Dare to Speak: Islam vs Free Democracy and Free Enterprise (I)
Section 4:
The five pillars of Islam: requirements for being a Muslim
Given the large quantity of reading material in Islam’s Holy Scripture, and the historic illiteracy of human populations, Islam has always been boiled down to a few basics for the man on the street. The basics that relate to daily living are known as the Five Pillars of Islam. An interesting fact about these pillars is that, except for the primary one, which you will soon see, none of them were introduced by the Koran. Instead, they were pre-existing practices that Islam adopted for itself.
This fact fits with the Muslim notion that Islam is the perfection of a faith that has existed from the beginning of time, albeit imperfectly. In fact, the only thing truly unique about its pillars is that they require the believer to declare that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. This seemingly small innovation, however, turns out to be the thin edge of a wide wedge.
The five pillars of Islam are:
1.
- Declare, with belief, that “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Messenger” (Kalimah or Shahadah)
- This recitation is known as either Kalimah (the “Word”), or the Shahadah (the “Testimony” of Faith).
- While there appears to be no direct quote in the Koran that mandates this pillar, there is a reference that comes close:
[5.82] YUSUF ALI:
- Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, “We are Christians”: because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.
[5.83]
- And
when they listen to the revelation received by the Messenger, thou wilt see their eyes overflowing with tears, for they recognize the truth: they pray: “Our Lord! We believe; write us down among the witnesses.”
2.Pray five obligatory prayers per day (Salah)
- There are over one hundred references to prayer throughout the Koran. This representative sample illustrates how these references are designed to reinforce or put a new stamp on existing practices. The fact that prayer was a preexisting concept also becomes apparent when one notices that the Koran discusses prayer without ever defining it. Instead, the Koran assumes that Muslims are familiar with prayer, so it only needs to give instructions on how to do it the Islamic way:
[2.238] YUSUF ALI: Guard strictly your (habit of) prayers, especially the Middle Prayer; and stand before Allah in a devout (frame of mind).
[4.43] PICKTHAL: …Draw not near unto prayer when ye are drunken, till ye know that which ye utter, nor when ye are polluted, save when journeying upon the road, till ye have bathed. And if ye be ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from the closet, or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith).
[4.102] PICKTHAL: And when thou (O Muhammad) art among them and arrangest (their) worship for them, let only a party of them stand with thee (to worship) and let them take their arms [weapons]. Then when they have performed their prostrations let them fall to the rear and let another party come that hath not worshipped and let them worship with thee, and let them take their precaution and their arms.
[5.6] PICKTHAL: …When ye rise up for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and lightly rub your heads and (wash) your feet up to the ankles…
[11.114] PICKTHAL: Establish worship at the two ends of the day and in some watches of the night.
3.Give an offering of obligatory charity (Zakah or Zakat)
This pillar requires every Muslim who, at the end of the year, is in possession of the equivalent of 85 grams of gold or more in cash or goods, to give Zakah at the minimum rate of 2.5%. Taxes paid to any government do not substitute for this religious duty. The recipients of Zakah are the poor, the needy, new Muslim converts, Muslim prisoners of war (to liberate them), Muslims in debt, employees appointed to collect Zakah, Muslims engaged in Islamic research, study, or propagation efforts, and foreign Muslims in need of help.
The Koran has at least 27 references to Zakah, which is also translated as “regular charity,” or “the poor-due.” Two example verses are:
[5.12] YUSUF ALI: Allah did aforetime take a covenant from the Children of Israel, and we appointed twelve captains among them. And Allah said: “I am with you: if ye (but) establish regular prayers, practice regular charity, believe in my messengers, honor and assist them, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan, verily I will wipe out from you your evils, and admit you to gardens with rivers flowing beneath…
[7.156] PICKTHAL: …I smite with My punishment whom I will, and My mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor-due, and those who believe Our revelations;
Unfortunately, the terms “regular charity” and “poor-due” are actually misnomers, because Zakah is often used for Islamic propagation, administration, and warfare, rather than for the poor, as the following article reveals:
Iraqis say Saudis financing Sunni insurgents
Associated Press, MSNBC News, Dec 8, 2006
CAIRO, Egypt – Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq and much of the money is used to buy weapons, including shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles, according to key Iraqi officials and others familiar with the flow of cash.
Saudi government officials deny that any money from their country is being sent to Iraqis fighting the government and the U.S.-led coalition.
But the U.S. Iraq Study Group report said Saudis are a source of funding for Sunni Arab insurgents. Several truck drivers interviewed by The Associated Press described carrying boxes of cash from Saudi Arabia into Iraq, money they said was headed for insurgents.
Two high-ranking Iraqi officials…told the AP most of the Saudi money comes from private donations, called zakat, collected for Islamic causes and charities.
Some Saudis appear to know the money is headed to Iraq’s insurgents, but others merely give it to clerics who channel it to anti-coalition forces, the officials said.
4.Participate in a fast during the month of Ramadan (Sawm)
This fast prohibits eating, drinking, and having sex during the day, but encourages these activities during nighttime celebrations.
The Koran has over twenty references to this fast. The sample quotes below explain both its motivation and practice:
[2.183] PICKTHAL: O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil) ;
[2.185] The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an…And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days.
[2.187] PICKTHAL: It is made lawful for you to go in unto your wives on the night of the fast…So hold intercourse with them and seek that which Allah hath ordained for you, and eat and drink until…dawn. Then strictly observe the fast till nightfall and touch them not, but be at your devotions in the mosques.
5.Travel to Mecca during Ramadan (Hajj) and participate in special religious celebrations that take place at the Ka’aba
Muslims attempting the Hajj nowadays face an interesting dilemma caused by the spread of Islam: While there are over a billion Muslims, the maximum number of people who can visit the Ka’aba during Ramadan is physically limited to about two million. As a result, the Saudi government has issued a statement declaring that only 1 in 1000 people who apply for the Hajj will be permitted to come.
If the life expectancy of a typical Muslim is 70 years, this restriction means that, for every 1000 people, only 70 of them (7%) will actually be able to do a Hajj in their lifetimes. To allay the fears of the other 93%, who might otherwise believe that they will be condemned to Hell, this pillar was modified, so that Muslims only need to express an intent to go on a Hajj rather than actually do it. This intent is expressed by celebrating Eid, a special holiday at the end of Ramadan.
Again, the quotes of the Koran verify that the Hajj, in one form or another, was an ancient practice that, in theory, traces all the way back to the days of Abraham and Ishmael:
[2.125] PICKTHAL: And when We made the House (at Makka) a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray). And We imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael, (saying): Purify My house for those who go around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship).
Clearly, the latter four of the Five Pillars of Islam were established by Semitic tribes near the Ka’aba long before Muhammad’s time. Therefore, the only pillar that uniquely distinguished Islam from its predecessor religions was the first one, because it required allegiance to Muhammad.
The missing pillar: Love
When reviewing the Five Pillars of Islam, one finds that they appear benign, and possibly even helpful, particularly when compared to the chaotic culture that Muhammad grew up with. According to Islam’s historical accounts, Muhammad’s leadership had many positive effects and brought about a unifying identity, a sense of belonging and camaraderie, and an admirable support for the needy. Unfortunately, these pillars do little to advance what we in the West would call ethical behavior, as can be inferred from the following hadiths:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 480: [1]…A Bedouin came to the Prophet and said, “Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise, if I do it.” The Prophet…said, “Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory Zakat, and fast the month of Ramadan.” The Bedouin said, “By Him, in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do more than this.” When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet said, “Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 690: [2]…The Prophet said, “One of the sayings of the prophets which the people have got is, ‘If you do not feel ashamed, then do whatever you like.’”
When Westerners stand back and look at the Five Pillars, there appears to be something missing: The principle of love and compassion for others. This principle is a pillar of Judeo-Christian ethics that permeates Western culture even in a post-Christian age. For example, the closest connection between the Five Pillars of Islam and the Golden Rule (Love your neighbor as you love yourself[3]) is Zakah (works of charity). This connection is extremely remote, however, because charitable giving does not actually require love or compassion, and can be motivated by far more self-serving objectives.
Instead of focusing on love for others, Islam focuses on obedience to the will of Allah, which, during Muhammad’s ministry, meant obedience to Muhammad. Today, this obedience has been transferred to the clerics who interpret Muhammad’s recitations.
The missing pillar of Love is one of Islam’s fundamental shortcomings, although some orders of Sufism (Islamic mystics that many Muslims consider heretical) apparently embrace love to a certain degree. Love is an essential glue that binds people together in mutual trust and ultimately holds society together. A society that does not understand or value love is destined to rip itself apart.
If one searches the Koran for the word “love,” and disregards phrases like “Allah does not love…” the search will turn up only 23 mentions of the word. Even in these cases, the Koran provides very little guidance on how to act in a loving way toward others. In fact, “love” is usually mentioned at the end of a long and stern message, often related to warfare, as a carrot to motivate the listener: “Allah loveth those who keep their duty.” [4]
In only a few cases do these verses discuss something similar to what Westerners think of as love, namely charity and good works, and even in these cases, the goal is to express love for Allah or seek Allah’s love. The Koran is simply not concerned about people expressing love for each other in more than a superficial way.
There are many people who are charitable without being loving. In fact, the Catholic institution of “indulgences,” which Catholicism wisely rejected long ago, [5] hinged on this very notion – giving generously to the church after committing some crime as a way to buy God’s forgiveness.
The Koran almost never discusses love in the context of human relationships. In the absence of love, the Koran’s primary messages on human relations are:
Do good works and charity for other Muslims.
Honor agreements.
Be forgiving.
Hold people of other faiths in hostile contempt.
In total, there are only two sets of verses in the Koran that address values akin to true love (verses 30.21 and 60.7-8), as will be discussed shortly.
What follows is a rather long section that provides every phrase where the Koran uses the word “love” in a positive sense, along with enough surrounding text to provide context. Feel free to skim, rather than read, these passages, once you have a feel for them:
[2.177] PICKTHAL: It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West [part of the prayer ritual of Salah]; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress.
[2.195] PICKTHAL: Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah, and be not cast by your own hands to ruin; and do good. Lo! Allah loveth the beneficent.
[2.222] PICKTHAL: They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is an illness, so let women alone at such times and go not in unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you. Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.
[3.31] PICKTHAL: Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.
[3.76] PICKTHAL: Nay, but (the chosen of Allah is) he who fulfilleth his pledge and wardeth off (evil); for lo! Allah loveth those who ward off (evil).
[3.134] PICKTHAL: Those who spend (of that which Allah hath given them) in ease and in adversity, those who control their wrath and are forgiving toward mankind; Allah loveth the good;
[3.146] How many of the prophets fought (in Allah’s way), and with them (fought) large bands of godly men? But they never lost heart if they met with disaster in Allah’s way, nor did they weaken (in will) nor give in. And Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast.
[3.147] All that they said was: “Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and anything we may have done that transgressed our duty: Establish our feet firmly, and help us against those that resist Faith.”
[3.148] And Allah gave them a reward in this world, and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah loveth those who do good.
[3.156] O ye who believe! Be not like the Unbelievers, who say of their brethren, when they are traveling through the Earth or engaged in fighting: “If they had stayed with us, they would not have died, or been slain.” This that Allah may make it a cause of sighs and regrets in their hearts. It is Allah that gives Life and Death, and Allah sees well all that ye do.
[3.157] And if ye are slain, or die, in the way of Allah, forgiveness and mercy from Allah are far better than all they could amass.
[3.158] And if ye die, or are slain, Lo! It is unto Allah that ye are brought together.
[3.159] It is part of the Mercy of Allah that thou [Muhammad] dost deal gently with them. Wert thou severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about thee: so pass over (their faults), and ask for (Allah’s) forgiveness for them; and consult them in affairs (of moment). Then, when thou hast taken a decision, put thy trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).
[5.42] PICKTHAL: Listeners for the sake of falsehood! Greedy for illicit gain! If then they have recourse unto thee (Muhammad) judge between them or disclaim jurisdiction. If thou disclaimest jurisdiction, then they cannot harm thee at all. But if thou judgest, judge between them with equity. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable.
[5.93] PICKTHAL: There shall be no sin (imputed) unto those who believe and do good works for what they may have eaten (in the past). So be mindful of your duty (to Allah), and believe, and do good works; and again: be mindful of your duty, and believe; and once again: be mindful of your duty, and do right. Allah loveth the good.
[9.3] PICKTHAL: And a proclamation from Allah and His messenger to all men on the day of the Greater Pilgrimage [the Hajj] that Allah is free from obligation to the idolaters, and (so is) His messenger. So, if ye repent, it will be better for you; but if ye are averse, then know that ye cannot escape Allah. Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve,
[9.4] Excepting those of the idolaters with whom ye (Muslims) have a treaty, and who have since abated nothing of your right nor have supported anyone against you. (As for these), fulfill their treaty to them till their term. Lo! Allah loveth those who keep their duty (unto Him).
[9.5] Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever ye find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush. But if they repent and establish worship and pay the poor-due, then leave their way free. Lo! Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
[9.6] And if anyone of the idolaters seeketh thy protection (O Muhammad), then protect him so that he may hear the Word of Allah, and afterward convey him to his place of safety. That is because they are a folk who know not.
[9.7] How can there be a treaty with Allah and with His messenger for the idolaters save those with whom ye made a treaty at the Inviolable Place of Worship [the Ka’aba]? So long as they are true to you, be true to them. Lo! Allah loveth those who keep their duty.
[9.107] YUSUF ALI: And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity – to disunite the Believers – and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars.
[9.108] Never stand thou forth therein. There is a mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety; it is more worthy of the standing forth (for prayer) therein. In it are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure.
[19.96] YUSUF ALI: On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (Allah) Most Gracious bestow love.
[30.21] PICKTHAL: And of His signs is this: He created for you helpmeets from yourselves [women] that ye might find rest in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy.
[49.9] YUSUF ALI: If two parties among the Believers fall into a quarrel, make ye peace between them: but if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight ye (all) against the one that transgresses until it complies with the command of Allah; but if it complies, then make peace between them with justice, and be fair: for Allah loves those who are fair (and just).
[60.7] PICKTHAL: It may be that Allah will ordain love between you and those of them with whom ye are at enmity. Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
[60.8] Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loveth the just dealers.
[61.4] YUSUF ALI: Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure.
[76.5] YUSUF ALI: As to the Righteous, they shall drink of a cup (of wine) mixed with kafur, –
[76.6] A fountain where the devotees of Allah do drink, making it flow in unstinted abundance.
[76.7] They perform (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil flies far and wide.
[76.8] And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan, and the captive, –
[76.9] (Saying), “We feed you for the sake of Allah alone: no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.
[76.10] “We only fear a Day of distressful Wrath from the side of our Lord.”
The impression of love that the Koran gives is: Love is only for Allah to give and to receive. Good works and acts of charity are not motivated by genuine love for fellow human beings, but by love for Allah, and the desire for Allah’s rewards and the fear of his punishment.
Islam goes beyond simply ignoring the notion of love, in the Judeo-Christian sense familiar to Westerners. In fact, it loudly opposes it. For example, this is what The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Islam has to say about love: [6]
Muslims look aghast these days at the efforts of Western popular culture to promote the idea that we are all gods inside our hearts or that God lives in us, and we can tap into His power like some sort of personal energy reservoir. It seems people are creating God in their own image and justifying any action they engage in by claiming that “God is Love” and so will condone all types of behavior.
It seems sometimes that authentic knowledge of God and a seriousness about what He represents have descended to the level of a joke. Muslims stand…like lighthouses in the storm, calling people to resist the false suggestions of Shaytan, or Satan…The Qur’an warned us long ago that the desire of Shaytan is to separate us from God, and what better way for him to succeed than to get all of us to call ourselves gods and goddesses or to make up gods of our own!
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Islam was designed to present Islam as palatably and benignly as possible, and yet its allegations against the West and, in a veiled way, Christianity, are alarming. It calls the innocent and comforting statement “God is Love” an abhorrent sacrilege. It misinterprets Christian doctrine to imply that Christians are polytheists, a common Muslim charge that places modern Christians among the lowest of the low in the Islamic hierarchy of despised Infidels.
How bad is it to be called a polytheist by a Muslim? Another book in this light-hearted series, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Koran, provides the answer: [7]
Shirk is the sin of associating someone or something with the One God [Allah] – making something equal to Allah. It is the gravest of all sins, and is regarded as unforgivable if the person committing it dies while still engaged in it.
Apparently, according to these books, people who say “God is Love” are among the worst of all sinners, deceived by Satan into committing an unforgivable sacrilege.
This theme of misinterpretation, derision, and open antagonism toward Christianity, as well as Judaism and the West in general, pervades both of these “Idiot’s” books and will shock anyone who is familiar with other books in the “Complete Idiot’s Guide” series.
According to the Koran, love for Allah often requires bloody war with other people. If one is called to war by an Islamic authority, any attempt to avoid it is considered Hypocrisy. As for guidance on how people can express love for fellow human beings, the Koran is nearly silent. While it admonishes Muslims to do good works, it says little about what a “good” work is. It is clear, however, that war against Infidels is a good work.
Islam’s substitute for the missing pillar of Love: War against Infidels
Beyond the Five Pillars of Islam, there is another pillar that the Koran discusses extensively: War against Infidels. In fact, Muslims often call “Jihad” the sixth pillar of Islam. The Koran for Dummies describes Jihad this way: [8]
The Koran places heavy emphasis on using divine revelation as a catalyst for establishing [Islamic] justice in all its forms, and struggling against injustice [non-Islamic justice] in all its forms…At the center of this teaching is the concept of Jihad, which means to struggle in the path of God, both inwardly and outwardly, for good against evil.
…
These social teachings make it impossible for Muslims to separate their religious lives from their social responsibilities (6:162-164) [9]. The Koran teaches that such a distinction is wrong, and preaches that not only individuals, but also social institutions, should serve God [Allah] as a means of producing an equitable [i.e., Islamic] society.
These words imply that any social institution, such as government, is unjust if it is not Islamic. If it is unjust, then Muslims are called upon to struggle against it.
Muhammad states this mission, which has been passed on to his followers, more generally, through the following hadith. Many other hadiths express the same goal: [10]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 24: …Allah’s Apostle said: “I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform…that, then they save their lives and property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah.”
How important is military jihad to Islam? The following hadiths, together with many others, reveal how Muhammad made military jihad a centerpiece of Islam that was rewarded both on earth and in the hereafter. These hadiths also reveal how Muhammad and his successors used military jihad to spread Islam through conquest:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 25:…Allah’s Apostle was asked, “What is the best deed?” He replied, “To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad).” The questioner then asked, “What is the next (in goodness) ?” He replied, “To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah’s Cause.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 44: [11]…A man came to Allah’s Apostle and said, “Instruct me as to such a deed as equals Jihad (in reward).” He replied, “I do not find such a deed. ”…“The Mujahid (i.e. Muslim fighter) is rewarded even for the footsteps of his horse while it wanders bout (for grazing) tied in a long rope.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 53: [12]…The Prophet said, “Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world…, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah’s Cause). ”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 377: [13]…On the day of the battle of Uhud, a man came to the Prophet and said, “Can you tell me where I will be if I should get martyred?” The Prophet replied, “In Paradise.” The man…fought till he was martyred.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 627: [14]…The Prophet sent a Sariya [army unit] towards Najd and I was in it, and our share from the booty amounted to…thirteen camels each. [this was a substantial amount of wealth at that time]
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 46: [15]…I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “…Allah guarantees that He will admit the Mujahid in His Cause into Paradise if he is killed, otherwise He will return him to his home safely with rewards and war booty.”
In addition, Sahih Muslim devotes an entire book to the subject of Jihad, entitled The Book of Jihad and Expedition, which includes the following chapters:
Chapter 1: Regarding permission to make a raid, without an ultimatum, upon the disbelievers who have already been invited to accept Islam
Chapter 9: Permissibility of killing women and children in the night raids, provided it is not deliberate
Chapter 11: The spoils of war especially made lawful for this umma
Chapter 12: Spoils of war
Chapter 13: Regarding the right of the fighter to the belongings of the one killed by him in the fight.
Chapter 15: Fai’ (property taken from the enemy without a formal war) [in other words, thievery]
Chapter 17: Distribution of the spoils among the fighters
Chapter 19: Binding the prisoners and putting them in confinement and justification for setting them free without any ransom [The justification for release is converting to Islam]
Chapter 20: Evacuation of the Jews from the Hijaz [Actually, a forced exodus]
Chapter 23: Return of their gifts to the Ansar by the Muhajirs when the latter grew rich as a result of the conquests
Chapter 27: The Battle of Hunain
Chapter 28: The Battle of Ta’if
Chapter 29: The Battle of Badr
Chapter 30: The Conquest of Mecca
Chapter 35: The Battle of Ahzab or the Battle of the Ditch
Chapter 36: The Battle of Uhud
Chapter 37: Wrath of Allah upon a person who is killed by the Prophet himself (may peace be upon him)
Chapter 42: The Battle of Khaibar
Chapter 43: The Battle of Ahzab or Khandaq (The Tribes or The Ditch)
Chapter 44: Dhu Qarad and other battles
Chapter 46: Fighting of women side by side with men
Chapter 47: Women participants in jihad to be given a prize but not a regular share in the booty, and prohibition to kill children of the enemy [they are to be raised in the practice of Islam instead]
Chapter 48: The number of wars waged by the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him)
Similarly, other hadith compilations devote large sections to warfare:
Sahih Bukhari includes books entitled Fighting for the Cause of Allah (Jihaad), One-fifth of Booty to the Cause of Allah (Khumus) , and Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi) .
Sunan Abu Dawood includes books entitled Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad), Tribute, Spoils, and Rulership (Kitab Al-Kharaj, Wal-Fai’ Wal-Imarah) , and Battles (Kitab Al-Malahim)
.
Malik’s Muwatta includes a book entitled Jihad, with sections entitled Stimulation of Desire for Jihad and Stripping the Slain of their Personal Effects in the Booty.
Muhammad called outward jihad, otherwise known as warfare, the Lesser Jihad. The Greater Jihad is one’s inner struggle to follow Allah’s will in all things, including a commitment to the Lesser Jihad, which is subsumed under it. Muslims often use this distinction to deflect criticism of Jihad, claiming that Jihad does not necessarily stand for military war. [16] Despite this claim, the Koran and the Hadith place their major focus on the “lesser Jihad” against Infidels, about which they have plenty to say. They also give very explicit and graphic instructions to believers. For example, in the Koran:
There are seventeen specific passages where believers are told to slay or be slain.
There are seven passages that provide specific guidance on killing through warfare.
There are forty two passages that command believers to fight in the name of Allah.
Religion of peace, indeed.
Any reader of the Koran will quickly realize that far more attention is given to war than to love. Here is a small sampling of the Koran’s guidance:
[2.191] PICKTHAL: And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution is worse than slaughter.
[2.193] PICKTHAL: And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah.
[2.216] YUSUF ALI: Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.
[2.246] PICKTHAL: Bethink thee of the leaders of the Children of Israel after Moses, how they said unto a prophet whom they had: Set up for us a king and we will fight in Allah’s way…Yet, when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, all save a few of them. Allah is aware of evil-doers.
[3.147] PICKTHAL: Their [the armies of the prophets] cry was only…give us victory over the disbelieving folk.
[3.168] PICKTHAL: Those who, while they sat at home, said of their brethren (who were fighting for the cause of Allah): If they had been guided by us they would not have been slain. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Then avert death from yourselves if ye are truthful.
[3.195] YUSUF ALI: And their Lord hath accepted them, and answered them:…Those who have…suffered harm in My Cause, or fought or been slain,…I will…admit them to the gardens with rivers flowing belief: – A reward from the presence of Allah…
[4.74] YUSUF ALI: Let those fight in the cause of Allah, who sell the life of this world for the hereafter. To him who fighteth in the cause of Allah, — whether he is slain or gets victory — Soon shall We give him a reward of great (value).
In these passages, as well as elsewhere, the Koran lays upon the shoulders of true believers a moral imperative to kill Infidels when doing so will advance the goal of converting all mankind “voluntarily” to Islam, or making them submit to Allah’s authority in the form of Islamic government.
The Koran and the Hadith, and therefore Islam, exhorts and sanctifies war to such a degree that Islamic nations have made it impossible for the United Nations to agree upon a universal definition of terrorism. As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime states in its website’s section on terrorism, “The lack of agreement on a definition of terrorism has been a major obstacle to meaningful international countermeasures.” [17]
Defenders of the Koran will claim that the verses quoted above relate to specific historical events and therefore are not directed toward modern people. The falseness of this claim unveils itself in several ways:
The Koran is written without any dates and virtually no historical context, and it speaks directly to the reader. It is designed to be what Muslims claim it is (when they are not making excuses for its violent language): timeless and universal.
The people reviled by the Koran as Infidels and Polytheists still exist, so its commands cannot be considered ancient history. Any reader of the Koran immediately makes the connections between its words and people living today. If the Koran is timeless and universal, then so are its calls to war.
The entire foundation of Islam rests on the belief that the Koran has a message for Muslims living today, as well as for all mankind. According to the Koran, any Muslim who ignores its words commits either Hypocrisy or Apostasy, and deserves severe punishment.
A skeptical reader of the Koran quickly begins to wonder why Allah needs people to wage war on his behalf. After all, his almighty nature should make him capable of fighting his own battles. The Islamic answer to this question can be seen in a quote from The Koran for Dummies: [19]
The Koran says that humans have been given the responsibility to represent or act as the deputy of the Divine on earth, in both words and deeds…[19]
The role of vicegerent calls on human beings to become active participants in the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, which the Koran describes as an obligatory social role.
Part of enjoining good and forbidding evil [according to the Koran] is the struggle towards implementing divine laws on earth, whereby societies live under a system of [Islamic] justice and righteousness.
REFERENCES FOR SECTION 4:
[1] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 115, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 188, Volume 9, Book 86, Number 88, and Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 9.
[2] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 691, Volume 8, Book 73, Number 141, and Malik’s Muwatta, Book 9, Number 9.15.49.
[3] See Bible, Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19
[4] As a subsequent section of this book will soon reveal, this quote comes from the Koran, verse 9.7.
[5] The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III, by Edward Gibbon, Random House, Chapter 58, pages 425-426.
[6] The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Islam, by Yahiya Emerick, Alpha Books, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 2002, Chapter 4, section entitled There Is Only One God, page 39.
[7] Ibid, Chapter 1, section entitled Pagans, Be Damned! , page 8.
[8] The Koran for Dummies, by Sohaib Sultan, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2004, Chapter 1, section entitled Guiding the Way: Prophet Muhammad, page 10.
[9] This is a reference to the Koran:
[162-164] PICKTHAL:
- Say: Lo! my worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. He hath no partner. This am I commanded, and I am first of those who surrender (unto Him). Say: Shall I seek another than Allah for Lord, when He is Lord of all things? Each soul earneth only on its own account, nor doth any laden bear another’s load. Then unto your Lord is your return and He will tell you that wherein ye differed.
[10] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Numbers 27 – 35, and Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 14, Number 2635, and Book 19, Numbers 2993 & 3061.
[11] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 46, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 405, and Malik’s Muwatta, Book 21, Number 21.14.33.
[12] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 72, Sahih Muslim, Book 20, Number 4631, and Malik’s Muwatta, Book 21, Number 21.14.27.
[13] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Muslim, Book 20, Numbers 4678, 4679, & 4680.
[14] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 27, Numbers 6 & 8, Book 34, Numbers 294, 302, & 432, Book 35, Number 456, Book 40, Number 563, Volume 4, Book 53, Numbers 324, 362, 364, 378, & 379, Volume 5, Book 59, Numbers 340, 360, 469, 540, 541, 627, & 636, Volume 8, Book 78, Number 698, Volume 9, Book 89, Number 282, Sahih Muslim, Book 5, Number 2310 & 2313, Book 8, Number 3315, Book 19, 4331 – 4337, Sunan Abu Dawood, Book 19, Number 3013, and Malik’s Muwatta, Book 21, Number 21.6.15.
[15] Similar hadiths can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 104, Book 53, Numbers 348 & 352, Volume 9, Book 93, Numbers 549 & 555, Sahih Muslim, Book 20, Numbers 4617, 4626, & 4628, and Malik’s Muwatta, Book 21, Number 21.1.2.
[16] One will often hear apologists for Islam claim that “Jihad” does not necessarily mean “war.” However, this distinction makes no sense because the term “war” also does not necessarily mean “war” as armed combat. For example, we are familiar with “the War on Poverty,” “the War on Illiteracy,” and “being at war with oneself.” For all intents and purposes, Jihad and war are used in the same ways with the same intentions.
[17] See http://www.unodc.org/unodc/terrorism_definitions.html.
[18] The Koran for Dummies, by Sohaib Sultan, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2004, Chapter 8, section entitled The purpose of human life, page 131.
[19] [27.62] PICKTHAL: Is not He (best) Who answereth the wronged one when he crieth unto Him and removeth the evil, and hath made you viceroys of the earth? Is there any Allah beside Allah? Little do they reflect!
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