, so these Muslims must provide the money and other resources necessary to wage war. There is, apart from the Jizya (a special tax payable to Muslim governments by non-Muslims) as a means of income, an abundance of successful and flourishing Muslim business people, also in non-Muslim countries, from where the money is sent to the frontlines for the purpose of Jihad against non-Muslims. The Quran as well as the Hadith are clear about this, and every Muslim is under the obligation to obey these orders, because it is Allah speaking.
Surah 9:34: “And there are those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah: announce for them a most grievous chastisement“ (Ali, 2000:154) “a painful doom” awaits them according to Pickthall (1997:130).
Surah 9:41: “Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew” (Pickthall, 1997:131)
Al-Bukhari (Khan, 1987:95(Vol.4):68) confirms this:
“This worldly property is sweet vegetation. If it is ... spent in Allah’s cause.”
Every Christian and other non-Muslim should know that with every cent or penny spent in Muslim-owned businesses, the money is used to support Islam's Jihad or holy war against the ‘unbeliever’. To finance Jihad is to “strive with your wealth in the way of Allah” and that in itself, is Jihad.
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998(Vol.2):358) mentions the prize a Muslim will receive for taking part in Jihad:
“the Messenger of Allah said: There are six virtues of a martyr near Allah. At the first shedding of blood he is shown his place in Paradise, he is protected from the punishment of grave, he is kept safe from the great catastrophe, a crown of glory will be put upon his head, one jewel of which is better than the world and what is therein, he will be married to seventy two wives of large dark eyed virgins, and he will be given permission to make intercession for seventy of his relations.”
When reference is made to a ‘martyr’ in Islam terminology, as in the following quotations, it refers to somebody who offered his life in Jihad. This includes
suicide bombers in the Middle East (a frequent occurrence), Bali and elsewhere. It includes all Muslim attackers, who kill themselves in order to kill their 'enemy', like the ‘terrorists’ who steered the aircraft into the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001. The following promises serve to help Muslims overcome their fear of dying (killing themselves for the purpose of killing the enemy) while participating in Jihad.
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:45(Vol.2):358): “the Messenger of Allah said: A martyr will not feel the pangs of murder except as one of you feel pangs of a sting.”
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:61(Vol.2):364): “the Messenger of Allah said to his companions: When your brethren were killed in the battle of Uhud, Allah put their souls in the belly of a green bird which frequents the rivers of Paradise, eating its fruits and taking shelter of gold lamps and hanging under the shade of the Throne. When they found the sweetness of their foods, their drinks and their sleeping beds, they exclaimed: Who will convey a message for us to our brethren that we are alive in Paradise, so that none will cease to desire Paradise and to participate in Jihad? Then the Almighty Allah would say: I shall convey to them on your behalf. So the Almighty Allah revealed: ‘And you must not consider those who are martyred in Allah’s way as dead, but they are alive’” (Emphasis added).
When the souls of these martyrs came out of the belly of the green bird and experienced the wonder, comfort and pleasure of paradise, they immediately wanted to encourage their brethren on earth to desire paradise and to know that, to participate in Jihad, is the way to get there. The difficulty in getting their message across to their earthly brethren was soon solved when none other than Allah himself offered to be their message bearer.
In the midst of all the violence of Jihad there is even more violence, because in this holy war every one under suspicion pays dearly, mostly with his life. Proof is not necessary. The discretion of the leader, in the following cases Mohammed himself, is apparently sufficient to take a life. It also serves as a clear warning not to oppose Islam:
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:202(Vol.2):441): “Salamah-b-al-Akwa’a reported: A spy of the polytheists came to the Messenger of Allah while he was on a journey. He sat down to talk with his companions and then he went away. The Holy Prophet said: Search him out and kill him. Then I killed him. He (the Prophet) gave me his goods.”
The spy mentioned in this passage was in Mohammed's presence. The suspicion that he was a spy was probably raised later, and in his absence without opportunity to prove his innocence. Mohammed decided that he was guilty, passed the death sentence, and sent somebody to kill him - and for all his trouble, the executioner was entitled to keep all the spy's possessions. In the next example, there was at least some criterion. However, it is left to the readers’ own judgment to decide how just it was:
Al-Hadis (Karim, 1998:23:214(Vol.2):451): “Atiyyah ai-Qurazi reported: I was among the captives of Quraizah. We were presented before the Holy Prophet and they were examining. Whoever had his hair grown was killed, and whoever had not, was not killed. Then they uncovered my private part and found it without growth (of hair). They then made me among the captives.”
His shaved pubic hair saved his life. What sort of justice is this?
Ahmed Deedat, someone who for many years was disabled and unable to talk as the result of a stroke, was a South African Muslim apologist and propagandist. It was his passion in life to discredit and even mock Christianity and Jesus Christ’s deity. In his pamphlet, What is his Name?, published by the Islamic Propagation Centre, Durban (quoted by Hunt, 1986/1995:275) said:
"Our armour, sword and shield in this battle of Faiths are in the Koran, we have been chanting it for centuries ... now we must bring them forth into the battlefield.”
After having numerous non-Muslims, including Christians killed, Ayatollah Khomeini, a former religious and political leader of Iran, said the following:
“In Persia (Iran) no people have been killed so far – only beasts!” and on another occasion: “The purist joy in Islam is to kill and be killed for Allah.” (Quoted by Moshay, 1994:31-32). This citation is based on Surah 9:111 in the Quran, to which reference has already been made above.
It does not matter whether the Muslim leader who calls people for Jihad in a specific situation is a good or a bad person, according to Al-Bukhari (Khan, 1987:44(Vol.4):71):
"Jihad is carried on whether the Muslim ruler who calls for it is a good or a bad person."
This explain clearly why Muslims are so united in their support of people like Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, whom some Muslims sometimes acknowledge as bad people, but nevertheless still spport. Are these people cruel extremists or merely obedient followers of their God, Allah, and his prophet Mohammed?