Violent Extremism: a Violaton of Islam

Violent Extremism: A Violaton of Islam

The Global Muslim Women’s Shura Council is a global and inclusive council of Muslim women scholars, actvists, and specialists. The Council endeavors to connect Islamic principles to society’s most pressing issues and develop holistc strategies for creatng positve social change. In the following statement, the Shura Council condemns violent extremism as an absolute violaton of the teachings of Islam. For more informaton about the Global Muslim Women’s Shura Council, please visit: www.wisemuslimwomen.org/about/shuracouncil

INTRODUCTION Islamic teachings seek to unify people in order to engender harmony, cooperaton, collectve achievement and prosperity. Violent extremism, on the other hand, fractures individuals, families, and communites, preventng people from reaching their full potental as social and spiritual beings. Despite these facts, prominence of violence in the public discource surrounding Islam is unmatched. Violent extremism mars the name and reputaton of Islam globally, spreading gross distortons of the Qur’an and example of the Prophet Muhammad. The Shura Council confrms that Islam stands for peace, harmony, and the eliminaton of all forms of violence, including violent extremism and violence commited in the name of religion. VIOLENT EXTREMISM CONTRADICTS THE HOLY QUR’AN When read in isolaton, various passages of the Qur’an seem to treat warfare diferently. However, when the Qur’an is read as a whole and against the historical circumstances within which verses were revealed, we fnd a consistend patern. The two periods in which Qur’anic verses are divided are those that were revealed in Mecca and those in Medina.

JIHAD IN MECCAN VERSES JIHAD IN MEDINAN VERSES While the Prophet and his followers were in Mecca for Afer the Prophet and his followers emigrated to Medina, twelve years, the Qur’anic verses revealed during this the Qur’anic message ofen responded to the Muslims’ period recognized the right of self-defence in cases of partcular historical and politcal situaton. In Medina, wrongdoing. Yet these verses did not give permission to the Prophet heald together a coaliton of politcal allies the Muslims to use force. Instead, the Qur’an commanded representng inhabitants of diverse religions, whose rights them to endure patently and forgive the wrongdoers. were recognized as full members of the community, according to the Consttuton of Medina. As the Meccan Jihad in the Meccan period, which was longer than in Arabs contnued to atack the Muslims and their property, the Medinan period, entailed non-violent resistance to the Qur’an gave permission to use force in defending persecuton. This took the form of: a) frst secret and then themselves and their right to practce religion freely. The public preaching of their faith; b) freeing slaves who had frst verses (22:39-40) that allow fghtng clearly state that converted to Islam; and c) emigratng to Abyssinia and apart from resistng oppression, Muslis may only resort later to Medina. The Prophet sent the early Muslims west to fghtng to defend the basic religious freedom of all towards the Christan empire of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) religious people (not just Muslims) to worship the one God. and told them they would fnd safety there. He did not send them with a message of war or conquest. Afer war broke out between the Muslims and the Meccans, who never ceased to persecute the Prophet and his followers, the “sword verses” (9:5, 29) were revealed. These verses must be read with the earlier passages that prohibit Muslims from initatng warfare, as well as the many verses that urge Muslims to incline to peace if their enemies incline to peace. When read this way, they allow batle only in defense. 2 VIOLENT EXTREMISM CONTRADICTS THE PROPHET’S EXAMPLE (SUNNAH) The Prophet Muhammad, the ultmate model of Qur’anic behavior, never waged a war except in self-defense, and he never initated warfare against unbelievers during his lifetme.

The Prophet demanded gentleness. He is recorded to have said, “God is gentle and loves gentleness. what he does not give for violence” (Sahih Muslim). The Prophet also declared, “He who is deprived of forbearance and gentleness in, in fact, deprived of all good.” (Sahih Muslim).

VIOLENT EXTREMISM CONTRADICTS ISLAMIC LAW (MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH) According to scholarly consensus, the six “principle objectves” (maqasid) of the Shari’ah demand the protecton and promoton of religion (din), life (nafs), mind (‘aql), family (nasl), dignity (‘ird), and wealth (mal) in society. Because violent extremism entails the unjust taking away of human life and destructon of property, it absolutely violates at least two of the principle objectves of the Shari’ah: Life and Wealth.

Infictng injurty on a person, taking away life, and destorying property violate these objectves of the Shari’ah and cannot be justfed in any way as fulflling Islamic values. In many of its forms, violent extremism also violates other principles, including the mind and dignity of those who experience violence as well as those who engage in it. Violent extremism also tears apart families and the very fabric of society. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION As a holistc reading of the Qur’an shows, Islam restricted cultural norms regarding violent extremism. To isolate passages, which ultmately sought to eliminate violence, and use them to legitmize more violence than our current norms accept, is to greatly violate the spirit of the Qur’an. Furthermore, the principle objectves of the Shari’ah, which provide the Shari’ah’s foundaton, ensure the protecton of life, religion, mind, wealth, family, and human dignity. All interpretaton of Islamic law must conform to these maqasid, and violent extremism clearly violates these protectons.

Finally, the Qur’an extols patence (sabr); in fact, jihad as patent forebearance is equal in value to jihad as force. This does not, however, mean passive indiference; rather, it is an actve, patent, and non-violent resistance to injustces. Every chapter in the Qur’an opens with ,”in the Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful,” as compassion and mercy are amongst the Beautful Names of God. When God declares in the Qur’an, “My Mercy extends to everything” (7:156), mercy is truly rendered a principal law of all creaton. Therefore, violent extremism cannot be justfed in the name of Islam.

Global Muslim Women’s Shura Council

Afra Jalabi, Asma Afsaruddin, Hedieh Mirahmadi, Irfana Hashmi, Nevin Reda, Laleh Bakhtar, Jamila Afghani, Sumbul Ali-Karamali, Aisha Rafea, Ayesha Chaudhry, Gonca Aydin, Irfana Hashmi, Margot Badran, Necva Solak, Nevin Reda, Laila al-Zwaini and Ziba Mir-Hosseini.

2 Violent Extremism: A Violaton of Islam

GLOBAL MUSLIM WOMEN’S SHURA COUNCIL

Islamic teachings seek to unify people in order the Arabic word for warfare is harb; “armed to engender harmony, cooperaton, collectve combat” is qital. Warfare and armed combat achievement and prosperity. Violent extremism, are not holy in Islam; they are simply justfed or on the other hand, fractures individuals, families, unjustfed. and communites, preventng people from reaching their full potental as social and spiritual Nevertheless, extremists have evoked the beings. language of jihad – and its Qur’anic references – to justfy violence. Consequently, any challenge Despite these facts, prominence of violence to violence commited in the name of Islam must in the public discourse surrounding Islam is examine these partcular passages and clarify unmatched. Violent extremism mars the name their meanings. In doing so, several factors must and reputaton of Islam globally, spreading gross be taken into account: distortons of the Qur’an and example of the Prophet Muhammad. In a globalizing world, it A. a holistc analysis of Qur’anic verses; has become more and more important to set B. the literary context of sword verses; the record straight regarding Islam’s injuncton against violent extremism. The Shura Council C. the Prophet’s example; confrms that Islam stands for peace, harmony, D. the historical context of the verses’ and the eliminaton of all forms of violence, interpretaton; including violent extremism and violence E. jurists’ limitatons on military jihad; commited in the name of religion. The Shura F. the principle of fada’il al-sabr; Council is commited to resistng patriarchal and destructve interpretatons of Islam and G. contemporary understandings of jihad; replacing the cycle of violence with non-violent and solutons. H. the maqasid al-Shari’ah

VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND REFUTATIONS Utlizing these widely-accepted interpretve The religious justfcaton used by Muslim extremists to commit societal violence is usually techniques, legal and literary traditons and jihad. Derived from the root j-h-d, which implies discourses, and our contemporary contexts, the exerton of energy, “jihad” has layered, we demonstrate that violent extremism varying, and contested meanings, though all cannot be carried out in the name of Islam relate to a “struggle towards excellence in the and that the Qur’an sanctons only defensive way of God.” Although sometmes translated as “holy war,” jihad does not mean warfare. Rather, warfare.

WISE © 2017 3 A. A HOLISTIC ANALYSIS OF QUR’ANIC VERSES ermissin is iven hse h h beause he When read singly, various passages of the Qur’an have been ressed, and d is able hel hem seem to treat warfare diferently. However, hese are hse h have been rnfull eelled when the Qur’an is read as a whole and against frm heir hmes merel fr sain d is ur Lrd the historical circumstances within which verses If d had n resrained sme ele b means were revealed, we fnd a consistent patern. f hers, mnaseries, hurhes, snaues, and msues in hih ds name is mentned MECCAN JIHAD freuenl uld have been desred 1. While the Prophet and his followers were in Mecca for twelve years, the Qur’anic verses It is noteworthy that these verses clearly state revealed during this period recognized the right that apart from resistng oppression, Muslims of self-defense in cases of wrongdoing. Yet these may only resort to fghtng to defend the basic verses did not give permission to the Muslims to religious freedom of all righteous people (not use force. Instead, the Qur’an commanded them just Muslims) to worship the one God. to endure patently and forgive the wrongdoers. For example, Surah 16, verse 125 says: MEDINAN JIHAD Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom 1. Afer war broke out between the Muslims and and beautful preaching; and argue with them in the Meccans, who never ceased to persecute the best and most gracious ways; for the Lord the Prophet and his followers, the “sword verses” knows best who have strayed from His Path and (below) were revealed. These verses have been who receive guidance. frequently taken in isolaton and out of their literary and historical context, both by those 2. Jihad in the Meccan period, which was longer trying to prove Islam to be a violent religion than in the Medinan period, entailed non-violent and by Muslims to justfy violence. Yet these resistance to persecuton. This took the form passages must be read in the holistc context of of: a) frst secret and then public preaching of the entre Qur’an and in light of the historical their faith; b) freeing slaves who had converted context they were addressing. to Islam; and c) emigratng to Abyssinia and later to Medina. It is interestng to note that the Surah 9, verse 5: Prophet sent the early Muslims west towards the Christan empire of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) And hen he sared mnhs are ver, sla he and told them they would fnd safety there. He lheiss herever u nd hem, and ake hem did not send them with a message of war or atve, and besiee hem, and lie in ai fr hem conquest. a ever neivable lae

PERMISSION TO USE FORCE IN SELF-DEFENSE Surah 9, verse 29: 1. Afer the Prophet and his followers emigrated to Medina, the Qur’anic message ofen ih hse heven if he are ele f he responded to the Muslims’ partcular historical Bk d n believe in d r he Las a and and politcal situaton. In Medina, the Prophet d n nsider frbidden ha hih d and held together a coaliton of politcal allies His messener have frbidden, and d n fll representng inhabitants of diverse religions, the reliin f he ruh, untl he a he ll a whose rights were recognized as full members of the community, according to the Consttuton illinl, as subes of Medina. As the Meccan Arabs contnued to atack the Muslims and their property, the 2. These verses must be read with the earlier Qur’an gave permission to use force in defending passages that prohibit Muslims from initatng themselves and their right to practce religion warfare, as well as the many verses that urge freely. Muslims to incline to peace if their enemies incline to peace. When read this way, they 2. The frst verses (22:39-40) which allow allow batle only in defense. Qur’anic verses fghtng (“qital,” which is one aspect of jihad should always be taken together – to ignore one under specifc conditons), state: verse and rely upon another is to ignore part of

4 God’s word. So although fghtng in the defense C. THE PROPHET’S EXAMPLE to practce religion was permited, 2:190 1. The Prophet Muhammad, the ultmate model specifcally prohibits Muslims from initatng of Qur’anic behavior, never waged a war except hostlites. in self-defense, and he never initated warfare against unbelievers during his lifetme. B. THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF THE SWORD VERSES 2. The Prophet demanded gentleness. He is 1. When 9:5 and 9:29 are read within the recorded to have said, “God is gentle and loves literary context of the entre passage (9:1-29), gentleness. He rewards for gentleness what verses 1-4 clearly show that this passage is he does not give for violence” (Sahih Muslim). addressing a partcular group, the polytheistc He also declared, “He who is deprived of Meccan Arabs at the tme of the Prophet. A forbearance and gentleness is, in fact, deprived segment of this group repeatedly broke their of all good” (Sahih Muslim). treaty with the young Muslim community. In fact, the historical sources indicate that they had D. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE VERSES’ atacked and killed allies of the Prophet. Thus, INTERPRETATION the sword verses instruct Muslims on how to 1. Afer the Prophet’s death, the young Muslim deal with this unprecedented situaton involving community found itself with a new religion to those who have broken their treaty obligatons. defend, persecuton to resist, radical social According to the Qur’an, the cancellaton of the reforms to implement, and novel laws to develop. treaty is to be announced at the tribes’ annual Predominant internatonal law at the tme was to gathering during the pilgrimage, treaty- breakers conquer or be conquered. This was simply how are given four months clemency, and war should states and empires operated. Muslims generally be resumed when these months have passed. did not convert the conquered peoples to Islam, Verse 9:4 makes it very clear that these actons but let them pay a tax in return for keeping their do not apply to those who have not broken the religion and obtaining exempton from military treaty, as the Muslims are instructed to honor duty. their engagements with them. In order to justfy the expansion of the territory 2. The eminent early jurists understood the of Islam, the early Muslims interpreted jihad to sword verses in this manner, stressing both the allow for the spread of Islamic rule. To accomplish Meccan Arabs’ aggression against the Muslims this, many of the early jurists (though not all) and their violaton of treates. The command claimed that the sword verses superseded or to wage war against these partcular people abrogated those verses prohibitng violence or resulted from these two factors, in additon allowing it in self-defense. “Abrogaton” (naskh) to the threat they posed. While 9:5 and 9:29 became a standard technique for interpretng refer to this special case of treaty-breakers, the the Qur’an at that tme. general Qur’anic rules of warfare are established in 2:190-195. 2. Even this noton of expansionist jihad was a limitaton on the violence of the tme, since 3. To summarize, when the divine command it outlawed all forms of warfare except jihad. permitng jihad was revealed, it was only afer: Nevertheless, although the Muslim community • The persistent refusal of the Meccan leadership may not have survived in the 7th century Near to allow the peaceful propagaton of Islam East without an efectve strategy of expansion, in Mecca; this doctrine no longer applies to the current • Contnuous persecuton of the Muslims geopolitcal world. remaining in Mecca; • Meccan military campaigns against the E. JURISTS’ LIMITATIONS ON MILITARY JIHAD Muslims at Medina with the sole objectve of 1. In situatons when military jihad was allowed eliminatng Islam; by the jurists, they developed an entre body of • Key security pledges being rejected unilaterally law that outlined specifc rules and limitatons. by a number of tribes allied to the Prophet, For example, they required that a call to war forcing him into a vulnerable positon. could only come from a publicly recognized

WISE © 2017 5 caliph or imam. An individual may not legitmately part of jihad was brought into the mainstream issue a call to war. This requirement is especially by the 12th century jurist, Abu Hamid al- relevant today, as there is no such recognized Ghazali. Al-Ghazali asserted that patence and leader of the worldwide Muslim community grattude were the two halves of faith, and he (ummah). noted that over 70 Qur’anic verses refer to patent forbearance. He specifcally contended 2. Moreover, jurists developed very clear that patent forbearance is part of jihad. prohibitons on warfare. Those waging jihad were not allowed to do the following (below), 3. This is the non-violent resistance to among other things. These prohibited actons persecuton that the Qur’an urged the Prophet are, nevertheless, among the hallmarks of many and his followers to adopt in the Meccan of those who engage in violent extremism in the period. It has always been a part of Islam’s name of Islam today: divine message, and throughout the centuries, • atack noncombatants and civilians of any a number of prominent jurists elaborated this kind; doctrine. • arbitrarily destroy property; • commit suicide; G. CONTEMPORARY UNDERSTANDINGS OF • engage in the secret and clandestne use of JIHAD force (as opposed to a declared and formal war); 1. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when many • engage in cheatng and treachery; Muslim lands were under colonial rule, Muslim • commit rape; scholars began to revisit the doctrine of jihad • terrorize populatons; and Qur’anic interpretaton in general. The • wage war against other Muslims. principle of abrogaton was rejected by many of these scholars, including Muhammad ‘Abduh, F. THE PRINCIPLE OF FADA’IL AL-SABR the famous rector of al-Azhar University in 1. The greater jihad is an atempt to control Cairo. They insisted that abrogaton was merely one’s self in ways that serve God. The Prophet a temporal technique to understand the Qur’an. is reported to have said during the Farewell Pilgrimage: he her in he a f d is he 2. Numerous contemporary jurists argue that h makes ihad aains himself ahada nafsah fr any verse must be understood in relaton to he sake f bein d Taming their tendency the Qur’an’s larger message. In other words, all to transgress, these mujahidin exert energy to Qur’anic verses on a subject must be studied in overcome the selfsh promptngs of their egos. relaton to one another. These scholars interpret For this reason, the Qur’an equates them with the sword verses only within the context of he aten nes (saberin): e shall u u n other verses on warfare and conclude that this rail s ha e kn hse amn u h srive permission was given to the Prophet in a specifc in he ause f d muahidin and are he aten situaton. The larger message of the Qur’an saberin (47:31). These mujahidin are promised restricts violence and permits only defensive guidance: hse h d ihad fr ur sake, e warfare. ill erainl uide hem ur ahs (29:69). 3. Thus, jihad was reafrmed as the use of 2. While some Muslim scholars developed force nl in self-defense. Sayyid Ahmad the military doctrine of jihad, others were Khan, for example, insisted (controversially) developing alternatve views on jihad. In that even colonizaton by a foreign power was partcular, they developed the doctrine of the an insufcient conditon for jihad unless there “jihad of actve forbearance,” based on the was actve suppression of the practce of Islam. holistc understanding of jihad in the Qur’an. This Abduh agreed that jihad was defensive war is refected in the literature which praises the only, though he asserted that invading a country “excellences of armed struggle” fadail alihad and colonizing its people justfed self-defense. and the competng literature which describes During India’s fght for independence, Badshah the “excellences of patence” fadail alsabr. Khan, a pacifst and devout Muslim, led his ferce Pushtun army in an unarmed, peaceful protest The doctrine of patent forbearance sabr as march against the Britsh. Actng from his

6 religious convictons, Khan waged a remarkable only afer all other forms of jihad have been jihad of actve, patent resistance. atempted, and even then, it may only be used in self-defense. H. THE MAQASID AL-SHARI’AH 1. Because violent extremism entails the unjust Every chapter in the Qur’an opens with, “In the taking away of human life and destructon of Name f d, he Allmassinae, he All property, it absolutely violates at least two of Meriful, as compassion and mercy are amongst the principle objectves of the Shari‘ah: Life the Beautful Names of God. And, when God and Wealth. Infictng injury on a person, taking declares in the Qur’an, M Mer eends away life, and destroying property violate these everhin (7:156), mercy is truly rendered a objectves of the Shari’ah and cannot be justfed principal law of all creaton. Therefore, violent in any way as fulflling Islamic values. In many of extremism cannot be justfed in the name of its forms, violent extremism also violates other Islam. principles, including the mind and dignity of those who experience violence as well as those who engage in it. Violent extremism also tears apart families and the very fabric of society. All interpretatons of Islamic law must conform to these maqasid, and clearly, violent extremism violates these protectons.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS As a holistc reading of the Qur’an shows, Islam restricted cultural norms regarding violent extremism. To isolate passages, which ultmately sought to eliminate violence and use them to legitmize more violence than our current norms accept, is to greatly violate the spirit of the Qur’an. Furthermore, the principle objectves of the Shari’ah, which provide the Shari’ah’s foundaton, ensure the protecton of life, religion, mind, wealth, family, and human dignity. All interpretatons of Islamic law must conform to these maqasid, and violent extremism clearly violates these protectons.

Finally, the Qur’an extols patence (sabr); in fact, jihad as patent forbearance is equal in value to jihad as force. This does not, however, mean passive indiference; but rather, it is an actve, patent, and non- violent resistance to injustce. According to the Prophet, jihad is both the greater struggle to rid oneself of sin and the lesser efort to defend against oppression. It can be considered an internal jihad of the soul and an external jihad of correctng injustce in society. This external jihad is of many types: for example, jihad by the word (using verbal persuasion to correct an injustce); jihad by the hands (doing good works to correct an injustce); and jihad by the sword (using force to get rid of an oppressor). It is important to recognize that jihad by the sword is merely a last resort,