BY: Nisar Ahmad
A terrorist can’t be a true Muslim and a true Muslim can’t be a terrorist. Islam is a religion of security and peace. These essentials are so prevalent in Muslim lives that they greet everybody they know or don’t know with “As-Salaam-Alaikum,” the Arabic greeting meaning “Peace be unto you”. When Muslims stand in prayer, they cut their relations with the world and turn to their Allah to worship him in a devout obedience. While finishing the prayer, almost like returning to the world, they give peace greetings to the angles on their right and left, and return to society with a wish for well being, security, and peace.
Greetings and wishing peace and well being to others is regarded in Islamic teaching as being among the best deeds. One day, when they asked the messenger of God, which deed is more meritorious in Islam he answered, “Offering meals to others, and greeting everyone you know or you do not know”.
Actually, there is no place for terrorism in Islam. To reiterate, a terrorist cannot be a Muslim and Muslim cannot be a terrorist. A real Muslim has a single purpose on earth to seek the pleasure and blessing of Allah. In the life of this world, he weaves all of his thoughts and deeds by orienting them to that purpose. He makes his plans and projects for the sake of reaching it.
The religion, that asks its adherents to wish peace to everyone, can never allow the same adherents to indulge in anything that negates peace. Muslims believe that Allah is Rub-ul-Aalimen (The God of all the worlds) not the God of Mulims alone. Similarly, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is Rehmat-ul-lil Aalimeen (Mercy for all the worlds) and therefore how can his followers indulge in anything thant negates the basic concept of Mercy.
Those who understand Islam and declare to be Muslims, do nothing but strive to earn Allah’s blessing. In this backdrop, one who understands the essence and spirit of Islam can never either indulge or support or propagate terrorism.
Those who claim to be Muslims and indulge in terrorism under different banners are the lot that has misunderstood or misinterpreted the basics of Islam. If a person claims to be a Muslim still commits such violence, it means that he has a deficiency and gap in his understanding of religion, incompatible with the essentials of Islam. I quote Prophet (SAW): “A fornicator is not a believer at the moment when he is committing fornication. A drinker is not a believer at the moment when he is drinking wine; a thief is not a believer at the moment when he is stealing, a robber is not a believer at the moment when he is robbing.” It simply indicates that a believer will not fornicate, steal, or drink while conscious of faith. Same is true about terrorism. A believer will never indulge in terrorism if he understands his basic faith.
Today we are witnessing a lot of misunderstanding. It is necessary for Muslim to come out and say, “in real Islam terror doesn’t exist because in Islam, killing of fellow humans, killing of innocents is Haram.” If you are a true believer, you can’t kill innocents, women, elderly, unarmed and sick even during the war. Allah commands that killing of one innocent tentamounts to killing of the entire humanity.
Prophet (SAW) life should and must be the example for every Muslim. An old lady used to throw trash on Prophet whenever he walked down a particular path. It happened every day. One day it stopped, there was no lady visible and no trash was thrown. Prophet (SAW) got worried, enquired about the lady and found out that she was not keeping well. Prophet (SAW) rushed to her home to enquire about her health. And that visit changed the lady for times to come.
This is how Muslims are supposed to behave and live. Those who believe that by killing others they would go to the heaven are the worst ignorant. Terror can never be used to achieve Islamic goals. A Muslim can’t be a terrorist because Islam doesn’t allow murder of fellow humans. It warns that those who deliberately and unjustly kill someone will face an eternal life in hell.
Prophet (SAW) has said: “A time will come when he who kills will not know why he killed and he who gets killed will not know why he was killed”. It seems we are inching towards that doomsday. Some people become suicide bombers and claim to be doing this in the name of religion. They do this for revenge, they do this to draw attention, if somebody blows themselves up as a suicide bomber, forgive me, but that person will fall straight into Hell.
- The writer did his graduation from Aligarh Muslim university and is currently pursuing masters . He hails from Kulgam Kashmir
