With these terror groups,Muslims suffer in two major ways.Firstly,we (Muslims) are all seen as potential terrorists and secondly,these terror groups kill more Muslims than non Muslims!Take Boko Haram for instance.
These unfortunate lads come up to tell the whole world that their main aim is to create a PURE ISLAMIC STATE and I ask, do they have to carry arms to do that?If you claim to love God and His Prophet,you must be ready to abide with the injuctions of the Quran and the traditions of the Prophet.
The Prophet, throughout his life NEVER went offensive, all the wars fought by Muslims are in defense of the freedom to practice Islam anywhere they might find themselves.This principle appeared in the last sermon of the Prophet when he said:
"Do not oppress and do not be oppressed"
Due to the unfortunate misunderstanding of Islamic principles,these guys and some critics would confront you with some ahadith of the Prophet that seem to promote violence...like one from An-Nawawi collections where the Prophet was reported to have said that he is asked to fight with people until hey accept Islam.Some would even quote verses from the holy Quran to justify their misguided perspective of Islam!
When I was confronted with the hadith of An-Nawawi collections,I responded by simply letting the guy know that the word fight as used in the hadith doesn't necessarily mean arm conflict. For instance,in the early days of Islam,the unbelievers of Makkah fought the Prophet in many ways...one of the harshest ways had nothing to do with arms conflict. The Makkans showed their disapproval of Islam by simply boycotting the Prophet and his follwers...they wouldn't buy or sell to them...and those that had married their women immediately divorced them. Two of the Prophet's daughters were affected.
The Muslims were driven out of town into the hot desert with very little to survive on.It was during this horrific times that the Prophet lost his wife and Uncle who happen to be the only form of shield he had against the Makkans!
So as you can see,there are worse way of fighting than engaging in arms conflict...checkout the damaging effect of the cold war and when a country is subjected to sanctions! The 'fight' in that hadith doesn't mean arm conflicts.
Another hadith that is usually put forward as proof of Islam's violent nature is a hadith, also of the Nawawi collections where the Prophet was reported to have said that the only people whose lives and property are safe with him are those that are Muslims!This is equally erroneous as the hadith is not encouraging the massacre of unbelivers!
After the Hijra to Medina,the Prophet accepted the allegiance of most tribes of Medina and with time,the city was under his command as the first Islamic city of the time.The Prophet gave the unbelievers...especially,the people of the book (i.e. the Jews and the Christians) two options...he asked them to either leave the town or live peacefully under the protection of the Muslims while they pay a Protection tax popularly known as 'Jizya'. If the above hadith means that Muslims should kill at will all that refuse the Deen,he wouldn't be giving them these options would he???
I don't know how people think,but to believe the Boko's claims that terrorism is Islamic came to me as a big shock.You won't imagine... those that you adore as intelligent and enlightened suddenly become stupid and very ignorant of such basic that no religion in the world goes popular among men by encouraging indiscriminate killings. In case you don't know...Islam thrives a lot more during peaceful times than during turbulent times...that's because,it's a religion that preaches peace and tolerance!
It is.therefore,a great injustice to accuse Islam and Muslims of violence with hard evidence!Yes,members Boko Haram,Al Shabaab and ISIL are Muslims.But,yet,I ask you,are these groups the only terror groups in the world,are there no non Muslims that are terrorists? Terrorism,in a lay man's language is bullying...forcing people to obey you by forceful and violent means...it's about subjecting others to yourself forcefully.If this is the case,then,what would you say of the attitude of Israel to Palestine,the group KKK of the US. Just go to google and text the keywords:"Christian Terror groups","Jewish Terror Groups","Terror Groups in the US" and you'll be amazed by what you'll see!
There are much more non Muslim terror groups than you can ever imagine!You may start to wonder is it that it's only those of Muslims that make the headlines.I wondered too and was unable to explain why other than taking it as a deliberate effort to paint Islam and Muslims black by the Western Media!Having said that, it's time to talk of how to curb and quench the fire!
If I'm to start with that right now,I fear I might bore you with over load.Insha Allah,I shall reveal what we can do to help end the insurgency.Till then,I want you to reamain blessed!
Salaam!
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